The night before my wedding, my fiancé took me to meet his friends. He was all over me, showering me with affection throughout the dinner. His buddies kept gushing, “Your fiancée is so pure, you really hit the jackpot!” He smirked proudly. “My future wife is the best, unlike all those sluts out there.” But when I went to the restroom mid-dinner, I overheard him bragging in a low voice outside the door: “Pure? What good is pure? She’s like a dead fish in bed. If it wasn’t for her being Stella’s twin, looking exactly alike, I wouldn’t even bother touching her.” The next day, at the wedding, Stella showed up with a baby bump. Just as I expected, he told me to “make peace” and step aside. I scoffed, ripping off my veil. I walked down the aisle and stopped in front of Julian Hayes, who was sitting in a wheelchair. “They all say you like me. Well, I’m single now. Are you brave enough to marry me?” “Hahaha, Anya has lost her mind!” “Choosing a cripple? She’s so desperate!” “What an embarrassment! She’s dragged the Reed family name through the mud!” The guests’ piercing jeers sliced through the air. Every word felt like a needle stabbing my heart. My father’s face turned scarlet, and my mother rushed onto the stage, clutching my arm tightly. “Are you insane?! Ruining your own life just to spite him?!” Below the stage, Liam Miller had an arm around Stella Reed, a smirk plastered on his face as he watched the drama unfold. “I underestimated her. She actually has guts.” Stella let out a delicate sneer. “Guts? I think she’s just lost her mind. Anya, are you really going to spend your life with a cripple?” She deliberately caressed her visibly swollen belly, her eyes filled with a mix of provocation and triumph. My heart felt like it was being brutally torn apart. I’d thought tearing off my wedding veil would bring freedom, but all it brought was deeper humiliation. Julian stood up, limping towards me. Compared to the dashing and polished Liam, he was a world apart. Suddenly, I regretted it. Impulse is a devil. Why did I choose a disabled man? Did I really have to spend my entire life with him? Julian stopped in front of me and pulled a ring from his pocket. The band was set with tiny, dull diamonds, not even a single carat. The diamond ring Liam gave Stella was a whopping three carats, sparkling brilliantly. In comparison, this ring looked pathetically meager. The laughter from the guests grew louder. “Hahaha, even the ring is so cheap!” “Anya, are you really settling for this?” Tears welled up in my eyes. Since childhood, when had I ever endured such humiliation? But then, Julian took my hand, and I froze. His hand was warm, steady. “I am.” Two words, firm and resolute. Unlike Liam’s flowery words, unlike the guests’ cold mockery. Just two simple words, but they made my heart tremble. “Are you sure? I might bring you trouble.” “I’m not afraid.” There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his voice. The audience erupted in even louder jeers. “Two losers together!” “A cripple and a crazy woman, a perfect match!” Liam called out loudly, “Anya, don’t be childish. Come back. Stella’s baby needs a father, and you need a whole man.” A whole man? I scoffed. What kind of a “whole man” was Liam? Betrayal, deception, toying with his fiancée’s feelings—was that his version of “whole”? I looked at Julian. His leg might be broken, but his spirit wasn’t. “Yes, I do.” I held out my hand, letting him slide the dull ring onto my finger. The ring was small, but it fit perfectly, as if it had been custom-made for me. A commotion broke out among the guests.
Liam’s sneer instantly turned into a furious scowl. He strode over and grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he wanted to crush my bones. “Anya, you’d rather choose a cripple to disgust me than beg for my forgiveness?” Before I could react, my dad rushed over. I thought he was coming to stop Liam, to protect me. Instead, he raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap. “Slap!” The crisp sound echoed through the entire wedding hall. My cheek instantly swelled red and burned with a fiery pain. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. The entire venue fell silent, then erupted into even sharper whispers. “Disgraceful daughter! You’ve shamed our family beyond belief! Get back here, right now!” There was no hint of affection in my father’s eyes, only anger and disgust. I covered my face, tears threatening to spill. Not because of the pain, but because of the chilling realization. This man was my father. Stella, at this point, feigned concern and stepped forward to mediate. “Daddy, Anya was just impulsive. Please don’t get so agitated…” As she spoke, she “accidentally” stomped her high heel onto my foot. The searing pain made me lose my balance instantly. Then she pretended to stumble, violently ramming her shoulder into me. I staggered and fell to the ground. The pristine white hem of my wedding dress was instantly stained with the blood from my mouth. The guests below began to point and whisper. “The Reed family’s upbringing…” “The elder daughter is a total lunatic, but the younger one is sensible.” “Good thing Mr. Miller chose the right one.” Stella proudly caressed her belly, her eyes filled with provocation. Julian tried to come and help me, but Liam’s friends blocked him, holding him back. “Who do you think you are? Do you even deserve to touch her?” Liam sneered. I lay on the floor, watching his anxious, yet helpless, face. A despair far deeper than my physical pain welled up inside me. Was this the man I chose? He couldn’t even protect me. Liam looked down at me, his eyes gleaming with triumph. “Anya, do you see now? This is your choice. A useless man who can’t even stand properly, how can he protect you?” He crouched down, reaching out to help me up. “Come on, be good. Come back. I can forgive everything, pretend none of this ever happened.” This man, who just last night called me a “dead fish” to his friends. Now he was putting