A Mask at the Wedding

At the wedding, I recognized at a glance that the masked man standing before me was an impostor for Howard Larson.

Despite this, I went through with the ceremony as though nothing were amiss.

In my previous life, I exposed the fake groom in front of everyone. Left with no choice, Howard reluctantly returned and completed the wedding with me.

That very night, his childhood sweetheart, Joyce Charlton, swallowed sleeping pills and jumped from a building, taking her own life.

When Howard heard the news, he showed no hint of sadness. Instead, he cursed her, saying she deserved to die.

After the wedding, Howard and I seemed as loving as ever. I even used my family's money to pull his company back from the brink of collapse.

However, on our first wedding anniversary, he personally bound me to a helicopter while I was pregnant.

There was no warmth left in his eyes.

"If you hadn't forced me to come back and marry you that day, Joyce would still be alive.

"Why should you get to live so happily? I want you to feel the pain she felt when she died."

He shoved me from the sky. I was utterly destroyed.

This time, I pretended not to notice the deception and completed the wedding with the fake groom.

I wanted to see for myself how, without the Smith family's support, he intended to save the already crumbling Larson Group.

"Do you take this woman to be your wife, to stand by her through thick and thin?"

"I do," the man said, his voice muffled by the mask.

The guests whispered in awe. Howard Larson, the Larson family's big shot, was so in love with me that he would not let a bad cold stop our big day. He did not want to disappoint me.

"Wait a second."

The man's eyes darted around, and his forehead was dotted with sweat.

I smiled and asked, "Howard, you're looking a bit pale. Too busy with the wedding to remember your medicine?"

He coughed nervously. "Yes, I..."

I signaled the officiant to pause and led the groom to a quiet room.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the table. A bunch of unread texts from Joyce Charlton.

[Bet you didn't know your groom's a phony, huh? Surprise! Howard and I are watching your wedding live. ]

There was a photo too: Howard had his arms around her, his chin resting on her head.

[Forgot to mention, it was my idea. This wedding's just a game to cheer me up.]

I quickly replied.

[Oh yeah? Bet one call from me, and he'll ditch you to beg for my forgiveness.]

The phone went silent. Hook, line, and sinker.

I pocketed the phone and faced the quiet groom.

He was fidgeting. "I... I..."

I gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Elias, relax."

He sighed in relief. "You knew all along."

After a quiet moment, he looked like he had made a big decision and took a deep breath.