Marrying Her Rented Groom

The first photo from Mandy's wedding on Instagram only showed her.

My heart hurt a little thinking about how I couldn’t be there to support her. However, two minutes later, two of Logan’s closest friends posted updates from the venue.

One of the pictures was blurry, showing only half of the groom's profile.

I had looked at that face every single day for five years. I recognized him instantly. It was Logan.

He had this relaxed, completely satisfied look on his face, which I had never seen before.

I stared at the screen while sheer absurdity and crushing despair washed over me, choking the breath right out of my chest.

Right then, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Logan.

[Maya, something came up at the office in Auckland. I have to stay three more days. Eat well and get some sleep. I picked out your wedding ring while I was here. Love you.]

Looking at those two words, “love you,” my stomach churned with sick disgust. I dialed his number immediately.

He picked up on the second ring, using that same sweet, soothing tone he always used.

"Maya, it’s pretty late over here, and I’m still stuck at a business dinner. Go to bed, okay? I’ll talk to you when I get home."

Through the receiver, a girl's voice floated over the background noise. I knew that voice like the back of my hand.

"Logan, are you coming or what? Do I seriously have to beg?"

Before I could get a single word out, he hung up on me.

Of course. It was his wedding night.

This was the happy ending he had been chasing for years. There was no way he was going to let me ruin it.

I immediately called my younger brother, Ethan Brooks.

Ever since I started dating Logan, my own brother had basically turned into Logan's loyal sidekick.

Unsurprisingly, Ethan was at the wedding too.

Just minutes ago, he had even posted a fake, sentimental story on Instagram.

[Mandy, I hope you stay happy forever.]

He helped hide this from his own sister just to protect his secret crush. What a great brother.

The moment the FaceTime call connected, Ethan panicked and tried to duck out of the frame. Guilt was practically written across his face.

"Scan the QR code on your phone right now to mirror your messaging app to my laptop," I said.

"Maya, Logan isn’t even back in the country yet. Why are you losing your mind on me?"

"How do you know he’s not back? Are you with him right now?" I asked.

Ethan stammered, "I mean, Logan and I are in a group chat together. Is it really that weird that I know where he is?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Scan the code. Don’t make me call Grandpa right now to have him drag your butt back to school."

That shut him up instantly. He caved and scanned the screen.

"Look, I only went to Mandy's wedding to check things out for you since you couldn’t go."

I hung up on him.

When the desktop app synced, the pinned group chat name burned my eyes. It was called “Operation Cover-Up.”

There were four people in the chat. Logan, his two closest friends, and my backstabbing baby brother.

I scrolled up to read the messages sent two hours ago.

Tyler: [Logan is a legend for pulling off a whole fake business trip. His girl is waiting at home while he gets married to another person abroad. Nobody plays the game like him.]

Justin: [For real. He ruined Mandy’s weddings eight times. If he didn’t lock her down today, he was gonna snap.]

Ethan: [I feel sick about this. It’s my sister on one side and Mandy on the other. Tyler, are you sure my sister will not recognize Logan’s profile in that photo you posted?]

Tyler: [It’s blurry as hell, what are you scared of? Besides, your sister is so obsessed with Logan she’d turn a blind eye anyway.]

[Logan has made his feelings for Mandy obvious for years. You think your sister doesn’t know? She just refuses to break up with him, so she suffers in silence.]

[Look at her. She hasn’t said a word. She’s clearly taking the hit.]

Ethan: [Honestly, my sister isn’t the type to take hits quietly. My family won’t just let this slide...]

Tyler: [So what if you have money? Can you mess with Logan’s family? Are you guys gonna eat him alive or something?]

The last message was from Logan, sent just ten minutes ago.

[Getting married in New Zealand isn’t going to trigger a bigamy charge back home anytime soon. Ethan, relax. I’ll take full responsibility for your sister.]

I stared at those words and burst into a bitter laugh.

Five years of pouring my heart out to him, and to him, it all boiled down to taking responsibility.

The doorbell rang.

Standing at my doorstep was a guy in a sharp tuxedo. He was tall, lean, and ridiculously handsome.

"Hey," he said, offering a casual smile, "I’m the rent-a-groom Ms. Cooper hired. I’m here for the gig."