A Wedding at Her Mother’s Funeral

My mother-in-law had passed away.

As we escorted her casket to the funeral home, we encountered dozens of luxury wedding cars on a narrow bridge.

The window of the leading Mercedes rolled down, and the groom stuck his head out, shouting angrily.

Move the damn corpse out of the way!

Don't delay my wedding!

I stood rooted to the spot, quickly fumbling a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and offering it to the groom, saying earnestly.

"Bro, sorry. The funeral home is just across the bridge. You've got a lot of carshow about letting us go first?"

"The dead deserve respect. Please understand!"

The groom sat in the driver's seat, raised his hand, and slapped the cigarettes out of my hand.

"It's my wedding day. Who's more important than me?"

"You know who my bride is? Christiana, the super-rich CEO from New York!"

"Can you afford to delay her?! Get lost!"

My body stiffened. I asked instinctively, "Who did you say the bride is?"

The groom's lips curled up. "The beautiful CEO, Christiana!"

"Scared now? If you're scared, get out of the way!"

Scared?

I slowly straightened my bent back, my face darkening as I spoke.

"If what you're saying is true, then you'd better call Christiana right now."

"Ask her why she disappeared for days during her own mother's funeral to go have a wedding with another man."

"Did she ask for my opinionher fianc's opinion?"

"You're Anthony?"

The groom got out of the driver's seat, walked up to me, and looked me straight in the eye with a mocking expression.

"Anthony?!"

Hearing my name, he acted as if he'd heard something hilarious.

One by one, the drivers' doors of the wedding cars opened. Drivers jumped out and gathered around, sizing me up with contemptuous remarks.

"So that's Christiana's real fianc? He reeks of poverty!"

"He's a wildlife expert though. Internationally famous."

"Lol, I bet he'll be famous after thisafter all, Christiana's marrying Paul behind Anthony's back. How could he not be famous?"

My brows furrowed tightly. I asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

The groom tilted his head and laughed.

"Anthony, didn't Christiana tell you? She's just a substitute bride. She's marrying me in place of my deceased fiance to fulfill my wish. It's not a real marriage."

"You should've talked to us if you had a problem. Instead, you pulled this stuntstaging a fake funeral to block my wedding convoy. What kind of behavior is that?"

"Get those actors of yours out of the way. Don't delay our wedding."

The groom patted my shoulder, turned, opened the car door, and got back into the driver's seat to start the engine.

I stood there, my brows knitted tightly.

I didn't know this groom.

As for my fiance and Christiana being a substitute brideI'd never heard a word about any of that from her.

But the funeral behind me was real!

A week ago, Christiana and I had agreed to drive back to her hometown to see my mother-in-law.

Our wedding was also scheduled to be held at an outdoor prairie venue in this suburb.

But halfway through the drive, she suddenly got a phone call.

She told me her company urgently needed her for something and she had to rush back to handle it. She asked me to wait for her at her hometown first.

She said she'd come later that evening, but after she left, she went completely silent for a week.

My mother-in-law's condition worsened. Christiana had the life-saving medicine in her bag but hadn't given it to me.

This was a rural area with inadequate medical facilities, unable to treat my mother-in-law.

The entire village and I frantically made over ninety phone calls trying to notify her, urging her to come home quickly with the medicine.

But the messages sank like stones into the sea. There was no response at all.

My mother-in-law passed away full of regret.

I waited four days for Christiana so she could at least see her own mother off one last time, but she never replied.

Now, finally hearing news of her, I'm told she's getting married?

And the "groom" showed up too. It seemed Christiana wanted to marry this man first at the wedding venue she and I had chosen together.

My fury shot through the roof!

My mother-in-law had just died, and Christiana was going too far!

"Anthony, what are you standing there for? Get your fake funeral procession to move back."

The groom jabbed his index finger at my nose and continued impatiently.

"I'm giving you face because of Christiana. Don't push your luck."

I stepped forward and said coldly to the groom in the driver's seat, "In Christiana's family tradition, when someone dies, they can only move forward, never backward. Otherwise, the deceased won't rest in peace and will become a vengeful ghost."

"The casket holds Christiana's own mother. Call her now. If she says we should move, I'll move!"

The groom sat in the driver's seat, raised his hand, and pounded the steering wheel, roaring at me.

"Anthony, I'm being nice to you. You're not listening, are you?"

"Today's my wedding day. You want me to tell the bride her mother's dead?"

The wedding car drivers, who'd been leaning against their car hoods smoking, straightened up, tossed their cigarettes, and started walking toward me.

I stood my ground, gave them a cold glance, then turned to the groom in the car.

"Are you deaf? I told you to call Christiana."

"Screw you!"

The groom pushed open the door, got out, raised his hand, and swung it toward my left cheek!

The men from the village, holding farming tools, moved closer and stood beside me, pointing at the groom threateningly.

"Anthony, what's going on? Is he refusing to let us through?"

"Blocking the road and bullying peoplelet's smash his wedding cars."

Sharp farming tools, gleaming coldly, made the groom's whole body stiffen. His hand froze mid-air, never daring to actually slap me.

The crowd parted to make way.

Berman, the village chief and a good friend of my late mother-in-law, walked toward me step by step, leaning on his cane.

I explained what had happened. Berman was so angry he slammed his cane on the ground.

"What is Christiana trying to do?!"

"Her mother scrimped and saved when she was young to send her to school. She never came to show filial piety even once before her mother died."

"How could she choose to get married on the very day her own mother is being buried? Does she think today is something to celebrate?"

Berman pointed at the groom and said.

"Call Christiana right now. Tell her to come here and give us an explanation!"

The groom quietly stepped back, trying to get in the car and slip away. The village men stepped forward and surrounded him.

The groom looked around, his face ugly, and said to me, "Anthony, I'm extremely important to Christiana. If you ruin my wedding now, can you handle Christiana's wrath?"

I said, "Make the call."

The groom roared unwillingly, "Fine! I'll call!"

The groom stood there, took out his phone, and dialed.

I watched the familiar string of numbers flashing on his phone screen, my heart clogged with distress.

Seven years togetherI'd never imagined the bright, gentle, beautiful girl in my memory could be cheating with another man behind my back!

The call to Christiana that I could never get through connected on another man's phone.

The groom turned on speakerphone. A sweet, soft voice came through.

"Paul, why aren't you here yet? Why are you calling?"

The groom stood there, looked up at me, and sneered.

"Christiana, I don't think I can pick you up."

"Your real fianc found out about you helping me fulfill my wish. He staged a fake funeral and blocked our wedding convoy!"

Silence fell on the other end of the line.

After a long pause, a cold voice came through.

"Put him on the phone."

The groom extended his hand, holding the phone in front of me, even raising his eyebrows provocatively.

I stood there and took the phone. Christiana's icy voice came through.

"Anthony?"

"It's me."

"Clear the road. I'll explain everything later."

I laughed bitterly, my chest tight with discomfort. I asked back, "You're that eager to marry someone else?"

"Christiana, tell me. Where are you exactly? How can you say such shameless things to me!"

Christiana on the phone fell silent. After a while, she spoke again.

"Feel better after yelling at me? If you do, move aside."

The anger in my chest exploded like a volcano!

Seven years of love, and I meant this little to Christiana?

To fulfill some wild man's dream, she dismissed me with one sentence?

I said furiously, "Christiana, your mother has passed away. Did you just ignore all the messages I sent you these past few days?"

Christiana's voice remained calm on the phone. "Anthony, I can understand your anger after learning about my substitute marriage."

"But you need to understand me too. I love you in my heart. I have my reasons for doing this."

"You faked the news about my mother being seriously ill before. I didn't hold it against you. Be generous today. Clear the road and let Paul pick me up."

My mother-in-law's health had actually always been precarious. She just didn't want Christiana to worry.

