My Husband Let His Childhood Sweetheart Steal My Wedding

###Chapter 2 Audrey's expression darkened as she grabbed my wrist. "Hazel is a girl we watched grow up. She lost both of her parents, and then she got sick. It hasn't been easy for a young woman like her." "Nicolas and her are only going through the motions. You're still going to be his wife, aren't you? What more could you possibly want?" Nicolas' father also walked in, wearing a stern expression. "Denise, you should be grateful that you even have the chance to marry into the Jenkins family. On such a joyous occasion, who are you trying to give attitude to?" I yanked my wrist free from Audrey's grasp, my entire body trembling. "Then why don't you two go upstairs and see for yourselves who his wife really is?" At that instant, the two of them froze. We were supposed to have registered our marriage a month ago. That day, I waited at City Hall until everyone had gone home. I called Nicolas ninety-nine times before he finally picked up, his voice full of impatience. "Hazel's dog died. She was crying so hard she almost passed out. Patty was her only family, and now that she's alone, I have to stay with her. What if something happens to her?" And so, our marriage registration kept getting postponed. Back then, I had eagerly looked forward to becoming his wife—a married couple recognized by law. Now, I was actually grateful that we had never gotten that piece of paper. Audrey's expression darkened again. "Stop being so sarcastic. If you hadn't shamelessly clung to Nicolas all these years, do you think you'd even be standing here talking to us? Don't be so ungrateful." Nicolas' father, Ronan, dropped heavily onto the sofa. "You're turning such a trivial matter into a huge commotion. If outsiders hear about this, what will become of the Jenkins family's reputation?" Dumbfounded, I looked at the two of them and couldn't help shouting, "And when you replaced me with another bride, did you ever stop to think that I have my dignity too?" Ronan slammed his palm against the armrest. "Is the Jenkins family's reputation more important, or are you? If you feel so wronged, then leave! There are plenty of women lining up to marry my son. We don't need you!" The argument grew louder and louder. Nicolas finally came down the spiral staircase, impatiently fastening the buttons of his shirt. Just before he fastened the last one, I clearly saw several fresh scratch marks across his solid chest. His mood was clearly spoiled by the interruption, so he shot me an annoyed glance. "Denise, are you done yet? I already told you—I'm only helping Hazel with her exposure therapy. Why are you making such a scene with my parents?" His mother immediately pointed a finger at me. "You really need to deal with this woman. She's already giving us attitude before she's even married into the family. What do you think will happen once she actually gets the marriage certificate? Sooner or later, she'll be walking all over us." On hearing that, the warmth in Nicolas' eyes grew even colder. He looked down at me condescendingly, disappointment filling his voice. "It was just a ceremony. How can you be so petty? On a day like this, you had to ruin everyone's mood. The more I think about it, the more I believe replacing you today was the right decision." His shameless words made me clench my fists. I stared coldly at him and spat, "You know how long I've been looking forward to this wedding. Every flower, every place setting, every table card—I personally chose and arranged them all. And after everything, all my effort was just to prepare the way for your childhood sweetheart to become the bride?" He looked as though I had just told him the funniest joke. With his hands in his pockets, he curled his lips into a mocking smile. "Denise, do you really not know your place? You're Mrs. Jenkins only because I say so. If I don't, then as everyone knows, you're nothing more than a woman who's been desperately chasing after me." For a moment, the man standing before me seemed frighteningly unfamiliar. Nicolas had already run out of patience. "Today, you have two choices. Either admit your mistake and behave yourself, and I'll take you to get our marriage certificate." "Or pack your things and leave this house yourself. I don't like women who can't tell what matters and what doesn't." He was certain I would choose the first option. In every argument we had ever had, regardless of who was right or wrong, I had always been the one to lower my head in the end. I had spent ten years chasing after him so desperately that even my best friend couldn't stand it anymore. She had cursed me for humiliating myself for a man. But this time, I said nothing. I simply stared at him for a long moment. The last shred of hope in my heart, the weight of ten years of love—all of it had been torn to pieces by those two words: "desperate woman." Inhaling sharply, I said, "Fine. Let's break up, Nicolas."

###Chapter 3 Nicolas froze for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. "Denise, you cut ties with your family years ago just to be with me. Now you're heavily pregnant. Where could you possibly go if you leave me?" "You've threatened to break up with me dozens of times over the past ten years. I'm already sick of this little game." I parted my lips, about to tell him that this time I was serious, when a soft, delicate voice interrupted me. "Sister-in-law, please don't be angry with Nico, okay?" Hazel came down the stairs, walking somewhat awkwardly. Audrey immediately glared at me. "Why is Hazel limping?" Ronan chimed in, "Did you do something to the poor girl?" I couldn't even be bothered to give them a cold laugh. "If you're going to accuse me, at least bring some evidence. I never even touched her!" "Ouch~" Hazel's leg suddenly gave way. Nicolas reacted instantly, wrapping an arm around her waist and naturally pulling her into his embrace with familiar intimacy. Hazel looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "Sister-in-law, Nico is only helping me with my fear of marriage. This is all my fault. You can hit me or yell at me if you want. I won't dare fight back." Without waiting for me to speak, Nicolas' firm and commanding voice rang. "She's the one being unreasonable and cold-hearted. You don't need to apologize!" He was the one who had betrayed me, yet he had the nerve to turn around and call me cold-hearted. Tsk. How ridiculous. At that moment, I suddenly remembered the day I first brought Nicolas home to meet my parents. They had warned me that he wasn't someone I should entrust my future to. I had gotten into a huge fight with my family and left home with him. Together, we built the Jenkins Corporation from the ground up, and I had worked tirelessly for him ever since. On the day the Jenkins Corporation went public, Nicolas had knelt on one knee before me, his gaze was gleaming with sincerity. "Denise, you'll always be the most precious person in my life. I'll love you forever." But those passionate vows had been hiding betrayal all along. The way he glared at me for the sake of the woman in his arms made me feel completely numb to it all. "So this 'treatment' of yours is really just taking it all the way to bed—" "It hurts!" Hazel's cry drowned out my question. She collapsed weakly into Nicolas' arms and whispered something to him with a shy expression. His face changed immediately. He scooped Hazel up into his arms and rushed toward the garage. His voice drifted back from a distance. "When you've learned your lesson, we'll get our marriage certificate!" For years, I had convinced myself that because Hazel was all alone, it was only natural for him to take extra care of her. After all, we had been together for ten years. I was confident that I would always be the only one in his heart. It turned out I had only been deceiving myself. ... I took a taxi to the hospital and lay alone on the operating table. The cold instruments moved inside me, and the pain was so intense that my heart seemed to cramp with every movement. When I was wheeled back to the hospital room, my best friend had already arrived. The moment she entered, she clenched her fists. "No wonder that bastard refused to let me be your bridesmaid no matter what. He had already planned to replace you with a new bride! I swear, I could kill those two!" I patted her hand and shook my head. "Anyway, the baby is gone. The last bond between him and me is gone too." Her eyes reddened as she hugged me. "It's okay, Den. All the bad luck ends today. From now on, it's nothing but good luck for you." Suddenly, she raised a finger to her lips and motioned for me to be quiet. I followed her gaze toward the door. Outside the half-open door, Nicolas was pushing Hazel past in a wheelchair. His voice was gentler than I had ever heard it before. "Does it still hurt? It's all my fault. I got too carried away when I saw you wearing the wedding dress, and I ended up hurting you." Hazel looked up at him, their fingers intertwined, and gave him a shy smile. "It doesn't hurt anymore with you here." Beside them, Nicolas' doctor friend playfully bumped his shoulder. "Not bad, bro. You finally got what you wanted today." Then he turned to Hazel. "Every time he saw you getting close to another man, the look in Nicolas' eyes was practically murderous." "The last time there was a torrential downpour, I heard you were out with some rich playboy. Nicolas actually abandoned his pregnant girlfriend halfway there just to beat that guy up. They both ended up at the police station." On hearing his words, my head buzzed. So the supposed rescue from some thugs that day was nothing of the sort. Hazel had simply been with another man, and Nicolas had been consumed by jealousy. They were never siblings at all! He was obviously deeply in love with her. The doctor rested a hand on Nicolas' shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "I also filled out the treatment form. You two need a hundred exposure-therapy sessions, so you can just enjoy yourselves..." Nicolas glanced at Hazel's flushed face and smirked. "Enough. Don't say things like that in front of Hazel." "By the way," the doctor asked, adjusting his glasses, "what exactly are you planning to do about Denise? Are you still going to marry her?" Nicolas lit a cigarette, his tone casual. "She's been with me for ten years. Without the marriage as a pretext, it would be difficult for me to arrange this wedding, and Hazel wouldn't be able to go through the entire wedding experience with me properly." "Since I promised to marry Denise, I'll still get the marriage certificate. Besides, after we're married, I can always use business trips as an excuse..." I could no longer make out the rest. My best friend was furious and rolled up her sleeves, ready to charge outside. I hurriedly grabbed her arm, doing my best to endure the tearing pain in my chest. "There's no need. I'll punish him myself." I had lost everything for Nicolas back then. Now, I was going to make him pay a devastating price. I took out my phone, found the number I had kept buried for years, and dialed it. "Mom, you were right. Nicolas is no good. He betrayed me."

###Chapter 4 "Mom, I miss home..." I mumbled. My mother began to choke up on the other end of the phone. "Sweetheart, I'll arrange a flight right away and have your brother come pick you up himself!" "I'm sorry. I was blind back then..." My mother gently cut me off. "Don't say another word. All we want is for you to come home safely." After hanging up, I let out a long breath and smiled at my Kaye. "My brother will come pick me up the day after tomorrow." With tears gleaming in her eyes, she said, "Den, I'm going to miss you." "I haven't even left yet, and you already miss me that much?" I chuckled. ... The next day, I was discharged from the hospital around noon. Kaye stayed by my side as we buried my unborn child. Afterward, I invited a few close friends out for a farewell meal. Throughout all of it, Nicolas didn't even call me once. After saying goodbye to my friends, I returned to the company. I copied all the confidential files onto an external hard drive, then called in my private secretary. "Compile all the evidence of Nicolas' bribery for me, along with the evidence of the Jenkins Corporation's tax evasion." "Understood. I'll get on it right away!" By the time I finished everything and returned home, it was already evening. Hazel was sitting at the dining table. Nicolas came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming dish. "The doctor said you need plenty of nourishment. I made you some pigeon soup. Drink it while it's hot." Hazel pouted. "What if I gain weight from all this? Will you stop liking me?" Nicolas affectionately pinched her cheek. "Of course not. You'd be even cuter with a little more meat on you." After ten years together, this was the first time I had ever known that this man could cook. Hearing my footsteps, Nicolas turned his head and let out a contemptuous scoff. "So you actually came back. I thought you were finally going to grow a backbone and leave for good." He didn't notice in the slightest that my belly was no longer showing a pregnancy. He continued casually, "Oh, right. The doctor said Hazel needs long-term exposure therapy. The master bedroom is the most spacious and well-ventilated room, so let her stay there for now. You can move downstairs." Moving downstairs... Wasn't that just making it even more convenient for the two of them to sneak around together? But I merely nodded. "Do whatever you want." If this had been the old me, I would have gotten into a huge fight with him. But today, I was so calm that even I barely recognized myself. He froze for a moment, as though he wanted to say something. Hazel spoke first, giving me a sweet, obedient smile. "Thank you, Sister-in-law. Don't worry, I won't be staying for long." Nicolas' expression softened as well. "Once Hazel gets better, I'll take you to register our marriage." But the baby was gone, and I no longer cared about that marriage certificate. I carried my luggage into the guest room. As I was unpacking, I heard the sharp click of high heels behind me. Hazel's voice was no longer soft or innocent. It was sharp and arrogant. "You really are shameless. You clearly saw me sleeping with him, yet you still had the nerve to come crawling back? Clinging to a man who doesn't love you—if you don't find that humiliating, I almost feel sorry for you." I turned around and saw a familiar little box in her hands. My pupils instantly contracted. She held up the small urn and toyed with it in her hands. "What do you think? Should I use your little brat's ashes to feed my dog?" I nearly ground my back teeth to dust. "Hazel, put it down! I'll give Nicolas to you. You can be Mrs. Jenkins. The child is innocent!" She let out a soft laugh, her eyes filled with cruel malice. "Sure. Then get on your knees and kowtow to me a hundred times. Maybe I'll consider giving the little brat back to you." "Not a chance!" I lunged forward to snatch the urn. The moment my fingertips touched it, Hazel suddenly slammed it hard against the ground. The urn shattered into pieces, and the ashes scattered across the floor. My eyes widened in horror. Tears spilled from them as I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. "Ah!" Hazel clutched her cheek and stumbled backward, crashing into the wall before collapsing to the floor. "Nico, help me!" she screamed. Shortly after, a dark figure rushed into the room. Nicolas shoved me aside with force and immediately pulled Hazel to her feet. He didn't even give me a chance to speak before raising his hand and slapping me across the face. I staggered and fell to the floor. My cheek burned, and then the back of my head struck the metal corner of the bed, sending a sharp, searing pain through my skull. Hazel sobbed desperately in his arms, and his eyes were filled with overwhelming concern for her. When he turned to me, his voice was filled with rage. "Denise, you vicious, jealous woman!" "Take her to that haunted house in the northern part of the city. Don't let her out until she's learned her lesson!"

###Chapter 5 The small handful of ashes was scattered by the wind blowing through the window, and with them, it felt as though the last connection between my child and me had been scattered too. "She deserved it!" I screamed through my grief and fury. "Shut up!" Nicolas' eyes were bloodshot. The way he looked at me was no longer the way a fiancé looked at his future wife—it was the way a man looked at his sworn enemy. My heart finally went completely cold. When we had first fallen in love, even a tiny red mark from a hot coffee cup on my skin was enough to make his eyes well up with concern. Now, knowing full well that I was terrified of ghosts, he had chosen the very thing I feared most to punish me. He stepped toward me, his voice growing louder with every word. "You've been targeting Hazel at every turn for years. And now you actually dared to hurt her? How did I never realize before that you were this vicious?" "Hazel is kind and brave. If she hadn't saved me during that earthquake, I would have died." An earthquake? Two years ago, when he had been buried beneath a collapsed wall and was barely clinging to life, I had torn my fingernails and bloodied both hands digging him out of the rubble. It was me who carried him through the ruins, struggling through the wreckage until I got him to the hospital. He survived, but the first child I was carrying at the time did not. I had asked the doctor to keep the truth from him because I didn't want him to blame himself. But how could the person who saved him have suddenly become Hazel? And his growing protectiveness toward Hazel had started right after the earthquake. I opened my mouth and tried to explain, "Nicolas, maybe you should investigate—" "Nico, please don't be angry." Hazel grabbed his arm at just the right moment, looking pitiful. "It's my fault. I upset Sister-in-law, so she hit me." Her words immediately captured all of his attention. I clearly saw a flash of triumph in her eyes. At that moment, I finally understood. She had orchestrated everything. Nicolas wrapped an arm around Hazel's waist. "Why are you still defending this vicious woman after she bullied you?!" "All right," Hazel said, her gaze concealing a trace of smugness. "I suppose you made this decision for Denise's own good, after all." Nicolas dragged me into the car. We drove all the way to the haunted house at an amusement park, where his bodyguards shoved me inside. I fell hard onto the floor as he stood over me, looking down coldly. "Denise, I'll let you out when you're willing to admit your mistake." The haunted house was filled with eerie drafts, and I trembled from head to toe. But even after biting through my lip, I refused to beg him again. "I will never apologize to that vicious woman," I spat coldly. "Then stay here forever!" he thundered, and the door slammed shut. The sound of the man soothing Hazel gradually faded outside. I was surrounded by complete darkness. Screaming, I curled up in a corner and pulled out my phone, sobbing as I called my brother. "Brother, I'm scared. Nicolas locked me in a haunted house. Please come save me!" "What? That bastard! I'll change my flight. I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning!" After hanging up, a trending headline suddenly popped up on my phone. #Mysterious Tycoon Spends 100 Million to Buy Ocean's Mystery Necklace Just to Make His Lover Smile! I saw Hazel's latest Instagram post. Beside an infinity pool, a man shown only from behind personally fastened an incredibly beautiful, outrageously expensive necklace around her neck. Nine hundred and ninety-nine roses covered the pool and the ground. He leaned down and kissed her, while she smiled sweetly. The caption contained only one sentence:[Whatever Hazel wants, Hazel gets~] During our ten years together, Nicolas had always hated me posting anything about him on public platforms. Whenever I mentioned wanting to post a photo of us together, he would sigh. "Never heard the saying, 'Couples who flaunt their love won't last'? What you mean to me is something I only want to keep for myself. Other people don't deserve to see it." It turned out it wasn't that other people didn't deserve to see it. It was that I didn't deserve to. At some point, my phone died. The darkness around me became absolute. The silence was terrifying, as though some ghost or monster could emerge from behind me at any moment. "Someone... please save me..." I clawed at the door until my fingers were scraped raw and covered in blood. Just when I was so terrified I could barely breathe, the door was suddenly smashed open. In the first rays of dawn, a tall figure rushed inside. "Denise, your brother is here!"

