Chapter 1

I was known all throughout high society as the perfect, obedient daughter. Suitors lined up at my door in droves, yet I insisted on marrying Grayson Thatcher, whose family fortune had crumbled, all because of a promise we made when we were young.

I thought we would be partners building a life together, but he fell deeply in love with his childhood sweetheart, a girl who spent her days running wild.

The night before our wedding, he went street racing with her and they both got arrested, causing him to miss the ceremony entirely. The scandal made it everywhere.

On New Year's Eve, he left me to organize the family banquet alone while he ran off with his childhood sweetheart to some crowded plaza. To see a different display of fireworks, they set fire to balloons people had released into the sky and triggered a massive blaze.

Once again, I exhausted every connection I had to get him out of the mess.

I cleaned up 999 of his reckless mistakes and kept the Thatcher family's business afloat, making sure he could live without a care in the world. I thought that eventually, he would at least remember some small part of what we meant to each other.

Yet when I fell critically ill and needed a heart transplant, he took the only available donor heart and gave it to his childhood sweetheart instead.

That was the first time I broke down and demanded answers.

He stared at me, cold and unmoved.

"You have the nerve to ask me that? If you hadn't forced yourself on me, I would've gotten together with Maeve years ago. You're as stiff as an old lady. How could you ever compare to someone like her? She's full of life.

"I've let you play Mrs. Thatcher for over a decade. I was more than generous. Maeve is going to be my wife now. When she dies, we'll be buried together. You won't even get that much."

I died consumed by bitterness and rage. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the matchmaking event.

I picked up the marriage proposal the Thatchers had sent and tore it to pieces. Then, I reached for the one from the wealthiest family in the room and smiled.

"Dad, if I have to get married anyway, I might as well marry the man with the most money and power."

Chapter 1

"But you two had an arranged engagement since childhood. Besides, the Thatchers saved my life once. If we break off the engagement now when they're down on their luck, what will people think of me? What will they think of our family?"

I listened to Dad's troubled murmuring. The pain of death still lingered in my body. I rubbed my aching head, about to speak, when a loud voice suddenly blared through a megaphone outside.

"Calla Finley, your fiancé raped me. Are you going to do something about this or not?"

Dad's expression changed instantly.

I steadied myself. I did not need to guess who was making a scene at our door. It was Grayson Thatcher's beloved, Maeve Keller.

That familiar voice instantly pulled me back into the tangled relationships of my past life.

For the sake of repaying a debt and some careless promise I had made to Grayson as a child, I married him as planned after his family fell from grace. I became the perfect wife. I turned a deaf ear to his affairs and wild nights out. I managed both our home life and career, ensuring he lived in luxury and comfort.

In the end, all I got in return was his furious roar, blaming me for destroying his love. He watched me die from illness without flinching.

Now that I had gotten a second chance at life, I refused to make the same mistakes.

"Dad, don't worry. I'll handle this without giving anyone reason to gossip."

I had fully repaid his family's debt to us in my last life, though no one in this life knew that yet. I would make sure everyone knew exactly how shameless they were.

I stood and walked slowly toward the door. A small crowd had already gathered outside the villa.

Grayson was holding onto Maeve, coaxing her in a low voice, "Rape? We're just two people who love each other. Baby, stop making a scene. Be good and let's go home."

Maeve wore barely anything, practically draped in scraps of fabric. She pointed at the red marks on her skin and screamed hysterically, "You're about to get married, and you're still entangled with me. If that's not rape, what is? I'm getting justice today, one way or another.

"If Calla won't deal with this, I'll go to the police. Let's see where you rich people can hide your faces then."

The neighbors started whispering and pointing when they saw me step outside.

Grayson turned to me like I was his savior. He grabbed my hand and begged, "Look, Maeve's really upset. This will make both our families look bad. Why don't we postpone the wedding? I'll calm her down first, then we can set a new date.

"You're so understanding. You'll think of the bigger picture and agree to this, right?"

