When it was time to exchange rings at my wedding, my best friend suddenly walked up to the altar, wearing a wedding gown and sporting a bright smile. And my fiancé, Austin Harrison, slipped my wedding ring onto her ring finger right sin front of all the guests. With eyes welling with tears, I demanded an explanation. But the two of them looked at each other and actually burst out laughing. Hailey Bennett waved her hand, showing off the ring on her finger. "Chloe, Austin and I made a bet last night on who would win the World Cup final." "He lost. So, according to our bet, I get to be the bride today." Austin wrapped his arm around her waist, his tone completely relaxed. "It's just letting Hailey be the bride for one day. We'll host another wedding for us next month. Don't be such a party pooper." They always loved to use me as a betting chip. At our engagement party, he lost a bet, and my engagement ring ended up on Hailey's finger first. When we took our wedding photos, he lost another bet, and ended up shooting the snowy-themed photoshoot—my absolute favorite—with Hailey instead of me. Even the master bedroom of our new house was decorated exactly the way Hailey liked it, all because of a lost bet. Every time I felt hurt and cried, they would smile and say, "It's just a bet. Why are you taking it so seriously?" But it wasn't until today that I finally understood. In their eyes, my wedding, my love, and my entire life were nothing but cheap chips they could toss onto their gambling table whenever they pleased. I looked at Austin. The pain in my chest finally cleared, replaced by an absolute, icy calm. "If you want to give her the wedding, you can go with her too."
After saying that, I turned around to leave. But Austin grabbed my wrist tightly. "Chloe Miller, that's enough." "All of our family, friends, and business partners are here. Do you really have to embarrass everyone and make a scene?" I yanked my hand out of his grip. "Am I the one making a scene?" "Today was supposed to be my wedding!" Austin frowned, his voice dripping with impatience. "I already told you, it's just for Hailey to experience it for one day." "Once the wedding is over, nothing changes between us." "Are you seriously going to break up with me over a stupid ceremony?" He paused, as if remembering something, and let out a scoff. "You said the exact same thing last month—that you were done with us." "But didn't you end up buying Hailey's birthday cake yourself a few days later?" Hailey laughed along. "Chloe, every time you lose your temper, you threaten to cut us off." "But in three days max, you always come crawling back to us." She twirled the wedding ring on her finger, her smile filled with mock playfulness. "This time, I bet it'll only take two days." "Austin, do you want to bet on this?" Austin looked down at her. "What's the wager?" "Let's bet on how long it takes for Chloe to come back to us." "If she begs for your forgiveness within two days, you have to give me the custom vanity set in the master bedroom." Austin didn't hesitate for a single second. "Deal." "Actually, she won't even last a day." Right in front of my face, the two of them started placing another bet on me. It was as if the breakup I had just declared was nothing more than a new, amusing game designed for their entertainment. I stared at Austin. "Are you really that confident that I'll come back?" Austin's voice was dead calm. "We've been together for six years." "You spent an entire year planning this wedding just to marry me." "You personally booked the venue, chose the dress, and managed the guest list." "Chloe, do you really have the guts to leave me?" He knew the old me too well. That was why he dared to step over my boundaries again and again. Because no matter who won or lost, I was always the one who cleaned up the mess in the end. When Hailey ruined my engagement dress, I was the one who quietly ordered a replacement. When she tore up my photos with Austin, I was the one who said it was fine. Even when she redecorated our new home into her favorite style, I was the one who ended up apologizing to Austin, saying I shouldn't have argued with them over interior design. It wasn't that they didn't know I would be hurt. They were just absolutely sure I would never leave. From the guest tables below, one of Austin's friends, Liam, called out with a chuckle: "Come on, Chloe, don't take it so seriously." "Austin and Hailey have always been like this. They're just goofing around." "Besides, Hailey is a proud independent woman who's never getting married anyway." "Letting her experience a wedding is just a nice way to check it off her bucket list." "Calling off the wedding over something so trivial makes you look really petty." One voice after another. Everyone was telling me to be the bigger person. But not a single person asked me if I was willing to give away my own wedding. Austin's mother, Victoria, walked up to the stage from the VIP table. She took Hailey's hand, her eyes filled with nothing but warm approval. "You know, this ring actually looks much better on Hailey than it does on Chloe." Hailey smiled coyly, leaning into her. "Mrs. Harrison, please don't say that." "Chloe will be sad if she hears you." Victoria shot me a cold, dismissive glance. "She's about to marry into the Harrison family. If she can't even handle a little joke like this, how is she going to survive as our daughter-in-law?" Then, she patted Hailey's hand gently. "Honestly, I've always liked you more, Hailey." "You're lively and you know how to make people happy." "Unlike some people who always have to argue about who's right or wrong, ruining the mood over every little thing." Austin's father, Richard, also walked over with a glass of champagne in his hand. "Since Austin lost the bet, he has to honor it. A man must keep his word." "We can just throw another wedding for Chloe next month. It's no big deal." I looked at him. "In your eyes, a wedding is something that can just be casually redone?" Richard's face darkened with displeasure. "It's just a ceremony." "As long as Austin is still marrying you in the end, what more do you want?" "And to be completely honest with you." "If Hailey weren't against the idea of marriage, we would have much preferred Austin to marry her."
