The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 476

“Everyone! Come see my sister’s wedding dress!”

More students gathered. I stood there, frozen, as they circled around me. The dress felt like it was suffocating me. I glanced at the royal guards, but they stared over my head, either too stupid or too full of shame to meet my gaze.

Bianca pulled a marker from her purse and held it up. “Anyone want to sign the dress? It’s traditional in our family.”

I shot her a look. “No, it’s not.”

Bianca smiled. “Well, it is now,” she said as a girl stepped forward first. She took the marker and scrawled something across the skirt. I couldn’t see what it said, but the crowd laughed at whatever it was.

Another student stepped forward. And another. Soon, there was a line of people waiting to write on the dress. Some wrote their names. Others wrote insults.

“Liar.”

“Fake.”

“Traitor.”

I just stood there and took it. What else could I do?

As another student, male this time, leaned in to write something on the bodice with an ugly sneer, I looked up and saw a familiar figure in the distance.

Callum was standing at the edge of the crowd. He was staring at me. From here, I couldn’t read his expression, but my heart surged at the sight of him. Despite everything, I knew he would help me. He had to.

I looked at him imploringly. I tried to tell him with my eyes that I was sorry, that I never wanted this, that I still loved him even though I’d fucked everything up.

He stared back for a long moment before he simply turned and walked away.

My chest caved in. I watched him disappear around the corner, and for a moment, I forgot about the dress and the markers and Bianca and everything else. All I could think about was the fact that Callum had just walked away from me. Again.

Not here. Not in front of them.

We made it to the dorms, and Mia pulled me into our room. The door shut behind us, and finally, I could breathe.

“I’m going to get you something to change into,” Mia said quietly. She disappeared into the closet, returning a moment later with a t-shirt and sweatpants. She helped me out of the dress, not saying a word as she pulled the fabric over my head. The bodice had left red marks on my ribs. The skirt pooled on the floor like a deflated balloon.

“I’ll burn it if you want,” Mia offered.

“Later,” I managed.

She nodded and left, giving me some space that she knew I badly needed. The door clicked shut behind her, and I sank onto my bed.

The tears came all at once, hot and fast and completely uncontrollable. I curled up on my side and let them fall, soaking into my pillow, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs.