Replaced at the Altar，Goodbye, Cheating Bride!

The night before our wedding, my fiancée aggressively made out with her toxic first love at her bachelorette party. As if that wasn't thrilling enough, they filmed the whole thing and posted it on Ins. Our friends and family exploded. By the time I found out the next morning, the comments were already well past ninety-nine. Ashley acted sheepish. "I had too much to drink last night... But since it's already out there, why don't we just roll with it? Let Julian take your place and marry me." "We already got our marriage certificate anyway. Missing one ceremony won't kill you." The hotel staff standing nearby were completely dumbfounded, expecting me to fly into a violent rage. Instead, I smiled, nodded, and agreed to her request. Ashley looked thrilled, praising me for finally learning to behave and not throwing another childish tantrum over Julian. She seemed to have forgotten one little detail: the marriage certificate she got with me back then was entirely fake. The moment I agreed, Ashley demanded I take off my tuxedo. The hotel staff promptly swapped out the wedding posters of me and Ashley for posters of her and Julian. "Ethan, Julian’s parents have been breathing down his neck to get married," she explained. "Once we fool them, I promise I'll throw you an even grander wedding later, okay?" I nodded, my gaze brushing over the fresh hickeys on her neck. Ignoring the pitying and bewildered looks from the crowd, I took off my tux and calmly walked over to sit at the bride’s family table. I had poured months of sweat and tears into planning this wedding. From the luxury venue to the five-star catering, everything was top-tier. I just never imagined I was preparing someone else’s dream wedding all along. I swallowed a glass of bitter whiskey with a wry smile and looked up at the stage. Wearing a pure white wedding gown with tears glistening in her eyes, Ashley shared a passionate kiss with Julian amidst the cheering crowd. Strangely, the drink didn't taste bitter anymore. Maybe I had just gone completely numb. All these years, I knew Ashley kept a torch burning for Julian. Back then, I fought, argued, and made scenes, but it was useless. Every single time, Ashley would swear she'd cut all ties with Julian, only to crawl right back to him behind my back. Gradually, without realizing it, my heart turned to stone. I kept telling myself that once we tied the knot, she would settle down. Too bad she gave away the very wedding I had begged for years to have. Draining the last drop of my drink, I slipped out before the reception toasts even started. Soon enough, Ashley called. "Ethan, why did you leave before the toasts? Julian wanted to share a drink with you to say thanks." Thanks? More like rub it in my face. She knew damn well Julian and I hated each other. She just cared more about Julian, which was why she let him walk all over me again and again. "I had things to do, so I left early." "What could you possibly have to do? Are you throwing a fit over the wedding?" I chuckled softly and replied offhandedly, "Yeah, I am." Ashley’s voice instantly turned icy. "What is wrong with you? A grown man whining and being jealous all day long." "Why can't you be generous like Julian? He knew I was your wife, yet he still risked becoming a laughingstock just to stand at the altar with me." Here we went again. He was the laughingstock? Clearly, I was the one wearing the clown shoes. Before I could speak, Julian’s smug voice chimed in through the speaker. "Ashley, it was the least I could do. I really should be thanking you—when you heard my parents were pushing me to get married, you didn't hesitate for a second to step up." "Oh, and thanks to Ethan, too, for busting his back putting our wedding together~" My grip tightened around the phone. I had already tasted Ashley's blatant favoritism countless times. At our law firm, she made me address her strictly by her title—CEO Ashley. Yet she let Julian call her "babe" right in front of all our colleagues. Three months ago, all it took was one word from Julian for her to yank a case away from me—a massive case I had painstakingly spent months gathering rock-solid evidence for. Julian was utterly incompetent. Even with an ironclad case, he managed to bungle it in court. And what did Ashley do? She dumped the burning mess right back into my lap. "Ethan, you know Julian is new here. We can't let one bad case ruin his career." "Besides, you were the one who handled it initially. Now that it’s going south, you should take full responsibility." "Come on, didn't you always want a wedding? I’ll make it up to you with a ceremony afterwards, okay?" I never realized that this entire wedding was planned for Julian from the very start.When I didn't reply to Julian, Ashley grew irritated. "Ethan, Julian’s talking to you. Why are you zoning out?" "You're being so immature. Don't ruin my happiest day by making me yell at you!" I let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, my bad. I'm sorry." Hearing the flat exhaustion in my voice, Ashley softened a fraction. "Whatever. It’s not like your childishness is anything new. I'm hanging up; we have guests to toast." "By the way, go home and pack your things. Move out for a bit. If Julian’s parents see you there tonight, the