LOGINRussell got the hell beaten out of him by Florence's crew. He ended up with two broken ribs and a shattered nose, then was dragged into the hospital.I heard that Florence immediately served him divorce papers and forced him to walk away with nothing. In the end, he lost everything—the company, the house, and the car.The once high-and-mighty Russell had, in the blink of an eye, become a broke loser drowning in debt.My old classmate, Fletcher Woodrow, relayed all this news excitedly over the phone. But all I felt was a sense of irony.After all, the universe had a way of balancing things out.When Russell used money and power to trample over others, he probably never imagined he would end up like this.I hadn't even had a few days of peace when the doorbell rang harshly.Through the peephole, I saw Mr. Hartman with an anxious look on his face. And behind him stood Shelly, her head bowed and her face pale.She had long lost her usual polish and looked utterly wilted.I didn't
Mr. Hartman couldn't bear the merciless jeers any longer. His face darkened.Under the astonished gaze of the audience, he suddenly swung his arm and delivered a vicious slap across Shelly's face.The sharp crack of the impact cut through all the curses.The blow sent Shelly stumbling back. She clutched her cheek, stunned and utterly bewildered.Seeing this, Russell quickly stepped forward to steady her. Then, shielding her behind, he roared at me, "Emory, you snake! Just you wait—I will make you pay for this."Before he could even finish his threats, the ballroom door burst open with a bang.A group of people strode inside, led by a richly dressed, curvaceous middle-aged woman.Her expression was stormy, her gaze fixed on Russell like a knife.The second Russell saw her, all the menace drained from his face, replaced by terror. He turned deathly white, his lips quivering."Darling, what are you doing here?"I sneered inwardly. I'd already done my research and found out that
Shelly let out a sharp cry and lunged forward, snatching the phone from my hand.Before everyone's stunned eyes, she raised the phone high and hurled it onto the floor with all her strength.The phone shattered on impact, fragments scattering everywhere.Her chest heaving violently as she gasped for air, she tried to make her panic with rage.She pointed at me and snarled, "Emory, you've never been like this before! I'm so disappointed in you today! What are you trying to do? Do you even still want to get married?"I looked at the remains of my phone on the floor, then at her blustering, frightened face. Suddenly, I smiled coldly, dropping all pretense."Enough acting," I said calmly, my voice carrying through the entire ballroom. "To tell you the truth, I'm the one who had that video played just now."Those words hit like a pause button.Mr. Hartman and Mrs. Hartman stood dumbfounded, as if they didn't recognize me.Shelly and Russell looked as if they'd been struck by lightn
The entire ballroom fell into a dead silence.The applause and well-wishes from just moments before ceased abruptly. Everyone gaped at the lewd scenes on the giant screen, their ears burning at the filthy talk.The air seemed to freeze.All the blood drained from Shelly's face, and the ring fell from her fingers onto the floor with a clatter.She trembled violently, as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into a frozen wasteland. Her eyes were filled with sheer terror and despair.Russell's expression darkened instantly. His previous composure was gone, leaving only panic.He instinctively tried to step back but found himself trapped by the contemptuous stares of the surrounding guests.Mr. Hartman shot to his feet, his face ashen, and pointed a trembling finger at the screen.Mrs. Hartman let out a sob, nearly fainting.I pretended to be shocked, slowly setting down my ring and turning to look at Shelly, whose face had turned deathly pale."Honey, what exactly is going
On the drive to the hotel, Shelly seemed weighed down by her thoughts. She gazed out the window, absentmindedly fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.From the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of the black Mercedes following behind. I sneered inwardly, but my face remained calm and composed.I deliberately steered the conversation toward Russell, my tone as casual as if I were just making small talk."How's work lately? Your boss hasn't been too hard on you, has he?"Shelly stiffened slightly. Her eyes darted away, unable to meet mine."It's fine. Just so-so. All bosses are pretty much the same," she answered vaguely."Is that right?" I responded flatly, keeping my eyes on the road ahead and not pressing further.The hotel ballroom was already packed with guests, the atmosphere lively and bustling.The scent of champagne and cheerful music drifted through the air, and smiles adorned every face.Shelly was quickly surrounded by her bridesmaids, while I mingled among the gues
Mrs. Hartman tightly grasped my hand. "Emory, you're too kind! Shelly is truly lucky to be with you."I flashed them an impeccable smile.It was past 1:00 am when Shelly finally returned home, reeking of cigarettes, alcohol, and men's cologne.She kicked off her heels, her steps a little unsteady. When she saw me sitting on the sofa, she stopped."You're still awake?""I was waiting for you." I set down the book I hadn't actually been reading and said calmly, "I want to talk about getting married."She froze for a second before asking, "Why bring this up all of a sudden?""It's not really that sudden, is it? We've been together for years. I went to see your parents today, and we worked everything out."She turned around, looking surprised. "You went to my parents' place? Why didn't you tell me first?""I wanted to surprise you." I walked up to her, watching her expression change. "I told them I'd give them 1.8 million dollars as a wedding gift."Shelly's hand tightened around







