Chapter 2

“Ah!”

Olivia let out a shriek, rushed over to help Wayne up, then whipped around and screamed at me.

“Theodore Simmons, what gives you the right to hit people?”

“What has Wayne ever done to you? Are you sick in the head?”

She cursed at me like some fishwife.

Her relatives, her friends, every one of them rose to their feet to condemn me.

“Making a scene about swapping the bride isn't enough, now he's throwing punches. The man's a lunatic.”

“So he doesn't want to get married, fine. It's not like our Olivia has to have him. Olivia, come on, we're not going through with this wedding today.”

“That's right. Don't take his abuse.”

“……”

Olivia's parents didn't come at me. They came at mine.

“So tell us, how are we supposed to settle this today?”

“Your Simmons family may be high and mighty, but the Norrises aren't people you can push around. No explanation today, and you've made an enemy of the Norris family.”

My parents' faces darkened.

Bang! My father slammed the table hard and shot up, roaring at me: “What in God's name has gotten into you today? You were the one begging to get married. We agreed to it, and now you pull this stunt. What exactly do you want?”

My mother rounded on me, frantic: “What are you standing there for? Apologize to Olivia, now. Do you really want the two families at each other's throats?”

“I don't need her apology!”

Olivia stared at me, eyes red.

“The one he should be apologizing to is Wayne!”

“Olivia, I'm fine.”

Wayne got to his feet with Olivia's help, both eyes fixed on me, the picture of a wronged man.

“You're Olivia's fiance, so I'll take the liberty of calling you something.”

“Theodore, you made a scene demanding a new bride, and then you hit me. Is it because you suspect there's something going on between me and Olivia?”

At that, my parents' brows drew together, and they turned to look at me.

Olivia's parents, her relatives, her friends all went quiet too, their eyes darting back and forth between Olivia and Wayne.

I didn't answer his question. I asked one back: “And shouldn't I suspect it?”

Olivia flew into a rage and jabbed a finger at me. “Theodore Simmons, you bastard. Wayne is my junior at school. I only ever saw him as a little brother, and you actually suspect us.”

“I loved you for five years, and this is what you thought of me all along?”

Mr. Norris frowned. “Theodore, have you been listening to some gossip? Olivia would never be that kind of person.”

Mrs. Norris chimed in. “Olivia just thinks of Wayne as a little brother. The two of them got a bit close, that's all. Say there's something between her and Wayne? I don't believe it for a second.”

“I don't believe it either. We all know what's between Olivia and Wayne.”

“Right, we all know.”

“Theodore Simmons, we all trust Olivia. If you love her, you should trust her all the more.”

“……”

Olivia's college classmates spoke up one after another.

My father asked me in a low voice: “What exactly did you hear? You've caused all this over some gossip?”

My mother said: “Today is your wedding to Olivia. Whatever you heard, you chose to marry her, so you should trust her.”

My eyes settled on the wedding dress Olivia wore. White was supposed to stand for purity, and yet right now it stung my eyes.

“Mom, Dad, I'm sorry.”

I bowed in apology.

“Today we either swap the bride, or the wedding is off.”

My mother was livid.

“Swap, swap, swap. Swap me out as your mother while you're at it. Would that make you happy?”

My father gave me a long look, then said to the Norrises: “With things blown up like this, the wedding can't go ahead. Let's hold it once the two of them have patched things up.”

The Norrises weren't about to accept that, of course, and snapped back.

“You say it's off and it's off. It's my daughter who loses face here.”

“After a mess like this, your son is bound to break it off with Olivia later. How is she supposed to marry anyone after that?”

I laughed.

“That's the one thing you don't need to worry about, because there's a ready replacement right here in this room.”

“Wayne, am I right?”

Wayne's face shifted slightly, then he sighed. “Ah, Theodore, your prejudice against me really does run deep.”

I gave a cold smile and said nothing.

“No!”

Olivia cried out.

“You have to marry me today.”

“Because I'm pregnant!”