Reborn On My Wedding Day, I Rejected My Fiancé

Reborn back to the day of my wedding, the officiant stood at the altar, asking if I would take Frank Montgomery as my lawful husband.
I glanced down at Cassie, sitting in the third row in a knock-off replica of my wedding gown, tears streaming dramatically down her face.
I offered a faint smile, took a step back, and spoke clearly into the microphone. "I do not."
Frank's face darkened instantly. He grabbed my arm and hissed under his breath, warning me not to throw a pathetic scene on today of all days.
In my past life, I endured everyone's ridicule and forced my way into marrying him.
What did it get me? Ten years of emotional abuse, cold shoulders, and him staying out night after night while I was pregnant.
When I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer, rolling in unbearable agony on my hospital bed without even a sip of water, he cut off my medical funds just to buy Cassie a limited-edition designer handbag.
As I drew my final breath, he stood beside my bed, looking down at me with pure disgust.
"If you had been generous enough at our wedding to step aside, Cassie wouldn't have succumbed to severe depression, and you wouldn't be facing this divine retribution."

1
"Haven't you thrown enough of a tantrum?"
Frank's fingers clamped down hard around my wrist.
He lowered his voice, delivering his warning through gritted teeth so only the two of us could hear.
"My entire family is sitting right down there watching us. Do you really have to embarrass me in front of everyone?"
I lowered my eyes, staring at the very hand that had ruthlessly pulled out my IV tube in my past life.
With a sharp jerk, I yanked my arm free and unpinned the flashy corsage from my dress.
"I said, the wedding is canceled."
A chorus of shocked whispers rippled through the venue.
Cassie stood up from her seat in the third row.
The dress she wore was almost an exact replica of my main bridal gown in lace pattern and cut, lacking only the long, sweeping train.
"Ivy, it is all my fault," Cassie sobbed, covering her mouth as tears spilled over her cheeks. Her fragile shoulders trembled violently, making her look like the victim of a grave injustice. "I shouldn't have come to your wedding. I just wanted to see Frank one last time, I really didn't mean anything else."
The moment the words left her mouth, she spun around and bolted recklessly toward a thick marble pillar in the hall.
"Cassie!"
Frank dropped me without a second thought and sprinted down the altar steps.
A split second before she slammed into the pillar, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly into his chest.
The entire crowd of Montgomery relatives swarmed them in an instant. Someone handed her tissues, someone patted her back, and others offered soft, soothing words of comfort.
I stood completely alone on the stage.
Behind me, the massive LED screen continued to play a loop of our seaside wedding photos. In those pictures, Frank smiled with gentle affection, yet in reality, he was cradling another woman in his arms, his eyes overflowing with heartbreak.
Frank's mother shoved her way through the crowd and stormed up the altar steps.
"Ivy! How can you be so utterly malicious? Cassie suffers from severe depression, and you can't even show a shred of tolerance for a sick person?"
I looked at her with cold indifference. "If she is sick, she should be in a hospital. What is she doing throwing a dramatic episode at my wedding?"
Enraged by my defiance, Frank's mother trembled, slapping her palm heavily onto the champagne tower table next to us.
"Let me tell you something! You are getting married today whether you like it or not! The invitations were sent, the banquet is paid for, and you think you can just walk away? Where do you think the Montgomery family puts its dignity?"
She gritted her teeth, dropping her voice to deliver a threat.
"If you dare step off this stage today, I will go to your parents' workplace tomorrow and make sure every single one of their colleagues sees what kind of daughter they raised!"
The harsh scrape of chairs echoed from the bride's side of the room.
My parents walked up the steps with grim expressions, positioning themselves to shield me from both sides.
My mother's eyes were bloodshot as she grasped my hand with all her strength. "Our family was never worthy of yours anyway. We are not going through with this marriage. Ivy, come home with Mom."
She turned to lead me off the stage.
However, several senior relatives from Frank's side moved swiftly to block the center of the red carpet aisle. They crossed their arms, looking down at us with arrogant sneers.
"Now hold on a second. We paid the dowry, and our family covered the banquet costs. You think you can just turn around and leave? Do you take the Montgomery family for a charity?"
At that moment, Cassie raised her head from Frank's chest. Her eyes were red, and her voice sounded agonizingly delicate. "Frank, please don't blame Ivy. As long as she agrees to marry you, I promise I will never see you again."
Heartbroken, Frank gently wiped her tears away. He turned his head toward me, his gaze brimming with irritation.
"Ivy, Cassie has already compromised this much. Apologize to her right now, and we can still finish this ceremony."
I looked at his self-righteous face, raised my hand, and ripped the heavy, diamond-encrusted veil straight off my head.
The veil pulled away a few strands of hair, and without a moment's hesitation, I tossed it right at Frank's feet.
"Whoever wants to marry trash can have him. I am out."

