She Had His Child. I Changed the Bride.

My fiance let her first love finish inside her,

all because he wanted a child to fulfill his mothers dying wish.

She asked me to be understanding of her kindness,

told me to wait for her to finish that wedding before returning to my arms.

But I simply went on preparing my wedding as planned.

Because my bride had already been replaced by someone else.

A week before our wedding, my fiance Chloe told me she needed to marry her first love Ryan first, before she could marry me.

Apparently, Ryan's mother had passed away, leaving behind a dying wish for them to get married.

"Ryan's mom always hoped he would settle down. I'm just fulfilling an old lady's last wish, don't overthink it," Chloe explained.

But our company had already planned to launch the "True Love" jewelry collection on the day of our grand wedding.

She impatiently retorted, "It's just a billion-dollar project. How can that compare to Ryan's filial piety? If you're so keen on making that money, go find someone else to marry."

Faced with her cold words, I understood everything clearly. I turned and dialed home.

"Emily, can you help set me up with a new bride?"

When I got home, my sister looked shocked.

"You're calling off the wedding?"

"No, she's marrying someone else."

I gave a bitter smile.

To be with Chloe, I had fought tooth and nail against my family's objections to finally get my parents' approval. We even scheduled the launch of the "True Love" jewelry collection on our wedding day.

But now, it was all for nothing.

My sister was stunned for a long while before saying, "Then I guess Stella is the only option. Her family's been pressuring her to get married, and she's been looking for a match recently."

I frowned. Stella was my arch-nemesis. On my engagement day, she had even cursed that my marriage would fall apart. Who knew her words would come true.

Time was tight, so I could only say, "Alright, it's her then. Can you ask about her intentions? If not, I'll have to find another way."

My sister spoke quickly, "No need to ask, she'll definitely agree."

"What?"

Before I could ask further, a group of people surrounded me.

"Are you Chloe's fianc? You're so handsome!"

"Are you here to pick up Chloe after work? You two are so sweet together."

I gripped the steering wheel, lowering my eyes to hide the self-mockery in them.

Chloe had introduced me to her colleagues and friends early on. In everyone's eyes, we were the enviable model couple.

But who would have thought, she was about to marry someone else.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Chloe got in the car and handed me a toy airplane.

"Ryan asked me to give this to you. He said you embarrassed him at the funeral yesterday, so you should apologize when you have time."

The airplane was a miniature version, obviously a freebie that came with buying the real product. I had seen it in Chloe's online shopping cart a couple days ago.

I said flatly, "I don't want it."

Chloe frowned, "What are you upset about now? You barged into the funeral saying I wasn't his fiance and embarrassed him. He didn't hold it against you and even thought to bring you a gift. How can you be so ungrateful?"

The Chloe who used to protect me was gone. Now she cherished someone else.

Chloe irritably opened the window for some air. After a while, seeing that I wasn't going to comfort her, she finally said, "Fine, today's a good day to try on wedding dresses. I won't argue with you."

This was the first time she had backed down this year.

When we arrived at the bridal shop, the attendant greeted us:

"Miss Anderson, the custom wedding gown Mr. Miller designed for you is ready for its final fitting."

But Chloe's attention wasn't on the dresses. She was looking down at her phone, her expression slightly urgent.

Noticing my gaze, she quickly put away her phone, a hint of apology on her face:

"William, something came up with Ryan. I need to rush over there right away. Can you help me pick out a dress? I trust your taste."

With that, she hurriedly hailed a taxi and left, leaving me alone.

The attendant came over tentatively and asked, "Mr. Miller, will you be selecting the dress yourself?"

I looked away and nodded.

Of course I would choose a dress. But not for Chloe.

After all, there was a new bride now.

I drove home, thinking Chloe would be gone all night. But she returned before dinner.

She strode over to me, holding a familiar paper bag.

"I drove across town for these. Your favorite double cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries from that 24-hour diner on Fifth."

I looked at the takeout container. The fries were less than half full, and one of the burgers was clearly missing a bite, the cheese congealed where someone had taken a taste.

Half an hour ago, I had seen Ryan's social media post.

The photo was of the very meal in front of me.

"My wife still remembers to buy me late night snacks. Thanks honey, muah!"

I put down the food with a self-deprecating smile, instantly losing my appetite.

"I don't want it. Throw it away."

Chloe looked at me with displeasure, but held back from lashing out. She sat down next to me and complained:

"You have no idea how pitiful Ryan was today. My parents went to his place demanding a substantial wedding gift. He was so upset he cried."

"Ryan just got back to the country and doesn't have much money. I was thinking of giving him the wedding fund from our planning first."

She shook my arm, as if trying to act cute.

I looked at her sarcastically, "So I'm supposed to fund your husband's wedding? The wedding thats supposed to be ours?"

