On the day of my engagement, my fiancé’s first love attempted suicide. He told me it was a life-or-death situation and asked me to “be understanding.” Sure, I can be understanding. The guests were already here, and they couldn’t have come for nothing. So, I found a new groom on the spot. Forget the engagement, let’s go straight to the wedding. I was sitting in the Bridal Suite, dressed in my elegant wedding gown, waiting for the engagement ceremony to start. But instead of someone coming to escort me to the ballroom, my best friend walked in, her face pale as a ghost. “What happened?” My brow twitched slightly as a bad feeling crept over me. She stared at me for a long moment, grinding her teeth before she finally spoke. “I told you to break up with Jack Linfield, but you didn’t listen. Now, on your engagement day, his first love is about to whisk him away!” I was silent for a full five seconds. “Samantha Shaw?” “Who else?” My best friend let out a cold laugh and glanced at the doorway just as my fiancé, Jack, walked in. “Honestly, I don’t know where you found this one. Who abandons their fiancée at the engagement party because his ex cried a little on the phone?” Jack, clearly catching the dig, didn’t look happy. “Samantha…she tried to slit her wrists. It’s bad. I need to go check on her.” “Check on her? Why? You’re not her family, and you’re definitely not her boyfriend. Why is it your business?” My best friend smirked, stepping forward and taking my hand. “He’s still hung up on her. Imagine being about to get engaged but worrying more about your ex. Bravo, Jack. That’s something to admire.” Jack’s expression darkened, ignoring her, and turned to me instead. “Nina, I know today’s our engagement party. I didn’t want this to happen, but it’s a matter of life and death. I hope you can be understanding.” I raised an eyebrow, looking at the man I’d been dating for six months, and then suddenly, I laughed. “Sure, I understand. Go ahead.” “Nina Woodson!” My best friend stared at me in disbelief. “You’re letting your fiancé leave his own engagement party to go check on another woman? Nina, do you want to be the laughingstock for the rest of your life?!” I stood up, wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and gently pinched her cheek, forcing her to close her mouth. “Go on, Jack. Hurry, before her wounds start healing on their own.” I said it so sweetly. Jack hesitated, sensing something was off, but didn’t think too much about it. He turned and practically ran out of the room. My best friend broke free of my grip, eyes wide as she prepared to scream at me again, but I smiled brightly and spoke first. “The engagement party? Oh, it’s definitely still happening.” “With who? A ghost? Your groom just left.” I wagged my finger with a knowing smile. “Who said the engagement party has to be with Jack?” My friend looked baffled as I slipped on my heels and strolled toward the ballroom. Since my fiancé wasn’t cooperating, I didn’t mind swapping him out for a new groom.
I peeked out of the doorway, scanning the ballroom. The guests were almost all seated, and it was nearly time for the ceremony. I looked from left to right, front to back—ugh, not a single man worth considering. Of course, my most handsome guy friend wasn’t picking up his phone. He’s killing me here. I couldn’t embarrass myself. That was my bottom line. Just when I was starting to lose hope, I spotted my dad walking toward the front of the room, dragging someone along. “Ethan, I really appreciate you coming all the way here straight from the airport…” Dad was beaming as he introduced the man beside him, a tall, handsome guy with an air of mystery. His name was Ethan Cooper. Dressed in a sharp suit, he looked as flawless as ever, his features both striking and refined. And just like that, the answer to my dilemma appeared. He was perfect—someone I knew well, someone who would make an impression. Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found his number. I hesitated for a moment before calling. It had been a long time since I last used it, back when I was studying abroad. Ethan had been a chess buddy of my dad’s. They had once competed in a national amateur tournament together, with Ethan emerging victorious. At the time, Ethan was only 19, while my dad was 43. Ever since, they’d maintained a close friendship, despite the age difference. Even though Ethan is only eight years older than me, my dad insisted I call him “Uncle Ethan.” Now, at 34, Ethan Cooper was wealthy, charming, good-looking, and successful. The only thing missing in his life was a good wife. And hey, what a coincidence… The phone rang a couple of times before Ethan picked up, his voice calm and steady. “Hello?” “Uncle Ethan, could you come to the Bridal Suite? I need a favor.” “Something urgent?” He got it right away. That’s why they call him “uncle,” I guess. “Yeah, it’s pretty urgent.” “Okay, I’ll be right there.” I watched as Ethan stood up without even telling my dad where he was going. He asked a server for directions and started walking my way. Two knocks later, I opened the door and pulled him inside before anyone else could see. My best friend had already been shooed out so I could save face in case Ethan said no. “Uncle Ethan, I need your help.” “Go ahead.” I pointed to Jack’s backup suit, giving him the best pleading look I could muster. “If you’re not in a rush, could you…just marry me today?” He raised an eyebrow, immediately catching on. “Did your fiancé bail, or are you the one with regrets?” Eight years of knowing him meant he could read the situation like a book. Seeing him there reminded me of when I was a mischievous kid. I’d tried to prank him once with some friends, but it ended with him outsmarting all of us. Back then, when my friends and I had a falling out, he’d said something that stuck with me. “Trust is the foundation of any partnership. If suspicion outweighs trust, it’s no surprise things fall apart.” So, I told him everything—about Jack and Samantha. He listened intently. “So, he ran, and now you regret it too?” I nodded firmly. Absolutely no doubt about it. Jack could go be with whoever he wanted. I, Nina Woodson, wasn’t about to look back. “I’d rather stay single my entire life than marry someone like Jack.” Ethan gently covered my mouth with his hand, a mysterious smile on his face. “Alright, I’ll do it.” He glanced at Jack’s suit and shook his head. “This fabric is terrible, the colors are all wrong, and the sleeves are too short. I can’t wear this.” I looked him over again and realized Ethan was taller than Jack. Well, thank you, Samantha. Not only did I get a new groom, but he’s taller, too. “TOM!” Ethan called, his assistant immediately responding. “Grab the backup suit from my car. And tell them I’ll wait in the Groom’s Suite, not the main ballroom.” After everything was arranged, Ethan gave me a light pat on the shoulder. “See you soon, my fiancée.”
