My Fiancé Showed Up Late to Our Wedding Photoshoot—With His First Love Novel – Chapter 1 Caspian Hollister arrived four hours late on the day we were supposed to take our wedding photos. The sea wind was relentless. I stood outside in an off-the-shoulder gown from morning until late afternoon, and by the end of it, I could barely feel my arms. The photographer asked me for the sixth time if we should reschedule. I kept making excuses for Caspian. “He’s tied up. He’ll be here any minute.” By then, I didn’t even believe those words myself. Near sunset, he finally arrived. And he wasn’t alone. A woman stepped out of the passenger seat, carrying his suit jacket in her arms. Her name was Serena York. She was the one person Caspian had never really gotten over. The moment she saw me, she looked startled. “I’m so sorry to bother you. Caspian just picked me up from the airport.” Caspian took his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Then he turned to the photographer. “We’re losing the light.
Let’s get started.” I thought he meant us. Instead, he frowned at me. “Your makeup’s already running. Let Serena do a lighting check first.” Serena stood beneath the wind chimes at Covehaven Harbor, the exact spot I’d spent six months picking out. I tightened my grip on my skirt. Beside me, one of the assistants whispered, “Honestly, Miss York and Mr. Hollister look better together.” Caspian said nothing. He walked over and handed me a cup of hot water. “Don’t give me that look. It’s been a long enough day as it is.” I stared at the steam rising from the cup. Suddenly, I remembered what he’d said when he proposed. He promised we’d see every beautiful place in the world together. But after the winds in Covehaven finally settled, I understood the truth. I was never the person he wanted to hold on to. — By the time the photographer lowered his camera, the sky was almost dark. Caspian stood in front of me, still holding out that cup of hot water. I didn’t take it. He frowned.
His voice filled with impatience. “Odelyn, your hands are freezing. Are you really going to keep fighting me on this?” I looked up at him. “Am I the one getting married today?” He paused. His voice impatient. “Of course you’re the bride.” “Then why is she wearing my veil and standing beneath the wind chimes I picked?” The wind chimes hung from a white wooden frame near the harbor. I’d searched for half a year to find that location. The night Caspian proposed, the ocean breeze carried the sound of similar chimes. He’d said, “Every year from now on, we’ll come back and listen to them together.” I held on to that promise for two years. He forgot it entirely. Serena walked over, still holding his jacket. Her face looked pale. “Miss Vance, please don’t take this the wrong way.” “I was only helping with the lighting check. If you want, I’ll leave right now.” She started taking off the jacket.
Caspian caught her hand. “The wind’s cold. Keep it on.” Then he looked at me. “Serena just got off a long flight. She’s not feeling well. Why are you turning this into a big deal?” I let out a quiet laugh. “She’s not feeling well, so she gets your jacket. I stood here freezing for four hours. What does that make me?” He frowned even more deeply. “Didn’t I get you hot water?” I waited for him all day. And all I got was a paper cup from a convenience store. The rim pressed against my fingertips. The warmth was already fading—just like his apology, too late to mean anything. Serena spoke softly, “Caspian, Miss Vance has every right to be upset. After all, she’s the one marrying you.” The way she said the one felt oddly deliberate—a polite reminder that my place beside him had never been quite secure. The photographer lowered his voice. “Mr. Hollister, should we keep shooting? We’ve pretty much lost the light.” Caspian glanced at the horizon. “Let’s get a few pickup shots.” He reached for my hand. “Come on.” Without thinking, I stepped back. He stopped. The warmth left his expression. “Odelyn, don’t make a scene. Not in front of people.” I looked straight at him. “You think this is me making a scene?” He lowered his voice. “We’ve wasted enough time today. If you don’t want to do the shoot, fine.
The wedding’s still on.” Serena stood nearby, her eyes turning red. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t come back, you two wouldn’t be arguing.” Caspian turned to her immediately. “This has nothing to do with you.” Then he faced the photographer. “Do Serena’s set first. We can edit her face out later.” I stood there in disbelief. The photographer did too. “Mr. Hollister… that’s not really appropriate.” Caspian’s tone stayed flat. “I’ll double your fee.” Serena shook her head at once. “No, Caspian. Please don’t. Miss Vance will feel even worse.” But he only looked at me. “She wants wedding photos, doesn’t she? As long as the final shots work, that’s enough.” The day I’d looked forward to my entire life—to him, it only needed to be usable. The wind pressed my dress against my legs. For the first time that day, I felt cold all the way through. Something inside me slowly hollowed out. I removed my veil and handed it to the assistant. “That’s it. No more pictures.” Caspian grabbed my wrist. “Where are you going?” “To change.” “Odelyn, enough.” I looked down at his hand. Back then, he used to hold my hand so gently, like he was afraid of hurting me. But now his grip was tight. It actually hurt.
Serena spoke in a small voice. “Caspian, let her go. Don’t let me ruin things between you.” Her words worked. He finally released me. “That’s just how she is. She’ll get over it.” I carried my veil into the dressing room. The door clicked shut. Outside, the wind chimes sounded in the evening breeze—soft and clear, like promises from years ago, shattering one note at a time. When I came back out, Serena was already standing in front of the camera. Caspian remained beside the photographer, quietly directing angles. “This side is better. She always liked her profile.” The shutter clicked. At the exact moment the flash went off, I took out my phone and canceled the scheduled send for our digital wedding invitation. A message appeared on the screen. [Cancel scheduled send?] My finger hovered over the confirmation button. Then Caspian turned around. “Odelyn, the car’s over there. Don’t wander off.” I didn’t say a word. I pressed confirm.