I Married His Rival at fiancé Wedding

The night before the wedding, he was playing a party game with his childhood sweetheart the kind where you brag about something the other person doesn't have.

To win, she pointed at her own stomach and said it loud enough for the whole room to hear.

I carried your baby once. Can you say that?

He paused, then smiled at her, soft and doting.

"No, I can't. Fine, you win. Fair's fair."

Without a second of hesitation, he took the ring that was meant for me and slid it onto her finger, never once caring how everyone in that room was looking at me.

This time I wasn't going to worry about keeping up appearances. I walked straight over and took the ring back.

He panicked, grabbed my arm, and tried to force me to hand it over.

"Maureen Chavez! Can't you have a little dignity? A game's a game you play fair. I lost, so I lost. Stop making a scene."

"Fine. Then there's no wedding, and I don't need you either. Dignified enough for you?"

...

"I'm making a scene?"

I slid the ring onto my own finger and cut straight through whatever little scheme Peter James had going.

"This ring is a Chavez family heirloom. My mother brought it out to help your family save face. And you just gave it away, like it was yours to give?"

"Do you even have the right?"

Peter was mortified. He kept his grip on my arm, pinching the flesh over and over, signaling me to shut up.

He was always like this, always obsessed with appearances.

All shine and glory in public, and behind the scenes doing whatever it took to beg me.

If it weren't for our families arranging it, our parents locking down the engagement long ago, he never would have caught my eye at all.

Then his sweetheart said what she said, and just like that, I had my way out.

"Peter, the wedding's off. Don't bother dragging yourself over tomorrow. I'll tell both sets of parents tonight."

"What?"

Peter didn't like that. He blew up on the spot.

"Maureen, what is your problem? If you can't take a joke, then don't come out with me. We get married tomorrow, and you're just calling it off? You think marriage is a game?"

"And these are my friends. This is how we are with each other. How do you flip on me like that? Where's your sense of fun?"

I let out a cold scoff and dragged Gayle Whitney out from where she'd been hiding behind him, enjoying the show.

"A joke? She says she carried your baby, and that's a joke too? What girl jokes about her own name and her own reputation?"

Gayle pouted and threw up her hands, all breezy and fashionable, like none of it touched her.

"We're all friends, we all know how to play, nobody actually turns on each other! What's the matter, Sis Maureen? Did you really take it seriously?"

Watching her preen like that, so obviously playing me for a fool, I slapped her clean across the face. She just stood there, stunned.

"Maureen, what did you hit me for!"

"I hit you because I hit you. Do I need to pick a special day for it? That look on your face was begging for it. And one more thing don't call me your sister. I don't have a shameless little sister like you."

I let out a cold snort and flipped the whole table, and every one of Peter's friends went silent.

Peter's face had gone ice-cold, but he still leaned in to plead with me to leave him a little face.

I wasn't done, though. Gayle especially I'd stopped being able to stomach that face of hers a long time ago. Every single time, she came dancing right onto the one thing that set me off.

And right as I was about to let loose, Grandpa Chavez called, and his call stopped my anger cold.

"Maureen, don't act up. Peter is your fianc. When you're out in public you make sure to give him plenty of face. Don't forget his grandfather saved my life once. I have to take good care of him."

"Don't give people a reason to laugh at us."

Grandpa's word was law in our family. Even when the facts were ugly, he clung to his own crooked version of the truth.

Just because Peter's grandfather had once saved my grandfather's life, it was as if he'd been handed a "get out of anything free" pass in our house, a backer for whatever he did.

Seeing my anger stamped out by force, my whole brow knotted up, Peter looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

"All right, Maureen, enough. We get married tomorrow. Don't go upsetting Grandpa. He's old. He can't take that kind of shock."

A deliberate jab.

In an instant the two of us were braced for a fight.

Peter watched me with that half-smile of his, and right in front of me he slid an arm around Gayle's shoulders and went back to their little game.

Gayle put on a pitiful, wounded act, cutting her eyes at me while she tattled to Peter.

"Peter, look! Look what she did to me. My whole face is swollen. How am I supposed to show up at your wedding tomorrow? It looks awful."

"It's fine, your face looks good no matter what. Tomorrow I'll have her makeup artist do yours too."

"All right then, I want to be a bridesmaid. And I want a gown."

"Done."

The two of them clicked right away, as if I didn't exist.

As if tomorrow were their wedding.

Peter even stepped closer to ask me for the ring, testing my limits again.

"You won't give me the ring? I need it at the wedding tomorrow."

I snapped at him, ready to tear the two of them apart.

"Get out of my face!"

"Maureen, what are you throwing a fit about now! Aren't you afraid I'll tell Grandpa again? I already told you, Grandpa's getting old, he can't take the stress. You should listen to him and go through with the wedding so he can rest easy."

I don't know what goes on in Grandpa's head.

Someone once owed a life, so I have to marry Peter to pay it off?

