Mistook the Bride, Changed the Groom

On my wedding day, my bridesmaids decided to play a game and hide me among them.

They blindfolded my fianc, Ethan Shore, and told him to find his bride using only his sense of smell.

Ethan and I had been childhood friends, dating for ten years.

When he walked up to me, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

I smiled, about to announce his victory.

But Ethan walked straight past me to the first bridesmaid, Sienna.

"Darling, I found you!"

Sienna stood before him, her face flushing red instantly, looking shy and timid.

My smile froze on my lips.

The bridesmaids all fell silent.

In the heavy silence, Ethan removed his blindfold and naturally positioned himself protectively in front of Sienna.

When he looked at me, he casually added, "Sorry, wrong person."

He apologized.

The groomsmen quickly jumped in to explain and smooth things over. "Come on, what guy doesn't have a past?"

"I remember back in the day, Sienna's parents locked her in the house once, and Ethan was so worried he skipped his football game to find her."

"Not just that. Later when the teacher made him apologize, he publicly confessed his feelings to Sienna instead."

"And there was also..."

They went back and forth, painting a vivid picture of their colorful youth together.

Everyone seemed moved by the memories.

Only I was left out, as if I hadn't been their classmate at all.

The heavy wedding dress pressed down on me. The air still carried the scent of Sacred Wood perfume.

Ethan once said this was his favorite scent.

I had started wearing it too, and never changed it since.

So

He had recognized me. I just wasn't the bride he wanted in his heart.

He had recognized me. He just wanted to hold his first love one more time in front of everyone.

My chest ached painfully.

I looked at Ethan. He was completely lost in the past, exchanging frequent glances with Sienna.

Only Quinn walked over to me, patted my shoulder, and loudly reminded everyone:

"Why are you all talking about the past? Today is Chloe and Ethan's wedding. They're the stars of the show!"

Quinn pulled me to the center of the crowd, smiling warmly. "Come on, bride, tell us about you and the groom."

"How did you two meet?"

"When did you get together?"

"How did he pursue you?"

The room fell silent for a moment, all eyes on me.

I opened my mouth, about to speak

"Yeah, yeah, tell us."

One of the groomsmen chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm:

"Our Ethan stayed single all these years for Sienna. We're all curious what kind of girl could land him."

Eight years ago.

After high school graduation, Sienna chose to study abroad.

Her breakup with Ethan was dramatic and public.

Ethan had gotten drunk and stayed depressed for a long, long time.

But later, he actively pursued me.

Five years ago that summer, he pursued me for six months.

He waited downstairs at my dorm every day, brought me umbrellas when it rained, saved seats for me before exams.

When I casually mentioned wanting strawberry cake, he'd go buy it late at night.

Back then, his eyes were full of me.

All our college friends knew. Our current coworkers all knew.

Only our high school classmates didn't know.

At every high school reunion, Ethan never clarified things. Everyone remained stuck in the memories of his youth with Sienna, treating it as something special.

When Ethan and I announced our engagement, all our old high school friends assumed I had forced him into marriage.

I could let it slide before, but today was my wedding. How could I not care?

"Actually, we" I started to explain.

"That's enough." Ethan cut me off. "What's there to say? We just got together, that's all."

My breath caught.

The words stuck in my chest, suffocating and painful.

Ethan seemed completely oblivious. He leaned against the doorframe, shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his gaze fixed on the other side of the room.

I followed his line of sight.

Sienna stood by the window, sunlight falling on her. She wore a pale pink dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, quiet and still, like a painting.

She seemed lost in memories too, her eyes full of melancholy. Yet she pretended not to care, teasing Ethan instead.

"The bride wants to share your story, and you won't let her?"

Ethan smiled faintly.

Everyone's attention immediately shifted to Sienna.

"How about you tell us what Ethan was like when he was young?"

"Did girls always like him?"

"Were you two childhood sweethearts?"

Sienna stood surrounded by people, her ears turning slightly red. She glanced at Ethan, then lowered her head, her voice hesitant. "Oh, that's not really appropriate... today is your wedding with Chloe..."

"What's inappropriate about it?"

Ethan walked over to Sienna's side. "It's just old stories. What's wrong with sharing them?"

He stood beside Sienna, very close to her.

So close their sleeves almost touched.

"Why don't you tell them about the time we skipped class and got caught?"

Sienna smiled with pursed lips. "You're the one who insisted on climbing the fence. Then the dean chased us down half the street and dragged us back to write apologies."

"That's because you couldn't run anymore and I went back to pull you along. That's why we got caught."

They exchanged a glance. Sienna's face turned even redder as she looked down.