Even though I had heard these shameless words in my previous life, they still made me feel stifled and furious. He created this mess himself, yet he expected me to bear the consequences and compromise.

He even wanted to delay our engagement just to appease his mistress. It was absolutely absurd.

I might be obedient and considerate, but I was not a fool.

In my past life, I did not give in to Grayson's unreasonable demands. Instead, I suppressed the scandal and prepared to pay Maeve off to make her disappear. It was because I did not listen to him that Grayson felt humiliated.

He pretended to go along with it, but the night before our wedding, he deliberately went street racing with Maeve and got arrested, making sure everyone knew about it. That was the first time he tried to intimidate me. Over the next decade of marriage, there were countless more attempts just like it.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the discomfort in my body. I replied coolly, "Fine."

I did not tell him that the engagement would not be postponed. It would be cancelled.

Since he loved Maeve so much, in this life, I would grant them their star-crossed romance.

Chapter 2

Seeing that I had agreed, Grayson finally showed a pleased expression. He came closer and whispered to me, "Don't worry. You're obedient, sensible, and the perfect match for my status. Only you are worthy of being my wife.

"Maeve comes from nothing and has a wild temper. She's only fit to be a mistress. She'll never be able to threaten your position as Mrs. Thatcher."

In my past life, he had said the exact same thing. Mom had also advised me that all men were like this, especially wealthy men. Expecting them to be faithful was impossible. Dad had women on the side too, but he knew his limits and always prioritized our family.

Hence, I endured it again and again. Like some traditional matriarch, I tolerated his endless parade of women, cleaned up his mess, and single-handedly built up the Thatcher family's business so that he had enough money to squander.

What I got in return were countless cold, lonely nights eating reheated leftovers by myself, birthdays that were never remembered, and hospital stays during illness without my other half by my side.

I had thought about divorce, but the moment that idea surfaced, Mom personally crushed it.

"If a man doesn't come home, it's because you're not doing enough. You're not being understanding enough. Don't worry. He's just young right now, so he likes those wild, crazy women out there. When he's older, he'll understand how important a good wife is."

I waited and endured. I never got those better days. Instead, I ended up with a terminal illness.

My obedience earned me his resentment, his complaints that I was boring, and the declaration that I did not even deserve to be buried beside him.

The qualities I took pride in became reasons for him to trample on me. The business I had worked so hard to build ended up benefiting the adulterous pair instead.

What a ridiculous life.

Grayson turned toward Maeve.

"Alright, babe. The engagement's postponed. Are you satisfied now? All these people are watching. Can we stop making a scene?"

However, Maeve had no intention of backing down. She stared at the bracelet around my wrist and pouted in dissatisfaction.

"But you're still going to marry her eventually. You think throwing me this scrap is enough? What am I, a beggar? I want that bracelet! Otherwise, I'm not dropping the rape charge. You'll end up in jail either way, and then you won't be able to get married at all!"

I raised an eyebrow, covered the bracelet with my other hand, and stepped back warily. "This is the only thing my grandmother left me."

Grayson sighed and pulled Maeve aside to comfort her for a while. She still refused to compromise, shouting loudly and drawing an even bigger crowd. His anger flared instantly, though not at Maeve. He turned on me instead.

"People can't come back from the dead. It's just a bracelet. Give it to her! Do you have to push Maeve to make a scene and embarrass both our families before you're happy?"

It was his mess, and Maeve was the one causing the scene. I had done absolutely nothing wrong. Yet he was trying to pin all the blame on me and force me to hand over my grandmother's keepsake.

Absolutely not.

When Grayson saw that I would not give it up, he reached out and grabbed it.

I had not expected him to resort to force in front of everyone. Before I could react, he yanked the bracelet off my wrist roughly. A sharp pain shot through my arm. When I looked up, I saw Grayson gently cradling Maeve's hand, carefully slipping the bracelet onto her wrist as if he was afraid of hurting her.

In my memory, he was always rough and reckless. Only with Maeve did he become tender and careful. That was what it looked like to truly love someone. He instinctively protected her and cherished her.

