The Groom She Betrayed, the Wife He Chose

On the day of our wedding, my fiancée’s male best friend was directing people as they stretched out a giant red banner. “Strong back, strong legs, endless stamina—only I know how well she’s been satisfied.” The vulgar banner sent me into a rage. I clenched my fists and was about to confront him. But my fiancée turned around and started yelling at me instead. “What’s wrong with you? He was just joking and trying to liven things up! You’re being so petty!” Watching her defend another man with such confidence, I laughed out of sheer anger. Then, without saying another word, I walked over to my wealthy childhood friend, pulled out a ring, and dropped to one knee. “Is it too late for me to marry you instead?” When I stepped out of the wedding car, my face was stiff with anger. A heavy pressure sat in my chest. But when I saw the countless red banners covering the hotel wedding venue, the fury inside me finally exploded. “He’s got skills in bed, but when it’s time for the real thing, he’s as useless as a kitten.” “Strong back, strong legs, endless stamina. Too bad you have to try it yourself to know how disappointing he is.” “Now that you’ve got a wife, don’t get too comfortable. I’m always ready to show up.” “Don’t let the wedding night get awkward. Since he won’t last long, don’t worry—your brother’s here to fill in.” The filthy words on the banners felt like slaps across my face. And the person who had planned all of this was Emma Lane’s male best friend, Ryan Hart. He was walking toward me with a smug grin. “So, buddy? Pretty impressive surprise, huh?” His tone was flippant, and his eyes were filled with undisguised provocation. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I grabbed him by the collar and roared, “Ryan Hart! What the hell is wrong with you?” Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I never expected Ryan to pull all kinds of stunts in the wedding car. But he had actually gone even further at the wedding venue! This was clearly a provocation. An insult. And yes, Ryan had ridden in my wedding car. Where I came from, the bride and groom were supposed to sit together in the main wedding car. It symbolized becoming a couple and staying together forever. But when I tried to help Emma into the car, she insisted that Ryan come with us. “Ryan waited for me without even eating. He stayed with me for hours.” There was an unfamiliar tenderness in Emma’s eyes as she looked at him. “The wedding’s about to start. Let him ride with us, or he won’t make it to the hotel in time.” I couldn’t accept bringing another man into our wedding car. I darkened my expression and asked, “There are plenty of other cars. Why does he have to sit in ours?” Emma rolled her eyes. “He’s my best friend. What’s wrong with him riding in the wedding car? Can’t he share in our good luck? You’re a grown man. Why are you being so petty?” Before I could respond, she pulled him into the car. I swallowed my anger because I didn’t want to delay the wedding. That short ride became the longest torture of my life. Ryan forced himself between Emma and me. The bride—who was supposed to be the star of the day—spent the entire ride chatting with him excitedly. Every time I tried to join the conversation, they ignored me as if I were invisible. Ryan was even wearing a dark suit that had clearly been specially tailored to match my wedding tuxedo. All the frustration I had endured finally reached its breaking point when we arrived at the hotel. As soon as the car stopped, Ryan and Emma got out together. Maybe our relatives were misled by his matching suit. Maybe they were fooled by the way the two of them walked out side by side. Whatever the reason, every confetti cannon immediately turned toward them. Bang! Bang! Colorful confetti and ribbons filled the air, landing all over Ryan and Emma. “Wow!” Emma let out a delighted scream. Instead of stepping away, she threw herself into Ryan’s arms. Ryan smiled proudly and spread his arms wide, looking every inch like the real groom as he accepted the mistaken congratulations. For a moment, the air around us froze. The smiles on our friends’ and relatives’ faces stiffened. Everyone stared at the absurd scene in shock. When I finally climbed out of the car, my face ashen, an eerie silence fell over the venue. The master of ceremonies hurried over with his microphone and tried to smooth things over. “Oops! We fired them too early! The confetti went off too soon! The real groom is right here!” Only then did everyone react. Awkward whispers spread through the crowd like a rising tide. All those eyes shifted from the perfect-looking pair to me, filled with strange, uncomfortable meaning. Emma finally lifted her head from Ryan’s arms. When she saw how terrible I looked, she didn’t show the slightest bit of remorse. Instead, she frowned and muttered, “Oh, come on. It was just a misunderstanding. Nobody did it on purpose. Who are you making that face for?” Ryan smiled, putting on an unbearably generous expression. “Exactly. It was just a joke. It’s your wedding day, man. Don’t be so petty.” Thinking about everything that had happened, the fire in my chest burned hotter and hotter. I finally lost control and punched him hard in the face.Ryan let out a scream and stumbled to the ground. Blood instantly gushed from his nose. The volcano in my chest erupted. I raised my fist and charged forward, ready to hit him a few more times and finally release all the rage inside me. “Jason Cole! Are you insane?” Emma’s sharp cry came with a powerful shove. She rushed over and pushed me away with all her strength. Then she stood in front of Ryan, her eyes full of fury and accusation. “You’ve gone too far! Do you have to be this petty?” Her voice trembled as she pointed at my nose. “Ryan was only joking! Was it really necessary to get this angry? You even hit him! If anything happens to him, I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life!” As soon as she finished speaking, she crouched down beside Ryan and carefully supported his arm. The anger on her face instantly turned into worry and concern. “Ryan, how are you feeling? Are you okay? Does it hurt?” Ryan covered his face and groaned dramatically. But when Emma wasn’t looking, a flash of smugness crossed his eyes as he glanced at me. When