My Replacement Groom Is A Billionaire

In my past life, I exposed the imposter at the altar in front of everyone.

Ted reluctantly returned to marry me, but after the wedding, he dumped his companys massive financial crisis entirely onto my family.

Then, on our one-year anniversary, he dragged mepregnant and terrifiedonto a private helicopter. Ten thousand feet in the air, over the roaring blades, he screamed that I was the reason Daphne was dead.

And then, he pushed me out.

This time, when I stood at the altar, I recognized the fake Ted again. But I didn't make a scene. I went through the motions, walking the aisle with a terrifying calm.

I wanted to see exactly how he planned to save his family's crumbling empire without the Beaumont family's money.

Daphnethe girl my parents had taken in and raised before discovering I was their biological daughterwas a masterful grifter. After my parents finally uncovered her endless lies and cut her off, she committed suicide on my wedding night in my past life. Ted had spat that she deserved it, only to secretly pin the blame on me, letting it fester into a murderous rage.

But not this time.

"Do you take the woman standing beside you to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or for poorer..."

"I... I do." The man's voice was muffled through the black medical mask, carrying a faint, barely detectable tremor.

The pews of the cathedral were filled with Manhattan's elite, all whispering their admiration. Ted Carmichael, the golden boy of high society, was so desperately in love with me that he was pushing through a severe flu, wearing a mask just to get through our wedding. The internet was probably already crowning him the ultimate devoted groom.

"Wait a moment."

The man in front of me shifted his weight. A fine sheen of sweat broke out across his forehead. His eyes darted away from mine.

I smiled, my voice carrying over the microphone. "Ted, you look terrible. Did you forget to take your medication in all the rush today?"

He coughed, a nervous, forced sound. "Yeah, I..."

I signaled the officiant to pause the ceremony and gently guided my "groom" off the altar and into the private bridal suite.

The moment the door clicked shut, my phone buzzed on the vanity. Fifteen unread messages. All from Daphne.

Carol, do you know the groom is a fake yet? Surprise! Ted and I are watching your live stream from the Maldives.

A photo loaded beneath the text. Ted, looking tanned and relaxed, his arms wrapped intimately around Daphne's waist. They were in matching designer swimwear, smiling like they didn't have a care in the world.

Forgot to mention, this was my idea. You stole my place as the Beaumont family's golden girl, so I'm stealing your man. This wedding is just a little game he's playing to make me smile.

A cold, sharp laugh slipped from my lips. My fingers flew across the keyboard.

Is that so? Do you want to bet that with one word from me, he'll come crawling back like a beaten dog?

The typing bubble on the other end flashed for a long time, but no reply came.

Perfect. She took the bait.

I slipped the phone back into my bouquet and turned to the towering, visibly panicked stand-in.

"Actually, I... I..." He stumbled over his words, his broad shoulders tense.

I reached out and patted his arm. "Griffin. Breathe. Don't be nervous."

His eyes widened in absolute shock, the tension instantly shattering. "You... you knew?"

Silence stretched between us for a heartbeat. Then, as if coming to a massive realization, Griffin took a deep breath. A flash of profound, raw heartache crossed his dark eyes.

"Carol, Ted Carmichael doesn't deserve you. He teamed up with that manipulative brat just to humiliate you in front of the whole world. If you want to walk away right now, say the word. I'll get you out of here."

In my past life, I only learned about Griffin Hawthornes feelings after I died.

When the news of my "tragic accident" broke, Griffin was the only one who refused to believe I had jumped. He was a silent, brooding bodyguard who had watched over me for years. When he finally uncovered that Ted was my murderer, lacking the legal evidence to convict him, Griffin rammed his own car head-on into Ted's on the anniversary of my death.

Remembering the violent, tragic end he suffered for me, a sudden heat prickled behind my eyes. A single tear slipped down my cheek.

Griffin panicked. His large, rough hands fluttered nervously before he gently, almost reverently, wiped the tear away.

I looked up into his fierce, protective eyes. "Griffin, listen to me. This wedding is happening today. But the only man I want to marry is you."

When we stepped back out into the cathedral, the officiant wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and offered a strained smile. "And now, the bride and groom will exchange rings."

