Chapter 1

1 The day I was supposed to get married, my bride was switched.

Not for the woman I'd been dreaming of, not for Riley Lowell, but her little sister, Riley Sutton.

Last time, I lost it. I ran, desperate to find Riley Lowell, only to find her throwing a "fuck the wedding" party at some dive bar.

She barely glanced up at me, slurring, "You ditch your bride to chase after another woman? How pathetic can you get?"

This time, I walked right over, took Riley Sutton's arm, and played the goddamn part.

Riley Lowell didn't even get a look.

...

A few days before the wedding, this prick, Josh, added me to a group chat.

It was filled with Riley Lowell's friends.

They kept sending messages, not mentioning my name, but every word was a jab.

"What's Riley going to do? That loser is dead set on marrying her, even after he got caught in bed with that psycho Riley Sutton. He's used goods! How dare he even ask Riley to forgive him?"

"Marriage? That's a joke. Riley is rich and gorgeous, she has young boys lining up for her, and he's old and dirty. What makes him think he even deserves to marry Riley?"

"He's got to be delusional!"

The messages kept flooding in, and I just clenched my jaw.

Their words were brutal.

I held my breath, staring at the screen.

Riley was in the chat. Would she say something? Would she defend me against her friends' insults?

Hours went by, my eyes burning.

I checked the clock. Riley had seen those messages ages ago, but she never stopped her friends from tearing me apart.

I let out a bitter laugh.

They were right, though.

I was the scumbag who slept with his fiancee's sister right before the wedding.

Anyone would want to spit on me.

Then, Josh sent me a direct message.

He said, "See? No one wants you two together.

"You've already messed things up with Riley Sutton, so just leave Riley alone, okay?

"If you have any decency, get the hell out of her life."

I slammed my fist against the wall, my eyes burning with rage.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Riley and I were practically married already.

But then it happened.

At our engagement party a month or so back, someone slipped something into my drink. I was barely conscious when someone hauled me into a room.

I'd made damn sure it was my room.

But the next morning, there was a stranger in my bed.

She had a familiar face, but it wasn't my fiancee, Riley Lowell. It was her sister, Riley Sutton.

Riley Sutton was dark, edgy. The complete opposite of the bright and easygoing Riley Lowell.

I didn't like her, but still, here we were.

I scrambled out of bed, panicked.

I was about to marry the woman I loved. I couldn't accept that I'd betrayed her like this.

Riley Sutton was still asleep. I threw on some clothes and bolted.

But then, the door flew open.

Riley Lowell stood there, surrounded by people, staring at me, ice in her eyes.

The people behind her saw the scene, and their eyes were full of contempt.

I stumbled over my words, trying to explain.

"It's not what it looks like! I didn't do anything! I don't know why this happened, I don't know...

"Believe me, please! Just believe me!"

Riley's look of disappointment was like a ton of bricks, crushing me.

Finally, she sighed.

"Let's call off the wedding. I can't deal with this."

Her eyes were cast down, filled with the pain of betrayal by family and lover.

"You're in love with my sister, right? That's why you were willing to sleep with her at our engagement party… In that case, the wedding next month is yours.

"As Riley Sutton's sister, I wish you happiness."