At My Husband's Wedding, I Caught the Bride's Bouquet

On the eve of our tenth wedding anniversary, Daniel Carter abruptly canceled our travel plans.

"Clara, there's an important wedding tomorrow. I have to be there," he said.

"So suddenly… you're the groom?"

I masked the sting of disappointment in my eyes and tried to joke lightly.

"Yes."

Hearing Daniel's unexpected affirmation made my heart skip a beat.

Could it be a surprise?

The wedding he owed me, Clara Parker… was finally coming.

The next day, the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Daniel hadn't lied—he was indeed the groom, but the bride… was not me.

Meeting my questioning gaze, he leaned close and whispered in my ear.

"Don't look at me. I only found out last night that I was getting married today."

Without another word, he strode onto the stage and took Emily Morgan's hand.

After the vows, Emily navigated through the crowd and placed the bouquet in my hands, smiling serenely.

"Dr. Parker, I hope you find your match soon, too."

......

Cheers erupted around us.

Taking advantage of the embrace, Emily patted my back, already chilled from tension, and whispered in my ear.

"Don't be nervous. Your relationship with Daniel is an open secret between the Carter and Parker families. And besides, all I want is the legal title of Mrs. Carter's and Daniel's lineage; as for his heart, it can stay with you. We each take what we need."

The bouquet in my hands felt like a vine covered in thorns, slowly sinking into flesh, wrapping me tightly and inescapably.

Meanwhile, Daniel moved gracefully among the guests, radiating the ease of someone in command.

"Did you hear? The union between the Carters and Morgans was arranged the year Miss Morgan was born."

"They're eight years apart. To wait for Miss Morgan to come of age, Mr. Carter, such a catch, waited until he was thirty-three to marry."

"Their marriage is the greatest threat to the Hayes family—both talent and beauty, a union of strength, a match made in heaven."

"The previous Hayes generation managed fine, but this one… might fall to that sickly heir…"

The whispers around me felt like a slow, excruciating torment.

At this moment, everything I saw and heard was completely different from the life I had known for the past ten years.

The man I had shared a rented apartment with for a decade, earning just a few thousand dollars a month, was actually the heir to one of Riverton's three great families, the Carters.

And he was fated to be another woman's husband.

So… who was I?

I wanted to rush forward, confront Daniel in front of everyone, and demand why he had deceived me.

But I couldn't. From the moment I stepped into the wedding hall, I knew I was not of the same class as anyone here.

Crushing me would be easier than crushing an ant.

I drained the champagne in one gulp, neither crying nor making a scene, and quietly slipped away.

By the time I came to my senses, I was already in the car.

"Good evening, ma'am. I'm Oliver Reed, Mr. Carter's assistant," he said. "Mr. Carter asked me to bring you home first. He'll be back on time tomorrow morning to have breakfast with you."

Oliver buckled his seatbelt, his tone polite yet measured.

In my memories of the past ten years, Oliver had been the one truly in charge of Daniel.

A chill crept through me as fragments of my memories shredded and reassembled in my mind.

"Did they register their marriage?"

I steadied myself but couldn't stop the question from leaving my lips.

"They did," he replied without a hint of hesitation.

Of course. How could a union between two of Riverton's great families be in name only?

For ten years, I had believed Daniel was just an ordinary man, and that we were a simple, ordinary couple.

Living in a modest home, holding steady jobs, expecting a quiet, uneventful life.

"Mrs. Carter, Mr. Carter knows you were wronged today. As compensation, you may ask me anything. I will not withhold a single detail," Oliver said, focusing on the car as his tone regained a professional edge.

"What between Daniel and me… is real?"

I stared blankly out the window, my heart sending waves of pain, even trembling deep in my bones.

A few seconds of silence filled the car before Oliver finally uttered three words.

"He loves you."