My Dead Fiancé Was Marrying My Best Friend

Chapter 4

Half an hour later, I put on a mask and blended into the crowd at St. Dunstan's Cathedral.

The wedding was about to start, but there wasn't a trace of anticipation on anyone's face; they were all staring down at their phones.

I found a corner and sat down, unlocking my phone. The related topic had already shot to number one on the trending list.

#Shocking!ReedGroupCEOCheatswithBestie,FakesDeathtoDeceiveWife

A detailed PPT with pictures and text followed. All of it was proof of my love with Ezra—four years of college and three years of a long-distance relationship abroad. It even thoughtfully included a timeline of his affair with Isla.

The comments section exploded instantly.

A: [This guy just won the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award last year? And he's actually a fraud?!]

B: [I know that Monroe girl! She always acts innocent, but she was knowingly the other woman!]

This was just the appetizer.

I quickly captured IP addresses and set up pop-up notifications. Now, every phone within five kilometers of St. Dunstan's Cathedral would receive this PPT.

Just as I let out a sigh of relief, I received a message from Nathan.

Nathan: I will always be right behind you!

I looked at the screen. I didn't cry. My tears had already dried up on the way here. I looked coldly at the two people on the stage.

Ezra and Isla were still completely oblivious. He held a glass of red wine with an ingratiating smile on his face.

Ezra said, "Mr. Morgan, once the Virentia and Aquilaria branches are established, the profits will be considerable."

Owen's face darkened instantly. He didn't even look at him.

Ezra thought he had taken my earlier words to heart and explained frantically, "Don't listen to that crazy woman from just now! I can guarantee you, Isla and I are absolutely true love! There is nothing wrong with our character!"

But Owen didn't look at him, only staring at his phone with a cold expression. Ezra saw that he was furious and didn't dare say more. He could only feign calmness, take Isla's hand, and walk quickly toward the priest, wanting to finish the ceremony quickly so he could explain afterward.

I stared fixedly at the two of them. I clicked into the comment section of the trending post and posted two screenshots under my real name. One was a text message where Isla admitted to angering Grandma into paralysis. The other was the transaction records of Ezra's fraudulent charity fund.

Owen's face turned extremely dark. He turned his head and said a few words. The subordinates beside him could no longer sit still and got up one after another to make phone calls.

The priest stood on the stage, reading the vows. He asked, "Miss Monroe, do you take Mr. Reed to be your husband?"

Isla's face was full of sweetness. She replied, "Of course I do."

The priest continued, "Now, please exchange the rings."

I quickly got up, stopped the flower girl, and removed my mask. I picked up the velvet box from the tray and walked step by step down the red carpet. The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

When Isla saw it was me, her smile cracked. She stammered, "Didn't you leave?!"

I toyed with the massive diamond ring in the box, chuckling softly. I said, "I haven't even had the wedding toast yet. What's the rush?"

Ezra stepped in front of Isla, turning the tables. He yelled, "You shameless, clingy homewrecker, dead set on crashing this wedding? Security! Get over here and throw her out!"

I let out a cold laugh and hurled the ring hard at his face. I shouted, "Who's the real mistress here? Take a good look at your phones, both of you!"

Ezra finally realized something was wrong. He whipped out his phone. When he saw the blood-red words "faked his death to scam his wife" on the screen, his face went sheet-white.

The phone clattered to the floor. His legs gave out, and he collapsed at the priest's feet! Isla leaned over and caught a glimpse of the screen filled with "Die, mistress." Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to her knees.

Owen stood up and smashed his wine glass in a rage. He declared, "Ezra, the deal is off."

Ezra panicked, reaching out to grab his sleeve. He pleaded, "Mr. Morgan, please let me explain. It's all fabricated!"

Owen stepped back in disgust, as if avoiding something filthy. He spat, "Ezra, you make me sick! I'll petition the board to withdraw all investments from Reed Group. And you, Isla. Don't even think about working in this industry ever again."

