Chapter 1

"You slut! At MY wedding?!"

I clutched my face, completely bewildered.

"Celeste, I think there's been a misunderstanding—"

Celeste scoffed and flung her phone at my feet.

"A misunderstanding? It's all on video. How is that a misunderstanding?!"

I bent down to pick up the phone, but Celeste stomped on my hand with her foot and ground down hard. Searing pain shot through me, and I cried out.

Celeste’s mother Margaret grabbed a fruit platter from the table and smashed it over my head, trembling with rage.

"I saw you two hugging! Don't even try to deny it!"

I staggered back, clutching my head, and pulled out my own phone to show Celeste a photo of me and Alexander — a goofy selfie of us making faces at the camera.

"Look — this is me and my brother. We take pictures like this all the time."

Celeste leaned in for a look, and her jaw tightened. This time she kicked off her flats, put on a pair of stilettos, and stamped down on my palm, twisting viciously.

"Brother? Who the hell are you kidding? "

The pain made me thrash wildly, and the necklace my brother had given me fell to the floor.

Celeste's face was ice-cold, her eyes dripping with contempt. She picked up the box and pressed her heel down harder. I pounded at her foot in agony.

"Well, well. Did Alexander give this to you... or did you steal it?"

The instant she opened it, what little color was left in her face vanished. She kicked me square in the chest and snatched up the necklace.

"Alexander gave you the necklace he promised ME!"

"And you're still gonna stand there and lie to my face?!"

The sudden blow to my chest knocked the air out of me. I coughed violently, gasping as I tried to explain.

"You really have it wrong — I'm his sister."

Celeste fastened the necklace around her own neck, then folded her arms and sneered.

"His sister? Alexander's sister is still overseas! Who do you think you're fooling?"

She slapped me again, hard. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth, and a thin red line trickled from the corner of my lips.

"Oh, boo-hoo. Save the drama."

Celeste's mother, decked out in a gaudy outfit, was already livestreaming from the side. The moment she saw what was happening, she swung the camera straight at me.

"Everyone, look at this! Some home-wrecking tramp just showed up to ruin my daughter's wedding!"

She zoomed in, shoving the lens right in my face.

*She's that pretty and she's still a homewrecker?*

*Damn, the mistress actually showed up in front of the wife!*

*Somebody teach this tramp a lesson!*

I was seething.

"Celeste! I am Alexander Sterling's sister! You'll regret treating me like this!"

Before Celeste could even respond, Margaret spat directly in my face.

"And she's STILL running her mouth!"

The foul stench made me retch on the spot.

As luck would have it, I threw up right onto Celeste's gown. I could feel her expression turn to stone.

"Mom, remember that creep you know — the one no woman will go near?"

"Get someone to ship her off to him!"

I grabbed my phone to call the police, but Celeste smashed a chair down on me. Her face twisted with malice as she closed in on me.

"Go ahead, scream for help. Nobody's coming."

A chill ran through me. I shrank back in horror and tried to scramble to my feet and run, but the mother-daughter duo pinned me to the ground.

"Celeste, you wouldn't dare!"

"I'm really—"

Before I could finish, Celeste's hand closed around my throat. She didn't bother hiding the venom on her face.

"You're really what? His sister? Still trying to con me?"

"My sister-in-law runs a billion-dollar empire. A tramp like you could never."

She released her grip, her gaze sliding downward, her fingers following.

"You love seducing people so much? Then I'll let everyone watching get a good, long look!"

She ripped open my dress. Bare skin was instantly exposed, and the livestream erupted.

*Yes! Now that's how a wife deals with a mistress!*

*Get her! Homewreckers deserve exactly this!*

*If you ask me, this is still too lenient. Back in the old days, they'd have drowned her for this.*

I struggled frantically to hold my clothes together, but Margaret pinned my arms down, gloating from ear to ear.

"Celeste, honey, I remember the estate has a swimming pool. The viewers want to see her dunked!"

Celeste readily agreed.

The instant she loosened her hold, I threw myself forward and slammed into her.

She couldn't dodge in time and crashed to the floor. Margaret dropped her phone and lunged for me.

I snatched a fruit knife from the table and held it out in front of me, keeping them both at bay.

Seeing the standoff, Margaret grabbed the last remaining fruit platter and hurled it at me.

As I dodged, Celeste swung a vase straight at the back of my skull.

As I crumpled, I could still hear her snarling.

"You bitch — you actually hit me? I'll make you wish you were dead!"