In my past life, even until my death, I had still been hoping that my obedience and understanding would earn me even a sliver of that love.

I shook my head to clear away those thoughts and moved forward to snatch the bracelet back. "Give me back what's mine!"

I had barely gotten close when Maeve pretended to twist her ankle. With a theatrical cry, she fell toward the ground, deliberately slamming the hand wearing the bracelet down hard.

The sharp sound of something shattering cut through the noise distinctly. The air went silent for a moment.

I stared at the bracelet that had been broken into three pieces. My heartbeat stopped.

My grandmother had raised me since I was little. Before she passed, she was most worried about me, so she gave me her most precious and valuable possession. Yet I had failed to protect it.

Maeve made an exaggerated show of shock, but her eyes glinted with cunning. "Oops, I broke it by accident. You won't blame me for that, will you, Calla?"

That provocative tone and those mocking eyes completely ignited the rage that had been building inside me. Thinking back on all the humiliation I had suffered at her hands in both my past and present lives, I could no longer maintain my composure.

I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Chapter 3

The sharp sound rang out, and the entire scene fell into dead silence. Everyone's eyes turned to me. No one had expected that I, who had been taught from childhood to always be gentle and graceful, would publicly strike someone.

Grayson had not expected it either. He froze in place, staring at me blankly.

Seeing this, Maeve immediately became indignant. "He raped me, and now, his fiancée hits me too! I can't live like this. I might as well die!"

She clutched her injured cheek and moved as if to throw herself against the wall. She looked resolute, but her movements were slow and deliberate. Her eyes kept darting toward Grayson as she waited for his reaction.

The acting was terrible, but Grayson could not see through it at all. He rushed over anxiously to hold her and comfort her, promising to give her justice.

I bent down and picked up the broken pieces of the bracelet one by one. My finger was cut by a sharp edge, and bright red blood dripped onto the floor—as my heart had been for years.

Grayson did not notice the blood on the ground or the wound on my hand. He shoved me hard. "Calla Finley! You actually hit someone! Look at yourself. Where's the refined lady you're supposed to be? You're nothing but a shrew!

"Besides, Maeve was wearing it just fine. If you hadn't charged out and scared her into falling, the bracelet wouldn't have broken. Instead of reflecting on your own actions, you resorted to violence. You call yourself a socialite? Even a common woman has more sense than you!"

After ranting at me, Grayson scooped Maeve up in his arms and carried her toward my house.

The onlookers stared at me with varying expressions. Some pitied me, others looked gleeful, and a few just seemed entertained. The humiliation was unprecedented, as if I had been stripped naked for everyone to gawk at.

I clenched my fists. The shards from the bracelet dug deep into my flesh.

All my life, I had done everything perfectly, never displeasing anyone. I was always the one being praised and complimented.

Yet now, when I was simply defending my own rights, he made me out to be the unreasonable one!

…

Back inside the house, Grayson held an ice pack and gently pressed it against Maeve's face. His brows were deeply furrowed with worry, as if she had contracted some serious illness.

While tending to her, he shot me a venomous look.

"Look what you did. You've ruined her beautiful face. Aren't you going to apologize to her?"

My whole body trembled.

He truly pampered Maeve to the extreme. Maeve was slapped for provoking me, which was exactly what she deserved. Yet not only did Grayson humiliate me in public, but he was also forcing me to apologize.

Years ago, when I was six months pregnant and one of his drinking buddies kicked me and caused me to miscarry, he showed no sympathy. Instead, he blamed me for being incompetent and failing to protect his child.

What was more, before I had even finished recovering from the loss, he forced me to apologize to that friend. His reason was that the sight of all that blood had given the man nightmares for nights on end, so I owed him an apology.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the resentment in my chest. I gathered the bloodstained fragments without acknowledging either of them.

Maeve raised her eyebrows with exaggerated magnanimity, acting as if she were above such petty disputes. She said softly, "Forget it. It's all my fault anyway, right? After all, I broke the bracelet first, so I deserved to be hit."

