Chapter 1

When I did not respond, Quilla Spencer kept pushing.

“Cole, a woman like her, who tries to climb the social ladder and still won’t behave, is disgusting. It’s not too late to see who she really is.

“You should dump her now before she brings you nothing but trouble.”

I glanced at the police penalty notice and said calmly, “My name isn’t that uncommon. There are plenty of people with the same name. Why are you so sure it’s me?”

Quilla’s face darkened, and she snapped.

“Sophia, having the same name is one thing. Are you saying you also have the same face as the person my friend arrested?”

I snorted.

“If you’re so sure your friend recognized me, fine. Call him on video. Let’s confront him face-to-face.”

My firm tone made Quilla panic for a moment.

She immediately played the victim and turned to Cole’s parents.

“Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Griffin, she’s a bar girl. Who knows how many men she’s slept with? I’m just worried Cole might catch something from her.

“I may be blunt, but I’m only saying this for his own good.”

At that moment, Cole Griffin looked at me with a hint of doubt.

My heart sank. I quickly reached for his hand.

“Cole, we’ve been together for so long. Don’t you know what kind of person I am?”

Cole’s gaze wavered.

He glanced at Quilla and said quietly, “Quilla, this isn’t something to joke about. If you’re wrong about Sophia, you need to apologize to her.”

He paused, then added, “I want to believe you, but Quilla isn’t the kind of person who would make something like this up.

“If you did it, just admit it now. I won’t hold it against you.”

I froze. For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

The moment he said that, his parents’ faces darkened.

“Cole, what are you talking about? If she really is what Quilla says she is, we absolutely won’t allow you to be with someone like that.

“The evidence is right here. To us, she’s clearly lying. There’s no way this is just a coincidence.”

From the very beginning, Cole’s parents had never treated me well.

They dropped hints that I was from the countryside and beneath him. They never thought we were a good match. They even said they had no idea what kind of spell I had cast on him to make him so determined to be with me.

That New Year’s Eve, he brought me home without telling them.

It was true that my parents had spent their whole lives working the land.

They scrimped and sacrificed everything to put me through college.

After graduation, I found my grounding.

I started from the bottom and worked my way up, step by step.

To avoid making Cole feel pressured about my background, I had always downplayed it by saying I was just a low-ranking civil servant.

I had planned to use that dinner to finally tell him the truth and even propose.

I never expected his parents to behave like this.

I froze. My lips quivered.

“Mr. Griffin, Mrs. Griffin, my family isn’t rich, but what does that have to do with character?

“You may look down on me, but don’t insult my parents.”

After I said that, they finally went quiet.

Just as I was about to sit back down, Quilla poured red wine all over me.

“Sophia, Cole already gave you a chance. You’re just too proud to admit it.”