Chapter 1On my wedding day, Caspian's "ride or die" wore MY wedding dress. For the views, apparently.
She kissed him on the lips while everyone cheered.
And me? I watched the whole damn ceremony. On a livestream.
Jax—the officiant, their childhood buddy—grabbed the mic, eating this up.
"So when's the actual bride coming out, Cas? Keep stalling and she's gonna lose it."
Caspian swirls his glass, grinning like an idiot.
"Let 'em have their fun. She'll get over it. I'll smooth things over later."
Next second, I walked into the ballroom pushing a display stand draped in red fabric.
Silence.
"Mr. Thorne. Miss Ashford. Congrats on your... special day. Here's my gift—"
I pulled off the fabric.
Underneath? My spring haute couture collection. The designs I was gonna hand over to Thorne Industries as part of the marriage deal.
I tore them apart right there in front of everyone.
"The partnership between Sinclair Design and Thorne Industries? Canceled. Every contract. Every collaboration. Done. We're cutting ties. Now."
Now they'll see what happens when you fuck with the wrong woman.
What they just destroyed? The only thing standing between Thorne Industries and bankruptcy.
---
"Alright, Cas—kiss your bride!"
Jax's voice boomed through the hall, totally eating this up.
Caspian Thorne smiled, leaned down, and kissed Marlowe's hand.
But then—boom—Marlowe Ashford went for it. Grabbed his face with both hands and planted one right on his lips.
The room froze.
Then—chaos. Whistling, clapping, people losing their minds.
"Damn, Cas, you really going there!"
"She went for it! Holy shit!"
"Yo, Mar—you handling the honeymoon too?"
Marlowe pulled back, grinning at him.
"Ugh, you're boring. I wanted you to freak out. Do it again!"
"Do it again! Do it again!" people started chanting.
Then someone yelled, "Yo, chill—what if the real bride loses it and bails?"
Caspian laughed it off.
"Loses it over what? Marlowe and I basically grew up in the same crib. We're just messing around."
Marlowe looped her arm through his, stuck her tongue out at the crowd.
"Exactly. We've been best friends since forever. We used to play wedding all the time as kids. Cas promised me this when I was seven. Can't back out now!"
More laughter. More chaos.
Jax grabbed the mic again, totally playing it up.
"Damn, Marlowe's more excited than the bride! But hey, we all know these two are ride or die, right? It's all in good fun!"
He paused, grinning at the crowd.
"And I'm sure the bride's cool with it. Right, everyone?"
"RIGHT!"
The place went nuts.
Jax snapped his fingers. Someone handed him two champagne flutes.
He shoved them at Caspian and Marlowe.
"Cheers to a lifetime of friendship! And Cas—don't forget your boys once you're married, yeah?"
Marlowe's eyes started tearing up. Her voice got shaky.
"Cas... don't just forget about me once you're married, okay?"
He messed up her hair, grinning.
"You know you're stuck with me forever."
They clinked glasses. Marlowe stepped closer, her hand resting on his arm, and they locked eyes as they downed the champagne in one go.
Someone whistled. "Yo, they look more like a couple than the actual bride and groom!"
Everyone went wild. Phones out, recording everything.
The DJ threw on "Lean on Me."
Chapter 2
Caspian led Marlowe to the head table, people slapping his back the whole way.
"Yo, Cas—wrong girl, man!"
"Forget the other girl—just marry Marlowe already!"
Caspian shoved the guy's shoulder, laughing.
"Oh, fuck off."
But he kept holding Marlowe's hand the whole time. Walked her straight to his mom's table, then leaned in close and whispered:
"Alright, you've had your fun. I gotta go deal with Tessa. Just sit tight, okay?"
That table? His parents. His grandparents. His old professors. Everyone who mattered to him.
And Marlowe was right there with them.
Some guest squinted at her. Then asked his mom.
"Mrs. Thorne, who's this?"
Caspian's mom lit up. She practically shoved Marlowe forward.
"This is Marlowe. These two have been joined at the hip since forever. She's family to us. Today wouldn't be the same without her."
Marlowe raised her glass, playing the perfect angel.
"Hey, guys! I'm so happy for Cas. Someone had to break the ice, right? The bride's on her way, promise."
She worked that table like she was running for office. By the end, everyone was wrapped around her finger.
Then Caspian's mom did something that made me feel sick.
She slid off this emerald bracelet—this heirloom thing that's been in the Thorne family forever—and put it on Marlowe's wrist.
"Honey, I don't know what we'd do without you."
That bracelet? Mrs. Thorne gave it to me last month. Said I should wear it at the wedding.
I told her it was too expensive, that I didn't wanna risk damaging it.
Really, I was saving it for the right moment.
Now it was on Marlowe's arm. Glowing green against her skin.
Marlowe gasped, all fake-modest.
"Mrs. Thorne, no—this is way too special..."
"Oh, hush. Just wear it."
Mrs. Thorne held her hand, eyes practically glowing.
"I'll get Tessa something later."
The whole table saw what just happened. People started exchanging glances.
