My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey) novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Married Someone Else

[Audrey, Guess what? Dominic is in my bed right now.]

When Audrey Rhodes received that text from Eliza Harper, she was standing in her wedding dress, getting ready for her big day. The message hit her like a punch to the gut.

Just moments away from saying "I do," and the man she was about to marry was wrapped up in another woman's sheets. And that woman was her best friend.

It felt like a vice gripping her heart, making it tough to catch her breath. But somehow, she managed to keep her cool and called Dominic Hayes.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before Dominia finally picked up. His voice was ice cold. "Eliza needs me right now, so we're going to have to delay the wedding. I'll make it up to you afterwards."

The words "make it up" landed like a heavy anchor on her heart. It was all real—while everyone was waiting for the ceremony to start, Dominic was actually with someone else.

Audrey couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Her wedding was about to kick off in front of all their friends and family, and her future husband had left her to handle that chaos by herself.

Feeling utterly defeated, Audrey dialed another number. "Mom, where are you and Dad? Why aren't you here yet?"

"Audrey, I'm really sorry, but Eliza suddenly fell ill. We might not make it," said Fiona Rhodes.

Hearing that made Audrey's heart drop. Just three days ago, her parents had seen the birthmark on Eliza's back while Eliza was trying on bridesmaid dresses. That was when they realized Eliza was their real daughter.

Audrey had hoped that after twenty years of bonding, her family wouldn't turn their backs on her. But it turned out she was wrong.

She thought her family would always have her back. But now, at the worst moment possible, they had completely abandoned her.

Audrey felt completely out of place, not even sure how she ended up at the wedding venue. Standing in front of the hall, surrounded by smiling guests and the lively atmosphere, she couldn't shake off the ache in her heart—it felt like it was tearing her apart.

At that moment, she made a bold choice. She walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Hey everyone, I'm really sorry, but the groom has a bit of a situation and might not be able to make it.

"So, I'm wondering if anyone here would be willing to marry me right now. If so, let's do this!"

As soon as she finished speaking, it was like someone dropped a bomb in the room.

"What just happened? Did the groom really bail?"

"Seems like it. Otherwise, why would the bride be asking for a marriage proposal on the spot?"

"Even if he ran off, is it really necessary to ask someone else to marry her right here? Everyone here is connected to the bride and groom in some way. This is super awkward."

Audrey realized her idea was pretty out there, but there was no turning back now. Just when the tension in the room hit its peak, a tall guy stood up. "I'll marry you," he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence.

The shock wave rippled through the crowd. No one expected anyone to actually step up and say they'd marry her like that.

"Who's this guy?"

"Honestly, no clue. I haven't seen him before. He doesn't look like he's from Riverdale's elite crowd."

With the Rhodes and Hayes families getting hitched today, all eyes were on the high-profile guests—celebrities and dignitaries from Riverdale. This mysterious guy clearly wasn't on their radar.

Maybe he was some VIP they had just never met, or perhaps he was just an outsider who accidentally wandered into the party.

"Isn't he sitting with the other guys? Some guest from the Hayes family?" For a moment, curiosity buzzed around the room like crazy.