The 99th Runaway Groom
Asher’s hand, just about to place the ring on my finger, froze. He turned to leave. I grabbed his arm, my voice a desperate whisper.
“My grandfather doesn’t have much time left. Please, Asher, don’t go.”
According to my family’s bylaws, I had to be married before I could inherit my grandfather’s billion-dollar fortune. Asher knew this. He knew my grandfather’s last wish was to see me happily married.
And yet, he tossed the ring into the crowd of wedding guests, letting them scramble for it like animals.
“She’s a scatterbrain,” he said, his voice cold. “She can’t manage without me.” He glanced back at me, a condescending smirk on his lips. “You go find the ring like a good girl. By the time you find it, I’ll be back.”
He walked away without a second glance. But I saw it. I saw the message he typed into his group chat with his friends.
【Make sure she never finds that ring. Throw it away if you have to.】
Later, when Asher returned to the reception carrying a barefoot Chloe in his arms, he tried to place the ring back on my finger with the same hands he’d just used to massage her feet. I flinched away.
“Something this cheap,” I said, my voice dangerously calm, “is a much better match for people who are even cheaper.”
…
Asher’s face froze. Right on cue, tears welled up in Chloe’s eyes.
“It’s all my fault,” she whimpered, her voice saccharine sweet. “I’m such a klutz. I’ve ruined my big sister’s wedding again.”
“I’m so, so sorry. Let me make it up to you, okay?”
She squirmed out of Asher’s arms and took a step toward me, then promptly tripped over her own feet and face-planted on the marble floor.
A few snickers rippled through the wedding hall. Asher’s face darkened like a thundercloud. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin like vices.
“Kath, you know Chloe is clumsy. Why would you humiliate her like that?” he hissed. “Does it make you happy to see her hurt? You will apologize to her, right now. Or I swear to God, you will never wear this ring.”
He shoved me hard. I stumbled and fell beside Chloe, the skin on my bare arm scraping raw against the floor.
Chloe’s lips curled into a barely concealed, triumphant smirk. “Oh, Asher, you don’t have to punish her for my sake. After all, she’s going to be your wife. She’s the one who gets to spend all your money…” She clapped a hand over her mouth in mock horror. “Oops! I did it again! I’m so silly. Of course, my big sister isn’t a gold digger who seduced you for your money, right?”
Her wide-eyed act didn’t hide the gleam of mockery in her eyes. Her words sparked a low murmur among the guests, whispers about my status as an orphan. Asher nodded, as if her words were gospel.
“Kath, my family, the Vances, are rising stars in the tech world. You have no connections, no family, not even parents. You should be grateful I’m willing to marry you at all,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension.
“Now stop being difficult. Apologize to Chloe, and once she forgives you, we can continue with the wedding.”
I looked up, my eyes pleading with his parents, my future in-laws.
They watched the entire scene as if it were a play. His mother examined her manicure; his father sipped his tea. They couldn’t have cared less.
A wave of profound disappointment washed over me. Surrounded by jeering faces and cruel whispers, I finally felt the exhaustion settle deep into my bones.
The only reason I was in such a hurry to get married was for my grandfather. His health was failing fast. The family charter was clear: marriage first, then the inheritance. Asher and I had been in love—or so I thought—so I’d begged him to set a date.
But the first time we tried to get married, Chloe “lost” a million-dollar contract for his company.
The second time, Chloe “accidentally” locked me in a supply closet at the office.
The third time, she “mistakenly” booked the venue in another country.
Again and again, for ninety-nine excruciating attempts, she had played the role of the beautiful, brainless fool and sabotaged everything. Asher allowed it because he believed that as an orphan, I was completely dependent on him. He thought he could humiliate me endlessly, and I would have no choice but to take it.
But he didn’t know. Just as he was rushing off to play hero for Chloe, a text message had lit up my phone.
【Kath, I know about your family’s bylaw. If you’ll have me, I’m willing to marry you. Anytime.】
I took a deep breath and typed back a single word: Okay.
Then, I knelt, picked up the gaudy ring from the floor, and shoved it onto Chloe’s finger.
“A little klutz like you,” I said, my voice ringing with finality, “is the perfect match for a dumb pig like him. Congratulations.”
I was already halfway out of the hall before Asher’s enraged roar finally echoed behind me.
“Kath! Who the hell do you think you are, insulting Chloe like that? You walk out that door, you’re never coming back!”
I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound.
