All Chapters of Groom Swap at the Wedding: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I plucked the groom's boutonniere and handed it to my wife, Rose Lane, then didn't bother with the subtle looks she and the people around us were exchanging. I just walked out of the hotel.Rose didn't come after me.Behind me, the hall erupted in applause as Rose and Zachary Zimmer took the stage, surrounded by the celebrating crowd.I knew this wasn't an accident. It was Zachary's way of poking at me.Too bad Rose couldn't—or wouldn't—see it. Maybe she saw and was deliberately letting it slide.In the past, I might've felt upset, but now, surprisingly, I felt nothing but calm.I went home and took a much-needed nap.Rose hated fuss, so the entire wedding had fallen on me. From start to finish, I was running around making sure nothing went wrong.I'd been preparing nonstop after work, carefully selecting hotels and staying up late to choose invitation card designs and party favors. Yesterday, I even rehearsed until the early hours, and my chest still ached from the stress.Lo

But to my surprise, Rose exhaled deeply, her voice unusually calm. "Marcus, I know you're just saying that in anger. I'm not going to hold it against you. Stop joking around, okay? Talking about divorce like that is hurtful. And after all these years, we can't split up just like that."I'll pretend you never said those things, so don't repeat them again. Oh, by the way, we got a last-minute notice. I have to go on a business trip for a couple of days. I'm giving you a month off. Take some time to cool down."With that, Rose hung up.Just before the line went dead, I heard Rose explaining to Zachary softly, "I can't. Divorce is complicated—property, finances—"I didn't hear the rest, but I got the gist. She was worried I'd claim part of her wealth if we divorced.I scoffed and was momentarily speechless.Rose told Zachary everything—from the trivial, like what she ate, to the company's sensitive information. I had warned her to be careful, but she didn't listen. She trusted Zachar

"What's this?"Rose opened the folder with a puzzled look, about to read the content, when Zachary's sharp yell rang from upstairs."What's wrong, Zachary?" she called out anxiously, not even looking at the papers, hastily signing and preparing to leave.I couldn't help but ask, "Don't you want to see what you just signed?"Rose waved it off. "What else would you want besides money?"With that, she hurried off in her high heels without waiting for my response.I let out a self-mocking laugh. Her hurried figure brought back memories from years ago, when I'd fallen seriously ill and couldn't afford surgery. Rose had told me not to worry—she would find a way. That night, I woke to find her exhausted, making call after call to borrow money for my surgery.From that moment on, I silently promised myself that no matter what happened, I would never let her down.Later, as our company grew and money was no longer an issue, Rose and I could never go back to how we used to be.I tucke

I deliberately held up the last page of the divorce agreement so that she could clearly see the signature.Rose froze. The contempt on her face faded, replaced by a more serious look. Then, as if a thought occurred to her, she sneered, "Marcus, do you know the legal consequences of falsifying a divorce agreement?""You copied my signature pretty well," she added smugly, raising an eyebrow. "I don't recall signing anything like this."She was completely convinced I'd faked her signature.I didn't argue. I simply handed the agreement to her. "Take a close look to see if that's a forged signature."Rose looked irritated but still took the document, examining the signature carefully.After a moment, her brows slowly knit together.It seemed she had finally figured it out—this was unmistakably her own signature.Rose's signature was distinctive—full of tiny details that were extremely difficult to imitate.Her expression darkened, and nearly half a minute passed in silence.Finall

Rose explained that Zachary couldn't go back to his hometown for the New Year and that being alone made him lonely, so she wanted to keep him company.She added that I'd always been on my own and was probably used to the emptiness, that being alone might even suit me better.But she seemed to forget why my life had been so empty in the first place.I scrolled through my phone, bored out of my mind, when my thumb froze. Zachary had posted a picture on Instagram—and tagged me.In the picture, Rose was laughing, hiding her face in Zachary's chest with her hands over her ears. Brilliant fireworks bloomed in the distance.The caption read, "Being abandoned isn't the end. You'll always find someone who makes you happier and more comfortable."The post was clearly meant to get under my skin.I thought about it for a moment before tapping the like button. I then commented, "Must be nice. Unlike me, stuck alone on my new couch in my new apartment."I'd heard that not long ago, Rose's co