She Paid Her Stand-In To Marry Me. Big Mistake.

At the altar, through the delicate lace of the veil, I saw it.

My fiancée, the woman I was supposed to marry, had been replaced.

Instead of exploding, I gave the fake bride the wedding of a lifetime.

Because in my previous life, I’d publicly exposed the stand-in bride, tearing the whole ceremony apart.

Forcing Celeste, who was practically glued to her childhood sweetheart, Felix, in his hospital room, to reluctantly return and marry me.

But her beloved Felix, refusing treatment, died on the operating table.

When the devastating news hit, I urged Celeste to see him one last time.

She refused, her voice chillingly dismissive:

“Blame his bad luck, then. Not mine.”

After the wedding, we seemed blissfully happy.

I kept pouring money from my family’s fortune into her company, pulling it back from the brink of collapse.

But on Felix’s death anniversary, my wife pushed me from the top floor of our company building. I plummeted, crashing onto the pavement below, my body utterly mangled.

As I plunged, the wind tearing at me, I saw her face – awash with tears: “If you hadn’t forced me to marry me, Felix wouldn’t have died!”

“You took me, but I lost Felix forever. How dare you live so happily?”

It all clicked into place. She had always resented me for Felix’s death, never showing me an ounce of genuine affection.

Then, I opened my eyes, and I was back at my wedding to Celeste.

“Bride, do you take this handsome man beside you to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer…”

“I… I do.” The woman’s voice, muffled through the veil, sounded tight, almost strained.

The guests whispered, full of praise. They believed Celeste Vance, from the prominent Vance family, was so deeply in love that she was pushing through a terrible cold just to finish this grand wedding, terrified of upsetting me.

“Hold on.”

The woman beneath the veil, her eyes darting nervously, had fine beads of sweat glistening on her forehead.

I smiled, my voice laced with fake concern. “Celeste, you don’t look too good. Are you feeling overwhelmed?”

She nervously cleared her throat. “Yes, I…”

I subtly signaled the Officiant to halt the proceedings, then gently led the bride into a private lounge.

On the table, my phone vibrated. More than a dozen unread messages, all from Felix.

【You know the bride’s a fake now, right? Surprise! Celeste and I are watching your wedding livestream together.】

Attached was a photo: Celeste, her head nestled intimately on Felix’s shoulder, looking completely relaxed and at ease.

【Oh, and I forgot to mention, this whole ‘stand-in bride’ idea? It was mine. This wedding is just a little game she’s playing to keep me entertained.】

I quickly typed a reply and hit send.

【Really? Want to bet that one call from me, and she’ll ditch you and come crawling back, begging for my forgiveness?】

Just as I expected, the other end of the line went completely silent.

Perfect. The bait was taken.

I tucked away my phone and turned to the silent bride beside me.

She looked at me, a flicker of apprehension in her eyes. “Actually, I… I…”

I patted her shoulder. “Aria, relax.”

A wave of relief washed over her. “So, you knew all along.”

After a moment of silence, she seemed to steel herself, taking a deep breath.

“Celeste isn’t worth marrying. She only arranged this today to deliberately humiliate you.”

I leaned closer. “I didn’t stop the wedding to expose you. I just need you to play a part with me.”

Only after I died in my previous life did I learn that Aria had quietly watched over me for years.

When news of my death broke, she was the only one who didn’t believe it was an accident.

Later, she discovered Celeste was the killer, but without concrete proof, she chose to confront Celeste on my death anniversary, dragging her down with her in a final act of vengeance.

Tears inexplicably welled in my eyes. Aria, seeing them, started to reach out, then hesitated, her hand freezing in mid-air.

“If you feel… wronged by this, I could…”

I looked at her, my gaze unwavering. “Aria, listen carefully. You are the woman I want to marry.”

When we returned to the ballroom, the Officiant smiled, announcing, “Now, the exchange of rings, please.”

