At my own wedding, the groom switched—Malcolm Lowell bailed, and the best man stepped in.

Lumi, the Irving's real daughter, latched onto Malcolm's arm and smirked from the crowd.

"I was just feeling a little low," she said. "Didn't think Malcolm would go this far for me."

Malcolm raised a brow. "I just wanted to make her happy. You took her spot for years. Time to pay it back. This is for your own good."

That's when it hit me—this whole wedding was a setup, a twisted show just to entertain Lumi.

All because I was the adopted one. I'd lived in her place for over two decades.

I didn't cry. Didn't freak out. I just took the new groom's hand, faced the priest, and said, "Keep going."

The second I said it, the whole wedding went dead silent.

Malcolm, all smug a second ago, went stiff.

Lumi played dumb, sticking out her tongue. "Irene, seriously? You mad? We were just messing around. Don't take it so personally. I even got you a sweet wedding gift—from one sister to another."

She popped open a box and pulled out a sapphire ring.

My chest tightened. That was the Lowell family heirloom.

Malcolm once slipped it on my finger, all serious, calling me his future—the next lady of the house. Then he snatched it back, claiming it needed maintenance.

Lumi smiled sweet. "Malcolm gave me this to mess around with, but the second I saw it, I thought it suited you more. So hey, consider it my gift."

I glanced at the ring, then at Malcolm—his face frozen, caught in the lie.

Pain stabbed through my chest.

So that "maintenance" excuse was just a setup to hand it to her.

I held myself steady and let out a cold laugh. "Shame to waste such a thoughtful gift. My groom and I already have our rings. We're good."

With everyone watching, I chucked the sapphire ring straight into the champagne tower.

Ignoring the murmurs, I took a ring from the ring bearer and slid it onto my new groom's finger.

Emmett Everhart—best man turned husband—was just as good-looking as Malcolm, maybe better. Broader, too. We hadn't talked much before, but something about him felt weirdly familiar.

He raised an eyebrow, then quietly slid a ring onto my finger.

The room exploded with gasps.

Malcolm's jaw clenched, chest rising with fury.

Lumi's eyes went glossy. "Irene, you're really mad, huh? It's all my fault. Don't blame Malcolm."

Seeing Lumi tear up, Malcolm snapped, "Why are you being so heartless to her?"

I laughed, cold and sharp. "Heartless? Didn't you two want this exact ending?"

Six months ago, Lumi waltzed in with a paternity test and dropped the bomb—I wasn't really an Irving. Just a stand-in to patch up Mrs. Irving's grief over her real daughter.

Overnight, I went from golden girl to unwanted guest. People started acting like I had some kind of disease.

Everyone except Malcolm.

He stayed by my side, comforting me again and again, swearing that his feelings would never change because of my identity.

We'd been inseparable since we were kids. He promised we'd get married, even followed me to school, glued to my side in every class.

His family paraded rich girls in front of him—he shot them all down. All for me.

He started a business from scratch, clawed his way to heir status, just so he could pick his bride.

Anytime someone threw shade about me being adopted, he was all in—ride or die.

But then? Everything shifted.

Suddenly, every quiet moment turned into a Lumi drama special.

Malcolm, who used to roll his eyes at Lumi, now ditched me the second she snapped her fingers.

Every time I tried to hold on, he'd hit me with that disappointed look.

"You stole Lumi's life. You owe her. I'm just helping you fix it—for your own good."

Like clockwork. Same guilt-trip, every time.

And today? The wedding we planned for five freaking years? He tossed it like trash, just to give Lumi a laugh.

That was it. Whatever love I had left? Dead on arrival.

Malcolm suddenly yanked Lumi into his arms, their faces way too close.

He shot me a smirk. "Irene, seriously? You're too old for these drama queen—"

I didn't even let him finish—I stood on my toes and kissed Emmett. No hesitation. Just heat and breath and silence.

For a split second, panic flickered across Malcolm’s face.

Lumi covered her mouth in feigned shock. "Malcolm! She's just upset because of me. Now she's using someone else to make you jealous!"

Malcolm's jaw clenched, veins popping. "Irene, quit acting petty. Lumi's actually decent, and you're still being a brat. Apologize. Now."

I brushed him off. "Mr. Lowell, this is MY wedding with Emmett. Don't embarrass yourself more than you already have."

If he could hand me off to another guy mid-ceremony, he didn't get to whine about saving face.

The crowd erupted—cheers, claps, the whole thing.

Malcolm's face drained, but his eyes lit up with rage. "Get down here. Keep this up, and you can forget about marrying me!"

I laced my fingers with Emmett's and faced the priest. "Let's move on."

Malcolm stormed up the stage, grabbed my wrist, and shot Emmett a dismissive look. "You're really gonna throw yourself at anyone just to spite me?"

I ripped my hand back. "And who says you get a say in who I marry?"

Malcolm froze, then lunged for me again, pissed.

Emmett stepped in.

He smiled, voice ice-cold. "Malcolm, it's my wedding. Try not to harass MY BRIDE."

'My bride.' That one hit hard—Malcolm's face twisted.

They stared each other down, all heat and ego.

