My Groom Chose to Marry my Bestfriend

“Hudson...”

As soon as I spoke, my voice cracked, heavy with the weight of unspoken emotions. The wedding venue, undeniably adorned with Harper's tastes, felt like a cruel reminder of my insignificance in this entire charade. Yet, Hudson had the audacity to ask if I liked it, his tone dripping with feigned sincerity.

For five years, I had never imagined Hudson could be so hypocritical. To the outside world, he was the perfect, considerate man. I had never envisioned he would betray me. But what cut deeper was the realization that the person he had cheated with was my best friend, Harper.

He knew we had ended our friendship. He was aware that it was her parents who had pressured my father to his death. He had often shared my disdain for the Davidson family. And now, as I stared at the crumpled photographs in my hands, everything began to fall into place.

Hudson and Harper had been childhood friends, but she had never lacked attention from men. Hudson lingered in the background, always her backup. During college, Harper cycled through boyfriends like outfits, yet Hudson was never one of them. Instead, he turned to me, using our connection as a way to gather information about her. He only agreed to get engaged to me after learning that Harper had married into a wealthy family. Now that she was divorced, he saw his chance once more.

Noticing the shift in my demeanor, Hudson leaned in with concern. “Aubrey, are you crying? Is it about your mother? I promise, once we’re married, we’ll take her to the best hospital in New York.”

If I hadn’t witnessed him propose to Harper with my own eyes, I might have been swayed by his words again. But now, realizing they wanted to use my pain to fuel their love story, I decided to play along—let’s see who ends up embarrassed.

I swallowed the rage bubbling inside me and replied as calmly as I could, "I won’t come over. I like everything you’ve done." I could hear the satisfaction in Hudson's voice as he hummed in response. "Aubrey, I ran into Harper earlier. She heard your mom was sick and insisted on coming to visit her at the hospital."

"Pack up. We’ll pick you up soon," he added.

I felt a surge of defiance. I wasn’t about to let Harper anywhere near my mother again. But before I could voice my protest, Hudson had already hung up. I called him back, but there was no answer. With a deep breath, I went to the kitchen, packed the soup I had prepared earlier, slung my bag over my shoulder, and hurried out.

Before leaving, I returned to my bedroom to stash the crumpled photos back into the safe. When I got downstairs, Hudson's car was already parked on the street. From a distance, I could see Harper sitting inside, the door slightly ajar.

As I approached, Hudson's head appeared from beneath Harper's legs. The moment our eyes met, I noticed him holding her ankle. He quickly offered an excuse. "Harper’s foot was scraped. I was just putting a band-aid on it." Harper hurriedly withdrew her leg, blushing yet proud. "Aubrey, you’re so lucky. Hudson is always so thoughtful."

Their smiles radiated affection, a blatant display that cut through me like a knife. Were they really that eager to flaunt their relationship in front of me?

Standing there, watching them, I felt a deep, gnawing pain, as if my heart were being crushed in a vice. I gripped the lunch box tightly in my hand, forcing myself to stay calm. My voice trembled with barely contained fury as I pointed at Harper. "Why is she coming to see my mother? Don’t you know she can’t handle being provoked like this again? Get her out of the car!"

Harper's smirk faltered, quickly replaced by a facade of innocence. "Aubrey, don’t blame Hudson. I insisted on coming to see your mom. I’ve always wanted to apologize for what my parents did. I hope you can forgive me."

"Never!" I shouted, losing all semblance of control. "The only way you could ever repay us is if your parents drop dead to make up for my father’s life! That’s the only way you’ll deserve forgiveness!" In a surge of rage, I grabbed her hair, yanking her down toward me.

This car—my father had left it to me—and she dared to sit in it? Hudson reacted instantly, grabbing my wrist and twisting it painfully until I released my grip. He shoved me to the ground, the lunch box tumbling from my hands, its contents spilling out like my shattered composure. My already burned arm scraped against the rough pavement, tearing the skin open and drawing fresh blood.

It was clear. Hudson had chosen his side. He stood defiantly between me and Harper, glaring with a mixture of anger and protectiveness. "Aubrey, are you out of your mind? What do your family’s issues have to do with Harper? Why can’t you stop being so unreasonable?"

He pulled Harper into his arms, framing me as the villain in this twisted narrative. Fury surged through me, fueling my glare at them both. "If it wasn’t for her shallow obsession with luxury, my father would never have been framed by her parents. He wouldn’t have had to jump from that building to prove his innocence!" I spat, my voice raw with grief. "You were there, Hudson! You witnessed how horrifically he died! You swore you’d never forgive them!"

Hudson's expression twisted in irritation. "Do you plan on living in hatred forever? What kind of life is that? The dead are gone, Aubrey. Can’t you move on and find some peace?"

"Harper’s trying to make amends! Why are you being so ungrateful and cruel?"

"Ungrateful?" I choked, incredulous. "You think my father’s death was his fault? That he was weak?"

The realization struck me like a freight train. I had never truly known this man. The one I had spent five years loving was now a stranger, and a profound emptiness settled in my chest, as if something within me had finally shattered.

I no longer had the strength to argue. The fight, the love, the pain—it all felt pointless. I reached for the lunch box on the ground, then extended my hand to Hudson. "Of course, you can stand on your moral high ground—you’re not the one who lost your family. Now give me the keys. I’ll go to the hospital on my own."

Hudson’s gaze fell to my bloodied arm, concern flickering across his face. "Aubrey, how did you hurt your arm? You can’t drive like this. Let me take you."

But just then, Harper dramatically swooned, collapsing to the ground. Hudson rushed to her side without hesitation, cradling her in his arms. "Harper, what’s wrong?"

Weakly, she pressed a hand to her forehead. "I feel lightheaded. It’s probably my low blood sugar."

Without missing a beat, Hudson pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, peeling it open and feeding it to her. "There’s a restaurant up ahead. I’ll get you something to eat."

He carried her off, leaving me standing there, abandoned and numb.

I watched them disappear, an unexpected calm settling over me. That was it. I realized, in that moment, I stopped loving him.

With a deep breath, I pulled out my spare key, got into the car, and drove away.