He Mocked Our Wedding, So I Married His Billionaire Rival

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The day before my wedding to Carter Vance.

He secretly used the wedding venue I had painstakingly prepared to hold a ceremony with the college girl he was keeping on the side.

When I showed up at the venue, Carter didn't look guilty at all. His tone was completely dismissive:

Daisy said she didn't want any regrets in this relationship. She kept begging for a wedding. I figured I'd just use this as a dress rehearsal for our wedding tomorrow. Don't overthink it, Sera. I only had a ceremony with her, we didn't actually sign any legal papers.

I publicly announced the cancellation of our engagement, turned around, and walked away calmly.

He thought I was just throwing a temper tantrum. That was until his arch-rival posted our marriage certificate on Instagram.

Carter showed up at my doorstep in the pouring rain, looking utterly pathetic, begging for me to take him back.

I leaned against the doorframe, deliberately revealing the fresh, dark hickeys on my collarbone:

"Don't overthink it, Carter. We only signed the marriage papers, we haven't had the official wedding yet."

Liam Rutherford walked down the stairs wearing nothing but black boxers, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist:

"Babe, isn't it time we set a date for the wedding?"

......

When I pushed open the grand doors of the ballroom, Carter and Daisy were in the middle of a passionate kiss on the stage. The crowd below was cheering wildly. Most of them were Carters frat brothers and close friends.

My hand gripped the brass door handle so hard my knuckles turned white.

Daisy was wearing the wedding dress I was supposed to wear tomorrowa custom gown I had flown to Italy to get made by a master designer.

Carter's best friend, Brad, was the first to notice me. He gasped in shock:

"Sera?"

With that single shout, the rowdy room instantly fell dead silent.

Just two hours ago, my fianc, Carter, was still calling me "baby" over FaceTime, sweetly telling me to get some rest for our big day tomorrow.

Before going to sleep, I suddenly remembered that the wedding video slideshow hadn't been uploaded to the hotel's computer yet. I had rushed over here in a hurry, only to catch my fianc marrying another woman.

Daisy Sterling. I knew exactly who she wasthe college girl Carter kept on his payroll.

Two months ago, when I first found out about her, Carter had sworn up and down that he would cut all ties with her. He had even blocked her on Snapchat and Instagram right in front of my face.

I walked toward the stage. Daisy shrank back, looking terrified, and hid behind Carter.

Carter didn't look even slightly ashamed when he saw me. He shrugged, his voice utterly nonchalant:

"Daisy said she didn't want any regrets in this relationship. She kept begging for a wedding. I figured I'd just use this as a dress rehearsal for our wedding tomorrow. Don't overthink it, Sera. I only had a ceremony with her, we didn't actually sign any legal papers."

Carter and I had known each other since we were kids. Our families were prominent business partners, so our engagement was set early on.

Carter was incredibly handsome and came from old money. Women were constantly throwing themselves at him. He was a notorious playboy, always rotating through a roster of side chicks.

My mom used to comfort me, saying that no rich man in our circle was clean, and that he would settle down once we got married.

Every time I caught him, Carter would immediately cut off the girl. Combined with our years of history, I had learned to turn a blind eye.

But this was the final straw.

I had spent over six months planning this wedding. Every single detail was perfect, and I had poured my heart and soul into it.

And now, he had given my dream wedding to his side chick. Did he really think Sera Miller would accept a secondhand wedding?

Honestly, I didnt even want this secondhand man anymore.

I didn't scream or throw a fit. Instead, I calmly raised my middle finger, slid the engagement ring off, and tossed it.

"Here's your ring back."

Carter caught the ring, a playful smirk playing on his lips. He tilted his chin up:

"Sera, the wedding is tomorrow. Are you really that impatient to swap out your engagement ring?"

"Tomorrow's wedding is canceled. I am not marrying you. From this moment on, we are completely done."

My voice was ice-cold. There was no hesitation or lingering affection on my face.

Carter's grip tightened around the ring, and his face turned pale with anger:

"Sera! What kind of sick joke is this? The wedding is tomorrow, and youre canceling it now?"

I looked at his furious face with absolute calm, mimicking his previous nonchalant attitude:

"Well, then you can just marry her again tomorrow."

Carter was a prominent figure in high society. He knew that while he could play around with girls like Daisy, marriage required someone of equal social standing.

Besides, the Vance family would never allow their son to bring a girl like Daisy into their family.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Brad quickly stepped in to play peacemaker:

"Sera, don't be mad. Today was just a joke, it doesn't count. Carter loves you. You're the only one who's going to be Mrs. Vance."

Mrs. Vance? Who cares?

Just a minute ago, Brad had been cheering the loudest. Now he had the nerve to smooth things over.

I ignored him, turned around, and walked out without looking back.

