Chapter 13. The Weight of Judgment

Adeline’s POV

The moment my eyes met Theodore’s, everything else disappeared. The whispers, the curious stares, the despiteful words.

All of it faded. It was just him. Standing there, waiting for me.

For a heartbeat, everything felt perfect.

But it wasn’t.

Because no matter how it looked, the truth remained—Theodore was meant for Iris, not me.

He didn’t love me. If Iris hadn’t run, he wouldn’t have even looked my way. I never would have imagined being this close to him, let alone marrying him.

Although, I always maintained my distance because I respected Iris.

Everything here—the dress, the ceremony, even Theodore himself—none of it was truly mine.

And if that wasn’t enough, the elder who was officiating the ceremony forgot my name.

“Iris…” he declared, as his voice echoed in the silence.

I heard a little laughter from the crowd the moment he made a mistake and called me Iris when it was obvious I wasn’t her.