My Groom Kissed His Bestman in Live Stream

I stared at my reflection in the ornate mirror, watching Sofia apply the final touches to my makeup with practiced precision.

My wedding day.

Two million followers waiting to witness my fairy tale ending. The culmination of everything I'd built from nothing.

"We're already at 1.8 million viewers, and the ceremony hasn't even started," Sofia murmured, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she checked her phone. "This is going to break records, Lina."

I nodded, maintaining the serene smile I'd perfected over years of camera-ready moments. Inside, butterflies swarmed—not just pre-wedding jitters, but the knowledge that this livestream would cement my transformation from the girl whose mother worked three jobs to afford dance lessons into a bona fide social media queen with a perfect life.

"The Valentino team just called," Sofia continued, adjusting my veil. "They want exclusive rights to the first kiss shot for their campaign."

"Tell them yes, but I want final approval on the edit," I replied, mentally calculating the additional revenue. Another validation that I'd never return to the cramped apartment where I'd grown up, where appearance was everything because it was all we had control over.

A knock interrupted us, and Jamie, the tech assistant, burst in, clutching a USB drive and looking flustered. Their eyes were wide with anxiety, a sheen of sweat visible on their forehead.

"Ms. Rodriguez, I have the slideshow you wanted to review before the ceremony," Jamie stammered, placing the small device on the vanity with trembling fingers. "Everything's set for the livestream. The angles are perfect, just like you requested."

I offered them a reassuring smile. "Thank you, Jamie. I'm sure everything will be flawless."

As Jamie scurried away, I picked up the USB.

"Let me just make sure the photos are in the right order," I told Sofia, plugging it into my laptop. "You know Marcus's mother will have a fit if her family photos aren't prominently featured."

I clicked play, expecting to see the carefully curated montage of our relationship—the yacht proposal, our matching holiday posts, the engagement party that had trended for three days straight.

Instead, the screen filled with footage from yesterday's rehearsal.

At first, it seemed ordinary—just Marcus standing at the altar, checking his position. Then Dylan, his best man since college, approached him.

They seemed to be discussing something, heads bent close together. The venue was empty; this must have been after everyone else had left.

Then Marcus's hand moved to Dylan's face.

Their lips met in a kiss so passionate, so familiar, that my breath caught in my throat.

This wasn't a first kiss. This wasn't a mistake.

This was the easy intimacy of lovers who knew each other's bodies well.

"Lina? What is it?" Sofia's voice sounded distant as I watched Marcus pull Dylan closer, whispering something that made Dylan laugh before kissing him again.

My fingers went numb. The room seemed to tilt slightly as more footage played—stolen moments in corners of the venue, hands intertwined when they thought no one was looking, looks exchanged that I should have recognized because they were nothing like the calculated gazes Marcus shared with me for our photos.

Sofia moved behind me, gasping as she saw the screen. "Oh my God, Lina..."

My hands trembled, but I didn't cry. Something cold and calculating awakened inside me instead, a clarity cutting through the shock. Two million people were waiting. Sponsors had invested millions. My entire brand was built on this perfect romance.

The wedding coordinator's voice crackled through the venue's speaker system: "We're at 2.1 million viewers and climbing! Places everyone, we go live in five minutes!"

I closed the laptop with a decisive click and turned back to the mirror. My reflection stared back at me—perfect makeup, designer gown, not a hair out of place. The image of success I'd crafted so carefully.

"Lina, what are you going to do?" Sofia whispered, her eyes wide with panic.

I reapplied my lipstick with steady hands, a plan already forming in my mind. My mother had always told me that presentation was everything. If my relationship had been performance art all along, then I would give my audience the greatest show they'd ever seen.

"I'm going to get married, Sofia," I said, my voice eerily calm as I stood and smoothed my gown. "Just not in the way anyone expects."