Hailey was in disbelief as she stared at Matthew's face. She quickly returned to her senses and composed herself before dropping her smile and grabbing his hand.

Fortunately, his back was to the guests, so no one other than those who sat in the front row could see his face. Hailey held Matthew still, preventing him from turning to face the guests.

She also thanked her lucky stars that Matthew and Terence were of similar builds. Few people noticed the groom was a different person.

Hailey looked at the guests and said apologetically, "I'm sorry about this, but I suddenly feel unwell. I need some rest."

The guests knew what she meant and stopped cheering, allowing her to leave. Only those few who knew something was up whispered among themselves.

The reception soon started. Logically speaking, the bride and groom had to come downstairs to join their guests in the celebration after chang

Hailey watched as Matthew ranted. For the first time ever, she didn't have the patience to comfort him. Instead, she pinched her nose bridge and said, "This isn't the time to talk about this, Matthew.

"This wedding isn't a regular affair—it's my first time announcing my marriage to the world, so it's important that nothing goes wrong. My and Terence's names have long since made headlines, and everyone knows he's my groom.

"The consequences would be unimaginable if word were to get out about this last-minute groom switch. I'm saying these things for your good."

Matthew didn't want to hear any of it. He just felt she didn't love him if she refused to announce that he was her groom instead of Terence. "If you genuinely loved me, you would tell the world I'm your groom! Do it, or I'll leave right now!"

He got up to leave, but Hailey stood before the door and stopped him. Matthew was secr

It was three days before the wedding, and things at Rainer Manor were livelier than usual because of it. The maids were busy, so no one noticed someone sneaking into the room where the outfits were stored.

Terence handed Matthew an iPad when the latter arrived. "We have similar builds. The suit has been tailored to fit me, so you should try it on now. If there's anything that doesn't fit you, go ahead and make the amendments on the iPad. I'll hand it to the designer for her to change it later."

Matthew looked at him in confusion. "Isn't this your wedding? Why do I have to try on your suit?"

Terence said, "The day of the wedding is when the divorce cooling-off period ends. I'm going to grab my divorce certificate and leave.

"The wedding can't go on without a groom, and you're the best person to stand in for me. You're the one she's always wanted to marry, anyway. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

There wasn't any hint of sorrow or reluctance in his gaze as he spoke. It was only now that Matthew realized Terence genuinely felt nothing for Hailey now.

…

There were two days until the wedding.

Terence was washing up in the bathroom while Hailey attended to some work on the couch. A phone dinged, breaking the silence.

Hailey glanced at Terence's phone and saw that he'd received a text. "You have successfully purchased tickets for Flight UA1082 departing from Haine City International Airport at 9:00 am on October 1st. Traveler name: Terence Stone…"

She was about to pick it up for a closer look when Terence came out of the bathroom. He approached her while drying his hair. She asked, "Why have you bought flight tickets when it's going to be our wedding soon?"

He faltered, then regained his composure and said, "What flight tickets? Are you sure you saw the message correctly? It's probably just spam."

Hailey nodded, not taking the message to heart. Soon, they turned off the lights and got in bed with their backs to each other. One quickly fell asleep, but the other stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning.

…

The wedding was in one day. Terence got out the journal he'd kept since marrying Hailey and flipped through it.

"October 1st, 2019. I've gotten married to the woman I like, but she's gone abroad to see what her first love looks like at his wedding." The sides of the pages were crinkled from dried tear streaks. He felt them before moving on to the next entry.

"December 31st, 2020. This is my first time celebrating New Year's Day with someone by my side, but I'm not happy at all because she's brought me to her first love's favorite spot. Does she want to celebrate the holiday with me, or is she reminiscing about him? Perhaps it's the latter."

"October 1st, 2021. It's our wedding anniversary, but I'm still not happy. She's chosen the restaurant where she confessed to her first love."

The entries continued. "August 29th, 2024. Her first love is back in the country, and I know it's time for me to leave…"

The thick journal was full of everything Terence had felt over the past five years. It was also a record of his marriage, which was doomed from the beginning.

It didn't matter anymore, though. Everything would end on this day.

He picked up a pen and flipped to the last page of the journal, writing, "September 30th, 2024. I've decided to leave. I don't want you anymore, Hailey."

After that, he placed the journal and divorce agreement on the bedside table. He got up and looked around the room, which had been decorated for the occasion, one last time. He smiled, his gaze filled with hope for his freedom. When the bells tolled, he disappeared into the night.

…

The wedding day had finally arrived. The hall was decorated with fresh flowers and white tulle; sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows, leaving colorful patterns on the floor. It added hints of coziness and romance to the venue.

Hailey stood at the beginning of a path made of rose petals. This wedding was long overdue and something she wanted to do to make it up to Terence, but she found that she was expectant when she walked onstage.

She'd never seen Terence in a wedding suit before, and the thought of her slowly approaching him in her wedding gown, her cheeks flushed, made her heart race. She walked toward him, her footsteps in sync with the music.

"Do you, Terence Stone, take Hailey Rainer to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

"Terence" nodded. "I do."

"Do you, Hailey Rainer, take Terence Stone to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Hailey nodded. "I do."

The guests clapped, and the pastor pronounced them man and wife. Hailey smiled underneath her veil. However, when "Terence" leaned close to lift the veil so he could kiss her, she grabbed ahold of it, refusing to let go.

"Terence" thought she was feeling shy, so he lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Don't be scared, Hailey."

Hailey's pupils constricted when she saw his face up close. What was Matthew doing there?

Hailey was in disbelief as she stared at Matthew's face. She quickly returned to her senses and composed herself before dropping her smile and grabbing his hand.

Fortunately, his back was to the guests, so no one other than those who sat in the front row could see his face. Hailey held Matthew still, preventing him from turning to face the guests.

She also thanked her lucky stars that Matthew and Terence were of similar builds. Few people noticed the groom was a different person.

Hailey looked at the guests and said apologetically, "I'm sorry about this, but I suddenly feel unwell. I need some rest."

The guests knew what she meant and stopped cheering, allowing her to leave. Only those few who knew something was up whispered among themselves.

The reception soon started. Logically speaking, the bride and groom had to come downstairs to join their guests in the celebration after changing their outfits. Harold and Nora waited for a long time, but neither Hailey nor "Terence" showed u

Chapter 9