Slapped at the Altar You Stole My Groom, but I'm Your Billionaire Boss

At my wedding, the groom, Tyler, slapped me hard across the face in front of every single guest. The reason? My cousin, Chloe, had tumbled down the stairs, and he was convinced I pushed her. "Summer, Chloe has severe depression! Why the hell would you push her?!" Chloe lay curled in Tyler’s arms, coughing up a theatrical trace of blood. "Tyler, please don't blame Summer... I was just careless." Aunt Brenda lunged at me, grabbing my wedding gown and shaking me violently. "You evil wretch! You were already jealous of Chloe’s career, and now you’re trying to murder her?!" My dad stormed onto the altar, snatching the microphone straight from the officiant’s hand. "Summer, get on your knees and apologize to your cousin right now! This wedding is off!" The entire room gasped. Whispers erupted as everyone started pointing fingers at me. They called me vicious. They called me consumed by jealousy. Yet, I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I just gave a cold smirk and snapped my fingers at my maid of honor. A second later, the massive LED screen behind the altar flickered to life. Playing on it was the crystal-clear, multi-angle security footage from the stairwell ten minutes ago. On screen, Chloe was caught red-handed biting open a fake blood capsule. Then, timing it perfectly with Tyler walking into view, she threw herself down the steps with dramatic flair. From beginning to end, my hands never even brushed the hem of her dress. I picked up a backup microphone, my voice echoing throughout the entire hall. "Chloe, they should give you an Oscar for being the most pathetic fraud alive." Dead silence. The rage on Tyler’s face instantly froze. He looked down at Chloe in his arms. Chloe turned paper white, forgetting even to pretend she was fainting. "This... this is an AI deepfake!" Brenda was the first to snap out of it, screeching frantically. "Summer, you sick bitch! Faking a surveillance video just to save your own skin?!" I looked at Brenda and laughed out loud. "Aunt Brenda, that hotel footage has an official security timestamp. Do you think the cops are blind?" My dad marched over, face dark with fury. "Enough! Stop airing our dirty laundry in public! Turn that damn screen off!" I glared at him, my gaze ice cold. "When she was throwing mud at me, why didn't you care about dirty laundry?" "Now that the evidence destroys her, you want to talk about family honor?" "Dad, your favoritism could drown an entire ocean." Tyler snapped up. He stared at the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Chloe, what the hell is this?" Tears poured from Chloe's eyes as she wrapped her arms around Tyler's leg. "Tyler, I really do have depression!" "I was just so terrified of losing you! She’s always targeting me, and I lost my head for a second!" Her ability to spin lies on the spot truly blew my mind. I scoffed. "Afraid of losing him?" "You weren't afraid when you crawled into his bed and sent him midnight selfies in plunging lace lingerie, were you?" Tyler’s face flushed an ugly purple. "Summer, watch your mouth!" "Chloe only did that so we could discuss her jewelry designs!" I sneered. "Since when does discussing jewelry designs require wearing nothing but crotchless lace?" Brenda immediately shielded Chloe. "Shut your mouth! You’re just talentless! You couldn't even place in a local design contest!" "Our Chloe is about to be hired as the Chief Designer at Pinnacle Group!" "You’re just bitter that she’s better than you and that Tyler loves her more!" My mom dabbed her tears from the front row. "Summer, just apologize. Chloe is a top designer now. We can’t afford to make an enemy out of her." Looking at these brainless hypocrites, a wave of sheer disgust washed over me. "Chief designer?" "Aunt Brenda, why don't you ask her the name of that award-winning piece? Ask her if she can sketch even a single line of it." Chloe’s head jerked up, panic finally flickering in her eyes. "Stop making things up! I pulled three all-nighters to draw that!" Tyler stepped up to defend her too. "Summer, I know you’re bitter about me calling off the wedding." "But you cannot deny Chloe’s genius!" I had zero interest in wasting words on this trashy duo. With a sharp click, the screen switched. This time, the display was flooded with design sketches, layered revision logs, and raw files stamped with verified creation dates. Every single one was signed with my