Chapter 3

The wedding venue was brimming with joy and packed with guests.

The huge wedding portrait of Simon and me had been swapped out for one of him and Chloe, and even the delicate roses I'd ordered were replaced with tacky ones.

Right in the middle, Simon and Chloe were standing there in traditional wedding outfits, holding hands and gazing at each other.

"Mr. Simon Carter, do you take Chloe Evans as your wife?" the officiant asked.

"I do—" Simon started.

But before he could finish, the roar of a helicopter suddenly filled the air. It circled right above Simon Carter's head, kicking up crazy winds.

Chloe was getting blown all over the place, her wedding crown barely hanging onto her hair, looking like a total mess.

"Who is that? Seriously, no respect for the hosts. They're wrecking the whole scene," someone shouted.

"A helicopter? Who's pulling out all the stops with such a grand entrance? It's flashier than that bog shot," another guest exclaimed.

When Simon saw me step out of the helicopter, his face went from pale to green and then straight-up black.

"Rachel?" he blurted out, grabbing my hand roughly and trying to yank me out of there. "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to wait for me? You came to wreck Chloe's big day, didn't you?"

I jerked my hand free. His tacky suit was an eyesore. I shoved him aside, totally grossed out.

"Simon, don't you think you owe me an explanation?" I demanded.

Simon looked guilty for a moment, then softened his tone and tried to act humble.

"Rachel, leave for now, okay? I'll explain everything after the wedding," he begged.

Chloe straightened her wedding crown and marched over to me in anger, but as soon as she reached me, she broke down in tears.

"Rachel, why are you here wrecking my wedding? Do you know how many nights I stayed up and how much I poured into this?" Chloe sobbed. "I know you've always had a thing for Simon, but today's my big day. You shouldn't be here."

The guests nearby started whispering, shooting me dirty looks, and pointing fingers.

"Isn't she the homewrecker? She came here to crash the wedding. So shameless! She's got the guts to show up right in front of the bride."

"She looks gorgeous, but she turned out to be a vixen out to steal someone else's man."

"Simon's got his own company now, right? He must be loaded. No wonder all these tramps are throwing themselves at him."

I crossed my arms, staring at Simon.

"Simon, tell me. Am I the homewrecker here?" I demanded coldly.

Simon pressed his lips together and frowned, looking totally torn.

Right then, his mother, Molly Carter, stormed forward, grabbed Chloe's hand, and shot me a vicious glare.

"Chloe is the only daughter-in-law I recognize, not some used, secondhand woman like her," she yelled.

The venue erupted in uproar.

"She's divorced?" someone gasped.

"My cousin's young and successful. He'd never marry some secondhand woman. She must be the one clinging to him," another sneered.

I stared at Molly in disbelief. When she sweet-talked me into buying the house for our wedding, she didn't say anything like this.

Simon leaned in, his voice low and pleading. "Rachel, for my sake, can you let it go, please?"

I let out a cold laugh. "For your sake?"

I pointed at the diamond necklace around Chloe's neck and then swept my gaze over the whole wedding setup.

My eyes were icy as I declared, "All this? It's worth millions of dollars. How can I give it away so easily?"

Simon's face instantly turned stormy. He glared at me with a look that could kill.

"Rachel!" he barked. "I'm warning you. If you keep making a scene, I'm not marrying you."

Suddenly, a low, mocking laugh echoed from the crowd. Everyone fell silent instantly.

Sitting right there was the big shot Chloe had invited. It was her boss, the heir to Kingsborough's most powerful family.

From the very start of the wedding, Chloe made a big deal of setting up a special spot for him, telling everyone to keep their distance.

The chair legs screeched against the floor as he stood, every movement crisp and efficient. His figure was like a blade about to be unsheathed, cold, sharp, and decisive. "Too noisy," he said.

Chloe hurried over, looking apologetic. "Mr. Reed, I'm really sorry you had to see this mess. I'll kick her out right away!"

Alexander Reed's lips curled into a smile, but his eyes were as cold as ever.

"Kick her out? Not a bad suggestion," he replied, his voice indifferent.

Chloe instantly put on an arrogant look with her chin raised high, giving me a glare that practically screamed, "You're done for."

She bragged, "Everyone, this is Mr. Alexander Reed, the heir to the Reed family, the top dogs in Kingsborough. He's my most honored guest. Mr. Reed even ditched an international meeting to show up for my wedding."

As soon as Alexander's name was dropped, everyone was drooling with envy. All eyes locked on him. Some people were fawning, and others looked nervous.

Chloe shot me a glare, acting all high and mighty.

"Bitch, you asked for it. I told you. I needed the venue for my important guest, but you still dared to barge in and mess with Mr. Reed," she said smugly. "Security, get her out of here."

I stood my ground, locking eyes with Alexander. "Are you going to throw me out?"

Alexander's face softened with a hint of fondness, a helpless smile tugging at his lips. He lifted his wrist, with two fingers pressing down in a lazy gesture, and said to the bodyguards beside him, "Throw her out."

The bodyguards got the order, each grabbing one of Chloe's arms and dragging her toward the exit.

"Hey! What are you doing? You're grabbing the wrong person," Chloe screamed. "You should be catching that bitch. I'm the bride."

Alexander's gaze cut through the crowd, his voice colder than a winter storm. "Toss her into the ocean."

"Simon, help me!" Chloe shrieked.

Simon finally snapped out of it, jumped in front of the bodyguards, and shot me a furious glare.

"Rachel, tell them to let Chloe go. She's pregnant," he shouted.

"Yes!" Molly, standing right next to me, grabbed my hand, her voice trembling with emotion. "Chloe's carrying the Carter family's heir. You can't throw her into the ocean."

I looked up at Simon, my eyes wide with shock.

So he cheated on me before the wedding. No wonder he stole the wedding venue.

The bodyguards knocked Simon out of the way and kept hauling Chloe toward the ocean.

Simon, totally freaking out, shouted at me, "Rachel! If you don't say something right now, I swear I won't marry you.

"You're a divorced woman. Nobody wants you but me."

All eyes landed on me again, this time brimming with scorn and disdain.

Right then, a voice broke through the crowd.

"I'll marry you," said a man.