In the past, I cared so much for Chloe that I would give her anything she asked for and do anything for her.

But now she had woken me up herself.

Thinking back, ever since Ryan returned to the country, everything she did was for him.

She had forgotten that I was supposed to be the one spending the rest of my life with her.

My response angered Chloe: "What do you mean by that? You're not willing? You'd better understand this - Ryan is my best friend. You'd better make him happy, or I won't marry you!"

With that, she stormed out, slamming the door.

Feeling frustrated, I went down to the park for a run.

After just one lap, I got a call from Stella.

Thinking of Stella's perpetual icy expression, I hesitated for two seconds before answering.

"Listen up, Miller. A marriage is a lifetime commitment, not a business deal you can back out of. You say yes, and that's it. No cold feet."

Stella's first words were a direct hit, though the typical sharpness was laced with an unfamiliar tension.

I stayed silent, and she continued:

"Send me your ID first so we can get the marriage license."

"I'm afraid you'll change your mind."

Stella, you're acting strange.

In my mind, I had already imagined thousands of ways she could use this marriage to torment me.

In the end, I could only squeeze out, "See you at the wedding, Miss Hayes."

Just as I finished speaking, Chloe suddenly appeared behind me:

"You're inviting Stella to our wedding? I forbid it!"

She glared at me as if facing a formidable enemy:

"William, didn't I tell you not to associate with Stella? Her intentions toward you aren't pure. If you insist on inviting her to our wedding, don't blame me for getting upset!"

Before I could say a word, she had already laid down her ultimatum.

Chloe had always disliked Stella, harboring an inexplicable hostility. When we first got together, she even had a jealous outburst because Stella and I often bantered on social media. After that, I gradually cut off contact with Stella.

But she actually said... Stella had impure intentions toward me?

I was about to ask further when Ryan suddenly stumbled and leaned against Chloe's neck.

"Chloe, you're pinching me..."

Only then did I notice their intertwined fingers as they walked.

Chloe coughed awkwardly twice, but made no move to let go of his hand.

Ryan gazed at Chloe tenderly, then turned to me with a helpless expression:

"Will, I'm sorry. Chloe and I were just practicing the wedding procedure. Please don't mind."

"I won't tell anyone about you hitting me or vandalizing my mother's grave. But please don't hurt Chloe. True love can't withstand tests."

I didn't want to watch this act, so I turned to leave:

"Since you're so eager, I'll have someone beat you up tonight and dig up your mom's grave."

Slap!

Chloe slapped me hard across the face.

"William, how can you be so vicious?!"

Her brows were furrowed, her chest heaving.

I'm vicious?

She believed someone else's lies so easily, yet five years of our relationship couldn't earn me even a shred of her trust.

Anger suddenly welled up inside me. I wanted to confront Chloe, but Ryan stepped in front of her:

"Will, please. As soon as the wedding's over, I'll return Chloe to you."

"Have mercy and don't hurt the people around me, or Chloe."

As he spoke, he was about to kneel before me.

Chloe quickly wrapped her arms around his waist to stop him from kneeling, glaring at me furiously.

"William, stop playing your rich boy bullying games!"

"You know I hate that the most. If you still want to marry me, stop making trouble!"

With that, she warned me not to appear before them again until the wedding.

But the very next day, Chloe contacted me herself.

She started off with a barrage of scolding: "William, you really went and dug up Mrs. Cooper's grave. I can't believe you're this kind of person!"

Utterly confused, I called my assistant to investigate, only to uncover a shocking truth.

Ryan's mother... wasn't dead.

No wonder Ryan could be so heartless as to dig up his own mother's grave to frame me.

It turns out her death was all a scam.

I texted Chloe: "Ryan's mother isn't dead. The truth is in the email I sent you."

Whether she looked at it or not was no longer my concern.

My flight was booked for three days later. Stella had made the reservation herself.

When Chloe came back, she saw me packing.

Half my clothes were thrown out, with a small portion being shipped to Seattle.

"Why are you packing clothes?" Chloe asked, her expression doubtful.

I gave a perfunctory reply: "Moving."

She was silent for a moment, not catching on to anything amiss, and continued on her own:

"The Miller Group headquarters are in Seattle. We'll be settling there after we get married, so it's good to pack early."

Then she fixed me with a harsh stare.

"Apologize for Ryan's mother's incident as soon as possible. Don't make things difficult for me. How about on our wedding day?"

With that, she tossed down her phone and went to look for her ID. Today was the day she and Ryan were getting their marriage license.

She didn't come back until late that night. I opened my phone to find a message from Ryan pop up.

It was a dim photo of a beautiful woman.

In the picture, Chloe was wearing a provocative outfit, looking at the camera.

I closed my eyes, my heart still aching despite myself.

I forcefully suppressed that feeling and turned off my phone.

