The Replaced Groom
/1/130869/coverbig.jpg?v=4576061094b556ba992e744027ce0d59)
His Unwanted Wife Is A Genius Director
For ten years, Kinsley played the perfect, invisible wife to billionaire Christian Decker. She lived on a meager allowance, secretly pouring her heart into earning first place for a prestigious Hollywood directing fellowship. But on the day her gold-stamped acceptance letter arrived, she stood outside his study and heard him give her hard-earned spot to Blair, his live-in mistress. Christian casually dismissed Kinsley's months of grueling work, claiming a mere housewife didn't need industry resources. He threw an unlimited black credit card on the desk, telling her to go buy some jewelry and stop throwing a tantrum. That same night, he paraded Blair at a Wall Street gala wearing the Decker family's heirloom sapphire, letting Manhattan's elite look at Kinsley with pity and mockery. When Blair boldly moved into their master bedroom, Christian fiercely defended the mistress, warning Kinsley not to cause a scene over nothing. Ten years of quiet devotion were trampled for a fake heiress's vanity. Kinsley looked at the man she had loved, her heart turning completely to ash. She finally understood that in this massive estate, there was never any room for her. She took off her platinum wedding ring, left all his luxury gifts behind, and walked out of the mansion empty-handed. Then, she calmly dialed a private number to her production team. "Scrap the fellowship transition. I'm taking the director's chair directly." She was going to make Blair audition for her on a global live stream, and let Christian watch his precious investment burn.
Chapter 1
"Cross out Kinsley's name. Give the Barnett fellowship to Blair."
The deep voice was smooth, flat, and unwavering. It cut through the quiet second-floor hallway of the Manhattan penthouse.
Kinsley Carney stood frozen outside the mahogany double doors. In her right hand, she gripped a carefully wrapped velvet box containing a vintage tie clip she had spent half a year tracking down for his birthday. In her left, her knuckles turned white around the thick parchment envelope from the Eric Barnett Studio, the gold-foil seal biting painfully into her palm.
Inside the study, paper rustled. Armani Sims, her husband's executive assistant, cleared his throat with obvious hesitation.
"But Mr. Decker," Armani said carefully. "Mrs. Decker earned first place in the blind evaluation. She prepared for three months, staying up consecutive nights until she was hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer. If we strip her of her own achievement now..."
"Her achievement?" Christian Decker interrupted. His tone dripped with aristocratic disdain. "She's a married woman. What is she going to do? Run off to Hollywood and make a fool of herself on a film set? She belongs at home. She can't even manage a dinner party without complaining of exhaustion, let alone direct a film. Blair, on the other hand, actually has a future in this industry. She needs this pedigree."
The words felt like physical blows. Kinsley's breath hitched, her chest tearing with a suffocating agony.
She hadn't just "prepared." She had bled herself dry for this evaluation. For three years, she had been the secret ghost-director behind his media empire's most profitable projects, sacrificing her own name and spotlight to quietly build his throne. She had almost killed herself for this open evaluation, desperate to finally step into the light and hoping—just once—to win her husband's respect.
But to Christian, her agonizing labor wasn't just worthless; it was an embarrassment. He didn't just refuse to support her career—he was casually robbing her of her hard-earned fruits, handing her life's work to Blair as if it were a cheap trinket. In his arrogant eyes, she was nothing but an incompetent, useless housewife who couldn't do anything right.
"Christian, please don't be so harsh on Kinsley," Blair Johnson's soft, fragile voice drifted through the door. "She tried so hard. Even if the evaluators only passed her because they knew she was your wife... if she finds out you gave her spot to me, she'll hate me."
Blair was the Decker family's adopted ward. Kinsley had always treated her with genuine warmth, yet Blair's innocent reliance had morphed into something subtly provocative, a secret intimacy that Christian indulged with exclusive favoritism.
"Let her be mad," Christian replied with that terrifyingly gentle patience he reserved only for Blair. "Giving a masterclass slot to a housewife who has zero talent is just throwing resources into the garbage. Our marriage was a three-year business arrangement to save her family's bankrupt company. I pay for her luxurious life; her only job is to stay out of the public eye and not embarrass the Decker name. If she throws a tantrum, I'll just buy her another limited-edition Birkin. She'll quiet down."
