Wedding Night Tears: A Pregnant Bride Marrying into High Society

Chapter 3: The Switched Bride

See how pitifully Celeste weeps, so sorrowfully, resembling a fragile and innocent Snow White.

Then behold Scarlett, standing aloof with an unperturbed disposition, mirroring the Evil Queen force-feeding the poisoned apple to Snow White. Is there even a shred of difference?

In the blink of an eye, the crowd, failing to apply judgment, rallied behind Celeste, throwing pointed accusations at Scarlett.

Even the Mitchells opted to trust Celeste, the counterfeit heiress devoid of any familial bond.

Scarlett observed Celeste's tear-marred face, silently admiring her uncanny ability to play with people's sentiments.

Did Celeste truly believe Scarlett was still the gullible soul from her previous life, who would be trodden and slandered without a whisper of protest?

Scarlett inwardly cursed her naive past self for falling under the deceptive spell of Celeste’s smooth talk.

Levelling a challenging gaze at Celeste, Scarlett retorted calmly, "Celeste, do you truly reckon that everyone here would swallow your tall tales without a pinch of salt?”

Celeste: "…”

Everyone else: "…”

Undeterred, Scarlett continued, "If you indeed insist you were the woman who shared the night of passion with Maximus, then surely you can recall how many times he sought your companionship that night?"

Celeste: "…”

Maximus: "…”

Flashing a triumphant smirk, Scarlett mocked, "Ah, so we're drawing a blank, are we? Well, unlike you, my memory serves me right. He sought me as many as ten times that night! Do you think conceiving this unborn child is child's play?”

A wave of surprise washed over the crowd. Such a riveting display of virility, ten times in a single night! Was it an unending marathon till sunrise?!

Whispers of hushed discussions passed among the crowd.

Maximus's dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

Unable to hide her embarrassment, Celeste babbled guiltily, "I... I certainly know! After all, I was the one who spilled the beans to you."

With a victorious chuckle, Scarlett laid down her trump card, "Oh? In that case, are you privy to any other secrets of Maximus?”

Completely baffled, Celeste was at a loss. How could she possibly know of any obscure secrets etched on Maximus's form?

During their night of intimacy, she had barely hidden under the covers when Maximus awakened, leaving no time to scour his body for any discreet markings!

A bout of laughter broke from Scarlett, resonating with wicked delight around the room, "Left clueless, are we? Allow me to reveal, he carries a black mole on his posterior!"

A gasp echoed through the assembly.

Could it be that Maximus, the highly esteemed scion, a man of sharp intelligence who effortlessly dominated the financial realm, possessed a black mole on his backside?!

A ripple of suppressed laughter wafted through the crowd at the incredible incongruity of the revelation. It was irresistibly amusing!

Maximus's countenance turned ominously dark, faster than the ebbing of the daylight outside.

This time, Celeste retorted instantly, "Of course, I am well aware! I was indeed the one who shared this piece of information with you!"

How the tables had turned! What Scarlett considered a masterstroke was nothing more than self-mocking. Her brash revelation, instead of making her look intelligent, robbed her of dignity and exposed Maximus's private secret to the public gaze.

Having humiliated Maximus so brazenly, considering his fastidious nature, she had pretty much invited his retaliation. Scarlett was now poised precariously on the edge of a precipice, a situation that Celeste had masterfully engineered, without as much as lifting a finger!

Just as Celeste was about to revel in her impending victory, Scarlett broke into a titter. Arching her exquisitely sculpted brows, Scarlett nonchalantly confessed, "Actually, there is no mole. I conjured it up on a whim. Quite surprised it ensnared you all!"

Celeste, dumbfounded: "…”

The crowd, stupefied: "…”

A subtle twitch pulled at the corners of Maximus’s lips, his gaze now alight with a newfound curiosity, as it settled on Scarlett.

Promptly realizing her entrapment, Celeste's embarrassment spiraled into indignant fury. "Sister, you've utterly overstepped the mark, toying with Maximus like this. Does the prospect of incurring his wrath not daunt you?

The fear of exacting retaliation... does that not keep you awake?"

Scarlett nonchalantly traced her subtly rounded belly, a breezy shrug offered in response. "Ah well, I cradle his offspring within me. Should he wish to retaliate, let him strike. It will be an affair of one corpse, two souls. But I trust Maximus, known for his unconditional affection for children, would undoubtedly spare a thought for me—the vessel bearing his offspring."

"Isn't that so, Maximus?"

All at once, Scarlett softened her gaze, batting her lashes coquettishly at Maximus. Her eyes, brimming with playful innocence, held him captive.

Maximus’s attention fixed on Scarlett's barely noticeable stomach, his eyes darkening to an unreadable hue.

Buried within her was indeed his flesh and blood. The thought stirred a rare tumult in him, tickling his cold heart and infusing an inexplicable nervousness into his ordinarily controlled demeanor.

This woman before him was the very one with whom he had shared that passionate encounter. And now, she fostered their precious symbol of that night.

An unconscious swallow emphasized the prominence of Maximus's Adam's apple. He took an instinctual step forward towards Scarlett, only to be halted by Celeste's desperate clutch at his arm. "Maximus, I implore you not to give credence to my sister's words. Her mental stability is questionable at best, often manifesting into erratic behavior and baseless utterances. I was merely humoring her outburst, lest she collapses altogether.

Have faith in me, I beseech you!”

Much to her disbelief, Maximus effortlessly withdrew his hand from her grasp in the very next instant. His frostlike gaze locked onto Celeste, eyes filled with unmasked distaste, echoing a stern warning - "Enough is enough!"