2
"Ivy, do you really have to push things to the absolute limit?"
Inside the bridal suite, my bridesmaid, Hannah, was helping me unpin the complicated hair accessories from my head.
Outside the door, the muffled voices of Frank's aunts drifted in.
"That girl is far too dramatic. It's just a dress that looks a bit similar, was it really worth making such a scene?"
"Exactly, so utterly sensible-free. Cassie is much better, sweet and thoughtful, unlike her aggressive behavior."
"If it weren't for her birth chart matching Frank's so well for fortune, who would tolerate such a terrible temper?"
Hannah was so furious she wanted to open the door and confront them, but I placed a hand over hers to stop her.
Suddenly, the dressing room door was pushed open from the outside.
Frank strode in, reaching back to click the lock shut behind him. He loosened his tie with a scowl.
"Haven't you made enough of an embarrassment out of us outside? Get out there right now and finish the rest of the schedule."
He commanded me as if I were nothing more than a subordinate throwing an irrational fit.
"Cassie is emotionally fragile, and the doctor said she cannot handle stress. As a normal person, why do you insist on picking a fight with someone who is sick?"
Looking at his entitled reflection in the vanity mirror, I found it absurdly laughable. "If you care about her so much and can't bear to see her suffer, why don't you just marry her yourself?"
Frank froze, seemingly caught off guard by my direct question. He fell silent for a moment.
"Ivy, marriage is not a joke. The Montgomery family needs a dignified, emotionally stable daughter-in-law who can represent us properly, not a woman who breaks down at any given moment."
He took a step closer, reaching out to touch my shoulder. "All I can offer her is care, but the position of Mrs. Montgomery has always been reserved for you."
Disgusted, I dodged his hand and picked up my phone from the vanity table to make a call.
Quick on his feet, Frank snatched the phone out of my hand, powered it off instantly, and shoved it deep into his suit pocket.
"Are you insane? Who are you calling?"
"After today, once we are back home, you can throw whatever fit you want and smash whatever you like. But right now, you will give the Montgomery family the respect it deserves."
A soft, muffled sob drifted from outside the door.
Cassie's trembling voice came through the thin wood panel. "Ivy, please don't be mad at Frank. I really didn't mean to ruin your wedding."
She sniffled, her tone painfully submissive. "I will go change into a bridesmaid dress right now, and I will stand in the dimmest corner to bless you two, alright?"
Frank's expression shifted instantly.
Without a second thought, he let go of me, unlocked the door, and rushed outside.
His soft, comforting murmurs to Cassie echoed down the hallway.
I let out a cold laugh, reached into my spare handbag, and pulled out a secondary phone I usually reserved for work calls.
Opening messaging, I dropped a location pin to my brother, Tyler, and attached three words.
Come pick me up.
Hannah helped me strip out of the suffocating bridal gown and put on a lightweight, casual outfit.
When I pushed open the dressing room door and stepped out, the scene in the main hall was even more absurd.
Cassie was already sitting comfortably at the head table.
Frank's mother had personally wrapped a bright red cashmere shawl around Cassie's shoulders. The surrounding relatives hovered near, showering her with praises.
"Cassie is so sensible. Taking on such a huge grievance yet still keeping the bigger picture in mind."
"Poor child, it breaks my heart just looking at her."
I ignored their little performance and walked straight toward the exit doors of the banquet hall.
Before I could take three steps, Frank's mother slammed a porcelain teacup onto the table with a loud crash.
"Stop right there!"
"Since you are out, you can start by serving the respect tea to your new mother-in-law. If you don't drink this tea today, nobody steps out of this room."

