The Tarnished Man

The night before the wedding, Mike called, slurring drunk. "Chloe's planned a surprise, you'll definitely love it." The music was loud, and no matter how I called, Mike didn't reply. Then I remembered, he was at a bachelor party thrown by his "girl-bestie," Chloe. The next day at ten, when the wedding car pulled up to the Miller estate, a dozen banners fluttered in the wind. “I’ve slept with the groom; ask me anything.” The fluttering banners slapped me hard like open hands. Whispers erupted. I rolled up the window and told the driver to turn around. If he wanted to leave those banners up, I had no choice but to call off the wedding. 1. “Claire, what is wrong with you?” Mike had his groomsmen line up in front of the car. He furiously knocked on the back window. “Get out. What are you waiting for? Don’t miss the auspicious time.” I pointed at the fluttering banners. “You have those banners removed, and the wedding continues. Otherwise, I’m returning to the Dawson estate.” As if she had expected me to say this, Chloe’s face clouded over. “See? I told you she’s so old-fashioned; she can’t handle this kind of surprise.” “Take them down, take them down. For your son’s happiness, Dad doesn’t mind.” Her words contradicted her expression, which was clearly unwilling. “Take what down? I love them.” “Claire, why are you so rigid? Chloe didn’t even rest last night to prepare these banners.” I pointed at the words on the banners, questioning him. “Do you think the fact that you two ‘slept together’ is something to be proud of? Do you really need to announce it publicly on our wedding day?” Chloe’s tone was sweet and innocent. “Claire, Mike and I have been best friends since childhood. Is there any part of him I don’t know?” “The ‘slept together’ on the banner isn’t what you think it means.” Chloe’s explanation only intensified everyone’s suspicion. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Is this woman trying to declare ownership?” “How else can ‘slept together’ mean? Everyone here is an adult. What’s with this ‘best friends’ nonsense?” “Haven’t you heard? The groom still has to spend tonight with her. They’re definitely not innocent.” The murmurs, growing louder, reached my ears, and my face burned with shame. “Mike, I’m giving you one last chance. Take down the banners, and the wedding proceeds, or I’ll turn back to the Dawson estate, and we call off the engagement.” As if to back up Chloe, he blocked the staff trying to remove the banners. “This is the Miller family’s property. Who dares to move anything without my command?” “Get out of the car, Claire. If you keep this up, you’ll not only shame Chloe but also put the Miller family in a very difficult position.” Chloe stood behind Mike, a defiant glint in her eyes. “If you won’t remove them, then I absolutely won’t get out of the car.” A throng of people poured out of the hotel. “Claire, get out of the car quickly. My mom and dad have personally come to greet you. Don’t be ungracious.” Mike’s parents stood in front of the car. Chloe naturally linked arms with Mrs. Miller. “Aunt Eleanor, it’s all my fault. I just thought I’d liven up the wedding atmosphere and put up a few banners.” Mrs. Miller followed Chloe’s gaze to the banners, the words making her pause for a few seconds. “I didn’t realize Claire wouldn’t like them. It’s my mistake; I’ll have them taken down now.” Mike pulled Chloe back. “Take what down? I said, this is the Miller family’s property. You can hang whatever banners you want.” “She hasn’t married into the Miller family yet. She doesn’t get to decide.” Mike’s words were exactly what Mrs. Miller wanted to hear. Even though my marriage to Mike was an arranged family alliance, my father wasn’t from the main Dawson lineage. I hadn’t lived in the capital since childhood, and she was very displeased with the Dawson family’s decision to marry me to Mike. She smiled sweetly, had the driver roll down the window, and took my hand. “Claire, on such a joyous day, a commotion would not look good for either the Miller or Dawson families.” “Chloe grew up with Mike; I know her character. These banners are just a joke, harmless.” “Listen to Aunt Eleanor, get out of the car quickly. Don’t miss the auspicious time.” Mrs. Miller’s attitude emboldened Chloe. She tugged hard at the car door, trying to pull me out. In that moment, I became a clown for all to see. Gazing at Mike’s indifference and Mrs. Miller’s intention to assert her dominance, I smoothed out my creased dress and opened the door. I had intended to save the Miller family face by simply calling off the wedding. But they insisted on pushing. Whatever happened next, they couldn’t blame me. 2. I shoved the car door open fiercely, and Chloe was knocked backwards. “Ah! That hurt!” Mike helped her up, cradling her in his arms. “Oops, I was just joking with Chloe and accidentally used too much force. I didn’t mean it. She doesn’t mind, does she?” Chloe, who was about to erupt, instantly fell silent. She stood up straight. “Of course not. Claire is so