90 days with my billionaire ex

The room seemed to shrink around Katy as Dario’s smug grin anchored her in a storm of chaos. The murmurs in the congregation swelled into waves of disbelief and whispers, punctuated by gasps. Eyes darted between Katy, Dario, and Tom, the tension unbearable.

“Surprised to see me, Katy?” Dario’s voice carried an almost taunting nonchalance as he walked toward the altar, hands in his pockets as if he belonged there.

Katy couldn’t speak. She swallowed hard, her gaze darting toward Tom, whose face was a mix of confusion and rising anger.

“Katy,” Tom began, his voice taut, “who *is* this man? And why is he saying these things?”

She glanced away, unwilling to meet his eyes. Her gaze landed on Sonia, seated with an infuriating smirk tugging at her lips. Of course. Sonia.

Sonia always loved chaos, especially if it meant Katy’s life was the center of it. But Dario… he was a different kind of disaster. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He wasn’t supposed to be out of prison. The sheer impossibility of his presence made her head spin.

The priest cleared his throat, his tone both gentle and firm. “Sir, you have interrupted a sacred ceremony. If you have a valid objection, please state it now.”

Dario’s eyes locked on Katy, his smirk widening into something sinister. “Katy is engaged to me. Has been for years. She still has my ring, and she never broke it off.”

He turned his attention to Tom with a slight shrug, as if to apologize for the inconvenience. “Some... circumstances kept me away for a while, but I’m back now. I can’t let another man marry my fiancée.”

Gasps rippled through the hall as all eyes turned to Katy.

“Miss Katy,” the priest addressed her gravely, “is there any truth to this claim? Have you been engaged to this man?”

Katy’s heart pounded. She looked to her parents, her friends, Tom—each face wore a mix of confusion and judgment. The weight of their gazes was unbearable, and she felt small, insignificant, her past crashing down upon her in waves she had hoped would never resurface.

Finally, her voice broke through the oppressive silence.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I was engaged to him.”

The noise in the room erupted like a tidal wave. Tom’s hand dropped from hers as he stepped back, his expression a storm of betrayal. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the cathedral.

Katy’s chest tightened, and for a moment, the world tilted dangerously, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The room blurred around her, and she could barely comprehend the chaos unfolding before her eyes.

The priest, visibly shaken, adjusted his glasses and declared, “I’m afraid this ceremony cannot proceed. The marriage is hereby cancelled.”

With that, he exited the altar, leaving the congregation to slowly dissipate, murmurs echoing through the air. Some people left in haste, while others lingered in uncomfortable silence. The weight of the moment pressed on Katy’s chest, suffocating her.

---

Katy barely heard her bridesmaids' concerned voices as she pushed past them, desperate to escape. Her feet seemed to move on their own, carrying her away from the ruin of the wedding she had envisioned. The sight of her father pacing furiously in the lobby stopped her in her tracks.

“Katy,” James hissed, catching her arm. His face was red with anger, his eyes wide with a mixture of fury and disbelief. “How *dare* you? You never told us Dario was out of prison. You agreed to marry Tom without ending this? You’ve disgraced this family!”

“Dad, I didn’t mean—”

“You didn’t think, Katy! That’s always your excuse!”

Her father’s words were like daggers, each one striking deep, but she couldn’t find a way to defend herself. The truth was, there was no excuse. Not for what had happened with Dario, not for the secrets she’d kept from the people she loved.

“James,” Lucy interjected, placing a hand on his arm, her voice calm but firm. “Calm down. Can’t you see she’s upset?”

But James wasn’t calming down. His anger flared, intensifying with each word.

Just then, Dario appeared, his arrogant swagger igniting fresh rage in James.

“You’ve done enough damage for one day!” James barked, his fists clenched at his sides.

Dario raised his hands mockingly. “Hey, I just spoke the truth. Katy is—was—my fiancée. I couldn’t let her walk down the aisle with someone else.”

His voice was smooth, almost comforting, but it made Katy’s skin crawl. She remembered the lies, the manipulation. It didn’t matter that he seemed concerned now. He had only come to destroy everything she had worked so hard to build.

“And you’re here because of me.” Sonia’s voice cut through the argument. All eyes turned to her as she stepped forward with a casual shrug. “You’re welcome, Katy. At least someone had the guts to stop you from making a mistake.”

Katy’s heart stung at her words. “You bitch!” she screamed, lunging toward Sonia. But her father held her back, his grip strong.

“Why would you do this? What did I ever do to you?” Katy’s voice cracked with frustration and pain.

Sonia rolled her eyes, the smug expression never leaving her face. “You always get everything, Katy. I just thought it was time for a little reality check.”

Katy’s voice broke as tears streamed down her face. She turned on Dario, her fury boiling over. “And you! Don’t you *dare* come near me again. I’m breaking the engagement right now. It’s over!”

Her words were like a slap in the face, but Katy didn’t care. She was done. Done with the lies, the betrayal, the manipulation. She stormed out, leaving the chaos behind as she searched desperately for Tom.

---

The second-floor balcony overlooked the church gardens, but Tom wasn’t admiring the view. His jacket lay crumpled on the floor, and he held his tie like it was suffocating him.

Katy found him pacing. “Tom…” she called softly, her voice weak and trembling.

He froze, scooped up his jacket, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” she cried, grabbing his arm. “Please, let me explain!”

Tom yanked his arm free, his eyes filled with hurt and disappointment. “Explain? Explain? How do you explain lying to me, Katy? You kept something like this from me! You had an Italian ex-fiancé in prison, and you never said a word?”

Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it mattered anymore!” Her voice wavered. “He was in my past, and I didn’t know he’d show up today!”

Tom shook his head, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Secrets don’t just disappear, Katy. This was huge. And you didn’t trust me enough to tell me?”

The weight of his words hit her hard, but she refused to let herself crumble. She needed him to understand, needed him to see that she hadn’t wanted this to happen.

“I was scared, Tom! I thought I could leave all of it behind. I love you!” she cried, her voice raw and desperate.

Tom’s expression softened for a moment, but it was fleeting. He quickly hardened again, his features tightening. “Love isn’t enough, Katy. Not when there’s no trust.”

She felt her heart shatter with the finality in his tone, the way he said the words as if he was certain that everything between them was beyond repair.

“Please…” Katy whispered, her tears falling freely now. “I never meant for this to happen.”

But Tom sighed deeply, his voice thick with resignation. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s over.”

He walked away, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Katy stood frozen, her legs unsteady as the pain of his rejection slammed into her chest.

---

Katy barely made it to the church bathroom before breaking down. She locked the door and let out a scream that reverberated against the tiles.

Her reflection in the mirror was unrecognizable—makeup streaked down her face, her eyes red, hair falling loose from its perfect updo.

“Why?” she whispered to herself, her voice hollow. “Why does everyone want to ruin my life?”

Her gaze fell on a glass of whiskey sitting on the sink. She grabbed it without thinking and downed it in one gulp, letting the burn distract her from her pain.

The fire of the alcohol spread through her body, but the dizziness followed quickly.

“What…?” she murmured, gripping the counter as her vision blurred. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor. The glass shattered beside her, the shards cutting into her skin, but she barely felt it as the world went black.