name: Summer Vance. And the final rendered piece was the exact design Chloe had entered into the competition to win the Grand Gold Prize. The only difference was that she had cropped out my signature and slapped her own onto it. Looking at the undeniable proof on screen, I felt entirely numb. Reasoning with people who have zero morals was a complete waste of time. Chloe stared at the screen, her face as pale as a corpse. She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, her whole body shaking violently. The guests instantly erupted. "Wait, so she's the thief calling the victim a thief?!" "Faking a fall down the stairs was bad enough, but stealing her cousin's work?" "She literally cropped the signature out! That is shamelessly disgusting!" Hearing the crowd’s whispers, Brenda turned red with humiliation. She whipped around and shoved her finger right in my face. "Summer, you spiteful little snake!" "You hired someone to fabricate fake evidence just to frame Chloe!" I watched Brenda throw her tantrum coldly. "Those are digitally certified timestamps from the Copyright Office, complete with government anti-fraud codes." "Brenda, acting this brain-dead should qualify you for disability benefits." Trembling with rage, Brenda grabbed Chloe’s hand. "Chloe, tell everyone the truth!" "Tell them you slaved night after night over that drawing! It was never hers!"Chloe finally snapped out of her shock. Instantly, she threw on her signature damsel-in-distress mask. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Summer, I know you resent Tyler for falling in love with me." "But how could you hire a hacker to break into my laptop?!" "You stole my source files and ran off to register the copyright under your name!" "You’re trying to ruin my life!" Her twisted reversal of the truth truly broke every record of delusion. Looking at her pathetic, tear-streaked face, my stomach churned. "Your password is six zeros." "Who the hell needs a hacker for that?" "Chloe, could you at least try using a brain cell before you lie?" Tyler pulled Chloe into his arms with fierce devotion. He glared at me as if I were a hardened criminal. "Summer, you are disgusting and vile!" "I watched Chloe draw those sketches in my apartment every single day!" "You secretly filed the copyright just to steal credit for her work!" "You’re just eaten up with jealousy because she’s naturally gifted!" Looking at Tyler’s self-righteous face, I realized how blind I had been to ever consider marrying an idiot like him. "You watched her draw it?" "Fine. Let's test her right here, right now." I raised the microphone, my voice slicing clearly through the room. "Chloe, the centerpiece of 'Nirvana' uses a rare, custom-cut blue diamond." "Tell me: how many facets does the cut have?" "What engraving technique was used on the band’s filigree?" "And how did you calculate the metal stress points in the structural blueprint?" Tyler froze, looking down at Chloe. Chloe’s eyes darted frantically across the room. She stammered for what felt like an eternity, unable to squeeze out a single word. "I... I was just riding a wave of pure inspiration!" "My head hurts... my depression is flaring up!" "I can’t remember! I really can't remember anything right now!" She clutched her head, wailing in theatrical agony. I let out a mock laugh. "So setting facts aside, you conveniently forgot every single detail of your own masterpiece?" "Even early-onset dementia wouldn't wipe your memory that clean." Brenda threw herself in front of Chloe like a protective hen. "Shut up! You’re interrogating her!" "You won’t be happy until you drive Chloe to suicide, will you?!" My dad snapped too, stomping forward with a thunderous face. He clamped down on my wrist with bruising force. "Summer, that is enough!" "Turn that damn screen off and apologize to Chloe right now!" I wrenched my hand free, leaving angry red marks on my skin. "Why the hell should I apologize?" "She stole my life's work, and you want me to bow down to her?" "Dad, did you sell your conscience for scraps?" My mom stepped onto the stage, her eyes red as she tugged at my gown. "Summer, do you really have to destroy this family?" "Chloe is about to become the Chief Designer at Pinnacle Group." "She can’t have a scandal like this!" Looking at my mother, the last lingering warmth in my chest went cold. "Her future matters, but my hard work is garbage?" "Mom, I’m the child you carried for nine months." My mom