Chapter 4

“How could this be? Trish, you’re joking, right?”

Selena’s face turned pale as she stared at the fresh bouquet in my hands.

I looked at her, a faint smile tugging at my lips.

“I just came from paying respects to my granddad and my father. They can’t be with me at my wedding, so this is the only way I can include them. I went to the cemetery myself and told them I was getting married today. This bouquet is my way of honoring them, so that, from above, they’ll be able to witness it too.

“I just didn’t expect to run into another bride on this route. It seems you had the unique idea of arranging your wedding convoy to pass right by the cemetery, Selena.”

The crowd suddenly realized something was off.

That was right. My granddad passed away last year, and he was a world-renowned artist who was mourned deeply when he died. My dad, on the other hand, had been killed in a car crash the very day I was born.

The public opinion in the livestream shifted instantly.

“Wait a second, doesn’t that make Selena the odd one here?”

“Trisha was quiet and respectful, but Selena came blasting music. Isn’t that disrespectful to the dead?”

“The more I think about it, the weirder it seems.”

“I heard Selena’s mother used to work for the Scotts. Don’t tell me Selena’s been deliberately following her boss’s family around.”

“Hahaha, it sounds like a servant girl tagging along with the bride.”

Selena’s expression turned chalk-white as she read the comments flooding in.

“Keep the bouquet,” I said softly. “Don’t let me stand in the way of your happiness.”

My eyes sparkled as I handed the fresh bouquet toward her. However, her smile faltered. She hesitated, clearly unwilling to go through with the exchange.

The livestream chat pounced on her immediately.

“What’s going on with Selena?”

“She was desperate to swap just a minute ago, and now she’s refusing?”

“I heard some brides deliberately prepare a cheap bouquet just to trade it for something expensive. Remember when the Birks’ daughter got married? She had a bouquet made of gold, and someone switched it! Do you think Selena’s trying to scam Trisha’s heirloom bouquet, too?”

As the viewers started to piece everything together, Selena had no choice but to grit her teeth and go through with the exchange. Unfortunately, I had underestimated just how shameless she and her people could be.

When I arrived at the venue I had spent millions decorating, I found it already overrun. The stage was littered with confetti. Selena’s wedding had begun right there in my hall, and they were in the middle of tossing the bouquet.

My eyes darkened as I turned toward my brother, Sean. He flinched under my stare, guilt flickering in his eyes. However, he then looked back at Selena with a complicated, almost tender gaze before clearing his throat.

“Selena grew up with us. She’s practically like a little sister to me. Her mom has moved back to her hometown, and Selena’s on her own now. We couldn’t allow her to be bullied, could we? We had to give her some support. Besides, once she’s done, you can go up next. It’s all the same.”

After that, he smiled warmly at Selena, signaling for her bridesmaids to hand the bouquet up.

When I saw it, my breath caught in my throat. The bridesmaid was holding my bouquet—Granddad’s hand-carved jadeite heirloom.

I froze in disbelief, while Selena smirked triumphantly at me on stage.

“Now, I’ll share my blessings with everyone here.”

Then, with a casual flick, she tossed the jade bouquet high into the air. The priceless heirloom shattered into pieces the moment it hit the ground.

My face went dark, and rage boiled over as I stormed onto the stage. Before the cameras and flashing lights of countless media outlets, I slapped Selena so hard that she toppled to the floor.

Just like in my past life, every spotlight turned instantly on me.