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I Refuse to Be the Third Wheel in My Own Marriage
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On our wedding night, everyone was getting ready for a round of risqué games in our bridal suite. Just then, I got a message saying my best friend had slit her wrists at home after a bad breakup. Aft...
章節（6）
第1章
On our wedding night, everyone was getting ready for a round of risqué games in our bridal suite.
Just then, I got a message saying my best friend had slit her wrists at home after a bad breakup.
After apologizing to Ethan Shaw, I rushed to her house in a panic.
But when I got there, not only was she perfectly fine, she locked me inside her house.
My phone suddenly buzzed.
Someone had posted a video in the groomsmen's group chat.
Vanessa Young, Ethan's so-called "girl best friend," was sitting on his lap, grinning as she left a hickey on his neck.
"I've been part of every important moment in your life since we were kids."
"Of course I couldn't miss out on your wedding night!"
From the other side of the door, my best friend tried to talk some sense into me.
"We were only looking out for you. We knew you'd get jealous again, so we came up with an excuse to get you out of the way."
"The games everyone planned for tonight are pretty wild. You're too reserved to let loose, and you'd only ruin the fun. That's why Vanessa stepped in and took your place in the bridal suite."
"If there were really anything going on between her and Ethan, do you think you'd be the one marrying him? Stop making such a fuss."
I looked back at the video.
Ethan's hands were tied together.
But instead of stopping Vanessa, he lowered his head toward her and began undoing the buttons of her shirt with his teeth, one by one.
He was clearly enjoying every second of the game.
Suddenly, I didn't even want to confront them anymore.
If Ethan thought there was nothing wrong with letting his girl best friend take my place in our bridal suite, then I could just as easily let another man take his place when it came time to sign our marriage papers.
……
My gaze fell on the luxury jewelry box on the bedside table.
That's a brand Vanessa likes to buy.
I said to my best friend outside the door:
“Chloe Ford, if you don’t let me out, I’ll throw these earrings down the toilet and flush them away.”
The door opened the next second, just as expected.
Chloe stormed in, furious.
"Give it back to me! That was Vanessa's reward for getting me to leave you behind!"
Ah, just as I thought.
I looked at her with disappointment:
"So, you conspired with others to lie to your best friend just to get matching earrings?"
"When you were sexually harassed by your boss, I stood up for you and helped you get a better job. How did you treat me?"
Chloe rolled her eyes, ripped off the jade bracelet from her wrist, and threw it at my feet.
"Claire Jensen, stop flattering yourself. Vanessa told me everything; she's the one who put in a good word for me with the boss!"
“Vanessa said that the lousy birthday present you gave me is made of glass and isn’t even worth ten dollars. How dare you call yourself my best friend?”
"The earrings she gave me are worth almost 100,000 yuan! That's what a good friend is!"
"Besides, their friends have known each other for much longer than you have, so it's normal for them to be involved in each other's important moments. You're the one making a fuss. I'm only doing this because I'm afraid you'll cause a scene and Ethan won't marry you, leaving you with this rich and wonderful partner. What right do you have to blame me?"
I looked at the bracelet, which had been smashed to pieces, and found it ridiculous.
A piece of broken glass that's not even worth ten dollars?
That's clearly something I bought at an auction, worth millions.
As for the company's leaders, they probably don't even know who Vanessa is.
Chloe was the first good friend I made in this city.
I used to think that when friends exchange gifts, there was no need to bring up the price or the recipient's social status.
All that sincerity was wasted.
I tossed the earring into the toilet and left while Chloe screamed and tried to retrieve it.
When they returned to the bridal chamber, the master bedroom was filled with cheers and jeers.
The video that was mistakenly sent to the group has already been deleted.
But I still made it to the event.
Ethan and Vanessa were sitting on their wedding bed, playing a game of French kissing for five minutes without letting anyone breathe.
One of them was shirtless, and the other was only wearing a tank top; their necks were covered in hickeys.