I picked up the ring, and as I slid it onto her finger, I deliberately made it catch, stopping just before her knuckle.

She looked embarrassed, trying to push it further, but I gently held her hand, stopping her.

Below us, the guests began to murmur, their whispers buzzing like a hive of disturbed bees.

“What’s going on? Is the ring the wrong size?”

“How could they mess up something so important? The Sterling and Vance families are usually so meticulous!”

In the audience, Celeste’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vance, instantly blanched.

They exchanged a frantic glance, panic and unease flashing in their eyes.

Clearly, they’d known about Celeste’s little farce all along, but hadn’t stopped it.

My own mother, Mrs. Sterling, frowned deeply, her gaze filled with worry as she looked at me.

I gave her a reassuring look, a silent promise that everything was under control.

Then, under the stunned, uncertain gazes of everyone present, I lifted Aria’s veil.

“Oh my God! The bride isn’t Celeste!”

“Then where’s the real bride?”

Celeste’s mother, Mrs. Vance, was the first to react.

She stormed onto the stage, completely abandoning all decorum. “What in the world is going on?! Who are you?!”

Mr. Vance’s face was ashen with fury. He bellowed at the chaotic crowd of guests and reporters, “Everyone, quiet down! There’s been a minor hiccup with the wedding, it will be resolved immediately!”

How utterly delightful.

In my previous life, I was the one panicking on this stage. Now, it was Celeste’s parents.

My mother, Mrs. Sterling, had also risen, clearly alarmed, her eyes fixed on me. “Liam, what is happening?”

I turned and gave my parents a reassuring glance.

Under the stunned gaze of everyone present, I took Aria’s hand. “Thank you all for coming today to celebrate the wedding of Aria and myself. Due to a minor oversight, there was a mix-up with the wedding invitations and the rings.”

I paused, then continued, “However, it’s nothing serious. The wedding will proceed as planned.”

Beside me, Aria straightened, her head held high, meeting the bewildered gazes of the crowd with serene confidence.

Mrs. Vance, shaking with rage, glared at me. “Liam, you’re insane! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?!”

Mr. Vance rushed forward too, hissing at me under his breath, “Liam, stop this nonsense! Call off the wedding, now!”

I ignored them, instead turning and handing the microphone to the stand-in beside me.

“Aria, tell everyone why you’re standing here today.”

Aria exchanged a knowing look with me, her voice calm and clear as she spoke into the mic. “I’m standing here today because Celeste offered me fifty thousand dollars to impersonate her at the wedding.”

At her words, the entire ballroom erupted in a collective gasp, then a furious uproar.

“What?! She paid someone to marry in her place?”

“My God, is Celeste insane?”

Exposed so publicly, Mr. and Mrs. Vance’s faces drained of all color, leaving them ghostly white.

My father, Mr. Sterling, exploded in a fit of rage. He pointed a trembling finger at Mr. Vance, yelling, “So this is the Vance family?! This is Celeste?! To treat my son’s future, his life, as some pathetic game?! This is an absolute outrage! You’ve gone too far!”

My mother, Mrs. Sterling, her eyes blazing red with fury, stormed onto the stage. She pulled me behind her, then turned to the Vances, her voice cutting like ice. “This wedding is off! From this day forward, the Sterling family will have absolutely no ties, no connection, with the Vance family!”

Seeing the lucrative family alliance crumble before her eyes, Mrs. Vance panicked.

“Liam, Celeste was just being foolish, a silly prank! I’ll call her right now, she’ll come immediately to apologize to you.”

I smirked, a cold smile playing on my lips. “Fine. I’ll give her one more chance. If you can get her on the phone, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Aria’s hand tightened in mine. I leaned down, whispering, “Don’t worry. Celeste won’t be coming back.”

Mrs. Vance, clinging to that last desperate lifeline, frantically dialed Celeste’s number.

