During my wedding to arms dealer Terence Morrison, his secret lover Briana Vaughn suddenly went into labor.

Terence shot to his feet, snatched up his jacket, and turned to leave.

"Alanna, something's happened with Briana. I have to go right now," he said, his voice sharp with worry. His eyes met mine, but there was no guilt there.

The hall fell into a stunned hush, every guest's gaze pinning us like spotlights.

"Terry," I said, my voice icy but steady, "I don't know who Briana is, and frankly, I don't care to. But this ceremony isn't just about us; it's about the alliance between the Morrison and Griffin families. Are you really going to walk out on our wedding for your mistress and risk shattering the bond between our families?"

Terence froze, clearly unprepared for me to challenge him so openly in front of everyone.

The audience buzzed even more.

"Poor girl... She's finding out at her own wedding that her husband's been cheating..."

"I heard Terence's mistress is some nightclub girl. She carried Mr. Morrison's baby..."

This absurd scene wasn't new to me. In my previous life, I fought tooth and nail to stop Terence, forcing him to stay and finish the ceremony.

That choice had cost me dearly. Briana had died in childbirth, her baby with her. They had never seen Terence before their last breath.

Terence blamed me for it. After the wedding, he locked me away in the villa, making me a prisoner. When my own time came to give birth, he made the doctors tend to his men first, smirking as I hemorrhaged, bleeding out to death.

Now that I have this chance to live it over, I'd make sure the world knew it was the Morrisons who betrayed me first.

I'd make Terence pay for his choices.

"Mr. Morrison, it's urgent!" A young woman with heavy makeup burst into the wedding, interrupting our ceremony.

"Ms. Vaughn's in labor, and it's not going well. Please, you have to come!"

She collapsed to the floor, sobbing. "Mr. Morrison, you have to save her! She's carrying your child!"

My grip tightened on the bouquet. Across from me, Terence let go of my hand, his face draining of color. "What did you say? Briana's in critical condition?"

He turned as if to leave, ready to abandon the packed hall of guests.

In my previous life, this was the moment I stopped him, forcing him to stay and complete the vows. That decision earned me his lifelong hatred.

Not this time. I wouldn't hold him back.

I tore off my veil. "Terry, who is Briana? Why is this woman saying she's carrying your child?"

Shock and vulnerability painted my face, and I could feel the guests' pitying stares washing over me, just as I had been expected.

Whispers swirled around us. "Poor Ms. Griffin. Her wedding's barely begun, and her husband's lover is about to give birth."

"This is supposed to be a union of two great families. The Morrisons are humiliating the Griffins like this?"

Terence turned to me, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Alanna, Briana's carrying my child. I can't just let her die. I'll explain everything later." With that, he started to walk away.

"Hold on," I called, stepping forward. "This is our wedding day, Terry, and you're about to walk out on me—and our guests—for another woman? Do you realize how deeply you're insulting my family?

"If you had someone else, why didn't you tell me before? Why wait until my wedding day to humiliate me?

"I don't have to marry you, you know."

Terence shook off my hand. "I'm not abandoning you, Alanna, but Briana's life is on the line. How can you expect me to ignore that?"

I forced tears to spill, letting them glisten in the light. "This marriage was sealed by our families long ago. The ceremony's started, and the contracts are signed. If you leave now, this alliance is as good as dead. You'll have to explain to your parents and mine."

Tears streamed down my face, hot and unrelenting. In this second life, I'd learned how to wield vulnerability like a weapon.

I wanted everyone to see that Terence was the one who wronged me. I'd make it crystal clear that the collapse of this marriage rested squarely on the Morrisons' shoulders.

Terence's parents, Desmond and Emmeline Morrison, flushed with embarrassment as the guests' whispers grew louder. They couldn't stay silent any longer.

Desmond rose, his voice stern. "Terry, enough of this nonsense! This is your wedding day with Alanna. You can't just walk out! Get back here and finish the ceremony!"

The young assistant who had burst in cried even louder. "Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, Ms. Vaughn is carrying your grandchild! How can you be so cruel?

"Mr. Terence, Ms. Vaughn loved you so much that she's willing to stay in the shadows, being just a mistress. Now she's fighting for her life to give you a child. Are you really going to let her die?"

Terence chimed in, his tone desperate. "Dad, Mom, that's your grandchild. Are you going to abandon them?"

Then he turned to me, his voice edged with frustration. "Alanna, this marriage is just a business deal. It's not going anywhere. Why are you so obsessed with tying the knot right this second? Are you so eager to be my wife? Don't you have any pride, any dignity as a high-society lady?"

Then he softened his tone, as if coaxing a child. "Alanna, I know you're understanding. After our wedding, I hope you'll learn to get along with Briana, just as a good wife should."

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Terence, we're not even married yet, so don't start dreaming about me playing nice with your mistress."

I flung the bouquet to the ground, my voice firm and final. "If you're determined to go to her, I won't stop you. But our families' partnership shouldn't suffer because of your recklessness.

"You'd better consider whether your family can afford the cost of breaking this contract."

