The Cheating Before the Wedding

I smiled as well. How fitting—her dress made her look like she was the real star of the wedding.

Rachel walked straight to the head table and sat in Jeremy's seat, ignoring everyone else.

A glimmer around her neck caught my attention as she bent to sit.

I stared closer, and my already ice-cold heart sank once more.

It was a diamond ring. It was my wedding ring—the one I had personally designed.

There was only one in the entire world.

It hung around Rachel's neck like some cheap trophy.

If my wedding had gone as planned, I had no idea what kind of ring Jeremy would have given me. Whether he grabbed a random substitute or snatched one off his assistant's neck—it was absolutely revolting.

I clenched my fists hard to stop myself from losing control. Anger was inevitable, but I refused to let it show.

Just then, Jeremy entered the room with the wedding host in tow.

"No wedding dress for the bride? Well, a red dress works too. It's very beautiful."

The host mistook Rachel for the temperamental bride with her perfectly styled look and red gown. He nodded approvingly.

Rachel glanced at me and waved her hands, pretending to look flustered. "Oh, no, I'm not the bride today. Ms. Lurne, please don't get upset."

Jeremy strode toward me with a dark and irritated face. "Why haven't you gone to get your makeup done and changed yet? Do you even care about our wedding?!"

He reached out to grab me, but his mother quickly stepped in to stop him. "Jeremy, speak properly! Why are you being so harsh?" she scolded.

Rachel took the opportunity to chime in. "Yes, Ms. Lurne's just being a little stubborn. Jeremy, you should coax her. Don't let this ruin your wedding."

Jeremy's frustration grew in front of all the guests. He pointed at me and snapped, "Fiona, there's a limit to how childish you can be! Get changed right now!"

Rachel stood up and gently patted Jeremy's arm to calm him down. "Don't be mad, don't be mad. Let Ms. Lurne change, and I'll help you greet the guests and apologize."

I shot her a cold glare and said dryly, "Why don't you go ahead and finish the whole wedding while you're at it?"

There was no point pretending anymore. It was clear that things would not get resolved peacefully that day.

I made up my mind and raised my voice. "Sorry to make a spectacle of things, everyone. Please enjoy the food and drinks, but I'd like to officially announce that Jeremy Stone and I are breaking up today. Consider yourselves witnesses."

"How long are you going to keep this up?!" Jeremy roared as his eyes blazed in anger.

Rachel stomped her heel against the floor in mock distress, the sharp sound echoing through the room. She feigned innocence, looking at me with a concerned face. "Ms. Lurne, you've misunderstood me. I only meant to help you greet the guests. Nothing more!"

What a classic act. I crossed my arms as I watched her performance with an icy gaze.

"Oh? You want to help me with greeting the guests? Didn't you also help me with the wedding night?"

Rachel looked pleased with my reaction. A flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she masked it with a look of deep grievance. "Ms. Lurne, you've got this all wrong."

Smack.

I had no patience for her little act anymore, and I certainly was not interested in wasting another word on her.

"Fiona, what is wrong with you!?"

Jeremy looked panicked. He quickly pulled Rachel into his arms, holding her protectively.

Rachel had not expected me to strike either. Her large eyes welled up with tears that were on the verge of spilling as she buried her face into Jeremy's chest, rubbing against him pitifully.

Finally, her tears landed on his clothes.

Maybe the sight of his mistress crying burned him because Jeremy turned to me with a look of pure rage, looking as though he could devour me whole.

"Fiona, you're nothing but a lunatic! Do you think you're even remotely comparable to—"

"Shut up, Jeremy!"

His father grabbed Jeremy by the arm, cutting him off before he could finish. His mother quickly stepped in, dragging Rachel out of Jeremy's embrace.

"Ms. Stephens, this is a family matter. You have no business being here. Please leave."

Rachel shot Jeremy a glance, then tilted her chin smugly at me.

Without saying another word, she turned on her heels and walked away. The sharp clicks of her high heels echoed throughout the hall.

However, Jeremy was not done.

"Are you happy now, making a scene on our wedding day?! What man would marry a crazy woman like you after this?"

"Jeremy, shut your mouth!" His mother stepped in, trying to pull him back, but he shoved her hand aside.

"Mom, stay out of it. There won't be a wedding today! I'm going to teach this woman a lesson!"

Well, was that not convenient? I had been waiting for the chance to teach him a lesson, too.

I slammed my hand on the table, standing tall. "You're right, there won't be a wedding. But the lesson? That's for me to teach you!"

Ignoring the gasps and whispers around me, I turned and strode toward the host standing awkwardly in front of the large screen.

The poor host did not know where to look. He instinctively stepped aside as he blinked nervously. "M—Ms. Lurne… What do you need?"

I did not answer him. Instead, I went straight to the computer connected to the screen, logged into my account, and uploaded a video.

Then, I hit play.

Yes, I had screen-recorded it that day.

Rachel's smug face immediately filled the screen; her grin dripped with arrogance.

Her voice rang out, echoing throughout the silent hall.

"The groom's pretty great too. I tried him out for you as well."

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Oh, Mr. Stone is working late, of course. He's very busy."

"Rachel, come help me with my back."

"You're just trying to trick me into showering with you, you naughty man."

The video continued until Rachel's gleeful, shameless face finally disappeared from the screen. A few more seconds of silence followed. One could have heard the pin drop.

Smack!

"You jerk!" Mr. Stone's slap was so forceful that it echoed through the room.

After delivering the blow, he slumped slightly as he hunched his shoulders in defeat.

For a brief moment, I felt a pang of sadness. I knew I could no longer maintain a relationship with those two kind elders.

I turned toward Jeremy and said in a cold and unwavering voice. "Jeremy, I didn't betray this wedding. You did. You were the scumbag who rolled around with your mistress on our wedding bed!

"And do you really want me to describe all that liquid on the sheets? You really do play dirty, don't you?"