I'll Die at My Wedding to Save Him

Fifty million dollars. Sold.

When the auction hammer fell, I was already prepared to feel the weight of that crown on my head.

But Eric Carter walked right past me. He strode straight to the very back row and placed the bridal crown, the one I had personally designed, onto the head of a woman in a white dress.

"Welcome home, Claire."

His voice was so tender it could melt ice.

The entire hall fell into a dead silence.

Every socialite in the room shifted their gaze from envy to sheer mockery.

I stood up, my high heels clicking against the marble floor as I walked up to him. My voice was as calm as if I were talking about the weather.

"I have only one question. Is our wedding next month still on?"

Eric sneered. "Sure. As long as you work as Claire's personal assistant for her comeback show, the wedding is still on."

I nodded. "Deal."

He would never know that I never wanted his love in the first place.

All I wanted was a wedding that would allow me to die.

Because once I died at that wedding, my quest would be complete, and I could finally resurrect my true love.

Hailey's POV

"Hailey, you designed this bridal crown yourself. Mr. Carter is definitely buying it as your wedding gift tonight."

"Of course he is. Everyone in New York knows how much Eric spoils Hailey. He even named his luxury jewelry brand after her. Who wouldn't be jealous?"

At the charity auction, the socialites around me were whispering about my relationship with Eric Carter.

I sat in the front row, staring calmly at the crown on the stage.

I had pulled three consecutive all-nighters to sketch that design. It was meant for me to wear at my wedding with Eric next month.

"Fifty million!"

Eric's deep, cold voice rang out beside me as he raised his paddle.

The crowd gasped, followed by warm laughter and envious stares.

"Mr. Carter is indeed generous."

The hammer fell. The deal was closed.

The staff carefully brought the dazzling crown to Eric.

I curved my lips slightly, about to reach for it, but Eric walked right past my outstretched hand.

He took the crown and walked straight toward the back row of the venue.

There, a woman in a white dress with a gentle aura was standing. I hadn't even noticed when she arrived.

Under the shocked gazes of everyone in the room, Eric gently placed the bridal crown on her head.

"Welcome home, Claire," he murmured, his voice dripping with tenderness.

Dead silence.

The socialites who had been flattering me a second ago now looked at me with blatant mockery and pity.

"Is that Claire Bennett? The girl Eric actually loved?"

"Claire is back, so Hailey, the placeholder, has to pack her bags. I knew it. How could a billionaire like Eric actually fall for a nameless orphan? She was just a rebound."

"How pathetic. Their wedding is next month. I guess it's canceled now."

Their sharp whispers pricked like needles.

But I didn't even blink.

I stood up, stepping forward in my high heels, and walked over to them.

Claire shrank back slightly, hiding behind Eric, her eyes pooling with tears. "Eric, is Miss Miller mad? I'm so sorry, I didn't know this crown was..."

"You don't need to apologize." Eric shielded Claire behind him and glared at me coldly. "Hailey, Claire just got back to the States. Consider this crown a welcome-home gift for her. You're not that petty, are you?"

I looked at the man I had "loved" for five years.

Over these five years, Eric had given me absolute devotion. He showered me with resources, made me a lead designer, and even insisted on marrying me despite his family's fierce opposition.

Everyone thought I loved Eric more than life itself.

But only I knew the truth. I didn't love him at all.

"I don't mind," I said, my voice flat, without a single ripple of emotion. "I only have one question. Is our wedding next month still on?"

Eric froze.

I was acting too calm, like a stranger whose only concern was the contract of the wedding.

"Are you really that desperate to marry me?" Eric let out a harsh laugh, his eyes filled with contempt. "Fine. If you agree to be Claire's assistant for her comeback show, the wedding will go on as scheduled."

Asking a lead designer to be a personal assistant to a socialite who knew nothing about design?

It was a public humiliation.

Gasps echoed around us. Everyone waited for me to break down and cry.

Instead, I just looked at him for two seconds and nodded. "Okay. I agree."

With that, I turned around and walked away, my spine perfectly straight, without a single hint of regret.

As I walked out of the auction hall, the night breeze was chilly.