“She seems to enjoy calling herself a ‘little klutz’ just fine. Why is it an insult when I say it?” I yelled back over my shoulder.
“And Asher? Go to hell.”
With that, I forced my numb legs to carry me away, and I didn’t look back.
My grandfather was staying in the Hayes family’s private care facility. Without access to my inheritance, I had no car, no driver. I had to take a cab. Thankfully, the staff knew I was the family’s sole heir and didn’t stop me, though their expressions turned to pity when they saw my dirt-stained wedding gown.
My grandfather’s expression was the same.
He was in the sunroom on the top floor, a frail figure tangled in a web of tubes and wires. His face, already pale with illness, looked even more drawn.
“Kath, what happened this time?” he rasped. “I’ve poured millions into the Vance family to establish them in the tech world. I’ve helped you shield him from a dozen corporate sharks. How is it that after all this time, you still can’t manage one simple wedding?”
I lowered my head, blinking back tears. When I looked up again, I was smiling.
“I’m done with Asher, Grandfather. I’ve found someone else. The wedding is tomorrow.”
I took his frail hand. “I came to invite you. You’ll be there to give me your blessing, won’t you?”
The strict family rules meant that even though he adored me, he had no choice but to push me toward marriage. Seeing that I had finally moved on, he looked relieved. A bit of color returned to his cheeks.
After finalizing the arrangements for the next day, I left his room. I had just turned the corner when I ran right into Asher.
He was still carrying Chloe, as if she hadn't just sprained an ankle but had both her legs amputated.
The moment he saw me, the tender look on his face curdled into a cold sneer.
“Kath! Do you have any idea how much damage your little stunt today has caused my family’s reputation?”
I laughed in his face. “Asher, you abandoned me at the altar ninety-nine times for your assistant without a single thought for your own reputation. I walk out once, and you want to lecture me? Where do you get the nerve?”
Chloe’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “It’s all my fault, sister. I’ve ruined things between you and Asher. I’ll get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness…”
As she made a show of kneeling, Asher’s eyes narrowed. His hand flew out, and he slapped me across the face, hard.
“You’ve been tormenting Chloe for months. It’s time you faced my wrath!”
The force of the blow sent me sprawling. Before I could even react, he kicked open the door to my grandfather’s room and stormed inside.
I tried to scramble to my feet, but Chloe, who was right behind me, delivered a vicious kick straight to my face.
By the time I stumbled into the room after them, Asher was standing by the wall, his hand on the main power switch for my grandfather’s life-support machines. He had shut it all off.
He watched my panic with a cold, cruel smile.
“Kath, you use my money to pay for your grandfather’s treatment. You live under my roof. You should have known there would be consequences for upsetting Chloe.”
My mind went blank. I lunged at him, trying to push him away from the panel, but he caught me by the neck and slammed my head down.
“Apologize to her. Sincerely,” he snarled.
Chloe, her ankle miraculously healed, sauntered over. She grinned, rubbing her bare foot against my cheek.
“Sister, as Asher’s personal assistant, it’s my job to handle everything for him. And just so we’re clear, vetting you was part of that job. A gold digger like you wants to marry into the Vance family? Then you’d better learn to be obedient.”
I craned my neck to look at the hospital bed. My grandfather, who depended on those machines to breathe, was already turning grey. His eyes had closed.
A sharp, unbearable pain shot through my chest. My grandfather had been enduring unimaginable agony, clinging to life for one reason: to see me married so he could pass on the family fortune. And it was my fault. I was the one who had been blind, who had mistaken Asher’s cruel games for love, who had dragged this out and prolonged my grandfather’s suffering.
Tears of rage and regret streamed down my face. I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would crack.
“I’m… sorry,” I choked out.
Chloe saw my broken state and giggled. “See, Asher? You promised that no matter what, I would always be the most important person to you. You kept your promise. I can trust you now!”
Asher met my stunned gaze without a flicker of remorse. “Chloe has a simple mind. She’s timid. She was afraid that once we were married, I’d put you first and neglect her,” he said calmly. “She’s young and doesn’t know any better. Try to be more understanding.”
He scooped Chloe back into his arms and turned to leave. “I’m taking her to the doctor. We’ll postpone the wedding for another week. You can have her as a bridesmaid.”
I didn’t even watch them go. My hands trembled as I flipped the power switch back on. My back was drenched in a cold sweat.
Thank God. My grandfather was stable.
But I made sure the facility saved the security footage from that hallway.
