You Weren't on the Guest List, So I Showed Up as the Groom's Stepmother Chapter 2

Once you break up, words don't cost a thing.

Gone were the days when he sobbed, thanking me for dragging him out of a burning car wreck.

Gone were the days when he had a 104-degree fever and begged me never to leave him.

We dated for three years. I poured my entire heart into it, genuinely believing we would make it to the end.

Then, halfway through, his childhood sweetheart swooped back in, and everything went back to zero.

His savior became the villain hurting his true love. He said he never wanted to see me again.

But he was wrong.

Whether we saw each other again wasn't up to him.

As the security guards rushed over, I quickly looked down and texted my husband.

Chloe suddenly sniffled:

"Forget it, Julian. While I was away these past three years, Harper did keep you company..."

"Isn't Mr. Sterling from the recycling conglomerate looking for a new wife? Why don't we introduce Harper to him? We'd be doing a good deed..."

Julian gently wiped away her tears, sighing affectionately:

"Even now, you're still trying to help her. It's because you're too soft-hearted that she keeps walking all over you."

While the bride and groom were putting on their sickening display of affection, someone behind them laughed out loud:

"Mr. Sterling? You mean the old geezer who started out collecting scrap metal, then made a fortune importing foreign trash until his garbage dump went public?"

"I heard he's married four women to help him sort trash. He refuses to give them an allowance, and if they don't pop out a son, he divorces them and leaves them with nothing... But Harper is young and pretty. She could probably last a few years."

It was Julian's frat-boy buddies.

When we were dating, they never missed a chance to mock me to my face.

"Some small-town nobody thinks she can snag the Pierce family heir just because she saved his life? Keep dreaming."

"Chloe has always been Julian's true love. If she hadn't gone abroad for grad school three years ago, you wouldn't even be in the picture."

In the past, hearing those insults, Julian would coldly demand they apologize to me, then reassure me that Chloe was just history.

But today, he just gave me a complicated look and said absolutely nothing.

Not that I needed his protection anymore.

"I'm already married, so you don't need to trouble yourselves."

Seeing me twirl the diamond ring on my left hand, Julian inexplicably ground his teeth.

"You really went all out. Even bought a fake diamond ring."

Chloe blinked innocently:

"That must have... cost a lot of money. It's been so hard for Harper..."

"Julian, let me take her to Mr. Sterling's table first. They can chat for a bit."

With that, she walked through the doors, making a huge, dramatic show of adding a chair to the very last table in the back of the room.

Taking a deep breath, I started to walk forward.

But a hand blocked my path. Julian lowered his voice:

"Harper, can't you just swallow your pride for once?"

"I know you love me, but Chloe and I have been through life and death together... For the sake of our past, if you sincerely apologize to Chloe right now, I'll move you to the friends' table."

"Mr. Sterling's empire is massive. Someone like you could never reach his level."

I looked up at him:

"Julian, if you block me right now, when my husband gets here, you're going to severely regret it."

He narrowed his eyes, his anger flaring up again:

"Still running your mouth? Then don't blame me."

"It's a good thing Mr. Sterling knows how to discipline his wives. I'll let him grind that temper out of you!"

By the time Chloe came back out, Julian had already grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me to the back table.

I struggled to stand up, but he shoved me back down into the chair.

"Mr. Sterling doesn't like women dressed so provocatively. Get her a change of clothes!"

Julian pointed at a janitor passing by, his tone dropping to absolute zero:

"That outfit is perfect. I'm sure Mr. Sterling will love it."