Chapter 3

The moment Ryan saw me, his drunken eyes immediately cleared. He grabbed his jacket and pulled it tightly around himself. "Ms. Shaw..."

He turned around and pulled the door, but someone had already locked it from the outside.

Ryan's face went pale as he backed into the corner farthest from me, nearly in tears. "Ms. Shaw, you're a good person. You'd never do anything to me, right?"

I stared at him, speechless.

I took out my phone and called the hotel manager.

Footsteps and voices suddenly sounded outside the door.

A second later, the door flew open. Wendy rushed in and started shouting before she had even looked around. "Cheshire! How can you be so shameless? Sleeping with a man at your mother's birthday party?!"

A group of guests crowded in behind her and peered inside.

"I know you've tried everything to marry into the Lane family, but you shouldn't fool around at your mother's birthday party," Wendy continued.

Malicious excitement gleamed in her eyes as she lunged for my collar. "Why are you covering yourself so carefully? Is your body covered in marks? You've already done it, so why are you afraid to let anyone see…"

I slapped her hand away and shoved her back, my expression cold. "Touch me again and see what happens."

Wendy sneered, then turned to the crowd with a wounded expression. "I'm sorry you all had to witness this disgrace. The Shaw family has suffered such a scandal because I failed to keep the household in order as its future matriarch. Cheshire, you've humiliated yourself. Apologize to everyone."

The people standing closest to me immediately moved to the side. "We… We wouldn't dare! Ms. Shaw, please don't..."

Someone laughed awkwardly and tried to calm things down. "Wendy, you must be joking. This must be some kind of prank. Hahaha…"

Another person quickly followed his lead.

"Exactly, Ms. Shaw. You're as funny as ever."

"Ms. Shaw, about the deal we discussed earlier..."

Some people even used the opportunity to butter me up.

The smug look on Wendy's face slowly froze, and the rage nearly drove her mad. She could not understand why no one mocked me after supposedly catching me in the act. Instead, they kept flattering me!

"Are all of you blind? Didn't you see her shamelessly seducing Ryan?"

Hurried footsteps came from the back of the crowd. Ryan's mother, Jessica, pushed her way forward, her face dark with anger.

Wendy rushed to meet her. She shot me a deliberate look and spoke loudly, "Mrs. Lane, please calm down. Ryan is a man, after all. He's too straightforward to expect a woman to be this vicious. Cheshire is so desperate to become your daughter-in-law that there's no telling what she'll do-"

The sound of a sharp slap cut her off. Mrs. Lane's palm had landed on Ryan's face.

Wendy froze. She stared at Mrs. Lane and shook her head. "Mrs. Lane, you hit the wrong person. You should've hit Cheshire!"

Mrs. Lane ignored her as she turned to me and lowered herself. "I'm deeply sorry he disturbed you, Ms. Shaw. I should have educated him better. The Lane family will provide you with an explanation for this."

Before I could speak, Wendy shrieked. "Mrs. Lane, why are you apologizing to her?! Cheshire's reputation is ruined! What choice does she have except to marry Ryan? You'll be her mother-in-law. You have every right to discipline her and set any rules you want."

The lounge fell so quiet I could hear everyone breathing.

Mrs. Lane glared at Wendy, her face almost pale. "Ms. Sutton, please hold your tongue!"