Behind me, I heard Brads panicked voice:

"Carter, go after her! You need to apologize!"

"Let her go," Carter sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Shes spineless. Shell come crawling back to make up in a couple of days."

"Man, she just canceled the wedding. It looks like you really broke her heart this time. This isn't going to blow over easily. You should go after her."

Carter stared at my retreating figure, a flicker of worry finally showing in his eyes.

Suddenly, Daisy grabbed his arm, looking up at him with innocent, wide eyes:

"Carter, babe, we haven't even exchanged rings yet."

I spent the rest of the night making phone calls and sending texts to apologize to all the relatives and friends who had received invitations. By the time I was done, it was past midnight.

The summer night in the city was stiflingly hot, making me feel incredibly restless.

I found a quiet high-end bar. I wasn't trying to get wasted; I just wanted a drink to celebrate my newfound freedom.

But my tolerance was low. After just two glasses, my vision started to get a little blurry.

"Sera?"

A deep, baritone voice echoed beside me. A tall shadow approached, and it wasn't until he sat down on the barstool next to mine that I recognized him.

Liam Rutherford.

Carter's ultimate arch-rival. They had competed for grades in school and fought over multi-million dollar business contracts at work.

I squinted my eyes, leaning my cheek on one hand while swirling my glass with the other.

"What are you doing here?"

Liam raised an eyebrow, gently sliding my alcohol away and replacing it with a glass of ice water.

"I'm a single guy. Is it that weird for me to grab a drink at a bar? But you, Miss Miller... aren't you getting married tomorrow?"

"Not anymore."

If I had been sober, I wouldn't have missed the flash of pure joy that crossed Liam's face.

"What happened? Had a fight with Carter? Who was it this time? His secretary or some model?"

"He literally had a wedding ceremony with another woman today."

"Oh?"

I didn't say anything, just quietly stared at him.

Maybe it was the dim, intimate lighting of the bar, but my eyes couldn't help but drift to Liam's lips.

Liam was incredibly handsomesharp eyebrows, striking eyes, a high bridge on his nose, and a perfectly chiseled jawline. He was six-foot-three with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Countless women threw themselves at him, but he never gave them a second glance. He had been single for as long as anyone could remember.

Carter had once gossiped to me that Liam didn't touch women because he had performance issues.

I took a sip of the ice water, trying to clear my head a bit.

"Mr. Rutherford, since we've known each other for so many years, let me give you a tip. Carter outbid you for that land in the north valley, right? Don't sweat it. The city is planning to build a major highway right through it. It can't be developed."

The north valley had beautiful scenery and was perfect for a luxury resort.

I knew Liam and Carter had been fighting tooth and nail for that land. A friend in the city planning department had told me the news a couple of days ago. I had planned to tell Carter, but I forgot because of the wedding prep. Seeing Liam reminded me of it.

The corners of Liam's mouth curved into a faint, teasing smirk:

"Giving me such a valuable piece of insider info? You're quite ruthless to your ex-fianc."

"I was never a saint. Besides, he's done plenty to deserve it."

Just then, Liam's phone rang. He stepped aside to answer it. I stood up, swaying slightly, and decided to head out to catch a cab home.

I stood on the curb for ten minutes. No empty cabs were passing by, and my Uber app kept searching without success. Just as I was cursing my bad luck, a sleek Porsche Cayenne pulled up right in front of me.

The window rolled down, revealing Liam's handsome face.

"Why did you leave without waiting for me, Miss Miller?"

Without a second thought, I hopped into the passenger seat. Liam had undone the top two buttons of his dress shirt, revealing a hint of his toned chest.

I could have sworn those buttons were done up a minute ago.

Liam drove fast but steady. I dozed off for a bit, and by the time I opened my eyes, we were already parked downstairs at my apartment complex.

"I assume things with Carter are going to be hard to explain to your family?"

"I didn't realize the great Liam Rutherford was so interested in family drama."

"I'm not."

Liam leaned in close, his voice a low, husky whisper right by my ear: "I'm only interested in you."

"Oh, really?"

I let out a soft laugh, tracing my finger down his open collar in an teasing, intimate gesture.

"Is it appropriate for you to say that to a woman who literally just got dumped today, Mr. Rutherford?"

I leaned closer, my voice dripping with temptation.

"Want to come up to my place for a drink?"

In the adult world, some things don't need to be spelled out.

I wasn't completely out of it. I was sober enough to know that Liam was exactly my type.

But remembering the rumors about his "performance issues," I started to pull my hand back, preparing to say "just kidding."

To my surprise, Liam grabbed my hand in a firm grip:

"I'd love to."

Liam carried me all the way to my bed. The moment my back hit the mattress, his lips crashed onto mine. It was like a tidal wavefierce, demanding, and utterly consuming. He parted my lips, his tongue taking dominant possession.

