Chapter 3

Robert's POV

I walked down the hallway and strode out toward the deck under the bewildered stares of a few onlookers. I knew that being reborn on the day of my wedding had given me a second chance to choose differently.

In my past life, I had lived for Sophia. So in this life, I wanted to live for myself.

I couldn't care less about the childhood dream girl and being set on just marrying Sophia.

…

Third-Person's POV

In contrast to Robert's carefree attitude, the lively chatter at the venue began to fade. After all, the bride had already been waiting a while, yet the groom was still nowhere to be seen.

Sophia stood on the stage, clenching her fists so tightly that her knuckles paled.

To lighten the mood, the emcee kept cracking jokes. He then spotted the boutonniere pinned to Zachary's suit in the audience.

He couldn't help but tease as his eyes brightened. "It turns out the groom was here all along, playing hide-and-seek with us! You should hurry up and come onto the stage! You can't just keep your bride waiting!"

Zachary looked ecstatic and was just about to step onto the stage when a shout rang out.

"You're not allowed to come up here!"

In that instant, everyone in the venue fell silent. Zachary stood there awkwardly with one foot hovering in the air.

That was the very first time Sophia had ever flared up at him, but she paid no mind to his feelings, her anxious gaze fixed entirely on the entrance.

Robert would have been stunned if he were there. Sophia had spent tens of billions on Zachary and had never once berated him, even after she got disowned by the Quinlan family.

Yet, at this moment, Sophia actually snapped at Zachary just because he wanted to walk up to the stage.

Everyone present sensed the deep unrest within this up-and-coming business figure.

It was then that the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the doorway.

Sophia's eyes finally brightened up, and everyone in the crowd let out a sigh of relief.

There were even some who cracked jokes among the crowd. "Do you see how fast the groom is running? He must be desperate to see his bride!"

"It's better late than never when it comes to love! I'm sure their future will be filled with happiness!"

Sophia finally broke into a smile, only for it to freeze a moment later. She noticed that the person who ran through the door wasn't Robert, but an unfamiliar young man carrying a suit jacket with a boutonniere pinned to it.

She froze, her breath catching in her throat as she stammered, "W-Where's Robert?"

Mike Smith, the young man, caught his breath and shot Sophia a scornful look. He then shook the suit jacket in his hand and asked, "Isn't it obvious that he skipped out on the wedding?"

Sophia bellowed, "That's impossible! Robert loves me so much! How could he just run out on our wedding? You must be lying to me! I'm going to look for him myself!"

She hurried down from the stage in a panic but ended up tripping over her dress and taking a hard fall, scraping her knee raw. She seemed oblivious to the pain, though, as she shook off the hands reaching out for her and crawled toward the door.

She kept muttering about how it was all a lie and that she needed to look for Robert.

Mike sneered instead of backing down. "Why would I lie to you? You've got two grooms at the same wedding. Did you expect him to stay around and let you make a fool out of him?"

Sophia froze in place as Mike threw the boutonniere in front of her.

"Oh, I almost forgot. He told me before he left that this guy should be the groom instead. He also wished you two a long, happy marriage and plenty of children to come."

In that instant, a hush fell over the entire venue. Those present watched as the woman renowned as the business world's ice queen broke down in tears.

Sophia looked like a helpless woman abandoned by a scumbag after shedding her tough exterior. She wept bitterly as she said, "You're telling me that Robert wants me to marry someone else on our wedding day?"