All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Vengeful Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

The mirror in front of me was too perfect. Too glossy. Too still. Like if I stared long enough, I might catch it lying.“God, you look like a princess,” the seamstress whispered behind me, her fingers fussing over the hem of the gown. “No—more than that. You look like a queen.”I smiled, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes.The dress was beautiful. A custom design from a Parisian atelier, flown in just for me. Layers of delicate lace and silk hugged my body like a second skin, the off-shoulder neckline revealing just enough to be elegant but bold. Tiny crystals had been hand-sewn across the bodice, catching the light with every move I made. If perfection could be stitched together, it would look like this.But perfection had a strange way of feeling… empty.“Vanessa’s going to faint when she sees you walk down the aisle,” Avery said from the couch, flipping through a bridal magazine she wasn’t even pretending to care about. “Bet she’ll ‘accidentally’ wear white to try and compete.”I la

The house smelled like citrus polish and old roses—Margot's signature touch. It was the scent of control. Every surface gleamed, every curtain was perfectly steamed, and not a single throw pillow dared look out of place.I’d come home to grab a few things from my old bedroom. Or what used to be my bedroom, before Margot transformed it into her personal study-slash-showroom for overpriced interior design catalogs.Now, it barely resembled the place where I used to paste glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and cry into my pillows when my dad missed another school recital.“Scarlett,” Margot called from the bottom of the stairs, voice cool and smooth like iced tea with too much lemon. “You’re here early.”I winced. I hadn’t told anyone I was coming. Mistake number one.“I just needed to pick up a few things,” I said, walking down the stairs slowly, as if I could somehow shrink the moment.She stood in the foyer in her tailored cream dress and pearl earrings, the picture of East Side el

I never thought I’d be on the stage—for all the wrong reasons.The moment my phone vibrated nonstop, I knew something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. The cab pulled up to my building, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I sat in the seat, hands trembling, eyes glued to the screen.The first notification was from Avery:“Scarlett — you need to see this. Call me now.”Then dozens more. Mentions. Tags. Screenshots.I opened one.There I was — my face flushed, tears streaming, standing in front of the ballroom entrance, mouth half‑open, taking a step back from Ethan and Vanessa. Behind me, the massive marquee: Emerson Grand Ballroom — Wedding Rehearsal. The caption below read: “She found out live. The bride who lost her groom today.”Another post: “#VanessaWins #ScarlettOut” with a video clip: me, voice trembling, “What do you mean, marrying her? You promised—” My words cut off. The video ended with Ethan’s blank stare and Vanessa’s small, cold laugh.Another: “Socialite drama at its