His technique felt a little unrefined, almost like it was his first time, but fueled by the alcohol, I was instantly turned on. My arms wrapped around his neck, my senses filled with his scent of cedarwood and rain.

Our breathing grew hot and heavy. I melted into his touch.

*Click.*

I unbuckled his belt.

Liam froze for a fraction of a second.

I let out a soft chuckle, my eyes full of teasing amusement:

"Wait... are the rumors true? Is the great Mr. Rutherford actually... incapable?"

"You can find out for yourself if I'm capable or not."

Liam's brow furrowed slightly. He leaned down again, and this time, his kiss was even more wild and possessive.

It felt as if he wanted to imprint his mark on every single inch of my skin.

His large, cool hands slid under my clothes, sending shivers down my spine as his touch grew deeper and more intense...

Once Liam got a taste, he didn't stop. He took me five times that night.

Incapable? He was more than capable. He was a beast.

By the end of it, I didn't have an ounce of strength left.

If it weren't for the obnoxious ringing of my doorbell the next morning, I probably would have slept until 3 PM.

I got out of bed and dragged my clothes on, my fingers still trembling slightly.

Liam opened his eyes, propping his head up with one hand. He looked incredibly satisfied, his dark eyes locking onto me like a predator.

I glared at him. In the vanity mirror, I could see my neck was covered in a constellation of dark purple hickeys.

I grabbed a scarf from the closet, wrapped it around my neck, and walked downstairs on shaky legs.

It was Carter.

I opened the door halfway, leaning against it lazily:

"What do you want?"

My voice sounded incredibly raspy and hoarse.

Carters face was dark and angry:

"You actually went through with canceling the wedding! Do you have any idea how bad my dad chewed me out? And my mom even called Daisy."

"What does that have to do with me? I told you, we are done."

Carter was about to yell, but suddenly he paused, his eyes narrowing in suspicion:

"Why is your voice so hoarse?"

"Do I really need to spell it out for you? You're a man of the world, Carter. You know exactly why."

As an experienced playboy, Carter instantly understood what I meant. The veins on his forehead bulged with rage:

"Who did you sleep with? Is that bastard upstairs right now?!"

"Mr. Vance, we are no longer together. You have absolutely no right to question me."

I was too exhausted to deal with his drama. I slammed the door shut in his face.

Carter kept pounding on the door like a madman, so I simply called apartment security to have him escorted out.

......

Later, Carter went out drinking with his frat brothers to blow off steam, calling me shameless.

Brad quickly tried to soothe his ego:

"Honestly, man, Sera is probably just trying to make you jealous. She's pretending to be with another guy so you'll chase after her."

"Yeah, I agree. It's just a classic hard-to-get game. If she really wanted to leave, she would have left a long time ago. Shes been following you around like a lost puppy for years."

Carter slammed his glass onto the table, downing his drink in one gulp.

"You're right. Sera can't live without me."

Meanwhile, I went back to my bedroom. Liam was standing by the window, shirtless, with a cigarette between his lips. His handsome features were partially veiled by the drifting smoke.

I walked up to him, grabbed the cigarette pack from the table, and put one between my lips.

I held his arm, leaned in, and lit mine against the glowing ember of his cigarette. I slowly exhaled a plume of white smoke.

Liam curled his lips into a smirk and asked:

"So, how was I?"

I tilted my chin up, meeting his gaze without blinking, my voice teasing:

"Pretty impressive. Though a bit unrefined. I could tell you were a virgin."

Liam raised his eyebrows, letting out a low laugh:

"I didn't mean that. I meant... how about marrying me?"

I froze for a second. Last night was a spontaneous hookup; I hadn't actually thought about marrying him.

"I don't sleep around, I'm young and successful, I have good genetics, and I can clearly satisfy you in bed. Compared to Carter, I'm a much better option."

Liam stubbed out his cigarette, took mine out of my mouth, and leaned down slightly:

"How many people only partner with your company because of your familys ties to the Vances? Now that you've broken up with Carter, those clients are going to hesitate. Besides, your parents will definitely like me better."

I thought about it for three seconds, walked over to my desk, and grabbed my ID and birth certificate.

"Let's do it!"

An hour later, I was sitting in the passenger seat of his car, staring at our official marriage certificate in disbelief.

I actually got married. And of all people, to Carter's arch-rival.

The very next day, Liam flew me out to Europe for what he called a "spontaneous honeymoon."

I sent a quick text to my parents, requested annual leave from my company, and turned off my phone completely. I wanted to enjoy this trip without any interruptions.

I had to hand it to Liam; he had planned every single detail of the honeymoon so perfectly, it felt almost as if he had been planning it for years.

