Rowan Remington finally accepted my marriage proposal. 

He told me to dress up, saying he had prepared a surprise for me. 

But when I arrived in my finest attire, Rowan did not present himself as the groom. 

Turning to my half-sister, Lisa, with a playful smile, he said, “You always complain that weddings are tedious and dull. Today, I’ll show you an interesting one. What do you think?” 

Just then, my elder half-brother, Miles, loudly declared, “The wedding is on hold!” 

Suddenly, my childhood friend, Nathan Keller hurled a water balloon—prepared in advance—at me and it smashed down on my head, completely drenching me. 

Rowan arched a teasing brow at me. “It was just a joke, Tessa. You didn’t actually think I was going to marry you, did you?” 

The so-called wedding was nothing more than a farcical performance to entertain Lisa, who was suffering from depression. 

As I stood in stunned silence, Rowan chuckled and added, “If you’re that desperate to get married, why not pick someone from the guests and tie the knot right now?” 

So, I did. 

I walked down the aisle with a new groom in hand. 

That’s when they panicked.

The emcee finished reading the vows on stage, but the groom never stepped forward.

The guests murmured among themselves.

I realized—this was yet another setup to humiliate me.

Sure enough, in the audience, Rowan Remington idly toyed with the ring in his hand before turning to my half-sister, Lisa Hamilton, with a smile.

“Didn’t you say weddings are tedious and dull? Two people recite vows, exchange rings, and it’s over.

“Today, I’ll show you a single’s wedding. Interesting, isn’t it?”

My elder half-brother, Miles, immediately caught on and raised the microphone. “The wedding is on hold!” he announced loudly.

Then, my childhood friend, Nathan Keller, shouted, “Tessa! Look over here.”

A water balloon came crashing down from above. Even though I reacted quickly and tried to dodge it, it still caught me off guard.

Water dripped from my soaked hair, strands clinging to my face. Droplets slid from my dress, darkening the fabric.

I clenched the sides of my skirt tightly.

Only then did Lisa finally let out a laugh.

Rowan strolled over, feigning concern, though his voice betrayed his true feelings.

“What’s wrong, Tessa? Not happy?”

Rowan turned and playfully punched Nathan in the arm. “You really went all out, huh? Did it ever cross your mind that Tessa is the bride today?”

For a brief moment, I thought he had finally realized the joke had gone too far.

But then, he handed me the ring—still in its box—the very one meant for my finger.

“Didn’t you want to get married? To be a bride?” He smirked. “I’m making it happen for you. I even got the emcee, the groomsmen, and the guests to show up.”

I met his gaze with an icy glare. He scoffed.

“What’s with that look? You didn’t actually think I was going to marry you, did you? I was just helping you fulfill your wish—I never said I’d be the groom.”

Then, as if offering some thoughtful advice, he added, “Hold on to that wedding ring. Wouldn’t want to lose it now. Otherwise, your groom won’t have a ring to put on your finger.”

“Oh—wait.” He chuckled. “There isn’t even a groom at this wedding.”

Nathan made no effort to hide the mockery in his voice. “No way! A wedding without a groom?

“But I have to say, Tessa looks more than ready to get married. Just look at her—so dressed up for the occasion!”

His words instantly turned every gaze toward me and my drenched wedding gown clinging to my body.

In the past, I would have swallowed my tears and begged Rowan in a whisper not to humiliate me like this in front of everyone.

But now, I simply wiped the water from my face, careful not to smudge my makeup.

In a calm voice, I thanked them instead.

“Thank you all for walking me through this rehearsal. I was a little nervous before, but I feel much better now. The real wedding should go even more smoothly.”

Rowan froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Are you really this stupid, or are you just pretending? Do you still think I’m going to marry you?

“Can’t you see? This was all just to make Lisa laugh!

“A woman who throws herself at a man only cheapens herself.”

His smirk was laced with ridicule, not even bothering to hide his amusement.

He didn’t care how much his words could hurt me.

Lisa and the others laughed heartily.

My heart felt like it was being wrung tightly, over and over again.

I had known for a while that Rowan, Miles, and Nathan had planned to humiliate me.

A few days earlier, Rowan had called me.

“Don’t you want to get married, Tessa? To be a bride? The venue is set just as you chose it. See you there.”

My heart had skipped a beat then.

He knew me too well—he knew how much I longed for marriage.

After my mother passed away, I lived with my grandmother. Now, she is gravely ill. Her only wish is to see me married, to witness my happiness before she leaves this world.

I had booked the wedding venue long ago, begging Rowan countless times to marry me—even if it was just a farce of a ceremony to put my grandmother’s mind at ease.

That one phone call had thrown me into turmoil.

I had wanted to talk to Miles about it in his study. But instead, I accidentally overheard them enthusiastically discussing how to orchestrate this idea of a cruel joke on my wedding day.

…

Rowan burst into laughter. “I just called Tessa and told her to prepare for the wedding. Guess what? She actually believed I was going to marry her!

“Tell me—how stupid can that woman be?”

“She has no idea. That’s what makes it entertaining. The best part will be her raw, unfiltered embarrassment. Lisa will love it,” Miles chimed in.

I covered my mouth in shock.

Even Miles had taken Lisa’s side.

Nathan jumped in eagerly. “What if we swap the confetti for a water balloon? Imagine her drenched like a pathetic, wet little stray.

