Chapter 2

After three days of recovery, once I was discharged from the hospital, Eden brought me to the most luxurious bridal boutique in the city.

I stood before the floor-to-ceiling mirror wearing a custom-made wedding gown worth six figures.

The delicate lace covered the bruises along my collarbone, but it could not hide the purple marks around my wrists left behind by the kidnapping.

Eden stood behind me, his gaze gentle.

“Summer, you look beautiful.”

At the same time, that voice echoed in my mind again.

[Fuck. A body that’s already been ruined by other men still dares wear a wedding dress? Disgusting.]

I looked at his affectionate face through the mirror and smiled faintly.

There was only four days left.

My phone vibrated inside my pocket.

I excused myself to get some water and took the chance to glance down at my phone.

The one-way ticket to Greenford had already been booked.

The departure time was the exact same moment as our wedding vows, which meant that while he stood at the wedding venue waiting for me to appear, I would already be thirty thousand feet in the air.

I slipped my phone back into my bag and turned to meet Eden’s scrutinizing gaze, immediately forcing out a nervous yet expectant smile.

“Eden, do you think I’ll trip while walking down the aisle on our wedding day?”

He smiled and pulled me into his arms. “You won’t. I’ll be waiting for you at the end.”

[Ha. Is this idiot so excited she’s about to cry?]

Excited?

Of course I should be excited.

Once I left, the system would determine the mission had failed.

Eden, the transmigrator who destroyed my life, would be erased from this world.

The moment Tiffany heard I was here trying on wedding dresses, she rushed over to try on bridesmaid gowns as well.

Her gaze lingered on me for three seconds. Her smile stiffened for an instant, and the jealousy in her eyes was so thick it was almost impossible to hide.

“Summer, this dress is gorgeous. It must’ve cost hundreds of thousands, right?”

She stepped closer and reached out to touch the hand-embroidered lace on my skirt.

Before I could even answer, Tiffany suddenly stumbled.

As she fell forward, the heel of her high heel came down hard on the hem of my gown.

Riiip!

The luxurious custom-made wedding dress ripped open from the knee with a harsh tearing sound.

The rip traveled upward, exposing a grotesque scar winding along the inside of my thigh.

It was the scar left behind after barbed wire tore through my skin in the woods.

Tiffany covered her mouth and let out a gasp.

“Oh my God, Summer, I’m so sorry! My foot slipped just now!”

Two tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes, yet the corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly.

Eden rushed over and quickly removed his suit jacket to cover the exposed scar.

He frowned and turned to Tiffany.

“How could you be so careless? What if Summer got hurt?”

[Idiot! She almost ruined everything for me!]

[What if Summer sees the scar and breaks down emotionally? What if her affection level drops and ruins my wedding plan?]

While those thoughts echoed in my mind, he cupped my face with both hands, his eyes filled with concern.

“Summer, don’t be upset with her, okay? Right now, the most important thing is our wedding.”

I nodded obediently. “Okay. I’ll go change.”

The moment I walked into the fitting room, Tiffany immediately complained to Eden in a wounded tone.

“Eden York! You jerk! You actually scolded me because of her just now! I only acted out of jealousy because of you!”

Eden quickly lowered his voice to comfort her.

“Darling, don’t be mad. Isn’t all of this for our future together? If you really like that wedding dress, I’ll have someone custom-make an identical one for you later.”

Tiffany’s spoiled, coquettish voice followed right after.

“Why would I want a style she already wore? Buy me the limited-edition one instead.”

“Alright, whatever you want.”

His voice carried blatant indulgence.

Right after that came the faint sound of a kiss.

“Once the wedding’s over and the system confirms the mission is complete, I’ll drug her that very night.

“Forty-eight hours later, she’ll become a vegetable. By then, the money will be ours, and so will her life.”

Tiffany burst into delighted laughter.

“What about the ten percent of shares under her name?”

“Tiffany, I already planned everything for you. When the time comes, it’ll all be yours.”

At that moment, I felt nothing but relief.

Every tear I could have shed for him had already run dry long ago.

What remained now was a heart even colder than his.

I took a deep breath and walked out.

Eden and Tiffany had already separated and were standing properly apart again.

My eyes were slightly red, my voice carrying the faintest tremble as I looked at Eden.

“Eden… the wedding dress is ruined. Do you think it’s a bad omen for our marriage?”

I paused, then carefully lifted my gaze.

“Maybe we… shouldn’t go through with the wedding after all?”