Chapter 3

The wedding dress? Our new place?

I let out a hollow laugh. I had almost ruined my eyesight by hand-stitching that dress, all so I could marry Cameron.

After Cameron and I got engaged, our parents had pooled our money to buy that apartment. But from the day of our engagement until now, I had never once set foot inside.

Cameron had told me I would always be the apple of his eye, and that I didn't need to stress over trivial things like renovations.

But it wasn't until I stood in front of the new apartment and saw Marissa's belongings filling every corner of it that I realized just how empty those words had been. "Gwen, you're here. Come in and have a seat."

Marissa opened the door like she owned the place, even thoughtfully pouring me a glass of warm water. With a weak, tight-lipped smirk, I threw the wedding dress on the floor. "Here's what you wanted."

I turned to Cameron. "When are you transferring the money?"

Cameron gave a soft scoff, his tone dripping with contempt. "What's the rush? Once Mari is satisfied, the money will hit your account."

I watched helplessly as Marissa took the dress I'd spent seven years designing and slipped it on.

The moment she walked out of the bedroom, Cameron's eyes lit up in absolute awe.

He couldn't help stepping forward. "Mari, you look beautiful. This dress looks like it was tailor-made for you."

They kissed right in front of me as if I didn't exist in my house, with her wearing the wedding dress I had painstakingly designed.

Even though I already knew they were together, seeing this in person still made my eyes burn. And before I knew it, my hands were wet with tears.

"Oh."

A loud ripping sound suddenly echoed through the room. The wedding dress on Marissa split apart piece by piece, falling to the floor like paper.

Marissa covered her chest in embarrassment, rushing back into the room.

Cameron shot me a vicious glare before chasing after her.

Sobs came from the room, and a moment later, Cameron stormed out in a rage. He slapped me hard across the face.

"Gwendolyn, how can you be so vicious? Are you trying to humiliate Mari at her own wedding?"

My cheek stung, and inside it felt like my heart was rotting away.

Without looking at him, I knelt down, picked up the shredded pieces of my dress off the floor piece by piece, and shoved them into my bag.

I got up and looked at Cameron with a calm expression. Then, I said in an icy voice, "Marissa had been holding onto this wedding dress the entire time."

Cameron hit me again. "Even now, you're still trying to slander Mari? What kind of woman would ever treat her own chastity as a joke? Only someone as filthy as you has no respect for her own reputation."

His casual words struck my heart like a sledgehammer.

I stared at him in disbelief, my voice rising. "Cameron Finch, if my father hadn't helped your family back then, you and your mom would still be out there digging through trash."

Back when Agnes first came to this unfamiliar city alone with Cameron, it was my parents who supported them, helped Agnes find work, and got Cameron enrolled in school.

When Cameron couldn't afford tutoring, my parents paid for it as well.

All these years, my family never once held it over their heads, but the Finch family never once offered to repay the favor either.

For a split second, a look of shame crossed Cameron's face.

But his eyes instantly turned as cold as ice as he looked at me. "Gwendolyn, if my mom hadn't wanted to repay the favor, do you really think she would have agreed to the marriage?

"With your family's current situation, do you really think you're worthy of me? I already said I'll give you the money. Now get out. Right now!"

As I made my way downstairs while fighting back the tears, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Mom. "Gwen, your father is going into surgery. Did you get the money from Cameron? Listen to me. Apologize to him properly. Your father's life is on the line."

I gripped my phone tightly, but the tears wouldn't stop falling.

Gritting my teeth, I called Cameron in the end. "What exactly do I have to do for you to lend me the money?"

Cameron said nothing for a moment. He then answered in a cold and unyielding tone, "Come back upstairs. Get on your knees and apologize to Mari."

My tears completely dried up right then, leaving my eyes raw and stinging. A weak smile appeared on my face, and after a long silence, I said, "Fine."