Chapter 1 Two Grooms

"The wedding's off. Cheryl's in trouble. I gotta go check on her."

In the lounge, Randy Scott was rushing out, but Hazel Anderson grabbed his sleeve. "Randy, can you wait until the wedding's over?"

Her face was full of pleading, with a hint of panic in her eyes.

In just half an hour, the wedding would start, and the hall was already filled with guests. If he left now, Hazel would be without a groom, and she couldn't imagine how to face everyone.

Randy ignored her pleas and pushed her away with a look of disgust. "Cheryl found out about our wedding and tried to slit her wrists. And you're still only thinking about the wedding? How can you be so heartless?"

Hazel stumbled back, hitting her lower back against the dressing table, sending a sharp pain through her body.

Her face turned pale, tears welling up in her eyes as she murmured, "But..."

Randy cut her off angrily, his eyes cold. "If anything happens to Cheryl today, I'll never forgive you."

With that, he turned and left.

Hazel chased after him. "Randy, Randy!"

By the time she reached the hallway, it was empty. Randy was long gone.

Hazel's devastated expression froze for a moment. She slowly stood up straight, her face calm, showing no sign that her groom had just abandoned her.

She walked to the adjacent lounge. "Mr. Johnson, may I come in?"

There was a two-second silence before a deep voice responded, "Come in."

She pushed the door open and her gaze fell on the figure by the window. Lawrence Johnson, dressed in a black suit, exuded an air of nobility. His face was slightly pale, but his features were handsome, and his presence was imposing.

Hazel silently admired him for a moment before speaking directly. "Mr. Johnson, are you ready? Once the wedding starts, there's no turning back."

Lawrence's expression remained calm. "Of course."

He glanced at Hazel with a hint of indifference. "But there's one thing I'd like to understand, Ms. Anderson."

Hazel, aiming for a smooth collaboration, nodded. "No problem."

Lawrence maneuvered his wheelchair forward, his sharp gaze seemingly dissecting her. "Why did you choose to marry a disabled man? The wedding is only temporarily canceled. If you wish, it can still be held later."

Hazel smiled faintly at his words. "What I hate most in life is trouble and public humiliation."

In her life plan, she was supposed to marry Randy, then use that to break free from her family's control and pursue her passion for design.

Unfortunately, the plan went awry.

Three days ago, when Hazel went to deliver clothes to Randy, she accidentally overheard him complaining to a friend in his office.

"Hazel only has a pretty face, but her personality is so dull and boring. It's unbearable." The same Randy who once sweet-talked her was now speaking with extreme disdain. "If it weren't for Cheryl, I wouldn't even consider marrying her."

Standing at the door, Hazel felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer.

Her mind was a blur, and she felt a sharp pain.

She wanted to confront Randy, but as she took a step forward, she turned around and walked away expressionlessly. There was no point in picking up something already tainted.

Hazel left the company and stood on the street for a long time, feeling lost. She decisively opened a dating website and selected Lawrence from the profiles.

She called him directly, getting straight to the point. "Mr. Johnson, I heard you're looking for someone to marry?"

Things progressed smoothly from there. Lawrence, pressured by his family to marry, was looking for someone to go through the motions, while Hazel needed a new groom for her wedding. They hit it off immediately.

Originally, Hazel was thinking about how to deal with Randy, but he conveniently left on his own.

Lawrence didn't ask further questions, only saying, "I hope you won't regret this, Ms. Anderson."

"Of course not." Hazel said.

Hazel confirmed the details with him and left the lounge.

Half an hour later, the wedding began.

Hazel walked to the entrance of the banquet hall alone, waiting as the wedding march played.

Because her sister Cheryl Anderson had attempted suicide, her parents had also hurriedly left the wedding.

"Hazel, what are you doing?" Suddenly, someone came rushing over, cursing. Leading the charge was Randy's mother, Esme Garcia. She grabbed Hazel's arm. "Randy said the wedding is off. What are you trying to do?"

Randy's father, Walter Scott, followed closely behind, frowning. "You need to stop the wedding immediately. Tell everyone it was your fault Randy left, and apologize to the guests."

Hazel sneered. They were as shameless as ever.

When she was dating Randy, his parents always acted superior, looking down on Hazel.

They often made things difficult for her, treating her like a servant, making her take care of Randy and do chores for the family.

After she did their bidding, they would still criticize her for not meeting their standards, frequently scolding her.

In the past, Hazel tolerated it because she liked Randy and wanted to gain freedom through him. But today, she had no patience left for them.

Hazel slowly raised her eyes and said, "The wedding has already started. Why should I stop it? Besides, with Randy's flirtatious nature and his eagerness to please Cheryl, I thought the Scott family no longer cared about their reputation."

"What did you say?" Esme had never been spoken to like this by Hazel before, her face turning pale with anger.

Hazel's eyes were cold. "Step aside. This wedding has nothing to do with you. If you cause any more trouble, don't blame me for calling the police."

Esme shouted, "What do you mean it has nothing to do with us? This wedding is clearly..."

She trailed off as her eyes landed on a nearby poster. The newlyweds on it were a perfect match, with Hazel as the bride, but the groom wasn't Randy!

Esme's eyes widened, and she glared at Hazel, gritting her teeth. "You dared to cheat with another man?"

Hazel laughed coldly. "How ridiculous. You don't control Randy's infidelity, but you come here to make a scene. Like mother, like son."

She turned to the staff nearby. "There's someone here trying to ruin my wedding. Please handle it."

Today's wedding was at the Regal Oasis Hotel.

The staff were used to serving wealthy and influential people. Moreover, a distinguished guest had given them prior instructions, so security was already on standby.

"You dare insult me?" Esme was furious. "I'll beat you, shameless woman."

In Esme's eyes, even if the wedding didn't go as planned, Hazel was still Randy's. Her disdain was one thing, but Hazel daring to act out was another.

Esme raised her hand to slap Hazel, but before she could, security arrived and dragged her away.

"Hazel, you little..." Her curses quickly faded into the air as the banquet hall doors opened, and the wedding march played. At the end of the red carpet, Lawrence, dressed in his suit, waited in the spotlight.