Chapter 25

TESSA POV

I walked toward the stage with my mother on one side and Malcolm on the other, the wheels of his chair whispering across the floor.

The hall was still full of whispers. A few minutes ago everyone had looked at me as though I were a cheater who had used her fiancé's position to win. Now those same people knew who I really was, and I could feel their eyes following every step. The floor gleamed under the lights, and each footfall sounded louder than the last.

My mother's hand touched my back. "Go on, sweetheart," she whispered.

For so many years I had tried to...