1 On my wedding morning, my fiancé’s young secretary shared an Instagram post. “Today’s my boss’s wedding. I hoped to attend, but I spent the night sick and tossing restlessly in agony.” As soon as Ryan saw it, he dropped the bridal bouquet on the red carpet and prepared to leave. I clutched his sleeve anxiously. “Don’t leave me stranded. At least stay till the ceremony ends.” Ryan’s expression turned icy, yanking his arm free. “You’re selfish, Clair. Didn’t you read her post? She once saved me, and I vowed lifelong care for her. I can’t celebrate while she’s unwell.” “Humiliated to stand alone? Find any stranger to fill in as your groom; it’s none of my concern.” Within thirty minutes, news of his wedding abandonment blew up online. He raced to the waterfront, where Lila waited in a white gown. They held an impromptu public wedding aboard a lavish yacht. Netizens gushed over their romance yet mocked me in tagged comments. “She’s the town’s laughingstock, unable to hold her groom; the secretary won completely.” “Will she tie a bow tie to a golden retriever and wed a dog to finish the ceremony?” Remaining composed, I pulled out my phone and dialed: “Enjoyed the show? Come quickly and marry me now that you’re done watching.” The moment the words left my mouth, the entire grand ballroom fell dead silent for a split second before completely exploding into chaotic whispers. A young woman holding a live-streaming tripod practically shoved her camera right into my face. “Look at this! This bride has zero shame!” “Her groom literally ran away thirty minutes ago to host a fake wedding with another woman, and she is standing up there acting like she is calling the shots?” “Listen to that arrogant tone. If you didn’t know the truth, you would actually believe she had a billionaire backup groom waiting in the wings!” I calmly ended the call. A sharp, mocking laugh echoed from the front row. “Cut the act. She is just humiliated that she got dumped at the altar, so she is pretending someone is coming to save her.” “Everyone knows Clair wasted her entire youth throwing herself at Ryan. She brought him umbrellas in the pouring rain, delivered homemade breakfasts to his office, and totally degraded herself just to chase a man. There is absolutely no way she has a backup plan.” I stood there in silence, listening to the venomous, biting whispers swirling around the room. I looked down at my expensive shoes and quietly laughed at my own stupidity. For so many years, I had treated Ryan as my ultimate destiny. I truly believed that walking down the aisle with him was written in the stars. But life always throws a curveball. His little secretary, Lila, was that curveball. He had abandoned me at elite charity galas just because Lila texted him that her kitchen sink was leaking. And today, just because of two words complaining about being “sick”, he abandoned our wedding. He left me standing entirely alone in front of hundreds of guests, completely exposed to the awkward stares and relentless interrogations of our relatives. Right at that moment, a massive gasp rippled through the crowd. “Look at your phones! Ryan running away is the number one trending topic!” “The views are skyrocketing by the second.” “Ryan is so insanely romantic. Just because his secretary said she wanted to experience a wedding, he blew fifty million dollars to rent a mega-yacht and throw her a dream ceremony…” A few people in the crowd found it completely absurd and scoffed out loud. “You call that romantic? That is toxic trash.” “He was literally in the middle of his actual wedding, and he just bolted to play dress-up with a secretary. Is that supposed to be a reliable man?” My mother sat in the front row, her face turning a sickly shade of gray, her eyes brimming with red tears. She tried to stand up, but my father gently held her down by the shoulder. “Let’s just wait a few more minutes. If there is no miracle, it won’t be too late to walk out of this hotel with our heads held high.” My father’s face was completely dark. He wanted to flip the tables and tear the room apart more than anyone else, but he was terrified of making me look even worse. “Clair, sweetheart… should we just head home?” My bridesmaid, Brooke, leaned in close, her voice an anxious whisper. “We can’t just stand here looking like fools.” “Ryan is out there kissing someone else on a yacht. He is definitely not coming back…” “Give me your phone.” I held out my hand. Brooke hesitated for a second before unlocking her screen and passing it over. A breaking news notification popped up immediately. [PRESCOTT ENTERPRISES CEO THROWS $50 MILLION DOLLAR MOCK WEDDING TO COMFORT SECRETARY. ROMANTIC KISS BY THE HARBOR.] In the attached photo, Ryan looked flawless in his tailored tuxedo. He was holding Lila, who was draped in an extravagant white gown, tightly against his chest. The background was the sparkling river, illuminated by golden string lights and falling rose