The more intense the bride's beating, the more it showed how reluctant her family was to let her go, and the harder the groom’s side had to fight to take her away.

I didn't dodge or fight back. Instead, I let them push me around, haul me off my stool, and land their blows whenever they pleased.

At first, it seemed like they were just going through the motions. But soon, the shoving took on a different tone.

Someone grabbed my arm and slammed me into the wall, while another drove punch after punch into my lower back. The blows were hard and solid, nothing like the customary tussle.

This was on purpose.

It hurt terribly, but I made no sound. I understood now what Patty meant when she said that I'd been tough since I was a child.

Just when I thought it would go on, someone stepped in front of me and shouted, "Enough!"

It was an unfamiliar voice, full of anger.

He stood before me, using his arms to ward off those still trying to rush forward.

"Knock it off! You're hitting too hard! She's a person, not a punching bag!"

Someone laughed sheepishly and explained, "Dude, this is the custom. The harder the tussle, the more precious the bride—"

"Custom my foot!" His voice shot up sharply. "Easy for you to say—she's not your wife! Are you telling me that you'd just stand there and watch if somebody was pounding on her like that?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

The stranger glanced back at me. In the dim light, I couldn't make out his face—only a vague silhouette. Then, he bent down and lifted me onto his back.

Behind us, someone still muttered, "Who's this hothead? It's only a bride heist. Why is he taking it so seriously?"

He strode out with me on his back. Some chased after us, some deliberately blocked the way, and some threw things at us.

His stride was quick and steady. One hand gripped the back of my knee, holding me secure in place so I wouldn't fall.

When we crossed the first mountain ridge, he stopped to catch his breath.

In the distance, torchlight flickered and swayed. It was the other bride heist party.

Through the bushes, I could faintly hear their laughter and chatter drifting over.

Before long, they drew closer. The torchlight flickered and lit up a few faces. At the very front, a man was carrying a woman on his back. He was drenched in sweat from running, yet he was smiling.

It was none other than Nicholas.

On his back, Tricia had her face buried in the curve of his neck, with both arms wrapped around him.

They were laughing and teasing each other.

The friends followed behind them egged them on.

"Kiss the bride! Kiss the bride!"

I lay on the stranger's back, quietly watching them draw near.

The torchlight flickered across my face.

Nicholas' gaze swept over and paused on me for just a moment, then slid past. He went back to laughing and joking with his friends.

Tricia leaned close to Nicholas' ear, cooing softly. He tilted his head to listen, his smile so tender that it stung my eyes.

My mind suddenly drifted back to three years ago, to when I'd returned to the village to visit my father, Joseph Melton, and had been staying at home for a few days.

The first time Nicholas came to the village looking for me, he had worn that same smile.

That day, he crossed two mountains. The soles of his shoes were worn through, the backs of his heels seeping blood.

I asked, "Don't your feet hurt?"

He scratched his head and grinned. "Of course not. For you, I'd gladly do anything."

He had grown up pampered and waited on his whole life. And yet, for me, he was willing to trek into these remote mountains.

He always said the journey wasn't far. But I knew the bus from town to the village only went as far as the foot of the mountain. The rest of the way was all on foot.

Once, when it rained, he showed up at the gate completely drenched. Yet, the bag of pastry he carried tucked against his chest was still dry.

I scolded him for being foolish, for coming even in the rain.

He pressed the bag into my hands, smiled, and said, "I didn't want you to get tired of waiting."

As I held the bag and stared at his dripping wet hair, I knew that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

But now, he was carrying Tricia on his back with the same smile he'd worn back then.

My vision blurred for a moment, then sharpened again just as quickly.

When had things started to change?

Probably around the time Dad passed away three years ago.

Back then, I'd felt like my entire soul had been hollowed out.

Nicholas had cleared his entire schedule and stayed with me in the village for half a month.

The day he had to leave, Nicholas took my hand and said gently, "Charlene, the funeral just ended, and you look so pale. My mother is bound to nag if she sees you like this. I don't want you to have to take that.

"Stay in the village for now. Rest and take care of your health. Haven't you always wanted to take over the family business? Once I go back and smooth things over, I'll come get you."

I looked at him and nodded.

I was completely done with the whole in-law situation. No matter what I did, it never got better.

At the time, I trusted that he had my best interest at heart, that he couldn't stand the thought of me returning to suffer Mrs. Tanner's scorn.

It was only later that I learned that distance didn't breed fondness. Instead, it simply made it more convenient for him to cheat behind my back.

Last year, when Mrs. Tanner celebrated her 60th birthday, Nicholas came to bring me back to the city.

The moment I walked in, I saw Tricia, who had supposedly gone to the city to work. She was in the living room helping with the fruit arrangements, her movements practiced and familiar.

Nicholas paused while changing his shoes and explained, "Tricia's workplace is close to our home, so she's staying here for now."

He showed no sign of guilt, and I said nothing more.

When Patty married Dad and brought Tricia along, both Tricia and I were already quite grown. There wasn't much affection between us to begin with. And over the years, we'd only seen each other during the holidays.

I didn't know what to feel about the fact that she was living here.

When she saw me come in, Tricia called out warmly, "Hey, Charlene. Don't overthink it. I'm just staying for a bit. I'll move out as soon as I find a place."

I nodded and said nothing in reply.

Back then, it never crossed my mind that I, the wife, would spend three years alone in the village, while Tricia spent those same three years living with the Tanner family under the pretense of working in the city.

Now, as I watched Tricia cling to Nicholas' back, realization suddenly dawned on me. All along, I hadn't been waiting for him to take me home or to carry out the bride heist—I had been waiting to give him up for good.

Voice drifted over on the night breeze, growing clearer and clearer.