Late into the night, the phone by my pillow vibrated every hour. Each time it vibrated, it was Ryan sending me provocative videos of him and Chloe.

Until early the next morning, when Stella sent me a message.

"Mr. Miller, the flowers have bloomed. You may slowly return."

The attached photo showed two red booklets.

And a bouquet of vibrant red roses.

I hadn't expected her to still be caring for the plant I had casually given her years ago.

Inexplicably, a strange feeling welled up in my heart.

I replied with a single word: "Okay."

I put down my phone to pack up my work files on the computer. I didn't notice when Chloe had returned.

She was packing her daily necessities: "I'm moving in with Ryan for a few days. He's too busy preparing for the wedding on his own. Remember to show up on time for the wedding in two days. Don't be late."

After saying that, she went on a long explanation about how she was just going to help out normally, telling me not to make trouble again.

"Mm, I won't go," I said, keeping my eyes lowered.

After last night, the last bit of affection I had for her had completely dissipated.

Seeing my calm demeanor, a nameless panic swept over Chloe. She suddenly hesitated.

But thinking of Ryan's cloying acts of affection, she loosened her grip on her phone.

William loved her so much, what could possibly go wrong?

Thinking this, she breathed a sigh of relief and stopped arguing with me, disappearing from my sight.

I watched her retreating figure and made a phone call.

That evening, a helicopter landed in the square.

A man walked up to me: "Mr. Miller, the helicopter you ordered has arrived. It will safely transport you to Seattle in half an hour."

I nodded, then handed him an envelope.

"Deliver this envelope to the wedding venue tomorrow. It's my wedding gift for the bride and groom."

The next day, I sent Chloe a message right on time:

"Congratulations on your marriage!"

Meanwhile, at the wedding venue, Chloe was looking anxiously at the entrance, asking her secretary:

"Why isn't William here yet? He was supposed to publicly apologize to Mrs. Cooper today."

The secretary scrolled through the news, frowning:

"He probably can't make it. He's busy getting married right now."

Hearing this, Chloe froze in the middle of the banquet hall.

The wedding venue was decorated with her favorite champagne roses, making the entire hall look like a dream.

Below the stage, guests were toasting and chatting.

Everything seemed so perfect.

Yet Chloe was gripping her phone tightly, staring at the news headline "Miller Group CEO Marries, True Love Collection Officially Launches".

Cold sweat broke out on her palms as she hurriedly dialed the number she knew by heart, only to find no one answering.

"How could this happen?"

Ryan strode over to her, taking her hand.

"Chloe, what's wrong? Your hands are so cold."

Chloe gripped his hand back: "William... he married someone else!"

Ryan took the phone and glanced at it, frowning slightly before smiling:

"That's impossible. Will loves you so much. This must be some kind of business tactic. These businessmen, they'll do anything for money, even fake a marriage."

"Fake marriage?" Chloe's panicked expression eased slightly.

"Come on Chloe, the wedding's about to start. Let's go up," Ryan said.

The officiant stood on stage presiding over the ceremony. Chloe forced a smile back onto her face as she exchanged rings with Ryan and they kissed each other.

Just when everything seemed perfect, the doors to the banquet hall were suddenly flung open with a bang.

A group of people in black uniforms walked in orderly.

Chloe instinctively thought William had come to make trouble. She was just about to put on a smile and confront him when she suddenly froze.

Because the ones who entered weren't William, but a group of uniformed police officers.

She immediately panicked and asked, "Officers, we're all law-abiding citizens. We haven't done anything wrong, have we?"

The lead officer ignored her completely and simply unveiled a document.

"Mr. William Miller has filed charges against Ryan Cooper for illegal appropriation of property. The evidence is conclusive. Please come with us."

Chloe was completely flustered.

"Officers, what illegal appropriation? That was the wedding fund William gave me. I legally gave it to Ryan."

The officer frowned: "What you call a legal channel is not reasonable in our eyes, and the plaintiff Mr. William Miller does not acknowledge it either."

Chloe argued desperately: "This is just William's tactic! He's doing this to ruin my wedding to Ryan!"

The officer glared at her coldly: "Miss, please don't obstruct official duties. Take him away!"

As Ryan was taken away, the wedding instantly descended into chaos.

Ryan's relatives loudly gossiped that Ryan's exorbitant wedding fund had actually come from someone else. How shameless.

Chloe's parents' faces turned black as the bottom of a pot as they berated Chloe.

"You foolish girl, what have you done!"

"You gave up a perfectly good golden bachelor to marry a penniless man, and now you've lost everything!"

Chloe calmed down.

"Mom, this is William's way of forcing me to comply. I'm going to find William now to save Ryan."

She was about to leave when a man blocked her path.

"Miss Anderson, this is Mr. Miller's wedding gift to you."