My Husband Brought His Secret Family to Our Wedding

Halfway through our wedding, Julian and I were in the dressing room changing our outfits.

Suddenly, Julian turned to me, his voice laced with guilt.

Chloe, I'm sorry. I can't file our marriage license tomorrow.

I smiled, not thinking much of it.

Then we can do it the day after tomorrow, or when you're done with this busy season. Theres no rush.

Julian avoided my gaze. His voice sank.

"Its not a matter of time."

"I mean... we can't get legally married at all."

My hand, which was gently resting on my slightly bloated belly, froze. I stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you calling off the wedding?"

Julian immediately pulled me into his arms, cooing softly, "Of course not. It's just... five years ago, I legally married someone else abroad. It was a business alliance arranged by my family. I had no choice."

"But Chloe, you're the only one I"

Before Julian could finish his sentence, the door was slammed open.

Marcus, the best man, rushed in, panting.

"Julian, theres a woman and a child outside. Theyre calling for you."

"She claims... shes your wife from abroad, and that's your son."

Before I could even process what was happening, Yvonne Reed pushed past Marcus, holding a young boy in her arms.

She looked at Julian, tears streaming down her face, looking incredibly pitiful.

"Julian... my mother passed away."

The boy in her arms, about three or four years old, started crying along with her, pointing at Julian.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

I stared at the boy. He looked at least seventy percent like Julian.

My brain felt like it was about to explode.

I violently pushed Julian away. I stood there, frozen for a few seconds.

Slowly, the brutal reality sank in.

The man I was marrying had already become someone else's husband five years ago.

No.

Perhaps I didn't even have the right to call Julian my husband.

In the eyes of the law, I was the homewrecker. The other woman.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. My whole body began to shake uncontrollably, and my knees buckled.

Julian rushed forward to support me.

"Chloe..."

"Slap!"

Before he could utter another word, I swung my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

I took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the roaring emotions inside me.

"Julian, today is our wedding. The entire high society is out there. You might not care about your reputation, but I care about mine. Come out with me right now. We will announce an early end to the reception and send the guests away gracefully."

"Then, we will call both of our parents and handle this mess together."

Knowing he was entirely in the wrong, Julian took the slap without a word.

Seeing my cold expression, he tried to reach out again.

"Chloe..."

"Don't say my name!"

I cut him off sharply. Even the sound of his voice made me sick to my stomach. I lifted the skirt of my wedding gown and turned to walk out.

Julian hung his head and followed me.

But just as I was about to push the door open, Yvonne screamed behind us.

"Leo! Leo, whats wrong?"

"Don't scare Mommy!"

I looked back.

For some reason, the little boy in Yvonne's arms had turned a terrifying shade of purple.

His body was twitching, and he quickly lost consciousness.

Julian darted past me, snatching the child from Yvonne's arms. He asked frantically, "What happened?"

"It looks like an allergic reaction! What did you feed him?"

Yvonne was sobbing hysterically, completely unable to give a coherent answer.

Beside them, Marcus suddenly remembered something.

He yelled, "Could it be that peanut pastry? On our way here, the kid said he was hungry. When we passed the dessert table, he grabbed a piece.

Maybe hes allergic to peanuts? Should we make him throw up?"

But at this point, Julian clearly didn't care about the details. He held the child tight and rushed toward the door.

"There's no time. We have to go to the hospital right now."

He didn't even look at me. He just ran past me, disappearing down the hallway with Yvonne and the child.

I stood there in my white wedding dress, completely alone.

I stared blankly at the empty doorway. My groom had just abandoned me at our wedding to run off with his secret wife and child.

Emptiness, humiliation, anger.

So many emotions choked my throat, leaving a metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

I covered my face and wept silently, unable to even make a sound.

Until Marcus's hesitant voice broke the silence.

"Chloe... there are still so many guests outside. What should we do about the wedding?"

I forced myself to stop crying. I wiped my tears, walked back to the vanity, and applied a layer of powder to cover the tear stains.

"Tell them..." my voice cracked, "tell them Julian felt suddenly ill. The wedding is over. I'm going out to see them off."

I walked out of the dressing room, forcing a polite smile to bid the guests goodbye.

Faced with my parents' confusion, I could only offer a vague excuse.

