Pre-Wedding Cheating Ends With Me Ruining Your Family Business

The night before our wedding, at our joint pre-wedding party, my fiancé brought out a toy lie detector. "The most important thing between a married couple is absolute honesty," Julian said, his eyes glittering with a playful yet challenging light. "Chloe, do you dare to put this on with me? If either of us has ever lied to the other, we call off the wedding right here, right now." His groomsmen burst into loud laughter. "Come on, man! She loves you to death. She literally broke ties with her own family just to be with you. How could she ever lie to you?" I smiled, letting them strap the cold metal plates onto my wrist. Julian looked at me, brimming with confidence. "You knew Hailey and I slept in the same bed, but you still chose to marry me." Hailey, standing right behind him, blushed and hid her face behind his shoulder. "We’re just bros, okay? What’s wrong with best friends sharing a bed? Chloe is too cool to care about that." My smile faded. I gave a quiet, "Yeah." The green lights on both sides of the lie detector lit up. It was the truth. Julian’s bros started cheering and whistling. "Julian, man, teach us your secrets! How did you get Chloe so whipped?" "Seriously, Chloe is the ultimate chill girl. In this day and age, who else would calmly accept her man having a female bestie like that? If my boyfriend did that, I’d kick his ass to the curb on day one!" Julian smiled triumphantly. "Even knowing that after we get married, I will always treat Hailey better, you still won’t care." I closed my eyes and whispered, "Yeah." *Beep—!* The red light flashed violently. I let out a long sigh, slowly slid the diamond engagement ring off my finger, and placed it on the table. This game of love... I couldn't play pretend anymore. The heavy thud of the diamond ring hitting the wooden table echoed through the room. Seeing my movement, Julian’s brow furrowed deep, his expression instantly turning ugly. "Chloe, what the hell is this supposed to mean?" I didn't offer an explanation. Instead, I stared blankly at Julian’s left hand. There was no ring on his finger. In fact, there was no trace of a tan line or any mark that a ring had ever been there. It was as if it never existed. I was the only one who had been holding onto this delusion. Julian demanded an answer, his eyes locking onto mine. I forced a small smile. "We played a game, and I lost. Isn't that how it works?" Though I looked calm on the outside, my heart was throbbing with a dull, stabbing pain. This man’s face—no matter how hard I tried—still had the power to mess with my head. The room, which had been noisy just seconds ago, fell dead silent. Everyone’s eyes drifted toward me. Hailey’s smile vanished for a split second, her face darkening before she quickly masked it with a bright, bubbly grin. She playfully patted Julian’s tense arm and looked at me, her eyes dripping with fake sweetness. "Aw, Chloe, don't be like that! We all know you're just joking. Everyone knows you love Julian more than life itself. You literally signed over fifty percent of your family company's shares to him!" "If you say you don't love him, who would believe you?" "Besides, these toy lie detectors aren't a hundred percent accurate. Chloe, are you just mad because Julian and I shared a bed? Did you mess with the wires on purpose?" She acted like she was the bigger person, then playfully shoved another guy next to her. "Chloe is just a sensitive little girl. You guys shouldn't tease her. Julian and the boys don't even see me as a girl! We literally just wrapped ourselves in separate blankets and talked all night!" "If you don't believe me, ask the guys!" Julian’s friends roared with laughter again, nodding in agreement. But Julian didn't join in. He completely ignored the awkward position I was in. He just wanted an answer from me. I didn't say a word. Seeing the tension ease slightly, the others started chanting again. "Come on, Chloe, don't be a party pooper! Don't embarrass our boy Julian!" "We’ve only played two rounds! You can't quit now!" "This is a pre-wedding party! We need to go wild!" I raised my eyes, looked at Julian, and tapped my fingers on the table. "Are you sure you want to keep playing?" Julian hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. His posture was rigid, but when he saw me obediently putting the lie detector strap back on, a flash of smugness crossed his eyes. "Chloe, it’s just a game. If you take it too seriously, you lose." A sharp pang hit my chest. Julian didn't believe me. In his eyes, I was just a stupid, lovesick fool who would never leave him, let alone lie to him. I wiggled my fingers and smiled faintly at him. "You’ve been asking all the questions so far. It’s my turn to ask one, right?" Hailey let out a mocking chuckle. She knew exactly how to push my buttons. She casually walked over, sat right on Julian’s lap, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Go ahead, Chloe! Ask away. Don't worry about me. I'm just here to put some pressure on Julian so he doesn't dare lie to his future wife." For whatever reason, Julian allowed her to sit on