A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

"Hailey, the quest progress has reached 90%. Once your wedding with Eric Carter is successfully completed, you will receive the final reward."

I took a deep breath and whispered in my mind, "I know."

Five years ago, a System brought me to this world. My mission was to make Eric Carter fall in love with me and have a wedding with him.

Once the quest succeeded, the System would resurrect the only man I had ever truly loved, Julian Vance.

For Julian, I would gladly play the role of an assistant. I would gladly die.

I didn't care who Eric loved.

All I needed was a wedding to complete my quest.

Hailey's POV

The next morning, I showed up at Claire's studio on time.

"Hailey, Eric asked you to help me." Claire sat on the sofa, her smile innocent and sweet. "I just got back, and there's so much I don't know. I'll be in your care."

I took the files she handed over with a blank face. "What do you need me to do, Miss Bennett?"

"Could you grab me a coffee? I want the hand-drip coffee from that artisanal shop in Brooklyn. No sugar, no milk," Claire said.

Brooklyn was easily an hour's drive from Manhattan. With traffic, a round trip would take at least two hours.

"Sure," I said, turning on my heel.

By the time I returned with the coffee, Eric was already there.

He was sitting on the sofa, whispering something to Claire, his face softening with a tenderness I had never seen before.

Hearing the door open, Eric looked up. Seeing me drenched in sweat, holding the coffee cup, his brows furrowed instantly.

"Where have you been?"

"Getting coffee for Miss Bennett." I walked over and placed the cup on the table.

Eric's face darkened.

But suddenly, Claire let out a sharp gasp.

"Ah!"

Claire reached for the coffee, but "accidentally" knocked the cup over. The scalding hot coffee splashed all over the back of her hand, turning her skin red instantly.

"Claire!" Eric's face paled. He grabbed her hand, his eyes wild with worry.

He whipped his head around, glaring at me like a beast. "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't even set a coffee cup down properly? Did you burn her on purpose?"

I stood there, watching Eric's furious expression. It was almost funny.

Claire had clearly knocked it over herself, yet he didn't even bother to ask before convicting me.

"I didn't," I replied flatly.

"How dare you lie!" Eric slammed his fist on the table, standing up and pointing at me. "Apologize to Claire. Now!"

I looked at him, my eyes devoid of any warmth.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bennett," I said, bowing my head slightly, my voice completely robotic.

Eric gritted his teeth, grabbed my wrist roughly, and dragged me out of the office and into the fire stairwell.

With a loud thud, he pinned me against the concrete wall.

"Hailey! Where is your pride? You used to be so stubborn! Why are you acting like a desperate dog now?"

My back throbbed from the impact, but I didn't even flinch.

I looked straight into Eric's face, which was distorted by anger. My calmness was almost terrifying.

"Eric, didn't you make me her assistant? An assistant apologizing to the client is just business."

"You!" Eric was choked by my words.

He stared into my eyes, his grip tightening.

"Hailey, do you think as long as you play nice, I will actually marry you?" Eric sneered. He suddenly bent down and bit my lips violently.

It was a kiss stripped of any affection, filled only with punishment and rage.

I didn't struggle, nor did I respond. I let him vent like a lifeless doll.

Tasting blood, Eric pushed me away, his eyes dark. "Let me tell you something. Even if we get married, you will never compare to a single hair on Claire's head!"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and nodded slightly. "I know. There are twenty-eight days left until the wedding. Don't forget to try on your tux, Mr. Carter."

With that, I pushed open the heavy door and walked away without looking back.

Claire's comeback show was heavily publicized.

As her assistant, I did all the grunt work.

One afternoon, Claire came to me with a sketch, her face twisted in disgust.

"Hailey, is this the garbage you drew? How dare you show this to me? Are you trying to ruin my show on purpose?"

I glanced at the sketch. It was the final draft I had stayed up for three days to revise, following her feedback fifteen times.

"Miss Bennett, this is the fifteenth draft, modified exactly according to your instructions."

"I don't care! It's trash!" Claire snatched the paper and tore it to shreds right in front of me. "Redo it! If you don't finish it tonight, you're not going home!"

