As I stepped away from the altar, I felt a wave of empowerment wash over me. The chains of betrayal that had been weighing me down were gone, leaving me lighter and more determined than ever.

I glanced at Colton, who was still reeling from the revelation. In that moment, I felt nothing for him—no anger, no sadness, just a sense of relief that I was free from a future that would have surely been rife with misery.