Chapter 3

Looking at the photos scattered all over the floor, I fell silent.

Mandy, on the other hand, casually picked up one of the photos as if she had discovered a priceless treasure and smiled maliciously. “Why not this one?”

It was Seth Clark, the heir to the Clark family. He had cycled through countless girlfriends since he was young and had the worst reputation in our social circle.

I lowered my eyes and nodded. “Fine.”

Ethan stared at me blankly, too stunned to move.

Mandy’s smile grew wider. “Since you’ve agreed, why don’t you marry him on the same day as we are, which is three days from now? We’ll take care of the arrangements for you. It’ll be a double celebration. How about that?”

I let out a faint smile. “Sure.”

Ignoring Ethan’s grim expression, I led Riley back into the room.

Her tiny hand gripped mine tightly. “Mommy, am I going to have a new daddy?”

I held her in silence.

Although Seth’s reputation was terrible, the Clark family had an excellent standing. In particular, his mother, Daisy Clark, was a well-known business titan. With her overseeing things, even if Seth had no feelings for me, I could find a way forward for myself and Riley’s future.

Forcing a smile, I put my hand on Riley’s head. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, then turned around and threw everything related to Ethan straight into the trash.

The next day, Mandy dragged us out to try on wedding dresses. She tried on one gorgeous gown after another, looking beautiful in all of them. Excited, she skipped over to Ethan, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.

Ethan froze for a moment and instinctively glanced at me. “That’s enough. There are other people here.”

Mandy snuggled into his arms with a smile and cast me a provocative look. “It’s fine! We’ve always been like this anyway. She’s used to it. Besides, she’s my sister. What’s there to hide? Right, Faye?”

I lowered my eyes and turned away. “That’s right. You both love each other so much. I’m happy for you both.”

In an instant, Ethan’s expression darkened. He pulled Mandy into his arms and kissed her passionately. Entangled in each other’s embrace, their breathing became ragged, and before long, muffled, breathless groans filled the room.

The store clerks quickly looked away, while I sat there, frozen in place. I could only shield Riley’s eyes tightly and cover her ears.

I had no idea how much time had passed before they finally parted, but satisfied at last, Mandy refocused her attention on me.

“Faye, you’re getting married tomorrow too. Aren’t you going to try on any wedding dresses?”

I shook my head.

I used to be the most pampered. Back when I married Ethan, I dragged him through every bridal shop in the city to try on dresses. However, I eventually learned that what matters in a marriage wasn’t the dress—it was the person.

Perhaps seeing how indifferent I was irritated Ethan, and he suddenly lost his temper. With a dark expression, he slapped a black card onto the table. “Try them on! Try every single dress in this shop until you’re satisfied!”

With that, a store clerk ushered me into the fitting room. Dress after dress, I tried them on until I was dizzy with exhaustion.

It wasn’t until I put on the final strapless gown that I frowned and said, “This isn’t my size. Bring me a smaller one.”

The store clerk’s eyes flickered nervously. “I’m sorry, we don’t have your size for this design in the store right now. We’ll cinch the waist a little tighter. Just make do with it, alright?”

I walked out in the wedding dress, holding the skirt up carefully to keep it from slipping off, when I saw Mandy give the store clerk a subtle look. I instantly snapped to alert, but I was still a step too late.

Someone stepped on the hem of my dress behind me. Losing my balance, I tumbled forward toward Ethan, and the already oversized gown tore right open, exposing a massive amount of skin.

My mind instantly went blank.