Once, twice, a third time…

Each time, the same cold, automated female voice answered: “We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

I feigned disappointment. “Well, it seems Miss Vance isn’t interested in returning.”

“Security, escort these irrelevant individuals out.”

Mr. and Mrs. Vance were practically dragged out by security, their faces illuminated by the frantic flashes of countless excited reporters, shoved right into their faces.

My mother squeezed my hand, not asking a single question, only repeating, “Liam, whatever decision you make, your father and I will support you.”

My father simply clapped my shoulder, and a warmth spread through my chest.

In my previous life, my insistence on marrying Celeste had caused a deep rift with my family. After my death, they’d aged decades overnight from grief.

This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

And as for Celeste, the real mastermind behind all this, I wouldn’t let her off easy.

As soon as the altered wedding ceremony concluded, I called my assistant.

“Immediately terminate all partnerships with the Vance family, and withdraw every single penny of our invested capital. Leave nothing behind.”

The news of my marriage to Aria didn’t spread quickly.

The Vance family, desperate to stabilize their plummeting stock, had someone suppress the news.

Right after the wedding, Aria and I rushed to get legally married. Afterward, she told me she had to go out of the country for a few days on urgent business.

Meanwhile, a completely oblivious Celeste had spent two blissful days living it up with Felix in their lavish villa. It wasn’t until later that she finally, belatedly, realized something was off.

Usually, by now, I would have made a massive scene, practically dragging her back home. But there was nothing. Complete silence.

Celeste absently scrolled through her phone, not even registering Felix’s voice calling her name.

No, this man must be playing hard to get.

A smug smile curled on Celeste’s lips. I’ve spoiled him too much, clearly.

I hadn’t expected to run into those two utterly infuriating individuals at my father’s business gala.

Celeste noticed me first. But when she saw me chatting with another woman, her expression instantly clouded over, dark as a storm.

Felix, seeing me, subtly leaned against Celeste, feigning weakness. “Celeste, I’m not feeling so good. My head is spinning.”

Celeste solicitously helped him, but her gaze, seemingly casual, kept flickering towards me.

She was probably waiting for me to approach her.

Too bad. I was happy to disappoint her.

From start to finish, I didn’t spare her so much as a sidelong glance.

She finally couldn’t take it anymore. She strode over to our table, slammed her wine glass down, and declared, “Liam, are you still mad because I hired a stand-in for our wedding?”

I didn’t even bother to look at her, making to leave.

“I missed the last wedding because Felix was sick, it was an emergency, that’s why I wasn’t there!”

Felix, feigning instability, lurched forward and blocked my path.

“Mr. Sterling, please don’t blame Celeste. It’s all my fault, my weak body messed up your wedding…”

Celeste, listening to him, scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as she looked at me.

“Liam, I never realized how petty you were! It was just a wedding, for crying out loud!”

As she spoke, she reached out, a sense of entitlement in her gesture, to grab my arm.

My eyes turned to ice. I sharply yanked my arm away. “Miss Vance, show some self-respect.”

“Didn’t your parents tell you about the wedding?”

Celeste froze. “Tell me what?”

Felix, a panicked look on his face, grabbed my wrist. “Mr. Sterling, don’t do this! Celeste was only looking out for you…”

He spouted conciliatory words, but his nails dug sharply into my skin, making me gasp in pain.

I violently flung his hand off. “Get lost!”

“Ah—!”

Felix stumbled backward, collapsing onto the floor in an undignified heap.

Celeste’s eyes blazed with fury. She rushed to help Felix up, then rounded on me, screaming, “You lunatic! Apologize to Felix right now!”

I sneered, then gestured to the security guards rushing over. “Security, throw them out!”

Celeste’s face was livid with rage. “Don’t think this pathetic stunt will get my attention! If you just behave, I’ll go get the marriage license with you in a few days.”

She genuinely believed that if she just ‘returned,’ I’d immediately fall at her feet, overflowing with gratitude.

I smiled. “But I’m already married.”