My Ex’s Wedding Became Their Funeral

Thomas James stood before Ursula Abbott, his voice terrifyingly calm.

Give the wedding to Teresa Abbott.

Ursula froze, certain she'd misheard. What did you say?

Teresa got lost as a child. You know that. Thomas lowered his gaze. She's terminally ill now. She doesn't have much time left, and I want to grant her final wish.

Ursula stared at the man in front of her, suddenly feeling like she was looking at a stranger.

She'd known him for twenty-two years, from their awkward teenage years until now. Never once had she imagined hearing something like this from him.

"So the wedding we've spent six months planningyou're just handing it over to someone else?"

"She's your sister."

"And because she's my sister, I'm supposed to step aside?"

Thomas frowned, clearly unwilling to argue the point. "Teresa is dying. You can't even grant her this one thing?"

Ursula drew a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "Thomas, is this some kind of joke?"

She searched his eyes for any trace of humor. "Do my parents know about this? Do yours?"

Thomas reached into his suit jacket and withdrew several gold-embossed invitations, spreading them across the coffee table.

"These are the wedding invitations. Both sets of parents' names are right there."

Ursula looked down.

The invitations did bear her parents' names alongside his. But in the space reserved for the bride, her name had been replaced with Teresa's.

"This is what both families agreed on." Thomas gathered up the invitations.

Ursula's fingers trembled slightly.

She wanted to laugh but found she couldn't.

Her whole life, Teresa had gotten everything she wanted. When Teresa wanted a doll, Ursula's would mysteriously vanish. When Teresa wanted a new dress, Ursula's would suddenly be stained with ink that wouldn't wash out.

Now Teresa was taking her fianc too.

"Thomas, Teresa isn't sick." Ursula spoke each word with deliberate precision.

Thomas's expression darkened immediately. "Ursula, I know you're jealous of Teresa, but you shouldn't curse her."

"I'm not cursing her. I'm stating facts."

"Facts?" Thomas let out a cold laugh. "Last week I personally took her to the hospital. Terminal cancerthe doctors say six months at most. And you're telling me it's fake?"

Ursula went still.

Terminal cancer? Two days ago Teresa had been bouncing around the house. Yesterday she'd gone to play tennis with friends. Would a terminal cancer patient have that kind of energy?

"You've been deceived."

"Enough!" Thomas cut her off. "This isn't the first time you've slandered Teresa. Can't you stop being so vicious?"

His eyes were full of disgust as he looked at her. "Teresa went missing as a child, and you happened to be there. Now that I think about it, that disappearance probably wasn't an accident, was it?"

Ursula's eyes widened.

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing." Thomas rose to leave. "Think it over. I hope you still have a conscience."

At the door, he added without looking back: "Don't let Teresa leave this world with regrets."

The door slammed shut.

Ursula stood alone in the living room, her mind blank.

She couldn't understand why everyone always sided with Teresa.

...

Back at the Abbott residence, the failed fingerprint scan hit her like another blow.

She stared numbly at the door until Ann Finch hurried to open it.

"Ms. Abbott, what brings you back?"

"Who deleted my fingerprint?"

"Ms. Abbott, things are rather busy here right now. Perhaps... you should come back another time?" Ann couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott had given strict orders: during the eldest daughter's wedding preparations, the second daughter wasn't to come homelest she upset Teresa.

But Ursula had already heard the laughter echoing from inside the villa.

She didn't understand. They were both daughters of the Abbott family, yet their treatment couldn't be more different.

"What are you doing here?"

The moment Ursula stepped into the living room, her mother Odette Matthews greeted her with a scowl.

But Ursula's gaze moved past her, taking in the red double-happiness characters covering every wall.

The blazing red seared her eyes.

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? Your sister's wedding is coming upstop bringing bad luck into this house."

Odette couldn't stand that pitiful look on her face. If it weren't for Ursula, Teresa wouldn't have been lost to them all those years, and she certainly wouldn't have developed bone cancer so young.

Meanwhile, Ursula had lived like a princess under this roof, opposing Teresa at every turn.

"I'm warning youyour sister's marriage to Thomas is set in stone. Don't even think about pulling anything, and stay out of his sight."

"What about me?" Ursula looked at her, eyes hollow. "Everyone knows Thomas and I have been together. You're having Teresa marry him... Have you even considered what people will say behind my back? How they'll mock me?"

"What nonsense. Compared to your sister's happiness, a few whispers about you mean nothing." Odette waved it off, convinced Ursula simply refused to make sacrifices.

"Your sister has suffered so much. This entire family owes her. Forget a marriage arrangementI'd give her the whole Abbott estate if I could. She's this sick now, and you'd still watch her die alone? Do you have any humanity left?"

Ursula fell silent.

In their minds, Teresa's name had always been sacred, above everything else.

No one thought it absurd for a younger sister to surrender her fianc to the elder. No one cared that Ursula would become a laughingstock.

"If I don't agree"

"What right do you have to refuse?"

Odette's smile turned cold. That meticulously maintained face showed not a trace of maternal warmth.

"Let me be clear: Thomas agreed to marry your sister himself. He wants to take responsibility for her, to make it up to her, to care for her. If you ask me, he's had feelings for her all along. Keep making a scene and you'll only humiliate yourself."

She gestured, and someone handed Ursula a stack of photographs.

Scenic shots from around the world.

Even a glance revealed landmarks from multiple countriesand in each one, Teresa and Thomas, posing together like lovers.

But what truly gutted her were the dates printed on each photo. Every single one matched a time when she'd been away on business.

For two years, ever since the Abbotts made it clear they wouldn't provide much of a dowry, she'd been working herself ragged, taking every trip she could.

All so she wouldn't embarrass Thomas when they married.

"I need to hear it from him!"

Ursula spun aroundand there stood Teresa, poised and elegant, right behind her.

"No need for all that trouble. The answers you want? I have them right here."

Cold rain spilled from the night sky.

Ursula walked numbly through the downpour, ignoring the bite of the chill, her mind replaying the video Teresa had shown her.

Someone had asked Thomas: "Thomas, you're really marrying Teresa? Cancer's unpredictable... What if she recovers? Or doesn't die as quickly as expected? What happens to Ursula?"

Thomas's voice had been lazy, indifferent. "Teresa is her sister. If she survives, Ursula should be happy for her."

"But then Ursula can't marry you. Aren't you worried she'll get angry and leave?"

Thomas had smiled faintly, swirling his glass with nauseating self-satisfaction.

"A dog that's been trained to depend on you doesn't just walk away from its master. Besides, she's worked so hard to marry me. She won't give that up."

Twenty-two years.

She had known Thomas James for twenty-two years.

Never once had she imagined he would describe her in such degrading terms.

And TeresaTeresa had made a point of showing off the hickeys on her neck, telling her that Thomas had already slept with her.

The nausea hit her in waves.

Ursula doubled over in the rain, tears and bile threatening to spill out all at once.

She didn't know how long she stood there before her vision blurred and everything went dark.

When she opened her eyes again, an IV line was taped to the back of her hand.

"Ursula! You're awake? You've been out for three daysyou scared me half to death!"

A sweet, vaguely familiar voice rang out beside her. It took Ursula a moment to place it.

"You're... Hailey?"

In her hazy memories, a young girl had asked her over and over, tears streaming down her face, "Can you really save my brother?" That image now overlapped with the person in front of her.

Hailey Weiss broke into a bright smile and gave her a quick rundown of how she'd stumbled upon Ursula unconscious.

"By the way, why were you standing alone in the rain in the middle of the night? I called your emergency contact, but no one ever showed up. Should I notify someone else in your family?"

The light in Ursula's eyes dimmed.

