Chapter 70 Going Mad

• The tension in the civil affairs bureau was quite thick. A young couple stood at the counter, signing their marriage papers, while a handful of relatives beamed with joy at the union. Autumn kept her gaze averted from the bride, not wanting her glance to betray the bitterness she felt. She had been married once herself, and seeing the bride in that simple white dress, smiling blissfully in her husband’s arms, stirred old memories she’d rather forget.
• Why couldn't the couple marry in a church? She knew they likely had their reasons, though deep down, she realized she was projecting her own insecurities onto them. Her own wedding had also taken place in court—not because money was an issue, as might be the case for these newlyweds, but because Ivan had insisted on avoiding anything extravagant. Besides, the circumstances that led them to marry were far from idyllic, laced with their own kind of scandal, and a quiet ceremony seemed like the only option.
• It stung to remember that in her past life, she had foolishly let Ivan and Iris marry on the same date as her own wedding anniversary with him. Their celebration had been grand, lavish in every sense, and each detail she recalled made Autumn’s stomach twist.