generous; she even accepted my banners, so naturally, I won’t be angry.” She had fallen awkwardly, and the limited-edition wedding dress she had snatched from me was now stained. Mike naturally took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Mike, my foot hurts.” Mike, without a word, scooped Chloe up into his arms. “What are you standing around for? Follow along!” The red carpet, which he should have walked with me, was now trodden with him carrying Chloe. I followed behind alone, carrying my dress. Mrs. Miller smiled at me. “Claire, Aunt Eleanor knows you’re generous. Only with generosity can you be a good Mrs. Miller.” I smiled back at her. “Aunt Eleanor is right. Chloe is Mike’s good friend; she’s hurt, so it’s only proper.” Walking to the hotel entrance, the staff whispered behind their hands. “First time seeing a groom carrying someone else, with the bride trailing behind.” “Didn’t you see what the banner said? The groom and that woman ‘slept together’.” “This bride is such a pushover, walking into her wedding day with such a public betrayal.” Each word was like a needle piercing my heart. My chest tightened, and a surge of anger swelled within me. In the dressing room, the makeup artist wanted to change my look. “No need to bother. I’d like to rest alone for a bit.” Chloe was injured, so the wedding certainly wouldn’t proceed as scheduled. Instead of meticulously changing clothes and waiting on stage like a clown for Mike, I might as well use this opportunity to do something interesting. Chloe gave me a surprise; I should be grateful. Not only her, but Mrs. Miller also said that only with generosity could I be a good Mrs. Miller. So today, I wanted to see how generous she could truly be. I quietly slipped out. The door to Chloe’s dressing room was ajar. I didn’t need to get close to the dressing room to know what the two of them were doing. Marrying Mike was a task for me. My uncle promised me that as long as I helped the Dawson family secure this alliance, I would be admitted into the Dawson Group, and my father’s shares would legitimately be inherited by me. If not for that 25% stake, I wouldn’t even glance at someone like Mike. Since childhood, my father always told me, “Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.” I had already thoroughly investigated Mike and Chloe’s backgrounds. Chloe, using the excuse of growing up with Mike, had overtly and covertly driven away five of Mike’s girlfriends. Mike enjoyed this ambiguous, unclear relationship with Chloe. After the news of my arranged marriage to him spread, Chloe hinted more than once that they were involved. Whether it was couple’s items flaunted on social media or accidental “bedside” photos, none of it angered me. But this time, she chose to humiliate me at the wedding, to shame the Dawson family. Well, I would let her know she had messed with the wrong person. 3. “So what if you’re the bride? Mike still protects me, doesn’t he?” I didn’t even need to open the app; I knew Chloe was desperately trying to provoke me. From the moment Mike and I started dating, her provocations were endless. At our engagement party, all the decorations in the hall were arranged according to her preferences. Simply because a few fewer daffodils were placed, she harshly reprimanded the florist in front of all the guests. When choosing a wedding dress, she tried on the limited-edition gown imported from Paris before me. “Mike, does this look good? I like this one.” The bridal consultant subtly reminded her that the dress was mine. Her face instantly darkened. “Claire, Chloe is a staunch single person; she doesn’t plan to get married in her life. It’s just a dress. If she likes it, why don’t you let her have it?” Before I decided to marry Mike, I never fantasized about having love with him. Therefore, I retreated again and again. It was just a wedding dress; I was willing to let her have it. But Chloe was still not satisfied. She deliberately chose the day Mike and I were taking our wedding photos. She went hiking alone on a wild trail in the wilderness. Before leaving, she posted a social media update visible only to Mike and me. The short essay was filled with talk of letting go, but the subtext hinted for Mike to go find her. At that moment, Mike, who was taking wedding photos with me, looked as if he had lost his soul. He took off his jacket, grabbed his car keys, and left without a word. He ignored me shouting after him. “Claire, I’m afraid something happened to Chloe. You can take solo wedding photos first. The rest can be composited later.” The photographer’s eyes widened at his unreasonable request. I understood Chloe’s nature; she was declaring war on me in this way. As the wedding date approached, whenever Mike squeezed in time for wedding photos, Chloe would always have various “accidents.” “Mike, I agree to the wedding photo composite, but you have to guarantee Chloe won’t cause trouble at the wedding.” When he heard my request, Mike looked at me dismissively. “Claire, I know what’s important. The wedding is