In other parts of the world, when two wedding cars cross paths on the road, the brides exchange their bouquets for good luck. But in Ethan Vance’s hometown, the tradition is to exchange the brides. When our wedding cars met face-to-face, Chloe Thorne leaned out of her window, kissed my fiancé on the cheek right in front of all our family and friends, and laughed. “I’ll be borrowing your groom for a little while.” The crowd immediately erupted into cheers and whistling. “Chloe! Why don’t you just take over the wedding night too?!” “Seriously, everyone knows you and Ethan grew up together. If he was in bed with anyone else tonight, he probably wouldn’t even be able to sleep!” Everyone was laughing. I sat in the back of my wedding car, looking through the window at Ethan, waiting for him to say something. I thought that, even if it was just for today, he would stand by my side. Just this once. But he simply reached over and squeezed my hand, coaxing me exactly the same way he always did: “Mia, it’s tradition. We can’t mess with tradition.” In that exact moment, I suddenly lost all desire to fight. In the past, I would have caused a scene. I would have screamed. But this time, I just quietly pulled my hand out of his grip, turned around, and linked arms with the groom sitting in the other car, Julian Hayes. To the absolute shock of everyone present, I spoke softly: “Let’s go, fiancé.” Since they all insisted this was just tradition. Then this time, I’ll give him exactly what he wants. … Right before we drove off, Ethan called out to me. “Wait a second.” I turned my head, thinking he had finally remembered that I was the bride today. Instead, he reached right past my face and grabbed the boutonnière resting on the seat next to me. “Chloe’s side is short one flower,” he said. With that, he stepped out of the car without looking back. The light turned green, and the two wedding cars drove off in opposite directions. I leaned against the window, looking down. Resting on the seat next to me was a bottle of sparkling grape juice. The bottle was still cold, like it had just been bought. I froze for a second. It turns out someone actually remembered that I hate bitter drinks, and I don’t drink iced coffee. Yet for three years, the only thing Ethan ever brought me was an iced Americano. I told him I hated it countless times. He always nodded and promised to remember. And the next time, it was exactly the same. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Ethan. [Don’t overthink it. Exchanging brides is just a local tradition.] [You know me. It’s impossible for anything to actually happen between me and her.] I stared at that line of text. I suddenly remembered years ago, when Chloe had casually mentioned she liked a certain tech company. The high-paying corporate job I had already secured miraculously turned into an “opportunity” that I had to give up for her. Ethan told me the exact same thing back then. “She needs it more than you do right now.” Later, it was the same story with the engagement ring. As long as Chloe asked for it, I was expected to step aside. My phone buzzed again. This time it was from Chloe. She sent a photo. She was sitting in the back of the wedding car wearing her bridal gown, her head tilted slightly, resting intimately on Ethan’s shoulder. Ethan didn’t pull away. She attached a single, short sentence: [It’s just tradition. You don’t mind, do you?] I stared at that photo for a few seconds. I suddenly felt incredibly peaceful. Before I could even reply, Ethan sent another text. [It’s Chloe’s first time getting married, so she’s a little nervous. Don’t be petty about this.] [During the ceremony, keep your distance from Julian. No vows, no exchanging rings, and absolutely no kissing.] [If you can’t handle it, just hide in the bridal suite and wait until the ceremony is over.] I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and replied: [And what about you?] He replied almost instantly: [There are too many people at the reception. I can’t just embarrass her in front of everyone.] [You’ve always been the understanding one. Just endure it for a little while.] Understanding. I’ve heard that word applied to me for years. I didn’t reply to him again. I just locked my screen. But Chloe’s final few messages still stabbed my eyes like needles. [When Ethan was helping me adjust my veil earlier, he almost knocked my earring off.] [He’s just as clumsy as he was when we were kids.] It was as if she was terrified I might forget how much history they shared. I lowered my eyes, and blocked her number too. The world was finally quiet. When the car stopped, I looked up and saw the wedding welcome sign standing at the entrance of the country club. The photo on the sign wasn’t of me and Ethan. It was the engagement photoshoot I