3
"In-laws, it's just a small couple's spat, why are you all fueling the fire?"
Frank's father stood up from the main table, holding a red gift list in his hand.
On the stage, the officiant was sweating profusely while trying to smooth things over, announcing that the ceremony was temporarily paused for thirty minutes due to unexpected circumstances.
The two massive exit doors of the banquet hall were already guarded firmly by several young male relatives from Frank's side.
My father was shaking with rage, pulling out his phone to dial the police.
Seeing this, Frank's father walked over without any rush and slapped the red gift list onto the table right in front of my father.
"Calling the cops? Go right ahead. Let the officers see that we paid for the banquet, transferred the dowry money into your account, and put gold jewelry on your daughter. If this gets out of hand, who ends up looking bad?"
"Your family holds a decent reputation in this city. Don't ruin your own dignity over a young girl's fleeting temper."
Frank pulled my phone out of his pocket and handed it back to me. His tone softened slightly, carrying a condescending grace.
"Ivy, stop throwing a scene. If you swallow your pride and complete the ceremony today, I will make it up to you after the wedding. I promise to keep my distance from Cassie from now on."
While claiming he would keep his distance, his eyes drifted uncontrollably toward the head table.
Cassie was holding a freshly poured cup of hot tea, walking gracefully toward me.
She stopped right in front of me, her eyes filled with tears once again. "Ivy, I apologize to you on Frank's behalf. Consider this cup of tea my humble offer to you, please forgive him."
She held the teacup out with both hands.
As I stared at her with icy eyes, showing zero intention of reaching out to take it, Cassie's wrist suddenly twitched in an unnatural manner.
The entire cup of scalding tea splashed directly across the skirt of my clothes and over my bare feet.
"Ah!"
Cassie let out a dramatic shriek.
The Montgomery relatives exploded instantly, hurling accusations at me from every direction.
"Ivy, what is wrong with you? She came to offer you tea out of goodwill, and you intentionally scared her?"
"Cassie already suffers from depression, are you trying to drive her to her death?"
Frank rushed forward like an arrow, shielding Cassie behind him.
He stared at the wet stains on my skirt, his brow pulled into a tight scowl, his voice dripping with blame. "Ivy! You knew she was emotionally unstable, why did you have to provoke her on purpose?"
A searing, painful burn radiated from the skin on my feet.
I didn't scream or defend myself hysterically like I did in my past life. Instead, I calmly turned my head toward Hannah.
"Take photos for me. The stains on my skirt and the red burn marks on my feet, capture them clearly."
Hannah immediately raised her phone, taking several close-up shots of my feet.
I turned around and shook my head at my parents, who were pale with anger. "Dad, Mom, don't waste your energy arguing with them. Go upstairs to the bridal suite and fetch the suitcases I packed yesterday."
The moment Frank's mother heard the word "suitcases," she jumped up immediately.
"Go! Lock down the keys to the bridal suite!"
She ordered two relatives to block the elevator entrance, putting her hands on her hips as she sneered at me.
"Ivy, drop your clever little calculations. That apartment might have your name on the title, but the furniture, appliances, and even the bedsheets were paid for by the Montgomery family! You won't be taking a single needle out of that room today!"
Looking at her greedy, bitter face, I found the entire situation utterly ridiculous.
I turned my head to look at Frank, who stood silently to the side.
"Are you sure you want to push things to this absolute end?"

4
Frank avoided my eyes and adjusted his cuffs.
He raised his head. "You were the one who refused to give anyone a way out first."
"Dear relatives and friends, the bride is just experiencing a bit of pre-wedding anxiety, please be understanding!"
Frank's mother snatched the microphone from the officiant's hand, addressing the hundreds of guests in the room.
"Young people these days always like to throw small tantrums right before getting married, a little fighting is completely normal. Please sit tight, our ceremony will resume shortly!"
Frank grabbed a velvet ring box and shoved it forcefully into my hand.
He leaned in close to my ear, his warm breath sickening me to my core.
"Ivy, my patience has its limits. If you dare throw another scene, I guarantee your parents will not walk out of this hotel with a single shred of dignity today."
This was a blatant, unvarnished threat.
Cassie suddenly broke free from the support of the people around her and dropped to her knees right in front of me with a loud thud.
She threw her head back, tears flowing wildly down her pale cheeks.
"Ivy, I beg you, please don't cancel the wedding! As long as you agree to marry Frank, I will pack my bags and leave this city immediately, never showing my face to you again."
"Please, don't ruin Frank's reputation because of me!"
The guests below were completely swayed by her pathetic display.
The narrative flipped in an instant, and countless voices of condemnation crashed over me like a wave.
"This bride is way too narrow-minded. That girl is literally on her knees begging her, yet she still won't let it go."
"Right? It's totally normal for a man to have a unforgettable first love before marriage, as long as he settles down afterward."
"Zero sense of the bigger picture. The Montgomery family is so unlucky to marry a girl like this."
Taking advantage of the chaotic scene, Frank's mother rushed over.
She violently shoved my mother aside.
Unprepared, my mother stumbled backward, her lower back slamming hard against the solid wooden frame of a chair, causing her to let out a painful groan.
"Mom!"
My father tried to charge forward with reddened eyes, but four or five burly male relatives from Frank's side pinned him down, rendering him unable to move.
Frank's mother seized the opportunity to shove a thick red envelope into my hands, pressing down heavily on my shoulders to force me to my knees.
"Kneel down! Drink this tea and call me Mother! Once you kneel, our family will consider today's farce settled!"
I struggled with everything I had, but Frank simply stood by with cold eyes.
Not only did he refrain from stopping his mother's violent actions, but he also spoke in a icy tone.
"Ivy, don't drag both sets of parents down with you. Is bowing your head really that difficult?"
Cassie seized the moment to hold onto Frank's mother's arm, her voice gentle yet dripping with poison. "Auntie, please don't be angry. Ivy might just be unwilling to lose to me, so she is intentionally using this method to get Frank's attention."
Hearing those words, Frank seemed to finally lose the very last shred of his patience with me.
In front of every single guest, he issued his final ultimatum.
"Ivy, if you do not apologize to Cassie and complete this wedding today, I will never forgive you."
Looking at this group of hideous faces before me, I suddenly broke into a serene smile.
I slowly raised my hand, reaching for a small crystal brooch pinned to Hannah's lapel.
Hidden inside was a miniature remote control.
Click. I pressed the button.
The massive LED screen that was playing our wedding photos turned completely black.
A second later, the screen flickered and switched to a high-definition security camera feed from the hotel hallway.
The timestamp in the corner clearly displayed last night's date.
"Last night in my bridal suite, you two seemed to have a wonderful time."