She said it casually, but Grayson immediately frowned and scoffed. "Even if you did break it, you did nothing wrong. Wearing jewelry from dead people is morbid anyway. It's better that it broke. She had no right to hit you, no matter what.

"Calla, apologize right now. Otherwise, this wedding is off. Someone with no manners has no place in the Thatcher family!"

Maeve was thrilled at the prospect of Grayson calling off the engagement. Her eyes gleamed with cunning as she said, "Forget it, Grayson. You two have been engaged since childhood. If you break it off, it'll hurt your reputation.

"I just need her to apologize. That's all. But I'm not someone who accepts cheap gestures. A few empty words won't cut it. Unless… Calla, you agree to let me and Grayson have a wedding. No, wait. I want you to plan it yourself."

Maeve's brows lifted slightly, her eyes bright. Her bold, uninhibited demeanor was fatally attractive to Grayson, who had been raised under strict rules his whole life. His eyes were filled with affection as he cupped Maeve's face and smiled.

"Our engagement is only a verbal promise. I don't care about it at all. But you're so thoughtful, always considering what's best for me. I can't ignore that."

He turned to look at me, his gaze gradually turning cold. "Do as Maeve says. You'll still have the title of Mrs. Thatcher anyway, so you're not losing out. Maeve has been with me without any recognition or status. The least she deserves is a wedding."

As soon as he said that, the room erupted. Even Dad, who had been silent until now, changed his expression.

"Grayson Thatcher, even if your family did me a favor once, you can't bully my daughter like this. Making her plan a wedding for you and your mistress? Do you have no decency? I'm telling you, my daughter will never..."

Just as Dad was about to reveal that I had chosen someone else, I raised my hand to stop him.

"Dad, don't. I'll do it. Not only will I plan it, but I'll even make sure it's a grand, spectacular affair."

Chapter 4

Maeve had initially assumed I would refuse such an absurd condition. She was ready to use it as an excuse to pressure me into breaking off the engagement myself. When I agreed to plan the wedding, she thought I was desperate to marry Grayson. Her expression darkened completely.

Grayson had not expected me to accept his idea so quickly either. Pleased, he gradually smiled at me. "If you'd been this understanding from the start, none of this would've happened. Don't worry. As long as you behave and don't cause trouble, the three of us can definitely make this work."

I let out a cold laugh but did not respond. Three people could never make it work. I had no intention of repeating the same mistakes and dying miserably again.

Grayson did not care whether I responded or not. As he walked toward me, he finally noticed the injury on my hand and looked surprised. "Your hand is hurt. Why didn't you say anything? You're bleeding so much. Does it hurt?"

Before he could get any closer, Maeve immediately clutched her swollen cheek and exclaimed dramatically, "My face is injured from the hit. Will it make me look bad on the day of our wedding? Can you take me to the hospital right now to get it checked?"

Grayson's expression turned serious instantly. "You're right. That's what matters. We can't delay."

I scoffed. I had actually thought he had changed for a moment. It turned out he was just in a good mood and threw me a scrap of concern.

As if to placate me, Grayson kept reminding me to get my hand treated before he left. I did not need his nagging. I would take care of it myself.

After spending over a decade with him in my past life, I had long since grown used to licking my wounds alone. I carefully picked out the shards embedded in my flesh, then disinfected and bandaged the wound.

After enduring pain for so long, even my body had gone numb. More than the injury, the destruction of my grandmother's keepsake was what broke my heart.

I contacted people everywhere in hopes someone could repair it. Shortly after, my best friend called me back.

"Calla, I found a restoration expert. He's worked on museum pieces and can fix anything. I asked him about your bracelet, and he said it's no problem."

Hearing my friend's words, the weight on my chest finally lifted. I nearly cried with relief. "That's wonderful. I don't care how much it costs. As long as he can restore it, I'll pay anything."