sighed, speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You were going to marry Tyler and be a stay-at-home wife anyway." "What do you even need a design award for?" "Chloe is different. She needs this trophy to open doors at Pinnacle." "You’re the older cousin. What's wrong with giving her the credit?"A collective gasp rippled through the guests. The sheer audacity of her words made me laugh out of pure rage. "She steals my blood and sweat to land a job, and I'm supposed to throw her a parade?" "On what grounds? Because her skin is thicker than a brick wall?" Tyler frowned, staring at me with deep irritation. "Summer, you have no grace at all." "Even if you did draw it, what’s the big deal if Chloe borrows it?" "Family shares everything!" "No wonder I fell out of love with you. A petty, calculative woman like you was never good enough for me anyway." I was so enraged that laughter burst from my lips. Staring at Tyler’s smug face, I didn't hold back. "You mistake my silence for weakness, Tyler?" "A cheating scumbag and a two-faced snake—honestly, you two are a match made in a landfill." "Do the world a favor, tie yourselves together, and never taint anyone else!" Tyler’s face darkened, and he raised his hand to strike me. My maid of honor reacted instantly, shoving him back. "Back off! You dare lay a finger on her?!" "You people are utter trash!" Chloe took the chance to pull herself upright from Tyler's arms. She patted her messy hair, her expression turning insolent and arrogant. "Summer, I’m done arguing with you." "No matter what you say today, the gold trophy has my name carved on it." "Besides, Mr. Hayes from Pinnacle Group handpicked me for my talent." "He's actually coming to the reception today." "Keep making a scene and piss off Mr. Hayes, and the entire family will go down with you!" At the mention of Pinnacle Group, Brenda stood tall and proud. "Did you hear that?!" "Pinnacle Group is the titan of the luxury jewelry world!" "Mr. Hayes will be here any second!" "Summer, delete those raw files right now and sign a waiver forfeiting all copyright claims!" My dad pulled a pre-printed document from his jacket pocket. He slammed it onto the table and forced a pen into my hand. "Here's the waiver. Sign your name right now!" "If you don't sign, consider yourself disowned!" I looked down at the paper. In crisp black ink, it stated that I confessed to plagiarizing Chloe White’s work and voluntarily surrendered all legal claims. I let out a bitter laugh. They had planned this all along. Today wasn't a wedding; it was an ambush. If I hadn't pulled the security footage in advance... If I hadn't brought the source files... They would have pinned me to the floor and forced my hand onto this modern-day slave contract. I raised my eyes, my gaze sweeping over every single one of these so-called relatives. With a sudden burst of strength, I flipped the banquet table in front of me. Glasses shattered with a deafening crash, red wine spilling across the floor like blood. "You want me to sign?" "In your dreams." "Not only will I never sign, but I am calling the police right now." Chloe’s expression flickered, but she quickly masked it with smug confidence. "Call the police?" "You think they care about petty family drama?" "Even if they come, Pinnacle’s legal team will squash this before it even hits a courtroom." "Summer, what chance do you honestly think you have against me?" She stepped forward, leaning close to my ear. In a whisper meant only for me, she hissed gleefully: "Tyler is mine. The award is mine. The Pinnacle offer is mine." "You're an absolute loser, Summer." "How do you plan on fighting back?" I didn't waste a breath. I reared my hand back and swung. Smack! A crisp, thunderous slap exploded against Chloe’s cheek. Chloe shrieked and dropped like a sack of bricks to the floor.The entire room fell deathly quiet. Tyler’s eyes went bloodshot as he lunged forward, trying to grab my throat. "Summer, have you lost your mind?!" I spun around and slapped Tyler across the face with everything I had. Smack! Tyler staggered, clutching his stinging cheek in pure shock. "You... you dared to hit me?!" I rubbed my tingling wrist, glaring at the pathetic pair. "Hit you? That’s just the preview." "I ought to beat you senseless, you ungrateful parasite." "With an IQ that can barely run a toaster, you and that illiterate fraud deserve each other." "Weren’t you waiting for Mr. Hayes from Pinnacle?" "Fine. Let's wait for him together." My dad pointed a