Chapter 3

I pushed myself up from the floor and smoothed my clothes with a cold, defiant expression.

Yves stepped toward me, his gaze sharp and commanding.

"Lucy, I want you to kneel and apologize to Nina for bullying her."

I stared at him, stunned, fury straining at the edge of my composure. Of course—they were such good friends. Always demanding that others kneel. Did they really think they were gods?

My lips curled in a mocking smile.

"Yves, I am your fiancée. You want me to kneel before your friend? Don't you care about your own dignity? We may not have much affection between us, and you clearly side with Nina, but I am not someone you can order around like a servant. And besides, I'm not the one at fault. Why should I apologize?"

At that, Yves's anger doubled. The air thickened under the weight of his presence.

"Even if you're not at fault, you'll still apologize. This marriage exists only because your parents begged for it."

I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

He gave a cold, gritted laugh. "Stop pretending, Lucy. Everyone knows you're desperate for me—so desperate you'd die to marry me. But I can't even look at you without disgust."

I clenched my fists and drew a sharp breath, denying him flatly. "That's impossible. We met through a blind date. I'm not so desperate that I must marry you."

His voice dropped, heavy with weary finality. "Don't lie. If becoming heir to the family didn't require me to marry you, I'd never give up the woman I truly love."

As he said it, his apologetic gaze shifted toward Nina.

At last, I understood. They were in love… and I was the interloper.

What a ridiculous farce. Had I known he already had someone he loved, I wouldn't have wasted a single glance on him.

"If you don't like me, then don't marry me," I said.

The staff nearby chimed in at once.

"You should be grateful you can marry Yves. Don't be ungrateful."

"Just yield and apologize, then this ends."

"If the wedding falls apart, you'll regret it forever."

I rubbed my temples, exasperated by their hypocrisy.

After a pause, I spoke the truth, so no one could accuse me of shamelessness again.

"Yves, I chose to marry you because you seemed decent. But clearly, I was wrong. I don't have to marry you, and this engagement doesn't need to continue."

The onlookers gasped.

"What? She really doesn't want to marry him?"

"She's pretending, right?"

"Impossible! Yves is perfect. Which woman wouldn't want him?"

"With the Laurent family's wealth and power, she'd never want for anything. She must be a fool."

"Young lady, why not endure this and apologize first? Get the marriage secured, then worry later. A woman without a man can't have much of a future."

Their words left me speechless. What twisted values.

So what if Yves was exceptional? To me, he wasn't. I had simply been blind. And I had never relied on any man for survival.

I had only agreed to this marriage to put my parents at ease. Now that I saw the truth, it seemed wiser to cut my losses.

Yves sneered, unconvinced.

"Lucy, kneel and apologize to Nina, or the wedding is off."

I met his eyes. "Then call it off."

Shock flickered across his face, his expression turning dark. When he realized my determination wasn't a bluff, a trace of helplessness clouded his eyes.

Nina, however, was radiant with joy. Clutching his arm tightly, her voice brimmed with expectation.

"Yves, she doesn't want to marry you. You don't have to marry her anymore."