petals. Lila was leaning into his embrace, her eyes perfectly red and teary, looking like the ultimate damsel in distress. The comment section broke a thousand replies in a matter of seconds. “Oh my god, what kind of epic romance is this? The billionaire CEO literally threw away his own wedding to save his secretary?” “I thought this was just a spicy office romance, but the actual bride ended up being the villainous cannon fodder.” “Feeling bad for the bride for exactly one second, but all my love goes to the secretary. Finding a man who would do this for you is the ultimate dream.” “Honestly, the bride is pitiful, but she should blame herself for not being the CEO’s lifesaver.” I scrolled through the comments, my face as perfectly blank as if I were reading an article about a total stranger. It was true. Lila had saved Ryan’s life. 2 Three years ago, Ryan was involved in a catastrophic multi-car pileup during a business trip. According to the hospital, Lila had donated a massive amount of blood to save him. She supposedly gave so much blood that the nurses had to catch her as she passed out on the clinic floor. When Ryan finally woke up and heard the story, his eyes had filled with emotional tears. He swore to repay the debt. He even stood in front of the entire corporate board and publicly declared that for the rest of his life, whatever Lila asked for, she would get. His words were etched into stone. So today, when she whined about feeling “sick”, he threw our entire future in the trash and sprinted out the door. “Miss Clair.” The wedding planner ran up to the stage, wiping thick drops of sweat from his forehead. “What should we do? Should we postpone the reception? The photography team is asking if they should pack up their gear.” “No need to postpone.” “Then what exactly are you planning to…” I glanced down at my phone screen. That phone call I had made earlier lasted exactly eleven seconds. That was more than enough. He said he would definitely come. Brooke was practically stomping her heels into the floor with anxiety. “Clair, who the hell did you just call? Who is coming? You need to tell me!” I slowly turned my gaze toward the heavy oak doors at the back of the banquet hall. The doors were sealed shut. But I knew, with absolute certainty, that he would be walking through them very soon. “Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated and enjoy your drinks. The ceremony has been delayed by exactly twenty minutes. We will resume shortly.” I kept a flawless, polite smile on my face as I made the announcement to the room. But instead of respect, I was met with a tidal wave of cruel laughter and mocking whispers. “Has she completely lost her mind? Her husband ran off to play house with his secretary. What difference does twenty minutes make? How is she still smiling?” “It has to be trauma. Her brain just completely snapped from the humiliation.” “This is hilarious. Twenty minutes? Is she planning to order a stunt double off the internet to play the groom?” Through the chorus of laughter, a sleazy, fifty-year-old businessman walked up to the edge of the stage, holding out a glass of champagne. “Miss Clair, don’t be so heartbroken. Since your groom bailed on you, how about I step in and be your husband for the night?” I didn’t take the glass. He let out a greasy chuckle, forcefully shoving the glass into my hand and casually patting my bare skin. “Don’t be so shy, sweetheart. Your man literally tossed you in the garbage. You are in no position to play hard to get.” Because of his rough movement, the golden champagne splashed over the rim, staining the pristine white lace of my wedding dress. I set the glass down on a nearby cocktail table. “Thank you, but I don’t drink.” “Wow, still acting like a snob.” The man sneered, turning back to his wealthy friends. “Dumped at the altar and still acting like a saint. She really has no idea how pathetic she looks right now.” “I did her a massive favor by offering to be her groom, and she actually has the nerve to give me an attitude!” Before the words even settled, he took a step forward, reaching out to grab my waist. A group of equally repulsive men behind him started cheering and hollering. “I want to be the groom too!” “Count me in!” My parents’ faces contorted with absolute fury. They were just about to rush the stage to protect me, when a loud ringing echoed through the speakers. Earlier, I had told the DJ to mirror my phone screen to the massive LED displays behind the altar, just so the guests could see exactly what I was looking at. Someone in the sound booth must have accidentally clicked accept. A second later, Ryan’s face filled the giant screens spanning the entire width of the banquet hall. It was a live video call. 3 “Clair, why are you still shamelessly standing there at the venue?” “I made myself perfectly clear. The wedding today is officially canceled.” “If you don’t pack up and leave, do not blame me when