him. But his eyes remained glued to me. I knew what Julian was waiting for. In the past, whenever Hailey did something like this, I would throw a fit. I would scream, cry, and demand answers. And all I would get in return was Julian’s cold, dismissive response: "We’re just best friends." "Your mind is so dirty." This time, I didn't give him the satisfaction. I averted my gaze, smiled, and said, "Really? Then I guess I should thank you." Hailey’s fake smile froze on her face. Julian, looking annoyed, shifted his legs and pushed Hailey off him. His eyes darkened. "What do you want to ask?" I picked up my glass of wine, took a slow sip, and under Julian’s intense gaze, asked in a calm, clear voice: "On the day of my dad’s funeral... were you in bed with Hailey?" The room went dead silent. According to the rules of the game, Julian could only answer "Yes" or "No." The lie detector would show the truth. The tapping of my fingers on the table grew faster. Julian, looking extremely irritated, finally spat out, "Yes." The green light lit up. "But that was just an accident," he added quickly. The last string of sanity in my mind snapped.My dad and I had lived together, relying only on each other, since I was a little girl. He had used his frail shoulders to build a life for us. But in order to be with Julian, I had repeatedly argued with my dad, eventually leading to a massive falling out with my family. My dad had begged me, his voice full of worry: "Julian is not a good man." "You won't be happy with him, Chloe." I didn't listen. I fought him at every turn. Yet, my dad still spent his final days quietly setting up a trust fund and securing my future. Back then, Julian and I were engaged, just waiting to set a wedding date. But then, my dad suddenly collapsed and passed away. I was left completely alone in this world. Julian had promised me he would always be by my side. But on the day of the funeral, he stood me up. I called his phone over and over again. When my battery was down to its last two percent, Julian finally answered, his voice dripping with annoyance. "There’s an emergency at the office. I have to fly out right now. We’ll talk when I land." I held the phone, my mind completely blank, filled with disbelief. Right before the call disconnected, Hailey’s giggling voice drifted through the receiver. I knew I hadn't misheard. Julian’s parents, who were at the funeral, sneered at me because their son hadn't shown up. I had to swallow my grief and make excuses for him, only to be met with their harsh scolding: "You can't even keep a hold of your own man. What good are you?" "How are you supposed to handle being a part of the Carter family?" Under the judging eyes of his parents, I dragged my hollow body through my father's funeral like a ghost. Seeing me space out, Julian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "It was an emergency. I tried explaining it to you back then, but you refused to listen." "Why are you bringing this up again now?" "A pre-wedding game, and you have to make it this disgusting. Do you have to ruin everyone's mood to be happy?" "The wedding is tomorrow! What are you throwing a tantrum for?" "Aren't you afraid I'll actually call off the wedding?" My throat burned, and tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back. "Then let's call it off." Julian scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose in sheer annoyance. "Chloe, you're doing this again. You're so dramatic." "I already agreed to marry you. What more do you want?" Hailey, sitting nearby, began playing with a ring on her slender finger. She playfully poked Julian’s cheek. "Julian, don't be mad. Chloe is just being a typical emotional girl. You can't expect every girl to be as laid-back as me, right?" The triumph in Hailey’s eyes was blinding. She deliberately twisted the ring on her finger. At a glance, I recognized it. It was the extremely rare pink diamond ring Julian had high-profilely bid on at a Sotheby's auction a few weeks ago, spending millions. That pink diamond ring was my father's wedding gift to my mother. Years ago, when the Miller family faced a financial crisis, the ring had been sold to the market. Before he died, my dad’s biggest regret was that the ring’s owner refused to sell it back, meaning a piece of my mother could never come home. Two weeks ago, when I saw the ring in an auction catalog, my eyes had welled with tears. Julian had wrapped his arms around me, comforting me gently. "Don't worry, Chloe. I'll buy it back and give it to you as our wedding present." I had waited in pure anticipation. But now, it was sitting on the finger of a completely irrelevant woman. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my skin. My voice was trembling. "Julian... you promised to buy that ring back for me. Did you buy it just to give it to Hailey?" "Do you have any idea what that pink diamond means to me? It was my dad’s wedding gift to my mom! What right does she have to wear it?"I slammed my hands on the table, the force sending the lie detector sensors flying off my wrists. Julian stiffened, shooting a quick, subconscious look at Hailey. But he quickly recovered his arrogant demeanor. "It’s just a ring, Chloe. Is it really worth screaming about in front of everyone? Do you think I, Julian Carter, can’t afford another ring for you?" Hailey quickly jumped in, putting on an act of shock while casually slipping the ring off her finger and tossing it onto the table. "Oh my gosh, Chloe! Why didn't you say so earlier? Julian and I are so close, we don't really keep track of whose stuff is whose. I just thought it looked pretty and borrowed it for a few days. I had no idea you’d get this mad!" She gently nudged Julian. "Come on, put it on her. I swear, I didn't know girls could be this sensitive over a piece of jewelry. I guess I'm just too tomboyish to get it." Listening to Hailey’s voice, a wave of intense nausea washed over me. I felt sick to my stomach. Julian stood up slowly, smoothing the creases on his designer suit. He picked up the ring carelessly and stretched his hand out toward me. "It’s just a ring. I'm busy running a business, I don't have time to remember every little detail." Seeing that I didn't reach out to take it, his face darkened again. "Why can't you be more like Hailey? You're so immature. She already gave the ring back to you. What else do you want?" As Julian’s hand drew closer to mine, I instinctively took a step back. His hand froze in mid-air. Julian’s groomsmen, sensing the suffocating tension, quickly tried to play peacemakers. "Come on, Chloe, the wedding is tomorrow! It’s a happy occasion. Why ruin the night over this?" "We all know you love Julian to death. You’re just trying to teach him a lesson tonight, right? But seriously, a woman shouldn't push it too far. Men get tired of drama." "We’ve known Hailey since college. We all know she didn't mean any harm. You can't be this petty, Chloe." Every single word they said pushed me into a corner. It was as if by not forgiving Hailey, I was the villain of the story. I looked around the room, a chilling coldness seeping deep into my bones. "Julian, I don't want the ring anymore." "Anything she has touched... I find disgusting." "And I don't want you either." "I will not be showing up to the wedding tomorrow." The air in the VIP room felt suffocating. I could barely breathe. I grabbed my belongings, threw them directly at Julian’s face, and spun on my heel, walking out of the room. His friends realized something was seriously wrong and urged Julian to go after me. But Julian didn't move an inch. He was absolutely certain I wouldn't actually leave. "Go after her? For what? The wedding is tomorrow. She would never skip it." "Chloe’s just getting spoiled. She’s getting more and more out of hand. You can't give in to women like her." "Once she cools down tonight, she’ll be wearing her white dress and begging to marry me tomorrow morning." I shook my head as I walked away. No, Julian. I would never humiliate myself like that again. I would never marry a man whose heart was constantly divided. I didn't have many belongings left at Julian’s penthouse. Anything that held a shared memory, I left behind. I didn't want any of it. When I packed up, I realized there wasn't a single thing I actually wanted to keep. To avoid leaving my clutter behind, I packed everything into trash bags and threw them into the dumpster downstairs. Then, I left my house keys on the kitchen counter. A tiny pang of sadness hit me, but I ruthlessly suppressed it. Julian, let's end this cleanly. I drove back to the old house where my dad and I used to live. The house was empty, smelling of dust and loneliness. I hugged my knees and sobbed until my throat was raw. Tomorrow, the sun would still rise. But the person who promised to stand by me had already betrayed me long ago. My best friend, Serena, was absolutely furious when I called her. She cursed Julian out for being a piece of trash and immediately booked me a flight. "He’s not worth your tears, Chloe! Come to Paris. I’ll show you a good time!" I desperately needed something new to fill the void in my chest. I arrived at the airport early in the morning to wait for my flight. At 3:00 AM, my phone started ringing off the hook. Julian’s family and friends couldn't find me, so they had forced him to call. Julian, who never had any patience, sounded more frustrated with every call. "Chloe, what are you doing? Today is our wedding! Wherever you are, get your ass over here right now!" "Chloe, if you don't show up, I will call off the wedding in front of everyone. Don't forget how hard you begged me to marry you. If you keep playing games, there won't be a next time!" "Chloe, where are you? Let's just talk. Get through the ceremony first. Don't humiliate both of our families!" I could hear Hailey in the background, fake-apologizing while subtly blaming me for being childish. My fingers moved swiftly across the screen. I texted him: *Since she loves playing the part so much, let Hailey be your bride today.* After sending the text, I pulled out my SIM card, threw it into the trash can, and inserted a new pre-paid card I had prepared. The world instantly fell silent. As the countdown to the wedding began, my plane taxied down the runway and took off into the clouds.