Right on cue, Lumi ran up sobbing. "Irene, it's all my fault! You two just looked so perfect together—height, looks, background... I was only joking! I'm sorry! If you'll just forgive Malcolm, I'll leave the Irving family and disappear forever..."

But this time, Malcolm didn't leap to defend her. He just stood there, fists clenched.

"Emmett, what the hell? I told you it was a joke before the wedding. And you're actually going through with this?"

Emmett shrugged. "Looks that way."

Then he laughed, lazy and cool, sliding an arm around my waist.

"She's right. Thanks to you, I got lucky and married an amazing woman."

He leaned in, voice slow and sharp. "What's not yours was never yours. But don't stress, bro—I'll take care of everything you couldn't hold on to."

Malcolm lost it. Threw a punch.

Lumi screamed.

I watched them scuffle for a second, then raised my hand—security knew what to do.

Malcolm got dragged off, still glaring at me.

Under a flood of gasps and whispers, Emmett and I turned to each other.

We said our vows.

The priest smiled.

"You are now husband and wife."

After the wedding, once the crowd cleared out, I stood by the car, eyeing Emmett.

He looked away fast, lips tight—but his ears? Bright red.

Bold on stage, but now he's shy over eye contact? Cute.

Then he said, "Irene, don't waste your tears on someone who's not worth it."

Caught me off guard for a sec.

I didn't say a thing—just waved him over.

He hesitated, then awkwardly climbed into the back seat. I reached out and pulled him in.

He sat stiff as a statue, legs clamped together. I spotted the bruises on his cheek and lip, reached past him, and grabbed the first aid kit.

"Let me clean you up."

He paused, one brow lifted, then tilted his face up without a word.

I dabbed gently at the bruises.

Eyes still shut, he asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

"Move out. Cut Malcolm off for good."

A flicker of a smile touched his lips, but when he caught the tension in my face, he sighed and looked up, serious.

"I've got a few things to handle. In three days, I'll pick you up. We'll get the marriage license."

"Okay."

***

By the time I got back to the Irving estate, it was late.

Every light in the living room was on. Our parents were stiff on the couch, faces like thunderclouds.

Lumi was fake-crying into Mom's arms. "I was just teasing Irene... I didn't think she'd take it so seriously..."

With no Lowell marriage deal to cash in on, Dad was livid. But instead of calling out Lumi, he turned the full blast on me.

"Irene! Lumi's just a kid, but you? You actually went along with Malcolm's stunt?"

His hands shook. "The second you saw the groom had changed, you should've stopped the wedding! Do you have any idea how badly you embarrassed us?"

Mom gave me the classic disappointed look. "Tomorrow, you're divorcing that man—whoever he is—and announcing you're single again."

I cut her off. "I'm not leaving him."

The room went dead quiet.

I looked up, straight at them.

"Today was my wedding. You didn't show. Malcolm swapped himself out in front of everyone, and not one of you said a word. Mom, Dad—are you seriously telling me you didn't know?"

They froze for a beat.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Of course we didn't know! Something urgent came up!"

"You messed everything up yourself, and now you're blaming us?"

They scrambled to defend themselves, talking over each other.

I didn't need more proof. I'd been the only idiot in this whole setup from the start.

I cut in with a cold laugh. "Save it. I'll be back tomorrow to pack my stuff. I'm done being your eyesore."

Then I turned and walked out.

Just as I stepped out of the estate, my phone lit up—one of Malcolm's buddies.

I answered, and panic hit me through the speaker.

"Irene! You need to get to the hospital—Malcolm got drunk, got into a fight, and he won't stop calling your name..."

I stood there for a while, torn. Then I gave in, hailed a cab, and headed over.

When I finally reached his hospital room and went to open the door, I heard him inside.

"Told you she'd come," Malcolm said, smug as ever.

One of his buddies snorted. "See? She only married that other guy to mess with you. Soon as she heard you were in the hospital, she came running."

Another chimed in. "Come on, everyone knows Irene's obsessed with Malcolm. She drank herself sick meeting his clients, threw everything into his startup. No way she'd actually leave him."

"Man's got serious game—both Irving sisters, wrapped around his finger!"

Then someone scoffed, "But Irene's not the heiress anymore. Why bother marrying her? Lumi's the real deal. Better package."

Malcolm didn't even hesitate. "Who says I'm not marrying Lumi? I already told her I'd sign the papers. As for Irene? I'll just fake the license, keep her fooled. Let her keep working for us—like a live-in maid."

Laughter.

Then one of them said, "Damn, genius move. When she's back in your bed, Malcolm, mind if we get a turn?"

Malcolm snapped, "Enough. She'll be here any second. Shut up."

Outside the door, it felt like the floor dropped out from under me.

The cold hit hard, sinking deep. I bent over, chest tight, barely able to breathe.

All those years—everything I gave up, everything I did—he remembered. He knew. And still, this is how he chose to treat me.

Malcolm, you're beyond heartless.

Whatever feelings I had left? Gone. Burned to ash.

Tears blurred my vision. I grabbed the wall to steady myself, then turned and walked away without looking back.