Ethan didn't look away. The corners of his mouth held that smile I'd seen for over ten years.

I knew that smile too well.

Not a perfunctory smile. Not a polite smile. But the kind with light in his eyes that only appeared when looking at someone he truly liked.

These past five years.

I thought I had earned Ethan's smile too.

But now I finally understood.

In Ethan's heart, there had always been a place for Sienna.

Even though Ethan, Sienna, and I were all childhood friends.

Everyone's eyes could only see the two of them.

"Enough of this already."

Quinn really couldn't take it anymore. "Can we stop talking about ancient history? Let's get on with the actual ceremony! Groom, find the wedding shoes!"

Everyone finally snapped back to reality.

The bridesmaids cooperated with Quinn, pushing Ethan toward the bedroom door.

Some were laughing, some were cheering.

Ethan entered the bedroom and started searching through everything.

The nightstand, the closet, behind the curtainshe searched very carefully.

At least it looked careful.

But no matter where he searched, he always stayed on the right side of the bed.

Sienna was standing on the right side.

Every time he bent down, he got a little closer to her.

Every time he stood up, his gaze landed on her first.

"Shouldn't you be looking for the wedding shoes near the bride?" Quinn frowned. "Groom, why do you keep going over there?"

Ethan didn't hear her, or if he did, he ignored it.

He walked to the vanity by the window. Sienna was standing there. When she saw him approaching, she moved aside slightly and said something in a low voice.

He smiled and bent down to open the drawer.

Watching his back, I suddenly felt exhausted.

Not physically tired, but the kind of bone-deep exhaustion that felt like being hollowed out.

"Ethan!" Quinn finally lost her patience, her voice rising an octave. "If you don't find the wedding shoes soon, we'll miss the ceremony time! I'm telling you, if we miss the auspicious hour, Chloe won't marry you! She's got plenty of other suitors who want to marry her!"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Someone in the groomsmen's group laughed.

"Plenty of suitors?" The voice carried contempt. "I heard she was the one chasing after Ethan?"

"Exactly," another person joined in, his tone full of mockery. "If Ethan wasn't so soft-hearted, she probably wouldn't even"

"Enough."

Ethan finally spoke, his voice not loud, with a light, almost indifferent reprimand. "Don't talk nonsense."

Then he glanced at me.

Just a glance, quick, like an inadvertent sweep.

No defense, no explanation, not even a frown.

He said "don't talk nonsense" with his mouth, but his tone was full of indulgence. So much indulgence that people felt

Those words weren't really wrong after all.

That was just how Ethan was.

Five years.

Every time someone misunderstood me, he would speak up for me.

Except in front of high school friends.

When he instinctively distanced himself from me in front of high school friends.

Every word was like a knife, cutting into me one slice at a time. Five years of cuts.

I lowered my head and looked at my phone.

The screen was lit, showing Ryan's chat window, still on that message: [Do you really have to marry him? How am I not as good as him?]

I stared at those words for a long time, then sent a message:

[Come to the wedding venue.]

After sending it, I held my phone in my palm and looked up.

The living room was still noisy.

Ethan was still rummaging around. Sienna stood beside him. The distance between them made me sick.

"Where on earth did you hide the wedding shoes?" someone asked.

Quinn glanced at me. I shook my head slightly.

As my longtime best friend, she instantly understood.

"Sienna."

Quinn walked over and grabbed her arm. "Did you hide the wedding shoes?"

Sienna froze, looking up innocently. "I... I just put them somewhere random. I didn't know..."

"Where did you put them?"

Sienna twisted her dress hem with her fingers. After a long pause, she said quietly, "I... I threw them outside."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Threw them?" Quinn's voice changed pitch. "Where did you throw them?"

"Just... in the flower bed downstairs."

Sienna's voice got smaller and smaller, her eyes beginning to redden. "I don't really understand these customs. I thought hiding the wedding shoes meant hiding them as hard as possible to find, so their marriage would be happier... I didn't know..."

Before she finished speaking, tears fell.

After a few seconds of silence in the room, someone from the groomsmen spoke up. "Come on, Sienna's never been married. She didn't know. It wasn't on purpose."

"Exactly. She threw them, so what? We'll just find them."

Ethan said nothing, just looked at Sienna once, then sighed.

That sigh held no blame, only helplessness.

"I'll go get them."

"Me too!" The groomsmen followed Ethan out.

Sienna was about to follow when Ethan raised his hand to stop her. "Don't come. It's hot outside."

His voice was very gentle when he said this, like coaxing a child.

Sienna nodded. Her tears hadn't dried, but the corners of her mouth curved upward.

Watching this scene, my stomach turned.

A few minutes later, Ethan returned, holding a wedding shoe.

