Chapter 10

The wedding day arrived before I knew it. I was wearing a suit, yet I was completely indifferent. Beside me, Mom glanced over worriedly. "Have you really thought this through, Jace? What would people think of you if it really comes to this?" I had already spoken to my parents about my plan. Dad was reluctant as he found it embarrassing. We ended up parting without coming to terms. Meanwhile, Mom supported me but still thought that it was too risky. I said, "There's only a few days left until the wedding. Even if we tell everyone the wedding has been called off, they would still gossip about us in private." I grabbed Mom's hands and sincerely pleaded, "I can't just let this go, Mom. Please talk to Dad for me. I'll bear full responsibility for whatever that comes after." She sighed. "My dear child, how could your dad blame you? He's only worried you'll get hurt." "Is the groom ready? The ceremony is about to start." A hotel staff member came over to call for me. I took a deep breath before getting up. "Let's go, Mom." … The hotel lobby was decorated with several wedding photos. In the photos, the bride and groom nestled together lovingly. Their fingers, sporting identical rings, were intertwined as they showed off their love. I looked at Casey's photo and scoffed. I never actually agreed to take wedding photos with her. I told her to find someone else to take it with and edit my face in later. After all, I never really intended to marry her. As expected, Andrew was the one who took the wedding photos with her. Although my face was edited in, you could tell that the edit was mismatched upon a closer look. "The wedding photos look good, Mr. Ranford." A voice sounded from behind me. I turned and saw Andrew. He showed up in the same black suit as mine today. However, mine was a handcrafted Yitarn custom piece, while his looked like it came from some random rack. While it might not be obvious at a glance, one could tell the difference upon a closer look. My suit was perfectly tailored to fit my frame. Meanwhile, his suit had messy stitching, a crooked collar, and loose threads that were hanging off the shoulder. Andrew looked at me with a fiery, challenging gaze, casually flashing the engagement ring on his hand. It seemed like taking the wedding photos wasn't enough—he was here to flaunt it, too. I asked, "Has Casey paid you for being the stand-in for the groom in the wedding photos? It's 80 dollars per day, isn't it?" The smile on Andrew's face disappeared as soon as he heard my words. "Cass and I—" "I can't believe you think you're all that just by wearing a cheap engagement ring you got from an online shop. A knockoff is still a knockoff no matter what." I then left without turning back. All that was left was Andrew, with a dark look on his face. "Sooner or later, everything of yours will become mine!" Little did he know that he and his ambitions were equally shallow and laughable in my eyes. … "The two of you are about to be wedded. Do you have anything to say to the bride, Mr. Ranford?" the host asked. My gaze darkened upon seeing Casey, who was shining in her wedding dress on the stage. "Isn't she beautiful?" I asked the guests. "She is!" Everyone agreed, and the flush on Casey's cheeks was evident. I continued, "Since everyone agrees, let's take a look at how Casey got ready in the makeup room today. I even recorded a video for everyone to see for themselves." Casey's smile froze as soon as she heard my words. "What video?" I looked at her coldly. "Of course it's the video of you getting ready in the makeup room. What else would it be? Do you think it's a video of you having an affair or something?" "What are you talking about? It's our wedding day today. Isn't it inappropriate for you to joke about this?" Casey's smile faltered. I could tell that she was panicking for good, but I ignored her. I then turned to nod at the host. Behind us, the large screen displaying the wedding photos lit up once again, showing the makeup room. Casey grabbed my arm in a hurry. "Please don't do this, Jace. I don't look good without makeup. Please don't play it. I'm begging you—" Upon seeing that I was unfazed, she started threatening me. "This is our wedding venue, Jace. Aren't you afraid that your family might be embarrassed? We should just talk it out after this." I merely dodged her touch and clicked the play button. Suggestive moans filled the entire hotel lobby in the next moment.