He Gave Her an Hour, I Chose Another Groom in Seconds Chapter 03
Silas’s attitude toward my mom pushed me over the edge.
I snatched the phone back, ended the call, and snapped at him, “Why are you talking to my momlike that? Show some respect—she’s my mother. She only asked about our appointment. What’s wrong with that?”
Silas’s face darkened. “She shouldn’t have spoken to Willa like that!”
“Is Mom wrong? If you hadn’t insisted on bringing Willa here, we would have been married ages ago!”
I was too furious to hold back any longer and laid it all out. “I am getting that marriage license this morning. If you keep dragging your feet, we’re done.”
Silas stared at me, stunned, then laughed bitterly. “You’re threatening to break up over this? It’s just a license. If we miss the morning slot, we can come back this afternoon, or another day. Do you really need to carry on like this in public?”
That’s when Willa stepped in to play peacemaker.
She placed a hand on Silas’s arm. “Silas, don’t talk to her like that. Chloe’s just saying things out of anger. She’s already here with you at city hall; she wouldn’t really end things. Stop fighting, it’s all my fault for upsetting Auntie… Let’s sit and cool off.”
Silas huffed and sat back down.
I didn’t bother speaking again. My knuckles whitened as I squeezed the queue slip tight.
Couples all around us chatted and smiled. Only our corner hung heavy with silence.
We hadn’t sat peacefully for long before Willa started trouble again.
She nudged Silas with her elbow. “Silas, it’s almost noon. I’m starving. There’s a great little bistro nearby. Let’s grab something to eat first?”
Silas hesitated for a second, then reached out to take my hand. “Why don’t you come with us?”
I pulled away sharply. “I’m not hungry. We agreed we’d eat lunch at Mom’s after getting licensed. She reheated the meal twice already.”
Willa cut in with her understanding tone. “Chloe, Silas just argued with your mom. It would be awkward for him to show up at your house right away. Try to understand where he’s coming from. Besides, we won’t make it back in time. Let’s eat nearby instead.”
I stayed seated. “This is the last batch of tickets. If we miss this window, we’ll have to reschedule entirely.”
Silas sighed. “Can’t we come back this afternoon after lunch? We’re also supposed to try wedding dresses later. We have bridal photos tomorrow, and a tasting for the engagement banquet the day after. Our wedding schedule is packed—we can’t just clear another day for this.”
Silas seemed to accept this and settled back into his seat.
Then Willa linked her arm through his and pulled him to his feet. “He can’t skip food just because we’re busy. Here’s an idea: Chloe, wait here for us. Silas and I will grab food nearby. Just text us when our number’s getting close, and we’ll be back in plenty of time.”
Silas nodded, thinking this plan worked. “Does that sound okay?”
I shook my head. “No. If she’s hungry, she can go alone. Does she really need you to go with her?”
Willa smiled sweetly. “Silas must be hungry too. Chloe, why do you look so upset on your wedding day? This is supposed to be a happy occasion.”
Silas lost his patience when I refused to compromise. He grabbed Willa’s arm and started walking toward the exit. “We’re going whether you like it or not. Can’t I even get something to eat? Just send me a message when we’re close to our number. Let’s go, Willa.”