Eight Years of Maybe One Day of I Do—Bride Swapped Deal With It novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kieran… Reid?

Caspian’s foot froze in place.

Blood rushed to his head.

Only the two figures in the center of the aisle, arms linked-brutally clear.

“What the fuck.” One of his boys nearly dropped his glass.

“Wait… bro? What… what’s happening?!”

“The groom’s name is Kieran Reid? So Reid-Ashford Union means…”

His friends’ shocked murmurs buzzed around him like panicked bees.

But none of it could pierce the suffocating silence in Caspian’s ears.

He stared at Thea.

At that blinding smile on her face.

At her fingers wrapped around another man’s arm.

No.

This was WRONG.

He shoved past his still-confused friends, charging toward the aisle.

“CASPIAN!”

Someone blocked him fast.

It was Briar.

No trace of wedding joy on her face now.

Just raw, unfiltered rage.

“Move!” Caspian growled, trying to get around her.

Briar didn’t budge, but stepped closer.

“What are you gonna do? Still not embarrassed enough? Caspian, look around. Look at HER. This isn’t your show!”

Caspian let out a bitter laugh.

“She’s MINE! We’ve been together EIGHT YEARS! Who the hell is this Kieran guy?! THEA!”

He raised his voice.

11:43

Eight Years of Maybe, One Day of I Do-Bride Swapped, Deal With It!

5.5%

“Explain this! What the hell is going on?! Are you seriously playing me right now?!”

His outburst drew stares from nearby guests.

But the room was loud. His voice didn’t carry far enough to reach the couple.

Briar’s expression turned colder. She lowered her voice to avoid attracting more attention.

“Playing you? Caspian, ask yourself-who’s been playing who for the past eight years?!”

“How many chances did Thea give you? Can you even count them?!”

“That bouquet!” Briar’s voice shook with fury.

“You know how much courage it took her to wait for that moment?”

“She’d already met Kieran’s parents before that. That was the last chance she gave you!”

“She said if you caught that bouquet-hell, if you just walked over, if you just said ‘I’ll marry you’ in front of everyone, if you just gave her ONE clear promise-she would’ve turned down Kieran’s proposal and kept waiting for you like an idiot!”

Caspian’s pupils shrank.

The bouquet… was the last chance?

Briar saw his face drain of color. Her smile turned cruel.

“But what did you do, Caspian?”

“You ripped that bouquet out of her hands. Gave it to Juniper. Told her ‘next time’ in front of everyone. Do you even realize what you threw away?”

“And Juniper!” Briar’s eyes burned with anger for her friend.

“That little secretary. How many times did she call you when you were drunk, using that sketchy tone to make Thea come pick you up?”

“How many times did she ‘accidentally’ leave lipstick marks?”

She even had the nerve to hint to Thea that you two had already slept together!”

Caspian’s body swayed.

He wanted to argue.

Wanted to say it wasn’t true. That “Juniper’s not like that.”

But all those blurry details he’d ignored came flooding back.

Juniper’s late-night calls for help. The earring left in his car…

“Thea chose to trust you every single time!” Briar’s voice cracked.

“She swallowed all that suspicion like a fool.”

“Then listened to you brush it off with ‘it’s just work,’ ‘she’s my secretary,’ ‘you’re overthinking.””

11:43

Eight Years of Maybe, One Day of I Do-Bride Swapped, Deal With It!

5.7%

“Explain this! What the hell is going on?! Are you seriously playing me right now?!”

His outburst drew stares from nearby guests.

But the room was loud. His voice didn’t carry far enough to reach the couple.

Briar’s expression turned colder. She lowered her voice to avoid attracting more attention.

“Playing you? Caspian, ask yourself-who’s been playing who for the past eight years?!”

“How many chances did Thea give you? Can you even count them?!”

“That bouquet!” Briar’s voice shook with fury.

“You know how much courage it took her to wait for that moment?”

“She’d already met Kieran’s parents before that. That was the last chance she gave you!”

“She said if you caught that bouquet-hell, if you just walked over, if you just said ‘I’ll marry you’ in front of everyone, if you just gave her ONE clear promise-she would’ve turned down Kieran’s proposal and kept waiting for you like an idiot!”

Caspian’s pupils shrank.

The bouquet… was the last chance?

Briar saw his face drain of color. Her smile turned cruel.

“But what did you do, Caspian?”

“You ripped that bouquet out of her hands. Gave it to Juniper. Told her ‘next time’ in front of everyone. Do you even realize what you threw away?”

“And Juniper!” Briar’s eyes burned with anger for her friend.

“That little secretary. How many times did she call you when you were drunk, using that sketchy tone to make Thea come pick you up?”

How many times did she ‘accidentally’ leave lipstick marks?”

She even had the nerve to hint to Thea that you two had already slept together!”

Caspian’s body swayed.

He wanted to argue.

Wanted to say it wasn’t true. That “Juniper’s not like that.”

But all those blurry details he’d ignored came flooding back.

Juniper’s late-night calls for help. The earring left in his car…

“Thea chose to trust you every single time!” Briar’s voice cracked.

“She swallowed all that suspicion like a fool.”

“Then listened to you brush it off with ‘it’s just work,’ ‘she’s my secretary,’ ‘you’re overthinking.””

11:43

Eight Years of Maybe, One Day of I Do-Bride Swapped, Deal With It!

5.7%

“Caspian, where’s your heart? Did a dog eat it? Or did you already give it to that young, pretty little secretary?!”

“No… I…”

Caspian opened his mouth. But every excuse felt hollow.

Briar looked at him one last time.

Nothing but contempt in her eyes.

“Caspian, you deserve this. You lost the person who loved you most in this world. Starting today, she’s Mrs. Reid.”

“Just not your Mrs. Reid.”

“And you better not cause a scene. My security doesn’t mess around.”

She turned on her heel and jogged back to catch up with the bridal party, smile bright again.

Caspian stood frozen.

At the end of the aisle, Kieran gently lifted Thea’s veil.

As he leaned down to kiss her forehead, Caspian snapped.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify