Chapter 5

On the day of the wedding, the hotel was covered in white roses.

Lucas had once promised that when we got married, he would give me the grandest wedding in the entire city.

He had honored his promise, only for another bride.

I changed into my staff uniform, washed the blood from the corner of my mouth with cold water, and walked into Sally’s bridal suite.

She jumped when she saw my face.

“You look like a corpse!”

“Didn’t sleep well last night.”

I helped adjust her veil, then fastened the pearly buttons down the back of her gown.

By the time I was done, my fingertips had lost all sensation.

The wedding march began to play outside.

Lucas had come to pick up the bride.

The moment the door opened, his eyes caught the blood stain on my cuff.

“What’s that about?”

I lowered my head and rolled the sleeve up.

“Some lipstick rubbed off.”

Sally immediately linked her arm through his.

“Come on babe. The ceremony’s about to start.”

Lucas stared at me for a few seconds, his voice dropping coldly.

“Don’t start anything today.

“Once the wedding’s over, we’ll talk about you faking an illness.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Alright.”

He escorted Sally past me.

From start to finish, he didn’t look back once.

The banquet hall doors slowly closed.

The applause and wishes were muffled behind them.

I leaned against the wall, making my way toward the staff exit.

Scarcely had I taken a few steps when an agonizing pain erupted deep in my core.

Blood gushed from my mouth.

I pressed the elevator button as my body slid down to the floor.

The venue staff rushed over almost immediately.

“We need to get her to the hospital at once. This looks really bad!”

One of them took over my phone.

At the very top of the recent contact list was Lucas.

When the call came through, he was about to walk up to the stage with Sally.

His assistant held the phone to his ear, saying in a lowered voice:

“Mr. Brooks, Sophia collapsed in the back hall and is coughing up blood.

“The staff says her condition is critical and she might need you to sign off.”

He fell silent for a few seconds.

“First a fake report, now a fake collapse.

“She’s even involving others in her act this time.”

The coldness in his eyes deepened.

“Get her outta here.

“I don’t want her ruining the wedding venue.”

The call was disconnected.

The sound of applause rang out immediately after.

Lucas and Sally walked hand in hand down the red carpet to the stage.

Meanwhile, a hotel staff was frantically giving me CPR.

“Miss, can you hear me?”

I couldn’t open my eyes.

Only the faint, muffled sound of wedding music remained in my ears.

I wanted to tell him there was no need for the effort.

My cremation niche was already paid for, and I had nothing left to hold on to.

Inside the banquet hall, the host was inviting the groom to kiss the bride.

Amidst the gaze of countless onlookers, Lucas lowered his head and kissed Sally.

The ambulance arrived just in time, and the staff and medics rushed me aboard.

At 12:17, they stopped the resuscitation efforts.

A white sheet covered my face.

Inside my bag, the staff found the cremation niche receipt, the diagnostic report, and a gift box.

When the gift box was delivered to Lucas, he was busy toasting guests with Sally.

“Mr. Brooks, this was left behind by Sophia.”

He glanced at it, looking impatient.

“Throw it away.”

The assistant didn’t dare move.

Lucas frowned. “Where is she?”

“She... passed away.”

Lucas let out an icy sneer.

“You’re playing along now too?

“Go tell her no matter how good her act is, I’m not buying it!”

In the afternoon, the wedding celebration came to an end.

Lucas brought Sally out for a press appearance.

When asked why I hadn’t made an appearance, he replied indifferently.

“She’s not feeling well.

“Or perhaps she’s faking it for money.

“You can never trust that woman.”

Before his voice even faded, two police officers waded through the crowd and stopped in front of him.

One of them produced a transparent evidence bag.

Inside were my ID card, the blood-stained phone, and the cancer diagnostic report that had been torn apart and taped back together.

The officer handed over a death certificate.

“Mr. Brooks, a woman passed away this afternoon in this hotel due to massive hemorrhage caused by terminal cancer.

“You are listed as her emergency contact.

“Please come with us to answer a few questions.”