whole gig is up." Right. It was definitely time to move out. After all, that wasn't my home anymore. "Did you hear me, Ethan? I..." I cut her off, my tone eerily calm. "Ashley, let's break up." Ashley froze, and then her temper flared. "Ethan, what are you babbling about?! We're legally married! Break up with what?!" "I just held a fake ceremony with Julian! You're holding our marriage certificate in your own hands! Are you really that insecure and petty to pull this crap with me?" Hearing her words, I didn't even have the energy to argue. I just felt absolute disgust at all the wasted years I had given her. Marriage certificate? She knew better than anyone what that piece of paper really was. My silence made Ashley assume I had backed down again. After a beat, she sighed. "Look, I get that you're jealous and trying to get a rise out of me by threatening a breakup. But pull this again, and I’m actually going to be pissed. Just treat this as... taking some space apart, okay?" "Oh, right. There's a tricky case over in New York. Fly there first and dig up some evidence." With that, she hung up. But right before the line went dead, I caught her muffled whisper to Julian: "I haven't found anyone competent enough to take over his workload yet. Once I find a replacement..." A hollow ache washed over me. So in her eyes, I was never anything more than a cash cow. I worked myself to the bone winning trials, only for her to blow all that money wining and dining Julian. I still remembered a year ago when my beat-up electric scooter died. I begged her to get me a new one. Instead, she bought me a secondhand bicycle and made me pedal through the freezing dead of winter to get to work. "The economy is rough right now, and cash is tight. Just deal with it." My nose had been bright red from the biting frost. When I finally reached the firm, I saw a brand-new Apollo supercar parked right out front. That was the moment I realized the economy wasn't rough at all. Ashley had simply taken the money I earned and bought Julian a lavish birthday gift just to put a smile on his face. Shaking my head at the bitter memory, I went back to the apartment, packed my bags, and headed straight to the law firm. "Mr. Miller? Aren't you supposed to be at your wedding with CEO Ashley?" Everyone had gone to the wedding reception, leaving behind only a lone female intern. "You're mistaken," I replied calmly, setting down a letter of resignation. "That's Ashley and Julian’s wedding, not mine." Because Ashley always claimed I was a partner and co-owner of the firm, she had never actually made me sign an employment contract. Which meant if I wanted to leave, all I had to do was walk out the door. How ironic. A law firm full of legal experts, doing the shadiest, most illegal things behind closed doors.The intern was stunned, but quickly pieced things together. "CEO Ashley is unbelievable!" she blurted out angrily. I gave her a gentle smile, told her to keep up the good work, and turned my back on the place I had bled for over the years. Leaving didn't make me feel light as air. A star litigator who commanded respect across the entire state, and I had exactly three dollars and sixty-five cents left to my name. Nobody would believe it if I told them. I sighed and hesitated before dialing an old college classmate. The second Bianca heard I broke up with Ashley, she was thrilled. She immediately offered to drive through the night to pick me up, recruit me to her firm, and give me a full partnership with equity. I told her not to go through all that trouble—all I needed was two hundred bucks to buy a bus ticket. Over the years, I had gotten used to taking long-distance buses on business trips just to save money for Ashley's firm. To my shock, Bianca sounded heartbroken. She instantly wired two million dollars into my bank account, told me to book the most expensive first-class flight for tomorrow morning, and said she was heading to the airport right now to wait for me. I smiled bitterly, an ache blooming in my chest. She was so generous. Miles more generous than Ashley had ever been. I spent the night in a cheap motel. Scrolling through Ins, I saw Julian’s party videos from the wedding, showing Ashley laughing so brightly. I quietly tapped the 'like' button. The next day, I boarded my first-class flight right on time. When the plane landed and I stepped out of the arrivals gate, Julian’s voice suddenly rang out. "Ethan? Why aren't you working on the case? Why are you stalking us?" he asked in shock. "I was wondering why you were so generous as to like our video last night. Turns out you were tracking us down!" I turned around. Ashley and Julian were standing there, their fingers intertwined, wearing matching wedding bands and glowing with newlywed bliss. What a perfect match. Seeing me, Ashley sighed with annoyance, let go of Julian’s hand, and walked up to me. "Ethan, didn't we agree to take some space? I'm going on a honeymoon with Julian to make sure his parents are completely fooled." "If you keep tailing me like a creep, it's exhausting. Besides, didn't I send you a case to handle?" Julian crossed his arms, whining, "Ethan, I don't even mind that you and Ashley were legally married. Can't you be a man and give us some private space?" "Why are you following us? Are you going