###Chapter 6 My brother found me curled up in a corner, my face deathly pale. Without a word, he scooped me up and carried me outside. "Don't be afraid. Your brother is taking you home." He kept reassuring me along the way. "I swear, I'll make Nicolas pay for everything he's done." As soon as we got into the car, he plugged my phone in to charge. The moment it powered on, Ronan's call came through. He didn't even bother with a greeting. His tone was commanding from the start. "A lot of people we know have been asking about the bride swap at the wedding these past two days. Even Jenkins Corporation's biggest supplier came asking questions. What are we supposed to tell them?" "We're holding a family dinner tonight. Come over early. When you get here, just say that you were feeling unwell because you're pregnant, and Hazel only stepped in at the last minute to help you." Listening to such an absurd demand, I almost laughed. I stared out the window as the airport terminal drew closer, my voice turning cold. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ronan, but I'm the victim here. I have no obligation to take the blame for your family." Ronan immediately exploded. "What do you mean by that?! Do you really think you're already the future Mrs. Jenkins? If you don't come tonight, don't even think about stepping through the Jenkins family's doors again for the rest of your life!" I ran my tongue over my dry lips and let out a mocking laugh. "Didn't I already tell you? Let your son go register his marriage with his mistress. I don't want the position of Mrs. Jenkins." With that, I ended the call and blocked his number. As the car entered the airport grounds, my phone rang again. This time, it was Nicolas. The moment I answered, his condescending voice came through. "Do you know that Hazel had nightmares all night because of what you did? I only put you in that haunted house to make you reflect on your actions, and you actually threw a tantrum and dared to talk back to my father?" "Come home with me for the family dinner tonight. Apologize to my parents, then apologize to Hazel. If you do that, I'll let this matter go." "Sure. I've already ordered your apology gift. It should arrive today," I answered calmly. Nicolas clearly hadn't expected me to agree so readily. He paused before letting out a faint laugh. "See? You do know how to behave when you want to." Suddenly, a muffled groan came from the other end. The call was abruptly cut off. I took out the SIM card, snapped it in half, and tossed the pieces away. Nicolas, I hope you enjoy my "gift." Once we boarded the Aguilar family's private jet, the doctors immediately surrounded me to check my condition. One of the flight attendants gently draped a blanket over me, while my brother patted my shoulder. "Get some sleep. You'll be home when you wake up." For the first time in what felt like forever, I was completely at ease. I closed my eyes. ... At the same time, Nicolas was carrying a velvet gift box toward the amusement park's haunted house. Standing at the entrance, he cleared his throat and put on the air of someone generously bestowing forgiveness. "Denise, I came here personally to get you. Since you've finally learned your lesson and you're still carrying our child, I bought you a designer bracelet. It cost tens of thousands." In reality, the bracelet had merely been a free gift that came with his purchase of the Ocean's Mystery Necklace. It was a complimentary item Hazel hadn't even wanted. After waiting several seconds without hearing anything from inside, Nicolas impatiently pushed the door open. He searched the entire haunted house. There wasn't even a trace of Denise. His brows furrowed before a cold laugh escaped him. "Playing the runaway game again? Denise, I think it's time I really taught you a lesson." When he rushed home, Nicolas was just about to order the housekeeper to throw Denise's luggage out. The housekeeper hurried toward him, dragging a large delivery box behind him. "Mr. Jenkins, this is a gift from Madam for you and Miss Hazel. You should take a look!" When the housekeeper opened the box, Nicolas found nothing like what he had expected. Instead, it was filled with 99 contraceptives and 99 sets of provocative lace lingerie... Nicolas' face darkened instantly. "Good! Very good, Denise." He gritted his teeth, about to lose his temper, when his secretary's phone call came in again and again. "Just spit it out." The secretary sounded frantic, practically shouting from the other end. "Something's wrong, Chairman Jenkins! Ms. Aguilar... she has already officially submitted the documents to transfer her shares in Jenkins Corporation!" Nicolas' mind went blank with a sudden buzz. The phone nearly slipped from his hand. "What did you say?!"