The Billionaire Alpha’s Contract Bride

JASMINE “You’re a disgrace to me.” The words came from the man standing in front of me. The man who was supposed to put a ring on my finger in less than five minutes. Marcel—my fiancée. Sweat rolled down his forehead, his face twisted with anger and disappointment as if I was the biggest mistake he had ever made. The one word “Disgrace” cut through me like a blade, leaving me breathless. I couldn't even find the right words to defend myself, the strength to respond wasn’t there too. A disgrace? I didn’t do anything. His tone felt like a slap, even before his hand actually touched me. I stood there frozen in my wedding dress, surrounded by hundreds of people who had come to celebrate my happiest day. But nobody was smiling anymore. The happiness that filled the hall moments ago disappeared. Everyone was looking at me and judging. “I can’t believe you slept with my family's biggest rival on the day before our wedding.” “Do you even understand what you’ve done, Jasmine?” Marcel's voice rose. “You stood there in that dress, pretending to be innocent while betraying me behind my back. How could I have been so blind?” A wave of whispers exploded through the hall. Slept with someone? My mind went blank. I couldn’t believe it. It didn't make any sense. I looked at him, waiting for the smallest sign that this was some kind of misunderstanding. A joke or anything. But Marcel's expression remained cold. “No…Marcel.” I whispered his name with my shaking voice. “Don’t say my name like you still have the right to.” “You disgust me, Jasmine. I was about to make you my wife, and you were out there acting like a cheap woman.” “That’s not true.” His jaw clenched. “Don’t lie to me, Jasmine.” My heart dropped. Lie? How could he stand there and say that? “I would never do that to you.” A bitter smile appeared on his lips. “Then explain this.” He pulled out a file from his hand and threw it onto the table beside us. The sound made everyone go silent. My eyes moved to the file. I didn’t want to open it. But something inside me was already screaming. But my hands moved anyway. The first thing I saw was a picture. A woman standing outside a building. Her back was facing the camera. Her face wasn’t visible. For a second, I didn’t understand. Then my eyes moved lower. The bracelet. My bracelet. The silver bracelet with the small butterfly charm. The bracelet Marcel gave me on our first anniversary. My fingers immediately touched my wrist. It was still there. My breathing became uneven. “No…” A small sound escaped my lips. Marcel looked at me. “You recognize it.” I looked up quickly. “That’s my bracelet, but that’s not me.” The whispers started again. “She’s lying.” “She really did it?” “I can’t believe she fooled everyone.” My cheeks burned. “No.” I shook my head. “You have to believe me.” Marcel stared at me like he was searching for the woman he thought he knew. “I defended you.” His voice lowered. “I chose you.” Tears gathered in my eyes. “Because I love you.” “Then why were you meeting him?” “I wasn’t!” My voice broke. “I have never met your rival.” He picked up another document. “Then explain this.” I stared at the paper. My name was written on it. My company information. Fake transactions. Everything looked too real. “I don’t know what this is.” My voice became smaller. “But I swear I didn’t do this.” My father suddenly stood up. “Jasmine.” I turned toward him. His face was full of disappointment. “Tell me this isn’t true.” My chest tightened. “Dad…” My father’s face hardened. “I defended you all your life, and this is how you repay me?” “You brought shame to this family.” “I raised a daughter, not someone who would throw away her dignity for another man.” “Tell me dad!.” I screamed. “I didn’t betray him.” The silence that followed hurt more than the accusation. Because my father didn’t say he believed me. My stepmother shook her head. “I knew something was wrong, “I warned your father about you,” she said coldly. A girl who always wanted attention would eventually embarrass this family, now everyone knows the truth, You’re standing here wearing a wedding dress, but you’ve already disgraced yourself.” I looked at her. “What?” She sighed. “You always looked too perfect.” My eyes widened. “Are you blaming me?” “I’m saying I should have seen this earlier.” She added. Marcel removed the ring box from his pocket. The same ring I had dreamed about for months. “I was going to make you my wife today.” He looked at me with disgust. “Now I can’t even look at you.” I looked around the hall. The people who came to watch me get married were now watching me fall apart. Then my eyes landed on Darcie. My stepsister. She was standing quietly with tears in her eyes. The only person who looked sad for me. “Darcie…” I called her name. She looked at me. “Please.” My voice cracked. “Tell them.” A strange expression crossed her face. Just for a second. Then she looked away. “I’m sorry, Jasmine.” My heart sank. “Sorry?” She slowly walked closer. “I really didn’t want it to come to this.” I frowned. “What are you talking about?” She stopped in front of me. Her eyes changed. The sadness disappeared. And suddenly, I saw something I had never seen before. Hate!! “You always had everything.” My body went still. “Darcie…” “You had Dad’s love.” She smiled faintly. “You had this family.” Her eyes moved toward Marcel. “You had him.” A cold feeling spread through me. “Why are you saying this?” She leaned closer. And whispered: “Because I’m the reason you lost them.” My breath stopped. “What?” Her smile widened. “The picture.” A pause. “The bracelet.” Another pause. “I was the one who set everything up.”