you become the laughingstock of the city. You are bringing this humiliation entirely upon yourself.” Suddenly, Lila leaned into the frame, pressing her cheek against Ryan’s shoulder. “Clair, I am so, so sorry.” “I just made a tiny little comment about wishing I knew what a wedding felt like, and Mr. Prescott immediately threw me this gorgeous mock ceremony. And look!” Lila took two steps back, making sure the camera captured her entire body, and did a triumphant, theatrical twirl. She was showing off a bridal gown that was infinitely more extravagant than mine. “Mr. Prescott actually had a helicopter fly this custom, one-of-a-kind piece in from Paris. The train is literally hand-stitched with real diamonds. It is probably a hundred times more expensive than the dress you are wearing. Oh my gosh, Clair, I hope me saying that doesn’t make you angry…” Standing under the crushing weight of hundreds of mocking stares and stifled laughs, I spoke with terrifying calm. “Of course not.” Ryan let out a dark, arrogant scoff. “Clair, I had no idea you were so incredibly generous. You are actually willing to hand your own husband over to someone else.” “Since you are taking it so well, I guess I don’t need to worry about you having a mental breakdown or doing something stupid just because I left.” “It looks like you are doing perfectly fine.” “Oh, by the way. If you are bored and have nothing better to do, you can come down to the waterfront and join our mock wedding. It might be fake, but it is still a beautiful experience.” Ryan looked down at Lila, his eyes melting with absolute adoration as he stroked her hair. “Lila said her only regret today is that you aren’t here. If you show up, it would make her so incredibly happy.” “I can’t make it. I still have a wedding to finish.” I took the initiative. “If there is nothing else, I am hanging up.” Without waiting for his response, I cut the feed. I picked up the heavy skirts of my ruined dress and walked straight down the center aisle, heading toward the back of the room to see if my call had been answered. The red carpet stretched perfectly straight. When we originally booked the venue, the hotel manager proudly told me this aisle was exactly one hundred feet long. A perfect number to symbolize a long, flawless marriage. It was the ultimate display of luxury. Now, every single step I took down those one hundred feet was accompanied by the sound of cruel laughter. The whispers grew even more vicious as I walked. “Where is she going? Is she actually going to the waterfront to beg her husband to come back?” “Let her go. It’s just going to be pure humiliation. The little secretary is wrapped in the CEO’s arms right now.” “I heard the CEO rented an entire fleet of yachts just to make the secretary smile. Fifty million dollars. Unreal.” “Tsk, tsk. Look at the bride. She looks so cheap and pathetic in comparison…” I was halfway down the red carpet. Suddenly, the massive, heavy oak doors at the end of the hall were pushed open from the outside. I froze, lifting my head. A blinding beam of golden sunlight poured into the dimly lit room. Framed perfectly in the light was a tall, broad-shouldered silhouette. He was wearing a razor-sharp, immaculate suit. He walked forward with slow, powerful, unhurried steps. He walked right up to me, stopped, and spoke in a voice that was incredibly deep and gentle. “My apologies for the delay. Traffic was an absolute nightmare.” I stared blankly at his handsome face, suddenly feeling a sharp burning sensation in the back of my nose. This man had waited for me for seven long years. And I had blindly chosen Ryan instead. Three years ago, he looked at me and said, “I truly hope Ryan makes you happy. But if he ever fails to give you the world, remember to call me. I will always be your safety net.” I had smiled and said okay. But I had brushed it off as a sweet, nostalgic joke, and turned the page on our chapter. He moved abroad, and for three entire years, I never heard a single word from him. I assumed he had moved on and forgotten about me. Until an hour ago. When I stood in my wedding dress on an empty stage, watching Ryan throw the bouquet on the floor and sprint out the door without a single ounce of hesitation to save his secretary. In that moment of absolute clarity, I remembered. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number that had sat untouched in my contacts for three years. “Have you had enough fun watching the drama?” “If you are done watching, hurry up and get over here to marry me.” And now, he was actually here. He reached out and gently took my hand. His palm was grounding and intensely warm. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp, predatory gaze sweeping over the hundreds of shocked, paralyzed faces in the banquet hall, before finally resting back on me. “Let the ceremony continue.” He paused, the corner of his lips curling into a dangerously charming smile. “The bride’s husband has finally arrived.” 