Victoria didn't remember how she got through the doors.
One moment she was standing in the suffocating silence of the ballroom, and the next, she was outside—her heels barely steady against the stone path as she moved further into the garden.
Her breath came out uneven.
Too fast.
Too shallow.
She inhaled sharply, but it felt like nothing entered her lungs. The more she tried to breathe, the worse it became, her chest tightening painfully.
Her vision blurred.
Her hands trembled.
Victoria clutched at her dress, gripping the fabric tightly as she stumbled further away from the glass doors, the soft glow of garden lights casting gentle shadows across the neatly arranged flowers and hedges.
It should have been calming—but it wasn't.
Her thoughts were scattered, tangled, refusing to settle into anything coherent.
Why is he here?
How?
Of all places… why here? When did he get back?
A shaky breath left her lips as she dragged her fingers up to her hair, pulling at the pins that held it in place. One after another, they came loose, falling somewhere to the ground as her carefully styled bun unraveled.
Her hair spilled down her back.
She ran her fingers through it roughly, as if trying to shake something out of her mind.
It didn't help.
Nothing helped.
Her gaze dropped to herself—the dress, the jewelry, the version of her she barely recognized.
It all felt wrong.
Too much.
The marriage. The house. The people. The expectations.
And now—
Elon.
A broken breath escaped her.
This was too much.
She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't—
"Vicky?"
Her entire body went still.
The sound of his voice washed over her like cold water, freezing her where she stood.
Of course.
Of course it had to be him.
Slowly, almost unwillingly, she turned.
He stood a few steps away, slightly bent forward as though he had run after her. His chest rose and fell unevenly, his eyes wide, locked onto her like he still wasn't sure she was real.
"It's actually you…" he said, breathless. "I thought my eyes—"
Victoria instinctively stepped back.
She said nothing.
She couldn't.
"I thought my eyes were deceiving me," he continued, taking a step closer, his voice unsteady. "It's you… really?"
She just stared at him.
Her throat tightened.
Before she could say anything—Elon closed the distance and pulled her into a hug.
His grip was tight and desperate.
Victoria stiffened in his arms, her hands hovering awkwardly at her sides. She didn't return it. She didn't push him away either.
She just… stood there.
After a moment, he pulled back, his hands moving to her shoulders, then to her face, holding her as if he needed to confirm she was real.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice rushing now, words tumbling over each other. "What is going on? I don't understand. What are you doing here? Your mom and your sister have been looking for you like crazy. Everyone's been worried—no one knew what happened to you at work, you just—"
He stopped.
His eyes dropped.
For the first time, he truly looked at her.
The dress.
The jewelry.
The version of her standing in front of him.
His brows furrowed.
"…Wait," he said slowly, stepping back. "Are you…?"
Victoria's eyes burned, tears gathering faster now.
She shook her head weakly, trying to speak, but nothing came out.
"You really…" Elon let out a short, disbelieving laugh, dragging a hand through his hair. "You're really married?… You're the wife of the host?"
He let out another breathless chuckle, though there was no humor in it.
"This is a joke, right?" he said, shaking his head. "You can't be serious. You're telling me I just performed at your wedding party?"
Victoria's silence said everything.
He stepped back again, pressing his fingers briefly to his temple as if trying to process it all.
"Wait. Wait. Wait… so you abandoned your mom, your sister… all of us—" his voice caught slightly, "—me… and married some rich guy?"
She still said nothing.
"I can explain," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
He laughed bitterly.
"Oh, I would love to hear that," he said, his eyes fixed on her. "Because just last week Thursday, you dumped me. Over a FUCKING TEXT!"
Victoria flinched.
"You said you needed to 'focus,'" he continued, lifting his fingers to make small air quotes. "'Focus on your family.' 'Focus on your bills.' And somehow, I was a distraction. Our relationship was started to weigh on you…"
His laugh came again, dry and hollow.
"And now you're married. In less than a week." He shook his head. "What a lovely Tuesday this is."
Victoria took a small step forward. "Please… it's complicated."
"Wow," he cut in softly. "It really must be. You look!" he gestured at her glittering attire.
His eyes glistened, but no tears fell. The smile on his face looked strained, like something barely holding together.
"We broke up last week," he said, quieter now. "Four years, Vicky! You ended it with a message while I was on a damn tour!!"
Her chest tightened painfully.
"And I come back, hearing you're missing. Your sister's panicking. I thought something happened to you." His voice dropped. "Then I get a gig… and I end up performing at your wedding party."
He let out a breath, turning away slightly, both hands resting on his waist as he tried to steady himself.
Victoria stepped forward again.
She had to explain.
She needed to—Her gaze then shifted.
Her body stiffened.
On the other side of the glass doors stood non other than her beloved husband.
Martin.
He stood still, one hand tucked into his pocket, his posture relaxed with his usual expression unchanged. A few strands of his hair had fallen slightly across his face, but his eyes—pierced straight into hers.
He just… watched.
And from where she stood, she could feel it.
The weight of his gaze.
The distance between them did nothing to soften it.
Victoria's breath hitched again.
In that moment, the painful lump in her throat grew.
She couldn't say the truth… Of course.
Not now. Not ever…
Not after what she had signed.
Not after the life she had just stepped into.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. A thought then settled at the back of her mind…
So this was the reality she sold her freedom for.