The Wedding Was an Hour Late, So I Demanded a New Bride

On the wedding day, the bride and the groomsman both showed up an hour late.

What I got wasn't an apology or an explanation. It was my bride walking up onto the stage with her arm hooked through the groomsman's, telling me as if nothing at all had happened,

We can start the wedding now.

My groomsman, who also happened to be Olivia's junior schoolmate, looked at me with mockery in his eyes while his mouth said,

"Sorry about that. Good thing it was only an hour, doesn't hold up your wedding with Miss Norris here, and definitely won't hold up the two of you on your wedding night."

He came down hard on those last words.

I was quiet for a moment, then suddenly I laughed, ripped the boutonniere off my chest, and threw it on the floor.

The bride, the groomsman, my parents, my in-laws, every one of them changed color.

I said calmly, "Dad, Mom, I want a new bride."

The whole hall went silent.

After a moment my father said in a low voice, "You serious?"

I nodded. "Yes."

His face turned ugly at once.

My mother went further and scolded me. "What are you making a scene for? Do you even know what day this is? Olivia was only an hour late and you lose your temper and want a new bride? Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Is it a game to you?"

"Exactly, just an hour, it holds nothing up."

"Pick the boutonniere up and put it back on. Olivia didn't want to be late either, but things happen."

"Today is your big day. Don't act on impulse."

"..."

Relatives and friends were all talking me down.

I understood them.

Swapping out the bride over a one-hour delay, no one had ever heard of such a thing.

The bride, Olivia Norris, stood frozen where she was, stunned by my sudden talk of a new bride.

Her junior schoolmate, my groomsman for the day, Wayne Vance, stood off to the side with no expression on his face.

When she snapped out of it, Olivia screamed at me. "Theodore Simmons, have you lost your mind?"

I said flatly, "I haven't."

Her body shook with rage. "You haven't lost it and you want a new bride, all because I was one hour late to the wedding?"

"That's right. Because you were one hour late."

"You"

She thrust a finger at me, furious.

The next moment she was crying, wronged, cursing me through her tears.

"Theodore Simmons, you're not human. We were together five years. I loved you for five years, and I never thought that on our wedding day you would treat me like this."

"You made me lose face in front of relatives and friends. You made my parents lose face. You made the whole Norris family lose face."

"I hate you!"

Down below, Olivia's parents and the relatives and friends on her side all looked grim, staring at me like I was their enemy.

I held my temper down and said, "Since you hate me, then today's wedding ends here. From now on you go your way and I go mine."

"We never see each other again."

Olivia stared at me in shock, then let out a wail and cried as she cursed me.

"Theodore Simmons, you bastard"

"Miss Norris!"

Wayne squeezed her hand to comfort her, then turned to me, his whole face full of indignation on her behalf.

"Theodore Simmons, you make yourself clear today. What did Miss Norris ever do to you, for you to humiliate her like this?"

I humiliated her?

I clenched my fist, dragged in a hard breath, and beckoned Wayne over.

"Come here. I'll tell you."

Wayne walked up in front of me, and I drove my fist straight into his face.

Bang! One punch and Wayne went down on the floor.

Ah!

Olivia let out a shriek, rushed over to help Wayne up, then whipped around and screamed at me.

Theodore Simmons, what gives you the right to hit people?

What has Wayne ever done to you? Are you sick in the head?

She cursed at me like some fishwife.

Her relatives, her friends, every one of them rose to their feet to condemn me.

Making a scene about swapping the bride isn't enough, now he's throwing punches. The man's a lunatic.

So he doesn't want to get married, fine. It's not like our Olivia has to have him. Olivia, come on, we're not going through with this wedding today.

That's right. Don't take his abuse.

Olivia's parents didn't come at me. They came at mine.

So tell us, how are we supposed to settle this today?

Your Simmons family may be high and mighty, but the Norrises aren't people you can push around. No explanation today, and you've made an enemy of the Norris family.

My parents' faces darkened.

Bang! My father slammed the table hard and shot up, roaring at me: What in God's name has gotten into you today? You were the one begging to get married. We agreed to it, and now you pull this stunt. What exactly do you want?

My mother rounded on me, frantic: What are you standing there for? Apologize to Olivia, now. Do you really want the two families at each other's throats?