When we finally returned to the country and I turned my phone back on, my screen exploded with hundreds of missed calls and texts. Almost all of them were from Carter.

Just as I cleared the notifications, Carter called again.

The moment I pressed answer, Carters furious voice boomed through the speaker:

"I've called you hundreds of times! Where the hell have you been? I went to your apartment and you weren't there. Your assistant said you took a leave of absence!"

"We're over, Carter. Where I go is none of your business."

On the other end of the line, Carter scoffed, his tone still incredibly arrogant:

"Are you seriously still throwing a tantrum just because I had that little ceremony with Daisy? I told you it was just a joke. Fine, I'll make it up to you and throw you another wedding. You don't have to plan a thing. I've already hired the planners. The date is set for the 30th of next month."

I rolled my eyes so hard they practically hurt. "Carter, do you not speak English? We are done."

Carter's voice escalated, turning harsh:

"Sera, don't be ungrateful. I'm giving you a way out here. What else do you want? Why do you have to be so difficult? I'm telling you, if you don't marry me now, you'll never get another chance."

Where did this man get his delusions of grandeur? Did he think marrying him was some kind of royal crown?

"Go to hell, Carter. Stop harassing me. Go marry whoever you want."

I had completely lost my patience. I hung up the phone.

Beside me, Liam leaned in and asked, "Carter?"

I nodded, looking disgusted. "Yeah. He set a wedding date for the 30th of next month. What a clown."

Liam's brow furrowed, his face darkening instantly. "I've already started planning our wedding. It's going to be a million times better than whatever he could put together."

Determined to assert his dominance, Liam immediately dragged me to a high-end jewelry store.

He picked out two sets of rings. The diamonds on the wedding band were massiveliterally the size of quail eggs, sparkling so bright they were blinding.

"Since we're legally married, wear this one first. We'll use the other set for the ceremony."

Liam slid the ring onto my ring finger, looking like a victorious king.

I found his competitive streak kind of childish, completely different from his usual cold, ruthless billionaire persona.

As soon as Chloe found out I was back, she dragged me out for drinks.

She was my best friend. When I first told her about the wedding cancellation, she had almost gone to Carter's house to break his legs.

"You vanished for an entire month. Were you really that heartbroken?"

Chloe stared at me with concern. I simply opened my purse, pulled out the marriage certificate, and slapped it on the table.

"I was on my honeymoon."

Chloe gasped, her jaw dropping so low it almost hit the table. She picked up the certificate:

"Is this real?!"

"One hundred percent legal."

"Liam Rutherford?! The guy who looks like an untouchable ice prince? Damn, Sera, you are a savage!"

Chloe gave me a massive thumbs-up and immediately ordered a bottle of Dom Prignon to celebrate.

"I would pay a million dollars to see the look on Carter's face when he finds out you married his worst enemy!"

After a few glasses, I felt a bit tipsy and went to the restroom. On my way back, I ran right into Brad.

If Brad was here, it meant Carter was probably nearby.

"Sera? You actually came here to find him?"

"Don't call me that. Carter and I broke up."

Brad scratched his head, completely ignoring my words. "You're here for Carter, right? Let me go grab him for you."

"Wait, don't"

Before I could finish, Brad darted off. Afraid he would say something stupid, I followed him.

I stopped outside a private VIP lounge. Inside, Carter was throwing a birthday party for Daisy. Through the cracked door, I heard Daisy make a wish:

"My wish is for Carter to love me forever."

The crowd cheered, shouting for them to kiss. The two of them immediately locked lips in a passionate, sloppy make-out session.

"Uh, Carter..." Brad walked in, looking a bit awkward. "I just saw Sera outside. I think she came to find you."

Before Carter could even speak, one of his friends scoffed:

"I knew Sera couldn't resist. She saw you throwing a party for Daisy and couldn't handle it."

Brad looked uneasy and tried to persuade Carter: "I stopped her and said I'd get you. I didn't want her to see this and blow up. This fight has gone on long enough, man. Go talk to her before you push her too far."

Daisy tugged on Carter's sleeve, her voice dripping with fake sweet innocence:

"Carter, you promised you'd spend the whole night with me today..."

Carter leaned back on the leather sofa, crossing his legs arrogantly:

"Who does she think she is? Canceling the wedding whenever she wants, and expecting me to run to her the second she shows up? She needs to learn her place."

I couldn't stand his disgusting, arrogant face for another second. I pushed the door wide open and walked in.

Everyone gasped, their eyes locking onto me.

The lounge was dimly lit, which made the massive, flawless diamond ring on my finger catch the light and sparkle brilliantly. It was impossible to miss.

Carters eyes locked onto my hand. He lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a tight grip:

"What is that?"

I snatched my hand back fiercely, flashing my ring finger with a sweet, mocking smile:

"A wedding ring."