Kinsley did not turn away. She did not cry. The burning hope in her chest simply turned to ash.
She placed her palm against the heavy mahogany door and pushed it open.
The door hit the wall with a dull thud.
The three people inside stopped instantly.
Blair was perched on the armrest of Christian's leather chair. Seeing Kinsley, Blair immediately shrank behind Christian's broad shoulders, her hands twisting the hem of her cashmere cardigan. But Kinsley caught it—the fleeting, triumphant smirk dancing in Blair's teary eyes, a silent, mocking declaration of victory.
Christian sat behind the massive walnut desk. His icy blue eyes lifted, scanning Kinsley's pale face. There was not a trace of guilt on his face, only a flick of annoyance.
"You don't knock anymore?" Christian demanded, his voice sharp and condescending.
Kinsley walked across the room, her leather heels clicking against the polished oak floor. She tossed the thick envelope and the velvet birthday box onto the desk. They slid across the surface and stopped right against his platinum cufflinks.
"Since you heard, Armani doesn't need to brief you," Christian said, loosening his silk tie with a slow tug.
Blair peeked out from behind his shoulder, stepping slightly closer to Christian so their arms brushed.
"Kinsley, I'm so sorry!" Blair's voice shook with practiced innocence. "I just mentioned to Christian that I really wanted to study under Eric Barnett, and he... he just insisted. Please don't be mad at him. If you want, I can let you be my assistant when I go to LA?"
The sheer audacity of the provocation hung heavily in the air.
Kinsley looked at her. Her gaze was as flat and cold as a sheet of winter ice.
"Save the performance, Blair. There are no cameras in this room."
Blair flinched and grabbed Christian's sleeve, burying her face in his arm. "Christian, she's glaring at me..."
Christian stood up. At six-foot-two, he towered over the desk, casting a broad shadow that swallowed the warm lamp light. He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out an all-black titanium credit card, and tossed it toward her. It landed on the carpet directly at Kinsley's feet.
"That is enough, Kinsley," Christian snapped. His tone was laced with disgust. "The slot goes to Blair. You have no business playing pretend career-woman anyway. You'd fail in a week and drag my company's reputation down with you. Pick up the card. Go to Fifth Avenue tomorrow and buy whatever shiny things you want. Be a good Mrs. Decker and stop embarrassing yourself."
Kinsley stared at the black card on the floor. It was the ultimate insult—a bone thrown to a beggar whose lifeblood had just been drained.
A bitter, beautiful smile touched the corner of her lips, clean and devoid of warmth. She knew she didn't have the leverage to fight him openly yet. But she didn't need to. It simply wasn't the right time.
She took a step back, putting clear space between them.
"No need," she said, her voice even. "If she wants my spot, I hope she can actually survive it."
Christian froze. A flicker of startled irritation crossed his face as if he was unequipped for her silence.
His thumb moved to his left hand, tracing the platinum band on his ring finger.
"Watch your tone," he warned, his jaw tightening. "Don't mistake my patience for an excuse to throw tantrums."
Kinsley didn't blink. She turned around and walked out of the study, her back straight and her steps measured.
She crossed the corridor and entered the master bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Leaning against the dark wood paneling, she let out a long, slow breath. The tiny thread of hope that had tied her to this house snapped cleanly in the dark.
Walking over to the king-sized bed, she picked up her private phone and dialed Julian Foster.
Julian, one of the most powerful producers in independent cinema, answered on the second ring.
"Kinsley? Did Barnett's office send the confirmation?"
"Forget the fellowship, Julian," Kinsley said, her voice dropping into the cold, surgical cadence of a director in pre-production. "Activate the backup plan. I'm taking the director's chair on Crossing River directly."
Julian drew a sharp breath over the line.
"Are you sure? Taking total creative control means putting yourself right in front of the firing line."
"I've stayed in the shadows long enough," she said. "Draft the contracts tonight. It's time to take back what belongs to me."