Celeste recoiled instinctively, her guilt rendering her unable to look into the accusatory gaze of the man before her.

As the spectators noted the surprising shift in Maximus's approach, tendrils of doubt started to seep in. Could the truth be dancing on the tip of Scarlett's tongue?

Leaving Celeste marooned in the merciless spotlight on the center stage, Maximus embarked on a seemingly effortless stride towards Scarlett.

The halo of lights bathing him cast an angelic glow, accentuating his illustrious features. His divine countenance was bathed in a cascade of iridescent light; it was as if a noble sire from a medieval oil painting had sprung to life, his aura resplendent with the allure of bygone aristocracy.

This man, a virile embodiment of alluring charm, a man inscribed in the wildest dreams of countless women, now stood unwaveringly beside Scarlett as if it was the most natural place to be, his hand tentatively reaching for hers.

With a feather-light touch, Maximus gathered Scarlett's gentle hand within his own, his gaze dropping to their entwined fingers as his lips parted, "Was it you, the woman from that night?”

His voice was laced with uncertainty, although a sense of implicit conviction slipped through.

Startled by his unexpected question, Scarlett struggled in vain to loosen her hand from Maximus’s grip.

Moments later, surrender seeped in, she resigned herself to the unfolding spectacle.

Offering a conclusive nod, she stood her ground, "Yes, it was me!”

Maximus tightened his already firm grip around her slender fingers, a trace of a smile curving the corners of his lips as he echoed, "I believe you."

Ever since Scarlett’s unexpected arrival, a relentless whisper echoed in the recesses of his mind, asserting that she was the woman from his past he’d intimately consorted with. As for Celeste, she was none but a vile impersonator.

Scarlett: “?!!”

The turn of events was worlds apart from what she had envisaged. Had she ensnared his conviction effortlessly?

She had braced herself for a verbal tug of war.

The Maximus clan was left flabbergasted, standing at the precipice of disbelief, "Maximus, what are you implying? Could you possibly be validating, nay, endorsing Scarlett’s proclamation?"

Transpiring silence engulfed him, before Maximus confidently declared, "Indeed. The woman Scarlett refers to, the one from three months ago, that was me. And the fruit that germinates within her is undeniably mine!"

Maximus's family: "…”

Scarlett's family: "…”

The crowd: "…"

Meanwhile, Celeste's face drained of all color, she was as pallid as a specter. The events were unraveling in a merry dance of mayhem, completely unaligned with her malicious plot. The avid anticipation of her cunning scheme had descended into an unstoppable spiral of absolute pandemonium. Her world, thoroughly shaken, was crashing down around her, piece by piece.

“I was bound to marry Celeste under the presumption that it was her with whom I shared the bonds of that passionate tryst, thus necessitating me to shoulder the responsibility and honor her as my wife. However, the tides have seemingly changed now..."

Unexpectedly, Maximus' arm ensconced Scarlett's lithe waist, his voice took a softer trail, "It appears my march down the aisle has found a new leading lady."

Scarlett involuntarily tensed, Maximus' arm, a circlet of warmth around her waist, sent a thrilling pulse coursing through her veins, momentarily stunning her senses. His unforeseen proclamation of a change in the bride played tricks with her bewildered mind.

Her initial ploy was to merely put spokes in the wheel of the matrimony between Maximus and Celeste. She had never envisioned her role metamorphosing into the very bride.

However, while she was still coming to grips with her new reality, Maximus had effortlessly maneuvered her towards the stage.

Upon locking gazes with Celeste's venomous glare, bristling with unbridled jealousy and loathing, Scarlett retained an unrestrained smirk, adding fuel to Celeste's raging fire. She nuzzled closer into Maximus's chest, basking in her newfound triumph's glow, her feigned stance of contentment setting Celeste's eyes afire.

Witnessing Scarlett nestled against his chest in a delicate dependence, Maximus's stern lips betrayed a rare flicker of a smile. Hand in hand with Scarlett, he sauntered onto the stage, deliberately skirting Celeste’s teary eyes. With a swift motion, he lifted the wedding veil from Celeste’s head, crowning Scarlett in the very next instant.

Scarlett: “…” Was weddings always this whimsically arbitrary? Did the mere act of being the recipient of the veil tag you as the anointed bride?

Maximus offered a fleeting glance to the dumbstruck emcee. Disregarding decorum, he pulled out a ring, prepared to slip it onto Scarlett's wedding finger.

With an instinctive furl of her fingers, Scarlett withdrew her hand, refraining him from sliding on the ring.

Engulfed in a whirlpool of emotions, she battled her own resistance against marrying Maximus. The man who, in an erstwhile world, had been willingly entwined with Celeste.

Maximus's gaze briefly fell on Scarlett, his eyes - dark as the depths of the ocean, seemingly took on an even richer hue. A tinge of displeasure creased his lips.

But Scarlett was undeterred. Her eyes met his, fire matching fire. Hard as she might try, she couldn’t deny the allure of the man standing before her. His physique was nothing short of a sculpted masterpiece, and his visage radiated an uncanny allure that exceeded even her lofty aesthetic standards.

Upon this realization, she shrugged off her qualms. Maybe marrying him wasn't such a bad idea after all. With that epiphany, she uncurled her fingers again.

Catching her fleeting moment of vulnerability, Maximus swiftly intercepted her hand. He was just about to slide the ring onto her finger when she abruptly withdrew, plagued by indecision.

Hang on, she thought. She had fought her way back from the afterlife. Was she ready to bound herself in the chains of matrimony at the drop of a hat? Was this blind leap really worth the repercussions?