After I Knew His Lie, I Followed My Real Husband

I chased Soren Haverford for seven years, and he never so much as looked my way. But the moment my identity as the false heiress was exposed, he asked to marry me of his own accord. On our wedding night, I overheard his friend speaking as if he were the one to pity. "Soren, you went and married her just so the real heiress wouldn't get pushed around by the impostor. If Rhodora knew the man she just signed the marriage license with wasn't you at all, just some penniless nobody from the sticks, she'd probably cry her eyes out!" Soren's voice was as cold as ever. "Rhodora has held the Winslet family's name for long enough. It's time she gave it back to Vesper. Once I get her out of the way, Vesper will never have to worry about her again." I slipped off my ring and turned to leave, only to walk straight into the arms of a strange man who was my actual husband. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring worth more than most houses, and slid it onto my ring finger. "Hello, wife. I'm here to take you home." Around the corner, I stood frozen, staring at the man who'd appeared out of nowhere. "Who are you?" My voice still shook from what I'd just heard. He saw my red, swollen eyes, frowned, and gently brushed away my tears. "I'm your husband, silly. We just got our marriage license yesterday, already forgetting me?" I thought of what his friend had said about a penniless nobody from the countryside. There was no way this sharp-dressed man in a tailored suit, holding a ring worth a fortune, was the same person. I pulled away from him. "You've got the wrong girl." He pulled a red marriage certificate booklet from his breast pocket and handed it to me. I hesitated, then opened it. There was my face, clear as day. Next to it, under Spouse, was the name, Leander Crawford. Where Soren Haverford's name should have been, there was this stranger's face. I stared at the red-backed photo through blurry tears, my chest aching so badly it hurt to breathe. Yesterday was supposed to be the day Soren and I got our license. He'd rushed through our photo, saying there was an emergency at the office, and hurried me away. He said his assistant would handle all the rest. No wonder he'd insisted on driving me home right after. I'd thought he was being thoughtful. Turns out he just didn't want me seeing the other man's name printed where his should have been. My heart turned cold against the bright red paper. For seven years, everyone in high society knew how I felt about him. And for seven years, Soren had turned me down without a second thought. Then my parents brought Vesper home, telling me she was their real daughter, and I was just a mix-up from the hospital all those years ago. Vesper was a natural at playing sweet and innocent. Before long, everyone adored her. She got my bedroom, and I was moved to the smallest, darkest room in the house. My favorite meals disappeared from the dinner table. My parents barely spoke to me anymore. One day, Vesper snuck into my room and took the pendant my grandmother had left me. I caught her on the stairs and asked for it back. She refused, then pretended I'd shoved her, throwing herself down the steps right in front of Soren, who happened to be visiting that afternoon. The disgust in his eyes was impossible to miss. He picked Vesper up, didn't even let me explain, and walked straight out. That same night, on Soren's word alone, my father locked me in my room to think about what I'd done. For three full days, I wasn't given a single bite to eat. Sitting there hungry and crying, I swore I'd never care for Soren Haverford again. But a week later, he showed up at our door asking for a marriage alliance. And he said he wanted me. I forgot every promise I'd made to myself and said yes before he could finish. From that day until the wedding, I spent a whole month planning our future, giddy and happy every single minute. Turns out, I was the only one happy. Soren hadn't married me because he cared. He'd married me just to get me out of the Winslet house, so Vesper could have everything she wanted. He hadn't even bothered to marry me himself. He'd just paid someone else to take his place. A cold chill ran through my whole body. The loose ring Soren had slipped onto my finger earlier slid off and landed softly on the carpet. I picked it up, my chest throbbing. I'd planned every single detail of the wedding myself. Soren's mother had said he'd take care of the rings. The moment he'd put it on, I'd known it was too big. Back then, I'd made excuses for him, told myself he'd just never bought a ring before, didn't know my size. Now, through the c***k in the door, I heard his friend again. "Hey, that ring on your necklace… looks like it matches the one on her finger. It's a woman's band, but isn't hers supposed to be the only one?" Then came a quiet "Oh, right…" as the pieces clicked. I looked over to see Soren lift the matching ring from his necklace and kiss it gently. I didn't need any more proof. It wasn't that he didn't know my size. It was never meant for me at all. I let out a bitter, broken laugh, then a pair of hands covered my eyes from behind. His voice was low, soft, and a little hurt. "Why look at him? The one I gave you is far more beautiful."