Meanwhile, Julian's parents, Richard and Eleanor, helped me play along while offering me apologetic, guilty smiles.

So, they knew. They knew all along.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

What was this? A family-wide conspiracy to trick me into a sham marriage?

When the last guest left, Eleanor and Richard walked up to me, looking extremely anxious.

"Chloe, Julian just called. He said he's back at your new villa, and everything with Yvonne and the baby has been settled. You two just got married.

Don't let some outsiders ruin your relationship. Go back and talk it out. Everything can be resolved."

"There's nothing a young couple can't resolve over a good talk."

I let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cole, I don't think I can carry the title of 'wife' anymore. Legally, Yvonne is Julian's wife. I, Chloe Vance, am the irrelevant outsider here."

"Since things have come to this, I think our families' business merger should be put on hold."

"I'm tired. I'm going home."

Without waiting for their hypocritical excuses, I turned and drove straight to our new villa.

The moment I pushed the door open, Julian stood up from the sofa. He had been waiting for me.

He held a stack of papers and eagerly handed them to me.

"Chloe, you're back. Today... I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Don't worry, Ive settled everything with Yvonne. Look, this is a divorce agreement. Yvonne and I just signed it. Once we file it with the court, we will be officially divorced."

"After that, I'll marry you legally. I won't waste another second."

I looked down at the papers but didn't take them.

Instinctively, I touched my belly, intending to ask him about the child.

But at that moment, a figure wearing an apron walked out of our kitchen.

It was Yvonne.

"Oh, Miss Vance, you're back."

Seeing that I didn't reply, Yvonne didn't look embarrassed at all. Instead, she turned to Julian with a playful, scolding tone.

"Julian, look at you. Miss Vance has had such a long, exhausting day. The moment she walks in, you start lecturing her. Can't this wait until we're at the dinner table?"

"Go wash your hands, both of you. Dinner is ready."

Julian nodded and reached out to hold my hand.

I slapped his hand away.

My face was dark as I glared at him. "Why is she in our house?"

Seeing my anger, Julian quickly explained, "Yvonne's father sold their house abroad. They have nowhere to stay right now. For convenience, I thought they could temporarily crash here."

"Ive already sent my assistant to rent an apartment for them. It will take a week at most."

"Then theyll move out."

But I wasn't an idiot. I wasn't going to be fooled by such a pathetic excuse.

"Julian, there are thousands of luxury hotels in New York, and you have at least a dozen properties under your name."

"And yet you chose to bring her to our newlywed home? Are you trying to disgust me?"

"Get them out. Now."

Seeing that I wouldn't budge, the smile on Julians face began to fade.

His tone grew cold.

"Chloe, can't you just show some compassion?"

"Just treat them like a charity case and let them stay for a couple of days. They'll stay on the first floor, and we'll be on the second. They won't get in our way."

I didn't say a word.

I just stared at him with absolute disappointment.

My silent gaze made Julian look flustered and guilty. He knew that no matter what, he was the one who had started this mess.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Yvonne cut him off.

"Julian, Miss Vance. Please don't fight because of us. Ill take Leo and find a hotel."

"Miss Vance, please don't blame Julian. This is all my fault. He sent me the divorce papers a year ago, but I was the one who kept stalling, hoping we still had a chance. Im the one who ruined your wedding."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again. She looked incredibly tragic, staring at Julian with deep longing.

Then she blinked rapidly, forcing her tears back.

"Alright, let's not talk about this."

"Go wash your hands and eat. Ill bring out the dishes."

At first, I wasn't entirely sure.

But watching Yvonne perform this little act, I was one hundred percent certain she was a master manipulatora total green tea bitch.

How did I know?

I could see the guilt and tenderness softening Julian's face as he watched her.

If she really cared about not causing trouble, she wouldn't have put on this show. She would have checked herself into a hotel long before we arrived.

Sure enough, halfway through dinner, Yvonne looked at me timidly.

"Miss Vance, I can survive in a hotel alone. But Leo is still so young. Im afraid he won't get used to a hotel room. I noticed theres a fully furnished nursery on the first floor."

"Could we..."

I put down my fork, my response instant and cold.

"No."

Yvonne gasped, clearly not expecting me to reject her so ruthlessly.