had taken with Julian. I was stunned for a second, but then it made perfect sense. According to the “traditions” of Ethan’s hometown, the wedding photos were supposed to be swapped too. I had fought so hard against it back then that they begrudgingly agreed to let us do separate photoshoots. I never expected that, after all the arguing, this would be the photo displayed in the end. I looked down and pulled off the engagement ring that was two sizes too big for my finger. It was the ring Chloe had rejected. Now, it was time to give it back. I pushed the car door open and stepped out. Julian was standing next to me. He didn’t rush me, and he didn’t ask if I regretted my decision. I just held my hand out to him and said softly: “Let’s go inside.” “We shouldn’t miss the ceremony.” As I stepped out of the car, a sharp pain shot through my foot. I nearly lost my balance. The wedding heels I was wearing were a size 6. But I wear a size 8. The original wedding heels were custom-made by Ethan based on my exact preferences. He had spent an entire year preparing them. But in the end, because Chloe said she liked them, he gave them directly to her. What he left me with was this pair of shoes that squeezed my feet until they bled. Afterward, he had even tried to comfort me: “Chloe gave you her wedding heels in exchange.” “Stop being so calculating over a single pair of shoes.” “I’ll buy you as many shoes as you want after we’re married.” Looking down at the shoes on my feet, I suddenly found the whole situation hilarious. A loud commotion broke out near the entrance of the venue. I walked to the window and saw several moving vans pulled up outside. The welcome sign, the floral arrangements, the red carpet, the bouquets—everything was being loaded into the trucks, piece by piece. “Mr. Sterling said the reception here is canceled. Everything is being moved to the other venue.” “The wedding dress, the veil, the jewelry—pack it all up.” “Go tell the bride to take the dress off.” Someone standing nearby couldn’t stand it anymore: “Isn’t this going way too far? You’re completely humiliating her.” The foreman didn’t even blink: “If we’re swapping brides, we have to swap everything completely.” “Those were Mr. Sterling’s exact words.” My phone rang at that exact moment. I answered it. Ethan didn’t even say hello, he just started barking orders: “Mia, I need you to come over here right now.” “Chloe really loves your veil.” “Bring the jewelry I bought you too. We have to swap all of it.” “Hurry up, don’t miss the start of the ceremony.” I watched the men hauling everything away outside the window and asked him: “Does my ceremony not matter?” He paused, then quickly said: “Stop throwing a tantrum.” “It’s a special circumstance today. Just step aside and let her have this.” One of his groomsmen chimed in over the speakerphone: “You’ve got half an hour. If you don’t bring the stuff over, don’t even think about Ethan signing that marriage license with you.” I gripped my phone tightly: “Ethan, I am a bride today too.” He was silent for two seconds, but his tone remained dripping with entitlement: “If you deliver it personally, it makes everyone look good.” “Besides, you and Julian don’t actually need to have a ceremony.” “When I’m done here, I’ll come back and we can go sign the papers.” Right then, a text from Chloe popped up: [Mia, I am so in love with your veil.] [When Ethan went with me to pick it out, I fell in love with it at first sight.] [Be careful when you bring it over, don’t rip it.] I stared at that message, hung up the phone directly, and blocked both of their numbers. Then, I took off the veil. I took off the jewelry and the ring. I even unzipped the wedding dress and stepped out of it. If they wanted it, they could have it back. The commotion outside the venue escalated again. Someone dragged a massive projector screen onto the lawn, yelling up toward the bridal suite: “Ms. Vance! Mr. Sterling was worried you wouldn’t make it in time, so he specifically told us to live-stream the ceremony for you!” “He said he wants you to witness his wedding with your own eyes!” When the screen lit up, I recognized everything instantly. Every single detail of that wedding, I had planned myself. They had just been here tearing down my venue, yet the other location was already perfectly decorated and set up. Watching everyone moving seamlessly, knowing exactly what to do. I stood there and actually laughed out loud. The so-called “last-minute bride swap”… they had planned this all along. They swapped my groom. They swapped everything that belonged to me. Including the fact that I was supposed to be the bride. On the red carpet, Ethan was staring deeply and passionately into Chloe’s eyes. I suddenly remembered the day of our wedding rehearsal. The exact same