Chapter 2

"You're Anthony?"

The groom got out of the driver's seat, walked up to me, and looked me straight in the eye with a mocking expression.

"Anthony?!"

Hearing my name, he acted as if he'd heard something hilarious.

One by one, the drivers' doors of the wedding cars opened. Drivers jumped out and gathered around, sizing me up with contemptuous remarks.

"So that's Christiana's real fiancé? He reeks of poverty!"

"He's a wildlife expert though. Internationally famous."

"Lol, I bet he'll be famous after this—after all, Christiana's marrying Paul behind Anthony's back. How could he not be famous?"

My brows furrowed tightly. I asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

The groom tilted his head and laughed.

"Anthony, didn't Christiana tell you? She's just a substitute bride. She's marrying me in place of my deceased fiancée to fulfill my wish. It's not a real marriage."

"You should've talked to us if you had a problem. Instead, you pulled this stunt—staging a fake funeral to block my wedding convoy. What kind of behavior is that?"

"Get those actors of yours out of the way. Don't delay our wedding."

The groom patted my shoulder, turned, opened the car door, and got back into the driver's seat to start the engine.

I stood there, my brows knitted tightly.

I didn't know this groom.

As for my fiancée and Christiana being a substitute bride—I'd never heard a word about any of that from her.

But the funeral behind me was real!

A week ago, Christiana and I had agreed to drive back to her hometown to see my mother-in-law.

Our wedding was also scheduled to be held at an outdoor prairie venue in this suburb.

But halfway through the drive, she suddenly got a phone call.

She told me her company urgently needed her for something and she had to rush back to handle it. She asked me to wait for her at her hometown first.

She said she'd come later that evening, but after she left, she went completely silent for a week.

My mother-in-law's condition worsened. Christiana had the life-saving medicine in her bag but hadn't given it to me.

This was a rural area with inadequate medical facilities, unable to treat my mother-in-law.

The entire village and I frantically made over ninety phone calls trying to notify her, urging her to come home quickly with the medicine.

But the messages sank like stones into the sea. There was no response at all.

My mother-in-law passed away full of regret.

I waited four days for Christiana so she could at least see her own mother off one last time, but she never replied.

Now, finally hearing news of her, I'm told she's getting married?

And the "groom" showed up too. It seemed Christiana wanted to marry this man first at the wedding venue she and I had chosen together.

My fury shot through the roof!

My mother-in-law had just died, and Christiana was going too far!

"Anthony, what are you standing there for? Get your fake funeral procession to move back."

The groom jabbed his index finger at my nose and continued impatiently.

"I'm giving you face because of Christiana. Don't push your luck."

I stepped forward and said coldly to the groom in the driver's seat, "In Christiana's family tradition, when someone dies, they can only move forward, never backward. Otherwise, the deceased won't rest in peace and will become a vengeful ghost."

"The casket holds Christiana's own mother. Call her now. If she says we should move, I'll move!"

The groom sat in the driver's seat, raised his hand, and pounded the steering wheel, roaring at me.

"Anthony, I'm being nice to you. You're not listening, are you?"

"Today's my wedding day. You want me to tell the bride her mother's dead?"

The wedding car drivers, who'd been leaning against their car hoods smoking, straightened up, tossed their cigarettes, and started walking toward me.

I stood my ground, gave them a cold glance, then turned to the groom in the car.

"Are you deaf? I told you to call Christiana."

"Screw you!"