“Just don’t let Lisa find out beforehand,” he added. “It won’t be as fun if she knows what’s coming.”

They seemed completely satisfied with their scheme, their expressions brimming with anticipation.

I stood frozen at the doorway, unable to move.

The wedding I had longed for—had meticulously planned—was nothing more than a wicked prank to amuse Lisa.

The three people who had once run across the entire city just to buy me my favorite sweets no longer existed.

When had they changed?

In my memories, Miles, Rowan, and Nathan had always loved me the most.

But ever since Lisa entered our lives, everything had shifted.

Her depression was so severe that merely seeing me would send her spiraling.

Every time she had an episode, she would beg Miles and the others to stay with her.

At first, they dismissed it, scoffing that her depression was nothing more than an act.

But little by little, their attention shifted—from me to Lisa.

First, it was Rowan, the man I had loved for seven years.

Then Miles and Nathan, who had been by my side since we were children.

Now, just for the sake of Lisa’s smile, they had turned my wedding into a spectacle.

Making her happy had become their highest priority even if it meant humiliating me.

They handled her with delicate care, yet they had no hesitation in their mistreatment of me.

A dull, numbing ache settled in my heart.

Today, I was indeed getting married.

Just not to Rowan.

I smoothed my damp hair, trying to make myself look presentable. Then, raising the microphone, I addressed the guests.

“That was just a minor mishap. Please bear with us for a moment.”

With that, I gathered up my heavy, water-soaked wedding gown and turned to them.

“I’ll go change into a different dress now. Otherwise, I won’t have time once my husband arrives.”

Fortunately, I had anticipated something going wrong and had chosen not to wear my actual wedding gown.

Rowan stared at me as if I were a lunatic.

“Have you lost your mind because I said I’m not marrying you?

“I already told you—this entire wedding was a lie. There is no groom!”

Miles sneered in agreement. “Tessa, even if you’re embarrassed, there’s no need to lie.

“Besides, do you think I wouldn’t know if anyone actually wanted to marry you?”

His words sent a wave of laughter rippling through the crowd.

Everyone had seen how I had spent years chasing after Rowan. It was a fact no one could deny.

Nathan pretended to think for a moment before smirking. “Could it be that she’s just trying to make Rowan jealous?”

“That’s such a pathetic trick, Tessa. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?”

Lisa gently tried to stop them, then turned to me with a look of concern.

“Tessa, this whole thing was just a little joke to cheer me up. You playing along with them really means a lot to me.

“I also know you’ve liked Rowan for a long time, but love is a two-way street…

“A girl should know her worth. Father is watching from the audience, along with so many guests. You shouldn’t keep making a scene.”

Her voice was soft, her tone soothing, but every word painted me as a shameless woman.

I glanced down and saw my father’s face darken as he hurried to offer the guests an explanation.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and spoke firmly.

“This is my wedding. The groom is on his way.”

Then, without hesitation, I picked up my phone and dialed the number pinned at the top of my contacts.

…

But the call went straight to voicemail.

I redialed, again and again, but no one answered.

A hollow unease settled in my heart. After all, we had only met once.

Rowan watched me with amusement, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I used to think you were just unabashed. Now, I see you’re also remarkably good at lying to yourself.”

Miles scoffed. “Stop wasting your time, Tessa.”

Lisa cast me a pitying glance, then turned to Rowan.

“Rowan, it looks like Tessa desperately wants to get married,” she said softly.

“Why don’t you just humor her and go through the motions? I feel a little sorry for her.”

Rowan didn’t even hesitate. “I was only playing along to amuse you. I never had any intention of marrying Tessa.”

He took a deliberate step back as if drawing a clear boundary, as if afraid I might cling to him.

Lisa then turned to Nathan.

Nathan recoiled instantly. “There’s no way I’d embarrass myself like that!”

Watching them scramble to reject Lisa’s suggestion, eager to prove their loyalty to her, I felt nothing. Nothing but the echo of a memory.

At eighteen, these same two men had fought over the chance to have me as their partner at their coming-of-age ceremony.

They had tripped over each other planting roses in my honor, hoping to win my favor.

Now, their devotion belonged to someone else, and my heart had long since gone numb.

I refused to watch Lisa pretend to be kind.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t marry either of you scumbags, nor would I ever let you be associated with me,” I said coldly.

“My groom is someone else entirely.”

My father, Richard Hamilton, finally lost his patience.

He bellowed at me, his face twisted with fury.

“Tessa! Stop this act! Do you want to humiliate me in front of everyone?

“Why can’t you be more like Lisa? Sensible, obedient! Do you have to make sure the whole world knows you’re a desperate, unwanted burden?”

I stood there on the stage, stripped of dignity, forced to endure his rage.

All he cared about was saving his reputation.

My frail yet steady grandmother held my hand tightly. She looked at me with unwavering support and offered a reassuring smile.

“Tessa would never lie! Please, just wait a little longer.”

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my clenched palm.

I answered, my heart pounding.

A deep, steady voice came through the receiver—urgent yet soothing.

“Sorry, my love. Traffic’s bad today, but I’m on my way.”

I told him to be careful.

Nathan smirked, watching me like he was enjoying a show.

“You’re really committed to this act. Did you hire some random guy to play the part?”