The day I finally succeeded in proposing to my childhood sweetheart for the 99th time, news of Jason Gray’s proposal to her also went viral. On the giant screen, my fiancée Evelyn Song covered her blushing face as she shyly slipped on the ring Jason offered. Behind them, our families and friends showered them with blessings. No one knew that Evelyn had also accepted my proposal. Afterwards, she casually explained to me, “Jason has cancer. I’m just playing along to make him happy.” But as soon as she turned away, she wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck and cooed— “My wedding with your brother is in three days.” “I only said yes to you because I wanted to see you crash the wedding. Isn’t that romantic?” This time, I finally gave up and made a phone call— “The wedding’s in three days. Will you come? I need a bride.” On my wedding day, when I appeared before everyone with another woman on my arm, Evelyn suddenly went mad. “Vaughn Gray, can you stop being so unreasonable?” Evelyn snapped at me after rushing back upon receiving my call. She angrily removed her engagement ring and tossed it onto the couch. “Yes, I know you’ve suffered a lot in the past, but what does that have to do with Jason?” she continued, exasperated. “Do you really have to take out all your resentment on an innocent person?” My name is Vaughn Gray. Jason is my half-brother, and Evelyn is my longtime girlfriend and fiancée. When I was born, Jason’s mother, posing as a nanny, switched our identities. I was abandoned in the countryside, becoming a poor orphan, while Jason suddenly became the pampered heir of the Gray family. Perhaps out of guilt, my foster mother wasn’t kind to me. She would often beat me with thorny branches, leaving me covered in wounds. On freezing winter days, she’d force me to stand outside in the snow and ice, refusing to give me even a sip of hot water. During those dark days, Evelyn was my only support. She was the daughter of our neighbors – her mother was a gambling addict and her stepfather an alcoholic. When they fought, they’d take out their anger on her. I can’t count how many times I stepped in to shield her from their blows. In return, Evelyn would often sneak me half a bread roll when I was starving. Supporting each other this way, we made it through our difficult childhoods together. Even after my true identity was revealed and I returned to the Gray family, I never forgot to rescue her from that hellhole. I insisted on making her my girlfriend, supporting her life and education, elevating her from a poor girl to a pampered princess. She once tearfully cupped my face and told me I was the light of her life. If she ever left me, she would surely die. So I could never understand why she always hesitated and made excuses every time I proposed to her before. But now I finally understood— My fiancée had fallen in love with that impostor who stole my place.
Looking at Evelyn’s impatient expression, a dull ache rose in my chest. Instead of answering her question directly, I reached out to brush aside a strand of her hair that had fallen out of place in her anger. “Do you remember what you said to me when I first returned to the Gray family?” I asked softly. Even after reclaiming my true identity, I never truly fit in with the Grays. My parents preferred the son they had raised themselves, so Jason faced no punishment for his deception. They still took him to various social events and served his favorite dishes at dinner – dishes I was allergic to. Back then, Evelyn would hold my hand tenderly and say, “It’s okay. Even if the whole world doesn’t love you, I will. I’ll always be by your side.” But now even this one person had taken Jason’s side. Evelyn frowned and jerked away from my touch. She reluctantly replied, “I remember, of course I do. It’s just…” “Jason’s condition is critical now. We need to prioritize the patient’s needs.” Her tone softened as she tried to reassure me, “Don’t worry, I’ll play along with Jason and go through with this act. I just don’t want him to have any regrets. You’re still the one I’m going to marry.” But Evelyn was lying. Even though her words professed love for me, the impatience and hidden coldness in her eyes couldn’t deceive anyone. She had grown tired of me long ago and no longer loved me. Evelyn’s phone on the table buzzed. Though Jason’s photo flashed on the screen, she nervously tried to hide it from me, saying, “It’s probably my parents asking about the wedding preparations. You should go get ready…” She paused, then added meaningfully, “I’ll definitely give you a surprise on our wedding day.” With that, Evelyn hurriedly left. Frowning, I decided to follow her, still feeling uneasy. Sure enough, I saw Evelyn drive to another location. As soon as she entered the private room, I heard laughter from inside— “Evelyn, Jason, are you two really going to crash the wedding?”
