In other places, when two wedding motorcades meet on the road, the brides exchange their bouquets for good luck. But in Arthur Vance’s hometown, they exchange the brides. When our wedding cars crossed paths, Chloe leaned out, kissed my fiancé on the cheek right in front of all our friends and family, and smiled. "I'll be taking your groom now." The crowd immediately erupted in cheers and catcalls. "Chloe! Might as well take over his duties in the honeymoon suite tonight, too!" "Seriously! Everyone knows you and Arthur grew up together. If it were anyone else, he probably wouldn't even be able to perform!" Everyone was laughing. Sitting in the wedding car, I looked through the window at Arthur, waiting for him to say something. I thought that, even if it were just for today, he would stand by my side. Just this once. Instead, he reached through the window, grabbed my hand, and gently patted it, exactly like he always did when he was coaxing me into submission. "Serena, we can't mess with tradition." In that exact moment, the fight completely drained out of me. If this were the past, I would have thrown a massive fit. But this time, I just quietly pulled my hand away, turned around, and hooked my arm through the window of the other groom’s car, linking elbows with Julian’s brother, Liam. Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, I spoke softly: "Let's go, fiancé." Since everyone insisted it was tradition. This time, I'd give him exactly what he wanted. …… Just before the cars pulled away, Arthur called out to me. "Wait a second." I turned my head, thinking he had finally remembered that I was actually his bride. But he just reached past me and grabbed the boutonnière resting on the seat beside me. "Chloe’s side is missing one." With that, he turned and walked away without looking back. The light turned green, and the two wedding motorcades drove off in opposite directions. Leaning against the window, I looked down and noticed a bottle of grape juice sitting on the seat next to me. The bottle was still slightly warm, like it had just been bought. I froze. So there really was someone who remembered that I couldn't drink anything bitter, and that I hated cold drinks. Meanwhile, for the past three years, the only thing Arthur had ever brought me was iced Americanos. I had told him so many times, and every time he would nod and say he understood. But the next time, it would be an iced Americano again. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Arthur. "Don't overthink it. Exchanging brides is just a traditional custom." "You know there's absolutely nothing going on between me and her." Staring at those words, I suddenly remembered something from years ago. Chloe had casually mentioned that she liked the sound of a job I had just secured after months of grueling interviews. That high-paying position I had already negotiated instantly became "an opportunity" I was expected to hand over to her. Arthur had said the exact same thing to me back then. "She needs it more than you do right now." Later, the same thing happened with my engagement ring. As long as Chloe asked for it, I was expected to step aside. My phone buzzed again. This time, it was from Chloe. She sent a photo. She was sitting in the back seat of Arthur's car, wearing her wedding dress, her head tilted slightly, resting intimately on Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur didn't pull away. She added a short, passive-aggressive caption: "It's just a tradition. You wouldn't actually be mad about it, right?" I stared at the photo for a few seconds, feeling a strange, profound sense of peace. Before I could even reply, another message from Arthur came through. "This is Chloe's first time getting married, it's normal for her to be nervous. Don't be so petty and hold it against her." "During the ceremony, keep your distance from Liam. Don't say any vows, don't exchange rings, and absolutely do not kiss him." "If it gets too awkward, just hide in the back until the ceremony is over." I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and replied: "And what about you?" He replied instantly: "There are so many guests here. I can't just embarrass her in front of everyone." "You’ve always been the sensible one. Just endure it for a little while." Sensible. I’ve been hearing that word for years. I didn't reply again. I just locked my screen. But Chloe’s final few messages still pierced my eyes. "When Arthur was helping me adjust my veil just now, he almost knocked my earring off." "He's exactly the same as when we were kids. Always so clumsy." It was as if she was terrified I might forget how much history they shared. I lowered my eyes and blocked her number, too. The world was finally quiet. When the car stopped, I looked up and saw the massive welcome sign outside the venue. The photo displayed