Romance

Stanley's mother let out a piercing scream and collapsed on the spot.

His father's face went ashen. He snatched a liquor bottle off the table and charged toward the suite, the rest of the guests surging after him.

The door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Stanley and Mandy sprang apart, scrambling in panic, yanking at their clothes to cover themselves. 

"Sylvia, it's not what you think! It was Mandy who seduced me! She drugged me!" 

His voice shook violently as he lunged toward me, trying to grab my arm.

Two of my cousins stepped in immediately and restrained him.

Mandy, wrapped in her torn dress, collapsed on the floor, screaming through her tears. "Stanley, you bastard! You're lying! You're the one who said marrying her was just for the money, and once you got it, you'd dump her—"

"Bullshit!" Stanley whirled on her, veins bulging in his neck.

"Sylvia, believe me! I was set up

I edited together a highlight reel of the wedding footage and had Justin upload it using an overseas server. 

The headline was sensational.

"Gold-Digging Groom Cheats With Bridesmaid on Wedding Day—Live Stream from the Honeymoon Suite." 

Stanley's mother tried to plead with me. "Sylvia, it's my fault for failing to educate Stanley. Please, for the sake of—"

I listened quietly, then replied, "Mrs. Sinclair, take care of yourself."

Stanley's father called him directly. "You bastard! You've ruined the Sinclair family's name. Don't ever come back again!"

Mandy had it worse. The scandal spread all the way back to her hometown. Her parents were ridiculed and talked about until they eventually cut ties with her. The men she'd been keeping as backup options blocked her one by one.

The Morningstar project team released an official statement.

"Due to serious misconduct by the former projec

At last, the wedding day arrived.

Mandy pretended to help me with my veil, her fingers deliberately tugging at my hair.

"Sylvia, you look gorgeous today," she said softly, leaning in. "But won't your makeup be ruined if you cry later?"

I slapped her hand away. "Relax. It's waterproof."

Mandy's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, her eyes lighting up. Then, she stepped to the window to answer. 

"What other games could it be… The one you like most… I'll be waiting at the same place tonight."

I applied my lipstick in the mirror, a little thrill running through me.

Tonight was going to be fun. 

The ceremony began. Music swelled as I linked arms with Stanley and walked down the aisle.

His palm was slick with sweat. His gaze kept drifting, searching for Mandy. 

She stood among the bridesmaids, winked at him, and discreetly gave him a naughty hand signal.

When the officiant asked Stanley to say his vows, he froze. After several long seconds, he finally stammered out the words, "I do."

I smiled at him and rose onto my toes, whispering in his ear, "Don't be nervous. Everyone's watching."

His whole body stiffened. His face drained of color. I kept smiling, but my nails dug hard into my palm.

Halfway through the toasts, I pulled out my backup phone and sent a text using a newly registered number. Once the messages were sent, I yanked out the SIM card and flushed it down the toilet.

Stanley started going through the motions of toasting, distracted. He then leaned in to whisper. 

"Sylvia, my dad's blood pressure might be acting up. I'll help him to the lounge to rest for a bit. I'll be right back."

I nodded without saying a word.

Almost immediately, Mandy clutched her stomach, pretending to be in pain. "Sorry, I think I ate something bad. I need to use the restroom."

She hurried away, but she headed straight away from the bathrooms.

I watched as the two of them disappeared one after the other through the side door of the ballroom. 

Perfect. The officiant was still keeping the crowd entertained, so I walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone. 

"Thank you all for coming today," I said with a smile in my voice. "Stanley and I have had quite a journey to get here. I'd like to share a special video that captures… our love story."

The officiant froze for a moment, then handed me the remote.

The large screen flickered on.

It was a live feed from a hotel room. 

Justin's drugs had worked well. Stanley and Mandy were tangled together, clothes in disarray, sprawled on the carpet of the suite's living room.

Mandy's leg was hooked over Stanley's shoulder, a sultry smile on her face. 

"Hey, groom, are you saving any energy for your bride?"

Then Stanley's voice followed, amplified by the microphone, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Hey, bridesmaid, how are you dripping more than the bride?"

Stanley's mother let out a piercing scream and collapsed on the spot.

His father's face went ashen. He snatched a liquor bottle off the table and charged toward the suite, the rest of the guests surging after him.

The door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Stanley and Mandy sprang apart, scrambling in panic, yanking at their clothes to cover themselves. 

"Sylvia, it's not what you think! It was Mandy who seduced me! She drugged me!" 

His voice shook violently as he lunged toward me, trying to grab my arm.

Two of my cousins stepped in immediately and restrained him.

Mandy, wrapped in her torn dress, collapsed on the floor, screaming through her tears. "Stanley, you bastard! You're lying! You're the one who said marrying her was just for the money, and once you got it, you'd dump her—"

"Bullshit!" Stanley whirled on her, veins bulging in his neck.

"Sylvia, believe me! I was set up! Someone's framing me!"

I stepped closer and saw pure desperation in his eyes.

"Sylvia, we were t

Chapter 5