The entire banquet hall fell dead silent. Austin finally noticed the icy expression on my face. Frowning, he interrupted his father. "Dad, why are you bringing this up today?" Then, he turned to me. "My parents just like Hailey's outgoing personality." "Don't take everything so personally." I suddenly laughed. Any words that cut me to the bone could always be brushed off as "just a joke." Hailey clung tighter to Austin's arm. "Alright, let's not fight because of me." "Chloe, since you already said you're giving the wedding to me, just let me finish the rest of the ceremony." She looked at my wedding gown, her eyes curving into sweet crescents. "After all, you get to have another wedding next month anyway." I didn't argue with her. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed the event coordinator. "The bride for today's wedding has been changed at the last minute." "I refuse to pay the remaining balance." The phone went quiet for a few seconds. The coordinator asked hesitantly, "Miss Miller, didn't you know?" "A month ago, Mr. Harrison came in with Miss Bennett to modify the contract." "The bride's name on the contract was changed to Hailey Bennett a long time ago." My hand gripping the phone suddenly tightened. "A month ago?" "Yes." "Miss Bennett also personally re-confirmed the menu and the stage setup." "Mr. Harrison told us that all the changes were made with your full consent." I raised my head to look at the two people standing on the stage. So, this so-called "bet on the World Cup" from last night... They had already planned this an entire month ago. Suppressing my trembling voice, I continued, "What about the remaining balance?" The coordinator replied, "It was fully paid off last night." "Mr. Harrison authorized a payment of $95,000 from your joint wedding account." I quickly opened my banking app. The balance of our joint account was exactly $3.70. That $95,000 was my entire life savings from five years of grueling work. I had planned to use the remaining money after the wedding to open my own interior design studio. Seeing my phone screen, Austin finally walked down from the stage. "The money is already paid. Even if you cancel now, the venue won't give you a refund." I stared at him, my eyes burning. "What gave you the right to touch my money without my permission?" Austin replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "That money was meant for the wedding anyway." "The wedding is still happening today, so the money didn't go to waste." Hailey cozied up next to him, gently showing off the ring. "Chloe, didn't you just say you were giving the wedding to me?" "Since you gave it to me, of course that includes the expenses." Looking at them playing their tag-team game, my anger suddenly vanished. They didn't just use my wedding as a toy. They stole my savings. All so Hailey could have a grand, luxurious wedding with my fiancé using my hard-earned money.
The moment I stepped off the stage, my mother pushed through the crowd and grabbed my hand. "Chloe, sweetheart, what is going on?" My parents were seated at the very back of the hall, right next to the exit doors. They were the only two guests from my side of the family. My relatives from our small hometown had all wanted to fly in, but Victoria had complained that they were "clueless about etiquette" and would embarrass the Harrison family. Austin had also told me, "We can just host a cheap dinner back in your hometown later. Don't invite too many people here." So, my parents had taken a grueling twelve-hour Greyhound bus ride alone just to attend their daughter's wedding. My mother's dress was slightly ill-fitting; she had tailored the waist herself with a needle and thread. The "Father of the Bride" boutonniere on my father's chest had been crushed in the crowd, but he still refused to take it off. Now, they had to watch Hailey wearing my wedding dress and my ring. My father walked right up to Austin. "Take that ring off her finger, and apologize to my daughter." Austin's face darkened. "Mr. Miller, it's just a harmless bet." "Hailey is just filling in for the ceremony today. I'm still going to sign the marriage license with Chloe after this." My father froze for a second. "You're having a wedding with her, but you want my daughter to just sign papers?" "What does that make my daughter?" Austin frowned. "We've always played games like this. Chloe never used to care." My mother was trembling with rage. "Just because she didn't complain, you think you can walk all over her?" In her anger, her small-town accent slipped out, and her voice grew louder. Victoria immediately raised her chin, her face cold. "Please, watch your volume." "This isn't your quiet little trailer park." "The people here today are all elite clients of the Harrison family. Are you trying to make us a laughingstock with your screaming?" Whispers erupted from the surrounding tables. "No manners at all. Typical small-town folks." My mother's face flushed a deep, painful red. She had only wanted to stand up for her daughter, but now she shrank back, nervously clutching her fingers, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm not trying to make a scene." "I just... I just hurt for my daughter." A sharp pang of sorrow hit my chest. She had done absolutely nothing wrong, yet she felt forced to apologize to the very people who were humiliating her. Austin interrupted impatiently. "Let's just let Hailey have this wedding today." "Next month, I'll go to your hometown and host a nice dinner." "All of your relatives can come. I