Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
A text popped up on my phone from a charity case I hadn’t heard from in years.
I expected a belated thank-you. Instead, I found myself added to a group chat named Tyler & Chloe’s Wedding Prep.
The chat was blowing up with spam:
“Congrats on the wedding, Tyler!”
“Big boss Tyler is finally tying the knot!”
I was swamped with corporate contracts and didn't feel like engaging. I figured I'd just wire a generous cash gift later to be polite.
Then, people started aggressively tagging me.
“Who is this guy? Why isn’t he copying the congrats chain?”
“Is he blind? Can’t he see we’re hyping up Tyler’s big day?!”
To my surprise, Tyler chimed in himself:
“Stop embarrassing yourself. Inviting you to my wedding was doing you a favor. I’m not the broke nobody I used to be.”
“Tyler’s bride is a major shareholder at Apex Logistics! That’s a top ten global company! Who dares disrespect our boy Tyler?”
The chat was in an uproar. Just as I was about to hit leave group, Tyler dropped an e-invitation.
I stared at the bride’s name and photo, completely frozen.
That was my wife, Chloe. The woman who was supposedly on a spiritual solo retreat in Napa Valley.
I paused for a few seconds, then typed:
“Happy wedding, Tyler. I’ll be sure to bring you an unforgettable gift.”
After sending those words, I stared at my lock screen in silence. It was our wedding photo.
She had the brightest smile on her face. So did I.
My phone buzzed. A SnapChat from Chloe came through.
“Babe, look at this stunning landmark I passed today! Don’t you love this dress on me?”
In the photo, Chloe wore an elaborate, couture designer dress. Very formal. Very grand.
The background looked eerily familiar. I pulled up Tyler’s SnapChat Story. Sure enough, he had posted the exact same location three days ago—a photo of two hands intertwined, captioned: To the rest of our lives together.
A single glance at the ring on the woman's hand was enough. It was a custom Cartier piece I had personally commissioned. A one-of-a-kind design in the entire world.
“Babe, look at the wildflowers I picked on the trail! Cute, right?”
Before I could even formulate a reply, another message chimed in.
Chloe had always been a woman who cherished life, constantly sharing little pieces of her day with me, while somehow remaining fiercely independent in other ways.
My buddies used to tease me, saying they envied how lucky I was to have a wife who was both so clingy and so self-sufficient.
Her hot-and-cold rhythm had me wrapped around her little finger. I treated her like a priceless treasure, terrified that holding her too tightly would break her, yet terrified of letting her slip away.
Watching her cheerfully text me while watching Tyler’s wedding group chat rage on, I wondered for a brief second if it was just an identical twin. How could anyone wear two completely different faces so effortlessly?
And more than that, I couldn't fathom how the broke student I sponsored years ago had gotten his hands on my wife.
The wedding was tomorrow. I checked the venue. An ultra-exclusive luxury vineyard estate outside the city.
I pulled up the black card I had given Chloe. Sure enough, massive, extravagant charges stared right back at me, mocking every ounce of trust I had ever given her.
The next morning, I cleared my entire executive calendar, got in my car, and drove straight to the estate.
The entire ride there, a tiny, foolish piece of me clung to hope. Praying that this was just some massive, absurd misunderstanding.
I parked near the vineyard gates. Through the windshield, I saw the groom surrounded by his entourage. I had never met Tyler in person, but one look told me it was him.
Dressed in a bespoke tuxedo, young, decently handsome.
I killed the engine and took a deep breath, trying to force down the rage boiling in my chest.
The venue was dripping in wealth. Imported flowers, vintage champagne, glittering lights, loud laughter. Everything looked sickeningly perfect. She had really spared no expense.
“Yo, Tyler, when’s that fake-rich sponsor guy getting here?”
“Yeah, man, did he chicken out? He bailed on sponsoring you halfway through high school, claiming you were a delinquent. Bet he just went broke!”