I don't need her apology!

Olivia stared at me, eyes red.

The one he should be apologizing to is Wayne!

Olivia, I'm fine.

Wayne got to his feet with Olivia's help, both eyes fixed on me, the picture of a wronged man.

You're Olivia's fiance, so I'll take the liberty of calling you something.

Theodore, you made a scene demanding a new bride, and then you hit me. Is it because you suspect there's something going on between me and Olivia?

At that, my parents' brows drew together, and they turned to look at me.

Olivia's parents, her relatives, her friends all went quiet too, their eyes darting back and forth between Olivia and Wayne.

I didn't answer his question. I asked one back: And shouldn't I suspect it?

Olivia flew into a rage and jabbed a finger at me. Theodore Simmons, you bastard. Wayne is my junior at school. I only ever saw him as a little brother, and you actually suspect us.

I loved you for five years, and this is what you thought of me all along?

Mr. Norris frowned. Theodore, have you been listening to some gossip? Olivia would never be that kind of person.

Mrs. Norris chimed in. Olivia just thinks of Wayne as a little brother. The two of them got a bit close, that's all. Say there's something between her and Wayne? I don't believe it for a second.

I don't believe it either. We all know what's between Olivia and Wayne.

Right, we all know.

Theodore Simmons, we all trust Olivia. If you love her, you should trust her all the more.

Olivia's college classmates spoke up one after another.

My father asked me in a low voice: What exactly did you hear? You've caused all this over some gossip?

My mother said: Today is your wedding to Olivia. Whatever you heard, you chose to marry her, so you should trust her.

My eyes settled on the wedding dress Olivia wore. White was supposed to stand for purity, and yet right now it stung my eyes.

Mom, Dad, I'm sorry.

I bowed in apology.

Today we either swap the bride, or the wedding is off.

My mother was livid.

Swap, swap, swap. Swap me out as your mother while you're at it. Would that make you happy?

My father gave me a long look, then said to the Norrises: With things blown up like this, the wedding can't go ahead. Let's hold it once the two of them have patched things up.

The Norrises weren't about to accept that, of course, and snapped back.

You say it's off and it's off. It's my daughter who loses face here.

After a mess like this, your son is bound to break it off with Olivia later. How is she supposed to marry anyone after that?

I laughed.

That's the one thing you don't need to worry about, because there's a ready replacement right here in this room.

Wayne, am I right?

Wayne's face shifted slightly, then he sighed. Ah, Theodore, your prejudice against me really does run deep.

I gave a cold smile and said nothing.

No!

Olivia cried out.

You have to marry me today.

Because I'm pregnant!

My parents froze.

Olivia looked at me.

"Theodore, weren't you angry that I was late? Let me explain."

"I was late because I went to the hospital. I'm two months pregnant."

"So?" I was strangely calm.

Before Olivia could say another word, my mother rounded on me. "Shut your mouth right now."

Then she turned to Olivia with a smile. "Good, good, I'm going to have a grandchild. Don't worry, Olivia, I won't let him carry on like this a moment longer."

The heaviness lifted from my father's face. He nodded. "Since she's pregnant, the wedding goes ahead."

I shook my head. "As long as Olivia is the bride, there is no wedding."

That set my mother off. She jabbed a finger at me. "You little wretch, what exactly do you want? You don't want a wife, and now you don't want a son either?"

Wayne watched me, cold-faced.

"Theodore, this is going too far. Olivia is carrying your child, and you'd still put her through this kind of humiliation."

I laughed. "You don't want to humiliate her? Easy."

I pointed at the groom's boutonniere lying on the floor.

"Pick it up and pin it on. You be the groom today."

"Theodore!"

Wayne's face went red.

"Enough!"

Mr. Norris roared, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

"What is it you actually want? The Norris family has a reputation too. We're not something you get to humiliate as you please."

Muriel stared at me for a long moment, then turned on my parents. "You're just going to let him carry on like this? Are you trying to make it war between our families to the bitter end?"

The Norris guests all piled on, tearing into me.

"Theodore, are you even human? Olivia is carrying your child."

"Theodore, say one more word about swapping the bride and I'll expose you."

