I have a special mind-reading ability: I can hear the thoughts of anyone who doesn’t truly love me. But right before my wedding, I suddenly heard my fiancée’s thoughts: “Julian is crashing the wedding tomorrow. Is wearing these heels a bad idea if I need to run?” I didn’t say a word. The next day, I simply left the country. Later, that wedding became the talk of the town – both the groom and the bride had run away. I’ve always possessed a peculiar ability: I can hear the unspoken thoughts of those who don’t genuinely love me. Thanks to this, I can easily discern whether someone’s affection for me is fake. I’ve effortlessly detached myself from superficial friendships and remained completely unfazed by confessions from women I’d once crushed on for ages. Even when buying durian, I can hear the vendor’s thoughts and pick the one with the most flesh and sweetest aroma. Every single thought, loud and clear. To avoid constant mental chatter, I usually steer clear of eye contact with strangers in my daily life. But the first time I met Serena Davies, the entire world went silent, leaving only the crisp sound of our conversation: “Hi, mind if I introduce myself?” No thoughts. As our eyes met, I couldn’t hear a single thought from Serena. “Hello.” Throughout the time Serena pursued me, the voices in my head remained simple and pure. I believed she loved me. So, we fell in love, dated, and then got engaged. For two whole years, I never once heard her thoughts. But on the eve of our wedding, I suddenly could. Serena had been especially busy lately because of the wedding. She came from a wealthy family and had successfully taken over her father’s position, independently managing the Davies family’s financial firm. With all the wedding arrangements, we had so much to handle in advance, especially in the last two months. So, our meetings had been few and far between. But today, as we finalized the outfits, I thought this would be a rare moment alone together, and a flicker of anticipation stirred within me. When I arrived at the studio, she was already there, trying on shoes. She turned to whisper something to a staff member, then took a call, walking out while speaking, her tone heavily reassuring. I understood her workload; running a company wasn’t easy, especially since she wasn’t the only heir in the Davies family. Our eyes met in a familiar, silent understanding. But then, Serena’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind: “Julian said he’s crashing the wedding tomorrow. Flat shoes would be easier to run in.” Julian? Crashing the wedding? I froze, staring intently at her lips, confirming it was her thought. For a moment, I didn’t know how to react. Even though it was a scorching summer day outside, a chill instantly spread through my entire body, paralyzing me. I could hear her thoughts now. The implication was painfully clear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a staff member, following her instructions, place a pair of comfortable flats into her wedding attire bag. Serena nodded at me and turned to leave. It was our usual silent agreement; she must have something important to deal with. But the words I’d just heard were real, and I never misheard. My body moved almost autonomously, following her. I couldn’t quite believe it, and hurried after her, calling out: “Serena?” I desperately wanted to read more of her thoughts, to understand what this woman, my fiancée, was truly thinking. Why, on the very eve of our wedding, had her heart suddenly changed? My call made Serena pause just before disappearing into the back seat. But it was only a brief pause. She turned, quickly offered a brief explanation, and then instructed the driver to speed away: “Sorry, an urgent client matter came up. I have to rush over.” She was lying. Right now, she was clearly thinking: “I can tell from his voice on the phone that Julian’s angry. If I don’t smooth things over, he won’t let me go home tonight again.” I’ve never been the type to stew in self-pity or become a resentful, self-pitying husband. Instead of overthinking, I prefer to take action. I immediately found an excuse to privately meet Serena’s assistant, using my mind-reading to uncover more information.