“Now that you’re living large, he’s probably too embarrassed to show his ugly face!”
“He better not show up, or I’ll teach him some manners for you, bro.”
“Why would Tyler even need you? He’s about to become the golden son-in-law of Apex Logistics. He owns this town now!”
The boys laughed loudly, pumping Tyler’s ego until he practically floated, his eyes full of smug condescension.
The second I stepped out of my car, Tyler’s crew locked their eyes on me.
I found it almost laughable. Apex Logistics was nothing more than a mid-tier subsidiary under Vance Global. Its profits were barely a drop in my bucket.
To please my former father-in-law, I had registered the company under his name and gifted Chloe the majority shares.
“Whoa, is that him? Drove up in an old, clunky black sedan. What a joke.”
A groomsman drenched in cologne and cheap swagger looked my car up and down with open disgust.
Tyler let out a scornful scoff. “Don’t be too hard on him, guys. Back then, he cut off my tuition and claimed I was wasting my life, probably because his own bank account dried up.”
“Look at him now, putting on airs in some hundred-thousand-dollar piece of junk. Even my dog would refuse to ride in that.”
I glanced back at my custom-armored, bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom. Apparently, an eight-hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle wasn't good enough for his mutt.
The gang swaggered over, laughing, and one of them kicked my front bumper.
Tyler scanned me from head to toe. “You don't look that old. Why are you so obsessed with playing the big shot? Let me tell you something, buddy: if you're broke, don't pretend you're a king.”
I let out a cold chuckle. Right then, my phone screen lit up. A new text from Chloe.Tyler caught a glimpse of my lock screen and snatched the phone straight out of my hands.
The crew huddled around him instantly.
“Wait! Isn’t that Tyler’s bride, Miss Chloe?”
“Must be an AI deepfake. No way in hell it’s real.”
A look of smug realization washed over Tyler’s face, instantly followed by deep repulsion.
“Chloe told me about the creep who wouldn't stop stalking her. It’s you, isn’t it? You actually made AI wedding photos with her? You sick freak!”
He slammed my phone onto the gravel by my feet. The screen shattered into a web of cracks.
“Shameless piece of garbage. You dare drool over my woman? Who do you think you are?”
“What, went broke and decided to leech off my family’s money, huh?”
He smashed the phone so fast I didn't even have time to react.
The groomsmen muttered among themselves, nodding in faux realization.
I swallowed down the venomous rage in my throat and stared coldly at Tyler.
Before I could move, Tyler grabbed my collar, slammed me onto the gravel, and slapped me hard across the face.
I threw a punch straight back, but his three buddies tackled me from behind, pinning me against the dirt.
They dragged me into the private backstage quarters of the estate.
Staff and vendors looked on, whispering, but nobody dared step in. Everyone knew today was the big day for Miss Chloe of Apex Logistics.
My head was spinning. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my day would turn into this.
They shoved me onto the cold concrete floor, several pairs of hands pinning my limbs down so I couldn't budge.
A heavy kick slammed right into my gut. A ragged gasp tore out of my throat before Tyler’s dress shoe came crashing down onto the side of my face.
Lying on the freezing floor, the pain in my stomach made it nearly impossible to breathe. My face burned as if scalded by boiling water.
“A grown-ass man acting this pathetic, crashing my boy Tyler’s wedding! Completely shameless! Wanted a sugar mommy so bad your brain broke, didn't it?”
One guy spat on the ground and kicked me hard in the ribs.
“Look in a mirror, loser. You think you’re worthy of Chloe? Tyler and Chloe are made for each other!”
Another guy with curly hair chimed in, lighting a cigarette and blowing smoke into my face.
“Absolute disgrace to men.” A polished black shoe stomped down onto my left hand, grinding into my knuckles.
I groaned through clenched teeth, which only earned a round of loud, mocking laughter.
“I am Chloe’s actual—” Before I could finish, Tyler slapped me across the mouth again.
