After the Groom Ran Away, All of His Friends Fell in Love with Me (Mates)

On the weekend, Carmen Vacation Bay had a clear blue sky and the sea was crystal clear under the sunshine. Not far from the bay, the hotel looked magnificent under the blue sky and white clouds.

　　All hotel staff were busy as a grand wedding was about to take place here.

　　The luxurious 15,000 square foot banquet hall in the hotel is decorated with white balloons and ribbons, and two swans made of white roses over six meters high were placed in the venue.

　　The floor was covered with petals, leading directly from the French windows of the banquet hall to the surrounding terrace. A rainbow-like church was built with colorful glass, overlooking the sea, and surrounded by flowers, just like a scene in a dream.

　　For this wedding, there were dozens of media outlets coming to interview; they defined this wedding as "a wedding of a princess and a prince".

　　The groom was Joseph from the local Thomas Group. He came from a prominent family and had extraordinary looks, truly the prince charming in the hearts of many. However, as for the bride, the media thought that the term "Cinderella" might be more suitable for her.

　　Despite coming from an humble background, she stood out in the "New York Angel" modeling competition at the age of 18, and thus embarked on a modeling career. Later on, she achieved excellent results in the World Elite Model Contest, paving the way for more appearances in international fashion shows and advertisements for major brands.

　　The bride Fiona, reportedly, just turned 21 three months ago.

　　At such an age when many people's struggles had just begun, she had already reached an unreachable endpoint, whether in love or career.

　　It really made people jealous.

　　But media outlets were always happy to see news topics like Cinderella that could bring huge click-through rates, so they had sent people to conduct interviews.

　　At the end of the venue filled with flowers, the bride stood quietly there, allowing everyone to take photos.

　　She wore a wedding dress that was absolutely enough to fulfill every girl's fantasy: delicate lace edging, embedded with countless small diamonds on the skirt, a huge skirt and a long white veil. Extremely eye-catching and dreamy appearance, making people can't help but marvel.

　　Fiona wore a white veil on her head, her beautiful face hidden behind the wedding dress, politely and gracefully smiling at the clicking and intermittent shutter sound.

　　The reporters took dozens of photos in a row before realizing that the groom seemed to be missing.

　　Someone couldn't help but look at their watch, wondering how the groom could be late for his own wedding.

　　Time passed slowly, gradually approaching noon.

　　Fiona's smiling face gradually began to reveal panic.

　　Her gaze occasionally turned towards the entrance of the wedding venue, waiting for her future husband.

　　However, Joseph did not show up. Instead, his best man handed her a phone.

　　Was it the groom calling?

　　The crowd watched as Fiona walked to the backstage to answer the phone. They could tell from her relieved expression that they knew who was calling. However, they were surprised to see Fiona's expression gradually become serious, even frowning. Finally, she almost gritted her teeth and cursed before hanging up the phone angrily.

　　After returning from the phone call, Fiona stood directly in the center of the stage. She tightly held the microphone with both hands, looked at the guests below, almost struggling to force out a smile, took a deep breath, and then spoke: "I just received a call. The groom of this wedding - my fiancé Joseph, cannot come due to some unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, I am here to announce on behalf of him and myself - this wedding is cancelled! Thank you all for coming from afar, and I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the sudden cancellation."

　　As soon as Fiona finished speaking, the guests below erupted into a commotion.

　　The media and reporters were all in a frenzy, holding their cameras and continuously taking photos, while throwing out a series of questions, "When will the wedding be rescheduled to? Why isn't the groom coming? And why isn't there a clear reason given? Will the wedding still be held in the future?"

　　It seemed that a big news had been picked up, and everyone was working hard to dig out tomorrow's search headlines.

　　Their aggressive questioning showed no concern for Fiona's feelings on stage. Even though she was on the verge of breaking down, she turned her eyes straight to the ceiling of the hotel ballroom, her mouth exaggeratedly upturned, trying her best to smile, as if a single misstep would cause tears to fall.

　　The helpless Fiona was ultimately captured in a photograph and posted on various media platforms.

　　Later, Fiona also saved one picture herself.

　　Every time she saw her awkward self in that photo, she couldn't help but feel that she was still too young at the time: having walked so many runways, experienced so many scenes, she still couldn't calmly face a wedding where she was stood up.

　　It was simply a stain on life.

　　Although all of this gradually faded out of the public eye as she later became a broker, this matter was also gradually forgotten by people.

　　But Fiona herself couldn't forget. If memories could be erased, she would like to erase this part.

　　Fiona drove and looked at the restaurant getting closer on the navigation, thinking self-deprecatingly in her heart.

　　At this moment, Annabelle beside her suddenly asked anxiously, "Fiona, what kind of person is Joseph. You've been in the industry for a long time, you should have had contact with him, is he easy to get along with?"

　　When Annabelle asked this, she took out a makeup mirror and observed her own makeup in the mirror. Fiona couldn't help but pat her shoulder, "Don't be nervous, it's just an endorsement advertisement."

