Beautiful in White

The soothing melody of Beautiful in White filled the grand hall, carried by the deep, velvety voice of a man in an elegant white suit. His heartfelt rendition of the song only added to the romantic atmosphere of the wedding, where guests were showering the newlyweds with warm congratulations.

It was a joyous occasion. A celebration of love.

But Samantha—known to her close friends as Sam—felt nothing but irritation. Her fingers curled into fists as she watched the beaming couple.

"Sam, congratulations! You’ve got yourself a new daddy—again," Lisa teased, flashing her a mischievous smile.

Samantha shot her a sharp glare. "Lis, you look way too happy about my misery."

Lisa shrugged, unfazed. "Oh, come on. You should be thrilled. Your mommy is on a roll—third wedding and counting!"

"Yeah, right. Three weddings, two divorces. If she keeps this up, I might as well start collecting the complimentary wedding souvenirs."

"That’s actually a good idea. You could get a pretty umbrella this time! Maybe a matching tea set next," Lisa quipped.

Samantha's annoyance doubled. Before she could respond, Vei appeared, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

"Girls, spill the tea," Vei raised his eyebrows.

Samantha and Lisa rushed over to Vei. They already understood that there was good news.

"What's up!" asked Lisa curiously.

"Yes... spill the tea right now!" Samantha also wanted to know what the latest gossip was.

"Sam, this time your mom has to make it work. Your new daddy is a top-tier catch," Vei declared, full of enthusiasm.

Lisa perked up, intrigued. "Wait, what do you mean? What's so special about Sam’s new daddy?"

Vei smirked. "Oh, you really wanna know?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Duh. Just spill it already."

"Depends... how much are you willing to pay for exclusive, up-to-date gossip?" Vei wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Lisa huffed in frustration before smacking the back of Vei’s head.

"Ow! Lisa, that hurt!" Vei whined, rubbing the sore spot.

"Then quit messing around and tell us!" Lisa scolded.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Vei finally revealed,

"Alright, alright! Samantha’s new daddy is Nicholas Cooper—the billionaire. Your mom’s got some serious skills, Sam. She always lands herself the richest man."

"Are you guys done yet? Come on, keep making fun of me. Don't stop now-it'll be embarrassing if I hold back," Sam grumbled as he crossed his arms. "Are you both my friends or my enemies?"

Lisa chuckled. "Oh, relax, Samantha Peter—oops, I mean, Samantha Cooper now. Look at your mom. She’s glowing with happiness."

Samantha followed Lisa’s gaze, watching Ursula—the radiant bride—smiling blissfully beside her latest husband. Lisa was right. Her mother did look happy.

"See, Sam? There’s no need to be so upset. Honestly, you should be proud. Your mom is high in demand," Vei added with a serious expression. "Meanwhile, Lisa and I? Our moms only ever got married once."

Samantha scowled again. Lisa groaned, shutting her eyes in frustration. She had almost calmed the girl down, but Vei had just ruined it.

"Sam, I really hope this is your mom’s final wedding," Lisa said, nudging Vei sharply before shooting her a pointed look. "And we didn’t mean to bully you."

Vei blinked, confused by Lisa’s glare. What did I do this time?

Sam sighed. "I know, I know. Maybe I’m just too sensitive."

"Sorry, Sam. But honestly? Every time I hand out your mom’s wedding invitation, my mom bombards me with questions—‘Wait, Samantha’s mom is getting married again?’ Then it’s ‘When did she even get divorced this time?’ And of course, ‘So, who’s the rich guy this time?’ I swear, I can never keep up," Vei recounted dramatically.

Lisa and Sam burst into laughter.

"See? Now you understand how I feel. And yet, you both keep teasing me," Sam giggled.

"Hehehe… Anyway, Sam, isn’t that your new stepbrother?" Vei suddenly pointed at a strikingly handsome young man across the hall.

Sam and Lisa followed her gaze.

"Yeah, that’s Nick Cooper," Sam confirmed.

"Technically, he’s my younger stepbrother. But we’re only a few months apart. I’m older, so that makes him the baby brother."

Vei hummed, staring at Nick with growing interest. "Hmm… he’s hot. Sam, can I have him?" She batted her eyelashes dramatically.

Lisa snorted. "Vei, please. You fall for every good-looking guy you see."

"This time, I swear I’ll be loyal! Imagine me as your sister-in-law, Sam. Wouldn’t that be amazing?" Vei gushed.

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Vei. Long-distance relationships aren’t your thing, and Nick lives halfway across the world."

"Distance doesn’t matter when two hearts are meant to be together!" Vei argued.

"Yeah, yeah. Spoken like a true hopeless romantic. But let’s be real—Nick’s in Asia, and you’re here in America. That’s an entire ocean between you two," Sam pointed out.

Vei pouted. "Geez, way to crush my dreams before I even get started."

Samantha turned her attention back to Nick. Vei wasn’t wrong—he was handsome. Tall, well-dressed, and effortlessly cool.

If they weren’t step-siblings, maybe…

"Sam, don’t you think your mom and Nicholas make a stunning couple?" Lisa asked, admiring the newlyweds. "Your mom still looks gorgeous, and Nicholas is quite the catch."

"Oh, they’re perfect for each other—perfectly suited for serial marriage." Samantha scoffed. "My mom’s been married three times, and Nicholas? Five. It’s like they’re competing to see who can rack up the most exes. Seriously, at their age, shouldn’t they be settling down instead of acting like lovesick teenagers?"

Lisa and Vei erupted into laughter, while Sam sulked, her annoyance resurfacing.

And just like that, her two best friends continued teasing her, completely entertained by her misery.