Inside the room, Evelyn and Jason sat side by side. Jason playfully toyed with her fingers, raising an eyebrow. “I always keep my word. What do you think?” he smirked. Their friends burst out laughing, then continued fawning, “We just don’t understand – if you two want to be together, why did Evelyn have to accept Vaughn’s proposal? Isn’t all this back-and-forth a hassle?” Of course, I knew the reason. Because I had taken back Jason’s position as the Gray family heir. So Jason was going to extreme lengths to steal the woman I loved. He might be able to fool our parents with his innocent act and excuses, he might be able to deceive Evelyn, but he couldn’t fool me. But Jason certainly wasn’t going to reveal his true motives. He simply put on a meaningful expression and said, “Crashing a wedding – how romantic is that?” “It’ll be so much more dramatic this way, don’t you think?” The room erupted in laughter again. Someone turned to Evelyn and asked, “What about you, Evelyn? Aren’t you afraid Vaughn will be angry? Running off with Jason on your wedding day is basically cuckolding him in front of everyone. No man could accept that.” Evelyn leaned into Jason’s embrace, looking up at him coyly. “I’ll do whatever makes Jason happy,” she replied. Hearing those words, my heart sank. The laughter from inside, celebrating their public display of affection, felt like the cruelest mockery. I staggered back, my mind foggy, retreating from the scene. All I could think about was the image of Evelyn shyly accepting Jason’s ring, and their scheming plans for the wedding day. The winter wind was frigid, chilling me to the bone as it whipped around me. I closed my eyes, still hearing their final words echoing in my ears: “Mr. and Mrs. Gray know about this too.” “They agreed to it to fulfill Jason’s wishes.” “With the support of your parents, what are you afraid of?” I finally understood why my parents had been present at Jason’s proposal… It turns out, no one truly loved me. In their hearts, I was just a stepping stone for Jason to trample on his way to happiness. My parents felt this way, as did our relatives and friends. I used to think Evelyn was different. But twenty years of feelings, all my devotion and deep love for her, couldn’t compare to that simple phrase – “As long as Jason is happy.” So… why not just give them what they want? A sharp car horn jolted me out of my daze. I realized I had unknowingly wandered into the middle of the road. I sniffled, forcefully pushing down the dull ache in my chest. Finally, I made a phone call— “My wedding is in three days.” “Will you come? I need a bride.”
To satisfy Jason’s desire for a “dramatic” event, my wedding was arranged to be especially lively. My parents specially invited the media to broadcast the event from all angles. Those relatives and friends were also eagerly waiting to witness a shocking wedding crash. Everyone thought they had kept me in the dark. Evelyn arrived early in her wedding dress, sneaking off to be lovey-dovey with Jason backstage for quite a while. When I arrived, she emerged from the room with a flushed face. Seeing me, she jumped in surprise, nervously covering up: “The hotel lights were broken. I was waiting alone and got scared, so I asked Jason to come fix them.” Pretending not to know, I simply nodded. Evelyn smiled and took my arm. She pressed the ring into my palm and said, “During the ceremony, kneel down and put the ring on my finger yourself, okay?” I knew this was part of their plan. When I knelt to propose to Evelyn, Jason would suddenly appear and steal her away for maximum dramatic effect. This was the romance they were after. I nodded, but as Evelyn turned away satisfied, I pulled her back. Looking into her eyes, I asked, “You once said I was the light of your life, and that if I ever left you, you would surely die. Was that true?” Evelyn froze for a moment. After years together, our feelings had long since faded. She had probably forgotten her old vows. To placate me, she forced a smile and said, “Of course. Now hurry and get ready, the ceremony is about to start.” Watching her walk away, I gave a bitter smile. I really wanted to know if Evelyn’s past promises would prove true or false after today.
At the wedding venue, soft music began to play. Under everyone’s gaze, Evelyn walked towards me with anticipation. Unfortunately, her excitement wasn’t about becoming my bride – her eyes never left Jason. As we reached the ring exchange, the crowd held their breath. Jason stared at me intently, ready to rush up and steal the bride. Evelyn extended her hand to me. Even the background music cooperated, switching to a tense, dramatic tune. But I remained motionless. Evelyn grew impatient and urged me in a low voice, “Vaughn, what’s wrong? Hurry and put the ring on me!” I stayed silent. My parents stood up anxiously from their seats. “Vaughn, there are so many people watching!” Seeing that I still hadn’t put the ring on Evelyn, murmurs of confusion spread through the crowd. Evelyn’s face fell as she hissed at me again, “Vaughn, what are you doing? Didn’t you want to marry me? It’s our wedding day, with all our family and friends watching. You’re not going to humiliate me in public, are you?” I let out a sad laugh. So they did realize there were many people present, and that the bride and groom would lose face if anything went wrong. Then why did they plan such a scheme behind my back? After a moment of bewildered chatter from the crowd, I finally spoke: “I’m sorry, but my bride hasn’t arrived yet. Can we wait a bit longer for her?” Evelyn’s face instantly filled with disbelief. The crowd erupted in shocked whispers, unsure what was happening. Just then, the doors of the venue burst open. A familiar figure in a wedding dress rushed in— “Vaughn Gray, I’m here to marry you!”
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