I wore a simple, elegant white dress. I limped slightly as I walked up the marble steps of the civil registry, but I had never felt lighter in my entire life.
I pushed open the heavy double doors. Standing at the end of the aisle, looking devastatingly handsome in a tailored black suit, was Vaughn.
He smiled when he saw me, stepping forward to gently take my hand. “Ready to disappear, Victoria?”
“More than ready,” I whispered.
We stood before the magistrate. We signed the papers. And with clear, unwavering voices, we exchanged our I dos.
Miles away, at the international airport terminal, Brandon was standing at the boarding gate, holding Paula’s luggage.
His phone buzzed in his pocket with a priority notification from the city's legal registry—an automated alert he had set up to ensure I filed our marriage certificate.
He pulled out his phone, a smug, satisfied smirk on his face, fully expecting to see his own name asserting his permanent ownership over me again.
Instead, he stared at the official digital document glowing on his screen.
CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE
Husband: Vaughn Hugh.
Wife: Victoria Hugh.
