Chapter 3

When someone is speechless to the extreme, they really will laugh.

Getting a marriage certificate with an illegitimate daughter while stepping on me.

And he still wants me to be his mistress and my son to be a bastard?

His precarious, declining Foster family would have crumbled long ago if not for the childhood engagement arranged by the older generation and the Sutton family's support.

And he still has the audacity to want the blessing of two women serving one husband while monopolizing the Sutton family's resources?

My father was so angry he laughed instead.

"The Foster family really has some nerve. After a few good years, you've forgotten what it felt like to be on the verge of bankruptcy? If that's the case, I don't mind helping you remember."

Old Mrs. Foster finally snapped out of it and hurried forward. "What on earth is going on?"

My mother pulled out that stack of photos from her bag and threw them on the table.

"What do you think, Mrs. Foster? If your precious son likes illegitimate daughters so much, why put on this show to humiliate my daughter? We won't have such shameless daughters in the Sutton family. My husband will cancel all cooperation between our families when he returns. The Foster and Sutton families should cut all ties from now on."

If the Sutton family withdrew their investment, the Foster family would be left with nothing but an empty shell and debts.

Old Mrs. Foster clutched her chest, her face instantly pale as she questioned Dominic repeatedly.

"Tell me, what have you done?"

Before Dominic could speak, Serena ran out wearing a bright red robe.

She fell to her knees in front of me with a thud, crying pitifully.

"Miranda, it's all my fault. I couldn't control my feelings and made such a foolish mistake. But Dominic and I are already together now. If you keep making a scene, you'll embarrass the Sutton family. Even if you won't consider me, don't you care about the Sutton family's reputation?"

She called her own despicable shamelessness "uncontrollable feelings" and called my seeking justice "not caring about family reputation."

She really was shameless to the extreme.

I laughed coldly. "You mean you drugged me, stole my marriage, and entered my bridal suite, and just by asking about it, I'm embarrassing the Sutton family?"

I deliberately raised my voice, exposing all her ugly deeds.

"If you really liked Dominic, why didn't you tell me earlier? I don't have to marry him. Why wait until our families' wedding day to pull this lowly stunt? Who's really trampling the Sutton family's reputation underfoot? Or do you not care about the Sutton family at all and just want to steal what's mine?"

Serena's face went pale, her eyes evasive. "I... I didn't. I truly love Dominic."

All the guests at the reception were shrewd people. Her sordid thoughts were crystal clear to everyone.

"Using every vile method and still calling it true love. An illegitimate daughter who doesn't even see if she's worthy."

"If this were my daughter, I'd drag her home and beat her to death. Stealing her sister's husband—such a disgusting thing to do. Who knows what else she might do to destroy the whole family later."

Some people even turned their criticism directly on Dominic.

"Dominic's greed is really ugly too. Already slept with the shameless illegitimate daughter but still has the audacity to try to make the legitimate daughter his mistress. Isn't it just because he can't let go of the resources behind the legitimate daughter? Wanting both—treating the legitimate daughter and the Sutton family like fools. I'm too disgusted to even say those words out loud."

Old Mrs. Foster was thoroughly humiliated, trembling all over with rage. She slapped Dominic hard across the face.

"You unfilial son! Kneel down right now and apologize to your father and mother-in-law, and promise to get your marriage certificate with Miranda immediately."

She took a few steps toward me, trying to hold my hand, but I deftly avoided her.

Her face stiffened for a moment before filling with flattery again.

"Miranda, you've been wronged. Whatever you want, Dominic will agree to it. Rest assured, this kind of thing will never happen again."

Dominic covered his face, his resentful eyes boring into me viciously, as if I were the one who'd ruined his good thing.

He didn't feel at all that I was the biggest victim in today's events.

"Mom, I only love Serena in this lifetime. I'll only marry her. Miranda Sutton is arrogant and domineering, just a useless woman who bullies people relying on the Sutton family. If I marry her, she'll drag down the entire Foster family. The position of Mrs. Foster can only belong to Serena."

"If she's sensible, for Mr. Sutton's sake, I'll give her a child. But I'll take the child to be raised by Serena. If she's not sensible, just wait to be despised and scorned by everyone in the city. Let's see who dares to take in a woman rejected by the Foster family!"