She only told her daughter she was slightly unwell, nothing serious.

But I never expected Christiana wouldn't care at all about her own mother's safety.

She clearly saw all the messages I sent and knew her mother wasn't well, yet she kept hiding to avoid coming outall for the man before me!

Would she only feel regret if she saw her mother's body with her own eyes?

I stood there, took out my phone, aimed it at the portrait of my mother-in-law in front of the casket behind me, took a photo, and sent it over.

"Look carefully whose funeral this is. Did I lie to you or not!"

"Anthony! You've gone too far!"

Christiana's voice on the phone carried a hint of anger.

"Lying about my mother being seriously ill already crossed my line. How could you actually hold a funeral for my mother!"

"Her health is already poor. Are you trying to curse her to death? Stop the funeral right now and clear the road!"

Village chief Berman stood nearby, suppressing his anger. "Christiana, open your eyes and look carefully. Don't you even recognize your own mother anymore?"

"Your mother is crossing the bridge right now. The dead cannot go backward. If we make way for your wedding, your mother won't rest in peace!"

"Berman?!"

Christiana's voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing.

"Are you joining Anthony in this nonsense too?"

Christiana's voice dropped, and she turned to warn me.

"Anthony! I'm asking you one last time. Are you absolutely refusing to let us pass?"

I said, "My mother-in-law saved my father. If we move aside, she won't have peace after death!"

"Besides, you owe me an explanation for this substitute bride business. You owe your mother-in-law an apology!"

On the phone, Christiana's reply was chillingly cold.

"Fine! Very well! I'll come over right now and give you an explanation!"

The call ended. Less than ten minutes later.

At the end of the street, a black SUV roared toward us, drifted to a stop, and parked behind the crowd.

The car door opened. Christiana stepped out, wearing pristine white bridal heels.

Her face was made up with beautiful bridal makeup. Spotting me in the crowd, she pushed people aside and walked darkly toward me.

Under everyone's gaze, Christiana raised her hand without warning and slapped my face!

"Smack!" The sound rang out. Instantly, everything fell silent.

I stood there covering my burning cheek. She stood beside the groom, glaring at me furiously.

"This is my explanation. Listen carefully!"

"Paul is my good friend. All these years, he's been helping me look after my mother back home!"

"My mother's condition is much more serious than you know. He's been tirelessly going abroad to buy expensive medicines to extend my mother's life. His fiance even died abroad because of this, and he contracted an illness himself. He could die at any moment."

"He told me his dying wish was simply to complete the wedding he and his fiance never had. And I just happen to look a lot like his fiance."

"Paul sacrificed so much for me. Shouldn't I help him with this?"

I stood frozen. Christiana looked at me with utter disappointment and continued.

"I was afraid you wouldn't understand. I was afraid you'd make a scene like you are today. That's why I kept avoiding telling you."

"But it turns out I was right not to tell you. You got jealous enough to joke about my mother's life and death!"

But I don't understand!

All these years, the only person taking care of my mother-in-law was me!

When did a friend of hers appear?

Years ago, my father traveled alone to this small mountain village for inspiration but accidentally fell off a cliff.

My father was trapped at the bottom of the cliff for a day and a night without food or water. In his despair, my young mother-in-law risked her life to save him.

To repay this debt of gratitude, knowing that the medicine to treat my mother-in-law could only be purchased from abroad under research permits, I chose to become a wildlife expert right after graduation. Using scientific research as cover, I'd been secretly buying medicine from abroad to treat her illness.

My mother-in-law wouldn't let me tell Christiana about her true condition. For all these years, I'd been carrying this out quietly, never mentioning it.

Was I being petty?

Clearly, Paul exploited my secrecy and took credit for my work!

I looked toward Paul. His eyes flickered slightly, and he turned his head away, refusing to meet my gaze.

"Christiana, has someone deceived you? Anthony's the one who's been taking care of your mother all along!"

