Chapter 3

At six AM, the wedding convoy stopped outside Sophia's apartment complex.

I stood outside her security door wearing that three-thousand-dollar rental suit, holding a bouquet of red roses.

The hallway was packed with Sophia's relatives, all whispering and looking at me like I was a circus monkey.

"If you haven't prepared a cash gift of ninety-nine thousand dollars for me, I'm not opening the door for you."

A flippant voice came from inside. It was Lucas.

I looked at him through the iron bars of the security door.

He wore the custom suit I'd paid for, with a boutonniere that should've belonged to a groomsman pinned to his chest.

Meanwhile, my actual groomsmen were being blocked at the stairwell landing by several of Sophia's relatives.

"Lucas, the custom is to give gifts at the door. The car gift is given when we arrive at the hotel." I stated the facts calmly.

Lucas snorted and blew a smoke ring through the door at me.

"Ethan, rules are dead but people are alive. Sophia says today, I make the rules."

He turned and picked up a basin from a nearby table filled with murky yellow liquid.

"If you want to take Sophia, sing a love song in front of everyone, then do ten push-ups. Then I'll open the door."

The surrounding relatives immediately burst into laughter.

"Why's the groom just standing there? Getting married and can't even show this much sincerity?"

"Exactly. Our Sophia is a beauty. This little test is nothing."

My gaze moved past Lucas to Sophia sitting on the living room sofa.

She wore an elaborate wedding dress, holding a fan partially covering her face, laughing hysterically with a bridesmaid beside her.

She had no intention of stopping this. She was even recording it on her phone.

"Sophia, is this what you want too?" I stared into her eyes, my voice not loud but loud enough for everyone in the living room to hear.

Sophia lowered her fan and rolled her eyes.

"Ethan, if you can't take a joke, don't play along. Everyone's just having fun. Lucas is joking with you. Who are you making faces at?"

She stood up and walked to the door, looking down at me.

"If you don't want to drink it or crawl, then take your people and get lost. I'm calling off this wedding!"

She was certain I wouldn't dare make a scene at this point.

After all, in everyone's eyes, I was the pathetic simp who'd thrown away everything just to marry her.

I looked at the hickey on the side of her neck, deliberately covered with foundation.

That definitely wasn't a mosquito bite. The shape and color were clearly from last night.

And Lucas's lips still had traces of lipstick he hadn't wiped off completely.

My hands slowly clenched at my sides, nails nearly digging into my flesh.

"Fine. I prepared gifts for you."

I grabbed the gift bag full of items from behind me and shoved it through the door.

Lucas's eyes lit up. He immediately squatted down to grab them.

The moment he lowered his head, I kicked the security door hard.

The old lock made a brittle crack under the strain. The door swung open.

Lucas was knocked backward by the door, landing on his butt with gifts scattering everywhere.

"What are you doing!" Sophia shrieked, pointing at my nose and cursing.

"Ethan, are you crazy! You dare hit Lucas?"

I ignored her and walked straight to the sofa, casually tossing the roses onto the coffee table.

"We're running out of time. Let's go."

Sophia's mother, Margaret, rushed out of the bedroom at that moment, holding a piece of paper and a pen.

"Go where! You haven't written the IOU yet!"

She slammed the paper and pen onto the coffee table, glaring at me furiously.

"Write that five-hundred-thousand-dollar IOU in front of everyone, or nobody's leaving this apartment today!"

The living room fell silent. All the relatives' eyes focused on me.

They were all waiting to see this sucker make a fool of himself.

I picked up the pen and without hesitation, quickly wrote out a five-hundred-thousand-dollar IOU and signed my name.

"Margaret, keep it safe." I handed the IOU to Sophia's mother, my lips curling into an imperceptible cold smile.

Margaret carefully inspected it, then tucked it away satisfied.

"At least you know what's good for you. Sophia, I'll help you downstairs."

"No need." Sophia looked coquettishly at Lucas, who had just gotten up from the floor.

"Let Lucas carry me down. He's stronger."

Lucas immediately dusted himself off and gave me a smug look before walking over to scoop Sophia up in his arms.

Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling sweetly.

Everyone present thought this scene was perfectly natural. Not one person thought there was anything wrong with another man carrying the bride downstairs.

I followed behind them, watching Lucas's hand — wearing my mother's antique gold rings — pressed tightly against Sophia's waist.

"Ethan, who are you pulling that face for today? If you don't want to get married, get lost right now." Sophia glared back at me from Lucas's arms.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my lawyer: "Proceed as planned."

Then I looked up at her.

"Get married? Of course we're getting married. The guests are all waiting."