Chapter 4

"Boys, this chick is a real piece of work! She cheats before the wedding and still has the nerve to show up!"

"Poor Young Master Shaw, he's been played for a fool for five whole years!"

"Good on that bridesmaid for exposing her true colors!"

"Mark my words, folks - anyone who marries a tramp like her is in for a world of hurt!"

I stared at the barrage of insults, my heart now numb to it all.

Five years of love, and this is how it ends.

I picked up a pair of scissors from nearby and began cutting away at the wedding dress's hem:

"Are you satisfied now?"

Suddenly, she snatched the scissors and started cutting her own dress too. She even deliberately scraped her calf, drawing a thin line of blood.

She tossed the scissors aside and ran out crying:

"Kael, I was just trying to be nice by letting Faye change into some clothes so she could join us at the VIP table. But she tried to stab me and ruined the wedding dress you gave me!"

I watched her performance with a blank expression, finding it both familiar and laughable.

She'd pulled this act countless times, and it always worked on Kael.

In the past, he would scold me for not getting along with his "bro," and then give me the cold shoulder.

I loved him and didn't want Scarlett to win, so I'd always be the first to apologize and make amends.

For five long years, I've lost count of how many times I've had to swallow my pride.I've questioned myself countless times about whether Kael is truly worth all this love.

Yet every time I start to give up, he doubles down on his affection, spoiling me until I lose all sense of direction.

Sure enough, when Kael saw the tattered wedding dress on Faye, his eyes turned to me as cold as if I were dead.

"Faye, haven't you made enough of a scene?"

He snarled in my ear through gritted teeth:

"I never imagined you'd hook up with Caelan but still can't let go of me. How about this - you can be my mistress the same way you are for Caelan. As long as you satisfy me properly, we can go back to how things were before..."

Rage exploded within me and I slapped him hard across the face.

"Get lost!"

Kael didn't seem angry about being hit, but Scarlett was devastated.

She and Mrs. Shaw immediately wanted to have me thrown out, but Kael stopped them.

"Faye, since you came to sincerely apologize, why not stay and drink a toast to Scarlett and me before you go?"

Mrs. Shaw was the first to object:

"Why keep this bad omen around?"

Scarlett's eyes were full of jealous hatred, but she knew that Kael, now radiating an icy aura, had made up his mind.She cozied up to Mrs. Shaw, arm-in-arm, and playfully whined:

"Mom, just let her stay for dinner. We don't want people saying the Shaw family is so cheap they won't even treat her to a wedding toast!"

Though Mrs. Shaw found me an eyesore, Scarlett's "Mom" melted her heart, and she agreed with a beaming smile.

I sat at the VIP table, tightly gripping my numb hands. The dried wounds reopened, fresh blood dripping through my fingers. Drip, drip, drip – like my battered heart bleeding out.

Everything around me became irrelevant. All I could hear was Scarlett's smug laughter and see Kael's cold gaze.

The staff quickly brought out pre-prepared items, swiftly transforming the wedding venue into Kael and Scarlett's newlywed banquet.

On the screen, their sweet video replaced my cheating photos. Each frame was like a knife, stabbing deep into my heart.

In the video, Scarlett beamed radiantly while Kael tenderly held her shoulders. They looked like a match made in heaven.

And I? I was just a joke.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my phone and replied to Caelan's message from this morning:

"Come to the wedding venue. Take me away."The message had barely been sent when Caelan replied almost instantly:

"Almost there, wait for me."

I closed my phone and looked up at the stage.

Scarlett was holding Kael's arm, her face beaming with happiness as she accepted everyone's blessings.

The emcee announced loudly:

"Will the bride and groom please exchange rings!"