I picked up the heavy platinum band. As I slid it onto his finger, it hit his knuckle and stopped dead.

It was entirely too small. He awkwardly tried to force it, but I placed my hand over his, stopping him.

A murmur rippled through the pews.

"What's going on? Did they get the ring size wrong?"

"How do you mess up the rings at a wedding like this? This is the Beaumonts' actual daughter. Are the Carmichaels really this careless?"

In the front row, Ted's parents turned an ashen, sickly gray. They exchanged a look of pure panic.

So, they knew. They knew their son had fled the country for Daphne, and they had conspired to humiliate my family to save face.

My mother's brow furrowed sharply, her posture rigid with sudden aristocratic fury. Beside her, my father's expression turned to stone.

I caught my parents' eyes and gave them a subtle nodstay calm, I have this.

Then, under the bewildered gaze of a thousand guests, I reached up and pulled off Griffin's mask.

"Oh my god! That's not Ted!"

"Where the hell is the groom?!"

Ted's mother was the first to snap out of the shock. Abandoning all pretense of high-society grace, she rushed the altar.

"What... what is the meaning of this?! Who are you?!"

Ted's father stood up, his face purple with rage, shouting over the ensuing chaos of gasps and flashing cameras. "Everyone, please remain seated! It's a minor misunderstanding! We will resolve this immediately!"

It was a spectacular show.

In my past life, I was the one crying on the altar, stripped of my dignity. Now, it was the Carmichaels who were sweating under the harsh glare of the public eye.

My mother stood up, her eyes wide with concern. "Carol, sweetie, what is going on?"

I turned to the crowd, my voice perfectly steady, projecting clearly through the microphone. I intertwined my fingers with Griffin's.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my marriage to Mr. Griffin Hawthorne today. Due to a minor logistical error, the welcome signs and the wedding rings were mislabeled."

I paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to build the tension. "But, no harm done. The wedding continues."

Beside me, Griffin straightened his posture, his towering frame suddenly radiating an overwhelming, authoritative presence.

Ted's mother stared at me, trembling with rage. "Carol Beaumont, have you lost your mind?! Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

Ted's father stormed up the steps, hissing at me under his breath. "Carol, stop this nonsense at once! Call off the ceremony!"

I ignored him completely. I looked at Griffin. "Griffin, why don't you tell our guests how you ended up standing here today?"

Griffin met my gaze, a slow, confident smile spreading across his lips. His voice rumbled through the sound system, deep and unbothered.

"I'm standing here today because Ted Carmichael handed me a hundred-dollar bill and asked me to play his body double. The actual groom is currently on a beach vacation with the girl the Beaumont family kicked out."

The cathedral erupted. The collective gasp practically sucked the oxygen out of the room. I could already see the Twitter trends exploding.

"Holy shit! He paid a guy to stand in at his own wedding?!"

"He ditched the Beaumont heiress for the fake one they disowned? Is Ted Carmichael clinically insane?"

Stripped of their polished facade, Ted's parents looked like they might faint.

The fire in my father was officially lit. He pointed a trembling finger directly at Ted's father, his voice booming with the weight of decades of ruthless corporate power.

"You have some nerve, Carmichael! You begged on your knees for this alliance, and now you treat my daughter's life like a joke? Do you think the Beaumont family are a bunch of fools you can just play with?!"

My mother, always the ruthless pragmatist, turned directly to the press corps huddled in the back.

"There will be no union between our families. As of this moment, the Beaumonts sever all ties with the Carmichaels. And as for Daphnewe threw her out because she was a manipulative thief. Whoever wants to adopt that professional victim is welcome to her!"

Hearing that the multi-billion dollar merger was dead in the water, Ted's mother finally panicked.

"Carol, please! Ted is just confused! That little tramp manipulated him! I will call him right now and make him crawl back here to apologize!"

I shrugged, offering a cold, detached smile. "Be my guest. I'll give him one chance. If you can get him on the phone right now, we can pretend this never happened."

Griffin's hand tightened instinctively around mine. I leaned in, my lips brushing his ear. Don't worry, I whispered. He won't answer.

Desperate, Ted's mother pulled out her phone, dialing frantically.

