Unexpected Vows: From Jilted Bride To His Rival's Wife

On this day, the Nixon and Marshall families had planned to unite in matrimony. The ambiance was brimming with excitement. The spacious banquet hall were decked out in rich, dreamy decor.

The wedding officiant called for the groom to step onto the stage. "Presenting to you our handsome groom, Mr. Anthony Nixon!"

Barely had the officiant's words resonated through the hall when the attendees erupted in deafening cheers.

Yet, after a few moments of waiting following the introduction, there was no sign of the groom on stage.

Guests started to murmur amongst themselves. Maintaining a cool demeanor, the officiant brushed it off as a minor hiccup. However, as the moments of silence stretched, even he realized something was off. His silence added to the sudden quiet in the hall.

Suddenly, a resounding smack echoed from backstage. Those close to the stage could see the scene unfold.

Anthony, the groom, had just been struck by his own mother. He ripped the boutonniere from his tuxedo jacket and stormed off.

Meanwhile, the bride-to-be, Claudia Marshall was backstage with her father, Jace Marshall, waiting for their cue to enter the spotlight.

"Feeling nervous, Cece?"

Jace gently patted her arm. Claudia offered her father an embarrassed look.

Just as she was about to respond, the commanding voice of Rachel Nixon, Anthony's mother, caught her attention. "Anthony, get back here right now!"

Claudia couldn't help but turn at the sound of Rachel's voice.

The moment she turned, she saw Anthony dashing past her.

His gaze flickered when he spotted her. "Cece, I apologize. There's been an emergency with Delilah. We must postpone our wedding!"

He didn't pause in his stride as he spoke.

His words extinguished all of Claudia's exhilaration and delight, leaving her feeling deflated and disheartened, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.

Only moments ago, her father had asked her if she was anxious. Indeed, she was, but not for the reasons one might expect. She wasn't worrying over marrying Anthony but over whether the wedding would proceed without a hitch, as that woman-Delilah Lopez-had assured her in last night's message!

Jace's expression soured. He had extended invites to his loved ones, acquaintances, and business contacts. The wedding was just about to commence, and Anthony had bolted at this crucial moment!

As Claudia watched him fade into the distance, she was paralyzed with shock.

No!

She couldn't let Anthony depart without a fight!

Regaining her composure, Claudia hoisted up her wedding gown and dashed after him. "Anthony!"

She was in high heels that didn't quite fit and every step she took was painful.

Yet Claudia didn't halt. She gritted her teeth, determined to catch up with Anthony.

The wedding banquet was on the second floor. As Anthony neared the stairwell, he heard Claudia's cries and paused briefly.

After a moment's hesitation, he continued to stride briskly out of the hotel.

By the time Claudia made it outside, Anthony was already crossing the road.

Without missing a beat, Claudia gave chase.

As Anthony was about to board his car, the screech of tires reverberated through the air, followed by a terrifying scream from his mother. "Claudia!"

Claudia, adorned in her pristine white wedding dress, was struck by a black vehicle, searing pain shooting up from her shin and engulfing her body.

Claudia was thrown to the ground, her white dress instantly stained with blood. Her arms bore multiple contusions. The bride, once the picture of beauty and grace, was now a vision of chaos and suffering.

Using her remaining strength to prop herself up on her hands, Claudia struggled to sit upright. Biting her lip, she fixed her gaze on Anthony who stood by his car.

Her lips remained sealed, but her tear-filled eyes silently implored him.

Would he stay?

Would he choose her over Delilah this time?

Anthony had only gazed at Claudia momentarily before his eyes shifted downwards, dodging her stare, and then he entered his car.

His black car was soon a mere speck in the distance, vanishing from Claudia's view in just a handful of seconds.

Under the dim streetlight, Claudia's once pristine white wedding gown now glowed a stark crimson from her blood.

Fear turned Rachel's face ghostly white, too scared to even touch Claudia, worrying it might worsen her situation.

"Cece, fear not! I'll ring up 911. I'll do it right now!"

In that moment, Rachel had no thought for Anthony. Whipping out her phone, she dialed 911 in a state of panic.

Jace hurried to the scene as well, his heart sinking as he found Claudia prone on the ground. His face whitened and in a shaky voice, he asked, "Cece, are you alright?"

Uncertain of his daughter's condition, he also refrained from holding her, fearing there was a broken bone or something. His eyes was now reddening with anxiety.

Claudia's hand shot up to clutch his arm. The searing pain in her shins drained the color from her face, her tear-filled eyes mirroring her agony. "Dad, it's so painful!"

The pain was unbearable, in her shins and her heart!

This was Jace's first time witnessing Claudia in tears. His heart twisted in agony, wishing he could take her place.

"Cece, don't be afraid. I'm right here. I'm with you!"

Gently, he gingerly cradled Claudia in his arms, but she couldn't muster any more strength. After whispering a faint "Dad", she fell into unconsciousness.

With grave injuries, Claudia was rushed to the hospital. After an intensive surgery that lasted more than eight hours, Claudia was finally wheeled out of the operating room.

Yet, her life hung in the balance. If she failed to regain consciousness within forty-eight hours, she might never awaken.

On hearing this, Jace nearly collapsed.

His wife had passed away early, leaving behind their precious daughter. What should have been a joyous day for his daughter was ruined by Anthony's recklessness.