第2章
Five minutes passed before the two separated, with a smudge of sweat on their lips.
The air froze the moment I pushed the door open and came in.
Vanessa shrugged and said to Ethan in a sarcastic tone:
"Ethan, your jealous wife is back. Aren't you going to go and appease her? Don't make it seem like we've really done something to wrong her."
Ethan pulled me into the living room and asked in a low voice:
"Claire, why did you come back without waiting for me to pick you up?"
"Marriage is a big deal, and my buddies just wanted me to have fun. They were worried that you might be shy and reserved, and that you might accidentally upset them, so Vanessa played those games for you. There was no other reason."
I looked at his face, which showed absolutely no sign of guilt:
"You send me away on our wedding night, the bride, and then have him French kissing and giving other women hickeys in the bridal suite. You call that playing games?"
"Ethan, do you think I'm an idiot?"
Before he could speak, Vanessa had already changed her clothes and came out.
He handed me a red silk slip dress:
"Here you go. Ethan and I were just playing a game of taking off our clothes. He almost stripped me naked, and I didn't bring any pajamas, so I borrowed these to wear."
That was something I carefully chose for my wedding night.
Unfortunately, the romantic tenderness I imagined didn't materialize; instead, I felt utterly disgusted.
I threw the nightgown directly into the trash can.
Vanessa's expression darkened slightly:
"Mrs. Shaw, what do you mean?"
I spoke sarcastically:
"Ethan's parents died long ago. Who are you, some wandering ghost, to presume to impersonate his family?"
"My meaning is very clear. Of course, I think you're dirty, the mistress. Get out of my house right now."
Anger flashed in Vanessa's eyes, then she sneered:
"Ethan, since your fiancée doesn't welcome me, let's go somewhere else."
"Go with your best friend or stay with your fiancée, it's your choice. But I'm telling you this: if you choose her, we're done contacting each other."
She led the rest of the group and left first.
Ethan irritably ran his fingers through his hair:
"Claire, everyone came here so kindly for the wedding after-party, and you had to get jealous and make a scene, embarrassing everyone?!"
“Vanessa and I grew up together, and in my eyes she’s like a boy. We really are just best friends, otherwise you wouldn’t be the bride today.”
I'm fed up with him always using the so-called "best friend" as an excuse.
She slapped him across the face.
"Then you can get out with her!"
Ethan's special ringtone kept ringing, as if urging him on.
For five years, only Vanessa's number has been set as his special ringtone.
I've asked him why before, and he always says it doesn't matter:
"Sigh, I spoiled that girl when she was little. If I miss her call, she'll probably make a huge fuss."
But I often can't get in touch with him.
Sure enough, Ethan replied to a few messages first, and then looked at me.
He puffed out his cheeks, and with a cold laugh, uttered:
“Vanessa is right, you’re just a spoilsport, no wonder even your best friend is annoyed with you.”
Ethan grabbed his coat and left without looking back.
Not wanting to go back to the disgusting master bedroom, I curled up on the sofa and shed bitter tears.
I had thought my best friend Chloe had really cut her wrists, so I rushed out to find her in the rain, forgetting to bring an umbrella.
I probably caught a chill and developed a high fever late at night, so much so that I didn't even have the strength to get up.
I forced myself to take my temperature, and it was 39.5 degrees Celsius.
But they hadn't had time to buy fever reducers for the wedding room.
I called Ethan.
I called more than a dozen times, but no one answered.
第3章
I had no choice but to send him a message:
[Ethan, I have a high fever and can't get out of bed. The pharmacies are all closed at this hour. Could you come back and take me to the hospital?]
He replied ten minutes later:
【knew.】
But I waited for more than an hour before the door was opened.
It wasn't Ethan who walked in, but his best friend Chloe.
She looked down at me:
“Vanessa drank too much, and Ethan was worried that she would have a stomachache at night, so he went to her house to take care of her. He asked me to come and check on her first.”