You really have to hand it to a good assistant. Not only did he adjust to the fact his boss was suddenly getting married, but he even agreed to officiate the ceremony. With our new “officiant” in place, the engagement party proceeded smoothly. Thanks to my best friend giving my parents the heads-up, they handled the switch calmly. As for Jack’s parents, they’d already left the venue by then. I later found out that Jack had started planning for their exit the moment he took Samantha’s call. Knowing he was in the wrong, he didn’t want his parents to face the embarrassment of apologizing on his behalf, so he went for the coward’s way out. People really show their true colors when they’re running away. After the ceremony wrapped up, my dad couldn’t wait to ask Ethan what was going on. “Ethan, what’s the deal with today?” He was still calling Ethan “old buddy,” but my mom was quicker on the uptake. “Sweetie, you can’t call him that anymore—it’s your son-in-law now!” She whispered, pinching my dad’s waist. “I mean…this is all so sudden…” Seeing how confused my dad looked, Ethan put his arm around my shoulder and smoothly spun a completely made-up story about how we had “always loved each other but were too afraid to admit it—until today.” Honestly, even I almost believed him. As the top-ranked “Outstanding Young Professional” in the city, handling an engagement party was a walk in the park for Ethan. Before long, he had the room eating out of his hand. A couple of puzzled guests were quickly drowned in my dad’s wine. The party was a success. Back in the dressing room, my best friend finally let out a deep breath. “Jack is such a jerk, but at least he did one decent thing in his life—today.” As she helped me out of my wedding gown, she couldn’t resist throwing in a few more snarky comments. “You dropped a tiny speck of dust and traded it for a whole truckload of gold. Honestly, you’ve won the jackpot!” I chuckled. “You should have joined a comedy show. They’re missing out on some serious talent.”
As I stepped out of the Bridal Suite, I saw Ethan waiting for me by the door. He had already changed back into his sharp suit, still looking annoyingly handsome. “Ahem, I’ll go return the wedding dress for you,” my best friend teased, putting extra emphasis on “your fiancé,” before laughing and walking away. Honestly, I didn’t plan to involve Ethan at first. If only my best guy friend had answered his phone, none of this would have happened. But here we were. Thankfully, this was just an engagement party, not the actual wedding. Give it some time, and people would forget about it. Later, I could come up with a graceful way out, maybe chalk it up to “bad timing.” But first, I had to talk to Ethan. We couldn’t just wing it like we did today. Just as I was about to start a conversation, my phone rang. The number was unfamiliar, but I answered without much thought. On the other end, I heard Jack’s voice, incredulous and furious. “Nina Woodson! Do you think marriage is a game?” “I told you I was going to help someone. I asked you to be reasonable… and you just replaced me with someone else?!” “You even blocked my whole family’s numbers? Wow, you’ve really outdone yourself…” He was practically shouting, and I could imagine the spit flying as he ranted through the phone. I hadn’t even had the chance to confront him, and now he was playing the victim. Fine. If he wants to play this game, I’ll make sure he understands. “First of all, Jack, you were the one who treated marriage like a joke. You ran away from our engagement, remember?” “Secondly, you’re not a doctor. You’re just a guy still hung up on his ex. Get over yourself.” “And lastly… we’re done. Why would I need to keep your number? There’s no reason for it.” Oh, it felt so good to finally get that out. I’d been holding that in all day. “Where are you? Stay where you are. I’m coming to find you right now…” Jack’s voice was still shouting through the phone. Before I could respond, Ethan reached over and took the phone from me, his arm casually draping around my shoulders as he spoke into it. “Jack Linfield, right? If you have something to say, say it to me. Don’t raise your voice at my fiancée.” That deep, authoritative voice… it was lethal. There was stunned silence on the other end of the line, followed by some incoherent muttering before Jack hung up. I stood there, completely floored. If I had even a fraction of Ethan’s presence, I wouldn’t have let Jack walk all over me for six months. Actually, scratch that. If I had Ethan’s confidence, I wouldn’t have even given Jack the time of day!
On the way home, I couldn’t help but doze off in the car. When I woke up, I felt a soft jacket draped over me. Ethan must’ve noticed me stirring, because he glanced over and smiled. “Why didn’t you wake me?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. He reached out and gently readjusted the jacket on my shoulders. “You were exhausted. I wanted you to rest.” Wow. Thoughtful, but not in that cheesy, over-the-top way. The kind of guy who knows how to take care of you without making a big show of it. Is this what they mean by the charm of a mature man? Today, I was definitely starting to understand. I let out a small sigh. “Thank you. Really. I’m not even sure how to express my gratitude.” Scratching the back of my head, I considered how I could possibly repay Ethan for what he did today. The Woodson family had always believed in repaying favors, but I wasn’t sure how to handle this one. After all, Ethan was wealthy and didn’t need anything. He had a great life, except maybe the whole “needing a wife” part. Looked like it might be time to step up and continue my dad’s mission of finding him a match. Ethan gave me a look, his eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement. Then he leaned in slightly, bringing that familiar woody scent closer. Before I realized what was happening, he unhooked my seatbelt with ease, his hand brushing mine. “We’ve got plenty of time to figure it out,” he said softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. As I got out of the car, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the elevator’s shiny wall. Good grief, I looked like I’d just rolled out of bed. What a sight for Ethan to see!
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