My friend laughed mischievously. "He doesn't need the money. Restoration work is just a hobby for him. He's gorgeous too, six foot three and a total heartthrob. Want me to introduce you? He's way better than that scumbag Grayson Thatcher."

I gently declined.

My friend grew anxious. "You're not seriously going to marry that bastard, are you? Everyone in our circle knows about all the awful things he's done. Don't be stupid and throw yourself into that pit of fire."

It seemed the publicity campaign was working well. A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Don't worry. I've chosen a different match."

I would not waste another moment of my life on Grayson.

Just as the bracelet situation was resolved, my engagement to Emmett Harlow, the son of the wealthiest man in the country, was finalized. Both families sat together to discuss setting a date for the formal engagement. The registration of marriage and the wedding would require much longer preparation.

Emmett's mother smiled warmly. "Calla, what kind of wedding would you like?"

I smiled back. "I'm fine with anything. I'll leave it to the elders to decide."

It was just a strategic marriage anyway.

She waved her hand repeatedly. "That won't do. A wedding is one of the most important events in a person's life. Whether it's the venue or the dress, you two must genuinely love it.

"Emmett, clear your afternoon schedule and take Calla to try on wedding dresses. If she doesn't like any, we'll commission custom designs. We absolutely can't let her feel shortchanged."

I froze slightly, feeling warmth rise in my chest. In my past life, my wedding to Grayson had been rocky and half-hearted.

Grayson's mother had insisted that once I married into their family, I would be their daughter-in-law. The Thatcher company was already declining and desperately needed money. I had to economize on everything while still ensuring they did not lose their reputation in front of outsiders.

To meet their harsh demands, my family ended up covering most of the expenses.

Yet on the wedding day, Grayson still did not show up. The news of it went viral. He became the notorious playboy heir and even gained a following of young admirers.

Meanwhile, I was the one left at the wedding venue, being gossiped about. Some said I was incompetent, that I could not even control my own husband and that I was a complete failure.

Just thinking about those awful experiences made it hard to breathe.

Fortunately, I did not stay lost in those memories for long. Emmett's deep, magnetic voice pulled me back to reality.

"Is now a good time for you, Calla? We can go right away or reschedule if that's more convenient."

Chapter 5

Emmett carried himself with impeccable posture, his every movement exuding the confidence of an elite professional.

After I nodded in agreement, he escorted me out. He opened the car door for me and helped me fasten my seatbelt. Throughout the entire drive, he went out of his way to find common topics to chat about so that I would not feel awkward or bored.

My initially tense mood relaxed instantly.

"Thank you," I thanked him softly.

Emmett shook his head with a faint smile. "These are just basic courtesies. There's nothing to thank me for."

I smiled bitterly. These most basic things were what Grayson had never done for me.

The car drove smoothly, and we soon arrived at the bridal boutique. Emmett accompanied me as I tried on wedding dresses, never showing a hint of impatience.

I stood in a pristine white gown, my hair swept up elegantly. Under the lights, my flawless features took on an air of proud, distant beauty.

Emmett froze in place, staring at me with a dazed expression. There was something in his eyes I could not quite decipher.

The rest of our time together was just as pleasant.

During this period, Grayson and Maeve did not come to bother me—not until their wedding day drew near.

My assistant, Sloane Jones, placed a proposal in front of me.

"Ms. Finley, the wedding has been finalized. We're using only the best of everything, and we've hired well-known media outlets and influencers to livestream the entire event. Rest assured, the whole country will be able to watch their wedding."

I nodded in satisfaction.

Beyond making this a spectacle, the most crucial point was that I had only agreed to help plan the wedding. I never said I would pay for it.

I casually delegated the wedding arrangements to Sloane. All expenses would come out of Grayson's pocket.

Looking at the 300-square-foot flower garden and the stunning wedding venue, I could not help but smile. The venue was beautiful, and it came with an extremely high price tag.

When Grayson and Maeve arrived at the venue the next day, they were stunned by the lavishness of it all.