Her emergency contact was Thomas. He'd set it up himself, back when things were different.

As for the Abbottsthey were too busy preparing for Teresa's wedding to spare her a thought.

"They're probably just busy." Her voice was flat. "I'm sorryhave I caused you trouble?"

"Not at all." Hailey waved it off. "My work in Northport wrapped up anyway. Besides, with the Weiss family backing me, who's going to give me grief?"

That jogged Ursula's memory.

Hailey was the only girl among the younger generation of the Weiss family, and the beloved younger sister of Greg Weiss, CEO of Weiss Conglomerate. With that kind of backing, life had always been smooth sailing for her.

After a few more exchanges, Ursula felt the medication pulling her under again.

Once she was asleep, Hailey finally pulled out her phone.

"Ursula's awake, but something feels off. She seems really out of itshould we... do something?"

The reply from her perpetually busy brother came instantly.

"Taking tonight's flight."

...

Ursula's sleep was restless and shallow. She woke not long after and, once the doctors confirmed nothing serious was wrong, decided to check out.

Hailey volunteered to handle the discharge paperwork.

Ursula tried to protest, but Hailey cut her off with a wave.

"Don't be so formal with me. I know it's been four years, but rememberwhen you were saving my brother, we lived together for three months. That makes us friends, at least."

"Alright then. I won't hold back."

She had just finished changing when the door swung open and Thomas strode in.

"I heard you were sick?"

Ursula's expression soured instinctively. "What's it to you?"

Mistaking her coldness for a tantrum, Thomas paused. "Look, I didn't explain myself well the other day. Even after Teresa and I get married, it won't change anything between us. Everything can stay the same as before. So stop making a fuss, okay?"

Ursula laugheda hollow, bitter sound that curdled into disgust.

She was making a fuss?

He was the one treating her like a complete fool.

"Thomas, I don't take out the trash. From now on, stay the hell away from me."

"What's that supposed to mean? You want to break up?"

When she moved to leave, he reached for her wrist out of habit.

That was when a furious voice cut through from the doorway.

"Ursula Abbott, what do you think you're doing?"

Odette and Teresa had arrivedno one knew when.

Without bothering to see who had grabbed whom, Odette stormed over and slapped Ursula across the face.

The crack echoed through the room. Thomas's expression went cold.

"Mrs. Matthews?"

"Stay out of this, Thomas. This girl refuses to let go. If I don't teach her a lesson today, who knows what she'll pull next."

Odette was seething. She had already warned her. And she dared to disobey?

"Ursula Abbott, have you no shame? He's your future brother-in-law! You fake being sick just to harass and seduce himwhat exactly are you after?"

Ursula had been drifting in and out of consciousness for days. She hadn't contacted Thomas at all.

Even if Hailey had called the emergency contact number, that couldn't possibly constitute harassment.

She pulled out her phone, her gaze turning cold. "Fine. If I really did harass him, I'll own it. But if I didn't, then either return this slap or we call the police."

Without waiting for their reaction, she turned the call log toward them.

The dense list of records showed clearly: Ursula's phone had only called him twice, three days ago, both during normal hours.

Thomas, on the other hand, had called her over a dozen times in recent dayssometimes even in the middle of the night.

Who was harassing whom was obvious at a glance.

"Even if I was wrong, I'm your mother! You wouldn't dare hit me, would you?" Odette hadn't expected that even now, Thomas had been secretly contacting this wretched girl behind their backs.

Ursula let out a cold laugh, her mocking gaze sweeping across all three faces. "I can't hit you, true. But that doesn't mean I can't hit them. Unless you'd prefer to involve the police?"

The sudden bride-swap had kept the Abbott family in the spotlight lately. Odette certainly didn't want this dragged to the precinct.

But Ursula's reaction caught her off guard.

Shouldn't she have swallowed her grievances quietly after clearing up the misunderstanding? Where did she get the nerve to cause such a scene?