a big day for you and me, for the Miller and Dawson families. Chloe will definitely behave.” But now, the wedding hadn’t even officially begun. Chloe was using a dozen banners to publicly shame me and the Dawson family. “Do you really think you’ve won? If he truly cared about you, why isn’t he marrying her?” “Chloe, no matter what stunts you pull, the only person Mike will marry is me. You will never sit in the position of Mrs. Miller.” Before, no matter what messages Chloe sent, I never replied to her. But today, I unleashed all the words I had kept bottled up. “Just you wait, I’ll let you know that Mike only loves me.” After reading Chloe’s utterly unaggressive reply, a pop-up on my phone showed that the camera had started operating. As the wedding time drew closer, I called the makeup artist in. While resting my eyes, my heart was filled with anticipation. I wondered what reaction Mike and the guests, who were waiting to see me humiliated, would have to what was about to unfold. 4. Sure enough, just as I expected. I stood alone on the stage in my wedding dress. No matter how the host called for the groom to enter, there was no sign of Mike. The groomsmen watched me like it was a show. Their expressions seemed to say: I dared to cross Chloe, so I deserved the lesson Mike was giving me. “Where is Mike? Send someone to look for him.” The guests below stirred, and Mrs. Miller told the groomsmen to scatter and search. “Claire, don’t worry, Mike will be here soon.” Mrs. Miller smiled as she comforted me. “Don’t worry, today is your wedding, he wouldn’t dare to mess around.” I pushed away Mrs. Miller’s hand, which was lightly patting mine. I said calmly, “No rush, Aunt Eleanor, I know where he is.” “If you don’t believe me, please look at the big screen.” The big screen lit up, showing a dimly lit room. Two figures were intertwined. “It sounds like someone is looking for you outside. The wedding seems to be starting.” The moment Chloe’s voice came out, the noisy guests stopped their movements. “Ignore them. If she dares to defy me in front of so many people, she deserves to be left out in the cold.” Mike’s displeasure towards me could be heard even through the screen. Mrs. Miller’s face immediately darkened. She kept dialing Mike’s number. “It’s Aunt Eleanor. Should I answer?” Chloe looked playfully at Mike, who was lying on the bed. Her white shoulder was half-exposed, covered in red marks. “Don’t answer. My mom has disliked Claire for a long time. This is a good opportunity to put her in her place.” Mrs. Miller’s face instantly changed from red to white. “Claire, don’t listen to his nonsense. Aunt Eleanor never meant that.” “Go find him quickly! Where is that beast?” Mrs. Miller was visibly furious. “Don’t worry about them. You’re being wronged today. If she dares to reject your good intentions, I’ll teach her a good lesson.” “But what if she finds out?” Chloe’s voice carried a hint of expectation. “What if she finds out? Although she’s a Dawson, the Dawson family doesn’t value her. Otherwise, if it were such a mess now, why wouldn’t anyone from the Dawson family stand up for her?” “Chloe, don’t be afraid. From now on, she’ll be Mrs. Miller, but you’re the only one I love.” Mike’s words seemed to reassure Chloe. She threw the incessantly ringing phone into a nearby humidifier. “Turn it off, quickly turn it off.” “Go find him! Make sure to control that little vixen separately.” Mrs. Miller furiously jumped onto the stage and pulled out the projector’s plug. More and more people went to look for Mike. “Mrs. Miller, young Mr. Hayes prepared a separate dressing room for Ms. Lane.” The staff I had arranged beforehand quickly stepped forward. Mrs. Miller, leading a group of people, marched towards the dressing room. Soon, the dressing room door was kicked open. Mrs. Miller stormed in furiously. Clearly, someone had tipped them off. Mike was unscrewing a bottle of pain relief oil, rubbing Chloe’s ankle, which wasn’t even swollen. “Mom, why are you here? Chloe sprained her ankle; I just went to get medicine for her.” A sharp slap rang out, and Chloe clutched her cheek in disbelief. “Aunt Eleanor, why did you hit me?” A layer of tears welled up in Chloe’s eyes. Mike protectively shielded her as if she were a treasure. “Mom, why did you hit Chloe? Claire pushed her and made her sprain her ankle, which is why I was delayed.” “You can only blame Claire.” Mrs. Miller fiercely grabbed Chloe’s hair and dragged her out. Mike tried hard to stop her. But the video that had just played had made Mrs. Miller lose face. How could she give up so easily? A sharp-eyed groomsman approached Mike and whispered in his ear. “Mike, there was a video just now. The content of the video was…” “What video? Where is it?” He became visibly flustered. The groomsman hesitantly played the recorded content. When he heard his own voice, he froze. Soon, he snatched the phone and slammed it heavily onto the ground. “Fake, this is Claire’s revenge. If you don’t believe me, look, there’s no bed in the dressing room at all.”