Grayson pulled Maeve into his arms and reassured her smugly. "Babe, look how well Calla treats you. She really knows how to play the gracious hostess. Don't worry. I'll never let anyone mistreat you."

Maeve did not look pleased. Instead, she glared at me with venom in her eyes.

She did not lash out at that moment, though. She just played along and showered me with a few hollow compliments.

The wedding ceremony began and proceeded smoothly. That was until they began displaying the couple's happy photos on the big screen. Suddenly, a high-resolution bedroom photo appeared.

All the live streams were immediately shut down. The entire venue erupted in chaos.

Maeve, who had been so carefree on stage, suddenly burst into tears and shouted at me accusingly, "Calla Finley! I should've known you wouldn't be so kind as to plan my wedding! You want to destroy my reputation! I get it now. You're still mad about the bracelet, so you decided to ruin me in revenge!"

I froze. I had not done this. I turned to Sloane, who shook her head, looking just as confused.

Before I could react, Grayson slapped me across the face and roared furiously, "Calla Finley! You're a woman too. How could you do something so vicious? Besides, the bracelet broke because you scared Maeve and made her fall. It had nothing to do with her. How dare you use that as an excuse to get revenge?"

The guests began whispering and pointing at me.

"Even if she did something wrong, this punishment is way too harsh."

"Destroying someone's reputation like this is truly evil."

Maeve sobbed even harder. "If you sent me, you could've just told me. I would've apologized and begged for your forgiveness. Why did you pretend to make peace and agree to plan our wedding, only to humiliate me like this?

"I can't live with this shame. I'll just die right now so I won't stand in the way of your love anymore!"

Maeve rushed toward the corner of a table, ready to bash her head against it. Grayson panicked and quickly grabbed her to calm her down.

When he was not looking, Maeve flashed me a triumphant smirk. Seeing that expression, I suddenly understood everything. No wonder I had not been able to defeat them in my past life. I was nowhere near as shameless or ruthless as they were.

I stood there, frozen.

Accusations echoed all around me. Those twisted faces seemed to tear apart the version of me that had always been obedient, sensible, virtuous, and gracious.

My nose began to sting, and my entire body trembled uncontrollably.

I forcibly suppressed the discomfort and spoke coldly, saying the kind of vicious words I never would have uttered before.

"You've been a mistress this whole time. You threw away your dignity ages ago. Who are you putting on this innocent act for now? Besides, I didn't post that photo. It's such a high-resolution close-up. I wasn't standing at your bedside watching you two go at it, so how could I have possibly taken it?"

Chapter 6

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire venue erupted again.

Those with functioning brains immediately noticed the discrepancy and began whispering amongst themselves.

Grayson's expression darkened. However, he was not suspicious of Maeve. Instead, he turned on me and shouted angrily, "Fine, let other people call her a mistress. But how dare you bring it up? Don't you know exactly why I'm with her in the first place?

"It's not like I never tried to love you. I wanted to hold your hand, but you pulled away and said men and women shouldn't have physical contact.

"I found a great movie I wanted to take you to see, but you coldly told me not to waste time on such pointless things and that I should focus on my studies instead.

"I gave you countless chances. You never valued any of them. You were always lecturing me. Marrying you was like marrying my mother. Suffocating and boring.

"Maeve is different. We can be spontaneous and just go wherever we want. She and I have a true connection of souls. If it weren't for the relationship between our families, why would I ever marry you and neglect her?

"You've benefited so much from this arrangement, yet you dare mistreat the woman I love most. Apologize to her right now!"

It was the same in my past life. He enjoyed the wealth I created for him, living lavishly with Maeve, carefree and unrestrained.

He never once considered that without me holding everything together, the company his father left him would have gone bankrupt long ago. He would never have had the money to live so spontaneously.

Even more than that, I handled everything in his household, from minor matters to his mother's illness.

Without me, where would he have found the time and energy to enjoy his so-called love with Maeve?

After enjoying all of that, not only did he fail to appreciate what I had done, but he even resented me for over a decade. He trampled all over the sincerity I had given him.