Isla finally came back to her senses, scrambling forward to clutch his legs. She cried, "Mr. Morgan, it's a misunderstanding! It has nothing to do with me! Ezra seduced me! He said as long as I stayed with him, he could help me stay in Valdoria!"

To save herself, Isla didn't hesitate to throw him under the bus. Ezra looked at the woman on the floor in disbelief. Just minutes ago, she had shyly said "I do." Now, like a rabid dog, she was shifting all the blame onto him.

The crowd pointed fingers and whispered. One voice said, "So disgusting. Acting innocent all the time, but it turns out she was a fraud who knowingly acted as the other woman." Another muttered, "Did they think we were idiots? Someone call the cops and get them to investigate his foundation!"

Ezra suppressed his anger and went to help Isla. He said, "You're still pregnant! Get up! The floor is cold!"

Isla shoved him away, screaming, "It's all your fault! Hurry up and beg Owen! Hurry!"

I stood a few steps away, coldly watching this farce. I didn't step forward, nor did I say another word. I kicked the diamond ring that symbolized love aside and strode out of the church.

The commotion behind me was shut out by the heavy wooden door. The cold evening wind blew against my face, and I took a deep breath of the damp air. The massive weight on my chest that had left me breathless had finally shattered after seven years.

Three days later, Ezra and Isla slunk back home in disgrace. The moment they got off the plane, Ezra couldn't stop scrolling through his phone. He repeatedly texted me.

Ezra: Maren, everything you did was just to win me back. I promise you, after Isla gives birth, we can meet up occasionally in private and catch up.

But I didn't reply with a single word.

He sat in the taxi, looking at the scenery rolling by, irritably loosening his tie. He thought to himself, She loved me for seven years. How could she just move on like that? Wait a few days, after her anger subsides, I'll go coax her, and she'll definitely forgive me. After all, she has nothing without me.

But what he didn't know was that Maren, the one who had only ever had eyes for him, had already died the moment she swiped open that album.

After returning home, reality gave Ezra a vicious slap in the face. The scandal had already spread like wildfire in industry circles and alumni groups. Stock prices crashed, and not a single venture capital firm dared to work with him. The once golden boy had become a rat everyone wanted to stomp.

Without a nanny to wait on her, Isla had daily meltdowns, smashing things and throwing bowls. She raged, "It's all your fault! If you hadn't been so indecisive and hadn't dealt with that b***h, I wouldn't have ended up like this!"

He had a splitting headache from her racket. Looking at Isla's twisted face, for the first time he wondered why he had ever thought she was understanding and considerate. But she was pregnant, so Ezra could only endure it and try to calm her down.

After placating her too many times, he finally lost patience. He shouted, "Enough!" and slammed his cup onto the floor. He added, "Keep this up and get out!"

Isla was frightened, then sneered. She retorted, "Fine, now you're annoyed with me? Are you thinking of that Maren who always bent over backwards for you again? Too bad, she's a big deal now!" She shoved the phone at him.

On the screen was an interview. I was wearing a well-tailored business suit, with light, delicate makeup, sitting in front of the camera speaking with effortless confidence.

The interviewer asked, "Ms. Prescott, I heard your Prescott Atelier just received tens of millions in Series A funding. How do you feel about that?"

I smiled at the camera, confident and composed. I replied, "You have to tear down the old to build something new. You have to let go of the wrong one before you can meet the right one."

The camera cut to a handsome man in a suit standing not far away. He looked at me with undisguised admiration and tenderness.

Ezra stared at me on the screen, unblinking. He found it hard to breathe. That girl who always wore faded T-shirts, went without makeup, and trailed after him everywhere like a shadow—how had she suddenly become so dazzling? So radiant it was blinding. It drove him insane with jealousy.

I wasn't devastated like he'd imagined. I was thriving! And there was another man standing right beside me. Ezra gritted his teeth, panic flickering in his eyes. He began to realize that I might really have moved on.