She tried to play the pity card again.

"I know I don't have the right to ask for favors. But Leo grew up abroad, and his immune system is very weak. He has so many allergiesnuts, pollen, even dust mites. Im just worried about his safety in a random hotel."

"Miss Vance, Im begging you. Please..."

I frowned, losing my patience.

"Yvonne, do you not speak English? I said no. And I mean no."

Having been completely shut down, Yvonne turned her tearful eyes to Julian, looking like a whipped puppy.

"Julian, Leo is your son after all. He was just in the ER because of a peanut allergy. Please."

Julian was swayed. He looked at me, preparing to persuade me.

But I cut him off before he could start.

"That nursery is prepared for my future child. If her child has a weak immune system, so does mine."

"I don't want strangers using the room and leaving germs behind."

My words were harsh.

It triggered Julian's protective paternal instincts. He slammed his fork onto the table, his guilt replaced by rage.

"Chloe! How can you say something so heartless? Germs?"

"You wanted me to divorce, and I had my lawyer draft the papers immediately. You didn't want them to stay, and Yvonne willingly offered to leave. Now, it's just an empty nursery, and you're being this cruel?"

"We don't even have a child yet! What's wrong with letting Leo stay there for a few days?"

Staring at Julians furious, distorted face, I gently placed my hand over my lower abdomen.

My voice was dead calm.

"We do have a child."

"Julian, I'm pregnant."

Julians self-righteous anger froze on his face.

Even Yvonne looked completely stunned.

I massaged my temples, feeling an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. I stood up.

"Forget it. If she wants to stay, let her stay. I have a nursery ready at the Vance family estate anyway. Ill just take my baby and live there."

"I'm full. I'm going to bed."

I had just washed up and crawled into bed when Julian pushed the door open.

He carried a plate of sliced fruit, creeping toward me like a guilty dog.

He reached out, wanting to touch my stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I didn't know you were pregnant. What I said earlier..."

I rolled over, turning my back to him and avoiding his hand. My attitude was ice-cold.

I really didn't want to hear his repetitive, meaningless apologies.

"I'm sorry."

"It's my fault."

He never lacked apologies, but he also never hesitated to hurt me.

Didn't he find his own words hypocritical?

But I was too exhausted to even argue with him. I kept my eyes closed and muttered, "I'm tired. I don't want to eat."

Julian had no choice but to set the plate down.

He leaned in closer, wanting to hold me.

But before his fingers could even brush my shoulder, Yvonnes voice echoed from downstairs.

"Julian! Can you help me give Leo a bath? I cut my finger while cooking and can't get it wet!"

Julian let out a sigh of frustration. He stood up and walked out.

I curled my lips in a cold mock.

Yvonne must be terrified right now, which was why she was desperately trying to keep Julian by her side.

But that was fine with me.

At least I could get a peaceful night's sleep.

Throughout the night, Julian was kept incredibly busy.

"Julian, can you come over and help me look at some schools for Leo?"

"Julian, Leo wants you to play Legos with him. Just for a little bit, please?"

"Julian, Leo seems to have a fever. Can you come check on him?"

...

The next morning, when I woke up, Julian was still asleep in the nursery.

I walked downstairs and saw Yvonne busy in the kitchen.

She noticed me and offered a sweet, gentle smile.

"Miss Vance, you're up? Breakfast is almost ready."

"But I made everything according to Julian's taste. I hope you don't mind."

I ignored her banter and walked closer.

With a smirk, I asked, "Miss Reed, first an allergic reaction, now a fever. You only have one son. If you keep using him like this... aren't you afraid you'll accidentally kill him?"

Yvonnes smile faltered.

Seeing that Julian wasn't around, she dropped her innocent act.

She glared at me, her eyes venomous.

"Are you going to tell Julian?"

"Chloe, save your breath. I am the mother of his son. Do you think he will believe you or me?"

"Let me tell you the truth. I have no intention of divorcing Julian. Blood is thicker than water. With Leo here, I will be tied to Julian for the rest of my life. He can never leave me."

She looked at me with pure provocation.

"If you don't mind the disgust, feel free to stay as his mistress."

"While the three of us live happily ever after."

Her snake-like gaze made me feel physically sick.

Just as I turned to walk away

"Slap!"