　　It was just an endorsement advertisement for a luxury jewelry brand under the Thomas Group.

　　The brand only collaborated with top Hollywood celebrities before. This time it inexplicably chose Annabelle, who could only be considered a second-tier star.

　　The reason for this was said to be personally designated by Joseph.

"Be confident. Since Joseph personally named you, it shows that he has a good impression of you. Even if it doesn't work out, there are many similar endorsements. I will help you find other more suitable ones." Fiona comforted Annabelle.

　　Speaking of it, Fiona was about the same age as Annabelle.

　　But Fiona's dress was very mature: neat and capable clothing, black-framed glasses, slightly darker lipstick, making her look a few years older than her actual age. Coupled with her calm temperament, she looked quite like a mature woman, making people unconsciously want to trust her.

　　Of course, there was one more thing. She never told her own artists her real age. Whenever she joked about it, she said she's already in her thirties.

　　Fiona drove the car to the restaurant entrance, first letting Annabelle out of the car, then went to find a parking space.

　　When she finished everything and entered the restaurant, she actually bumped into Joseph and his assistant at the door.

　　She arrived more than ten minutes early, so she should have had time to freshen up. Unexpectedly, after three years apart, Joseph had changed his usual habit of making people wait.

　　"You're here too-" Upon seeing Fiona, his assistant hurried over to greet her and asked, "Where's Annabelle?"

　　"She got off first and should be in the private room or restroom."

　　"Then let's go," the assistant responded, and then introduced Fiona to Joseph, saying, "Joseph, this is Annabelle's agent, Fiona."

　　"Fiona, this is our group's CEO, Joseph."

　　Since the last high-profile divorce incident, Joseph had been abroad and just returned home last month to take over his family's business.

　　Fiona looked up at him; after three years, compared to her earth-shattering changes, he seemed to have no difference.

　　Still dressed in a well-tailored black suit, with a narrow waist and slender legs. The collar of his white shirt was casually open, revealing his elegant collarbone. He was handsome, refined, and a bit sexy, with an appearance and temperament that were no less impressive than those of the male artists under her command.

　　Perhaps just coming from a dining table, Fiona could even smell a faint smell of tobacco and alcohol on him.

　　"Hello, Joseph," Fiona nodded politely, as if it were truly their first meeting.

　　However, he was staring straight at her and said, "So you really are Annabelle's agent."

　　With a premeditated tone and a hint of joyful confirmation, he spoke these words. His deep eyes revealed an undisguised smile, as if he was about to embrace her and give her a passionate greeting after a long separation.

　　Fiona was slightly stunned for a second, then took a step back and smiled, saying, "Let's go inside first."

　　In her heart, she was thinking, "how could he be so shameless, acting like nothing happened."

　　Although Fiona did not understand Joseph's attitude, she still had to maintain the decorum in front of her own artist and the other party's assistant.

　　Fortunately, Joseph was straightforward and did not make things difficult. He immediately gave generous terms and agreed to her modifications to the contract.

　　Afterwards, Joseph's assistant drove them to the jewelry store of Thomas Group near the restaurant.

　　In a few days, it would be fashion week. Every fashion week could not do without the secret competition between female celebrities.

　　Compared to the competition among dress brands, the battle among jewelry brands on the red carpet seemed to be even more fierce. Since Annabelle was now the spokesperson, she naturally had to pick a few pieces of jewelry to attract attention.

　　But what's rare was that Joseph actually came to do this in person.

　　Fiona watched as the store clerk took out one piece of jewelry after another that had been locked in the safe on normal days, and then followed along to help select and inspect them.

　　Annabelle's red carpet dress was already custom-made, and Fiona recommended several based on it. Annabelle then tried them on one by one.

　　At this moment, Joseph walked over and said, "Do you have anything you like? Have a try."

　　One piece of the jewelry could cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

　　According to Annabelle's current value, although there were many brands sponsoring her, jewelries were usually required to be returned after the events. However, Joseph was different. He not only let Annabelle choose freely, but also let her agent choose with her.

　　Fiona: "You are really generous."

　　Joseph: "It's okay, it's all for brand promotion."

　　Fiona laughed, but she didn't choose any jewelry on the counter. Instead, she looked at the set of diamond jewelry on the central screen of the store and said, "Actually, I quite like that set."

　　That was Thomas Jewelry's flagship jewelry of the year, consisting of a pair of 10-carat pear-shaped earrings and a necklace. The necklace was made up of oval, pear-shaped, and olive-shaped cut white diamonds, totaling over 200 carats. It was said to have been handcrafted for thousands of hours and was truly radiant and luxurious.

　　This whole set was worth no less than 2 million US dollars.

　　Annabelle's hand wearing the jewelry paused, and she quickly turned her head to look at her own agent. She didn't understand why she, who had always been sensible, would say such embarrassing words now.

　　But Joseph wasn't upset after hearing it, he turned to the salesperson and asked, "Is that set of jewelry here?"

　　"Yes."

　　"Get it out."

