When the moment finally arrived for the bride to make her grand entrance, I was, of course, nowhere to be found. Hudson stood at the altar, confusion etched on his face, waiting for a bride who would never come. The delivery of a black-and-white cardboard cutout of him, accompanied by an oversized portrait, shattered his illusion, revealing my clever ruse.
The guests erupted in disbelief, their murmurs echoing throughout the venue. Hudson’s parents were livid, their faces flushed with fury. Thankfully, they had a backup plan: Harper, waiting in the wings. In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Hudson abandoned the traditional wedding sequence and dragged Harper onto the stage.
Though Hudson’s parents were furious, they held their tongues—at least for a while. But halfway through the ceremony, the simmering tension erupted. Someone in the crowd recognized Harper and exposed her true identity. She wasn’t marrying into wealth. She was a woman discarded by a previous wealthy suitor, burdened with debts totaling two or three million. Far from being a mistress, she was merely someone left to fend for herself, using Hudson as her means of escape.