Once. Twice. Three times.

The only sound echoing through the dead-silent cathedral was the automated voice of the operator: "We're sorry, the number you have reached is unavailable..."

I sighed, feigning a look of pity. "It seems the young Mr. Carmichael has no interest in returning." I turned to the venue staff. "Security. Please escort the uninvited guests out."

Ted's parents were physically guided down the aisle by heavily built guards, their faces flashing under a barrage of paparazzi cameras.

My mother walked up to the altar and took my free hand. She didn't ask a single question. She just looked at me, her eyes fiercely protective. "Whatever you decide, Carol. We are behind you."

My father placed a heavy, reassuring hand on my shoulder. A warm ache bloomed in my chest.

In my past life, I had fought bitterly with my parents to marry Ted. After I died, the grief aged them a decade overnight.

This time, I would never let them suffer. And the architect of all my painTed Carmichaelwas going to pay in full.

As soon as we walked out of the cathedral doors, I dialed my chief financial officer.

"Pull every cent of our capital out of the Carmichael accounts immediately. Freeze all joint ventures. Leave them with nothing."

The news of my marriage to Griffin didn't hit the tabloids right away. Desperate to stop their stock from plummeting, the Carmichael family spent millions to bury the story.

The day after the disastrous ceremony, Griffin and I went to the courthouse to make it official. Afterward, he kissed my forehead and told me he had to travel overseas for a few days to tie up some loose ends.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, oblivious to the nuclear bomb that had gone off in his life, Ted was lounging on a private beach. It took him a few days to realize something was wrong.

Usually, by this point, I would have blown up his phone, crying, screaming, begging him to come home.

But his phone was completely silent.

Ted stared at his screen, a flicker of unease settling in his gut.

Daphne draped herself over his chest. "Ted, do you think Carol is mad? It's all my fault. If I hadn't felt so dizzy, you wouldn't have had to fly out here with me..."

Ted scoffed, though his eyes remained glued to the blank screen. "Why would she be mad? You're a fragile girl who lost her family's protection. She has everything as the true Beaumont heiress. What's wrong with letting you have this one thing?"

But even as he said it, his brow furrowed. She's playing hard to get, he convinced himself. I've spoiled her too much.

I honestly didn't expect to run into the two of them at my fathers charity gala later that week.

Ted spotted me the second I walked into the ballroom. When he saw me laughing, swirling a glass of champagne, and talking to a handsome tech CEO, his face darkened instantly.

Daphne, noticing his gaze, immediately pressed a hand to her stomach and leaned heavily against him. "Ted, I'm so exhausted. My feet are killing me."

Ted supported her instinctively, but his eyes kept darting my way. He was waiting for me to walk over and cause a scene.

Unfortunately for him, I didn't give him a single glance.

Eventually, his fragile ego couldn't take it anymore. He marched across the ballroom, slamming his whiskey glass onto my cocktail table.

"Carol. Are you throwing a tantrum because I had someone stand in for me at the wedding?"

I looked at him like he was a stain on the carpet, setting my drink down and turning to leave.

Daphne quickly stepped into my path, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Carol, please don't be mad at him. It's my body's fault. If I hadn't been so sick, I wouldn't have ruined your big day..."

Hearing her, Ted scoffed, looking at me with pure disdain.

"Carol, I never realized you were this petty. Its just a ceremony."

He reached out, fully expecting me to yield, and grabbed my arm.

The air around me turned ice-cold. I violently yanked my arm back. "Mr. Carmichael. Keep your hands to yourself."

"Did your parents not tell you about the wedding?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ted frowned. "Tell me what?"

Daphne panicked. She lunged forward, grabbing my wrist in a vice grip. "Carol, please don't be like this! Ted is only doing what's best"

While her words were soft and pleading, her perfectly manicured acrylic nails dug viciously into my skin. I inhaled sharply at the sting.

I violently shoved her back. "Get off me!"

"Ah!"

Daphne dramatically collapsed onto the marble floor, looking like a shattered porcelain doll.

Teds eyes went wide with rage. He rushed to help her up, turning back to roar at me. "Are you insane?! Apologize to her right now!"