to watch us in bed, too?" Seeing Julian get upset, Ashley quickly consoled him before glaring at me. "Look, Ethan, you've seen me. Now go back. You know Julian doesn't like having you around." "Wait... where did you get the money for a plane ticket? Did you stash secret cash behind my back? You've got some nerve!" I kept my face completely blank. "First, I am not following you. Second, this ticket was a gift from a friend." Ashley rolled her eyes impatiently. "Still lying? What friends do you even have in New York?" Julian piped up smoothly, "Wait... did Ethan take out a predatory loan or something?" At that, Ashley blew a fuse like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "How humiliating! I'll transfer you the cash right now. Don't you dare let your sketchy debts drag our firm down. Now get lost!" Looking at the utter disgust written across her face, I found it absurdly hilarious. When I first found out our marriage certificate was a fake, I hadn't exposed her lie. I foolishly thought that maybe, just maybe, with enough time, the fake would eventually turn real. It wasn't until she hired Julian, showered him with favoritism, and openly fooled around with him day in and day out that I finally woke up. A lie was a lie. It would never become the truth."The money’s transferred! Get out of my face, did you hear me?!" I had planned to ignore her, but she kept pushing. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Bianca’s voice sliced through the terminal. "Ethan! I stayed up all night waiting for you! My eyes are swollen! You finally made it!" "Who are they? Your ex? Didn't you say you dumped her?" I turned around to see Bianca, whom I hadn't seen in years, walking over in a stunning designer dress. A genuine smile broke across my face, and I walked toward her. Ashley froze in shock. Then her jaw dropped. "You came here for this woman?!" Julian’s eyes flashed with mockery as he sneered, "Oh wow, don't tell me this is your little side-chick, Ethan~" Hearing that, Ashley put two and two together and glared at me in disbelief. "No wonder you wanted to break up! You had another woman waiting in the wings!" "Ethan, we dated for twelve years and were married for ten! How could you do this to me? Do you have any conscience at all?!" Julian smirked triumphantly, adding fuel to the fire. "Ethan, how could you betray your pure love with Ashley over such petty things~" "You're such a disappointment. Ashley, let's go. Breathing the same air as this scumbag makes me sick!" I nearly laughed out loud. What incredible gaslighting! Never mind that Bianca and I were completely clean—even if I had cheated, what right did the two of them have to judge me? Ashley didn't leave. Instead, she lunged forward in a blind rage and slapped Bianca hard across the face. "You homewrecking bitch!" "Didn't you know he's a married man?!" Before she could strike again, I shoved Ashley away with all my might. "Ashley, have you lost your damn mind?!" Ashley’s eyes went red. She clenched her fists and pointed a trembling finger at me. "Ethan, you're yelling at me and shoving me for this woman?!" "Did you forget every single vow you ever made to me?!" She actually had the nerve to bring up those vows. I took a deep, steadying breath, swallowed my rage, and said coldly: "First, I never cheated. Second, her name is Bianca. She's my college classmate. I came to New York on business with her, and she paid for my ticket. Every cent." Ashley scoffed coldly. "College classmate? You think I'm stupid enough to buy that?" "Believe whatever you want. Bianca, let's go." I turned to leave with Bianca, but Ashley stepped in front of me, furious. "Ethan, if you dare walk away right now, I'm firing you from the firm! You will never step foot back in there again!" Before I could reply, Bianca couldn't hold back anymore. "That's fantastic! That way Ethan can officially become a senior partner at my firm." With that, she pulled a pristine partnership agreement out of her bag. Ashley’s eyes flickered with panic, but in the next second, she grabbed my collar and snarled, "Is she telling the truth? You're jumping ship to her firm?" "Ethan, you're leaving over a petty squabble? I don't give you permission to leave!" Julian sneered, shaking his head. "Ethan, you're a lawyer. How can you knowingly break the law?" "Jumping ship like this means you owe us massive breach-of-contract penalties." Bianca fired back instantly, "My firm will cover every single penny!" I offered a faint smirk. "No need. I never signed an employment contract with them." "Ashley, since there's no contract, I don't need your damn permission." Before I could finish, Ashley cut me off, her eyes brimming with tears of betrayal. "Ethan, I really misjudged you." "If you're hell-bent on leaving, then let's get a divorce." She said the word 'divorce' with total nonchalance, completely certain I wouldn't have the guts to call her bluff. It was her favorite weapon throughout our entire relationship. In the past, I would have begged her to reconsider. But now? I couldn't divorce her even if I wanted to—you have to be legally married first. I shook my head. A look of triumph flashed across Ashley's face, but then I pulled two fake marriage certificates out of my bag. "We were never married. What divorce is there to talk about?"