he spoke, however, his voice was dripping with fake innocence. “I’m…I’m fine, sweetheart.” “Sweetheart, it’s my fault. I only wanted to lighten the mood. I didn’t realize I’d make your husband angry. I never thought he’d be so petty…” That one word—“sweetheart”—was soft and natural, but it exploded across the already silent wedding venue like a thunderclap. Every guest turned toward me. The shock in their eyes quickly changed into undisguised sympathy, contempt, and even excitement at the spectacle. The whispers grew louder. “Sweetheart? Did I hear that right?” “That guy sounds way too familiar with her…” “Wow. Being the groom must be humiliating.” My blood rushed straight to my head. That name had always been a thorn in my heart. Not long after Emma and I started dating, I heard Ryan call her “sweetheart” for the first time. I had exploded on the spot. Emma had looked at me innocently and explained, “Why are you freaking out? Sweetheart is my nickname. Ryan’s called me that since middle school. He’s been doing it for ten years. What’s the problem?” I still remembered Ryan laughing as if he were trying to calm things down, while actually provoking me. “Jason, don’t get the wrong idea. People used to tease us about each other back in school, so I just got used to calling her that. She’s used to it too. It’s hard to change now.” “You can relax. If we were ever going to be together, it would’ve happened a long time ago. There wouldn’t be any room for you. We’re really just friends.” His words had disgusted and suffocated me. I had been angry for days. I seriously warned Emma that if she had chosen to be with me, she needed to keep some distance from other men and respect boundaries. But Emma thought I was making a big deal out of nothing. As far as she was concerned, it was just a nickname. She reluctantly promised to be more careful, but it was obvious she hadn’t taken me seriously. I laughed bitterly and couldn’t help looking again at those glaring red banners. “One house, two doors. Groom, you were only the latecomer.” “I know how well she’s been satisfied. So, groom, how many rounds can you last tonight?” The words were now unbearably vicious. This was no longer a crude joke. It felt more like a blatant declaration and challenge. Was Ryan telling me that he could cross the line whenever he wanted? Or was he declaring his special claim over me—the husband standing right in front of everyone? The longer I looked at those red words, the more they resembled blood. The more I thought about it, the more disgusting their behavior became. Under the horrified eyes of everyone present, I raised my hand and slapped Emma hard across the face.Emma’s head snapped to the side. A clear handprint quickly appeared on her pale cheek. She covered her face and slowly turned back toward me. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, then swallowed by overwhelming fury. “Jason Cole!” Her voice was so shrill that it nearly cracked. “You hit me over something this small? How dare you! Are you even a man?” Every gaze—sympathetic, shocked, contemptuous—focused on her swollen cheek. Her face burned. It wasn’t just the pain. It was the humiliation of having her dignity trampled in front of everyone. “Something small?” I laughed in disbelief. All the anger and resentment I had been holding back finally found an outlet. “This is supposed to be our wedding! You brought your male best friend into the wedding car! Are you marrying him or me? Do you want him involved in every part of our marriage?” I pointed toward the banners. “And what are these supposed to mean? Are you announcing that he can cheat with you whenever he wants?” If I could still swallow my anger after Emma let Ryan do something this disgusting, I wouldn’t be a man. I’d be a doormat. Emma snapped, “Ryan and I are just friends! There’s nothing filthy between us like you’re imagining. You can’t even tolerate a joke? Are you really a man?” Ryan struggled to his feet. His nose was still bleeding, but he didn’t forget to add fuel to the fire. “I only wanted to lighten the mood. I never expected you to take it this way, let alone hit me. I’m honestly worried about whether Emma will be happy after marrying you.” “You’re terrifying.” His words seemed to awaken something in Emma. She glared at me with disappointment and fury, her chest rising and falling violently. “Ryan’s right. This wedding is off. You need to reflect on what you’ve done!” “When you finally understand your mistake, come find me.” With that, she grabbed Ryan’s hand. As if she wanted to provoke me on purpose, she interlocked their fingers. Then, under the stunned gazes of every friend and relative, she straightened her back and walked out of the hotel without looking back. Her decisive retreat made it seem as if I were the unforgivable criminal. The wedding venue erupted in chaos. Whispers surged like waves, and everyone looked at me with complicated sympathy. Just then, my parents and Emma’s mother, Margaret Lane, apparently heard the commotion and hurried out from the inner hall. They froze when they saw the chaos. After learning what had happened, they sighed with worried expressions. “How are we supposed to clean this up?” What hurt the most was Margaret’s reaction. She marched over and sneered at me. “Jason Cole, this has nothing to do with us! You couldn’t control your own wife, and now you’re throwing a tantrum here? If my daughter suffers even the slightest bit because of you, you’ll answer to me!” My father’s face turned livid. “Margaret, that’s completely out of line! Your daughter was clearly the one who—” “Dad, stop.” I interrupted him. My heart had gone completely cold. Looking at Margaret’s expression, then thinking about Emma’s behavior, I suddenly found the entire situation absurd. Amid the chaos, I noticed a figure standing in the corner. It was a graceful, curvy woman with an elegant posture. She had come as a guest, and she was watching me with concern. I walked through the crowd toward her. Under everyone’s astonished gaze, I dropped to one knee. Then I looked up at her with sincerity and determination. “I regret everything.” The woman froze, her whole body trembling. The whispers around us instantly stopped. Everyone held their breath. I took a deep breath and continued. “Is it too late for me to marry you instead?”