Chapter 1

On my wedding day, the bridal car broke down midway.

By the time I finally rushed to the venue, the ceremony was already underway.

Vivian, my bridesmaid, wasn't wearing her designated bridesmaid dress. Instead, she wore an ivory bridal gown nearly identical to mine.

Under the gaze of all our friends and the glaring flash of the cameras, my fiancé knelt on one knee, holding up a ring:

"Vivian, will you marry me?"

When they noticed me standing in the doorway, everyone froze in panic.

I just smiled, walked up to them, took off my veil, and crowned her head with it.

"There. Now you truly look like the bride. Congratulations, you two."

"Vivian, will you marry me?"

Dressed in that white gown, Vivian burst into tears of joy. "Yes! A million times, yes!"

Cheers erupted from our circle of friends. Their eyes held a sickening mix of relief and regret.

Relief that this golden couple was finally together; regret that it was supposedly just a rehearsal.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

The chant grew louder. Vivian looked at Tyler with tearful, adoring eyes, her cheeks blushing red.

Tyler cupped her face and pressed his lips firmly against hers, kissing her with an intensity as if he were pouring a lifetime of regrets into that single moment.

I stood by the entrance, watching quietly. Tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision.

By the time they parted, my emotions had gone completely numb.

I blinked away the tears. The five years of love I had for this man evaporated into thin air.

I walked toward them. The crowd descended into complete chaos. People stumbled over themselves trying to explain, but their brains short-circuited. No one could find a single excuse.

Vivian looked at me anxiously:

"Chloe, please don't get the wrong idea! The venue was just so gorgeous, and all our friends were here... I've always dreamed of what my wedding would look like, so I begged Tyler to do a mock run with me."

"You're not mad, right?"

As she spoke, her eyes welled with tears, making it look like I was the villain bullying her.

I looked at the gown she was wearing—virtually a twin to my own custom dress—and gave her a sincere compliment:

"You look stunning."

Then, I unpinned my veil and gently placed it over her hair.

"Now you really look like the bride."

Seeing my calm reaction, Tyler visibly exhaled a long breath of relief.

"Phew. Thank god you're not making a scene. See? Getting married has finally made you mature. You're not throwing childish tantrums anymore."

He reached out to grab my hand to lead me toward the main aisle, but I violently shook him off.

Staring at his empty hand, Tyler frowned with annoyance. "Chloe, what the hell are you doing?"

"Everyone's waiting out front. Don't make a fool of yourself."

He reached for my hand again, but I stepped back, dodging him.

His patience ran out instantly. He sneered, "Ha, and here I thought you actually grew up. Are you really going to ruin everything over nothing?"

Looking at the man I had dated for five years, my disappointment hit rock bottom.

How pathetic.

At the wedding I had spent five years dreaming of, my fiancé knelt to another woman and kissed her passionately. Yet, I wasn't allowed to be upset. If I showed any anger, I was being dramatic.

The calm facade finally shattered. I pointed at Vivian’s bridal gown, my voice trembling with rage:

"Who's being dramatic here? She agreed to be my bridesmaid, ditched the dress I bought her, and showed up in a wedding gown! What does that mean to you, Tyler?"

I had mountains of fury left to scream, but Tyler cut me off harshly:

"Enough, Chloe!"

"She already explained it to you! Haven't you thrown enough fits? We're about to miss the exact auspicious minute my mom got from the psychic. If you walk out with me right now, we can still make it."

The auspicious time. His superstitious mother had paid an astrologer a fortune to calculate the precise minute the ceremony had to start to guarantee our marriage's fortune.

Because of that stupid timeline, when my car broke down, I panicked.

I finally hitched a ride, only to hit gridlock traffic a mile away.

I literally carried my heavy, massive train and ran down the asphalt in four-inch heels. My toes were bruised and bleeding.

"Walk with me now, or don't regret it later," Tyler warned, utterly confident.

After all, he knew how deeply I loved him.

We had fought countless times before, but I was always the one who caved.

Not this time.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

"Ha."

A cold, mocking laugh escaped my lips.

Right on cue, a banquet coordinator rushed in from the front hall.

Not noticing me in the back, the coordinator saw Tyler and Vivian standing side by side, looking like the perfect couple, and grabbed them. "Oh my god, the timeline is about to be ruined! What are you two doing hiding here? Hurry up!"

A spark of sheer triumph flashed in Vivian's eyes.

Tyler looked back at me once more, warning:

"Chloe, you've dreamed of this wedding for five years. Don't you dare regret this."

To that, I gave him my final answer:

"I wish you both a happy marriage."