Page 5 of Homewrecker

“Time to go. Ashley, you need to get to your seat. Wiley, Dave, you come with me.”

Though his feet were already moving, her dad looked over at her.

“Ashley, are you sure you don’t want?—”

“I definitely don’t,” she said harshly, moving past him at a much faster pace.

The coordinator stepped back to let her by, and she couldn’t be certain, but she thought she might have seen sympathy in the woman’s eyes. Great, even the wedding coordinator knew the backstory behind this pathetic farce.

She knew her dad wanted her standing up with him. It would probably make him feel as though she’d given her stamp of approval. Well, fuck that. He was lucky she’d shown up at all, and she wouldn’t even have done that if her mother hadn’t insisted. She wasn’t here today forhim, and the sooner she could leave, the better.

This time, he didn’t bother trying to call after her as she hurried down the hall. Whether it was because he’d given up or he was too focused on the fact he was about to get married, she had no idea.

Slipping in through the door just before the ushers closed it, Ashley made her way over to the far side of the seats, in the very back. There was no way she was sitting in the front with family. Her whole dad’s side of the family, except him and Uncle Kellar, were there. Her Aunt Jeanine and all her cousins. He’d have to live with being represented by them.

She didn’t actually know a lot of the guests since they were there at Rebecca’s parents’ invitation. A lot of ‘important people’ in the social circuit, some of whom she vaguely recognized from parties her parents had thrown. All of them had known whoshewas.

Placing her hands in her lap, she kept her expression composed. No one was going to know she was screaming on the inside. Truthfully, the lack of expression, as well as her chosen seat, would send the message of disapproval pretty clearly. She’d do more, except she knew it would upset her mom to hear about it if she did.

And she wouldn’t put it past her dad to call her mom to tattle on her.

Just get through the ceremony and dinner, then you can run.

There was no way she was sticking around for the dancing or any of the rest of the celebrating. Her mom had already agreed that attending the ceremony and staying for dinner was enough, though she’d voiced the hope that Ashley might do the full thing. Why her mother still cared what would make her dad happy she had no idea, but here they all were.

She hadn’t been in her seat more than two minutes before her dad and Uncle Kellar walked through the doors, heading totheir positions. Slumping in her chair, she made sure her dad couldn’t see her. The way his jaw clenched when he got to the end of the aisle and realized she wasn’t in the family rows was probably the only satisfaction she would get today.

After that came Rebecca’s mom, walking on her own, and beaming as though this was a normal wedding, then there was a succession of bridesmaids. Even though her dad only had Uncle Kellar, Slut-becca had insisted on having her five cousins as bridesmaids. The two of them hadn’t been great at making friends. They’d become friends with each other, and that was all they’d needed.

On one hand, that made Rebecca’s betrayal so much worse, but on the other, at least Ashley hadn’t had to watch other friends choose between them. If any theoretical friend had chosen to be part of Slut-becca’s wedding to Ashley’s dad, they would have been instantly dead to her.

The doors closed, and the music swelled before they opened again, and Slut-becca came through. Yeah, that virginal white dress was a lie. The fact she’d chosen one that was high-necked with lace sleeves didn’t make up for sleeping with a married man. She clung to her father’s arm, beaming with happiness.

Ashley only caught a glimpse of Rebecca’s dad’s expression, which was stoic. He really was hot. Ashley had noticed that previously, of course, but with the thoughts that had been going around her head after overhearing Mrs. Black and Marshall, his hotness had taken on new meaning.

Maybe if she got drunk enough, she’d flirt with him a bit. Just to see how he responded. And, okay, maybe a little to get under her dad’s and Rebecca’s skin.

If nothing else, it was a fun fantasy to help her get through the damn ceremony.

Sadly, they’d nixed the part where the pastor asked if there were any objections. The whole thing would have been a lotmore fun if they’d left that part in. Still, despite her revenge fantasies, Ashley’s stomach cramped all over again as the ceremony became impossible to ignore.

When it was time to kiss the bride, she looked away, unable to watch as her dad kissed her former bestie. Tears sparked in her eyes, and she quickly rubbed them away with her finger.

No crying.

No making a scene.

No letting them see how they’d gotten to her.

Her dad didn’t care enough, and Rebecca was vindictive enough to enjoy it.

4

Lincoln

His baby girl was married.

It was a day he’d imagined more than once when she was growing up, but he hadn’t expected it to come so soon… and he definitely hadn’t expected it to be to a man older than he was. Lincoln hid his cringe every time Wiley touched Rebecca. He couldn’t even look when Wiley kissed Rebecca.

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