The night before the wedding, I accidentally used my boyfriend's salary card to buy a wedding dress.

Thinking it was no big deal, I didn't realize my future mother-in-law secretly swapped it with a cheap knockoff, making me a laughingstock.

At the wedding, she smirked, "People get what they deserve. A gold digger like you think you can wear a dress worth tens of thousands? Pathetic."

In response, I called security and had the scumbag family, along with their relatives, thrown out of my family's hotel.

"And do you think you deserve to be in my family's hotel? Get lost!"

***

"Jessie, your makeup is flawless today," my best friend Wendy White clapped, her eyes filled with admiration. "But it's a pity you have to wear that dress worth just over ten thousand."

Noticing her eagerness to suggest switching dresses, I quickly stopped her.

"I used my husband's salary card to buy this one, and I'm flaunting our love today! What would a single dog like you know?"

We chatted and laughed as the attendant led us to the dressing room.

The spotlight shone down from above. Though the wedding dress wasn't from a major brand, the diamonds sparkled brightly, making it quite dazzling.

As I was about to put it on, Wendy stopped me, her suspicions piqued, "Wait a minute, something seems off about the way these diamonds shine."

"Huh?"

Wendy's family is in the jewelry business, and despite her carefree lifestyle over the years, she still has a knack for distinguishing real from fake jewels.

Just as I was about to ask more, the attendant urged, "Miss, the wedding car is arriving soon. If you don't change now, you might miss the auspicious time."

Her interruption made Wendy and me anxious.

In families like ours, timing is crucial for such a significant event.

But as I put on the dress, something felt off. When Simon Jones took my hand as we got into the car, the fabric brushing against my skin felt particularly itchy.

I gently tugged on Simon's sleeve, "Something's wrong with this dress. I think I'm having an allergic reaction."

But Simon was impatient, "Don't make a fuss on such a big day. You bought the dress yourself, don't blame me for it."

I was momentarily stunned.

I chose Simon because he was kind and good-looking.

Despite being from a different social circle, I didn't mind.

After all, just looking at his face could make me eat two more bowls of rice.

Though he woke up at 3 AM to prepare for the wedding, I was a bit annoyed and mumbled, "You don't care about me at all. I guess men change once they're married."

Hearing that, Simon softened, "Alright, today's our big day. Let's be happy, okay?"

I gave him a displeased look.

After all, when he first pursued me, even a small scratch on my finger would make him fuss over me for hours.

Now, despite my repeated complaints about a possible allergy, he showed no concern.

Seeing I wasn't pleased, Simon kissed my forehead and whispered mysteriously, "Be good. I have a surprise for you at the wedding."

The wedding car soon arrived at the hotel. Watching Simon walk ahead to prepare, I tried to ignore the unease in my heart.

At least he still knew how much I liked surprises.

The wedding was about to start, and I stood outside, excitedly waiting to enter.

The usher, noticing my eagerness, smiled and reassured me, "Miss Best, stay calm. Remember to look your best when you walk the runway. The cameras will be rolling."

I nodded and immediately put on a smile.

But just as I did, my mother's scream echoed from inside.

I quickly forgot all about decorum and rushed to push open the door.

But as soon as I did, a chill ran through me. On the large projection screen was a high-definition display of Simon and another woman!

If it were just photos, it would've been one thing, but they were in wedding attire!

Simon smiled lovingly at the woman beside him, even sharing kisses in some of the pictures. Anyone who didn't know would've thought I'd walked into the wrong wedding.

Suddenly, terms like "romance scam" and "trap" flashed through my mind.

My mother gritted her teeth and asked, "What is the meaning of this, in-law? Do you still want this marriage to happen?"

I looked at Simon in disbelief.

Dressed in a suit, he stood there with a handsome, carefree smile.

He spread his arms wide, grinning, "Do you like it? The surprise I prepared for you."

"Why?"

I really couldn't understand.

Just last week, we visited the Love Temple in N City to pray for our union.

Simon was so devout, swearing to the heavens that he would be with me forever.

He was even holding my favorite balloon flower now.

The Simon in my memory and the man before me were worlds apart.

"Why? You dare ask why? When you used his salary card to buy a wedding dress, did you ask yourself why? Do you think our family's money falls from the sky?"

My future mother-in-law's mocking tone accompanied the press of a remote. The screen instantly displayed a bill.

It clearly showed that I had spent 108,999.9 dollars at the bridal shop on Wednesday.

And the cardholder was Simon.

She looked at my pale face, "How does that ten-thousand- dollar dress feel, Miss Best?"

I stared at Simon again, "I told you it was an accident!"

Simon sneered, "An accident? Then it was an accident that I took wedding photos with someone else, an accident that we kissed. I guess Miss Best won't mind, would you?"

Watching his twisted expression, the itchiness on my skin intensified.

My mother gasped, "Jessie, you're having an allergic reaction!"

Only then did I notice the large, disgusting welts slowly appearing on my exposed skin.

In that instant, Wendy's words came flooding back.

I had meticulously chosen the wedding dress from a reputable bridal shop, trying to be considerate of Simon's financial situation by not picking something too expensive.

The fabric was high-quality, the diamonds were real, but it wasn't from a luxury brand.

I hadn't expected to accidentally use Simon's card. I thought since we were about to become a family, he wouldn't mind me using his salary card to decorate our wedding.

But I was wrong. They did mind.

Not only did they mind, but they also swapped the dress I had carefully chosen, ruining my wedding.

Since I'm allergic to synthetic fibers, I had been very particular about the materials. This one was clearly a fake.

"Is this a knockoff? You swapped my wedding dress, didn't you?"

