On the day of the wedding, the ballroom was packed with guests, and everyone was buzzing with excitement.

I stood in the corner, while all of the wedding couple's friends and family clustered in small groups. They glanced my way from time to time, their eyes full of pity and mockery.

"What a pitiful man. His own fiancee got knocked up by his brother, and he's still here as the officiant."

"I heard he's impotent. That's why Erica got involved with his brother."

"That explains it. In this day and age, what woman wants to live like a widow even when her husband's still alive?"

The whispers drifted into my ears, and every word cut me like a knife. I clenched my fists, forcing myself not to explode on the spot.

It wasn't time yet.

A man who looked like a reporter approached me. He handed me his business card, saying, "Hello, I'm with the Metropolitan Daily. I hear you're the groom's brother and the bride's former fiance?"

"Yes," I calmly replied.

"Well, that's not something you see every day," the reporter remarked with a chuckle, his eyes gleaming over the scoop. "You don't mind if we livestream the entire event, do you? It's rare to see someone as gracious as you."

"I don't mind at all." My lips curled into a smirk.

A livestream suited me perfectly—the more viewers, the better.

The lights in the ballroom dimmed, and the wedding ceremony began.

As the wedding march played, Erica, six months pregnant, slowly walked down the aisle in a wedding gown. She had a blissful smile on her face.

Alex stood on the platform in a tailored suit, holding his son with a triumphant smile.

"And let us welcome our wedding officiant, Mr. Noah Sherman!" the emcee said.

Applause filled the ballroom as a spotlight fell on me. With measured steps, I walked up to the podium, feeling all the eyes on me. Some were curious, and a few were pitying, but most were reveling in amusement over my sorry situation.

I took a deep breath and stepped up to the microphone. The ballroom fell silent as everyone waited for me to give my speech.

"Thank you all for attending this wedding," I began, my voice calm as I looked across the crowd. "But before we proceed, I'd like everyone to take a look at something rather interesting."

I pressed the remote I had prepared in advance. The giant screen behind us flickered to life, and a video began to play.

Erica and Alex's smiles froze.

Alex shot a look at his buddies in the audience, and a few of them immediately jumped up to drag me down the podium.

At that exact moment, the doors to the ballroom flew open. Several imposing military officers strode in, their presence commanding.