Desmond's face turned livid. "Terry, this is a multi-billion-dollar deal. Are you really going to risk the entire family for one woman?"

Terence, oblivious to the stakes, waved it off. "Dad, I've agreed to marry her, haven't I? What's the big deal about when we say 'I do'? You're making too much of this."

He didn't take our marriage seriously at all. In front of everyone, he shrugged, his voice dripping with indifference. "We've agreed to the partnership, and that'll be enough. Does it really matter when we share a bed?"

Seeing Desmond finally lose his temper, I seized the moment. I stepped forward, looking directly at Desmond and Emmeline, and said with a faint smile, "Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, this partnership is between our families, not tied to any one person. If I remember correctly, the contract doesn't specify that I must marry Terence.

"Since he's clearly in love with someone else, I won't stand in the way of another woman's happiness. I'm calling off my engagement to him. I choose to marry your second son, Edmund Morrison."

The room erupted in chaos.

Terence let out a mocking laugh. "What? You want to marry Edmund? The guy who's always out fighting and causing trouble? I'm the future head of the Morrison family, Alanna. Think carefully."

I met his gaze, unflinching. "So what? You may be the heir, but your actions are beyond reckless. You cheated during our engagement and fathered a child with another woman. Why would I marry someone who can't stay faithful? Edmund may not run the show, but he's capable and honorable. In fact, he's leagues above you."

I shot him a mocking smile, my voice dripping with disdain. "Why? Regretting your choices already, Terry? Are you suddenly eager to marry me? Oh, have you forgotten your precious Briana so quickly? I wonder if she's writhing in pain and screaming for you right now."

The young assistant clutched Terence's arm, her voice trembling with desperation. "Mr. Morrison, you can't waste another second! Ms. Vaughn's fading fast!" Terence turned to me, his face twisted with disdain. "Fine, Alanna. If you're so set on marrying Edmund, I'll let you have your way. It works out perfectly. Once Briana has our child, I'll make her my wife. Don't come crying to me when you regret this!"

With a dramatic flourish, he tore off his suit jacket, flung it aside, and stormed out, leaving a stunned crowd in his wake.

I turned to my assistant, keeping my voice low but firm. "Get my father and Madalyn here. Tell them to bring the engagement contract with Terence."

My parents arrived swiftly, their faces etched with fury.

My father, Harold Griffin, fixed Desmond with a steely glare. "What kind of circus is this, Morrison? Do you think the Griffins will just swallow this humiliation? Your son ditches my daughter on her wedding day for his mistress, and you expect us to stay quiet?"

I stepped in before his anger boiled over. "Father, I've already settled things with Terence. I won't marry him. This alliance is about our families' partnership, not about tying me to one specific man. Terence has betrayed me with another woman and had a child. I refuse to bind myself to him. But the Morrisons have another son—Edmund."

My mother, Madalyn Griffin, leaned close, her voice soft but resolute. "Alanna, you don't have to sacrifice yourself. If this engagement falls apart, the fault lies with the Morrisons, not you."

I gave her a faint, reassuring smile.

Breaking a family alliance was no small feat, but swapping grooms? That was far simpler.

The elite circles we moved in wouldn't care whether I married Edmund or Terence Morrison.

As long as the union solidified the partnership, it would silence any scheming whispers.

In my past life, after Terence drove me to my death for Briana's sake, it was Edmund who stood at my memorial, publicly condemning his brother's betrayal and exposing Terence's true colors.

My father mulled it over, then nodded. He turned to Desmond and asked, "What do you say, Morrison?"

Desmond and Emmeline nodded eagerly, almost tripping over themselves. "It's a fine solution. Alanna, you're so gracious and understanding." They turned to a servant. "Quick, fetch Eddie."

My father raised a hand, cutting them off. "Don't rush to sweet-talk us. This has disgraced my daughter. Your son Terence behaved shamelessly and violated the contract. If this scandal spreads, both our families will be mocked. He cheated on my daughter during their engagement and fathered a child. Now, on the wedding day, this disgraceful drama has erupted. Our family will be a laughingstock if we just let it go.

"If you don't take a stand, people might think this fiasco wasn't just Terence's doing but something the Morrisons condoned."

Desmond's face paled. "What do you propose?"

I stepped forward, my voice calm but razor-sharp. "Mr. Morrison, out of respect for both our families' reputations, I've kept this from escalating. As you know, my father also hasn't filed for breach of contract yet. Since you agree I've been wronged, the best course is clear. I want you to hold a family meeting and strip Terence of his inheritance. Let Edmund take over the Morrison arms empire.

"Terence has brought nothing but trouble and disgrace, while Edmund's proven himself capable and respected by all. Don't you think he's the better leader?"

Desmond's expression crumbled, but after a tense pause, he nodded. "Very well. I'll call a family meeting tomorrow to propose changing the heir."

Suddenly someone called out, "Mr. Edmund's here!"

I lifted my head and saw Edmund standing at the edge of the crowd, his presence quiet but commanding. It seemed he had been there for a while and had heard our words.