"Olivia loved you for five years, and now she's pregnant with your child, and this is how you treat her? Is your heart made of ice?"

"..."

My mother rushed up onto the stage and struck me hard, several times.

"Do you have to tear this family apart before you're satisfied? Fine. You want to swap the bride, then swap your father and me out too. From today, your father and I don't have a son."

My throat went tight. The blows to my body were nothing next to the pain in my chest.

For the past five years, I had loved Olivia like that.

If she wanted the moon, I would never have handed her the stars.

I loved her until I lost myself, and she was the one driving the knife into my heart.

Seeing my tears, my mother went still.

My father's brows drew together. "What is going on here? Explain yourself clearly," he demanded.

I tipped my head back, fighting to keep the tears from falling.

Olivia and Wayne exchanged a glance. Wayne gave a slight shake of his head, shot Olivia a look, then opened his mouth.

"Theodore..."

"Olivia!"

I cut him off sharply, my eyes hard.

"If you remember even a shred of what I did for you, then in front of every relative and friend of both our families, tell them everything."

"If you had the nerve to do it, have the nerve to own it!"

Olivia's face changed. She turned her head away, not daring to look at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I let out a cold laugh. "You don't know? Fine, then I'll tell you. Say it out loud. What exactly is going on between you and Wayne? And whose child is in your belly?"

The whole hall erupted.

Every eye swung toward Olivia and Wayne.

Olivia was shaking with rage as she thrust a finger at me.

"Theodore, you bastard. You actually think the baby inside me isn't yours."

"We've been together five years. When have I ever done a single thing to wrong you?"

Wayne's face darkened. "Mr. Simmons, you can accuse me all you want, but you shouldn't drag Olivia into it. She truly loves you."

"Tch."

A cold laugh broke out of me.

My mother looked at me, then at Olivia and Wayne, at a loss for words.

My father asked in a low voice, "What proof do you have?"

Before I could speak, Muriel shrieked.

"What proof could he possibly have? He's just found someone new and is saying all this on purpose to ruin Olivia's name."

"Theodore, how has our Olivia ever wronged you? You'd disgrace her at her own wedding? How can your heart be this cruel?"

"Olivia, my poor, wretched daughter!"

"Mom!"

Mother and daughter clung to each other and sobbed.

The moment that scene played out, the guests who'd just started to doubt turned their fire back on me.

"Theodore, if you don't want to marry Olivia, just say so. Why ruin her name? Do you even call yourself a man?"

"Hmph, if you ask me, it's the thief crying thief. Olivia didn't wrong you. You wronged her."

"I kept saying it was only an hour late, so why make a scene about swapping brides? Turns out he'd already lined up his next one. Ugh, what a scumbag."

"..."

My face stayed blank.

But my parents' faces had gone very ugly.

Brendan spat at my father, "Mr. Simmons, if there's no accounting for this today, I will not let it rest."

"Your Simmons family is big and powerful, but the Norrises aren't so easy to push around either."

My father's expression shifted.

Before he could speak, I said flatly, "Since you want an accounting, I'll give you one."

"From today, the Simmons family cancels every investment in the Norris family. Every joint project is terminated."

"This accounting. Are you satisfied?"

Boom.

The place exploded.

The Norrises' relatives and friends all rounded on me, beside themselves, hurling words that were vicious.

"You"

Brendan's shaking hand stayed pointed at me, too furious to get a word out.

My father said heavily, "Don't talk nonsense. Nothing's been cleared up. The partnership between our families can't be terminated, and the investment can't stop."

Hearing that, Brendan let out a breath of relief.

I shook my head. "Dad, it's already very clear."

Then I looked straight at Brendan and Muriel. "The thing between Olivia and Wayne, you two have known about it from start to finish, haven't you?"

Muriel screamed back, "Nonsense! What could we possibly know? Olivia has never done anything to wrong you!"

"Is that so?"

I gave a cold laugh.

"Then why did you keep pushing me and Olivia to register the marriage first and hold the wedding later?"

"And why did you keep pressing my father to increase the investment and deepen the partnership?"

"Youyou're lying!" Muriel's voice was frantic. "Whatwhat proof do you have?"

I let out a short laugh. "I knew you'd never admit it."

"You want proof, I'll show you proof."