Chapter 1

Tags: Groom Swap, Revenge Marriage, Ex's Best Friend, Groveling Ex, Billionaire Romance

On the eve of our engagement party, Sean Sterling made a bet with his female best friend, Gemma. He lost my engagement ring to her.

"Sean, put it on me! Let me see what a two-hundred-thousand-dollar diamond feels like."

Sean hesitated. Gemma covered her mouth with a coy smirk. "What's wrong? Can't afford to lose?"

"I’m not that petty!"

He slipped the ring onto Gemma's finger. She turned toward the camera, flashing a triumphant smile.

I closed the video, took a long breath, and dialed a number. "I'm getting married in three days. I just need a groom."

"You won't regret this?"

"Never."

A man who could gamble away my engagement ring didn't deserve another second of my time.

Sean and I were a business alliance between the Sinclairs and the Sterlings, but we had already been together for five years before the formal arrangement.

For all five years, Gemma had been glued to his side.

I used to ignore her, but this time, they took it too far—and I was done.

Sean called me, hesitating on the line. "Scarlett... about the ring. I lost it. We might need to postpone the engagement party."

"No need."

"I knew you wouldn't be so petty—"

I cut him off. "I said no need to postpone. Everything goes on as scheduled."

A mocking voice drifted from the background. "Sean, sounds like Scarlett just can't bear to let go of her golden ticket, huh?" Gemma's voice dripped with disdain.

Sean's tone instantly sharpened. "Scarlett, the Sinclair family's cash flow is broken. A marriage alliance won't save you overnight anyway!"

"Sean, you know this event is a public signal. The Sinclair family needs it, but—"

"Enough! I said postpone, so we postpone. I'm flying out to see the Northern Lights that day. I promised Gemma, and I'm not breaking my word!"

He hung up before I could finish. What I meant to say was: the Sinclair family needs a marriage alliance, yes. But the groom... has changed.

Too bad he didn't care to listen. He had no idea what was coming.

That night, I called the venue to replace all the welcome boards, printed updated invitations, and redesigned the entire theme.

I swapped my simple gown for a full luxury bridal gown. Sean’s custom tuxedo was already finished and non-refundable, so I had to rush-order a new one for my real groom.

Luckily, my event planning team was top-tier. Swapping grooms wasn't unheard of in high society, and they adapted in a heartbeat.

After hanging up, Sean was fuming. Gemma teased him with a pout, "Still mad, Sean? Scarlett's just throwing a fit. If she doesn't push you, how else is she going to secure her spot as Mrs. Sterling?"

"Just wait. She'll come crawling back to apologize soon. She always does."

Sean downed his drink. Remembering my face, he smirked. "You're right. Let's keep partying!"

"Party? Go pack your bags! We're chasing the Northern Lights!"

"What's the rush? We still have a full day!"

He was waiting for my apology. Instead, he got a call from the tailor.

"Mr. Sterling, Ms. Sinclair just ordered another tuxedo. We're calling to confirm your measurements."

Sean chuckled. He assumed this was my new tactic—gifting him an expensive suit to make amends.

Just as he was about to give his sizes, the tailor panicked. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Sterling! Wrong number. My apologies!"

The line went dead. Sean froze, then flared with rage. Scarlett did this on purpose!

Playing hard to get? Trying to drop hints through a third party? How childish!

He considered offering me an olive branch, but Gemma tugged his arm. "Let's head to the airport early to grab good seats! Besides, you just talked to her. Leave her on read for a while. Women only value you when they're scared of losing you."

"Or are you having second thoughts?"

Sean scoffed. "Second thoughts? Over her? As if!"

"Let's go. Aurora borealis, here we come!"

He grabbed Gemma's hand and walked out. His friends cheered. "Sean is ruthless! Scarlett won't even get him back on her knees this time!"

"She's been begging him to put a ring on it every single year. He's sick of it."

"The Sinclairs are practically broke anyway. Who'd want her?"

"Now that you're flying off to see the lights, she's going to lose her mind."

Sean grinned, fully agreeing. He had no clue my wedding preparations were already in full swing. Whether he showed up or not didn't matter in the slightest.