Looking at the members of the Nixon family, Jace's patience was worn thin. He erupted, "Get out! I want all of you out!"

He practically chased the Nixon family members away, sparing only Claudia's best friend, Aurora Haywood, to remain in the hospital room.

As one of the bridesmaids, Aurora was as dumbfounded as everyone else. She had only become aware of the problem when Claudia was already being loaded into the ambulance.

She simply couldn't comprehend how a wedding could spiral into such a disaster.

Anthony was so cruel!

Rachel and her husband, Henry Nixon, found themselves expelled from the hospital by Jace. Watching Jace's receding back, Henry couldn't help but question Rachel, "Where's Anthony?"

At the mention of Anthony, Rachel's expression darkened.

If Anthony hadn't fled from his own wedding, Claudia wouldn't be in this predicament.

Rachel didn't understand what had caused her son's infatuation with Delilah, leading him to abandon Claudia on their big day.

The Nixon and Marshall families were ridiculed and became the subject of mockery in Linmarsh after the embarrassing incident.

Claudia was the most affected, having nearly reached the altar when Anthony deserted her.

Anthony's decision to run away from the wedding undoubtedly placed Claudia in the most humiliating and embarrassing situation.

It was on the second morning when Claudia finally regained consciousness. Upon opening her eyes, she saw Aurora resting beside her bed. Struggling to move, she discovered her whole body swathed in bandages.

Her movements limited to her hands.

Bearing the pain, Claudia reached for her phone and switched on the screen, disappointed to find no new messages.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. The news headline read, "Anthony of the Nixon family deserts his own wedding to the Marshalls and flees to Northmarble overnight for his beloved..."

Claudia's hand wavered and the phone slipped, making a loud clatter as it dropped to the floor.

When Aurora came to, her gaze immediately found Claudia. Noticing that Claudia was awake, Aurora's emotions were a mix of elation and sympathy. "Cece, you're finally awake!"

"Aurora, I..." Claudia murmured, her voice shaky.

Both of them had just awoken, Aurora from sleep and Claudia from surgery. Aurora dismissed her confusion over the noise she'd heard and remembered something had hit the ground.

She glanced down and spotted Claudia's phone under the bed.

When Aurora picked up the phone, she was shocked by the image on the screen. It was a picture of Anthony holding Delilah.

Anger surged through her, causing her body to tremble. She was unsure if Claudia had seen the news and was terrified of worsening Claudia's condition. Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Aurora reassured Claudia, "I'm just so relieved you're awake, Cece. I'll summon the doctor."

Claudia caught a glimpse of Aurora as she placed the phone on the bedside table. Closing her eyes, Claudia replied softly, "Sure."

Aurora was still wearing the bridesmaid dress from the day before. It was evident she'd spent the night in the hospital ward.

Claudia didn't want to burden her friend any further, and she knew it was time for her to face reality.

Twelve years of knowing Anthony meant nothing to him. In Delilah's presence, she always felt like the runner-up.

She used to convince herself that this didn't matter, that Anthony truly loved her.

But the physical pain she was experiencing now was a stark reminder that she'd been deceiving herself, and it did matter.

If Anthony truly loved her, would he abandon her so easily time and again?

Enough was enough!

Claudia clutched the sheets, her teeth gritting with the intensifying pain.

This pain was the wake-up call she needed.

She couldn't endure it anymore!

Soon, Aurora returned with Jace, who had brought breakfast. Seeing Claudia awake relaxed his anxious demeanor.

Not long after the doctor finished examining Claudia, Jace suddenly passed out outside the ward.

Startled by the commotion, Claudia called out to him, her pale face filled with fear.

Aurora quickly left the room to check on Jace after comforting Claudia.

Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, Claudia was filled with self-loathing.

As Bennett Dreskin and his assistant Jackson Ellis stepped out of the elevator, they saw a nurse and a doctor assisting Jace to the lounge.

Hesitant, Jackson queried, "Sir?"

Bennett gestured for Jackson to investigate the situation.

Upon receiving instructions, Jackson turned and headed to the lounge.

Bennett's gaze then shifted back to Claudia's ward.

Soon, he arrived at Claudia's hospital room.

His gaze turned steely as he pushed open the door and entered the room.

Alerted by the footsteps, Claudia slowly opened her eyes, meeting the man's penetrating gaze. "Mr. Dreskin?"

"Miss Marshall, I was the one who hit you yesterday. What compensation do you want?" he said, his voice low with a hint of frostiness, and his words delivered with an air of nonchalance.

Caught off guard, Claudia was silent. She was partly to blame for last night's accident. She had run after Anthony, heedless of the traffic.

She looked at her bandaged body, not saying a word.

Her phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming message as the screen lit up. She tried reaching for it, but her movement tugged at her wound, causing her to grimace in pain.

Bennett picked up the phone and handed it to her.

Before Claudia could take her phone over, she saw the message from Delilah on the screen.

While reading the message, an outrageous idea sprung into Claudia's mind.

Rather than reaching for her phone, she looked up at Bennett and proposed, "Let's get married."

She knew it was a bizarre proposition, but everyone in town was now making a mockery of her, and she wanted revenge for all the humiliations she had endured.

With gritted teeth, she reiterated, "I want you and me to get married."