A Replacement Bride

Chapter 149

Following the emcee's announcement, every guest's eyes drifted to the door. Then, the lights in the banquet hall all shone on Katherine and Joaquin at once.

Katherine swiftly turned to look at Joaquin with her eyes seemingly inquisitive.

On the other hand, Joaquin only reached out to let her loop her arm around his.

Under everyone's fixed gaze, she had no choice but to hold onto his arm before he guided her into the hall.

As the emcee watched the two walk to him, he could not help being captivated by their gorgeous looks. It took him a second to snap back to his senses before he passed the microphone to the couple. "Bride and groom, would you care to share with us how you met? I bet all the guests present are very interested to know that!"

Katherine glanced at Joaquin, prompting the latter to take the microphone smilingly. "It probably started when a beautiful accident happened. In short, it was fate that brought us together."

Upon hearing that, Katherine immediately cursed him out inwardly, 'Beautiful accident' my foot! He acted like a shameless thug!

However, she only wore a polite smile without saying a word as she watched him spout nonsense.

When the emcee was about to speak up after Joaquin finished talking about his encounter with her, a sharp voice interjected. "Joaquin Levisay! Does it not hurt your conscience when you say these words? If your encounter with Katherine Cornell was a 'beautiful accident' as you have said, what about you

and me then? You abandoned me after the car accident left me crippled! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Zachary, who was sitting in the most important seat, frowned and looked at the woman next to him subconsciously.

The woman was Joaquin's aunt from his mother's side of the family, Lilith Sue. After she met Zachary's gaze, she asked with an innocent face, "Why are you looking at me, Father? You couldn't possibly think that I deliberately arranged this to destroy Joaquin's wedding, could you? What good is it for me to do this?"

"Hmph! It better not be your doing!" Zachary huffed with a displeased face.

Lilith only pouted without giving Zachary's warning much thought and let herself enjoy the show.

After the voice rang out, everyone saw a woman in a wheelchair at the entrance to the hall. The woman had injuries on her face that looked like they came from a traffic accident. The place where her legs should be as she sat in a wheelchair was void of anything; it was apparent that she had her lower limbs amputated.

Beatrice looked grimly at Katherine and Joaquin standing on the stage. Katherine was so dazzling today that even she, as a woman, felt her heart waver as she looked at Katherine. However, the prettier Katherine looked, the more bitter she felt toward the unfair situation that happened to her.

What gives her the right to be happily and beautifully dressed in a wedding gown and married to Joaquin, while I am at home bawling my eyes out? she fumed.

Joaquin is mine!

She could not possibly accept this fruitless outcome with an open heart after she had painstakingly planned out the incident five years ago.

She then slowly steered the wheelchair toward the couple and stopped before them.

Katherine only looked at her with apathetic eyes with no intention of saying anything.

Meanwhile, Joaquin was looking at Beatrice with a frown on his face. His eyes were void of the gentleness they used to hold. All that was left in his gaze now were disgust and hatred.

"Joe, have you forgotten your promise to marry me and treat me well for the rest of your life? How can you treat me this way just because I am disabled? Do you think you are being fair?" In tears, Beatrice complained as she looked at Joaquin with sad eyes.

"Who told you to come here?" He only pursed his lips and looked at her coldly.

If it was not because what had happened last time, he might have continued to indulge her and even ended his engagement with Katherine for Beatrice's sake. He would have willingly taken responsibility for her whether she was disabled.

However, she was the one who had revealed the secrets of their mission, resulting in the tragic death of several of his colleagues. He had also almost lost his life because of her.

She should never have committed such a grave mistake, but since she did, she would have to pay the price for her actions.

He already did his best to keep her dignity by not exposing her.

"Joe! Have you forgotten everything between us five years ago? I did so much for you. How could you do this to me?!" Aggrieved, she looked at him with tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Despite hearing her words, Joaquin only pressed his lips together without saying anything as he peered at her coldly. NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

As Katherine looked at him, she reckoned this could drag on forever if she did not step in. Thus, she lifted the skirt of her dress and took two steps forward until she was standing in front of Beatrice. "Miss, should I remind you that this is my husband you are talking to?"

"Your husband?! Who do you think you are?! You are just a shameless third-wheeler! What right do you have to talk when you were the one who stole someone else's boyfriend?" Beatrice no longer cared about being polite. She could not lose Joaquin because once she did, she would end up with absolutely nothing.

Katherine sneered and looked at Beatrice condescendingly. "The third-wheeler? Joaquin and my wedding had been fixed when we were yet to be born. Who the hell are you to accuse me of being a third-wheeler?"

Beatrice's face froze as she heard the words while looking at Katherine in disbelief.

Katherine's expression remained stoic as she looked at Beatrice calmly. "Hmm? Got nothing to say? Is there a problem with Joaquin for living up to his mother's last wish and marrying me? Where did you pop out from anyway? Did you pride yourself on being a third-wheeler? Does your family even know?"

"Katherine, you—" Beatrice flushed out of anger and glared at Katherine. However, she was interrupted by Katherine just as she was about to speak.

"What's wrong? Isn't what I said true? Are you trying to deny that Joaquin and I were betrothed to each other before we were even born? I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we have promised marriage to each other. So, no matter what you say, I am his official fiancée. And now you have come to my wedding to accuse Joaquin of abandoning you after he had his fun with you? Fine, then tell me what

exactly he did to you." Katherine looked at Beatrice indifferently. It was easy to tell who had the upper hand in the argument when one of the parties stared at the other calmly, while the other looked back anxiously.

With her eyes red from anger, Beatrice looked at Joaquin with an aggrieved expression. "Joe, are you just going to watch her bully me like this? You—"

"Enough," he barked as he looked back at her. "I will not thoroughly embarrass you if you get out of here right away. You know what you have done, Beatrice. Do you really want me to say it out word-for- word?"

If she hadn't been in a wheelchair, she would have fallen to the floor out of shock by now.

She could only look at him in disbelief as she could not believe that he would spout such cruel words to her.

"Joe, I-I am pregnant—" she muttered with color drained from her face. However, before she could finish her words, Katherine had already stepped forward and held her by the wrist to take her pulse.

"Oh? Are you trying to say that Joaquin is going to become a father? And not just that, you are trying to announce in the presence of all the guests that you are having his child? Now, I will give you another chance to repeat yourself. Think twice before you speak."