wasn't my engagement shoot with Arthur. It was the shoot I had done with Liam. I froze for a second, but quickly understood. According to the "tradition" of Arthur's hometown, the wedding photos were supposed to be swapped as well. Back then, I had thrown such a massive tantrum over it that they reluctantly agreed to shoot two separate sets. I never expected that, after all the fighting, this was the photo that would be displayed anyway. I looked down and pulled the ill-fitting engagement ring off my finger. It was the design Chloe had rejected. Now, it was time to give it back. I opened the door and stepped out of the car. Liam stood to the side. He didn't rush me, and he didn't ask if I regretted it. I simply held my hand out to him and spoke softly: "Let's go inside." "We shouldn't miss the auspicious timing." As I stepped down, a sharp pain shot through my foot, nearly making me lose my balance. The wedding shoes were a size 5. But I clearly wore a size 7. The original pair of wedding shoes had been custom-made by Arthur according to my exact preferences. He had planned them for a year, but in the end, because Chloe said she liked them, he gave them to her. What he left me with was this pair of agonizingly tight shoes. Afterward, he had even tried to comfort me: "Chloe gave you her wedding shoes too." "Stop being so calculating. It's just a pair of shoes." "I'll buy you as many pairs as you want in the future." Looking down at the shoes crushing my feet, I suddenly found the whole situation hilarious. A loud commotion broke out outside. I walked over to the window and saw several trucks pulling up to the venue. The welcome sign, the floral arrangements, the red carpet, the bouquets—everything was being aggressively loaded into the trucks. "Mr. Vance said the banquet here is canceled. Everything is being moved to the other venue." "Pack up the wedding dress, the veil, and the bridal jewelry too." "Go tell the bride to take the dress off." Someone downstairs couldn't take it anymore: "Isn't this going way too far? You're completely humiliating her!" But the man barking orders didn't even blink: "Since they swapped brides, it needs to be a complete swap." "Those were Mr. Vance's exact words." My phone rang at that exact moment. I picked it up, and Arthur’s voice came through immediately: "Serena, I need you to come over here." "Chloe really likes your veil." "Bring the jewelry I bought you, too. All of it needs to be swapped." "Hurry up, don't miss the auspicious timing." Watching the men clearing out my venue below, I asked him: "Does my auspicious timing not matter?" He paused, then quickly said: "Stop throwing a tantrum." "Today is a special circumstance. Just be the bigger person and yield." Someone next to him chimed in loudly over the phone: "You have half an hour! If you don't bring the stuff over, don't even think about getting the marriage license with Arthur!" My grip on the phone tightened: "Arthur, I am a bride today too." He was silent for two seconds, but his tone remained dripping with entitlement: "If you bring it over personally, it looks better for everyone." "Besides, there's no reason for you and Liam to actually hold a ceremony." "Once I'm done over here, I'll come back and we can go get the marriage license." At that moment, a text popped up from Chloe: "Serena, I really love your veil." "When Arthur was helping me pick things out, I fell in love with it immediately." "Be careful when you bring it over, don't rip it." Staring at that message, I hung up the phone and blocked them both. Then, I pulled the veil off my head, took off the jewelry and the ring. I unzipped the wedding dress and stepped out of it. If they wanted it, I'd give it all back. The chaos downstairs flared up again. Someone dragged a massive monitor into the venue and shouted up at me: "Ms. Serena! Mr. Vance was worried you wouldn't make it in time, so he specifically ordered us to live-stream the ceremony for you!" "He said he wants you to witness his wedding with your own eyes." When the screen lit up, I recognized it instantly. Every single detail of that wedding had been meticulously planned by me. While they were busy stripping my venue bare, the other venue was already perfectly arranged. Watching the staff move with such practiced efficiency, I stood there and actually laughed out loud. This so-called "impromptu" bride swap... they had planned it all along. They swapped my groom. They swapped everything that belonged to me. Including my role as the bride. On the red carpet, Arthur looked at Chloe with profound, deep affection. I suddenly remembered our wedding rehearsal. On the exact same red carpet, in the exact same spot. When I walked just a little too slowly, he frowned and snapped at me: "Hurry up, it's just a rehearsal." But now, he was perfectly willing to stand