She hung up, tossed the phone onto the velvet duvet, and turned toward the bathroom vanity to remove her earrings.
Before her fingers touched the diamond studs, the bedroom door flew open.
Christian stepped across the threshold, his eyes burning with controlled fury.
/1/122818/coverbig.jpg?v=2adcc6a220fd1b2ba56353021bb1a926)
The Wrong Groom
Marlowe Reyes wakes up the morning after her wedding warm, happy, and certain her husband is asleep beside her. Then her phone rings. It's Adrian's voice, apologizing for missing the wedding night, stuck at the airport overnight. He asks if his brother made it home safe to help her with the bags. Sh
/1/115194/coverbig.jpg?v=287b0695a1fb9d5fe767aca8e46ee68f)
THE WIFE HE REPLACED
Elena Carter thought she was losing her husband-until she discovered he was trying to replace the very woman who built his entire world. Betrayed and discarded for another woman, Elena walks away without a fight... but behind her silence lies a dangerous secret. As the hidden force behind Adrian Car
/1/112063/coverbig.jpg?v=8d42e13dd5a416b59cb3468827e668d2)
The Replaced Bride's fortune
As the adopted child of the Stewart family, I was the glass child, the last child, the black sheep, the ignored. I wasn't wanted, I was chosen. Chosen to become the one to uphold their 'social standings'. They had no care for me, they picked me, they saw the quiet, bullied girl in the orphanage who
/0/58139/coverbig.jpg?v=16f81d7c70200d83b2dc3235d3f47370)
Groom For The Day
Tanya Darlington's well-planned future collapses when she catches her best friend and bridesmaid in bed with her fiancé the day before their wedding. Devastated and heartbroken, Tanya finds herself crying on a darkened street when a man, chased by armed men, rushes towards her. She impulsively unloc
/0/39632/coverbig.jpg?v=3c1c591f82937e6bc1d075660d11c0b3)
The billionaire's groom
Arnold Shaw, a man tired of his mundane life, marries billionaire Queenie Dale on the day they meet. However, their relationship takes a complicated turn when Queenie introduces Arnold to her lover and roommate, Christine. Queenie begins to develop feelings for Arnold, and the three find themselves
/0/42523/coverbig.jpg?v=42d97a7eb7dd6b613fe7f5fed5f3a9c5)
The Substitute Groom
All she desires was the throne and to become the next emperor, she has to get married but unfortunately, on her wedding day, she gets rejected. In order to cover up the embarrassment, she meets him. A drunk man who had just gotten divorce and wishes to reunite with his family at all cost. He signs a
/0/80825/coverbig.jpg?v=acf881d7206fffdf12e06e01b78efb6a)
The Groom Who Was Mine
My best friend, Chloe, was getting married. I stood there, a bridesmaid, ready to celebrate her big day, even as a quiet ache for the man I'd lost years ago lingered. Then I saw him – the groom. It was Michael, the man who vanished three years ago, the love of my life, now standing at the altar, wai
/0/86824/coverbig.jpg?v=4d6876343629fa7ba63fc82019792b50)
Replaced: A Husband's Revenge
"Mr. Phantom, are you sure you want to enter the national street art competition?" the voice on the phone asked, echoing in my lavish penthouse. I, Ethan Hayes, the true Phantom, stared at my reflection, the city lights blurring like the last ten years of my life. I was back.\n\nThe memories hit me-
/0/49067/coverbig.jpg?v=7c487c9f4528b187bfd693bac81159e2)
The Groom From The Fairy Tale Land
'If one door closes, there are still a thousand doors open.' For the umpteenth time, the twenty-one-year-old art student Grace Menken is hurt by a man who only takes advantage of her kindness. Being alone, bullied, and always getting played with makes Grace hopeless, so she decides to end her life.