think that's more than fair to Chloe." My father slowly raised his head. "You give this hundred-thousand-dollar wedding to her..." "...and then you want to brush my daughter off with a cheap dinner in some small town?" Austin's expression turned ugly. "I already promised to throw another dinner. What more do you want?" Hailey finally sashayed over, holding up her dress, and reached out to hold my mother's hand with fake warmth. "Mrs. Miller, does it really matter where the wedding is held?" "It wasn't easy for you and Mr. Miller to travel all this way." She pointed to the party favors stacked in the corner. "Why don't you take a few extra boxes of chocolates back home to share with your neighbors? At least you won't leave empty-handed." My mother flinched and pulled her hand back as if she had been burned. My father ripped the red boutonniere off his chest and slammed it onto the table. "Our family might not be rich." "But we are not so poor that we would trade our daughter's dignity for a few boxes of chocolates!" Hailey's eyes instantly welled with tears. "Mr. Miller, I was just trying to be nice." Austin immediately stepped in front of her to shield her. "That's enough!" "Hailey is trying to accommodate you, and you're being completely ungrateful." My father stared at him quietly. "When you got down on your knees in front of us, you swore you would never let Chloe suffer a single day of unhappiness." Austin avoided his gaze. My father didn't ask anything else. He turned to wipe the tears from my face, his voice suddenly sounding ten years older. "Chloe, I was wrong about him." "We are not doing this. Let's go home." My tears finally spilled over. The entire room of wealthy guests was pressuring me to endure this humiliation. Only my parents, who had just been deeply insulted, stood firmly in front of me. I pulled off my bridal veil and took each of their hands. "Okay." "Let's go home." Behind us, Austin let out a cold laugh. "Since she wants to walk out so badly, let's make another bet." Hailey's eyes lit up instantly. "I bet Chloe won't last three days before she brings her parents back to apologize to us." Austin stared at my retreating back, his voice filled with absolute certainty. "It won't even take three days." "She'll crawl back this afternoon, begging me to sign the marriage license." Hailey giggled. "And the wager?" "If she doesn't apologize to me by tonight, the penthouse downtown is yours." "Deal." Their laughter echoed from behind us. Even at this very moment, they still viewed my dignity as a pathetic little game. I didn't look back. As we walked out of the hotel lobby, my father asked softly, "Chloe, sweetheart... do you regret it?" I caught sight of the welcome sign at the entrance, which proudly displayed the names: Austin Harrison & Hailey Bennett. I squeezed my parents' hands tightly. "I only regret not seeing through them sooner." But I wasn't just going to walk away. I was going to leave Austin a grand parting gift. Since he loved betting so much, I wanted to see if he could actually afford to lose this time.
At 3:00 PM, a notification popped up on my phone. 【Reminder: Your appointment to register your marriage license is scheduled for today at 4:20 PM. Please arrive on time with your IDs.】 Right after, Austin sent a screenshot of the appointment on Snapchat. "I'm throwing you a bone here." "Be at City Hall by 4:00 PM. I'll overlook the stunt you pulled today, and we can still sign the papers." Austin then sent a voice note. "But before we sign, you have to apologize to my parents." "And to Hailey." "She cried for a long time today because of how you and your dad treated her." "As long as you sincerely apologize, we can put this behind us." I calmly typed back two words. "Sure, see you there." The Snapchat group chat went quiet for a few seconds. Then, Austin tagged Hailey. "I won." Hailey sent a pouting emoji. "Ugh, fine. A bet's a bet." "But when you guys go on your honeymoon, I'm tagging along." Austin immediately sent a screenshot of an added flight ticket. "Already bought your ticket." It turned out that even the honeymoon I had looked forward to for months was just another prize on their betting table. At 4:15 PM, I arrived at City Hall. Austin was waiting near the entrance of the registry office. When he saw me, the tension on his face finally melted into a smug smile. "I knew you'd come back." "My parents and Hailey are waiting at the restaurant." "Once we sign the papers, I'll take you there to apologize." He held out his hand. "Give me your ID." I didn't move. The next second, two police officers stepped out from behind me. "Mr. Austin Harrison?" "We received a report of grand larceny. You are accused of unauthorized access to another person's bank account and stealing $95,000." The smug smile on Austin's face instantly froze. "Stealing? What are you talking about?" "That's our joint wedding fund!" I pulled out my bank statements and the modified hotel contract. "The account is solely under my name, and every single dollar in it came from my personal income." "You stole my password while I was asleep and forged my authorization to pay the venue." "I have already handed over the hotel's security footage, the transaction records, and our chat history to the police." The officers stepped forward and handcuffed his wrists. Austin finally panicked. "Chloe Miller, didn't you come here to sign our marriage license?!" I looked at him and smiled gently. "No. I came to watch you get arrested."
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