"Tsk, your face is so red, you're really putting on an act. Did you put a hot water bottle on your face before I came?"
As she spoke, she picked up her phone, which was on a call.
“Hey, Ethan, don’t worry, Claire is perfectly fine. She’s just faking it.”
"You know she's always been jealous, so just take good care of Vanessa."
I stared at her in disbelief.
Gritting her teeth, she snatched the phone: "Ethan, she's lying, I didn't..."
Ethan interrupted me impatiently:
"Claire, are you never going to stop? Vanessa was right, you really did want to fake being sick to lure me back. Even your best friend said so, what are you still trying to deny?"
"If you hadn't been so jealous and embarrassed Vanessa, making her feel bad, she wouldn't have drunk so much and vomited so badly."
"If you still want to register our marriage, you have to accept that I can't abandon my best friend just because I'm with you. Okay, I still have to take care of Vanessa. You should reflect on this and not be so possessive in the future."
The call was abruptly ended.
Before leaving, Chloe couldn't resist mocking me:
"Claire, I'm not trying to be mean, but a small-town girl like you is already very lucky to have found someone as good as Ethan. Everyone already thinks you'll be Mrs. Shaw, so why bother competing with Vanessa?"
“Ethan cares so much about Vanessa. If you can make her happy, your married life will be easier. I just praised Vanessa for being more generous and having a better figure than you, and Ethan rewarded me with 100,000. That’s the smart thing to do. Don’t do anything stupid.”
After Chloe left, I was burning up and my vision was going black.
The phone rang suddenly; it was from that familiar number.
I pressed the answer button and asked weakly:
Are you still abroad?
"Of course, you've already had your wedding, can't I at least relax a bit... Claire, your voice sounds off, what's wrong?"
Hearing the man's instantly tense voice, I forced a smile.
"The wedding was held, but the marriage certificate hasn't been obtained yet."
The man paused for a second: "Claire, you mean..."
Before plunging into complete darkness, I said:
"Go back to China immediately, and the spot to get our marriage certificate is yours."
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a private hospital room, with no one in front of me.
The nurse came in to change my IV drip, not forgetting to say:
"Your fever has subsided, but you have a mild lung infection. If your friend abroad hadn't called an ambulance for you last night, you would be meeting your maker right now."
“Your husband is really something else. When our people arrived, they couldn’t get into the house, so they got his contact information from the property management.”
"We finally got through on the phone and asked him to come back, but he insisted that we were actors you hired. We had no choice but to break down the door."
"I heard you just had your wedding yesterday. Who leaves the bride alone in the bridal chamber? That's hilarious!"
I didn't say anything, and I opened my phone.
Just last night, when I was so feverish that I fainted, Vanessa posted an Instagram video.
Knowing I have a sensitive stomach and worried I'd be hungry again after vomiting, someone personally prepared a large, nutritious meal.
第4章
This is what a best friend is like; they can't compare to some Tom, Dick, or Harry who feigns illness.
Ethan didn't comment, but he liked the post.
The door was pushed open, and Ethan walked in carrying a takeout box.
A rare hint of apology appeared on his face.
"Claire, I only heard about it from the neighbors when I got home this morning. It's all your stupid best friend's fault. She can't even tell the difference between a real illness and a fake one."
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I made some food for you to have something to eat first."
He absolved himself of all responsibility with just a few words.
I glanced at the food in the takeout box and smiled.
"In your heart, I'm only fit to eat Vanessa's leftovers, is that it?"
It was all leftovers from the late-night snack he made for Vanessa last night.
Ethan felt a little guilty and tried to explain:
"I left in a hurry and didn't have time to redo it, and the restaurant wasn't open yet..."
"It's not that you don't have enough time, it's that you simply don't care."
"Like the bouquet at the wedding, I'm allergic to baby's breath, but Vanessa likes it, so you insist that I take more allergy medicine and give the bouquet to her."
