On My Wedding Day, My Groom Chose His Childhood Sweetheart

On the day of my wedding, I stood in my dress, anxiously waiting for Desmond Hawke to come pick me up.

But just as the ceremony was about to begin, my phone rang.

It was him.

“Rowena gets car sick, Elara," he said casually, "She can’t ride in anyone else’s car. She can only sit in my Bentley.”

I frowned, the frustration creeping in.

Then, Desmond added, "I’ll drive to pick her up. It’s not convenient for me to pick you up, so why don’t you take a public bike to the hotel? You ride one to work every day anyway."

I was stunned.

Right on the day of our wedding, the groom wasn’t coming to get his bride. He was going out of his way to pick up his childhood sweetheart, Rowena Ferguson, instead.

It felt like a slap in the face.

I couldn’t even process it properly.

In my fury, I opened a group chat titled 'Cool Breeze Squad' and posted a selfie of me riding a public bike, the wedding dress flaring out around me like a joke.

Then, an hour later, the heirs of several prominent families began to show up at the wedding venue, each of them riding bikes as if it were a casual entrance.

Then, my childhood friend, the heir to Grandview City's wealth, dismounted his bike with a serious expression and knelt before me.

He swore, “If you agree to marry me, I’ll buy Hawke Enterprises and give it to you as your wedding dowry.”

——

My eyes flicked to the clock.

There was only an hour left until the wedding was supposed to start.

If Desmond didn’t show up soon, I was going to be late.

Just then, my phone rang again.

It was Desmond.

I answered quickly, my voice tight with frustration. “Honey, where are you? Why aren’t you here to pick me up yet?”

Desmond’s voice came through the line, apologetic.

“Elara, I may not be able to pick you up anymore. Rowena’s car sick, and she throws up in any car that’s not mine. I just picked her up, and she is not on the way to get you. How about you just take a public bike to the venue? Anyway, you ride one to work every day.”

I could feel my blood boiling.

"Desmond, are you serious? Today is my wedding to you, not with Rowena! You’re not picking me up, your bride, to go get your ex! Who exactly are you marrying? Rowena or me?"

I exhale deeply, expressing my anger. "Besides, I’m still in my wedding dress! You want me to ride a public bike in a wedding dress?”

I heard Desmond sigh heavily on the other end.

“It’s just transportation. I know your family’s not rich, and you’ve never ridden in a luxury car. You want to sit in my Bentley and show off to your girlfriends that you’ve married a rich man, right? Honestly, Elara, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but you’re starting to look a little materialistic.”

Before I could respond, a soft, hesitant voice came from Desmond's side.

“Desmond, is Elara upset? If she is, just drop me off on the side of the road. I’ll find someone else to pick me up. I know I get nauseous in cars, but please, don’t let her misunderstand. It’s a happy day—don’t let her be upset because of me. Let her have her way. It’s all my fault. I knew she tended to misunderstand me, and I still took your car.”

His voice was quiet, almost defeated. “Elara’s just materialistic, wanting to sit in my Bentley, wanting to show off to her colleagues. It’s no big deal.”

“I’m not going to spoil her bad habits,” Desmond added. “She needs a monthly pass just to ride a public bike. She’s always scrambling for coupons. I’m marrying her to get her out of that poor, embarrassing circle. She shouldn’t act spoiled, thinking just because I agreed to marry her, she can do whatever she wants.”

After comforting Rowena, Desmond’s tone turned cold. “Elara, we’re getting married today, and I don’t want to argue. If you want to marry me, then ride the bike yourself. If you keep acting like this, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

With that, he hung up.

I looked at my phone, staring at the wedding group chat.

It was filled with Desmond and Rowena’s friends, who were clearly taking joy in what had just happened.

Someone had posted a video showing the procession of cars on Central Street, with Desmond’s Bentley leading the way.

“Desmond can’t even bear to let Rowena suffer even a little. He went out of his way to pick her up for an hour.”

“Elara’s just being dramatic! She’s already transformed from an ugly duckling into a swan by marrying Desmond. What more does she want?”

“I’ve said it before—she’s not worthy of Desmond. If Rowena hadn’t gone abroad, she wouldn’t even have had a chance. Someone who isn’t loved is just the third wheel. Everyone knows Rowena is the only one in Desmond’s heart.”

I couldn’t stop the anger bubbling up inside me. Their words stung more than I wanted to admit. Still, I managed to shake my head and hold back a laugh.

'Unbelievable,' I thought, 'how easily they turn on me.'