And over the years we've handed the James family plenty of money. They're like a bottomless pit, guilt-tripping us at every turn, coming back thick-skinned to bring up that old debt whenever they hit trouble, deliberately keeping my grandfather feeling indebted.

This time was worse. Now they wanted me to marry Peter.

Never mind whether Peter loves me. Just look at whatever tangled thing he has with Gayle. Marrying him would mean a lifetime of swallowing my anger. How was I supposed to stand that?

Seeing me go quiet, Peter kept fanning the flames.

"Maureen, everyone always said you're the most devoted to Grandpa. How can you not do what he says? If you upset him into some illness, that's a huge sin on you."

"If you don't apologize to Gayle and hand me the ring, I'll go tell Grandpa. That slap you gave Gayle, I'll get that back too. And if Grandpa's health takes a bad turn because you upset him, don't come to me!"

Gayle perked up at that, straightening her spine.

She gazed at Peter, adoring, like he was the picture of manhood.

But Peter didn't know me well enough.

Push me gently and I'll bend. Come at me hard and I'll never give an inch. The harder he pressed, the less I would yield.

"Fine."

I smiled coldly. I already had my plan.

"You just wait for tomorrow. I'll give the ring to Gayle at the wedding as an apology gift, and I'll apologize to her in front of all our family and friends. How's that?"

"Sounds like a good idea! Oh, right, I heard you had a reception dress made, the one covered in tiny diamonds? Give it to Gayle to wear. She's short one gown anyway."

"No problem. It's all yours."

Peter blinked, thrown that I'd agreed so readily, but he didn't dig into it. He just assumed I was scared of setting Grandpa off, and happily took the offer.

"Now that's more like it, Maureen. If you keep this attitude up, you'll fit right into my circle in no time. Everyone will like you."

As if I wanted anyone in that crowd to like me.

After that the whole table kept ordering, the pricier the better, all of it silently charged to me, fleecing me like a sucker.

I smiled and let them order whatever they wanted, and afraid it wasn't enough, I brought in two hype crews to liven things up for them.

While they were having their fun, I took out my phone and sent a message.

"Want to get married tomorrow? I'm short a groom."

The reply came instantly, one word, decisive and clean.

"Yes."

"Good. Tomorrow we marry, and do me a favor while you're at it."

"Sure."

He wasn't one for words, but he moved faster than most. Half an hour later he'd taken care of everything for me.

Seeing Peter and the others so caught up in their fun, I deliberately left one phone case behind and slipped away under the excuse of the restroom.

A dozen minutes later, Peter called me like a man gone mad.

"Maureen, where'd you go? Why would you just leave without paying? How am I supposed to cover a forty-eight-thousand-dollar tab? You know I don't have a cent to my name after paying for this whole wedding, don't you?"

"Oh, I wasn't feeling well. Bad stomach cramps, so I came to the ER. Peter, I really didn't want to ruin your fun, so I came by myself. Why don't you come keep me company? And bring some money while you're at it?"

"But Gayle's drunk. How am I supposed to leave? Just transfer me some money, quick."

"I've hit my daily limit, and everything went to the final payment on the gown. I really don't have any left. Peter, my stomach hurts so much, won't you come sit with me?"

"Ugh."

Peter let out a low, furious growl, Gayle tucked against him on one side while he had to deal with me on the other. In the end he pretended the signal was bad and hung up, swallowed his losses, and paid the forty-eight thousand himself.

After he'd paid, he even sent me a screenshot, telling me that once the wedding was over the next day I was to hand over my gift-envelope money to pay him back.

"See, Maureen? These are all expenses I ran up for the sake of marrying you. You should shoulder some of it with me."

Reading it made me sick. I could already picture what it would be like once he married me: bleeding me dry, cleaning out every last thing my family had.

I slept a few hours, and then it was morning.

The wedding was about to start, but the makeup artist still hadn't shown up. One phone call in and I found out Peter had snatched her away first.

Gayle's insufferable voice came through the phone. She really did think she was the star of the show.

"Sorry, Maureen. Peter had the makeup artist come do my face first. Hurry over, we're all waiting for you!"

By the time I got to the venue, Gayle was already done up, and she'd put on the reception dress I'd had custom-made.

Their whole crowd of friends had gotten their faces done and dressed up specially, standing around the venue trying to look effortlessly cool as they showed off, leaving the makeup artist completely bewildered.

Peter played the part of Gayle's groom, letting her hang all over him however she liked.

When Gayle wanted her skirt lifted, Peter helped tug it up from the bodice. When she needed the restroom, he trailed after her holding her train, not the least bit shy about it.

And I, the actual bride, might as well have been some random guest who'd wandered in. I couldn't even claim center stage.

An hour later, the guests began to arrive.

Gayle, gathering her skirt, was busier than I was, staying at Peter's side the whole time to greet everyone.

They'd grown up together, and they knew each other's families.