4 The entire crowd of guests sat frozen like statues. The girl holding the live-streaming tripod was the first to snap out of her trance. She violently whipped her camera around to focus on the door. “Oh my god, oh my god! Who the hell is that?!” When the crowd finally got a good look at Gideon’s face, they doubled down on their mockery. “Clair, you really are pathetic. Do you honestly think dragging some random gigolo off the street is going to save your pride?” “You have got to be kidding me. You are so desperate to save face that you are willing to marry a piece of trash right off the sidewalk…” I turned to look at Gideon, a light smirk playing on my lips. “They are calling you a piece of trash off the sidewalk. What are your thoughts on that?” Gideon let out a low, vibrating chuckle, stepping even closer to me. “They are absolute nobodies. Why would I care what dirt thinks?” He was exactly the same Gideon I remembered. Arrogant, untouchable, and fiercely loyal. I squeezed his hand tightly, standing shoulder to shoulder with him as we began walking back up the red carpet toward the altar. “Clair! Stop right there!” It was my mother. She practically sprinted down the aisle, grabbing my arm with trembling hands. Her eyes were bloodshot. “Who is this man?! Do you have any idea what you are doing? Every single guest in this room belongs to our family or Ryan’s family. Dragging a total stranger in here is pure insanity!” I gently patted her shaking hand. “Mom, I just refuse to marry a man who abandons his own wedding.” My mother’s tears finally spilled over. “I know Ryan broke your heart. I know you are in pain, but no matter how hurt you are…” She shot a terrified, skeptical glare at Gideon. “Who is he? You know absolutely nothing about his background, and you are just going to marry him on a whim?!” My father stormed over, his face completely dark with anger. “Your mother is right, Clair. Even if you never get married for the rest of your life, we will always take care of you. But a daughter of our family does not degrade herself by marrying a random stranger just to prove a point!” But the second my parents actually turned to look closely at Gideon’s face, they both froze entirely. Their jaws literally dropped open in pure shock. They recognized that face. They had seen it on the covers of elite financial magazines and in exclusive prime-time business interviews. He was the wealthiest man in New York, the absolute ruler of the Mercer Group. Gideon Mercer. A man worth hundreds of billions, known for being incredibly low-profile and rarely appearing in public. The financial world described him with only one phrase: Unfathomably dangerous. “Are you… Gideon Mercer?” Gideon offered a polite, respectful smile. “Yes, sir. It is me.” “Please rest assured, I am not a random stranger pulled off the street. I have been waiting for this exact day for seven years.” “I promise you, I will fulfill my duties as a husband far better than the man who ran away.” The second those words echoed through the room, the entire banquet hall dropped into a suffocating, terrifying silence. Ryan’s relatives, who had been laughing the loudest just seconds ago, now looked so horrified they wanted to dig a hole through the floor and bury themselves. Gideon smoothly took control, offering a flawless solution. “Your mother made an excellent point.” “The majority of the people in this room are related to the Prescott family. Hosting our ceremony in front of them is highly inappropriate.” “If you would please direct your guests to the grand ballroom in the adjacent tower, I have already arranged for a complete, fully catered wedding setup.” Faced with that level of power and preparation, my parents couldn’t utter a single word of protest. They simply nodded in a daze and began ushering our side of the family out the doors. In the midst of the chaotic migration, the very people who had been relentlessly mocking me were now paralyzed with disbelief. “How the hell did Clair pull this off? She actually managed to sink her claws into the heir of the Mercer empire?” “This has to be a scripted PR stunt!” The live-streaming girl was practically crawling over chairs to follow us, her camera locked dead onto Gideon’s face. “L-ladies and gentlemen! We have the most insane plot twist in history!” “The bride, Clair, was just rescued from the altar by another man! And this man is heavily suspected to be… Gideon Mercer! Yes, the CEO of the Mercer Group!” On her screen, the live chat was scrolling by so fast it was a blur of pure hysteria. Meanwhile, down by the waterfront at the mock wedding, Ryan’s assistant ran onto the yacht, his face as pale as a ghost. “Mr. Prescott! You told me to keep an eye on Miss Clair’s venue. Something massive just happened!” “Miss Clair is getting married to another man! They are probably exchanging rings right now…”
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