I stared at the shredded paper on the floor. After a moment of silence, I knelt down to pick them up.

As I did, a photo fell out from between the sheets.

It was a photo I always kept close to my heart. It showed the back of a man wearing a white shirt, with sunlight spilling over his shoulders, looking warm and bright.

It was Julian.

My pupils dilated, and I lunged to grab it.

But Claire was faster.

Her high heel came down hard, grinding right onto the photo, puncturing a hole through Julian's back.

"Oh, oops. I didn't see that," Claire said, covering her mouth with a smug giggle.

My mind went entirely blank. My sanity snapped.

I shoved Claire away with all my might. She stumbled, and I threw myself onto the floor, carefully cradling the ruined photo in my hands.

The hole in Julian's back was torn open. It could never be fixed.

"What are you doing?!" Claire screamed as she fell onto the sofa.

The office door was slammed open. Eric rushed in and immediately helped Claire up.

"Hailey, have you lost your mind?!" Eric roared.

I knelt on the floor, my entire body shaking. I stared at the photo, my eyes bloodshot, tears heavy as lead dropping onto the ruined paper.

This was the only proof I had left in this world that Julian Vance had ever existed.

And now, it was ruined.

Hailey's POV

Eric froze when he saw how utterly broken I was.

He walked over, trying to see what the photo was.

"It's just a photo. Is it really worth crying over?" He reached down to grab it.

"Don't touch it!" I snapped at his hand, shielding the photo like a feral animal protecting its food. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with pure hatred.

Eric let out a cold laugh, his anger flaring. "What? Crying over an old photo of me again? Hailey, aren't you sick of this dramatic act?"

He thought the photo was of him.

I didn't bother to correct him. I carefully tucked the photo back into my coat, stood up, and wiped my tears.

"Eric," I said, my voice hoarse but dripping with an icy chill. "Keep your woman on a leash. If she ever touches my things again, I promise I will break her hand."

Without waiting for his response, I pushed past him and walked out.

A few days later, Claire's comeback show suffered a massive disaster.

On the eve of the runway, her headliner jewelry design was exposed as a blatant plagiarism of an early work by a famous European designer.

The internet exploded. Claire's reputation as a talented, innocent designer shattered overnight, and boycotts poured in.

Inside Eric's office, the air was suffocating.

Claire was sobbing hysterically. "Eric, I didn't plagiarize! It was Hailey! She drew that sketch! She set me up!"

Eric rubbed his temples and looked at me, standing quietly in the corner.

"Hailey, you will take the blame for this," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I looked up at him. "Mr. Carter, I am a professional designer. If I admit to plagiarism, my career is completely over."

"So what?" Eric looked at me coldly. "You're marrying me soon. The wife of the CEO of the Carter Group doesn't need to work. But Claire is different. Her career is just starting, and she cannot have a stain on her record."

My wife doesn't need to work.

I sneered inwardly at those words.

I looked at Eric, my eyes as dead as a winter morning.

"Fine. I'll take the fall," I said. "But remember this, Eric. This is the last thing I will ever do for you. If anything goes wrong at our wedding next month, I will never forgive you."

The next day, I held a press conference.

Facing the blinding camera flashes and aggressive reporters, I calmly admitted to plagiarism and announced my permanent retirement from the design industry.

The crowd in the lobby was furious. An angry protester suddenly broke through the security line and threw a heavy water bottle at my head.

"You thieving fraud! Get out of the industry!"

The bottle struck my forehead. Blood trickled down my face.

I didn't dodge. I didn't even wipe the blood. I just stood there, letting the cameras capture my most humiliated moment.

Later, I sat alone in the empty dressing room, casually dabbing the blood from my forehead with a napkin.

Hearing footsteps, I looked up and saw Eric rushing in. I was slightly surprised.

"What are you doing here?" my tone was indifferent.

Eric stared at the cut on my forehead, a flash of genuine pain in his eyes.

He stepped closer, reaching out to touch my wound, but I tilted my head to avoid him.

"I did what you asked," I said, looking at him with clear eyes. "There are fifteen days left until the wedding. I hope you keep your word."

Eric's hand froze in mid-air.