"Found it."

But the shoe was covered in mud. The red satin was stained with a large dirty patch, looking utterly disheveled.

"Can she even wear this?" Quinn frowned, picking up the shoe to examine it. "It's so dirty!"

"Just wipe it off."

Ethan's tone was casual, as if discussing something insignificant.

I looked at that filthy wedding shoe. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight.

"I don't want it."

Everyone looked at me.

"I don't want it even if you clean it." I said. "I want a new pair."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ethan frowned at me. "Where am I supposed to buy new ones now? We need to leave soon."

"Then we won't leave." I said.

Ethan's frown deepened, impatience creeping into his voice. "Chloe, stop making a scene. Just wipe them clean and it'll be fine. No one will notice your shoes."

No one will notice your shoes.

Those words were like a knife, stabbing precisely into my heart.

For over ten years, Ethan had said so many things like this.

Chloe, no one will notice you.

In this childhood romance, I had been invisible for so many years.

In the end, even Ethan himself believed it.

I really wasn't worth his attention.

"Is it hard to buy them?" I looked at him, my voice calm. "Or do you just not want to buy them, Ethan? Because you don't actually want this marriage at all?"

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Quinn gasped.

The groomsmen exchanged glances. Even Sienna looked stunned.

Ethan looked at me, his expression shifting from a frown to something I couldn't read.

After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly laughed.

That laugh carried a hint of helplessness, a touch of indulgence, like looking at an unreasonable child.

"Fine."

"I'll go buy them."

Ethan turned and walked out. The groomsmen followed.

Sienna hesitated, then followed too.

"Wait for me. I'll come with you. I know there's a mall nearby..."

Ethan didn't turn around, but his steps slowed, waiting for Sienna to catch up.

They walked out side by side, their figures disappearing at the end of the hallway.

The moment the door closed, the living room became so quiet you could hear breathing.

Quinn came over, crouched in front of me, and looked up at my face.

"Chloe," her voice was soft, "what if Ethan doesn't come back?"

I didn't speak. I lowered my head, hiding my reddening eyes.

Five years.

I had believed he could forget Sienna for five years.

But every time, he disappointed me.

"I don't want to marry him anymore." I said.

Quinn froze.

She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

The other bridesmaids quickly asked me:

"What about the wedding?"

"With so many guests, won't people laugh at Chloe?"

After several seconds, Quinn suddenly smiled.

That smile held no surprise, no opposition. Instead, it seemed relieved.

"Let them laugh. We'll be with Chloe anyway."

The bridesmaids all had red-rimmed eyes, gripping my hands tightly.

"You should have left him long ago."

"Exactly. That Ethan doesn't deserve you."

"We've always thought you deserved better."

Looking at their faces, seeing the heartache and relief in their eyes.

I suddenly realized that maybe I had been wrong all along.

I thought if I waited long enough, Ethan would eventually see me.

But Ethan didn't.

During those eight years when I wasn't seen, he just grew more and more accustomed to ignoring me.

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.

The door opened. Ethan walked in, holding a shopping bag.

The groomsmen followed behind. Sienna walked at the back, head lowered, lost in thought.

"Got them."

Ethan handed me the bag, his tone slightly expectant of praise. "Went to three stores before finding them. Satisfied now?"

I took the bag without speaking.

The groomsmen behind him looked strange.

They had been joking around before leaving, but now they were all quiet, looking at me differently.

Some even avoided my gaze.

I didn't know what had happened, and I didn't want to know anymore.

"Alright, alright, put them on quick. We're running out of time."

Quinn took the shoebox and crouched down to help me change shoes.

"Beautiful." Quinn said.

I looked down and nodded.

"Let's go." Ethan came over, bending down to carry me.

I didn't dodge.

Ethan picked me up, carried me out the door, into the elevator, down to the ground floor.

The wedding car was parked at the entrance, decorated with flowers and ribbons. The hood displayed our namesEthan Shore Loves Chloe.

He carried me to the car and was about to close the door when

"Ethan."

Sienna's voice came from behind, soft and hesitant.

Ethan paused.

He turned to see Sienna standing two steps away, fingers twisting her dress hem, eyes slightly red.

"I... there's something I've always wanted to tell you. I know now might not be the right time, but after today, it'll be even less appropriate..."

The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

The officiant nearby reminded him quietly, "Groom, it's about time. We should go."

Ethan didn't move.

His gaze remained on Sienna, his eyes filled with something thick and intense.

After a few seconds of silence, he turned his head to look at me.

"Chloe, give me ten minutes."

I looked at him too, and said only one last thing.

"Ethan, in ten minutes, I won't be getting married anymore."