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My Fiancé Delayed the Wedding, So I Married His Rival
Novelix
Completed
Emma Blake has spent five years forgiving Liam Reed for putting his adoptive sister, Lily, first. On the day they are meant to get their marriage license, Lily storms in with a fake warning and Liam immediately postpones everything. Humiliated in front of both stunned families, Emma calmly posts a bold public challenge online: whoever reaches the courthouse before noon can marry her. Ethan Cole, a powerful man from her past, arrives first. As Liam spirals into regret and Lily’s schemes collapse, Emma must decide whether this marriage is revenge, rescue, or the love she should have chosen all along.
Chapters (2)
第1章
Outside the marriage registration office, Liam Reed and I were going over our documents.
Mom watched the papers in my hands, her eyes rimming with red.
"My little girl, the one I raised all these years—today she's really getting married."
I was about to comfort her when hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Lily Reed came rushing in.
She was Liam's adoptive sister—no blood relation whatsoever—and for the past five years, she'd been the one person who could change his mind with a single sentence.
"Liam!" she called out, gasping for breath. "I got the date wrong! Last night when I was reading the star chart, I realized today isn't good for you two to register. This same day next year—that's the best date. It'll be better for our whole family."
I didn't stop. I kept walking toward the entrance.
But Liam stopped.
He looked at Lily, his voice gentle.
"Okay. Whatever you say."
Lily beamed immediately. She turned to look at me, her eyes wide and innocent.
"Emma, you've already waited five years for my brother. One more year won't make a difference, right?"
Liam chimed in to persuade me.
"Babe, the registration is just paperwork. It doesn't matter when we do it. Lily's had good instincts since she was little. If she says today isn't right, she must have her reasons."
I looked at him.
Both sets of parents were here. Every document was ready. But none of that mattered against a single word from Lily.
I nodded, took out my phone, and posted a geotagged status update on my social media.
"The first man who gets here before noon today—I'll marry him on the spot."
Less than three minutes later, a chat window that had been silent for a long time lit up.
"Delete that. Wait for me. I'm on my way."
My heart suddenly felt steady.
Beside me, Liam—completely oblivious—was still teasing Lily.
"You little troublemaker. Why didn't you say something earlier? You made both families come out here for nothing."
Lily stuck out her tongue.
"Anyone could make that mistake. Good thing I got here in time. Otherwise, if you two had registered today, it would've been bad for the Reed family."
She linked her arm through Liam's affectionately, then winked at me.
"Emma, don't be mad. I really wasn't trying to ruin things. It's just that when I was reading the star chart last night, I found out today would hurt my brother's fortune. This day next year is the best time for you two to register. By then his career will be going well, and the family will be more stable."
Liam smiled at me.
"Lily would never do anything to hurt us. Trust her. She's never wrong."
I didn't want to watch their little performance anymore.
I asked him, "Right. Since the day we started dating, when have you ever not listened to her?"
The air went silent in an instant.
From the moment Liam and I got together, Lily had always found a reason to interrupt our dates.
On my birthday, all I wanted was for him to have dinner with me. Lily ran to the riverbank in tears, saying she was having a breakdown, that she didn't want to live anymore. Liam rushed over immediately, carried her back, and stayed with her the entire night.
On our first anniversary, Lily said she wanted a cake that he'd personally go buy. Liam dropped everything and left me sitting in a private dining room with a group of friends who'd come to celebrate.
There were too many incidents like these to count.
Whenever Lily opened her mouth, Liam always put her first.
He had never once seriously considered my feelings.
Lily pouted, her voice dripping with grievance.
"Liam, Uncle, Auntie—is Emma mad? But I was only thinking of our family. If she really can't understand that, I can apologize..."
"Lily, you did nothing wrong. You don't need to apologize."
Liam immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her. When he looked at me, his tone carried a hint of impatience.
"Emma, stop throwing a tantrum. It's just one year. Our relationship is solid enough—this little bit of time won't matter."
