No More Bestie Drama: I Married Your Billionaire Boss Instead

On my wedding day, my husband’s "pick-me" best friend showed up in a wedding dress before I even could. While the guests stared in shock, she wrapped her arms tightly around my groom, kissing and hugging him. When I called her out for crossing the line and ruining my day, my husband stepped in front of her, looking annoyed. "She’s just one of the boys making a joke," he snapped. "Do you have to be so dramatic?" Before the reception even ended, Ashley had already posted on her Snapchat story: [I guess a joke is the only way you and I will ever have a wedding.] Looking at the likes under her post, specifically the matching couple icon of my groom, I calmly took off my wedding veil. Since you want to be his bride so badly... You can have him. I spent over a month working with the wedding planner to make sure every single detail of this wedding was perfect. But the only hiccup came from Tyler’s female best friend, Ashley. Tyler had insisted that Ashley wear a suit and be a groomsman. "We’ve been best friends for over a decade," he argued. "We promised we’d be each other’s best men when we were kids." I agreed. But on the day of the wedding, while I was still in the bridal suite getting my veil pinned on, I suddenly heard the wedding march playing from the main hall. My maid of honor, Sarah, frowned. "Why is the ceremony starting ten minutes early?" I had no idea. But when I finally walked down the hall and peeked into the ballroom, I froze. Ashley was there, wearing a stunning white wedding dress with a long train, holding Tyler and kissing him passionately in front of all the guests. As the crowd whispered in shock, I marched over and pushed Ashley away, my anger boiling over. “This is my wedding. If you want attention, go somewhere else! What the hell do you think you’re doing kissing him?” I expected Ashley to make excuses, but Tyler stepped in front of her first. "It’s just a joke between friends. Why are you making a scene?" “You were late. I turned around, thought it was you, and just kissed her. I didn’t think.” Seeing my face pale, Tyler kept going. "It’s not like I used tongue anyway. Don’t be so petty.” Ashley smirked, wrapping her arm around Tyler’s. "Women are so dramatic. We’re just messing around. It’s no big deal.” Then, she leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Chloe, I heard your grandpa is in the ICU and his only wish is to see you married. You wouldn’t want him to pass away with regrets, would you?” I clenched my fists. Thinking of the live stream we set up for Grandpa’s hospital room, I swallowed my pride and endured it. The ceremony went on as planned. Tyler knew I was furious, so he kept whispering apologies, promising he would keep his distance from Ashley from now on. But when I went back to the bridal suite to change into my reception dress, I opened Snapchat and saw Ashley’s new story. [I guess a joke is the only way you and I will ever have a wedding.] The photo was a mirror selfie of her in her wedding dress. I scrolled down. Our mutual friends had already liked it—including Tyler, using the matching couple profile picture I had painstakingly picked out for him. What hurt even more was the comment section. His frat bros were having a field day. [Omg, I'm screaming! You two have the best chemistry! Honestly, you guys looked more like the actual bride and groom today!] [I saw Tyler blushing. Admit it, bro, you totally fell for Ashley in that dress.] I stared at the screen for a long time, feeling sick to my stomach. Tyler's friends always disgusted me. They would call me "sister" to my face, but behind my back... I refreshed the feed. A new comment from Tyler popped up: [Stop it. 😂] My blood boiled. I regretted ever getting involved with Tyler and his toxic circle. I slowly scrolled through my contacts and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time. “Are you free?” “I changed my mind. I think you'd make a much better groom.”The line went silent for two seconds before a deep, steady voice replied, “Give me ten minutes.” After hanging up, I looked at myself in the mirror, still wearing the white gown. What a joke. All my dreams of a perfect marriage had crumbled into a farce today. Pulling myself together, I stripped off the heavy wedding dress and walked back out. As I approached the banquet hall, I could hear loud laughter echoing from inside. Ashley had already changed into a tight red dress. She was surrounded by Tyler's friends, acting like she was the hostess of the night. She raised her glass, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “Come on, guys! Let’s toast to Tyler! Cheers to his marriage!” Amid the rowdy cheers, someone shouted, “Honestly, Tyler and Ashley look way better together. For a second, I thought you two were the ones getting married!” Tyler stood next to her, a helpless, indulgent smile on his face. He didn't even try to stop them. Watching this, I felt nothing but disgust. I walked up to the stage, took the microphone from the host, and spoke. “Everyone, thank you for coming to witness my wedding today.” The room gradually fell silent, and all eyes turned to me. “A few