“Who gave you permission to say my wife’s name, you son of a bitch? You’re not worthy! A lowlife gutter rat like you doesn’t get to breathe her name!”
Tyler chewed his gum furiously, his face twisted into an ugly, vicious sneer, dropping any shred of charm he once had.
The taste of copper filled my mouth.
“Wait, I remember now,” Tyler sneered, looking down at me before delivering another brutal kick to my ribs. “Back at the villa, she kept texting someone pictures. That was you, wasn’t it?”
“You piece of trash. You dare try to seduce my woman? Ran out of cash and tried to hustle my wife?”
His gaze suddenly froze on the Patek Philippe strapped to my wrist. His eyes went ice-cold.
“How the hell do you have a watch like that? Speak! Did my wife buy that for you?! You parasite! She hasn't even bought me one yet! What kind of lies did you feed her?!”
He violently ripped the luxury watch off my wrist and buckled it onto his own.
He held his arm up triumphantly, bathing in the envious stares of his friends.
“Bro, that watch matches your vibe so well! Miss Chloe probably bought it for you in the first place, but this snake intercepted it…”
“Or he just stole it!”
“Exactly!”
Tyler glared down at me. “Chloe would never look at a rat like you. Turns out you're not just a delusional stalker—you're a thieving scumbag.”
Blood dripped steadily from the corner of my mouth. Tyler raised his fist to strike again, but his ringtone cut through the room.The moment he heard the tone, he froze, glared at me, and answered instantly.
His demeanor shifted in a heartbeat, switching to a smooth, sugary tone.
“Chloe, babe! Everything’s set on my end. Just waiting for you. You're going to be the most breathtaking bride in the world today.”
The voice coming from the receiver was etched into my very soul. But unlike the sweet, soft-spoken girl who used to snuggle into my chest, this voice sounded distant, arrogant, and icy.
I opened my mouth to shout, but a groomsman clamped a rough hand over my lips, smothering me as I struggled in vain.
“Oh, by the way, Chloe,” Tyler said, his tone turning sweet and submissive.
“Some pathetic loser showed up in a beat-up car trying to profess his love for you. He was planning to ruin our wedding. How do you want me to handle him?”
“Handle it however you want,” Chloe replied, her tone dripping with casual cruelty. “You have Apex Logistics backing you—what are you afraid of? Just don’t leave a corpse. Actually, even if you do, I’ll clean it up. I’m here.”
Chloe’s arrogance was something I had never heard before.
Perhaps harboring a tiny shred of doubt, Tyler cautiously asked, “Chloe… anyone? No matter who he is?”
Chloe scoffed softly. “Of course. Nobody matters more than you.”
Because in her wildest nightmares, she never could have imagined I would leave my corporate headquarters to show up in this countryside estate.
Tyler smirked down at me, hanging up the phone with pure delight.
Bound hand and foot, I couldn't move. My only card left was the GPS tracking chip embedded in my smart signet ring and backup device.
Unless I gave explicit orders otherwise, my executive security detail and assistant were instructed to track my location and alert law enforcement if I fell off the grid for more than six hours during a business day.
It was a standard protocol I kept for high-stakes corporate kidnappings.
There were roughly two hours left before that window closed. I gritted my teeth and tried to haul myself up.
Tyler held his phone out, chuckling. “You hear that, loser? You’re nobody. Even if I chop you into pieces right now, nobody will bat an eye. You know what that is? That’s what real money can do.”
Looking at his smug grin, my biggest regret was letting my foolish empathy get the better of me back in high school.
Back then, I had just graduated college and taken over the family conglomerate. My father always had a philanthropic habit of funding underprivileged kids.
Tyler’s file showed a boy from a broken, impoverished household. Father locked up for gambling, mother scrubbing floors at an arcade to keep the lights on, battling breast cancer. No funds for school.
I didn't just cover his tuition; I set up a monthly allowance.