He paused, then added, "Lily is our family's lucky star. We can't just dismiss what she says. For the sake of a smooth marriage and a stable life together, just bear with it."
Bear with it.
Even something as important as our marriage registration—the moment Lily opened her mouth, I was expected to step aside.
I suddenly laughed.
So five years of love weighed less than one casual sentence from Lily.
But it was fine. Someone was already on their way to register with me.
Today wouldn't be a waste after all.
Still, I wanted to hear him say it clearly.
"Liam, since you care so much about what Lily says, why did you agree to be with me in the first place?"
Liam frowned.
"Emma, what are you talking about? It's just postponing registration by a year. How is that a big deal? What's there to question?"
So in the end, I was the one in the wrong.
I asked calmly, "If I say I have to register today, what will you do?"
Liam's expression darkened.
"Emma, both families are here. Don't embarrass me."
第2章
My parents stood to the side, their faces already livid.
Mom held back her anger, eyes red-rimmed, and said in a low voice, "Liam, marriage isn't a game. This date was set by both families together. How can it be changed because of one sentence from Lily?"
Liam's tone was flat, even slightly impatient.
"Auntie, I just want to be careful. I don't want our marriage to start off on the wrong foot."
Lily jumped in immediately, her smile sweet and blinding.
"Exactly, Auntie. Emma loves my brother so much—she'll definitely be willing to wait. Right, Emma?"
Everyone's eyes fell on me.
They were waiting for me to compromise. To give in. To do what I'd done for the past five years—swallow every grievance for Liam's sake.
I simply opened my phone and showed them the post I'd just made.
"You can postpone. I won't wait. Someone out there will be willing to register with me today."
Liam's face went dark instantly.
"Emma Blake, are you done? Stop acting like a child and delete that right now."
Lily's smile froze for a moment, a flash of panic darting through her eyes. She quickly put on her wounded expression again.
"Emma, why do this? Over just one year, you'd turn marriage into a joke?"
"You're the ones who turned my marriage into a joke first."
I looked at her coldly, then turned to Liam.
"Why is it that you have to listen to everything Lily says, but you can act like you never heard a word from me?"
"Liam, I'm telling you—postponing one year, I don't agree."
"Today, either we register. Or we're done."
Liam froze for a moment.
He clearly thought I was just throwing a fit.
A patronizing weariness surfaced in his eyes as he reached out to grab me.
"Stop being difficult. Be reasonable. The wedding date's already set, the invitations are out—missing one piece of paperwork won't change anything. What exactly are you insisting on?"
I shook off his hand.
"Don't touch me. Since you won't register with me, you're not my husband. You're just a stranger."
"And I have nothing to say to strangers."
The atmosphere turned to ice.
Both sets of parents exchanged helpless glances, the awkwardness so thick it seemed to freeze the air itself.
Lily bit her lip, feigning concern.
"Emma, do you really want to pressure my brother like this? Making a scene like this—people will only think you're immature and unreasonable."
She paused, her voice soft, but every word barbed.
"Besides, other than my brother, who's really going to treat you well? Don't destroy yourself over one impulsive moment."
She was pretending to advise me, but what she was really doing was elevating Liam while cutting me down.
As if without Liam, I could never find anyone better.
I let out a short laugh.
"My future is none of your concern. Worry about yourself first."
"Enough."
Liam's impatient voice cut through again.
"Emma Blake, I'm saying this one last time. Delete that post and apologize to Lily. Then we can pretend this never happened."
"If you insist on keeping this up, the wedding next month is off."
That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
"Fine."
I looked straight at him, enunciating every word. "You said it, not me. Then it's off."
That single sentence stunned everyone present into silence.
Liam's pupils contracted slightly, his face a mask of disbelief.
He had never imagined that I—docile for five years—would actually hold my ground to the very end.
And he certainly never imagined I would actually say no to the wedding.
