Chapter 3

I kept my polite smile, gave a casual shrug, and said, "Well, tuxedos all look pretty much the same anyway."

I waved a server over to escort him inside. As he walked past, I heard his mind again:

*“What a dumbass. I practically spelled it out for him, and he still doesn't realize I'm here to ruin his life.”*

The moment Julian was out of earshot, Leo couldn't help but spit out, "Look at that arrogant prick. I seriously can't stand him."

I shrugged. "Let him have his moment. He thinks I'm the joke of the day. After all, Olivia is fully prepared to let him 'rescue' her. That way, they get to play the tragic, star-crossed lovers while publicly forcing the Sterling family to accept him."

The wedding venue wasn't far from JFK Airport. By the time I was sitting in the first-class lounge, the ceremony hadn't even begun.

I stared at the clock on my phone, waiting for the circus to start.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

My phone vibrated continuously. Leo was spamming my Snapchat with a live commentary:

"Ethan! He did it! He actually did it!"

"Holy shit, these two cheaters are acting like they’re starring in Romeo and Juliet. Absolutely shameless."

Barely five minutes after the official start time, Leo sent me a video clip of the venue.

According to the original schedule, I was supposed to walk onto the stage first, followed by some cheesy romantic speech from the officiant, and then the bride would enter.

But to make it easier for Julian to crash the wedding, Olivia had altered the timeline, insisting that she walk out first and I follow.

She wanted Julian to swoop in at the perfect dramatic moment, completely unaware that she had played right into my hands.

In the video, Julian, wearing his matching tuxedo, strode up to the altar and snatched the microphone from the officiant's hand.

Ignoring the shocked whispers of the crowd, he began pouring his heart out, declaring his undying love. His dramatic, passionate speech brought tears to Olivia’s eyes.

"Olivia, will you run away with me?"

The guest seating erupted into chaos. Taking the bride away on her wedding day? This was a public slap in the face.

But to everyone’s utter shock, Olivia nodded with tears of gratitude. She walked over, locked her fingers with Julian's, and leaned gently against his shoulder.

"I will."

At that moment, Julian’s massive ego was fully inflated.

He even took the opportunity to address the closed doors of the groom's suite, delivering a "victory speech." The gist of it was: *I know you love Olivia, Mr. Vance, but she loves me. I hope you can find it in your heart to let us be happy.*

In the video, Olivia stood in her simple, easy-to-run-in wedding dress, paired with those ridiculous white sneakers. Julian held the microphone, unable to hide the smug triumph in his eyes.

He was clearly eager to see me come out looking devastated. He had probably rehearsed his patronizing consolations a hundred times in his head:

"I truly hope Mr. Vance can bless Olivia and me."

"Mr. Vance?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned incredibly awkward.

When the victim of your public humiliation doesn't even show up, your grand romantic gesture instantly turns into a pathetic, one-man circus.

"Mr. Vance?"

"Ethan?"

......

Julian called out my name several times, but the venue remained dead silent. Finally, the coordinator pushed open the suite doors. The room was completely empty. Only my discarded boutonniere lay on the table, symbolizing the groom’s unexplained absence.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy. Someone yelled:

"Holy shit, did the groom run away too?"

In the quiet airport lounge, I let out a loud laugh.

Of course I wanted to bless them. Some of the guests were people I actually respected, and while it was bad form to ditch them, I figured a free comedy show was a decent apology.

I shook my head, laughing as I watched the screen. Right at that moment, the giant projector screen behind the altar suddenly flickered, displaying a massive block of text in bold, blood-red font:

**"WEDDING CANCELLATION NOTICE"**

**"Due to Olivia Sterling's ongoing affair with Julian Rivers, I have decided to call off the wedding. I wish them the best in their circus of a relationship. Hopefully, they stay locked in together forever and don't ruin anyone else's life."**

Below the text, a slideshow of recent, highly intimate photos of Olivia and Julian began to play on a loop.

Buzz. Leo sent me a message:

"Mission accomplished!"

Seeing his text, I uploaded the exact same notice to my Snapchat Story—the final post I would ever make on this account.

The wedding hall completely exploded. No one was laughing at me anymore.

The real joke was standing right on the stage, holding hands.

Now that the groom had vanished, nobody cared about Olivia and Julian’s "romantic escape" anymore.

Julian’s passionate declaration of love on stage now looked utterly pathetic against the giant red word **"AFFAIR"** flashing right above his head.

Star-crossed lovers? No, they were just two cheap cheaters caught in 4K.

Leo was having the time of his life. Two minutes later, he sent me another video.