The Wedding Trap

Today is my wedding day. As the youngest president of the Sanchez Group, my wedding, Gabriel Sanchez's, is regarded as a grand event in H City's business community. The hall was packed with guests, the applause never ceasing, and everyone looked at me with envy in their eyes. I held a glass of champagne, my gaze frequently drifting toward the entrance, waiting for my bride, Julia Sullivan. Julia Sullivan is the only daughter of the Sullivan family: gentle and reserved. We have loved each other for three years, and this wedding is my most sincere promise to her. "Mr. Sanchez, congratulations." Assistant Howard Lincoln approached, carrying two glasses of wine, and handed me one. "Thank you." I took a sip, and before long, a wave of dizziness washed over me, my vision beginning to blur. "Howard..." I wanted to call out to the assistant, but my voice was barely a whisper. My body collapsed uncontrollably, and the last thing I saw was the strange smile flickering at the corner of Howard's lips. When I woke again, I struggled to sit up and realized I was in an unfamiliar hotel room. The dress I had been wearing was gone, replaced by an oversized bathrobe. What frightened me most was the woman lying beside me. She was Aurora James, the heiress of the James family. The James Group has long been a rival of the Sanchez Group. "Ah!" Aurora suddenly screamed, pushing me away violently and curling up in the corner of the bed, her eyes filled with fear and shame. Before I could react, the door to the room was kicked open with force. A swarm of reporters rushed in, the relentless shutter clicks echoing around us, blinding flashes making it impossible to keep my eyes open. "Mr. Sanchez, may I ask why you were involved with Miss James on your wedding day?" "Mr. Sanchez, are you betraying your fiancee, Julia Sullivan?" "Miss James, were you forced?" A barrage of questions hit me like cannonballs. Aurora covered her face and sobbed aloud, her voice trembling as she said, "It was him... he forced me..." Forced? My mind went "buzz", instantly going blank. I was clearly drugged—how could it be turned into me forcing her? Amid the chaos, I saw Julia standing at the edge of the crowd, her face pale as paper, the disappointment and pain in her eyes like a knife piercing my heart. "Julia, it's not like that, please let me explain..." I struggled to get out of bed, but the reporters closed in tightly around me. Julia's voice trembled, "Gabriel, you truly disgust me." The days that followed were the darkest chapter of my life. Headlines flooded every media outlet: "President of Sanchez Group caught cheating on his wedding, accused of raping the James family's daughter." The Sanchez Group's stock price plummeted; partners rushed to withdraw investments and terminate contracts, and employees fled in droves. My father was so furious that he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was admitted to intensive care; my mother spent her days in tears. In less than a month, I lost them both. I went from being the enviable golden child admired by all to overnight becoming a notorious "rapist," my career shattered, betrayed by everyone. Just when I was overwhelmed and at my wit's end, Julia found me and said, "Gabriel, I'm pregnant." My heart tightened; just as a flicker of hope arose, her next words plunged me straight into hell. "But because of what happened at our wedding, I was so emotionally upset that I had a miscarriage." She looked up at me, her eyes full of resentment: "Gabriel, you didn't just ruin our wedding—you killed our child." I staggered back a step, completely drained of strength. I know that for my entire life, I owe Julia. Three months later, I happened to see Julia outside a cafe. She was linking arms with a man, smiling sweetly. That man was Howard Lincoln. My assistant, the one who handed me the drink at my wedding. "Julia, don't worry. Gabriel is a loser who'll never rise again in this life." Howard's tone was dripping with contempt. Julia nestled in his embrace, whispering softly, "I stopped expecting anything from him long ago. You're the one who treats me well." I stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning. So, she had been with Howard all along. So, the so-called miscarriage, the so-called resentment—perhaps it was all a deception from the start. The double blow broke me completely. I no longer dared to face my mother, nor this world filled with betrayal and malice. I packed a simple bag and left H City quietly, finding a small town where no one knew me to hide away. That hiding lasted for three years. During those three years, I cut off all contact with the outside world, living day after day like a walking corpse. Only one person occasionally sent me some daily necessities and money. It was Aurora. That woman I "forced" was also the only one who, after I fell into misfortune, didn't kick me when I was down.