red carpet, the exact same spot. I had walked a little too slowly, and he frowned, rushing me: “Hurry up, it’s just a rehearsal.” But now, he was perfectly willing to stand there and wait for a different bride. While I was lost in thought, they had already started exchanging rings. That ring… I had only ever seen it once. Before Ethan took it away. “I’ll hold onto the ring for now. I’ll bring it out when we actually have the ceremony.” Back then, I thought he was just afraid I would lose it. I thought he cared about our wedding. It turns out he didn’t care at all. Because that ring was always meant to end up on someone else’s finger. Their venue was chaotic and loud. The guests were all cheering and whistling. “Kiss her! Kiss her!” Chloe lowered her head, blushing perfectly. Ethan reached out, tilted her chin up, and kissed her. I watched silently. I didn’t shed a single tear. I picked up my phone and called Julian. “Push the ceremony back by five minutes.” “Come to my room right now.” He only replied with one word: “Okay.” Julian walked in carrying a brand-new wedding dress and a new pair of heels. It was the gown I had originally fallen in love with. On the day of my fitting, I explicitly chose that dress. But Ethan said it was “too flashy” and forced me to change into the incredibly basic, plain white gown I had just taken off. After everything, the dress I actually wanted still found its way to me. I stood up and took the gown from him: “Let’s begin.” Meanwhile, at the other venue. Ethan was absentmindedly making his rounds, toasting the guests. He kept looking down at his phone, realizing he had been blocked. His brow was deeply furrowed, his eye twitching erratically. It wasn’t until Chloe called his name that he snapped out of it. “Ethan, what are you spacing out for?” “My aunt has been calling your name for a minute.” Chloe’s aunt laughed playfully. “Ethan must be overwhelmed! He finally got to marry the girl of his dreams!” She then casually added: “We honestly all thought he was in love with Mia.” “Ethan is so good at hiding his feelings!” Chloe looked incredibly smug, leaning sweetly against Ethan’s shoulder. “I guess Ethan really does love me that much.” Ethan’s subconscious screamed that things weren’t supposed to happen this way. But the overwhelming, celebratory atmosphere of the room quickly drowned out that thought. He laughed and shook his head, poking her forehead affectionately. “How could I trust anyone else to take care of you? Of course I had to do it myself.” Chloe smiled mischievously up at him. “Do you think when Mia brings the veil over and sees that we’re already married, she’s going to be super heartbroken?” “I bet she’ll be devastated. Everyone knows how desperately in love with you she is.” Ethan grabbed Chloe’s hand and squeezed it. “Don’t worry about her. Today is your wedding, everything is about you.” At that exact moment, I was walking down the aisle toward Julian. The officiant’s voice echoed in my ears. “Mia Vance, do you take Julian Hayes to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health…” In that moment, the entire world went quiet. I saw everyone waiting for my answer. I smiled radiantly, my lips parting softly. “I do.” Soon after, Ethan’s ceremony had officially concluded. The guests had mostly cleared out, but he still hadn’t received the items I was supposed to deliver. He called the foreman he had sent to my venue. “Why hasn’t the bride from that side arrived yet?” The foreman answered respectfully: “Sir, we followed your orders exactly and cleared out everything from that venue.” “The bride should be changing out of her wedding gown now. We’ll bring everything over as soon as she’s done.” Ethan suddenly asked an inexplicable question: “Did she throw a tantrum?” The foreman replied: “No, sir. She was incredibly cooperative.” Even though this was exactly the answer he wanted, he couldn’t bring himself to feel happy. Seeing Ethan’s deep frown, Chloe tried to comfort him. “Ethan, don’t worry.” “Mia will definitely bring the stuff over.” “But what if…” Ethan pressed: “What if what?” Chloe cautiously tried to gauge his reaction. “What if Mia actually goes through with the wedding ceremony with Julian? What do we do then?” Ethan dismissed the idea completely, his tone absolute. “Impossible! There is zero emotional connection between them.” “Even if they stand at the altar, it’s just because they’re being forced by tradition.” “Mia only wants to marry me.” Chloe hid a triumphant smirk where he couldn’t see, and then asked delicately: “But what if she saw the livestream of our ceremony? Will she be mad?” Ethan gently stroked her hair. “Stop overthinking.” “I’ll just coax her a little bit later, and she won’t be mad at you anymore.”
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