Even though I no longer loved him, thinking about it still filled me with grievance.

I took a deep breath and replied coldly, "You're right. I am boring, so let me do you a favor. I didn't accept your family's marriage proposal. From now on, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together."

I wanted to see if, without me propping them up and after dealing with the mundane realities of life, they could still be as loving as they were now.

Grayson froze at my words. "We've been engaged since childhood. Everyone already considers you part of the Thatcher family. If you don't marry me, who else would want you?"

A flash of disbelief crossed his eyes, along with a hint of some complicated emotion even he had not noticed.

Seeing that Grayson's attention was being diverted, Maeve could not keep up the act any longer. She tugged at his sleeve. "Grayson, she's just talking. She's trying to redirect the conversation. I saw her shopping for wedding supplies just a few days ago."

Grayson relaxed immediately and scoffed with disdain.

"Calla, you women really are full of tricks. You almost had me fooled there. Is now really the time to talk about this nonsense? We haven't even settled the matter of you exposing our bedroom photo!

"You'd better think of how you're going to apologize and make Maeve feel better. Otherwise, I really will cancel the engagement and make sure you never get married for the rest of your life!"

Seeing how shameless he was, Sloane wanted to argue back. I raised my hand to stop her. You could not reason with someone who refuses to see the truth. There was no point wasting words.

I looked at Grayson calmly.

"So, what you're saying is that whoever does something wrong needs to apologize. You think I exposed Maeve's bedroom photo and made her a laughingstock, so you're forcing me to apologize.

"But if I didn't do it, your false accusations would've caused me significant harm. Shouldn't you apologize to me as well then?"

Grayson wavered for a moment, but after glancing at Maeve, his resolve returned. "Naturally. But don't think you can use reverse psychology to make me believe you. Maeve is kind and generous. Besides you, you jealous shrew, I can't think of anyone else who would resent her enough to destroy her with such disgusting methods!"

After getting his affirmative answer, I smiled faintly. He had no idea I had hired someone to investigate the moment it happened.

I unlocked my phone and held up the evidence I had just received for him to see. "Look carefully. The person who uploaded your bedroom photo to the big screen wasn't me. It was Maeve herself."

Chapter 7

The surveillance footage clearly showed Maeve sneaking backstage and swapping out the photos with the bedroom shot of her and Grayson. To make sure everyone could see it clearly, I projected the video onto the screen.

The video was in high definition. Even the smug, sinister smile at the corner of Maeve's mouth was captured perfectly.

The entire venue erupted once again.

"What? She did it to herself? Framing Calla like that is truly vicious."

"Seriously. And she was crying and playing the victim so convincingly. Her acting really fooled all of us."

Not only did public opinion flip immediately, but even Grayson looked at Maeve in surprise. He had not expected that the kind Maeve he remembered could have such a malicious side.

Maeve was seething inside, but on the surface, she put on an aggrieved expression.

"Even you don't trust me? Fine. If that's the case, I might as well die. The person I love doesn't believe in me, so there's no point in living anyway."

Maeve suddenly started breathing rapidly, as if she could not catch her breath. Grayson panicked immediately.

"How could I not trust you? Calla arranged this wedding. This must be a trap she set up in advance. Calm down, please."

Grayson scooped her up in his arms and prepared to leave. I walked forward slowly and blocked their path. My voice was flat and emotionless.

"I've provided the evidence. Now, you two owe me an apology for your disrespect."

Hearing that, Grayson did not apologize. Instead, he grew furious. "Can't you see you've upset Maeve so much she's hyperventilating? And you still have the nerve to push this? You're going to regret being so cruel."

I was already used to his unconditional protection of Maeve. At this point, I felt nothing. I simply repeated word for word, "You make a mistake, you apologize. You just admitted that yourself. You're not going back on your word, are you?"

Grayson scoffed coldly. "Of course not. I always keep my word. But Maeve is the victim here. There's no way she would hurt herself, and she has no reason for her to do it either. You think you can force me to apologize with some AI-generated video? Dream on! Move!"

