It wasn’t until then that I noticed he hadn’t even prepared a wedding ring.
The officiant hesitated but pressed forward.
“Bruce Cameron, do you take Hailey Rory to be your lawful wife, to cherish and protect, through sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?”
I caught the flicker of disgust in Bruce’s eyes. But he still forced the words out, flat and lifeless.
“I do.”
The officiant turned to me.
“Hailey Rory, do you take Bruce Cameron to be your lawful husband, to cherish and protect, through sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?”
The cameras flashed. Reporters leaned in, their pens poised. The elders, clearly displeased by the earlier scene, were finally starting to relax.
I drew a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Then, with a calm that startled even me, I spoke.
“I don’t.”
