Chapter 1

After 66 proposals, Chloe finally said yes.

She specifically told me to dress formally, promising a big surprise.

But when I showed up in my finest suit, there was no bride.

Chloe turned to my stepbrother Leo beside her, a smirk playing on her lips. "Leo, you always say weddings are boring. Well, today I'm going to show you a fun one. How does that sound?"

My sister Sarah, the officiant, announced loudly, "Wedding paused!"

Then my childhood friend Ashley pulled the string on the water balloon they'd rigged above my head, drenching me from head to toe.

Chloe flashed a mocking grin. "Julian, lighten up. It was just a joke. You didn't really think I'd marry you, did you?"

The whole wedding was a cruel prank, staged just to amuse my so-called depressed stepbrother.

Seeing my silence, Chloe chuckled. "If you're that desperate to get married, why not just pick someone from the crowd and tie the knot?"

But when I walked back in, arm in arm with my real bride, they were the ones who panicked.