My Late Husband Faked Death for a Rich Bride

Jayden Stone's friends kept laughing as they spoke.

"Jayden, your acting was incredible back then. Vivian Jagger cried until she passed out. When she woke up, she even wanted to jump after you. I could barely hold in my laughter!" one of the men said.

"But you promised to stay with Marilyn Jagger for five years. Aren't you afraid Vivian will leave you for someone else during that time?" another chimed in.

Jayden straightened his tie and said with a sigh, "How could that happen? Vivian is absolutely crazy in love with me. Faking my death was the only way to get rid of her.

"Besides, with the 500,000 dollars in the picture, why would she run away?"

I bit down hard on my finger to keep myself from crying out, but the tears kept falling.

He was right. I couldn't leave when there was a 500,000-dollar debt to repay.

With a pained expression, Jayden sighed and said, "Viv still has many years ahead of her, but Marilyn only has five years left because of lung cancer. Her only wish before she dies is to marry me. How could I let her down?"

I clutched my aching chest and froze, ignoring the blood at the corner of my mouth.

Since when did Marilyn get lung cancer? She only had five years left too?

Someone laughed and said, "No wonder you've been so kind to Marilyn. You never even cooked before. Yet you traveled over 1200 miles to Harborton just to learn how to make meals for her condition.

"You've been making different dishes for her for four years!"

"Exactly! Jayden stayed by Marilyn's side day and night. He never left her. He really treats her like the most precious thing in his life," one of Jayden's friends said.

Jayden waved his hand dismissively. "Marilyn deserves the best. I'll give her the grandest wedding."

Laughter and chatter filled the room.

I clenched my fists tightly, not even noticing the pain in my palms.

For the past four years, I haven't slept well a single night. Every nightmare I jolted awake from ended with the same scene of him falling off the cliff.

His death came so suddenly that I never even got the chance to tell him I was five weeks pregnant.

I hated myself for not being able to hold on to him. Filled with guilt, I knelt at the place where he fell for three days straight. My hair had turned white overnight.

I had barely limped home when I received the promissory note for his 500,000-dollar debt.

After Marilyn kicked me out of the house, I had nothing left and could only work odd jobs to save money and pay off the debt.

I delivered food, ran a food stand, and even worked on construction sites, carrying heavy loads.

I wasn't afraid of hardship or poverty. The only thing I felt guilty about was failing my son, Theo.

The stress I suffered during pregnancy left him with a weak heart, and he passed away when he was only three years old.

Forget special meals. He never even had a proper meal when he was alive!

He was still so young, yet when he came with me to visit Jayden's grave, he gave the lollipop he had saved for half a year to the father he had never met.

But now, Jayden was standing there, alive and well. And he said he had faked his death?

My chest heaved as a searing pain tore through my lungs and spread across my body.

Just then, I heard the sound of high heels approaching.

I hid in the corner and watched as Marilyn walked in, dressed in her wedding gown and looking perfectly made up.

"Honey, I haven't seen you for two hours. I missed you so much!" she said.

Then she wrapped her arms around Jayden's neck. "Do I look beautiful?"

Jayden gently stroked her hair. "Of course. You're my most precious wife."

Marilyn gathered her skirt and spun around gracefully in front of the mirror.

Then, she suddenly remembered something.

Pouting, she asked playfully, "What about Vivian? I remember when you married her, you even put strands of your hair into the diamond ring you gave her."

Jayden sneered without a hint of emotion. "She was nothing but a cheap imitation. How could she ever compare to you? If you hadn't mentioned her, I would've forgotten her already."

I trembled as I touched my bare ring finger, with tears streaming down my face.

"With this one-of-a-kind ring, we'll become husband and wife and love each other for the rest of our lives."

Those were his exact words.

From childhood sweethearts to husband and wife, I never once doubted his love for me.

After he died, I wore his ring and went on a pilgrimage in his memory. I walked for 12 miles to pray for him until my feet were covered in blisters and blood.

I only hoped that he would rest in peace.

Even when I had nothing and took whatever work I could find to make ends meet, I never thought about selling the diamond ring he gave me.

When Theo passed away, I cut off a lock of my hair and placed it in his ashes along with the ring. I hoped the three of us could reunite in the afterlife.

But it turned out that all these years, I had been the only one holding on.

"The wedding is starting. The bride and groom, please take your places!"

The emcee's voice pulled me back to reality.

Jayden and Marilyn walked past me hand in hand, looking so happy together.

The entire venue was alive with celebration.

No one noticed me curled up in the corner.

Amid the applause, a soft, romantic song began to play.

I stared blankly for a moment, then stumbled to my feet and rushed toward the wedding hall.