“When we were taking wedding photos, you said she looked like a man and you didn’t know if she could get married. So you took a few sets with her first. You took photos from dawn till dusk, and I was standing next to you with my lips frozen blue. I was still being mocked by her for looking like a female ghost.”
I interrupted him.
"Now even my new wedding suite and wedding bed have to be used by you first before it's my turn."
"But when your company was just starting out, I was working overtime with you day and night. You were allergic to alcohol, and I drank to protect you from clients, even to the point of stomach bleeding. Why didn't you ask your best friend to take my place back then?"
"Ethan, you may not find it disgusting, but I can't stand it. Let's break up."
Ethan paused for a moment, then angrily slammed the lunchbox to the ground.
"Claire, is this such a trivial matter that you can't get over it?"
"Even if I misunderstood you last night and didn't have time to prepare a new meal for you, it was still your own stupidity to run outside without even taking an umbrella. Getting sick is your own fault!"
"Because of you, the front door of our house was smashed. Vanessa helped me choose that imported item, which cost 200,000 yuan. You don't know how to make money, all you know is how to waste it. I haven't even blamed you, and you still have the nerve to break up with me?"
Before I could say anything, Vanessa opened the door and ran in.
People who attended the wedding after-party last night were following behind.
She reached out and grabbed a handful of Ethan, grinning as she said:
"Cup check! I heard you yelling in the hallway. Who's the fool who dared to make my buddy angry?"
Ethan grunted softly, then chuckled and reached out to pinch her waist.
"Stop messing around, she's breaking up with me right now, getting married is such a hassle."
Vanessa pursed her lips:
"Claire, I know you women like to be dramatic, but you should at least take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror to see if you have the guts."
“Ethan has spent a lot of money on you these past few years, hasn’t he? You’ve eaten his food and drunk his drinks. This VIP ward alone isn’t cheap for one night.”
"The wedding is already over, all that's left is to get the marriage certificate. If you break up with him now, aren't you just trying to embarrass him?"
I ignored her and looked up at Ethan:
"The hospital room expenses weren't paid for by you. We split the wedding costs in half, and I'll return the rest of the money and belongings to you."
Ethan scoffed:
"Still? You think you're Vanessa? She's a freelance illustrator, she has the ability to support herself. What do you have?"
"You don't even have a job, and you only rely on the Freeloader I support. How can you afford a VIP ward? Claire, I'm not stupid."
I clenched my fist tightly under the blanket.
I never imagined that in his heart, I was just a freeloader dependent on him.
第5章
But I didn't touch a single penny of the money and jewelry he transferred to me.
Over the years, I've spent all my savings.
Vanessa took his arm:
"Alright, Ethan, you promised to spend Valentine's Day with me today, no cheating allowed."
Ethan affectionately pinched her nose: "Okay, okay, Princess. Only my best friend doesn't mind that you're a tomboy, and will spend Valentine's Day with you every year."
A lump formed in my throat.
For the past few years, Vanessa has always found various reasons to call Ethan away on Valentine's Day.
He had promised to accompany me to get our marriage certificate on Valentine's Day this year.
Ethan looked at me coldly:
“Claire, behave yourself. My company is about to go public and raise funds. My net worth will increase several times over, and you will be able to benefit from it.”
"Since you need an IV drip today, let's postpone getting our marriage certificate until tomorrow. You should also calm down. After all, if we really want to break up, with your background, you won't find a better man than me."
Perhaps it was because he had received several IV drips and hadn't gone to the toilet.
My lower abdomen tightened suddenly, and I grabbed Ethan:
"I need to go to the restroom, but it's inconvenient because I'm on an IV drip. Could you come with me for a few minutes?"
Just as Ethan was about to agree, Vanessa shook off his arm and snorted coldly:
"Ethan, I hate it when people don't keep their word."
