A Wedding of Gratitude

An hour before my wedding, I stumbled upon an anonymous post.

[Let's talk about my sister's 'Repayment' Wedding: The groom says marrying her is just paying a debt, his true love is the younger sister.]

The main post was a photo: in the reflection of a hotel vanity mirror, the profile of a figure in a wedding dress bore a striking resemblance to me.

The caption read: [Is there anything more thrilling than swapping the bride on the wedding day?]

My fingers trembled as I zoomed in. On the vanity, clear as day, was the iris brooch I had personally chosen for my bridesmaid.

Hundreds of comments had already flooded the post. In the latest reply, the original poster had attached a close-up of two hands holding.

The man's ring finger bore a familiar old scar, identical to the one my fianc, Julian, had from a car accident.

When someone pressed for details, the poster simply replied:

[My sister spent ten years helping him build his company. He says this marriage is just repayment. But tonight, I will be the one looking into his eyes and saying: I do.]

A knock came at the door.

Sophie entered, holding the hem of her dress. She leaned in close, her voice sweet as honey in my ear. "Sis, the ceremony is about to start. Look, don't you think my brooch is pretty?"

I forced a smile. "Yes, it's beautiful."

She took my arm, giggling. "You're the beautiful one, sis. You're the most beautiful bride today. We should hurry, don't want to keep the groom waiting."

I took a deep breath and pushed open the side door of the chapel.

Soft music played, and the pews were filled with guests. Julian stood at the altar, his back ramrod straight.

The officiant approached me, beaming. "Miss Reed, there's a small last-minute adjustment to the program. Did you see the note?"

I took the paper he handed me. In the original schedule, the bridesmaid was only supposed to hand over the rings. Now, a handwritten line had been added: "Bridesmaid's speech (2 minutes)."

The elegant script was familiar.

"Who added this?" I asked.

The officiant lowered his voice. "Mr. Lewis specifically requested it this morning. He said he wanted to add a more personal touch. Your sister must be a wonderful writer; he praised her draft several times."

I gripped the edge of the paper. "I don't approve this part of the program."

"Well... it might be too late to change it now. The guests are all waiting," the officiant said, looking troubled as he glanced towards the altar.

Julian turned his head then, his eyes meeting mine. He gave me a slight nod, his lips pulling into a strained smile.

I said nothing more and walked to my reserved seat in the front row. My mother pulled me down beside her, whispering, "Sophie prepared a little speech. She wants to thank you for taking care of her all these years. Such a thoughtful girl."

Just then, the music changed.

The officiant's voice boomed through the microphone. "And now, let us welcome the bride's sister and today's bridesmaid, Miss Sophie Reed, to offer her blessings."

Applause rippled through the room.

Sophie took the microphone, her gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally landing on Julian.

"Thank you, everyone. Today is my sister's most important day. As her sister, I should be offering words of celebration."

She paused, her fingers gently stroking the microphone. "But I've realized, if I don't say some things today, I might never have the chance."

A low murmur went through the guests. Julian's body tensed.

Sophie's voice began to tremble. "For years, I've watched my sister and Julian on their journey together. I know how much my sister has given, and I also know... that some feelings were misplaced from the very beginning."

She lifted her eyes, staring directly at Julian. The spotlight caught the glint of tears in her eyes. Her voice was choked but clear as she spoke, word by word.

"Some love is destined to cross boundaries. Even if it means being condemned by the world, you can't pretend it doesn't exist."

A dead silence fell over the chapel, followed by a rising tide of whispers.

"What does she mean by that?"

"Oh my god, is she confessing her love?"

"The bride is sitting right there!"

My mother gripped my hand tightly. "What is Sophie talking about!"

I pulled my hand away, my eyes fixed on the stage. All the color had drained from Julian's face. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Sophie continued, "I know I shouldn't, but I can't control it. Julian, I..."

Julian didn't stop her. He just stared at her.

The officiant hurried forward, trying to smooth things over. "The bridesmaid seems a bit emotional! We understand this deep sisterly bond! And now, let us..."

I didn't hear the rest. My gaze was locked on the hand hanging at Julian's side. The scarits position, its shapewas identical to the hand in the photo.

My phone vibrated in my palm. I looked down. The screen was lit up with the latest reply on the anonymous post. The poster had uploaded a new picture.

It was a close-up of a mans hand, the one with the scar. In the corner of the frame, another hand was gently sliding a platinum wedding band into view.

I looked back up at Julian's hand.

The wedding ring he was supposed to give me... it was the same one from the photo.

The ceremony ended in a hurried, awkward mess under the curious stares of the guests. My mother tried to talk to me, but I shook her off and went straight to the private lounge on the second floor.

The door was unlocked.

