For the sake of stealing my fiancé, the two-faced snake deliberately poured red wine on my engagement gown at the party. Everyone pitied me for having my engagement ruined and my fiancé stolen, but all I cared about was: between the snake and the scumbag, who would reimburse me for the million-dollar dress? “Yvonne didn’t mean it, just forgive her this once.” I laughed bitterly at those all too familiar words. Gideon “Yvonne didn’t intend for this to happen, can’t you forgive her?” “Yvonne grew up without a father, can’t you be more understanding?” “Yvonne isn’t as strong as you, can’t you put up with it?” I looked around the grand ballroom of the Gaia Hotel. It was filled with high society elites, all dressed in formal attire, silently watching the drama unfold like spectators at a show. I remained quiet. To those around me, it seemed like the calm before the storm. They were eagerly anticipating the next act in this spectacle. “She’s already apologized. What more do you want?” Gideon warned me to back down. Both our families were prominent figures. He didn’t want to make a scene, so he expected me to swallow my pride and let it go. Even though it was my engagement party. I looked down at my evening gown. It was a custom design by Jessica, an up-and-coming Italian designer. A one-of-a-kind piece worth over $100,000. I grabbed a bottle of red wine from a nearby waiter’s tray and walked over to Yvonne. Without hesitation, I poured it over her head. “Ah!” Yvonne instinctively stepped back and fell to the ground. Gideon grabbed my hand roughly. “Hazel, don’t go too far.” “Too far?” I scoffed. “It’s just a dress. I’ll reimburse you for it.” “$100,000.” “I’ll have my assistant transfer it to you later.” I coldly pulled my hand away from Gideon and dabbed at it with a napkin. “Hah, and who exactly are you to her? Why are you so eager to pay $100,000 on her behalf?” Yvonne looked up with big teary eyes. “Miss Newman, please don’t misunderstand. We’re just friends.” Yvonne was the daughter of Gideon’s family’s housekeeper, and he saw her as a little sister he needed to protect. “Would Miss Young pay $100,000 for a friend?” “I…” “Hazel dear, don’t be angry. Someone take Yvonne to get cleaned up. This is embarrassing.” I turned to see Mr. Carter Sr. had stepped in. He was dressed in an impeccable suit, with his graying hair neatly slicked back – every inch the powerful businessman. I responded politely, “No need, Mr. Carter. I’ll resolve this issue myself.” Gideon felt a sense of unease. “What are you planning to do?” I quickly gave him his answer. I walked up to the stage and addressed the guests: “Thank you all for coming to my engagement party. As you’ve just witnessed, my supposed fiancé seems to have forgotten who the leading lady is tonight. He’s become the knight in shining armor for another damsel in distress, turning my engagement into his heroic stage. Well, this villainess is ready to exit stage left and let the knight and his Cinderella have their fairytale ending. I, Hazel Newman, hereby announce the termination of our engagement. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the party.” As soon as I stepped off the stage, a man rushed up and slapped me hard across the face. “Have you lost your mind? Apologize to everyone right now.” I turned to see it was my father. I gingerly touched my stinging cheek, which was already starting to swell. If my father wanted Gideon and I to work things out, he would have gone on stage himself to smooth things over. But by slapping me, he was making it clear where he stood. He had punished his daughter in front of everyone, considering the matter settled. I straightened up and smiled coolly, as if I hadn’t just been struck. “Waiter, open another 100 bottles of champagne. Let’s celebrate my return to singlehood.” Gideon realized my stubborn nature meant the more he pushed, the more I’d resist. My father’s slap had only pushed me further away. He felt the situation spiraling out of control, but still desperately grasped at straws. “You’ve gone mad. An engagement involves both families, you can’t just end it on your own.” “Oh? So should I wait until after we’re married and then hire a private investigator to catch you cheating?” “How can you say such nasty things?” “If you can do it, why can’t I say it?” Mr. Carter Sr. dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. “Hazel dear, I admit my son was in the wrong here. I apologize on his behalf. But marriage isn’t a game. Both families have already agreed to this union.” “Mr. Carter, I see things very clearly. Once unfaithful, never trusted again. Today he humiliated me at our engagement party for Yvonne’s sake. Tomorrow he might stab me in the back for her. Marriage is about finding a partner for mutual support, not someone who causes you grief. Am I not happy enough on my own?” “Hazel and I are just like siblings. Don’t twist things,” Gideon protested. “Miss Newman, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean for this to happen. Please forgive me?” Yvonne pleaded. Mr. Carter Sr. slapped Yvonne. “You didn’t mean it? Then why did you insist on working at this hotel and just happen to spill wine on my future daughter-in-law’s dress?” “Dad, what are you doing? Yvonne is innocent in this,” Gideon defended her. A flash of malice crossed Yvonne’s eyes before she quickly hid it behind a pitiful expression. “I really didn’t do it on purpose. I don’t know how this happened.” Mrs. Carter was the only one who remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. She stood off to the side with her arms crossed, as if she had anticipated this outcome and had no intention of intervening. It made sense. She wasn’t Gideon’s birth mother after all, so she likely didn’t care as much as she would for her own son. My mother came over and linked her arm with mine affectionately. “Well, we feel the same way about this situation.” My mother’s calm but firm tone made it clear she was addressing the Carters: “Let’s go, sweetie. Without him, Mom will find you an even better match.” Some of my friends who had been invited started to gather around me, trying to lighten the mood. “Single again! Time to party!” “Haha, now you can’t use dates as an excuse to skip our hangouts anymore.” “That’s right, you better make it up to us for all the times you bailed. You’re buying drinks tonight!” “Alright, alright. I’ll treat you all. You pick the place.” I felt a warmth in my chest. I knew my friends were trying to help me save face and distract from the awkward situation. Gideon watched me from afar, his expression unreadable. Yvonne stood there with tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to…” Gideon looked at her trembling form. In the past, he would have felt protective and sympathetic. But now, he just felt utterly exhausted. After dinner, our group headed to an upscale club we frequented. I was playing cards with some friends while otherCaspians were belting out karaoke tunes in the next room. “Mind if I join?” a familiar voice asked. I was so startled I dropped my cards. “Caspian? What are you doing here?” “Not happy to see me?” “No no, of course you’re welcome.” Caspian Shaw sat down casually, as if we had never grown distant. One of my more outspoken friends piped up, “Shaw, I’ve invited you to hang out so many times and you always declined. But you show up just for Hazel? I’m hurt.” I cleared my throat. “He was probably in the area. Don’t read too much into it.” “It wasn’t on the way. I came specifically to see you,” Caspian stated matter-of-factly. My friends exchanged knowing glances, clearly jumping to conclusions. What exactly do you all think you understand? The party finally wound down around 3 AM. Caspian had left much earlier, which was a relief. I wasn’t sure how to interact with him after so long. When had Caspian and I grown apart? It was probably during our junior year of college when he went to study abroad. The same year Gideon and I got together. Caspian had asked me then: “Are you sure you want to be with him?” I had replied confidently: “Of course.” “You’ll regret it,” he had warned before walking away. I knew he had feelings for me. But to preserve our friendship, I had always pretended not to notice. Looking back, I suppose I was rather cruel. He had foresight to realize Gideon and I weren’t compatible. Gideon may have seemed like the perfect gentleman on the surface, but deep down he was still that small-town boy at his core. He was always insecure that I looked down on him. Over the years, my patience in catering to his ego had worn thin. When I arrived home, I was surprised to see an unexpected visitor waiting outside my door. Gideon stood there looking haggard, as if he had been waiting for hours. I ignored him and moved to unlock my door. Gideon tried to push his way in, gripping the doorframe tightly. His eyes were red as he pleaded, “Hazel, you know Yvonne and I are just friends.” I put my keys in my purse and gave him a cold look. “And?” “So you shouldn’t end things between us over her.” Seeing my frown, he quickly added, “I really don’t have feelings for her. Come back to me. I ordered a $500,000 dress from Jessica for you – you’ll love it. Next month – the 25th next month is an auspicious date. We can-” He spoke rapidly, afraid I would refuse. I took a deep breath and cut him off. “Do you think we’re over because of the dress? Or because of Yvonne?” He pondered my words, clearly not grasping my point. After a moment, his eyes widened as he jumped to the wrong conclusion. He gripped my shoulders tightly, his voice shaking. “Have you fallen for someone else? Who is it?” I deflated. This idiot truly couldn’t understand. “We’re over because you never know when to draw the line. How many times have we fought over Yvonne? I’ve lost count. Each time you expect me to be the one to compromise. Why should I? I’m tired of hearing how pitiful she is – that doesn’t give her the right to disrespect me. You always choose