A woman standing beside me, who knew the truth, couldn't help but speak up.

"If this man had been caring for your mother, how could we, your mother's good friends, not know him?"

"Your mother's body is right there. If you don't believe it, go see for yourself..."

"Enough!"

Christiana stood there, cutting her off with a rebuke. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened a video, and held it up in front of us.

"Stop helping Anthony deceive me."

"Look carefully. My mother is abroad. Paul just signed her up for a tour groupshe's traveling and receiving treatment overseas. Here's video proof!"

The woman in the video did look somewhat like my mother-in-law, but with careful observation, you could tell it absolutely wasn't her!

The people who'd gathered around exchanged strange looks, glancing at each other. The words to expose the truth remained unspoken.

I asked through clenched teeth, "Christiana, don't you doubt him at all?!"

"Even if Paul really did you some great favor, doing thisdid you consider my feelings as your fianc?"

"You say you're substituting for Paul's deceased fiance to marry him."

"But once you bow to heaven and earth, hold the banquet, and all of Paul's relatives show upafter everything's done, will you have married him as yourself, or as a substitute for his dead wife?"

Christiana's brows furrowed. She muttered, "Anthony, you're overthinking this. It's not that complicated. I'm just repaying a debt."

I pointed at Paul and asked, "Overthinking? What if Paul asks you to sleep with him tonight, substituting for his dead wife? Will you do that too?"

Christiana stood there, pressed her lips together, then suddenly raised her head to look directly at me.

"Paul sacrificed too much for me. If he asks, I'll agree."

My body trembled slightly. My heart filled with unbearable bitterness.

"If he asks... you'll agree?"

"But have you considered that Paul is lying to you? I'm the one who's been silently caring for your mother all along!"

"How can you treat me like this?"

"Anthony, that joke isn't funny!"

Christiana stood there, her eyes filled with deep disgust toward me.

Paul stepped forward, smiling. "Anthony, I do owe you an apology for this."

"Actually, six months ago, I couldn't hold back. Christiana and I crossed a line."

I felt struck by lightning, my body rigid.

"You... what did you say?"

Christiana's cheeks flushed slightly. She said reluctantly, "Anthony, you have to understand my situation."

"Paul contracted a serious illness because of me. He could die at any moment. So at that time, I was..."

"In a difficult position!"

Those four words exploded in my heart like a bomb!

I clenched my jaw tightly. Paul smiled at me shamelessly.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I couldn't control my lower half. I took Christiana's first time for you. Please don't blame Christiana for not saving it for you."

My ears rang. Blood rushed upward. Anger drowned my reason.

I raised my fist and punched Paul's nose, breaking it.

"Paul!"

Paul collapsed to the ground, his face covered in blood. I climbed on top of him, punching his face again and again.

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Both sides rushed forward, fists and feet flying.

Paul struggled to raise his hand, barely resisting my punches while shouting to Christiana.

"Christiana, save me! Anthony's going to kill me!"

I heard the roar of an engine. The next moment, an unstoppable force slammed into me, sending me flying.

I collapsed by the bridge edge, my internal organs screaming with piercing pain. My vision turned blood red.

Before me, Christiana sat in the driver's seat, panic all over her face.

After hitting me with the car, she didn't brake in time. The vehicle accelerated and roared toward the people carrying the casket.

Everyone scattered, but the casket remained in place.

"Bang!" A tremendous crash. Christiana's car hit the casket. The excessive speed caused the car's front end to push the casket forward, smashing a hole through the bridge railing.

Instantly, both the car and the casket plunged off the bridge, falling from a great height!

Then came a "crash" as the casket landed on a boulder by the riverbank.

The casket board shattered from the impact. My mother-in-law's body tumbled out of the casket, rolling to rest beside Christiana's car.

Christiana crawled out groggily through the overturned driver's side window, her face covered in blood. Before she could catch her breath, she turned her head.

A face she knew all too well stared back at her with wide-open eyes.