All Chapters of I Went From Groom to Brother: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Instead of replying to Gina Sullivan, I, Ian Jefferson, called my mom first.She answered in a hushed voice."Ian, are you working overtime?"Holding my phone, I looked at the acknowledgments page still open on my computer."I just got off work. Mom, did you see Gina today?""Yes."I could tell she was smiling from the way she responded."Gina stopped by this afternoon. She brought me a red silk scarf and even gave me a speech to prepare."She paused, suddenly sounding a little self-conscious."Ian, do you think it'd be too flashy if I wore that dress the day after tomorrow?"I even went to the salon downstairs today and dyed my gray hair."Gina said the Fletcher family has a lot of etiquette to observe. I'm worried that if I'm dressed too casually, I'll embarrass her."Listening to how carefully she chose every word, my throat went dry."What's in the speech she gave you?"Mom cleared her throat."Here's the first line. Although I'm not Gina's biological mother, I've al

Chapter 2

At half past nine the next morning, I parked in the hotel's underground garage.The moment I stepped out of the elevator, a giant digital screen came into view.It cycled through Gina and Mike Fletcher's wedding photos.Gina smiled elegantly in her wedding gown while Mike stood beside her with one arm wrapped around her waist."Good morning, Sir. Are you here for the wedding rehearsal?"A hotel staff member approached me.She checked the guest list in her hand before looking back at me."You're the bride's brother, correct? The bride asked us to escort you directly to the Purple Gold Ballroom on the second floor once you arrived."I glanced at the guest list. It clearly showed I was the bride's brother."Thank you."Without another word, I headed upstairs.I pushed open the ballroom doors to the brightly lit interior.The wedding march was playing through the speakers as they tested the sound system.The emcee stood onstage with a microphone and the ceremony rundown."Has

Chapter 3

By the time I drove back to our apartment, the sky was nearly dark.When I pushed open the front door, the living room lights were on, and an opera performance was playing softly on the television.Mom sat on the couch wearing her reading glasses, the speech script spread across the coffee table.A red pen was in her hand as she carefully marked something on the page.I walked closer and saw that she had crossed out the word 'daughter'.Then, beside it, she wrote the word 'daughter' all over again.She pressed so hard that the red ink bled through to the back of the paper."Mom."She looked up, removed her glasses, and rubbed her eyes."Ian, you're home."She studied my expression."Did the rehearsal not go well?"I sat down beside her and was about to tell her the truth when my gaze landed on the medicine box at the edge of the coffee table.Two tablets were already missing from the blister pack of blood pressure medication.The electronic blood pressure monitor hadn't b

Chapter 4

Early the next morning, I went downstairs to buy Mom's favorite bagel from the shop at the corner of the street.After breakfast, I'd tell her there was an urgent family matter back in our hometown and drive her out of the city immediately.But when I opened the front door with the breakfast I'd bought, the living room was empty.The dress and red shawl she had prepared the night before were also gone.There was a handwritten note on the coffee table.[Ian, Zac came to pick me up early this morning.][He said you worked late last night and wanted you to sleep a little longer.][I'll head to the hotel first to help Gina welcome the guests. Come over after you wake up.]I ran downstairs, floored the accelerator, and sped straight toward the hotel.When I arrived, the entrance was lined with congratulatory flower stands, and guests streamed inside one after another.Ignoring the people greeting me, I ran directly to the bridal suite on the second floor.When I pushed the door o

Chapter 5

The smell of disinfectant was strong in the emergency department.Mom lay on a bed in the observation room with an IV needle taped to the back of her hand.The cardiac monitor beeped steadily beside her.A nurse approached with a registration form."Sir, could you please confirm the emergency contact information?"I took the form.The first line listed my name and phone number.The second line listed Gina's name and her relationship to Mom.[Daughter-in-law.]It was recorded from Mom's previous hospitalization.I picked up the pen and crossed out Gina's name with a forceful stroke.The paper nearly tore from the force."Just leave mine."I handed the form back.The nurse glanced at the blacked-out line, asked no questions, and walked away.Mom slowly opened her eyes.She stared blankly at the ceiling."Ian."Her voice was barely above a whisper.I gently held the hand that wasn't receiving the IV drip."I'm here, Mom."She turned to face me. Regret filled her eyes.

Chapter 6

The following afternoon, I went back home.Mom was still under observation at the hospital, and I had returned to pack a change of clothes for her.As I stepped out of the elevator, I saw a bouquet of carnations placed outside my apartment door.Drops of water still clung to the petals. It had clearly been delivered only moments earlier.A small card was tucked among the flowers.[Mrs. Jefferson, I'm sorry. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Gina.]I didn't even touch the bouquet. I walked past it, entered the new passcode, and opened the door.My phone kept vibrating in my pocket.It was our mutual friends' group chat.While changing my shoes, I glanced at it.Zac had sent a voice message."Ian, what you pulled yesterday was way over the line. Half the guests left because of you. The Fletcher family's relatives kept asking what was wrong with the bride's family."Katie immediately sent more voice messages."Exactly. Gina cried all night. Her eyes are swollen. That's enough al

Chapter 7

Gina looked at me, and she deliberately softened her tone."Ian, just sign this."She pointed to the signature line at the bottom of the document."Mike said that as long as you sign it, he'll continue helping Mrs. Jefferson get follow-up appointments with Dr. Wayne. You know how hard it is to get an appointment with him. You wouldn't want Mrs. Jefferson to have trouble seeing her doctor, would you?"I looked at her. The woman sitting across from me felt like a complete stranger."So, you're trading my mom's medical care for your innocence?"I wasn't being loud, yet tears rolled down Gina's cheeks."I'm only trying to make things right! I've already been humiliated enough. Why do you have to make everything sound so bad? Do you really have to destroy me before you'll be satisfied?"Katie and Zac appeared out of nowhere and sat down at the table next to us."Ian, you have to move on."Zac tried to persuade me."It's just a signature. Mrs. Jefferson's treatment is what matters

Chapter 8

As the technician verified each file, he opened the college's dissertation submission system.The two screens were displayed side by side.Multiple core arguments and data models in Gina's final dissertation matched the attachments from my email almost perfectly. Even the subtle formatting habits were identical.More ironically, the technician opened Gina's faculty appointment application.Under the key academic guidance section, the credited name was Mike.The conference room fell silent. Only the sound of the mouse clicking and pages being turned remained.After reviewing the comparison materials, Chris removed his glasses."Ian."He looked at me."If this goes public, it will have a serious impact on Gina's future. Would you consider resolving this privately?"I looked at the name that had replaced mine on the projection screen."I won't," I answered calmly. "The credit belongs to whoever earned it. Our personal relationship isn't part of this investigation, but the origi

Chapter 9

Gina slowly stood up, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt."I-I wrote them myself," she stammered. She couldn't even complete her sentence properly.Mike frowned and reached for the microphone."Chris, regarding the supervision section–""This is Gina's dissertation." Chris cut him off. "Please answer the question. Don't talk about your personal relationship."At that moment, Katie suddenly stood up from the back row."Professor, I have additional evidence."She connected her phone to the auditorium's Bluetooth speakers.Mike's voice recording echoed throughout the auditorium."Packaging us as an academic power couple–""Don't let her ruin the camera shots."Every word hung heavy in the air.There was chaos in the auditorium.Faculty members and students immediately began whispering among themselves, and the discussion grew louder and louder.Katie pointed at Mike with tears in her eyes."Professor Fletcher, what do you take us for?"You treated all of us like ste

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