Chapter 1 Two Grooms

"The wedding's off. Cheryl's in trouble. I gotta go check on her."

In the lounge, Randy Scott was rushing out, but Hazel Anderson grabbed his sleeve. "Randy, can you wait until after the wedding to leave?"

She bit her lip lightly, "The wedding is about to start in half an hour. If you leave now, what am I supposed to do?"

The hall was already full of guests, he knew clearly what she would face if he left at this moment.

Randy ignored her pleas and pushed her away with a look of disgust. "Cheryl found out about our wedding and tried to slit her wrists. And you're still only thinking about the wedding? How can you be so heartless?"

Hazel stumbled back, hitting her lower back against the dressing table, sending a sharp pain through her body.

Her face turned pale, tears welling up in her eyes as she murmured, "But..."

"Enough!" Randy cut her off angrily, his eyes cold. "If anything happens to Cheryl today, I'll never forgive you."

With that, he turned and left.

Hazel didn't follow. The desolate look on her face disappeared in an instant, and it was replaced by a cold smile.

It wasn't unexpected. She had already guessed that the woman would find a way to disrupt the wedding, but she didn't expect Randy to leave so decisively.

Well, it was for the best; it also extinguished the last trace of luck in her heart.

She straightened herself slowly and walked towards the adjacent lounge. "Mr. Johnson, may I come in?"

Her expression was calm, her voice slightly hoarse, and she was devoid of any other emotion as if she wasn't the one just abandoned by the groom.

There was a two-second silence before a deep voice responded, "Come in."

She pushed the door open, and her gaze fell on the figure by the window. Lawrence Johnson, dressed in a black suit, exuded an air of nobility. His face was slightly pale, but his features were handsome, and his presence was imposing.

Hazel silently admired him for a moment before speaking directly. "Mr. Johnson, are you ready? Once the wedding starts, there's no turning back."

Lawrence's expression remained calm. "Of course."

He glanced at Hazel with a hint of indifference. "But there's one thing I'd like to understand, Ms. Anderson."

Hazel, aiming for a smooth collaboration, nodded. "No problem."

Lawrence maneuvered his wheelchair forward, his sharp gaze seemingly dissecting her. "Why did you choose to marry a disabled man? The wedding is only temporarily canceled. If you wish, it can still be held later."

Hazel smiled faintly at his words. "What I hate most in life is trouble and public humiliation."

In her life plan, she was supposed to marry Randy, then use that to break free from her family's control and pursue her passion for design.

Unfortunately, the plan went awry.

Three days ago, Randy was out socializing late into the night. Hazel was worried that he would drink too much and get into trouble, so she took the initiative to pick him up, only to accidentally overhear him complaining to his friends in a private room.

"Hazel only has a pretty face, but her personality is so dull and boring. It's unbearable." The same Randy who once sweet-talked her was now speaking with extreme disdain. "If it weren't for Cheryl, I wouldn't even consider marrying her."

Standing at the door, Hazel felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer.

Her mind was a blur, and she felt a sharp pain.

Upon closer listen, this wasn't any business occasion, but a late-night drinking session with his lousy buddies.

She wanted to confront Randy, but as she took a step forward, she turned expressionlessly and walked away. There was no point in keeping something already tainted.

Yet, as she took a few steps, her thigh hit a hard metal object and she stumbled forward.

That was how she met Lawrence.

"Why be sad over someone unworthy?" he asked, having witnessed everything just now.

Lawrence steadied her, "You have a good pair of legs, don't fall again."

Hazel came to her senses, realizing the man was actually in a wheelchair.

At that moment, she mustered up some courage and blurted out, "Are you married?"

Things progressed smoothly from there. Lawrence, pressured by his family to marry, was looking for someone to go through the motions, while Hazel needed a new groom for her wedding. They hit it off immediately.

Originally, Hazel was thinking about how to deal with Randy, but he conveniently left on his own.

Lawrence didn't ask further questions, only saying, "I hope you won't regret this, Ms. Anderson."

"Of course not." Hazel said.

Hazel confirmed the details with him and left the lounge.

Half an hour later, the wedding began.

Hazel walked to the entrance of the banquet hall alone, waiting as the wedding march played.

Because her sister Cheryl Anderson had attempted suicide, her parents had also hurriedly left the wedding.

"Hazel, what are you doing?" Suddenly, someone came rushing over, cursing. Leading the charge was Randy's mother, Esme Garcia. She grabbed Hazel's arm. "Randy said the wedding is off. What are you trying to do?"

Randy's father, Walter Scott, followed closely behind, frowning. "You need to stop the wedding immediately. Tell everyone it was your fault Randy left, and apologize to the guests."

Hazel sneered. They were as shameless as ever.

When she was dating Randy, his parents always acted superior, looking down on Hazel.

They often made things difficult for her, treating her like a servant, making her take care of Randy and do chores for the family.

After she did their bidding, they would still criticize her for not meeting their standards, frequently scolding her.

In the past, Hazel tolerated it because she liked Randy and wanted to gain freedom through him. But today, she had no patience left for them.

Hazel slowly raised her eyes and said, "The wedding has already started. Why should I stop it? Besides, with Randy's flirtatious nature and his eagerness to please Cheryl, I thought the Scott family no longer cared about their reputation."

"What did you say?" Esme had never been spoken to like this by Hazel before, her face turning pale with anger.

Hazel's eyes were cold. "Step aside. This wedding has nothing to do with you. If you cause any more trouble, don't blame me for calling the police."

Esme shouted, "What do you mean it has nothing to do with us? This wedding is clearly..."

She trailed off as her eyes landed on a nearby poster. The newlyweds on it were a perfect match, with Hazel as the bride, but the groom wasn't Randy!

Esme's eyes widened, and she glared at Hazel, gritting her teeth. "You dared to cheat with another man?"

Hazel laughed coldly. "How ridiculous. You don't control Randy's infidelity, but you come here to make a scene. Like mother, like son."

She turned to the staff nearby. "There's someone here trying to ruin my wedding. Please handle it."

Today's wedding was at the Regal Oasis Hotel.

The staff were used to serving wealthy and influential people. Moreover, a distinguished guest had given them prior instructions, so security was already on standby.

"You dare insult me?" Esme was furious. "I'll beat you, shameless woman."

In Esme's eyes, even if the wedding didn't go as planned, Hazel was still Randy's. Her disdain was one thing, but Hazel daring to act out was another.

Esme raised her hand to slap Hazel, but before she could, security arrived and dragged her away.

"Hazel, you little..." Her curses quickly faded into the air as the banquet hall doors opened, and the wedding march played. At the end of the red carpet, Lawrence, dressed in his suit, waited in the spotlight.