Chapter 1

I hung up. My wedding dress, worth millions, was riddled with black holes where the fabric had been eaten away.

My exposed skin burned as concentrated acid seared into it.

A foul-smelling yellow slurry mixed with blood oozed out of the burnt flesh.

I glared at the woman in front of me. The fury in my eyes was a white-hot flame. It was a silent inferno that could consume her where she stood.

Yet, the crowd of onlookers, drawn by the drama, only erupted in derisive laughter.

“Hahaha! She actually stole Mrs. Hoover’s man! She’s done for!”

Sonya Hoover jabbed a finger at my face and cursed. “You shameless trash! Still putting on an act? You think calling someone here will make me let you go? Just drop the act already! The Skylar family? I’ve never heard of them! I’m calling the cops right now and having you arrested for stealing the wedding dress!”

I clutched at my ruined wounds as blood kept slipping through my fingers.

A wave of dizziness blurred the edges of my vision because of the rapid blood loss.

When I saw the group of thugs standing behind Sonya, I regretted leaving the house today without my bodyguards.

I looked at the faces around me with the hope that someone would help.

However, the people around me only watched coldly. They huddled together and whispered among themselves with mockery written plainly in their eyes.

No one dared to step forward to help me.

Fighting through the agony, I locked my cold gaze on Sonya. My bloodshot eyes were brimming with intent to kill.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but listen carefully, my surname’s Skylar. I’m from the Skylar family of South City. Now, get out of my sight before I decide to end you right here!”

My unflinching stare only enraged her further. Sonya drove her foot into my abdomen viciously.

“The Skylar family? You think that’ll scare me? Let me tell you, I’m Sonya Hoover, the wife of Gerald Hoover, CEO of the Hoover Group. Who do you think you are? The nerve of you to speak to me like that!”

The stab wound in my abdomen split open even further from her kick. Thick blood mixed with pus poured relentlessly from the gash.

However, at that moment, I barely felt the pain.

Sonya’s words kept echoing in my ears. Was she really Gerald’s wife?

Who was I to him then?

Watching the smug satisfaction on her face, a bitter smile appeared on my face. Everything finally clicked.

Gerald had cheated on me.

He was the man chosen by my family to be my future husband. He was the man I had loved for seven years. He had been keeping another woman behind my back!

This was not the time to spiral. Forcing the fury down, I said in a cold tone, “Sonya, is it? Take me to the hospital now! And tell Gerald to get there as well!”

Seeing the surprise in her eyes, I shot her a murderous glare.

“If anything happens to me today, you’ll be the first person to die. As for Gerald, he won’t get away with it either!”

As soon as I said that, Sonya burst out laughing. She grabbed my hair and yelled at me.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You’ve got some nerve ordering me to get you to the hospital!”

She slammed my head against the floor repeatedly as she said, “Even if I kill you today, the Hoover family has more money than sense. I can afford this small act!”

My head hurt. Blood soaked my vision and turned everything into a red blur.

Sonya twisted her razor-sharp heel into the gash in my stomach.

Pain and despair crashed over me like a tidal wave.

Just then, the screech of brakes cut through the chaos.

Through the haze, I saw a familiar Maybach pull up in front of the bridal shop. In that instant, the knot in my stomach finally loosened.

I looked at Sonya and let out a snort.

“I told you, I’m from the Skylar family of South City. My brother’s here. Are you ready to die?”