Before Our Wedding, He Married Her First

Six days before her wedding, Evelyn Walker watches her fiancé of eight years, Julian Harper, legally marry Sophie, the "adopted sister" he grew up with. Although Sophie has always called him her brother, the two share no blood relation and were never legally adopted as siblings. That very night, Evelyn cancels her own wedding and reopens an eighteen-month documentary project she had previously put on hold. While sorting out their shared finances, Evelyn discovers that the townhouse she paid an $180,000 down payment on has already had half of its ownership transferred to Sophie. Julian tries to fix the situation by promising to return Evelyn's money and continue with their wedding. But then he reveals an even greater betrayal: he has agreed to be considered as Sophie's known sperm donor and has already scheduled genetic screening. Evelyn turns the financial dispute over to her attorney and moves out of their apartment. Julian does not realize that she has already canceled the wedding and left Seattle until he contacts the wedding planner to confirm the final ceremony arrangements. Only then does he begin returning her money, canceling the fertility screening, and moving forward with ending his marriage to Sophie. Desperate to hold on to her status as Julian's wife, Sophie publicly releases footage of their Las Vegas wedding and admits that she had researched the legal marriage process before the trip. The scandal causes Julian's CEO succession review to be suspended. Julian publicly accepts responsibility for his choices, but it is already too late to win Evelyn back. In the months that follow, Julian gradually untangles the marriage, property, and emotional boundaries he should have established long ago. Meanwhile, Evelyn rebuilds her career in Botswana, where she grows closer to Noah Bennett, a wildlife cinematographer who respects her choices instead of making them for her.Eighteen months later, Evelyn returns home with an award-winning documentary.