Before, Ursula would have let it go for the sake of keeping the peace.

But now? Why should she keep enduring this?

"Not choosing? Then let's just call the police." Ursula dialed without hesitation. Before she could press the final digit, Teresa suddenly rushed forward in tears and grabbed her hand.

"Ursula, I know you're doing this because you're angry with me. If hitting me would make you feel better, then go ahead. Consider it my apology as your older sis"

Slap!

A sharp crack cut off her speech. Ursula's hand had already swung.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

Thomas reacted with fury, instinctively pulling Teresa into his arms. Pain flickered in his eyes.

"Ursula, she's your sister! She's ill! How can you be so vicious?!"

Teresa, still reeling from the sudden blow, clenched her teeth. This little wretch actually dared to hit her?

Hadn't she always been helpless against Teresa's schemes before?

Before Teresa could speak, Ursula's lips curved slightly. "So Mr. James cares this much? But I gave you a choice just now. You're the one who stood there and did nothing."

"Or is your concern for her... only this much?"

What Thomas noticed first was how she addressed him. His brow furrowed. "What did you just call me?"

Teresa stiffened in his arms. At a time like this, he was fixating on that?

And Ursula was rightThomas's reflexes were usually quick. Why hadn't he blocked the slap for her?

"Thomas..." Tears spilled down Teresa's cheeks. The red welt on her face made her look utterly pitiful.

Thomas realized his misstep. Tightening his hold on her, he said, "Stop trying to drive a wedge between us. Apologize to your sister."

"Gladly"

Ursula nodded, stepped forward, and slapped Thomas across the face.

"There. Enough?"

"You! You little monster!" Odette watched both of them get hit and charged forward to discipline her.

Ursula sidestepped, her voice flat. "Thomas, this is what you two owed me. Now we're even."

She turned and walked toward Hailey.

Behind her, Odette shrieked that she'd gotten too bold, that she'd pay for this.

Ursula didn't look back.

Make her pay?

But she had nothing left to lose.

That night, Ursula returned to her apartment.

The first thing she did was throw out every piece of garbage connected to Thomas.

It wasn't until hundreds of messages flooded her phone that she realized all hell had broken loose online.

Following the trail, Ursula found a series of freshly posted announcements on Fox Group's official website.

Five in total. All about her.

"Due to personal conduct issues, former Vice President of Design Ursula Abbott has been demoted to Department Head."

"Due to personal conduct issues, former Vice President of Design Ursula Abbott has been demoted to Manager."

"Due to personal conduct issues... Ursula Abbott has been demoted to Sales Associate."

"Due to... Ursula Abbott has been demoted to Janitorial Staff."

Each announcement deliberately included her previous title, ensuring everyone could watch her plummet from the clouds, one rung at a time.

It wasn't just character assassinationit was public humiliation, plain and simple.

The bizarre announcements caught the attention of countless netizens, all speculating about what could have happened.

"God, this poor woman. What kind of 'conduct issue' gets you demoted from VP all the way down to janitor? Is that even legal?"

"Right? Talk about social death. Whatever happened, couldn't they just call the cops?"

"I'm cringing so hard my toes are curling. Girl, just RUN. What kind of garbage company is this?"

Ursula was, in fact, planning to run.

She'd never liked working at Fox Group to begin with. It was Thomas's mother who'd wanted her to become his right hand, so she'd forced herself to climb the ladder.

Turns out, twisting yourself into knots for someone else really wasn't worth it.

She logged into her company account. Finding her permissions still active, she posted her own announcementalong with a detailed list of every achievement she'd accomplished during her years there.

"With a clear conscience, Ursula Abbott resigns."

Those few simple words sent the trending charts into overdrive.

"Thank god, we're savedshe's a total badass!"

"First time I've ever seen someone quit via company announcement. I need to know how this tastes."

"Also, this woman is seriously impressive. Has Fox Group lost their minds? They're letting talent like this walk?"