there patiently and wait for a different bride. While I was lost in thought, they began exchanging rings. That ring... I had only been allowed to look at it once. Then Arthur took it away. "I'll keep the ring safe for now. I'll bring it out for the actual ceremony." I thought he was just worried I'd lose it, that he was taking our wedding seriously. Turns out, he wasn't taking our wedding seriously at all. He just needed to make sure that ring ended up on someone else's finger. Their venue was loud and chaotic, the guests cheering and catcalling. "Kiss her! Kiss her!" Chloe bashfully lowered her head. Arthur reached out, tilted her chin up, and kissed her. I watched silently. I didn't even shed a single tear. I picked up my phone and dialed Liam's number. "Delay the ceremony for a few minutes." "Come to my room right now." He replied with a single word: "Okay." Liam walked in carrying a brand new wedding dress and a pair of flat, comfortable shoes. It was the dress I had originally fallen in love with. When I went dress shopping, I had clearly chosen this one. But Arthur had complained it was too "flashy" and "attention-seeking," and forced me to change into the plain, generic white gown they had just taken away. After all that, it had still found its way back to me. I stood up and took the dress from him: "Let's begin." Meanwhile, at the other venue. Arthur was distractedly toasting the guests. He stared at his phone, realizing his calls to me were being automatically rejected. His brow furrowed deeply, his eyelid twitching with anxiety. It wasn't until Chloe called his name that he snapped out of it. "Arthur, what are you spacing out for?" "My aunt has been calling you." Her aunt laughed teasingly. "Arthur is just overwhelmed with joy! He finally got to marry you!" Then, she casually dropped another comment. "We honestly all thought he was going to end up with Serena." "Arthur, you really hid your feelings well." Chloe looked incredibly smug, leaning sweetly against Arthur’s shoulder. "I didn't realize Arthur loved me this much." Arthur instinctively felt that things shouldn't have escalated to this point. But the joyful, celebratory atmosphere surrounding him quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He smiled, shook his head, and playfully poked her forehead. "How could I ever trust anyone else to take care of you? Of course I had to do it myself." Chloe smiled mischievously up at him. "Do you think when Serena brings the veil over and sees we already had the ceremony, she'll be super sad?" "I bet she'll be devastated. Everyone knows how desperately in love with you she is." Arthur grabbed Chloe’s hand and said confidently. "Don't worry about her. Today is all about you." By this time, I had already walked down the aisle and was standing in front of Liam. The officiant’s voice echoed in my ears. "Serena, do you take Liam to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health..." In that moment, the entire world went quiet. I saw everyone waiting for my answer. I smiled warmly, my lips parting. "I do." Soon enough, Arthur’s wedding ceremony also concluded. Most of the guests had left, but I still hadn't arrived to deliver the items. He called the staff members he had sent over to my venue. "Why isn't the bride here yet?" The staff member replied nervously. "We already followed your orders and packed everything up." "The bride should be changing out of her dress. We'll bring the items over as soon as she's done." Arthur suddenly asked an unexpected question. "She didn't throw a fit?" The staff member replied. "No, she was very cooperative." Even though this was exactly the answer he wanted, he couldn't bring himself to feel happy. Seeing Arthur frowning, Chloe tried to comfort him. "Arthur, don't worry." "Serena will definitely bring the stuff over." "But what if..." Arthur pressed her. "What if what?" Chloe hesitantly voiced her concern, wanting to test Arthur’s reaction. "What if Serena actually goes through with the wedding ceremony with Liam?" Arthur dismissed the idea entirely, his tone absolute. "Impossible! They have zero feelings for each other." "Even if they did hold a ceremony, it would just be to satisfy the tradition." "Serena only wants to marry me." Chloe hid a triumphant smirk where he couldn't see, then asked delicately: "But if she saw the live stream of us... do you think she'll be mad?" Arthur gently stroked her hair. "Stop overthinking." "I'll coax her later, she won't stay mad at you." As they were talking, a figure approached from the distance. Before the person even got close, Arthur started scolding them. "Why did it take you so long to deliver this?!" "This is a wedding! Can you take it seriously for once?!" When the person got closer, Arthur stared in shock. "Where is she?"
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