It was Tricia's voice.

"What are you going to do about Charlene? If she finds out, she'll definitely raise hell."

"She talks tough, but she's actually a softie," Nicholas replied firmly. "Once she's done kicking up a fuss, it'll blow over. Besides…"

He paused and lowered his voice. "It was pitch dark during the bride heist, so I could be forgiven for making a mistake.

"In fact, she'll be too busy feeling sorry for me to blame me. When she finds out, I'll sweet-talk her, and it'll be fine."

Tricia chuckled softly, while I clenched my fists so hard that my knuckles turned white.

One of Nicholas' friends, Alan Bush, suddenly spoke up. "Nicholas, what if someone else takes Charlene away?"

There was a moment of silence on their side.

Then, Nicholas laughed and said, "You think she'd just let someone take her without putting up a fight? Knowing her temper, she'd have torn the place apart by now."

"That's true. Given her personality, there's no way Charlene wouldn't kick up a storm."

"I honestly feel sorry for that groom. I wonder how badly he's been beaten up."

The laughter grew even louder.

I lowered my eyes and said, "Let's go."

The man carrying me was very quiet. In fact, he hadn't said a single word since earlier.

Lying on his back, I could feel his steady, even footsteps. They belonged to those who'd traversed countless roads at night.

He must have realized that the one they were laughing about—the one who would tear the place apart—was me. Yet, he just kept walking without saying anything.

At the bend, we came face-to-face with the other group.

The torchlight flickered toward us, and someone on the other side spoke first. "Brad Rangel?"

Brad stopped and gave a curt, "That's right."

Nicholas, still carrying Tricia on his back, drew closer. With a grin, he sized him up and said, "It really is you. Are you doing a bride heist tonight, too? Whose daughter is this?"

Nicholas' gaze swept over and landed on me.

I buried my face in the crook of Brad's neck, leaving only the back of my head turned toward Nicholas.

"A family from the neighboring village," Brad replied flatly.

Nicholas stared at me for another moment, then suddenly laughed. "Well, look at you! You always seemed so unapproachable, so I really thought you weren't the marrying type. Congrats!"

Brad simply grunted in reply.

Nicholas walked a couple of steps closer, the torchlight drawing nearer.

I could feel his gaze land on my back and linger there for a moment. That glance stretched a little too long, so much so that I almost thought he was going to recognize me.

"I'm going now," Brad suddenly said, stepping forward.

"Wait!" Nicholas frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something more.

Just then, Tricia said in a soft, frail voice, "Nicholas, my leg hurts."

Nicholas immediately turned around. "What's wrong? Did you bump it just now?"

"I don't know. It just hurts." Tricia's voice grew quieter and quieter. "Let's hurry. We need to get to your place before daybreak."

Unable to focus on anything else, Nicholas just nodded at Brad and said, "Gotta go. I'll buy you a drink next time you're back in the city."

Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Only then did Brad say quietly, "He really didn't recognize you."

Still draped over his back, I didn't say anything. My eyes grew hot, but I didn't cry.

Brad must've sensed something, for his steps slowed a little. But they stayed steady as he carried me on.

The moon was bright, and the mountain path stretched long.

I didn't know where Brad was taking me. But in that moment, I suddenly felt that anywhere was better than going back to my village.

A bonfire blazed to life, and the entire village was steeped in revelry. The air hung thick with the scent of wine as young men and women danced around the fire.

It was the celebration after a successful bride heist. By custom, the festivities wouldn't end until dawn.

Nicholas sat at the outer edge of the crowd, clutching his phone.

The screen kept lighting up and going dark, but there was still no message from me.

This wasn't like me. After all, I was someone who could never keep things bottled up.

If I'd discovered he'd taken the wrong bride that night, I would've called him long ago.

Nicholas already had his explanation ready.

"It was pitch black. Don't overthink it. I only love you."

He figured that once I was fuming on the other end of the line, he'd soothe me with gentle, honeyed words. Then, I'd hurl a harsh remark or two, he'd coax me a little more, and the whole thing would blow over.

I could never stay mad at him after all.

But this time, there was no call, message, or confrontation.

"Nicholas, what are you staring at?" Alan came over with a glass of wine and pressed it into his hand. "Are you waiting for Charlene to text you? Well, you can stop waiting, because the signal in the village isn't great."

"The signal around her place is fine," Nicholas retorted.

"Then maybe her phone died," another friend of his, Tyrone Mayer, chimed in. "Or she just hasn't seen it. In fact, she's probably busy beating someone up right now."

Everyone burst out laughing, but Nicholas said nothing.

I had once told him, "I set a special ringtone for all your messages, so I won't miss any."

I would sit in the yard until midnight waiting for a single call from him, so he didn't quite buy the idea that I just hadn't seen his messages.

However, he had no better excuse.

"Alright, alright. Stop overthinking it." Alan pulled Nicholas to his feet. "Today's your big day, and Tricia's over there waiting for you. So, what are you spacing out here for? According to custom, after the bride heist, you have to stay by Tricia's side the whole night and complete all the rituals."

Nicholas' frown deepened, and he said in a low voice, "Tricia and I agreed that I'd take her during the bride heist and bring her back to the city, and that would be the end of it. I didn't plan on—"

"Plan on what?" Alan cut him off, looking utterly exasperated. "Nicholas, this is a bride heist, not child's play! Once you've taken the bride, you have to go through the whole set of rituals. Otherwise, it's a slap in the face to her entire family.

"Besides, Charlene's been with you for many years. She won't care about these formalities. You need to deal with what's right in front of you first!"

Nicholas opened his mouth to speak, but Tricia suddenly drew near.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Nicholas froze. He was about to clear things up with her when she cut him off.