With one arm holding Maeve, he shoved me hard with his free hand and then left with her.

Caught off guard, I lost my footing and fell heavily. My elbow slammed against the edge of a table, instantly tearing a deep gash. Blood spread rapidly.

"Calla!"

Seeing me injured, everyone rushed toward me to check on my condition. Only Grayson did not stop. Instead, he quickened his pace and left.

I was taken to the hospital and received 18 stitches.

When Grayson's mother, Vivian Sterling, heard the news, she rushed over to see me. Seeing my hand wrapped in bandages, her eyes immediately reddened.

"That damned animal. He hurt you this badly and still only cares about being with that vixen instead of coming to see you. This is outrageous. I'm calling him right now to make him come here and grovel for forgiveness!"

I tried to stop her, but she was faster. The call went through instantly.

Chapter 8

The moment Grayson's voice came through, Vivian unleashed a torrent of scolding.

Watching this scene, I sighed inwardly. Before we were married in my past life, Vivian had always protected me too. I thought she was a good person who genuinely cared about me, so even though Grayson was lacking, I was willing to marry him.

I even believed that marriage was about choosing the right in-laws, and that a kind mother-in-law could make anything bearable. Slowly, I discovered I was wrong. She kept telling me to 'endure', and life gradually lost all meaning.

A mother-in-law would always be her son's mother above all else. In small matters, she might put on a show of supporting me, but when it came to anything important, she would always side with her son and criticize my faults.

"Look at what you've done to Calla!" Vivian was so distressed that she wiped away tears.

Through the video call, Grayson saw my hand wrapped in bandages. His expression froze for a moment.

Then, the sound of Maeve coughing came from beside him. Grayson snapped back to attention and scoffed coldly.

"Calla, you put Maeve in the hospital, and I haven't even come after you for it. Yet here you are, turning the tables and tattling to my mother! Besides, I barely pushed you. It's not like I stabbed you with a knife. Why are you acting like you're seriously injured?

"I get it now. You saw me taking care of Maeve while she's sick, so you're faking an injury to copy her. You think that'll make me feel sorry for you? Dream on! All you're doing is making me despise you even more.

"I was willing to look past everything and go through with the wedding, but since you're the kind of woman who makes a scene just to compete for attention, we're not having a wedding anymore.

"In seven days, once Maeve is discharged, I'll force myself to accompany you to get our marriage certificate."

With that, he hung up.

Vivian looked at me awkwardly. "That boy has been spoiled rotten by me. Don't worry, Calla. I'll go talk some sense into him.

"How can we not have a wedding? Our family may have fallen on hard times, and it's true that we can't give you a grand ceremony, but the basics are still a must. You're going to be his wife for life. We can't shortchange you."

She hurried off without giving me a chance to speak. I shook my head silently. They had no idea that in seven days, I would be getting engaged to Emmett.

My injuries looked severe, but they were all superficial. I could recover just fine at home.

The next few days, I was busy with preparations for my engagement ceremony. I had no time to worry about Grayson and Maeve.

Ironically, Grayson, who used to ignore me, kept messaging me constantly. Not with sweet words, though. Instead, he kept finding new ways to pressure me into apologizing to Maeve.

I ignored all of it.

The night before my engagement, he sent another angry text.

[Calla Finley, your avoidance is really pissing me off. I'm informing you now that we're moving our marriage registration to the afternoon. Consider it your punishment.]

I laughed and did not bother reading the rest. I turned off my phone and went to sleep.

Tomorrow was my big engagement day. It would be broadcast on the big screens around the city. I could not afford to look tired.

…

The next day, my engagement ceremony began flawlessly. Media reporters sat below, capturing my most beautiful moments.

Meanwhile, that afternoon, Grayson drove himself to the city hall with Maeve, who had insisted on coming along. Their car drove past a bustling commercial building.

At that moment, the giant screen on the building displayed my and Emmett's wedding photo.