chapter 2

Ryan held Chloe’s hand as he led her toward the head table, people patting him on the shoulder the whole way.

“Ryan, this Chloe girl is really something!”

“When are we going to attend the wedding for you two?”

Ryan laughed and punched the man lightly on the shoulder.

“Get lost. Don’t talk nonsense.”

But he never let go of Chloe’s hand. He escorted her all the way to Mrs. Carter’s side.

Then he lowered his head and spoke to Chloe in a quiet voice.

“No more messing around, okay? Olivia is still waiting for me. Just sit at this table. Happy now?”

Looking around, the table was filled with his parents, his grandparents, and Ryan’s mentor.

Everyone seated there was among the most important people in Ryan’s life.

One of the guests asked curiously,

“Mr. Carter, and this young lady is…?”

Mrs. Carter smiled and gently pushed Chloe forward.

“This is Chloe, Ryan’s best friend since childhood. She’s like a daughter to our family. We have her to thank for keeping the atmosphere lively today—otherwise the wedding wouldn’t be nearly this festive.”

Chloe obediently raised her glass.

“Hello, Uncle and Aunties. My name is Chloe. Ryan is getting married today, and I’m happier than anyone. I just wanted to help make the atmosphere more fun. Everyone can look forward to it—the bride will be making her entrance very soon.”

She spoke sweetly, and after making a full round of toasts, she had all the elders smiling from ear to ear.

Suddenly, Mrs. Carter slipped off the pearl bracelet from her own wrist, took Chloe’s hand, and placed it onto her.

“Good girl. You’ve worked hard today.”

That pearl bracelet was an heirloom passed down in the Carter family to the next mistress of the household.

Just last month, Mrs. Carter had personally handed it to me, telling me to wear it on the wedding day.

I had refused, saying it was too precious and I was afraid of damaging it.

In truth, I had wanted to save it for the most important moment.

Now it rested on Chloe’s wrist, making her skin look even more fair and luminous.

Chloe gasped.

“Auntie, this is too valuable…”

“If I’m giving it to you, then wear it.”

Mrs. Carter pressed her hand gently, her eyes full of affection.

“I’ll pick out another one for Olivia later.”

Everyone at the table saw it happen, their expressions shifting in different ways.

Someone joked,

“Mrs. Carter, you’re treating both your daughter-in-law and your daughter equally. Why not just have Ryan marry Chloe directly?”

Mr. Carter burst into laughter.

“If Chloe married into our family, we’d be smiling in our sleep!”

Blushing, Chloe hid behind Ryan, and Ryan stepped in front of her with a grin.

“Dad, Mom, stop talking nonsense. I’ve never even thought of Chloe as a woman. The only person I want to marry in this lifetime is Olivia!”

He made it sound so convincing.

I glanced down at the watch on my wrist.

The ceremony had already been delayed forty-four minutes past the scheduled auspicious time.

Yet not a single person had asked where the bride was.

My phone screen lit up. It was a message Ryan had sent five minutes earlier.

[Olivia, Chloe just loves to fool around. Don’t take it to heart.]

[I’ll have them restart the wedding process right now.]

The glow of the phone screen shone in the dim corner of the dressing room.

Chloe’s livestream account had never been turned off.

The camera was still pointed directly at the wedding hall.

Comments were scrolling endlessly across the screen.

[OMG, is she really not the bride? She’s so beautiful!]

[So this is Ryan’s wedding? He’s so handsome! They look perfect together!]

[Wait, isn’t today supposed to be Ryan Carter and Olivia Stone’s wedding? Why is Chloe the bride?]

[Relax, someone just explained it. The girl in the wedding dress is Ryan’s best friend of over twenty years. It’s just for clout. The real bride is backstage.]

[This doesn’t feel right… The real bride must be furious.]