"Calling it now: this announcement will be deleted any second. Screenshot while you can!"

The resignation announcement was indeed taken down almost immediately. Ursula didn't careshe'd already made her point.

Fox Group and Odette, however, wouldn't stop calling. When she didn't answer, they resorted to sending sixty-second voice messages, one after another.

She didn't want to hear it. She tossed her phone aside, poured herself a cup of hand-dripped coffee, and retreated to her study.

Two hours later, a new video on traditional Chinese medicine appeared on a certain account.

Ursula diligently replied to a few private messages from mothers asking for advice, then finally emerged.

At some point, her WeChat had gone quiet. The most recent message contained just two words: "You okay?"

From her contact: Greg Weiss.

Her mind drifted back to that snowy night in Melbourne four years ago.

Snow piled waist-deep. A man drenched in blood. Legs nearly destroyed.

She had just inherited her mentor's legacy. He was a Chinese man on death's doorstep.

One willing to try. One willing to gamble.

Fortunately, they'd both won.

As she was lost in thought, the chat window suddenly transformed into an incoming call.

Ursula blinked, hesitated, then tapped accept.

"Hello?"

"It's me. Greg Weiss." The man's deep, measured voice cut through the years between them, stirring something in her chest.

"Mm. I know."

After that, the line fell into an odd silence. Beside him, Hailey grew impatient and shouted into the receiver.

"Ursula! My brother's in Northport! He wants to take you to dinner!"

Her voice grew distant, as if someone was physically pushing her away.

Ursula pictured the scene and smiled. "Sure. When?"

Greg's reply was unhurried. "Your call."

Ursula had already resigned from her job, so she'd had plenty of free time lately.

"Let's do tomorrow then. Hailey's been looking after me all this time, and I still haven't properly thanked her."

"Sounds good."

After hanging up, Hailey invited her to play video games together.

Ursula wasn't particularly into gaming, but she knew Hailey was trying to take her mind off things, so she went along with it.

The two of them played until dark, only stopping when Greg forced his sister to get some rest.

Stars glittered overhead as the city lights spread beneath her feet like a river of scattered silver. Ursula stood in silence, letting the dull ache seep through her chest.

Some wounds had to rot completely before new flesh could grow.

The next day brought rare good weather to Northport.

Ursula arrived right on time. Since the restaurant was housed in a traditional Suzhou-style garden with a dress code, she'd chosen a pale goose-yellow qipao. Her long hair was loosely pinned with a white jade hairpin, giving her an effortlessly striking elegancelike sunlight on fresh snow.

"Ursula, it's criminal that you're not in showbiz!"

The moment they met, Hailey's compliments came rapid-fire.

Ursula smiled, the soft dimples making her look even more approachable.

"There are plenty of beautiful, talented women in entertainment."

"But you're a total knockout!" Hailey tugged at Greg's sleeve. "Right, Greg?"

"Mm. Very beautiful."

Greg's gaze lingered on her.

When he spoke, Ursula instinctively glanced his way. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and both paused.

He was wearing a hand-tailored black shirt today, its subtle bamboo-and-flowing-light pattern strikingly similar to the design on her qipao.

From a distance, they could have passed for a matching couple.

Throughout the meal, Hailey kept the conversation lively. Several times, Ursula found herself thinking back to the fun moments at Melbourne Manor.

Just as the atmosphere reached its warmest, four bodyguards in matching uniforms appeared.

"Miss, the Chairman requests your presence."

Ursula's grip tightened on her utensils.

She'd deliberately chosen this restaurant because it was far from the Abbott estate. There was no way Cliff Abbott could have just happened to pass by.

He'd come here on purpose.

For her.

"I'm entertaining friends. Please tell him I'll come see him after we finish."

No one spoke.

The four bodyguards took another step forward in unison.

Ursula noticed Greg's hand beginning to move and spoke first. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weiss, HaileyI need to step out. Let's call it here for today."

