My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon (Audrey)

Chapter 1 Married Someone Else

[Audrey, Guess what? Dominic is in my bed right now.]

When Audrey Rhodes received that text from Eliza Harper, she was standing in her wedding dress, getting ready for her big day. The message hit her like a punch to the gut.

Just moments away from saying "I do," and the man she was about to marry was wrapped up in another woman's sheets. And that woman was her best friend.

It felt like a vice gripping her heart, making it tough to catch her breath. But somehow, she managed to keep her cool and called Dominic Hayes.

The phone rang for what felt like an eternity before Dominia finally picked up. His voice was ice cold. "Eliza needs me right now, so we're going to have to delay the wedding. I'll make it up to you afterwards."

The words "make it up" landed like a heavy anchor on her heart. It was all real-while everyone was waiting for the ceremony to start, Dominic was actually with someone else.

Audrey couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Her wedding was about to kick off in front of all their friends and family, and her future husband had left her to handle that chaos by herself.

Feeling utterly defeated, Audrey dialed another number. "Mom, where are you and Dad? Why aren't you here yet?"

"Audrey, I'm really sorry, but Eliza suddenly fell ill. We might not make it," said Fiona Rhodes.noveldrama

Hearing that made Audrey's heart drop. Just three days ago, her parents had seen the birthmark on Eliza's back while Eliza was trying on bridesmaid dresses. That was when they realized Eliza was their real daughter. Audrey had hoped that after twenty years of bonding, her family wouldn't turn their backs on her. But it turned out she was wrong.

She thought her family would always have her back. But now, at the worst moment possible, they had completely abandoned her.

Audrey felt completely out of place, not even sure how she ended up at the wedding venue. Standing in front of the hall, surrounded by smiling guests and the lively atmosphere, she couldn't shake off the ache in her heart-it felt like it was tearing her apart. At that moment, she made a bold choice. She walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Hey everyone, I'm really sorry, but the groom has a bit of a situation and might not be able to make it.

"So, I'm wondering if anyone here would be willing to marry me right now. If so, let's do this!"

As soon as she finished speaking, it was like someone dropped a bomb in the room.

"What just happened? Did the groom really bail?"

"Seems like it. Otherwise, why would the bride be asking for a marriage proposal on the spot?"

"Even if he ran off, is it really necessary to ask someone else to marry her right here? Everyone here is connected to the bride and groom in some way. This is super awkward."

Audrey realized her idea was pretty out there, but there was no turning back now. Just when the tension in the room hit its peak, a tall guy stood up. "I'll marry you," he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence.

The shock wave rippled through the crowd. No one expected anyone to actually step up and say they'd marry her like that.

"Who's this guy?"

"Honestly, no clue. I haven't seen him before. He doesn't look like he's from Riverdale's elite crowd."

With the Rhodes and Hayes families getting hitched today, all eyes were on the high-profile guests-celebrities and dignitaries from Riverdale. This mysterious guy clearly wasn't on their radar.

Maybe he was some VIP they had just never met, or perhaps he was just an outsider who accidentally wandered into the party.

"Isn't he sitting with the other guys? Some guest from the Hayes family?" For a moment, curiosity buzzed around the room like crazy.

When Audrey spotted the man who suddenly stood up, she felt a bit taken aback. He had a face that stood out-sharp eyebrows, a straight nose, and an overall strong presence that seemed to make people around him a little intimidated. Standing at 5'5" in her high heels, Audrey only reached his collarbone.

Honestly, this guy was way more handsome than Dominic. He didn't look like someone on a hunt for a wife. Audrey couldn't help but wonder if he had some hidden secret that was keeping him off the market.

But right now, that wasn't Audrey's focus. She was determined to get married today and use it as a chance to break away from the Rhodes family.

Taking a deep breath, she studied the man for a moment and then asked, her voice steady but assertive, "Are you really willing to marry me?" She feared he was just flirting with her.

In the crowd, the man met her gaze, his eyes intense and steady. "I never joke about important things like this."

Curious, Audrey pressed, "And what's your name?"

"Alistair Hayes," he replied, his voice smooth and captivating.

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Hayes? How are you related to Dominic?"

"I'm sort of like his little uncle," Alistair said.

"Little uncle?" Audrey arched an eyebrow.

"Just a distant relative," Alistair clarified, putting emphasis on the "distant."

That eased Audrey's mind a bit-"distant" meant no future worries, but she still couldn't help but reaffirm it. "You're sure you won't regret it?"

"I don't have 'regret' in my vocabulary." Alistair's confidence was like a reassuring anchor for her.

"Alright, let's exchange rings then." Audrey popped open the ring box, slid the ring onto his finger, and instructed him to do the same.

The handover was quick and simple, and both of them closed the rings on each other's hands. The emcee looked a bit stunned, clearly caught off guard by such a casual ceremony.

"This is ridiculous. How can this whole marriage thing be so laid-back?"

"Is Audrey crazy? Her fiancé and the Hayes family didn't even show up. She shouldn't be going through with this."

But Audrey brushed off all the chatter around her. She turned to the guests, beaming, and announced, "Thanks for coming to the wedding! Since I'm married to Alistair, from this point on, I won't have any ties with the Rhodes family from Riverdale. This ceremony is done, so let's kick off the banquet!"

The banquet was already in full swing, but Dominic's parents were still on their way. About half an hour later, the Hayes family's car finally rolled up in front of the wedding venue.

Zephyra Hayes was not thrilled about this. As she got out of the car, she yelled over to Francis Hayes, "I told you we shouldn't come so early. So what if we're late? If we don't give Audrey a piece of my mind, she's going to boss around as soon as she walks in our front door."

To be honest, Zephyra had never liked Audrey much. She hadn't out any effort in the wedding, yet she still wanted to maintain her authority on Audrey's big day. But now it seemed like their plans were falling apart.

When Francis and Zephyra walked into the ballroom, they heard from some guests that Audrey had left with her new husband. Confusion set in for themy as they realized that Audrey hadn't married Dominic but had impulsively married someone else instead. Zephyra was fuming and shouted, "That bitch is totally disrespecting our family! I want to see who she's marrying."

She grabbed Francis and rushed out of the banquet hall, just in time to spot Audrey in her wedding dress getting into a car by the roadside. The guy next to her held the door open for her before hopping in as well.

By the time they caught up, the car had already taken off. Zephyra was boiling with rage, stomping around in frustration. Meanwhile, Francis seemed a bit dazed and chimed in, "Babe, don't you think that guy kinda looked like Mr. Hayes?"

"Mr. Hayes? Alistair?" Zephyra shot him a look, shaking her head. "No way! Why would he show up here? You must've seen it wrong."

Sure, they had sent invites to those distant relatives in Willowdale, but even the butler was reluctant to attend. And Alistair was the youngest one running the Hayes family. It had to be a mistake. No way Audrey could manage to hitch a ride with someone that important.