her over me, like at the engagement party when you humiliated me in front of everyone. Do you know how I felt in that moment? I wished I had never met you.” “Hazel, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you however you want. Just tell me what you need.” “I need you to disappear from my life.” Gideon’s eyes darkened. “That’s the one thing I can’t do.” I was done talking. I tried to close the door, but Gideon desperately held it open, as if getting inside meant I would forgive him. I stared him down and pulled out my phone to make a call. “Hello, security? I pay a fortune in fees every month. Is it so you can let trash wander in?” Gideon’s face fell. He clearly hadn’t expected me to go this far. I lived in the most exclusive apartment complex in the city. The fees were exorbitant, but the service was impeccable. Within 5 minutes, security was at my door. The guard sized up Gideon, looking amused. He likely recognized Gideon from local business news. The complex provided top-tier service, with approved visitor lists for each resident. He probably assumed we were just having a lover’s quarrel. But the residents’ wishes were his priority, even if he didn’t understand. He bowed apologetically to me. “I’m sorry, Miss Newman. We’ll take care of this.” The guard gestured for Gideon to leave. Gideon walked away, utterly humiliated. Gideon likely wouldn’t bother me again anytime soon. His pride had taken quite a blow – probably the worst public embarrassment he’d ever faced aside from the engagement party fiasco. The next day, all the major newspapers were plastered with sensational headlines about the Carter-Newman engagement party drama: “BREAKING: Newman Heiress Publicly Breaks Engagement, Slapped by Father” “HERO’S RESCUE: Carter Heir Defends New Flame Against Fiancée” “FASHION SCOOP: Inside the Heiress’s Million-Dollar Wedding Gown” The public always loved a juicy scandal, especially a real-life drama involving wealthy families. The explosive end to the engagement of two prominent families quickly became the top trending topic. “The Rise of the Carter & Newman Empires: How They Built Their Fortunes” “SHOCK! A Real Cinderella Story” “The True Purpose Behind Elite Arranged Marriages” “SCANDALOUS! Heiress Dumps Wine on Rival at Party” I silently reviewed the report my assistant had compiled on the media coverage. My first order of business upon arriving at the office was to fire Yvonne. I clicked on the “SCANDALOUS” trending topic, which included video footage of me pouring wine on Yvonne. The person filming had an perfect angle, zoomed right in on Yvonne’s face. As the red wine streamed down her head, she stared with wide, bewildered eyes, swaying as if she might faint. She looked like a delicate flower caught in a storm – utterly pitiful. A beautiful woman in distress always tugs at heartstrings. Sure enough, Yvonne’s vulnerable display had earned her plenty of sympathy. “How cruel! Just because she’s rich doesn’t mean she can treat people like trash.” “Serves her right. No wonder no man wants her – who’d dare marry such a vicious shrew?” “The poor girl is so pretty. Even as a woman, my heart aches for her.” I scoffed and exited the trending page, ready to start my workday. “How dare you fire me? This is clearly personal retaliation.” I looked up to see Yvonne storming into my office, fuming. My company had a division related to art and design, mainly focused on animation projects. As Gideon’s company didn’t have a similar department, he had gotten Yvonne a job with me, naively thinking working together would improve our relationship. “You lost us a client, botched two deals, and consistently ranked last in performance reviews. Isn’t firing you the logical choice?” “You’re clearly taking out your anger on me. Don’t think you’re so great just because you’re rich!” “Yes, I earned my wealth through my own abilities and I’m proud of it.” Yvonne was clearly taken aback by my blunt response. After a moment, she straightened her shoulders and declared defiantly: “You’ll regret this.” I rested my chin on my hand, scrutinizing Yvonne. In her anger, with that stubborn, rebellious look in her eyes, she resembled those plucky heroines from teen dramas. If I were a man, I might have fallen for her act. But I was a woman, and a capitalist at that. “The only thing I regret is hiring you in the first place. I’m a businesswoman, not a charity. Now leave before I have security escort you out.” Yvonne left, but trouble soon followed. That afternoon, I was having coffee in the lobby cafe when Gideon came storming in to confront me. “Why did you fire Yvonne?” If we didn’t still have business ties, I would have cut him out of my life completely by now. Unfortunately, even if the marriage was off, I still had to make money. My mind wasn’t so clouded that I’d forget men were less important than wealth. “Your company has so many positions. Couldn’t you have found a place for her?”
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