“We agreed to leave at nine o’clock. If you make your best friend wait for your fiancée, I’m leaving the country tomorrow and never coming back. That way, she won’t think I’m in her way and make things difficult for me.”
Ethan immediately and impatiently pushed me away:
"Is your other hand just for show? There are plenty of people in the world who can go to the toilet by themselves. You're just making a fuss!"
He left with Vanessa in his arms without looking back.
I lowered my eyes, and a wave of soreness welled up in my nose.
yes.
It's because some patients have no one to accompany them. I clearly have a boyfriend, but he would rather spend Valentine's Day with his girlfriend's best friend than spare a few minutes for me.
That makes it even more pathetic.
But what they didn't see was that Vanessa gave her friend a wink before leaving.
When I arrived at the restroom with the IV drip in my hand, I noticed that the hook on the door was a bit too high.
In addition to being weak after the illness and not having eaten, I had little strength and couldn't reach it even after standing on tiptoe several times.
Just as I was about to go out to find a nurse for help, a man squeezed in.
She was one of Ethan's buddies.
He helped me hang up the IV drip with a smile:
“Oh, Mrs. Shaw is so pitiful. Ethan and Vanessa specifically asked me to come back and help you.”
I felt a vague unease in my heart.
"Thank you, you can leave now."
But the man acted as if he hadn't heard him:
"No, the IV drip is already set up, but you only have one hand, so it's probably inconvenient for you to take off your pants, right?"
"Look how artistically designed these buttons are. They must be really complicated to undo. How about I help you take them off?"
"Since Ethan went with Vanessa, I'll keep you company and have some fun. I'm his buddy, so his woman doesn't need to stand on ceremony with me."
第6章
Seeing that the man's hands were getting restless, I forcefully pushed him out the door.
Unexpectedly, the door lock was broken, so I had to use my body to hold the door shut.
My phone only had one bar of battery left, so I quickly called Ethan.
But then I found that I had been blocked and my phone was completely out of battery.
The man outside the door laughed:
"Mrs. Shaw, don't waste your time."
“Ethan was afraid you would bother him and Vanessa, so he just blocked you on all platforms. Let me help you instead, it would be bad if you wet your pants.”
The man lost his patience and pushed the door roughly, causing the IV drip to fall and shatter into pieces.
I screamed for help.
Almost the instant the door opened, the nurse rushed in with the security guards:
"What are you doing? Get out of here right now, or we'll call the police!"
The man's face was grim, and he spat at me.
"Stop pretending to be a virtuous and chaste woman. Ethan has already told us buddies what you're like in bed."
"You ungrateful wretch! No wonder Ethan thinks you're a downer. Last night he'd rather sleep with Vanessa than touch you. I even think it's bad luck to train you!"
The nurse helped me up and asked me with concern if I was alright.
Looking at my hand, which was already swollen and bleeding, tears finally streamed down my face.
The last bit of affection she had for Ethan vanished completely.
When Ethan was discharged from the hospital that evening, he sent a message:
“Vanessa’s place was close to where we ate, so I stayed at her place that night.”
"Meet me at the City Hall Marriage Registration Office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Several media outlets will be there to interview me about the romantic history of this local entrepreneur. Don't be late."
I didn't go back, but walked straight to the Maybach that had been waiting for me.
...
The following morning, Ethan waited for a full hour.
I wasn't seen at all.
Seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the media.
Ethan impatiently took out his phone, intending to call me.
But then I saw me walking out of the city hall marriage registration office.
He rushed over angrily:
"Claire, didn't I remove you from my blacklist last night?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were here a long time ago? You made me wait for nothing! Do you even want to get our marriage certificate anymore?!"
As soon as I finished speaking, Adrian Parker appeared from behind and put his arm around my shoulder.
He looked down at Ethan and sneered:
“Mr. Shaw is joking. My wife certainly wants to register our marriage.”
"It's just that it's not with you."