After My Fiancée's Sworn Brother Posted a "Blessing" Video, I Married Someone Else Chapter 1

The night before my wedding, I was scrolling through TikTok when a video popped up.

The location? My fiancée's apartment complex.

"One last night as lovers, then we'll be the closest strangers."

I opened the caption, and my entire world imploded.

"At 18, sponsored by my adoptive parents, I became her nominal brother."

"At 23, we burned with passion, and she cried out, lost in pleasure beneath me, so beautiful as she begged for more."

"At 24, she bore me a son. I thought we'd have a happy family."

"But fate, with a cruel twist of its pen, dictates she's marrying someone else tomorrow."

"My love, the mother of my child, I wish you a happy wedding."

In the video, the blurry child's hand wore a distinctive thick gold chain.

It was the high-end custom bracelet, engraved with his initials, that I had personally given to my fiancée's nephew, Leo.

"Dude, how could you post something so messed up? You put this out there on purpose, hoping the groom would see it, right?"

"OMG, my eyes are burning! Is this something a normal person would say?"

"Bump this! Get the groom to see it, he needs to run! If he marries into this family, he'll be dealing with baby mama drama and a secret family for life."

Staring at the familiar gold chain, the familiar address, even the familiar shape of the child. I swallowed the shock churning in my gut. I just couldn't believe something like this was Chloe Miller, my girlfriend of five years.

I screenshotted the video and immediately dropped it into our family WhatsApp group.

"Was the gold chain I gave Leo stolen?"

Less than a minute later, the video's privacy settings changed; it was no longer viewable. Chloe quickly responded.

"No way! He loves it, never takes it off."

"What video? Why are you still up so late? We have the wedding tomorrow, stop scrolling and get some rest."

A chill crept through me. I didn't reply. That disgusting phrase, "one last night as lovers," echoed in my head. Right then, I initiated a group FaceTime call.

"Chloe, Liam, pick up the phone. I need to talk to you."

The next second, Mrs. Miller, who always played dumb and stayed hidden in group chats, sent a message.

"What's going on? Calling so late? Can't it wait till tomorrow? Liam's exhausted from groomsman duties, he's already asleep."

Chloe quickly followed.

"Yeah, tomorrow we'll be legally married. Why call when we can see each other every day after that?"

"Plus, you know we have this tradition, a superstition that the bride and groom shouldn't see each other the night before the wedding, it brings bad luck."

Mr. and Mrs. Miller chimed in, echoing her words. I frowned, my voice unwavering.

"If you don't pick up in one minute, the wedding is off."

The group chat instantly fell silent. My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, rushed into my room.

"Ryan, you're not joking, are you? What on earth is going on?"

I recounted the entire video content. My parents' expressions instantly turned grim.

"No way, really? Could it be a coincidence?"

I looked at them, my resolve firm.

"I don't believe in coincidences like this. If this isn't cleared up, I'm not marrying her!"

Soon, the group chat exploded.

"What does this mean? He's canceling the wedding over some random video?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, you be the judge! Does the world revolve around him? He's canceling the wedding over a minor disagreement? Is that reasonable?"

My dad glanced at me.

"Traditions don't matter as much as whether someone is trustworthy! If they're truly committed! My son has his reasons, and we support him."

At his words, the group chat seemed to go quiet, as if suddenly guilty. A minute later, the FaceTime call connected. Chloe and Liam were in their separate bedrooms, in their own beds.

"Ryan, I was going to take Leo home, but Mrs. Miller said it was too late, so I just stayed here. Don't get the wrong idea."

Her words made it sound like I was being unreasonable. I didn't say anything, just noticed that Leo, who usually never left his dad's side, was sleeping next to Chloe. I couldn't ignore any suspicious detail.

"Why isn't Leo sleeping with Liam?"

Chloe's eyes, still red-rimmed, paused.

"He probably just misses me."

Just then, Leo seemed to stir, startled by my voice, and rolled into Chloe's embrace. As he shifted, a sheer pair of boxer briefs, half-hidden beneath him, became visible.