unexpected things happened earlier, which made me realize a lot of things.” I smiled faintly, turning my gaze to Tyler. “Tyler, you’re right. It’s just a joke between best friends. I shouldn't be so sensitive.” Tyler looked relieved, thinking I was backing down. But then I continued, “So, I’ve decided to let you two be together. I'm stepping down as the bride.” The moment the words left my mouth, the giant screen behind me switched from our wedding photos to a slideshow of intimate pictures of Tyler and Ashley together, playing on a loop. By the time I walked off the stage, Tyler had rushed over to block my path. He looked furious. “Are you crazy? Do you know how many of my family members and friends are out there? You're ruining everything! Get back up there and apologize right now!” He reached out to grab my arm, but I slapped his hand away. I looked at Ashley standing behind him. “A joke is the only way you two will ever have a wedding, right?” I laughed, but their faces instantly turned pale. One of Tyler's friends nudged Ashley, whispering, “Did you forget to block her from your Snapchat story?” Ashley trembled, unable to answer. Tyler finally realized how bad things were. His tone softened. “Chloe, it was just a joke. Don't take it seriously. Guys mess around like that all the time.” “What you do from now on has nothing to do with me because we are over. But we still have financial matters to settle. My lawyer will be in touch.” With that, I turned to leave. Behind me, Tyler roared in anger, “Chloe, if you walk out that door, don’t you dare come back! Your grandpa is literally on his deathbed! If he finds out you called off the wedding, you'll kill him! You'll be begging me to take you back!” My grandpa wanted to see me married, yes, but more than anything, he wanted me to be happy. Before I even reached the lobby, I saw someone waiting for me. Liam stood there in a sharp black tuxedo, holding a bouquet of fresh roses. “Let's go, bride. Our wedding is about to start.”“Why is Liam getting married all of a sudden?!” “We were told to get here in thirty minutes! Thank god I was close by!” The entrance of the city’s most luxurious hotel was packed. Luxury cars lined the streets as business moguls rushed inside, all for this last-minute wedding. I had planned to just wear my original dress, but when I walked into the bridal suite, I found ten custom designer gowns waiting for me. The stylist smiled as she did my makeup. “Mr. Sterling personally helped design these. He said you deserve nothing but the absolute best.” Heavy, steady footsteps approached, and Liam pushed the door open. He looked at me, his eyes full of awe. “Ready, my bride?” I placed my hand in his, feeling his reassuring warmth. “Ready.” Liam knew this wedding was for my grandpa, so he had a professional, high-definition live stream set up directly to Grandpa's hospital room. Grandpa could watch me walk down the aisle in real-time. The ceremony was beautiful, romantic, and peaceful. I was happy, and so was Grandpa. As soon as the reception ended, I rushed to the hospital. The doctor told me Grandpa’s condition had actually improved. Thanks to the top-tier medical team Liam had brought in, he would be discharged in no time. “Thank you,” I said, looking at him with deep gratitude. He smiled. “We’re married now. Even if we haven’t signed the papers at city hall yet, we will soon. Don't think I’m just playing a part. I’m in this for real.” I nodded. I thought Tyler was out of my life for good, but after a week of silence, he ambushed me at the hospital entrance. He sneered, “Well, Chloe? Is your grandpa dead yet from anger?” “It's not too late to beg for my forgiveness. But my condition is that you must return the engagement ring, pay for the venue cancellation fee, and bring another $10,000 as compensation. My mom said you embarrassed our family. When you come back, you must grovel on your knees and beg her for forgiveness.” Before I could speak, he added, “And you have to apologize to Ashley, too.” “She’s been getting a lot of hate because of your little stunt. You need to make it right. She might act tough, but she’s very sensitive inside...” “Are you done?” I snapped, suppressing my rage. “My lawyer told me your family refused to settle the bills and even threw him out of your house. Tyler, the only connection left between us is the $18,000 you owe me.” As I tried to walk past him, Ashley stepped out of Tyler’s passenger seat. “Chloe, just pretend it was my fault, okay? Please just make up with Tyler.” “See how sweet and reasonable Ashley is? Unlike you!” Tyler yelled. I scoffed. But I realized I had underestimated how shameless they could be. To force me to back down, they started shouting in front of the crowd. “Who changes their mind about a wedding over money? Do you love me or just my wallet? I’ve never seen such a gold digger!” “Exactly, Chloe!” Ashley chimed in. “We came all this way to beg you, and you’re still acting like this. Are you really that greedy?” Their loud voices attracted a crowd. Passersby began whispering and throwing judgmental looks my way. I quietly pulled out my phone and hit record. “Go on. Say that again for the camera.”