His name was Julian. He was the man Serena truly loved. Julian was an illegitimate son from a prominent family, the Blackwoods. His stepmother, Mrs. Blackwood, never truly acknowledged him, leaving him in a perpetually awkward, ‘neither here nor there’ kind of limbo. Unfortunately, Serena’s family elders opposed their relationship. Julian, with his strong pride, couldn’t bear the humiliation and left Serena, disappearing without a trace. Serena’s so-called ‘love at first sight’ for me was nothing more than a cruel trick of fate. I only caught her eye because I bore a fleeting resemblance to Julian. Now that Julian was back, she naturally had no need for a replacement like me. And Julian’s return happened to coincide with the last two months when Serena had been excessively busy. The logic was flawless, everything fitting perfectly. Hearing such a story, I couldn’t help but shake my head and chuckle with a bitter sense of resignation. Julian wanted to crash the wedding as a way to stake his claim on Serena, and also to get revenge on me for having occupied the position of Serena’s husband for so long. As for Serena, she needed this grand gesture to prove her unwavering love for Julian, to appease him, and to force the Davies family to accept him. This whole world, it’s just one massive, over-the-top soap opera. The moment I realized this, I couldn’t help but curse under my breath. That night, the lights in my apartment were still on. Even though the wedding was scheduled for the next day, I was busy packing, not a moment to spare. Two hours earlier, I had booked a first-class ticket out of the country. If Serena could have Julian crash the wedding for her, I could certainly run away from it. Thankfully, my family had already settled abroad, and this wedding hadn’t involved all the trouble of flying in relatives and friends from overseas. We’d only invited local friends we were close with. The original plan was that since both sets of parents had already met during the engagement, we would hold another ceremony abroad later, saving relatives and friends from the hassle of travel and language barriers. This plan, ironically, made my current escape much easier. I briefly shared my thoughts with my best friend, Connor. He silently took the packing box from my hands, his expression serious. I couldn’t read his thoughts, and seeing his unusual reaction, I had to ask: “Connor, are you going to stop me?” Connor just rolled his eyes, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. “Seriously, Alex? You think I’m gonna stop you? I’m just getting you a tougher duffel bag for all your gear.” On the wedding day, dressed in my custom-tailored suit, I stood beside Serena, greeting arriving guests. This time, Serena’s thoughts were so loud they gave me a headache: “Is Julian here yet?” “I can finally be with Julian. Three years, I’ve waited three years for Julian. He’s finally going to be my husband.” “This wedding crash, Julian will believe my heart will always love him, right?” It sent shivers down my spine, making me frown and glance at Serena several times. Yet, she maintained her gentle and elegant demeanor, showing concern for me as usual: “Alex, you don’t look so good. Why don’t you go rest in the lounge? I can handle the guests out here, and you can just make your entrance for the ceremony.” Good idea. It was almost time for me to make my exit anyway. I agreed, and as I was about to change out of my suit into casual clothes, I coincidentally ran into Julian by the door. Thanks to our similar looks and my mind-reading ability, I recognized him instantly. I gripped Connor’s arm, stopping him from lunging at the third party, and pretended to be oblivious: “You must be one of Serena’s friends, right? Please, go on in. Our wedding starts in a few hours.” Julian’s smile stiffened, seemingly displeased by my affectionate way of referring to Serena, and his words were tinged with thinly veiled sarcasm: “Alex, sorry for the ‘wardrobe malfunction’ today. If someone didn’t know better, they might think I was the groom.” Julian’s arrogant thoughts simultaneously echoed in my ear: “Laugh all you want. In three hours, your bride will be running away for me. Will you still be smiling then?”
I kept my smile, shaking my head as if unaffected. I instructed a nearby server to show him to his seat. Julian’s thoughts flared again: “Idiot. I spelled it out for him, and he still doesn’t get that I’m here to cause trouble.” As Julian walked past, Connor couldn’t help but grumble to me: “Look at that cocky attitude. I can’t stand it.” I shrugged. “He sees me as a joke right now. After all, Serena’s all prepared for him to crash the wedding. That way, they’ll get their ‘lovers reunited’ story, and he can force the Davies family to acknowledge his status right in front of me.” The wedding venue wasn’t far from the airport. I was sitting in the departure lounge, and the ceremony hadn’t even begun yet. I stared intently at the time on my phone, waiting for the farce to unfold. My phone vibrated relentlessly as Connor excitedly live-streamed updates: “Alex, he actually crashed it! He actually crashed it! Cheating and acting like Romeo and Juliet, it’s absolutely shameless.” The ceremony had barely started five minutes before Connor sent me a video from the wedding. According to the schedule, after Serena went on stage and the officiant delivered a sappy, emotional speech, it would be the groom’s entrance. Julian planned to crash at precisely that moment. Julian, deliberately dressed in a suit similar to the groom’s, strode swiftly onto the stage and snatched the officiant’s microphone. Despite the murmurs from the crowd, he rambled on, professing his love. Such audacious declarations made Serena’s eyes well up. “Serena, will you leave with me?” A gasp rippled through the guest seats. Stealing the bride on her wedding day – wasn’t that a blatant wedding crash? The worst part was, Serena nodded in agreement, her face beaming with emotion. She walked over to Julian, clasping her fingers with his: “I do.” Julian’s swollen ego was fully satisfied at that moment. He even had the audacity to deliver an “acceptance speech” to the groom, who was still behind a closed door. The gist was that he knew I liked Serena, but Serena truly loved him, and he hoped I would grant them my blessing. In the video, Serena was wearing a pair of flat shoes that completely clashed with her wedding gown, and Julian, holding the microphone, couldn’t suppress the triumph in his eyes. Julian probably couldn’t wait to see my devastated face, having already planned out what he’d say to comfort me: “I hope Alex will bless this love between Serena and me.” “Alex?” The atmosphere suddenly grew awkward. After all, the person being publicly humiliated wasn’t there, turning this “satisfying drama” into a clownish farce. “Alex?” Julian called out several times, but received no answer, until the usher finally opened the large door. Beyond it, the space was empty, save for a discarded dark tie, symbolizing the groom’s unexplained absence. The crowd erupted in commotion. Someone shouted: “Did the groom just run away?”
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