shaking finger at me, his face red with rage. "You rebellious brat! Are you trying to destroy this entire family?!" "If Mr. Hayes sees this mess, Chloe’s career will be ruined!" Brenda flopped onto the floor, throwing a full-blown tantrum. "God have mercy! We can’t live like this!" "Summer is insane! She’s trying to crush our family's only hope!" My mom clamped onto my arm, sobbing hysterically. "Summer, I am begging you!" "Get on your knees and apologize to Chloe!" "When Mr. Hayes gets here, tell him you were just jealous and caused a scene!" "Please, your mother is begging you!" I yanked my arm out of her grip. "Don't touch me." "The second you pushed that waiver in front of me, I stopped having parents." Chloe held her swollen cheek, cowering behind Tyler while spitting venom. "Summer, you're dead!" "Mr. Hayes despises manipulative, dramatic women!" "Once he arrives, I’ll make sure he blacklists you from the entire industry!" I laughed until tears nearly formed. "Blacklist me?" "Chloe, I dare you to try." Right at that moment, the double doors of the grand ballroom were pushed open. Several bodyguards in sharp black suits marched in, briskly flanking the entrance. A tall, impeccably dressed man walked into the room. He wore a bespoke charcoal-black suit that hung flawlessly on his broad shoulders. His features were sharp, commanding, radiating an aura of cold authority that demanded instant silence. The entire room froze. Every eye locked onto him. Brenda’s eyes flashed with manic joy as she scrambled up from the floor. "It’s Mr. Hayes! The CEO of Pinnacle is here!" Chloe frantically smoothed her rumpled dress, transforming back into a delicate, mistreated victim. She rushed toward him. "Mr. Hayes! You’re finally here!" "Please, you have to help me!" "My cousin is jealous that I won the Gold Award, and she’s ruining my wedding day!" "She even forged fake design files to smear my reputation!" Tyler scrambled after her, extending his business card with both hands. "Mr. Hayes, sir! I’m Chloe’s fiancé, Tyler Reed." "Summer is just acting out of spite." "Don't worry, this won't interfere with Chloe starting at Pinnacle at all!" My dad and mom rushed forward too, their faces plastered with groveling smiles. "Mr. Hayes, we apologize for the disgraceful scene!" "It’s our family’s misfortune to raise such an ungrateful child." "We’ll throw Summer out immediately so she doesn't ruin your day!" Mr. Hayes stopped in his tracks. He didn't touch Tyler’s card. He didn't spare Chloe a single glance. His piercing, icy gaze cut straight through the crowd and landed squarely on me. Seeing his lack of reaction, Chloe grew even more anxious. "Mr. Hayes, look at the screen! Those source files are all faked by my cousin!" "She’s an unemployed housewife! How could she possibly create a design like that?" "You’re the top authority in luxury jewelry—you can tell she’s lying, right?" Mr. Hayes furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes skimming the layered files displayed on the big screen. Brenda chimed in eagerly from the side. "Exactly, Mr. Hayes! Summer is pure poison!" "She’s a nobody, so she wants to drag Chloe down with her!" "Please, call the police and have her locked up!" Mr. Hayes turned his head, his cold gaze pinning Chloe in place. "You claim these files are fabricated?" Chloe nodded furiously, her eyes wide with manufactured innocence. "Yes! I saw her hack into my laptop and steal them with my own eyes!" Mr. Hayes let out a dry, chilling chuckle. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the silence like a razor. "I reviewed the conceptual sketches for 'Nirvana' three months ago." A shockwave rippled through the room. Chloe froze, her tongue tripping over her words. "M-Mr. Hayes... you saw them three months ago?" "How is that possible?" "I hadn't even finished the rough draft three months ago..." Mr. Hayes looked at her with pure disdain. "Three months ago, the initial drafts were sent directly to my private inbox." "In fact, I personally provided detailed revision notes to the designer." Chloe was completely stunned, her mind grinding to a halt. "To... to whom did you send revision notes?" Mr. Hayes didn't even acknowledge her. He stepped straight past the frozen crowd, walking directly toward me. Then, under the stunned, breathless stares of every single person in the hall... He leaned down slightly and extended his right hand toward me. "Summer." "You certainly made me search high and low for you."