Vanessa and Walden Wells were seated a bit further back. Vanessa also stared at the entrance, but her eyes were filled with hidden resentment. She would never forget the humiliation Selma Quigley had inflicted upon her.


    At that moment, the heavy doors of the banquet hall slowly swung open.


    The bride, dressed in a pristine white gown, appeared on her father''s arm, her


    delicate features and shy smile faintly visible through her veil.


    Watching his bride walk towards him step by step, Henry''s eyes suddenly reddened, his handsome face a mixture of excitement and love.


    The entire hall erupted in apuse and cheers.


    The bride walked steadily toward the groom on the stage.


    Seated in his chair,n''s eyes followed the bride, but his focus seemed to drift, as if he were looking through time to another scene from years ago.


    It was his and Eleanor''s wedding.


    The Eleanor in his memory was even younger than Selma, still carrying an air of innocence and naivete. She too had walked towards him, step by step, on her father''s arm. Back then, her face was filled with undisguised nervousness, and the look in her eyes was full of shyness and trust.


    He remembered after the vows, when the officiant announced that the groom could kiss the bride, he had leaned down and gently kissed her lips. It was a restrained and tender kiss, but because Eleanor was so young, whether from shyness or some other emotion, she had burst into tears and thrown herself into his arms, crying with joy.


    Now, watching Henry and Selma share a passionate kiss on stage, and thinking back to the Eleanor who had wept with happiness in his arms,n felt a deep, slow ache take over his chest.


    He had made so many mistakes.


    When she needed security the most, he hadn''t been able to give her enough. When her eyes were filled with love for him, he was burdened by the responsibilities on his shoulders. And when he was finally free from his troubles and wanted to love her, she no longer needed it.


    Some mistakes, once made, required a hundred times the effort and a long time to fix.


    Xavier, however, watched his friend with a sincere, congrattory smile.


    Seeing this scene, Vanessa felt a sharp sting in her heart. Watching Henry, whose eyes were filled with nothing but his bride, she suddenly felt it was unfair.


    Why was everyone else the one to find happiness? Didn''t she, Vanessa, deserve to be happy?


    Why could everyone else find their perfect match, but she couldn''t?


    Now,n and Xavier were both single, but she no longer had a chance to get close to either of them.


    ***


    After the ceremony, the banquet began. Xavier hadn''t brought Vivian today, as he needed to mingle with the guests, andn hadn''t brought his daughter either for the same reason flowever Henry Hado. prepared generous party favors for both little girls.


    Vanessa barely ate. She was just waiting for Walden to take her home, but he still had some speralizing to


    do


    Just then, she saw two society


    wives walking toward her, and she immediately braced herself.


    Walden had already moved to another table to offer toasts, so the two women sat down in the empty seats.


    "Vanessa! It''s been so long. We were just talking about you! Back in the day, you and Mr. Goodwin—-oh, I always thought we''d be drinking at your wedding!"


    The words sounded regretful, but they were a subtle jab at Vanessa''s sore spot. After all, when Vanessa had beenn''s mistress, these Prospective wives had secretly looked down on her.