The Bride Was Not Me

A Wedding Drenched in Red

When her coworkers froze her out, it was Victor who stepped in to defend her.

"To meet a man like this," Anna said sweetly, "must be a blessing earned over several lifetimes."

Watching the two of them trade lines like a rehearsed duet made my stomach churn.

I had already found out the truth. Anna's nursing job had been bought. She didn't understand even the most basic medical knowledge.

She followed medication orders word for word and still managed to give patients the wrong drugs, making their conditions worse. In the end, her coworkers were always the ones cleaning up her mess.

But Victor didn't care about any of that. All it took was a few tears from Anna, and he was cruel enough to turn my son into a living teaching prop for her.

At that moment, Victor wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulders and turned to face the audience.

He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he even choked up, unable to speak for a second.

"Today," he finally said, voice trembling, "there's actually one more piece of good news to share. Anna is pregnant. We're about to welcome our first child."

The room exploded instantly. Gasps and cheers rose one after another.

Amid the noise, I clearly heard his uncle who had borrowed over two million from me laughing loudly. "Victor, you really are something! A thriving career, a happy family. You're the pride of the Langfords!"

Margaret, his aunt who once made me pull every string I had to send her daughter abroad, clapped her hands while wiping away tears. "This is wonderful. I could tell the moment I saw Anna that she was a lucky girl. And look at that. She's already carrying your precious child!"

Then there was Victor's younger brother, whose startup had failed again and again, every time relying on my connections to survive. He was so excited that he stood up straight from his seat. "Victor! Anna! Congratulations! I can't wait to welcome my first niece or nephew!"

Every single one of them had benefited from me in real, tangible ways. They had accepted my help, my favors, my kindness.

And yet, at this moment, not one of them remembered I existed. Not one of them spoke my name.

Just then, a five-year-old little cousin of Victor's suddenly piped up, her clear voice cutting through the flattery filling the room. "Shouldn't it be the second one? Vanessa already has a son."

Her innocent words drained all the color from Anna's face. She swayed and nearly collapsed into Victor's arms, her eyes darting in panic, brimming with guilt and grievance.

Victor himself froze for a split second. Then he recovered quickly, pulling her close as his expression turned icy. His voice sharpened without warning. "Only the child I acknowledge counts as my first. As for that other bastard, don't mention him again."

When I heard that, my nails dug deep into my palm.

All these years, because he said he wanted a child, I had suffered endlessly. Medication. IVF. Giving up my career. Everything I endured was for the sake of bringing our love into this world.

And in the end, all of it was dismissed with his casual words: that other bastard.

Olivia hurriedly stepped in, smiling as she tried to smooth things over. "Today is a day of celebration. Let's not bring up things that don't matter."

As she spoke, she shot Victor a meaningful look. "Victor, the wedding isn't over yet. Don't miss the precious moment."

Victor's expression slowly settled. He reached into his pocket and took out a diamond ring.

"Anna, before I met you, I never understood what love truly was. You taught me what marriage and having children really mean. Will you marry me and let me spend the rest of my life protecting you?"

Anna was already in tears. Trembling, she held out her hand. "I will. Victor, from this day forward, whether in good times or bad, I will stay by your side forever."

The instant they exchanged rings, a basin of dark red liquid poured down from above, drenching both of them on the stage with chilling precision.

The entire audience leapt to their feet in shock. Shouts rippled through the hall.

Victor wiped his face in a panic. When his eyes reappeared, they burned with fury.

"Where's the wedding planner?" he roared. "Who planned this disaster of a wedding?"

As my gaze swept over the two of them in their miserable state, I rose from my seat and walked forward at an unhurried pace.

"What's wrong?" I said calmly. "You're unhappy with the wedding personally planned by your lawful wife?"