All Chapters of Wedding Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Ethan and I had been together for ten years, and arguments were an everyday occurrence.We were both stubborn, neither willing to back down first.But today was different—him slamming the door and leaving me all alone was a first.No, not a first.I remembered another time.Back in high school, the class held a farewell dinner. By then, Ethan and I were officially together, at our clingiest stage.One of the boys had drunk too much and joked that a quiet girl like Rose would never get married.The words had barely left his mouth before Ethan’s face darkened instantly.At the time, I didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just upset that the boy had spoken without tact and grabbed his hand to calm him down.But he yanked his hand away from me and walked off without a word.I was left standing there, facing a table of bewildered classmates, utterly embarrassed.That night, his mother said he never came home. His phone was off the whole time.It wasn’t until the next day that I found h

Ethan didn’t come home all night.The next morning, a new contact appeared on my phone—an unfamiliar number. I tapped the profile picture—it was Rose, her gentle, harmless face staring back at me.We barely knew each other. Other than knowing she was Ethan’s female confidante, we had no connection. I had no idea how she got my number, yet for some inexplicable reason, I didn’t block it.Almost the moment I opened the chat, she sent a photo—without a single word.It was taken in a hotel room. Ethan lay on the bed shirtless, fast asleep. Rose wore his white shirt, nestled against him, and flashed a V sign at the camera. Her smile was both triumphant and teasing.Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, daylight poured in. Time, place, and people—it was all painfully obvious.Looking at the photo, my heart froze and shattered into countless pieces. Yesterday he was at the bar; this morning, he was already in the hotel. Seamless.I turned off my phone, expressionless, and walked into t

Rose’s smile froze at once, disbelief washing over her as she stared at Ethan.“Ethan… w-what did you just say?”Ethan didn’t look at her. He turned and bolted down from the altar.“Where’s Autumn? Where is she?”Left alone on the altar, Rose became the biggest joke in the room.She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries tearing at the air.Lea slammed her palm on the table, clearly fired up. “Beautiful! That scumbag finally used his brain for once!”I only gave a faint smile.The show was far from over.I took out my phone and hit send.The next second, the LED screen in the church—originally playing romantic music—went dark.Then a photo appeared.The one Rose had sent me: she and Ethan in the hotel bed before the wedding.Next came every line I’d photographed from the two time capsules Ethan and Rose buried together.The crowd erupted.“Oh my god! So the groom cheated before the wedding? And the mistress is the one wearing the dress?”“This isn’t a stand-in bride

I pointed at their intertwined hands in surprise.Lea gave me an embarrassed grin. “Well… we’re together now.”“And honestly, we should thank you. If you hadn’t dragged me into helping you back then, Joe and I wouldn’t have had the chance to spend real time together.”Joe scratched the back of his head.“Funny how things work out. You go in circles your whole life, only to realize the right person was beside you the entire time.”I was genuinely happy for them.A year later, my studio had made a name for itself in the industry, and we landed a major international collaboration.At the celebration party, I unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.It was Sean Casey—Joe’s business partner and our old high school classmate.He raised his glass at me, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.“Autumn, you’re glowing these days. It took me a moment to even recognize you.”I smiled. “You flatter me, Sean.”We exchanged a few pleasantries before his tone shifted.“By the way, Ethan…“Not lo