He Ditched His Bride for Her Pregnant Sister

The reception was still buzzing, champagne glasses clinking, when Cliff Thompson—one of Cruz Nichols' closest friends—nearly choked on his drink. He stared at the message that had just popped up on his phone.

"Whoa—cough, cough…!"

Cruz, who had stepped out of the bridal suite only long enough to deal with a few urgent calls, narrowed his eyes across the nearly empty side lounge. "Spit it out."

Cliff cleared his throat, still shook. "Seriously, mate, you're not actually gonna tie the knot with someone like Adalee, are you?"

Cruz's jaw tightened. "Someone like her? What exactly are you implying?"

Cliff hesitated, then leaned in. "You didn't catch what the guests were whispering at the wedding? Apparently her private life's a bit of a rollercoaster, and here you are walking straight into it with your eyes wide open. You'd be better off marrying Miranda—she's got a spotless rep."

Cruz shot back without missing a beat. "She's not like that."

Cliff pressed. "How can you be so sure?"

Cruz simply said, "You can tell from a kiss."

Cliff: "..." Yeah, no point arguing with that.

"Alright, well—when it comes to the honeymoon," Cliff shrugged, "ease into things. Avoid intimacy in the first and last three months of pregnancy, but otherwise, you're good to go."

Cruz gave a cool nod. Then, after a beat—like something clicked—he added, "Could you jot down some pregnancy dos and don'ts for me?"

Cliff groaned. "Dude, can't you just Google it?"

Cruz replied, "Online sources are too hit-or-miss. You're a certified doctor. I trust you more."

"But I'm a general surgeon—not an obstetrician!"

"Aren't all doctors supposed to know this stuff? Have those notes ready by tonight. Otherwise, what's the point of having you as my doctor?"

"Geez, you're relentless, man!"

But before Cliff could finish his rant, Cruz had already hung up.

After a cold shower, Cruz stepped out of the bathroom in a black robe. He glanced at the bed and saw his young wife already fast asleep—head nestled into the pillow, clutching a pile of blankets as she curled up.

Even in sleep, her delicate brows were pinched together, long lashes trembling like a startled butterfly, fluttering against the shadows creeping through her mind.

Cruz's expression softened. He moved toward her, intending to pull his restless wife into his arms and soothe her.

But before he could, Adalee suddenly clasped his head—arms wrapping tight around his waist—sobbing with joy, "My baby, my baby, finally I get to hold you..."

Cruz: "..."

If her eyes weren't closed, he'd swear she was messing with him.

Then she gently pressed a kiss to his forehead, her lips barely grazing his skin, murmuring sweetly, "Baby, I love you..."

Cruz swallowed hard. He couldn't help but stare at her doll-like face and those tempting lips, his gaze growing deeper, darker...

While the newlyweds settled peacefully in their hotel suite, chaos was unraveling back in the reception hall.

Swapping brides like that? It was a lot for everyone to wrap their heads around.

Especially for the Nichols and Morgan families—who were left confused and embarrassed, feeling the judgmental stares of the guests like lasers. Humiliated, they had no clue what to do next.

Miranda Jenkins, unable to cope with being so abruptly rejected, sat sobbing on the floor.

Meanwhile, Miranda's parents—Palmer and Mrs. Morgan—were desperate for answers. But seeing Miranda's tear-streaked face, they bit their tongues, even though questions weighed heavy on their hearts.

Now that their eldest daughter had been whisked off to the bridal suite by Cruz, all they could do was speculate.

Their biggest concern? Keeping anyone from barging into the bridal chamber. Who knows what they'd walk in on? The chance of witnessing something inappropriate wasn't high on their list—but a media scandal? That was the real threat.

Once the guests finally cleared out, leaving only the Nichols and Morgan clans in the hall, uneasy glances were exchanged all around.

Madeleine Nichols frowned. "What's going on? If the Morgan family doesn't give us some answers today, we can't stay tied by marriage!"

Palmer and his family were just as baffled. Instinctively, they turned to the one person who might know what actually went down—Miranda.

"I—I..."

As all eyes locked onto her, Miranda's mind went blank. Overwhelmed, she feigned a faint, conveniently collapsing into her mother's arms.

"Miranda!" Mrs. Morgan caught her quickly and gave Madeleine an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Nichols. This mess is on us. My daughter's fainted—we need to take her to the hospital first. Once she's recovered, we'll come to your home and sort everything out."

Palmer nodded in agreement. "Yes, we'll personally make amends next time."

Madeleine glanced at Miranda—who looked completely out cold—her brows knitting together. Reluctantly, she waved them off. "Go ahead."

Not long after, Palmer and his wife escorted Miranda to the hospital.

And so ended the circus of a wedding.

Once at the hospital, Miranda snapped out of it fast, insisting on going home without any exam.

Given that she was physically fine, a check-up really wouldn't tell them anything new.

Mrs. Morgan suddenly switched to a firm tone. "Miranda, tell your mother exactly what happened with your marriage to Cruz today!"

Palmer frowned. "And you said your sister's child was fathered by some barfly. So how on earth is it Cruz's child?"

Miranda felt a chill run through her as she met their scrutinizing stares. But she quickly ducked her head, letting the tears flow. "I—I don't know. I only heard gossip..."

Palmer pressed. "Then why was Cruz marrying you instead of your sister in the first place?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe Cruz thought I looked like her and mixed us up."

Miranda did share a resemblance with Adalee—that was exactly why the Morgans had taken her in as Adalee's stand-in.

Hearing this, Palmer and Mrs. Morgan still had their doubts. But Miranda, whom they'd raised since childhood, was always clever and compliant—there was little room for suspicion.

Adalee, on the other hand, had disappointed them time and time again. Especially with the sudden pregnancy—that had hurt them deeply and shattered whatever trust they had in her.

Even the revelation that the child was Cruz's didn't repair the damage or change how they saw her.

Sensing that her parents had bought her story, Miranda paused, then burst into fresh tears.

"Dad, Mom, I'm devastated. Why did my sister wait until my wedding to Cruz to claim her child as his? Why didn't she tell me before? Now everyone knows I got left at the altar. How am I supposed to face anyone again?"

Mrs. Morgan's heart ached for her. She nodded sympathetically and pulled her close, holding her tight.