Chapter 1

Fresh bouquets and wreaths adorned the Hudson residence. An expensive red carpet stretched all the way to the roadside.

I stood outside in silence, looking at the wedding venue before me. Was someone from Wendy Hudson's family getting married? Why keep it from me?

As I walked in, I could hear the guests talking all around me.

"Did you see her? The bride is gorgeous!"

"Yeah. I heard she just came back from abroad—basically rushed home for this. How sweet!"

"She's the eldest daughter of the Hudson family, right?"

Their whispers made me frown. Perhaps it was all a coincidence. However, when I stepped through the main doors, the host's voice stunned me in place.

"Welcome, everyone, to the wedding of Timothy and Wendy…"

The names hit me like a blow. Timothy and Wendy? Weren't they uncle and niece? How had they suddenly become bride and groom? Could it just be two people with the same names?

When the bride and groom walked out from backstage, the last of my illusions shattered.

Timothy Zuckerman and my wife, Wendy, stepped out arm in arm, looking deeply in love. The tenderness on her face turned my hands into fists. Through the roar of applause, her eyes met mine.

She instinctively tightened her grip on Timothy, who was startled by her reaction. I strode forward and landed a hard punch across his face before turning back to her.

"Hey, Wendy. Marrying into the wealthiest family in the country wasn't enough for you that you had to play house with someone else, huh?"

My voice was as cold as ice. Her face turned deathly pale. The guests around us were shocked by my sudden outburst.

"Who the heck is this? He came in and went straight to hitting the groom!"

"A lunatic for sure."

I scanned my surroundings and scoffed. "A lunatic? What's wrong with hitting the guy who stole my wife?"

My words instantly set the crowd buzzing. Everyone turned to look at Timothy with quizzical eyes.

Wendy's face darkened. She stepped in front of him and blocked my way. "I told you, Jake, we will never be! What on earth do you think you're doing, crashing my wedding?"

I hadn't even figured out what she meant when Timothy chimed in loudly. "Jake, I know you can't forget Wendy because she sponsored you, but there was never any chance between you two.

"She's always treated you like a younger brother, a poor student she needed to help. You two belong to completely different worlds."

The moment those words fell, the faces around me changed.

"Oh my gosh. A broke loser crushing on his sponsor?"

"I think so. This is why you shouldn't sponsor just anyone. Not only do you get nothing in return, but you end up with trouble!"

"Is this guy delusional? Can't he see the gap between them?"

An exasperated laugh escaped me as I witnessed just how shameless they were. To save their reputations, they actually twisted the truth.

Fine. Two could play the game.

"For God's sake, he's your uncle, Wendy! Sneaking around behind my back is one thing, but you two have the nerve to make a spectacle out of it?"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

"Wait. I thought they were childhood sweethearts. How did this turn into an uncle-and-niece wedding?"

"Seriously, incest? What's going on in rich people's world?"

"That's nonsense, Jake!" Wendy snapped. She grabbed my arm, her voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Leave right now, and I might let you walk away with some dignity."

I snorted and shook her hand off. "Maybe you should be the one worrying about your dignity."