"We'll go with you." Greg rose, and the restrained presence he'd been holding back unfurled completely. The air itself seemed to grow heavy with an almost suffocating authority.

The four bodyguards exchanged glances, spines stiffening involuntarily.

Hailey caught on immediately. "Yeah, yeahwe're pretty much done eating anyway. Let's all head out together, Ursula."

Warmth flickered through Ursula's chest, but how could she drag them into this?

"That's not necessary, I"

Before she could finish, warmth enveloped her arm.

Greg's eyes were dark, yet carried the innate pride of someone born to command. "Don't refuse me."

Outside the restaurant.

Cliff sat in his Hongqi sedan, his gaze sharpening when he saw who accompanied Ursula.

But decades in business had taught him never to let shallow emotions show. The moment Ursula got in, the car sped away.

She instinctively gripped her seatbelt. "Where are you taking me?"

Cliff ignored her, his eyes drifting with interest to the rearview mirror.

Behind his convoy of Hongqi sedans, a black Cullinan followed closely.

A few seconds later, a second appeared. Then a third.

In the blink of an eye, the Cullinan convoy matched his own in size.

"Your friend looks like someone important. Not from Northport?"

Ursula saw the commotion behind her.

As the luxury car caught up, her eyes widened in disbelief, a flood of emotions washing over her...

Greg had actually followed them.

"Bro, that old man did this on purpose!"

In the Cullinan's passenger seat, Hailey was fuming.

When they first saw Cliff take Ursula away without a word, they thought she might be in danger and immediately followed. But then the old fox actually slowed downright until Greg's hidden bodyguards stationed around the area all mobilized at once.

In an instant, her brother's hand had been completely exposed.

"It's fine."

Greg's slender, cool hands gripped the steering wheel, the veins along his forearms standing out like perfectly sculpted art.

The next second, the speedometer shot up.

The Cullinan overtook several vehicles in rapid succession, its unyielding momentum forcing the lead Hongqi to a halt.

Amid the haze of burning rubber, the two convoys faced off. Greg stepped out of his car and calmly rapped on the Hongqi's window.

Excitement flickered in Cliff's eyes.

"I barely know himdon't even think about it!" Ursula frowned, Cliff's expression unsettling her.

In the Abbott household, compared to Odette's blunt oppression, she feared her smiling-tiger father far more.

He had tried, countless times, to use her as a bargaining chip for profit.

Cliff smiled, his gaze cold. "Looks like your mother was right. You really have become disobedienteven learned to lie."

"Let me be frank. Because of your recent behavior, I'd already agreed to arrange a marriage between you and the young heir of Lambert Group. But now... I'll give you a chance to choose for yourself."

"Whether you can seize it is up to you."

With that, the car door opened.

Ursula locked eyes with Greg, still reeling.

Behind her, Cliff shoved her forward. Greg caught her steadily.

Cliff's knowing laughter lingered in the air. "Mr. Weiss rarely visits Northport. Let Ursula show you some proper hospitality on my behalf."

That he'd uncovered Greg's identity so quickly only deepened Ursula's unease.

"Mr. Weiss, please don't get too close to me. I don't want to cause trouble for you or Hailey."

She instinctively stepped back. Greg's grip tightened.

"Choose me."

"What?"

In the shifting light and shadow, Greg's deep-set eyes drew closer, inch by inch.

"Choose me. Every problem you're facingI'll handle it."

Ursula's pupils dilated.

But then he handed her a prenuptial agreement.

When she questioned him, Greg explained, "I need someone to hold the position of Mrs. Weiss. You happen to be suitable.Once you've made your decision, feel free to contact me.See you soon."

But that explanation didn't convince her. Ursula suspected this was about repaying a debt.

A headache was forming. She needed to find a chance to clear things up with him.

That night, At the Weiss residence, Hailey was equally baffled. "Bro, can't you just say you like her?"