On the morning of his wedding, Jace received an urgent envelope, assuming it was another one of his brother Mason’s infamous pranks.
However, when Clara’s bridesmaid rushed in to tell him that Clara was missing, his heart sank. The note inside the envelope, written in Mason’s messy handwriting, demanded a thousand dollars and a bottle of bourbon in exchange for the bride. Jace laughed it off, believing it was a harmless joke, but a sinking feeling in his stomach told him something was wrong. Determined to play along, he grabbed the items and went to the designated restaurant, expecting to find Mason smirking at the bar.
What Jace saw instead shattered his world—Clara was in Mason’s arms, kissing him. Mason stumbled over his words, trying to explain that it was just a prank, but Clara’s reaction told a different story. She wasn’t in on the joke—she had real feelings for Mason. The realization hit Jace like a punch to the gut. His fiancée, the woman he was supposed to marry in just a few hours, had been in love with his brother all along. Mason’s hesitation and guilty expression only confirmed the painful truth: the betrayal was mutual.
Instead of exploding with rage, Jace chose clarity over chaos. He drove around aimlessly, processing the heartbreak and reflecting on the past year. The signs had been there all along—Clara’s distant behavior, Mason’s odd remarks, and Jace’s own refusal to see what was right in front of him. He could let this moment ruin him, or he could take control of his own story. With newfound resolve, he returned to the wedding venue, determined to confront the situation head-on.
In front of the stunned guests, Jace made a shocking announcement—this wasn’t his wedding anymore. It was Mason’s. With that, he urged his brother to find Clara, ensuring she was making the right choice. They found her crying on a park bench, torn between guilt and love. When Jace asked her if she truly loved Mason, her hesitant yet heartfelt confession sealed their fate. Instead of clinging to a broken dream, Jace did what he knew was right—he gave them his blessing.
Back at the venue, Mason and Clara stood at the altar, exchanging vows in the ceremony that was meant for Jace. As he watched them, he expected to feel bitterness, but instead, he felt peace. Some might call him foolish for stepping aside, others might see him as selfless, but to Jace, he had freed himself from an illusion. He left that day not as a brokenhearted groom, but as a man ready to embrace a future that was truly his own.