Yvonne raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face, causing a trickle of blood to escape her lip.

Before I could react, she covered her face and began to sob hysterically.

"I'm sorry, Miss Vance! I know you hate me, but you can't just hit me!"

In the next second, I was violently shoved aside.

Julian rushed in. He looked at Yvonne's swollen cheek, then turned to glare at me with boiling rage.

"Chloe! What is wrong with you?"

"Just because Yvonne is sweet and gentle doesn't mean you can abuse her! She is Leo's mother! Leo is still asleep. If he wakes up and sees this, do you know how traumatized hell be?"

Watching Julian shield Yvonne behind him, a sharp pain pierced my chest.

I kept my face completely blank. "I didn't touch her."

"Julian, weve known each other for years. If I do something, I own up to it."

Julian fell silent.

He looked at me, then at the crying Yvonne.

For a moment, he didn't know what to do.

Finally, he brushed past me with a dark face, leading Yvonne away to apply ice to her cheek.

I stood frozen in the kitchen.

After a long while, I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

I knew that no matter how much it hurt, I had to let go.

Seeing how Julian wavered whenever Yvonne and his son were involved, he would be dragged down by them forever.

I couldn't live my life under their shadow.

I went up to the study and called my parents, telling them I was moving out of the villa.

I was pregnant and couldn't handle any heavy lifting. I decided to let my parents send some movers to pack my things later.

But as I stepped out of the study, Leo came running down the hallway at full speed.

My instincts kicked in, and I tried to dodge him.

I managed to avoid colliding with him.

But the heavy toy airplane in his hand swung violently, striking me right in the abdomen.

"Ah"

A sharp, agonizing pain exploded inside me.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the hardwood floor, clutching my stomach.

I looked up at Leo through the tears of pain.

In his other hand, he was holding...

Peanut cookies?

Isn't he severely allergic to peanuts?

I weakly raised my hand, trying to warn him. "Don't eat... allergy..."

But only a broken gasp escaped my lips. The cramping in my abdomen grew worse, like a knife twisting inside me.

Just then, Yvonne rushed around the corner.

She knocked the cookie out of Leo's hand and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Julian! Come quickly!"

"Miss Vance fed Leo peanut cookies! She's trying to kill him!"

Immediately, Julians panicked footsteps rushed up the stairs, followed by his roaring voice.

"What?"

"Chloe, are you insane?"

Julian bolted into the hallway.

He saw me collapsed on the floor and assumed I was guilty.

Without hesitation, seeing Leo starting to struggle for breath, Julian scooped the boy up, preparing to run.

But I managed to reach out and grab the hem of his trousers.

I wanted to beg him to save me.

I felt a warm, heavy flow of blood rushing out of me, as if my insides were being torn apart.

It hurt so bad. Our baby was slipping away.

But the pain kept me from speaking.

I could only look at him with desperate, pleading eyes.

But Julian didn't even look down. He violently ripped his pants away from my grip, shouting at me, "Let go of me!"

"Chloe, if anything happens to Leo..."

"I will sue you for attempted murder! I will make sure you rot in prison!"

With that, he and Yvonne rushed past me and disappeared.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was the triumphant smirk on Yvonne's face.

I didn't expect her to be this insane.

Triggering two severe allergic reactions in a child within such a short period of time was life-threatening and could leave permanent damage.

But I couldn't think about that anymore.

The excruciating pain drained all my strength. I couldn't even make a sound.

I collapsed into the pool of my own blood.

In the fading darkness, I heard the faint, terrified screams of my parents, followed by the blaring sirens of an ambulance.

Then, there was only silence.

Meanwhile, in the pediatric ward on the fifth floor of the hospital, Leo's condition had finally stabilized.

Julian pulled out his phone, which had been on silent.

The moment the screen lit up, a barrage of missed calls flooded in.

My father, my mother, and even his own parents.

Dozens of missed calls in bright red. It sent a chill down Julian's spine.

Before he could process it, the phone rang again. It was his father, Richard.

The moment he picked up, his fathers furious roar echoed through the speaker.

"Julian! Get your pathetic ass down to the first-floor emergency room right this instant!"

"Chloe had a miscarriage."

"Shes hemorrhaging. They're trying to save her life!"