Yet he constantly hit up my charity foundation for bizarre extra fees—field trips, private tutoring, extra book charges.
I never doubted him. I paid every invoice.
Until one night, he posted a video partying at an upscale VIP club and forgot to block my foundation account. He deleted it in seconds, but I saw it.
I sent my assistant to investigate. Turns out he had been skipping classes, burning my money on internet cafes, designer sneakers, and nightlife.
I pulled the funding immediately and sent him a blunt letter explaining why.
After that, he and his mother harassed my office for months. But a leopard never changes its spots, so I never gave him another cent.
And now, here he was.
A barrage of heavy kicks slammed into my ribs and back. Pain radiated through every nerve ending in my body.
Spend that much money on a stray dog, and it learns loyalty. Spend it on trash like him, and you get a venomous snake.Tyler checked his watch. “Wrap it up, boys. Chloe’s almost here. Don't let this trash ruin our schedule.”
He took a few steps toward the door, then turned around with a wicked grin. “You two, haul him out to the front entrance. Let everyone see what happens to a broke nobody who dares lust after my bride.”
They dragged me across the gravel toward the main pavilion. The friction shredded my dress shirt, scraping against raw skin.
Chloe arrived.
She wore a custom haute couture bridal gown, an unmistakable design from a Paris runway legend, dripping with thousands of hand-stitched South Sea pearls.
Her skin looked flawless, glowing and porcelain. Millions of dollars of my money spent on high-end dermatologists and wellness retreats had bought that radiant complexion.
She carried herself like a proud swan, chin raised high, looking down on everything around her with utter disdain.
Tyler’s mother hobbled alongside her, bowing her back obsequiously, carefully holding up Chloe’s train.
Tyler’s small-town buddies stood lined up along the carpet, staring at her with wide-eyed awe and envy.
Chloe visibly relished the adoration. A subtle, condescending smirk played on her lips while flower girls scrambled to keep her hem off the ground.
Surrounded by envious gazes, Tyler stepped forward and took Chloe’s manicured hand.
To be fair, Tyler had the looks. With proper management, he could have made it as a boy-band idol.
Chloe took a phone from her maid of honor and typed a quick message. I knew without looking that it was going to me.
Tyler’s jaw tightened slightly with irritation, but he didn't dare complain.
I slumped against the stone pillar near the steps, battered and bloody. The throbbing pain across my ribs made it hard to draw a breath, let alone raise my head.
Chloe spotted me from a distance and clicked her tongue in disgust, shooting Tyler a displeased look.
“Why is there a filthy beggar ruining our entrance?”
Tyler laughed and pointed straight at me.
“I wanted the world to see what happens when a broke stalker tries to crash our wedding and claim Miss Chloe of Apex Logistics! A shameless gold-digger who thinks he can punch above his weight!”
He turned to Chloe with an oily, fawning smile.
“It’s him, babe. The guy who used to sponsor me years ago. He actually thought he could replace me! As if an insect like him could ever qualify to be Apex’s son-in-law! He’s polluting your vision, Chloe.”
Chloe seemed thoroughly flattered by his words. She strode over in her diamond-encrusted heels and planted a kick right against my shoulder.
“Apex Logistics isn’t something scum like you can dream about,” she sneered.
“A lowlife like you doesn't even have the right to utter my name. Understand?
Once trash, always trash. Stop dreaming of punching above your class.”
On her final word, she stomped her heel down toward my face.
With every ounce of strength left in my battered body, I twisted aside.
“You dare dodge?!” Chloe hissed. “Someone hold him down! Finish him!”
The groomsmen exchanged uneasy glances. Assault was one thing; manslaughter was another.
Chloe scoffed coldly. “No matter what happens, Apex Logistics will shield you. You won’t see a day in court.”
I coughed, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the marble steps, and slowly forced my chin up.
“You’ve really grown up, Chloe.”
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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