on an act of deep affection. Disgusting. I mustered all my strength and violently slapped his hand away. “Get lost!” Liam’s face instantly darkened. “You’re ungrateful.” He stood up and kicked the hem of my wedding dress. “Since you’re so cheap, go live with your cripple. But don’t come crying to me later!” My dad, seeing this, stepped forward again. “You rebellious daughter, apologize right now!” My mom also rushed over, crying. “Anya, are you crazy? Are you going to ruin your life just to prove a point?” The guests below watched, entertained, pointing and whispering. “Anya is truly insane.” “To choose a cripple just to spite someone, she must be really messed up.” “What sin did the Reed family commit to end up with such a daughter?” Stella, at the opportune moment, walked over, prominently displaying her baby bump. “Anya, calm down. Even though we had a misunderstanding, Liam genuinely loves you. Look at Julian, he can’t even protect you. Is he really suitable to entrust your life to?” Every one of her words pierced my heart. I lay on the ground, feeling the malice coming from all directions. My parents’ disappointment. My ex-fiancé’s mockery. My sister’s provocation. The guests’ ridicule. And… the helplessness of the man I had chosen. Had I really made the wrong choice? Just then, Julian finally broke free from those who were restraining him. He limped towards me, each step difficult. He crouched down and gently helped me up. “I’m sorry, that you had to endure this.” Then he turned and looked at Liam. “You’re right, I can’t protect her.” My heart sank instantly. Was even he going to abandon me? But the next second, he added: “But at least, I won’t hurt her.” He looked at everyone in the hall. “You mock her for being crazy, you mock her for choosing me out of spite. But have you ever wondered? What truly drives a woman to make such a choice at her own wedding?” The entire hall fell silent. “It’s betrayal. It’s deception. It’s the pain inflicted by the people closest to her.” “My leg may be broken, but my heart isn’t. I may not be able to give her the best material life, but I can give her the most genuine affection.” Liam’s face was livid. “Don’t get all emotional here! What right do you, a cripple, have to speak—” “What right do I have?” Julian interrupted him. “I have the right to love her. Do you?” “Enough with the cheesy talk. Guys, get him out of here.” With that, Liam and his friends shoved Julian out of the wedding venue.
My mom finally moved. Not to help me, but to drag me up from the floor. Before I could react, Stella had already grabbed my other arm. “Mom, what are you doing!” I struggled, but their combined strength was greater than mine. “Shut up! You’ve shamed us enough already!” They dragged me, pulling and yanking, towards the back of the stage. The guests watched, some pulling out their phones to record. “Let me go! What gives you the right to lock me up?! Open the door!” From outside, Liam’s amplified voice boomed, carried by the sound system throughout the entire hall. “Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse the little interruption earlier.” “Right now, my abandoned ex-fiancée is reflecting in the little storage room backstage. What do you say, when do you think she’ll come to her senses?” The hall erupted in laughter. “Mr. Miller is so entertaining!” “This is better than watching a movie!” “That woman deserves it!” I had become the public laughingstock of this wedding. My phone vibrated. I pulled it out and saw a message from my mom. “Anya, stop making a scene. Stella’s happiness is what matters most. Kneel down and apologize to Liam, and this whole thing will blow over.” I stared at the words on the screen. Stella’s happiness is what matters most. What about me? Didn’t my happiness matter? Didn’t my dignity matter? Did I deserve to be humiliated, locked up, and made a joke of? The music outside grew louder. Liam and Stella had started dancing. The guests’ applause and cheers grew in intensity. And I, like a piece of trash, was locked in this dark corner. My phone vibrated again. This time it was from Stella. “Anya, I know you’re angry right now. But think about it, Liam is so exceptional, he deserves better. Please don’t be so stubborn, okay?” I slid down the door, collapsing into a ball on the floor. The physical pain, my family’s betrayal, my lover’s humiliation, and the departure of the man who said he’d protect me, pushed me into a bottomless abyss. I no longer had the strength to even cry. Let it be. Let them mock. Let them gloat. Anyway, I had already lost everything. Liam’s voice came from outside: “Everyone, now for the most exciting part. Let’s go see if our ex-fiancée has come to her senses yet?” Footsteps grew closer. The sound of a key turning. The door swung open, and blinding light streamed in. Liam stood at the doorway, followed by a group of guests, all holding their phones, recording. “Anya, what’s your decision? Are you ready to apologize?” I looked up, about to speak. Suddenly, the main doors of the wedding venue were violently thrown open. A group of people burst in. Julian stood at the entrance, behind him dozens of imposing bodyguards in black suits. The entire hall fell silent instantly. Everyone was stunned, including Liam. Julian took off his suit jacket and strode towards me. His leg was still limping. He draped his jacket over me, then scooped me up into his arms without a word. “What are you doing! Let her go!” Liam finally reacted. Julian didn’t even spare him a glance. In that moment, I felt alive again. “Julian, you’re a cripple. Do you think you can turn things upside down with a few guys?” Liam fumed, enraged. Just then, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit stepped forward. He held a document and threw it directly in Liam’s face. “Mr. Miller, from this moment on, 35% of Miller Group’s shares belong to Mr. Hayes. You have been removed from the board by the directors.”
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