/0/20136/coverbig.jpg?v=df777b7b06ad21d3a5bd817dd0a2f520)
You May Kiss The Groom
A new beginning, A story of how Micah Usoro meets the love of his life once again. Though she is the granddaughter of the former gangster Mordak Ardolf, Senrose grew up as a hardworking girl. She not once took the help of her grandfather or her brother to solve her problems. On the other hand Primr
/1/104845/coverbig.jpg?v=b446d1f25593482884e233eadf104dbb)
Replaced By A Mistress: The Wife's Revenge
I went to the City Clerk's office to update my passport, desperate to feel alive again after losing my ability to draw. Instead, the clerk handed me a reality that killed me. "Mrs. Crosby," she whispered, her face drained of color. "You aren't married to Bennet. The divorce was finalized three yea
/1/115987/coverbig.jpg?v=e75e69c9da10c5db99fee72fa8bf1e56)
Married To The Monster Groom
Clara's sister refused to marry the man she was engaged to. People said her fiancé was terrifying to look at. They called him cold-hearted, ruthless... and there were even rumors saying he couldn't love anyone at all. Her mother broke down in front of Clara and begged desperately, "My dear...
/0/56007/coverbig.jpg?v=837d6fcbc0104a79738e8916687109e0)
KING'S REPLACED QUEEN
NEW EDITED VERSON OF THE REPLACEMENT “Strip...” I looked at him, not believing what he just said. “I said strip.” His voice held authority not to ignore his order. I started discarding my clothes one by one, shivering in fear. His gaze pierces my skin from head to toe, while disgust was loud and cl
/0/60552/coverbig.jpg?v=55ea31ab968e890eb77b78d2a9dd8f52)
True Luna: Rejected, Replaced
"I, Michael Parker, Alpha of The Shadow Crown Pack, accept you, Vera Victor of The Cold Moon Pack, as my Mate and Luna." I could feel my heart shatter. My Mate had mistakenly marked my twin sister, Vera. When Nicole turned 20, she was surprised to find her Mate was the leader of The Shadow Crown Pac
/0/90258/coverbig.jpg?v=e9473e2d8bc0895d3995fd67a432a16e)
Replaced Bride, Vengeful Heart
It was supposed to be my vow renewal, a key PR event for my husband Angel's mayoral campaign. But when I woke up from a drug-induced haze, I found him at the altar with his mistress. She was wearing my wedding dress. I watched from a hidden balcony as he slid the ring he’d given me onto her finge
/0/47370/coverbig.jpg?v=3bf590737ad17ccff63ed9621c8eedec)
Her wrong groom.
when Ava Brown finds out that her groom was exchanged on her wedding day and she ended up marrying the wrong person, she vowed to deal with the two men who deceived her. Ava Brown, the twenty four year old daughter of Mr Steven Brown owner of world's largest automobile company was someone who no one
/1/134635/coverbig.jpg?v=2c1372825e4eecc3cf570b1afb743d14)
The Replaced Lover's Thirty-Day Silent Escape
Four years. I poured the best years of my youth and every ounce of my heart into my boyfriend Damian, becoming the perfect live-in girlfriend. But when his childhood sweetheart, the woman he'd always carried a torch for, returned from London, he gave her every bit of his care and affection. On my
/0/84384/coverbig.jpg?v=e6d005c89e1a0c970c9d1ba9d182584c)
When The Wrong Groom Shows Up
Three days before my wedding, I walked into my fiancé Matthew' s bachelor party, custom watch in hand, ready to surprise him. Instead, a chilling whisper cut through the pulsating Vegas bass: "Relationship swap dare? Genius... a hall pass weekend with Nicole Chavez." My heart froze as I watched Ma
/1/107534/coverbig.jpg?v=d3f66196f218fe954f9627276fbecd85)
Third Wedding, Right Groom
When Miles Morretti abandons Lila at the altar for the third time-choosing his manipulative stepsister Valeria over her yet again-Lila makes the most impulsive decision of her life. She calls Alexander Calvert, her childhood best friend, and asks him to be her groom. Ten minutes later, she's married
/0/20113/coverbig.jpg?v=3a4055d8501c5ad075c38b7dee661137)
Her best friend's groom
“Amber, please I can't.” Leila tried to make her friend understand. Tears were dripping down her pale cheeks as she spoke. “Yes, you can.” Amber replied, wiping the tears off Leila's face. “This is too much Amber, it’s not like the senior school days.” Leila pleaded with her friend to reconsider