After that, I went back to the house I had shared with Asher to pack my things.
The keypad beeped: Fingerprint not recognized. I tried twice more. As I bent down to manually enter the code, the door was kicked open from the inside. It slammed into my head with brutal force, and the world exploded in a flash of white pain.
Chloe stood over me, her eyes filled with contempt.
“See, Asher? What did I tell you? This woman is a total fake. She acts all meek and submissive in front of you, but the second your back is turned, she comes looking for revenge.” She immediately burst into tears.
Asher, who had been lounging on the sofa, shot to his feet in a rage. He swung at me, but this time, I dodged.
“What is wrong with you two psychopaths?” I screamed. “This is my house! Why would coming to my own home mean I’m looking for a fight?”
Chloe’s crying intensified. “Asher… it looks like she doesn’t want to give me the house after all…”
That was all it took. “Chloe’s pipes burst, and her apartment is flooded,” Asher snapped. “I told her she could have this house. Stop making a scene over every little thing!”
I stared at him, this man I thought I loved, and I didn’t recognize him at all. “Asher, this is my house. The deed is in my name. What gives you the right to give it away?”
Before he could answer, Chloe jumped in. “What’s yours is his once you’re married! Asher is giving you the honor of becoming Mrs. Vance. Your entire life isn’t worth that title!”
My vision swam with rage. I lunged at her, and she threw up a hand to block me.
And there, on the middle finger of her right hand, was the Hayes family signet ring. My family’s ancestral heirloom.
I froze. There was no mistake. It was the one I had so carefully, so lovingly, given to Asher.
The ring had been passed down through generations of the Hayes family, worn only by the head of the family. My grandfather, certain I would secure my future, had entrusted it to me early. I, in turn, had given it to Asher as a symbol of my complete trust and devotion.
And he had just casually given it to Chloe, as if it were a cheap trinket. As if I meant nothing.
I lunged for it, grabbing her hand. She yelped in pain and cried out to Asher.
He didn't hesitate. He kicked me, hard, right in the chest.
“You come from nothing, and it shows,” he sneered, the breath knocked from my lungs. “It’s just a ring and a house. Once you’re my wife, do you really think you’ll have to worry about little things like this?”
The pain was so intense I couldn’t get up. I could only glare at him with pure, unadulterated hatred.
“I wanted to marry you because I loved you, Asher. But now? I wouldn’t have you if you were the last man on earth,” I gasped. “Your family is so high and mighty, so why are you using my property to impress your mistress? Give it back!”
My defiance made him tremble with rage. “Chloe, give it to her!” he sputtered, trying to maintain his composure. “I’ll buy you the biggest, most beautiful ring! The biggest, most beautiful house!”
He was trying to make me jealous.
I didn’t even look at him. My eyes were locked on the ring.
A flicker of malicious glee crossed Chloe’s face. She slipped the ring off her finger, and with a dramatic flourish, she deliberately tossed it down the sewer grate in the street.
Then, she and Asher walked away, laughing.
“Given your recent behavior, the wedding is postponed another week,” he called over his shoulder. “And Kath? Nobody wants your trash anyway!”
I frantically shoved my fingers through the gaps in the metal grate, but the ring was just out of reach. My efforts left me covered in filth and grime. Passersby stared and pointed. Someone even took out their phone to record me.
The weight of weeks of humiliation, pain, and heartbreak finally crashed down on me. I collapsed onto the pavement, and the tears I’d been holding back for so long finally came, hot and heavy.
Just then, a calm, gentle voice spoke from above me.
“Kath, don’t worry. I’ve already called the city works department. They’re on their way to help you get it back.”
I looked up, startled, into a face that was both familiar and a stranger’s.
And then I was in Ethan Lister’s arms, finally allowing myself to break down completely.
“The second we get that ring,” I sobbed into his chest, “we’re going to City Hall.”
Ethan just held me tighter. He led me to his car, where he had a change of clothes waiting for me. A short while later, the ring was safely recovered. Without a second thought, I dragged him straight to the courthouse.
I was still in a daze when we walked out, marriage certificate in hand.
Ethan, however, was beaming. He handed me a folder.
“It’s all arranged,” he said. “This is a contract transferring all of my company shares to you. I’ve booked the grand ballroom at The Astoria for the ceremony. And I’ve already spoken with your grandfather’s medical team. They’ll be accompanying him to the wedding tomorrow.”
Tears welled in my eyes again.
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