Part 1Cruel Prank Exposed: I Choose Someone Else

On the eve of our ninth wedding, my fiance, Jasper Preston, develops a split personality after saving me in a car accident. One personality loves me down to his very bones. The other, however, is hopelessly in love with his junior, Wendy Upton.

While I'm in a half-dreaming stupor, I hear the doctor sigh. "Mr. Preston's two personalities possess immense self-awareness. I'm afraid it'll be very difficult for them to merge. If Ms. Birch insists on marrying him, she must be willing to share her husband with another woman."

Sighs ripple through the room, but I remain exceptionally resolute. After all, he had risked his life to save me in that accident. How could I possibly give up on the man I love so easily?

However, the very next second, I hear another voice. "Jasper, you really outdid yourself this time. I can't believe you actually made up a split personality. Still, knowing Stella's temper, won't she drag you down to hell with her once she finds out the truth?"

Jasper scoffs, "She loves me so much that she'd give her life for me; she'd never hurt me. I have to teach her a lesson because she fired Wen."

My heart feels as though a blade has pierced straight through it. So, the disasters plaguing our weddings aren't coincidences. Everything—every single obstacle—has just been his twisted way of punishing me.

Since he's willing to go this far for Wendy, I no longer want this forced marriage.

Consequently, when I come to, and Jasper puts on his split-personality act, I simply look at his sworn rival, Mason Winslow, who is standing beside him. "Honey, who is he?" I ask calmly.

* * *

A deathly silence settled over the hospital room.

Jasper Preston's expression instantly froze. He had probably envisioned a million different scenarios of how I'd take the news—shrieking, demanding answers, breaking down, or even throwing myself at him to tear him apart. Yet, he hadn't factored in the possibility that I would look at him like a total stranger and calmly take another man as my husband.

To make matters worse, that man happened to be Mason Winslow, his ultimate rival, whom he'd been warring with for the last ten years.

"What did you just call him?" Jasper's expression was so dark that it looked like a thunderstorm.

During the previous eight wedding postponements, even as the internet dragged me through the mud and mocked me relentlessly, he hadn't shown the slightest flicker of emotion.

Clutching Mason's arm, I sniveled, "Honey, he's scaring me..."

Mason looked down at his arm, which I was gripping tightly, an unreadable smile playing at the corners of his lips. As a notoriously loose-living playboy in the capital's elite circle and a close friend of my older brother, Sam Birch, it took him only a second to join the battlefield.

"Don't be afraid, darling. Mr. Preston, since you're still ill, you should be resting instead of coming here to throw a fit in front of my wife. Now, please leave."

Jasper clenched his jaw. His eyes locked onto my arm, which was looped through Mason's. "Do you have any idea what you're doing right now, Stella?"

I looked back at him, wide-eyed and innocent. "Who are you?"

Jasper stiffened, and his friends all wore equally awkward expressions. At that moment, the personality in control of him was likely still consumed by his unrequited love for his junior, Wendy Upton. How could he possibly remember who I was?

Seeing the colors on his face shift back and forth, I found it nothing short of hilarious. I had believed the man before me could be my ride or die for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, the person who was supposed to be my greatest ally became someone I shared a diagnosis with.

Since he was so determined to keep up the act, I decided I would play along and give him the performance of a lifetime.

Mason stepped forward, shielding me behind him. "My wife's timid, Mr. Preston. Stop scaring her!"

Gritting his teeth, Jasper turned to look at my attending physician, Dr. Keaton. "What's the meaning of this?"

Dr. Keaton walked up to me to examine me before adjusting his glasses. "The patient suffered a severe head injury. To protect itself, her subconscious could very well distort her memories or trigger cognitive distortion. Much like your split personality, she... might genuinely be mistaking Mr. Winslow for you right now."

Jasper's brows drew together as if he were gauging whether this was real or a setup.

Sensing the tension in the room, Dr. Keaton added, "That said, I can't draw any conclusions until she undergoes a full-body examination. I think that's enough for today's visit. Everyone, please head back and let the patient rest."

Mason gently stroked the top of my head. "Your brother found out about what happened to you. He's already bought the earliest ticket back and will arrive the day after tomorrow. If you need anything at all, let me know."

When he reached the door, he reminded the doctor, "Take good care of my wife. If any of you dare to upset her, I'll personally ensure that you vanish from the capital's medical community for good."

Mason and Sam had been through hell and back together. After their business took off, Sam took charge of the overseas operations, while Mason handled everything domestically.

Sam had entrusted Mason to look after me, but because of my relationship with Jasper, I had no choice but to keep my distance from Mason. Had I not been involved in this car accident, I could hardly imagine a day when the two of them would stand in the same room.

"You've been staring at the door this whole time. Are you really that reluctant to see him go?" Jasper's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned and realized that he had been watching me.

"I'll move into the same ward with her then. Since we have similar conditions, we might as well be treated together."