One of the uncles let out a laugh.
"Wow, Mrs. Thorne—no favoritism at all, right?"
"I mean, why isn't Cas marrying Marlowe?"
Mr. Thorne threw his head back and laughed.
"Hell, my wife's been hoping for that since these two were kids!"
Marlowe grabbed Caspian's arm, cheeks flushing. He pulled her behind him, shaking his head.
"Guys, cut it out. Marlowe's like my sister—I don't see her that way. Tessa's the one I'm marrying. Period."
Oh, he said all the right things.
I checked my watch—forty-four minutes past the ceremony start time.
And not one person had asked where the bride was.
Just then, my phone lit up. A message from Caspian, sent five minutes ago.
[Tessa, Marlowe's just messing around. Don't take it personal.]
[I'll get them to restart everything rn.]
My phone was still on the counter in the dressing room, screen glowing.
Marlowe's livestream was still running.
The camera was pointed right at the ballroom.
Comments were flying.
[wait shes not the bride?? shes gorgeous tho]
[hold up this is Caspian Thornes wedding? hes hot as hell]
[they look perfect together omg]
[um wasnt today supposed to be Tessa Sinclairs wedding??]
[why is Marlowe in the dress lol]
[oh i know them. girl in the dress is his childhood bff]
[its a prank for views. real brides backstage]
[this feels messed up tho. bride is probably freaking out]
[freaking out over what? Tessa was literally the side chick]
[she broke them up. if it wasnt for her Cas and Marlowe wouldve been together]
Chapter 3
I stopped scrolling.
On screen, Marlowe was fixing Caspian's tie.
The comments exploded.
[OKAY WAIT someone spill the tea what happened]
[back in college they were attached at the hip]
[Cas played basketball Marlowe brought him water]
[Marlowe had rehearsals Cas stayed with her till midnight]
[everyone thought they were dating]
[then Tessa showed up idk how]
[she just latched onto him]
[i was in Tessas year she was broke as hell]
[ate the cheapest food wore the same 3 outfits]
[Cas probably felt bad and she manipulated that]
[classic gold digger move]
[look at her now that dress cost half a mil]
[shed never afford that without the Thornes]
My nails dug into my palms.
The camera panned to the head table.
Some woman was complimenting the bracelet on Marlowe's wrist.
Mrs. Thorne held her hand, smiling.
The comments went wild.
[thats mother in law approval right there]
[she literally just gave her the family bracelet]
[THATS what a Thorne wife looks like]
[not Tessa lmao]
[Marlowe fits the family way better]
[she looks like she belongs there]
[Tessa is just... not it]
[wrong bride fr]
I closed my eyes.
Last month, when Mrs. Thorne handed me that bracelet, she said:
"Tessa, honey, this bracelet's been in our family forever. Usually, it goes to the daughter-in-law."
"But sweetie, you're still so young, and you've never been big on jewelry, have you? I wasn't sure if you'd even like emeralds. They're pretty... traditional."
I thought she was being considerate.
Turns out, she already had someone else in mind.
The comments kept gushing about how perfect they looked together. How they were "meant to be."
Meant to be?
I laughed. The sound echoed in the empty dressing room.
Then my phone buzzed again. A message from my old college roommate.
[tessa did you see the stream]
[dont listen to those trolls theyre lying]
[caspian chased YOU remember]
Yeah.
He did.
Sophomore year, this sculpture prof wanted me to switch majors.
I was like nah.
He got pissed and made me clean the studio. Total punishment bullshit.
I'm in there scrubbing, and Caspian literally runs in and locks the door.
Some chick was following him around.
I just dropped what I was doing and stared at him like wtf.
He looked at me, then walked over.
"Yo, why's it so cold in here? You're doing all this alone?"
I didn't answer. Just kept moving these heavy-ass plaster blocks.
He watched for a minute. Then just took the broom from me.
"Nah, I got it. Go chill."
After that he was everywhere.
"Why do you eat alone all the time? Sit with me."
"You're actually really talented. Let me see what you make."
"I got you this. Just take it."
I said no like a thousand times.
He did not care.
"Tessa, I'm not stopping. You're the first girl I've ever actually cared about."
The phone screen went dark, then lit up again.
Someone posted an old photo of me from college.
Plain white button-up. Blank expression.
[poverty vibes in this pic lmao]
[parents died she was raised by her grandpa]
[Thornes were her only way up]
[they dont match at all]
[bet she got pregnant on purpose]
[pregnancy trap 100%]
[at least shes pretty hot]
The comments got worse from there.
I thought the Thornes didn't care about status.
But now I got it.
Mrs. Thorne wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what Marlowe was doing today.
She wanted this.
Wanted to use Marlowe to put me in my place.
To remind me that compared to someone like Marlowe Ashford—old money, perfect pedigree—I was nothing.
And Caspian?
He was counting on me not making a scene. Not calling off the wedding.
So he let Marlowe do whatever she wanted.
Twenty years of friendship?
Doesn't see her "like that"?
Please.
He just wanted both of us. Didn't wanna choose.