I had given up my reputation, my career, and my dignity.

All I wanted was that wedding.

And as I looked at him, there was not a single trace of love left in my eyes.

Hailey's POV

Ten days before the wedding.

I went to the bridal shop alone to try on my dress.

Eric said he had a corporate meeting and couldn't make it. I didn't care. As long as he showed up on the wedding day, nothing else mattered.

I put on the custom gown I had ordered a year ago and stood in front of the full-length mirror.

The dress was breathtaking, adorned with nine hundred and ninety-nine tiny diamonds that shimmered under the boutique lights.

"Miss Miller, you look absolutely stunning," the stylist gasped.

I looked at my reflection, but my mind drifted.

Julian, if only you were the one standing next to me today.

Suddenly, the boutique door was pushed open.

Eric walked in, his arm wrapped around Claire's waist.

When Claire saw the dress on me, her eyes lit up with greed.

"Oh my god, Eric! That dress is gorgeous!" Claire whined, tugging at Eric's arm. "I want to wear this exact dress for my engagement party with Tyler next month."

Eric's eyes flickered with a brief moment of awe when he saw me.

But he quickly masked it, his voice turning cold. "If you like it, try it on."

"But... that's Hailey's wedding dress..." Claire bit her lip, acting hesitant.

"It's just a piece of fabric." Eric looked at me, his tone commanding. "Take it off and let Claire try it."

Even the stylists were stunned.

I could read the sheer disbelief on their faces. Who in their right mind would ask a bride-to-be to strip off her custom wedding gown for another woman?

I just stared at Eric, saying nothing.

My silence made him look slightly guilty, but he doubled down anyway. "Claire is just trying it. I'll order you an even better one."

"No need," I said calmly.

I turned around, walked into the fitting room, and took off the masterpiece without hesitation.

When I stepped out, I was wearing the cheapest, most basic off-the-rack wedding dress in the shop.

No diamonds, no lace, and the hemline was slightly too short.

Eric's face turned completely pale when he saw me in the cheap gown.

"Hailey, what is this supposed to mean? Are you trying to embarrass me on our wedding day by wearing trash?"

I looked at him, my expression blank. "Didn't you say it's just a piece of fabric, Mr. Carter? Since it's just a dress, what difference does it make what I wear?"

"You!" Eric snapped.

He lunged forward, ripped the veil off my head, and slammed it onto the floor.

"If you love this cheap trash so much, then you can walk down the aisle in it on our wedding day!"

With that, he grabbed Claire and walked out.

I stood there, looking at the soiled veil on the floor, and sighed softly.

It didn't matter.

As long as the wedding happened, I could wear a garbage bag for all I cared.

The night before the wedding.

Eric's friends threw him a bachelor party at a high-end club in Manhattan.

As the bride, I was dragged along too.

The VIP room was dimly lit. Eric sat in the center of the plush sofa, with Claire clinging to his side.

I sat alone in the far corner, quietly sipping my water.

"Hey Eric, are you seriously marrying Hailey?" one of his drunk friends slurred. "She's a labeled plagiarist now. Marrying her brings zero benefit to the Carter Group."

"Exactly. Look at her now. She doesn't even have an ounce of pride left. I bet if you gave the wedding ring to Claire right now, she wouldn't even dare to protest."

The room erupted into laughter.

Eric had had a lot to drink, his eyes glassy.

He looked at me sitting in the corner, quiet as a ghost. Suddenly, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it.

Inside was a flawless pink diamond ring, the wedding ring he was supposed to put on my finger tomorrow.

Amidst the cheers of his friends, Eric took the ring out and casually tossed it into Claire's lap.

"It's yours, Claire. Consider it an early engagement gift."

The room fell silent.

Everyone turned to look at me, waiting for me to scream, cry, or run.

I set my glass down, stood up, and walked over to Eric.

I glanced at the ring in Claire's hand, then looked at Eric. My voice was steady. "Since the ring is gone, what are we using tomorrow?"

Eric let out a mocking chuckle. He grabbed a soda can from the table, ripped off the metal pull-tab, and dropped it at my feet.

"Use this. What's the matter? Don't want to marry me anymore?"

