Swapping Out the Groom

Under Jayden's parents' puzzled stares, I no longer bothered with pretense.

I nodded plainly. "Yes. I told you before. I'm done with Jayden. He's vanished now anyway, and I don't intend to wait."

"Leah! Don't be impulsive. Just wait—I'll find him! You can't possibly throw away six years of love just like that!"

I said nothing. I simply watched them leave, the corners of my lips lifting into a slow, mocking smile.

Not long after, a video arrived on my phone.

"Ms. Devin, here's the latest footage." It was from the person I'd hired to keep tabs on Jayden.

In the frame, he was walking hand in hand with Sophie down a street, smiling like a man without a care. Then his phone rang. He answered, listened for a moment, and his face fell.

"What? Mom, you want me to come back right now? What? Leah's engaged to someone else?! Mom, calm down, we'll talk when I get back!"

His face drained of color. He turned abruptly, clearly ready to flee. But Sophie grabbed his arm, leaned in close, whispering at length.

I could imagine what she was saying.

Sure enough, the panic soon ebbed from his expression. A flush returned to his cheeks, then was quickly replaced by a kind of offended fury. He called his mother back.

"Mom, I'm not coming back! Calm down and listen to me. I know Leah. She loves me too much to really do this. She's just trying to force me home, that's all. She's always been controlling—this is just another one of her cheap tricks. And the more she pulls this crap, the less I respect her."

It seemed Jayden's parents didn't quite agree. I could hear them faintly pressing him again, likely bringing up family interests, making appeals on behalf of the Jayden name.

"I got it! I'll come back and marry her, all right? But seriously, if I didn't want to marry her, what's the point of everything we've worked for all these years? Enough already. I'm hanging up. When I get back, I'm going to make Leah beg to marry me."

The video ended there.

I honestly had no idea where Jayden got his confidence.

Behind me, Nick emerged. He'd been watching too.

"Leah," he said, his tone dry, "I heard he wants you to beg for his hand? You're not planning to ditch me again, are you?"

I met his eyes and laughed softly. "No. I'll marry you. Jayden can do whatever he wants."

He raised an eyebrow at that, his lips tugging into a knowing smile. "Good. That's how it should be."

The wedding day drew near. Jayden never showed.

Jayden's parents tried to console me, saying not to worry, and at the same time frantically urged him to come back. Judging by the silence, it seemed he wasn't listening.

On the day itself, my parents had booked the rooftop garden of the city's most luxurious hotel. Guests came from all corners—public figures, business elites, media from home and abroad.

The ceremony was curated by a professional design team. It looked tasteful, high-end, and impeccable.

Just as I was having the fireworks arranged, my phone buzzed. I took it out and glanced at the screen.

For over a month, this name hadn't shown up—not one call, not one message.

It was Jayden.

I curled my lips faintly and picked up. As if expecting my immediate response, he spoke with unmistakable arrogance.

"Leah, today's our wedding, right? I bet you're panicking now. No groom. What a scene. But if you beg me, I'll come marry you."

At this point, I no longer understood how he could still be this naive.

Softly, I said, "Jayden, look up."

He sounded confused, frowning across the line. Then I heard him inhale sharply.

I knew what he was seeing—my wedding, live-streamed across the giant screen of the building opposite.

My family and Nick's family had partnered to buy every major screen in the city. At this moment, every one of them was broadcasting the wedding.

As the camera shifted slowly, it showed Nick stepping out in his tailored suit.

Jayden's face turned ghostly pale in an instant.