　　"Oh, just trying it out." Annabelle breathed a sigh of relief and thought to herself that Joseph had quite a high emotional intelligence.

　　The salesperson quickly took out the diamond necklace from the safe in the back room.

　　Fiona looked at the thing in front of her, took off her earrings, and was about to try them on. Unexpectedly, Joseph picked them up first, approached her, and personally helped her put them on.

He stood behind her and carefully helped her fasten the necklace, just like a thoughtful boyfriend helping her put it on, even taking the opportunity to tidy up her hair.

　　Fiona suddenly remembered the first time Joseph brought her jewelry.

　　Many people thought that Fiona climbed up to Joseph after becoming a model, but in fact, Fiona knew Joseph much earlier than that.

　　She was 17 years old when she was in her first year of college.

　　At that time, she was tight on money, so she looked for various part-time jobs: fast food restaurant server, flyer distributor, receptionist... She had done many jobs, but the easiest one among them was accompanying wealthy people on dates.

　　In today's society, there are many wealthy successful people who like young and beautiful girls, but they don't have much time to meet, pursue or spend too much energy maintaining this relationship. Therefore, rental websites that cater to their needs have emerged.

　　The website where Fiona used to work part-time charged its registered members a high annual membership fee, allowing them to select their preferred girls on the website based on their own preferences and send them invitations.

　　The first meeting usually involves eating and watching movies. There may be deeper needs later, but they are based on the voluntary agreement of both parties. There are many young and beautiful girls on the website, and guests have many choices. Generally, they will not force anything and tear their faces.

　　Although the hourly wage offered by the website is not too high, the clients who go on dates usually give some gifts, such as brand-name handbags and jewelry, which can be sold on the second-hand market.

　　At that time, Fiona had a heavy workload on her study and didn't have much time to spare for part-time jobs. She felt that this work made money quickly, so she worked part-time at this website for a long time.

　　She was beautiful and had a great figure. Although she clearly stated in her profile that she did not engage in sexual activities with clients, many still invited her to events and gatherings for support.

　　Fiona met Joseph at that time.

　　At that time, because the clients of the website all had a need to protect their privacy, Joseph did not tell her his real name.

　　Speaking of which, it was also strange. Joseph met her through a website, not because of a banquet or business occasion, nor did he seem to be looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend or a romantic relationship. Every time they just ate together, chatted, watched movies or listened to concerts.

　　He seemed to really just want someone to accompany him.

　　Although Fiona couldn't guess Joseph's thoughts, she enjoyed his elegance and humor and was happy to accompany him. He also seemed to enjoy her company and would give her some jewelry or something every time they went out.

　　Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches...he always gave her a small gift every time. Fiona usually sold them right away. One time, Joseph found out. She thought he would be angry, but he just laughed and said, "Why didn't you just tell me? If you prefer cash, I can give it to you directly."

　　Later, Joseph stopped giving her gifts and directly transferred money to her during their dates.

　　But Fiona was not accustomed to such naked transactions. She always felt like she was selling herself. Joseph later realized this and changed to giving gifts instead. However, he always kept complete receipts, so Fiona didn't have to resell them in the second-hand market. She could just return them to the store for a refund.

　　The two continued to meet up and have meals as usual... This kind of relationship lasted for almost half a year, until one day, Joseph received an overseas call. He happily told her that the girl he liked was coming back to America.

　　"Although there is nothing really between us... but I'm afraid she won't be happy, so I probably won't ask you out again in the future."

　　So on that day, Joseph ended his relationship with Fiona and introduced her to a job as a model for jewelry with similar pay.

　　That job introduced Fiona to the modeling industry, but also made her realize Joseph's true identity and the gap between them.

　　The gift that Joseph finally gave to Fiona was a dragonfly brooch. The two drop-shaped emeralds on the dragonfly wings could be removed and used as earrings.

　　Fiona ultimately kept it.

　　In theory, there should not have been any more entanglements between the two since then, but Fiona often recalled the scenes of their dates together.

　　Later, someone recommended her to participate in the "New York State Angel" model competition, and she agreed without hesitation.

　　Winning awards, signing contracts; stepping to international runways, she finally managed to become famous.

　　After she met Joseph again, she used some means to firmly hold onto him.

　　Because of the wedding canceling incident, the outside world said that Joseph owed her a lot, but in fact, he had also given her a lot.

　　Sitting on the sofa at home, Fiona opened the photo taken today at the jewelry store and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

　　Today at the store, she just wanted to cause trouble, so she deliberately said she liked that necklace.

　　Unexpectedly, Joseph actually seemed like giving it to her, but before that, the store manager cried and said that a diamond on the necklace had fallen off and needed to be repaired.

　　Fiona understood the meaning, and immediately took off the necklace tactfully.

　　She thought it was all over, but to her surprise, she received a message after returning, saying that the necklace had been repaired and asked when she had time to pick it up.

　　The information came from a stranger, but Fiona knew it must be Joseph who asked his assistant for her number.