I looked down at the sticky metal tab covered in alcohol.

I bent over, picked it up, and clenched it tightly in my palm.

"I do," I said, looking into Eric's eyes. "As long as you show up on time tomorrow, I will use whatever you want."

Then, I turned and walked out of the room.

Hailey's POV

Our wedding day.

The grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel in New York.

I stood in the bridal suite, wearing the cheap, off-the-rack dress, staring at my reflection.

"Hailey, the quest is at 99%. Once the rings are exchanged, the quest will be complete."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Julian, I am finally going to see you.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open.

Eric's assistant rushed in, drenched in sweat. "Miss Miller, this is bad! Miss Bennett is standing on the roof of the Empire State Building threatening to jump! Mr. Carter rushed over there!"

My eyes snapped open.

I grabbed the hem of my dress and ran. I sprinted down the hallway, ignoring the stares, and managed to block Eric's car right as he was about to leave the hotel driveway.

"Eric, you can't leave!" I grabbed his car door, my voice trembling.

Eric's eyes were bloodshot. "Claire is trying to kill herself! I have to save her!"

"The ceremony starts in ten minutes! If you leave, what about me?" I glared at him. "Just give me five minutes! Exchange the rings with me, and then you can go wherever you want!"

"Hailey, do you even have a heart?!" Eric shoved my hand away, roaring, "Claire is about to lose her life, and all you care about is this stupid wedding! I'm telling you, I'm not doing this today!"

He slammed the door, and the car sped away.

The force of the acceleration threw me onto the asphalt. My palms were scraped raw, blood oozing out.

I watched the tail lights disappear, the light in my eyes fading into darkness.

"Warning! The groom has left the venue. The quest is at risk of failing!"

I slowly pushed myself up from the ground. Ignoring the whispers of the onlookers, I walked back into the ballroom step by step.

Inside, the guests were already whispering.

"Where is the groom?"

"I heard he ran off to save Claire. Hailey is so pathetic, dumped at the altar."

I walked up to the center of the stage, took the microphone from the stunned officiant, and spoke.

"The wedding will proceed." My voice echoed through the speakers, calm and steady.

The crowd went wild.

How could a wedding proceed without a groom?

I didn't care about their stares. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the rusted metal soda tab.

If I put the tab on my own finger, would the System count it as complete?

I raised my hand, preparing to slide the metal ring onto my finger.

Bang.

The heavy double doors of the ballroom were slammed open.

Eric stood there, panting, his suit disheveled, his eyes wild with panic.

Seeing me standing alone on the stage, holding that ridiculous soda tab, a look of profound guilt and agony crossed his face.

He sprinted up the stage, snatched the tab from my hand, and threw it away.

He pulled a spare diamond ring from his pocket, dropped to one knee, his voice shaking. "Hailey... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm late."

The room fell quiet.

I looked at Eric kneeling before me, saying nothing.

Terrified by my silence, he grabbed my hand and desperately slid the diamond ring onto my finger.

"Hailey, we are married now. I will treat you well from now on. I'll make up for everything I owe you."

The moment the ring slid into place, the mechanical voice echoed in my head.

"Ding! The wedding is complete. Quest progress: 100%. Reward issued: Julian Vance has been resurrected. Hailey Miller may exit this world at any time."

I smiled.

For the first time in five years, a genuine, dazzling smile broke across my face.

Eric stared at my smile, completely mesmerized.

"Hailey." He stood up, reaching out to hug me.

But I took a step back, dodging his touch.

"Eric, thank you," I said, looking at him with eyes that held neither love nor hate, but only absolute relief.

Eric froze. "Hailey, what are you doing?"

I didn't answer.

I turned around, grabbed the hem of my cheap dress, and ran toward the massive floor-to-ceiling glass window at the end of the ballroom like a bird escaping its cage.

"Hailey." Eric's eyes widened in horror as he chased after me like a madman.

But it was too late.

I grabbed a heavy chair nearby and smashed it against the glass.

The window shattered. The cold wind howled into the ballroom, whipping my cheap dress around me.

I looked back at Eric one last time, and without a single shred of hesitation, I leaped out.