Everyone assumed it was Peter and Gayle's wedding, offering them their blessings one after another and handing all their gift money to Gayle.

Once she'd shown off to her heart's content, Gayle came over, skirt in hand, and offered me a phony apology.

"Maureen, don't take it the wrong way. They're all my own friends and family, and I didn't want to tire you out, so I just helped greet them for you."

She handed me a stack of empty envelopes, every bit of gift money already gone.

"This is the gift money from friends and family. The names are all written on the envelopes. Peter says you should keep a record so you can return the favors later."

Wow. The nerve had reached a whole new level.

They'd cleaned out the gift money, and I was supposed to be the one repaying the favors?

"Ha."

I let out a cold snort. I was running very low on patience.

"Did I or did I not tell you not to call me your sister? Are you trying to make me slap you in front of all these people?"

"You don't push it too far! I apologized to you in good faith, gave you a respectful title, and this is how you treat me?"

"That's nothing. I've got a much better trick saved up for you. Want to see it?"

Gayle's face had gone red with fury.

Every time she came at me she got nothing out of it, yet she couldn't stay away, and after I threw a few words back at her she stormed off in tears.

Two minutes later, Peter came marching over to fight her battle for her.

"Maureen Chavez! What is wrong with you now? Did you make Gayle cry again? With all these people here, you're humiliating her on purpose, aren't you?"

I didn't have time for him. The message from the man I was marrying had already come through. All that was left was for the ceremony to start.

"Maureen Chavez, I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

"I heard you. I was just thinking about what to say when I get up on that stage. How I'm going to apologize to Gayle."

That took half the heat out of him. He scolded me for another line or two, then left, probably to go report back to Gayle.

Half an hour later my makeup was done and I was in the wedding gown.

The guests were all seated. Grandpa had arrived too.

The host ran through the ceremony, and after he said, "Please welcome the bride," the spotlight landed on me.

A large hand closed around mine and led me slowly up onto the stage, and in an instant every eye in the room was on us.

We stepped up and edged Peter off to the side, leaving the guests dumbstruck, unable to tell which one was even the groom.

Grandpa was stunned too. He came toward the stage leaning on his cane, demanding an answer.

"Maureen, what are you doing? What is the meaning of this!"

"Getting married, Grandpa. Isn't that what you kept pushing me to do?"

"I told you to marry Peter. Who is this man you're holding on to?"

Grandpa pointed at the man beside me, his brows knotted up like a tangle of yarn.

"Oh, Grandpa, this is the man I'm marrying. His name is Lee Gilbert. Mom and Dad both know him. He's an old partner in the family business. The two of us joining forces is strength on strength, the icing on the cake."

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa. I'm Lee Gilbert, your grandson-in-law."

Lee gave a little wave, looking even more eager for the spotlight than I was, like he'd been dying for his moment.

Peter reeled, then rushed after Grandpa for justice.

"What is going on, Grandpa? Weren't you giving Maureen to me? How can she marry him?"

Grandpa got worked up too, jabbing his cane at the floor, demanding I explain myself.

"Maureen Chavez, what is this nonsense? Get this man out of here right now and go on with the wedding to Peter! Have you forgotten? Peter's grandfather saved my life"

"He saved your life, is that it? I know, Grandpa. That's exactly why today I intend to repay his grandfather with a life."

The whole room froze.

The wedding hall went dead silent. Peter kept his eyes locked on me, terrified I was about to cause a scene.

He kept trying to block me, dropping his voice, telling me to give him a little face.

I moved to shove him away, furious, but Lee got there first and hauled him off to the side.

"Stand back. Don't get in the way of my wife's business."

That low, resonant voice of his startled me. I tugged at the hem of his jacket to signal him to keep it down.

Then I had someone bring up the big screen and played the slideshow Lee had put together for me the day before, right there for everyone to see.

"Take a look at the screen, Grandpa. The life I owe Peter's grandfather is right here."

Every eye fixed on the screen, and out of it came the sound of laughter. It was Peter and Gayle's faces.

Under the name of childhood friends the two of them had crossed every line there was, and all the flirty little videos they'd once posted had been cut together, playing out like a movie.

Every trending couple's challenge, they had filmed. Every reckless thing, they had marked as their own. They'd even had wedding photos taken in advance.

But the real bombshell was the handful of screenshots from hospital visits.

The whole screen was soaked in the smell of blood.

Gayle broke, the first to charge up and throw her body over the screen to cover it, but it was pure spectacle and did nothing at all.

"No, no more, stop playing it! Maureen Chavez, I'm begging you, stop playing it."

Watching Gayle cry, Peter couldn't bear it. He dropped to his knees and begged Grandpa to shut me down.

"Grandpa, today is my wedding day with Maureen. I'm begging you, don't let her keep making a scene like this. Make her stop!"

Grandpa fell silent, shaking with rage.

He looked at the screen and learned the truth, a truth that stunned him to the core...