Far from being ashamed when I exposed her, my future mother-in-law looked smug, "People get what they deserve. A gold digger like you think you can wear a dress worth tens of thousands, don't you? This knockoff for a little over a thousand is a bargain for you."

Hearing her words, I couldn't help but laugh out of anger, "I didn't ask for a single cent of dowry from your family, not even demanding Simon have a house or a car..."

"You shameless tramp!"

Before I could finish, my future mother-in-law cut me off in fury.

"What kind of woman doesn't ask for a dowry? You know what kind! Marrying a woman like you would disgrace the Jones family's name.

"It's not that we're stingy. A high-end wedding dress like this should only be worn by someone worthy. Only Julia deserves it."

With that, the lights dimmed, and the door I had barged through earlier was now closed again.

The speakers played "Let's Get Married" once more.

As the music played, the door slowly opened.

Spotlights illuminated the figure stepping in.

And my real wedding dress, the one I had chosen, was being worn by another woman.

The mother-in-law proudly stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Let me introduce you all, this is the real bride today, Julia Smith."

Julia Smith?

Isn't that the girl my mother-in-law forced Simon to go on a blind date with a few months ago?

She was said to be the CEO behind a listed company, worth billions, and had shown great interest in Simon.

But Simon had clearly rejected her in front of me. How has she now suddenly become his bride?

The wedding dress was a strapless design, tailored to my figure.

But Julia, the grand CEO of a listed company, isn't as slim as I am and even carries some weight.

Now, her flesh is squeezed in all directions by the dress, making her look as ridiculous as can be.

Yet, despite the dress constraining her to the point her face turned red, it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm that Simon and his mother showed towards her.

I chuckled and asked Simon, "I wasn't good enough for your family? But is she?"

I haven't forgotten how back then, after Julia forcefully kissed Simon, he almost scrubbed his face raw in disgust when he got home, cursing her as a gross, fat woman.

But now, here he was, without a trace of shame, kneeling slowly before Julia with the same reverence, "I know this is sudden and has wronged you, but I can't stand being with a gold-digger anymore. I just want to settle down with a stable, kind-hearted, independent woman like you. Will you overlook the past and give me a chance?"

Julia covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she reached out her hand in overwhelming emotion, "I will!"

Stable and kind-hearted?

Independent woman?

I remember Simon once told me when he was chasing after me that only bright and passionate girls would forever hold his heart.

Standing there, on the brink of nausea, I gradually regained my composure.

If Julia is truly the CEO of a listed company in A City, there's no way she wouldn't know that among the guests my family invited were some of the top businesspeople and officials in A City.

Nor would she openly crash someone else's wedding, turning herself into a mistress known to all.

The audience was abuzz with whispers, and countless strange looks were cast our way.

My mother-in-law, rather than feeling ashamed, proudly declared, "Our Jones family can only accept a modern independent woman who owns a company, not someone like Jessie who just stays home living off her parents. Those who are willing to stay for the wedding, feel free to stay and enjoy. If not, you're welcome to leave!" She turned to the emcee, "Let's get started!"

Simon and Julia exchanged affectionate glances while my mother-in-law cheered them on.

At this moment, Wendy finally arrived, hurriedly leading a group of people with the hotel manager in tow.

"I'm sorry, Miss, this is our fault. This group of people claimed to be high-paid managers hired by you, replacing our staff..."

The manager kept wiping the sweat from his forehead, stumbling over his words.

The sharp guests quickly caught on.

My mother-in-law, ignoring our side, loudly berated the motionless emcee, "Did I pay you to just stand there? Did Jessie bribe you? We'll pay you double whatever she offered!"

"Pfft."

Laughter erupted from the audience.

"Does this old hag not know that this entire hotel belongs to Jessie?"

"The Jones family really is something, still brazenly scolding the emcee."

"So the Jones family married Miss Best without giving a dowry, and even the wedding is on the house. I can't stop laughing."

Hearing the murmurs, the three of them turned pale.

Simon looked at me in disbelief, "This hotel is yours. Didn't you say your family was just middle-class?"

Seeing his devastated expression, I felt a sense of relief for the first time that I had hidden my family's true circumstances.

But no matter how much I hid, I never skimped on the gifts I gave him—small ones costing a few thousand, larger ones reaching tens of thousands, and he never complained.

Changing out of my restrictive dress, I gestured for twenty hotel security guards to approach, smiling, "Since Mr. Jones and Miss Smith are having their wedding here, let's settle the bill first."

At my signal, the hotel manager approached Simon with the bill.

"One million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand? Jessie, are you out of your mind?"

Simon's mother glanced at the bill, her eyes nearly popping out.

"Please don't make baseless accusations, ma'am. Our hotel is top-notch, and this is a very reasonable price for a full hotel buyout. A prestigious family like the Jones family wouldn't want to share a venue for their wedding, right? Besides, you did mention paying double earlier. Would you like to use card or...?"

Under my sincere gaze, Simon's mother turned red, then white, and finally pitch black.

Simon himself stood like a quail, not daring to make a sound.

Seeing Simon and his mother on the verge of collapse, I turned to Julia with interest, "Surely the CEO of a listed company can afford this, right?"

Julia snorted, "Who wants to have a wedding in your hotel!"

"Oh, so you can't afford it. If you can't, then scram! Why are you pretending to be something you're not? A bunch of morons!"

"Security! Throw these idiots out, including his relatives!"

Wendy, who had been holding back, stormed onto the stage and unleashed a tirade.

Simon turned around, seemingly wanting to say something to me, but in the next second, he was lifted off the ground by security under Wendy's command and thrown out. "What a bunch of bad luck! Get lost!"