Julian was standing by the window. He turned when he heard me enter.

He spoke first, his voice low and hoarse. "Victoria, about today... I'm sorry."

"When did it start?" I asked.

Julian's jaw worked. He didn't deny it. He just said my name again. "Victoria, we've known each other for ten years."

"And?"

"And so..." He looked up, a kind of defeated exhaustion in his eyes. "So I can't lie to you anymore. And I can't lie to myself."

The air conditioning was blasting. I felt a chill spread through me.

"Explain."

Julian took a deep breath. "For you, it's always been gratitude. You were with me when the company was at its lowest. Those proposals, those clients... without you, there would be no Julian Lewis today." His fingers unconsciously rubbed the ring on his finger. "But gratitude isn't love."

My own voice sounded unnervingly calm. "Is that your excuse for cheating on me? Love is love, not loving someone is not loving them. But what was the point of this whole spectacle at our wedding? Did you enjoy watching me be humiliated?"

He didn't answer right away. But sometimes, silence is the answer.

He finally said it. "All these years, the person I've really wanted to marry has always been Sophie."

"When did it start?"

Julian looked away. "Three years ago. When you went to Austin for that project. I got drunk, she came to take care of me... and it never stopped after that."

Three years ago. I did the math. That was when I had landed his first ten-million-dollar contract. I had pulled four all-nighters in Austin while he was on the phone telling me, "You're working so hard, darling," before getting into bed with my sister.

What a joke.

"Did you know she was going to confess her love to you at the wedding?"

"It was Sophie's idea," Julian's voice grew quieter. "She said... it would force you to let go. That you wouldn't be able to handle the public opinion and you'd call off the wedding yourself."

"If you wanted to marry her, why didn't you just tell me?"

He gave a bitter smile. "I didn't dare, Victoria. You're too intimidating. Half the company's shares are in your name. The core team only listens to you. If I had broken up with you, I would have lost everything."

I nodded. So that was it. Not love, but calculation. Not impulse, but a cost-benefit analysis.

Julian stood up. "I can compensate you. I don't need the shares, and the company..."

"Julian," I interrupted, holding out my hand. "Give me back the ring."

He instinctively covered his finger. "Victoria, we can still..."

"Give it back."

After a few seconds of stalemate, he slowly slid the ring off and placed it in my palm. I took it, walked to the bathroom without a word, and flushed it down the toilet.

As I left, I heard Julian's voice behind me. "I don't love you anymore. I love Sophie."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

I didn't look back. The moment I pulled the door open, I saw Sophie leaning against the hallway wall. She was holding her phone, the screen facing me. It wasn't a photo or a chat log. It was the editing interface of a forum's backend.

The post title read: [Let's talk about my sister's 'Repayment' Wedding]

The poster's ID: RipplingSophie.

She looked up, waggled the phone at me, and a sickly sweet smile spread across her face.

Despite everything, I felt a strange calm. The next day, I got up and went to work as usual, ignoring the strange looks from my colleagues. All day, I worked, my mind replaying the events, trying to understand how Julian and I had come to this.

That evening, I drove home, my fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly my nails dug into the leather.

The living room lights were on. My mother was on the sofa. My father stood by the window, smoking. The ashtray was already filled with cigarette butts.

My mother stood up when she saw me, her voice uncertain. "You're home. Are you hungry? There's soup in the kitchen..."

"Did you all know?"

They all knew. They all kept it from me. Why? To keep Sophie happy?

I cut her off, my voice sharp in the quiet room.

My mother's hand froze in mid-air. "Know what?"

"About Julian and Sophie. About what was going to happen at the wedding. About me being kept in the dark, like a fool."

My father stubbed out his cigarette and turned around. "Victoria, it's not what you think."

"Then what is it?"

My mother sat back down, twisting a tissue in her hands. "Sophie... she's had a difficult life. She's been frail since she was a child, you know about her heart condition. She's suffered so much, and Julian... he truly cares for her..."

"So? So I should just step aside?"

My mother's voice suddenly rose. "She's your sister! Can't you be more understanding? The doctor said she can't handle any emotional stress! After that scene today, she had to take two pills as soon as she got home!"

I laughed. "Mom, it was my wedding today. I was the one publicly humiliated. My fianc was cheating on me with my sister. You're worried about her taking pills? Were you ever worried about how I managed to drive myself home?"

My mother opened her mouth but said nothing.

My father walked over. "Victoria, Julian doesn't love you. There's no point in forcing it. Better to find out now than to get divorced later."

"When did you find out?"

Silence.

"I asked, when did you find out!"

My father averted his gaze. "Last year. Sophie showed us a pregnancy test. The baby was Julian's."

"She was pregnant?"