I laughed. A cold, ringing laugh that turned heads across the room. I looked over at the security guards rushing toward us. "Security. Escort these two out."

Teds face turned a violent shade of crimson.

"Don't think playing these pathetic mind games is going to make me want you more. If you behave and stop this nonsense, I'll take you to city hall next week to sign the papers."

He genuinely believed that the moment he snapped his fingers, I would fall to my knees in gratitude.

I tilted my head, smiling sweetly. "But I'm already married."

The arrogant smirk on Ted's face froze. He stood there, completely stunned, his brow knotting in confusion.

"What kind of garbage are you spouting?"

He took a step forward, his tone dripping with condescension. "You claim you're married? Then where's your husband? Why isn't he here with you?"

A mocking smile played on my lips. "My husband is on a business trip. Unlike some useless trust fund kids who need to leech off women to survive."

Before he could explode, Daphne's eyes welled up with perfectly timed tears.

"Carol, how can you speak to Ted that way?"

She paused, letting a delicate sob escape her throat, ensuring Ted looked at me with maximum disappointment and disgust.

"Look at you, Carol," Ted spat. "You've become so bitter and toxic. Who else would even want you besides me?"

"Let me make this clear. Stop playing these pathetic 'hard to get' games. It only makes me look down on you."

I had completely lost my patience.

"Security! Are you deaf?" I snapped. "Throw them out. Now."

The guards immediately flanked them, grabbing them by the arms.

Ted fought against their grip, his face twisting into an ugly, furious mask as he was dragged toward the exit.

"Carol! You'll regret this! You hear me?!"

That night, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

Did you really think that little stunt would win him back? Surprise. He doesn't care. He's happily taking me diamond shopping right now. Did you think being the 'real' heiress meant you won? You still lost your man to me.

I didn't even need to guess who it was. I blocked the number without a second thought.

Over the next week, Ted's parents showed up at my family's estate multiple times, demanding to speak with me. I had the gates locked and refused to see them.

A week later, timing it perfectly with Griffin's flight, I drove myself to JFK Airport to pick him up.

Just as I walked into the international arrivals terminal, I ran straight into Ted and Daphne.

They had a deeper tan, designer sunglasses pushed up on their heads, looking every bit the relaxed couple returning from paradise.

When Ted saw me, his eyes lit up. A smug, triumphant grin spread across his face. "I knew you were all talk. You checked my flight details and came all the way here to pick me up? Fine. I'll give you a pass this time."

I looked at him like he was an absolute psychopath and kept walking.

Daphne sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Oh, Carol, stop pretending. Ted is generous enough to forgive you. As his fiance, the least you can do is wire the capital back into his company's accounts."

Ted looked incredibly pleased with himself. He reached out to put his arm around my shoulder. I ducked, dodging him effortlessly.

He didn't even seem mad, just amused, still believing I was throwing a tantrum. "Alright, enough pouting. After we sign the papers, I'll throw you an even bigger wedding. Will that make you happy?"

I completely ignored them, my eyes locking onto the tall figure emerging from the terminal. I broke into a jog and threw myself into Griffin's arms.

"Welcome home, husband!"

Griffin caught me seamlessly, his imposing, stoic features softening the moment he held me. He buried his face in my hair, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the top of my head.

Behind me, the smug grin on Ted's face shattered.

After a brief, agonizing silence, Ted erupted in a humiliated roar.

"Carol! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

He closed the distance between us, pointing a trembling finger at Griffin.

"You hired an actor just to make me jealous?! Nice performance. How much did she pay you?"

He glared at Griffin. "Name your price. I'll pay you ten times as much to get the hell out of my sight right now!"

Griffin instinctively pulled me behind him. The temperature around us seemed to plummet. His dark eyes locked onto Ted, a terrifying, lethal stillness settling over his posture.

But I stepped out from behind Griffin, placing a calming hand on his chest. I looked at Ted's twisted, furious face with absolute serenity.

"Ted, haven't you been begging to meet my husband?"

I slipped my arm through Griffin's, smiling brightly. "Let me formally introduce you. This is my husband."

The color completely drained from Ted's face. "Him?! Why is it him?!"