My boyfriend Julian claimed he loved me to death, yet he’d run from our wedding 99 times. To stall the wedding, he even staged a car accident, causing me to lose our baby. Heartbroken and devastated, I overheard Julian laughing with his best friend. “Seven years of dating was just a revenge plot I cooked up for my goddess, Chloe.” My body went cold, my mind reeling. He never loved me. But thankfully, it wasn’t too late to turn things around. I slowly regained my composure, adjusted my mindset, and then I turned around and accepted another man’s proposal. The hundredth time Julian planned to escape our wedding, I was marrying gloriously in a neighboring city. On the way to register our marriage for the 99th time, Julian, desperate to escape, drove us directly into the back of a large truck. The scene was chaotic, and we were both rushed to the hospital. Minutes later, covered in blood, I lay unconscious on a cold operating table, as doctors performed an induced termination of my seven-month-old fetus. When I awoke, the surgery was over. I quickly learned that our baby was gone, and tears streamed down my face. The doctor told me I needed to rest, but I was so worried about Julian that I secretly snuck off to his room. But as I reached the door, I heard laughter spilling out from inside. “Julian, you’re something else! You almost got yourself killed just to skip the wedding. But Stella did carry your child, and the doctor said it was a boy. Don’t you regret it?” Julian scoffed. “Regret? Don’t forget, I only got involved with Stella to help Chloe get her revenge. Forget one kid; I wouldn’t regret it even if it cost her life.” His eyes were cold, that handsome face devoid of the tenderness and affection I’d once known. My breath hitched, my slender shoulders trembling. I rubbed my eyes, trying to confirm the faces of the speakers. No matter how much I doubted, I had to admit, the two men talking were my own brother, Dominic, and the boyfriend I’d loved for seven years. “Exactly,” Dominic’s expression hardened. “If she hadn’t insisted on coming back to the Kingston family seven years ago, Chloe wouldn’t have had to study abroad and be separated from us! She’s nothing but trouble.” “Good thing Chloe said she’s coming back soon.” Mentioning her, Julian’s tone unconsciously softened. “Once I’ve escaped the wedding 100 times, I’ll break up with Stella, then bring Chloe back! Don’t worry, bro, Stella loves me to death right now. If she finds out these past seven years were all a lie, she’ll be so heartbroken she’ll never show her face again!” Hearing this, my body went limp, tears flowing like a flood. I stumbled out, leaning on the wall, and sat on a garden bench, sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard was true. I had never been lucky. I got lost as a child and was only found by my biological parents at 18. When I returned, I found my family loved their adopted daughter, Chloe, more than they loved me. The moment I stepped through the door, my own brother, Dominic, warned me fiercely: “Chloe is my only sister. You are not allowed to call me ‘brother’!” I was sent to sleep in the smallest maid’s room, forced to wear Chloe’s hand-me-down clothes, and eventually sent to work at a questionable late-night establishment to earn my tuition. After school started, many men posted revealing photos of me on the campus forum. Slut-shaming whispers spread everywhere, and I even tried to take my own life after being cornered and harassed in an alley by a perverted creep. In my darkest hour, completely despondent, I wanted to hit my head against a wall and end it all. It was Julian who appeared and saved me. He took off his jacket and gently draped it over me, arranged my transfer, and confronted those who bullied me. He sent me countless beautiful gowns, protecting me under his wing, doing everything he could for me. He slowly healed my wounds and even gave me a grand proposal ceremony. I always thought Julian was the light that pulled me out of the abyss. But only now did I understand that it was all a lie. Julian was with me because I took Chloe’s place as the Kingston family’s eldest daughter, which supposedly caused Chloe pain and made her leave the country. He had no love for me; seven years of companionship was just a twisted game of torment and revenge. First, pull me out of the abyss, then cruelly push me into an even deeper one. I sobbed, gasping for breath, finally understanding why there were always “accidents” every time we went to register our marriage. Julian never intended to go through with it. I touched my flat stomach, trembling as I dialed a number.
“Mr. Harrison, you wanted me to marry your son to bring him good fortune, didn’t you? I accept.” A surprised voice came from the other end of the line. “Good, good! Give me five days to wrap up my business abroad, then I’ll send someone to pick you up in Capital City.” “Stella, don’t worry. Whether my son wakes up or not, all of the Harrison family’s assets will be left to you!” I hummed in agreement, then hung up. The money didn’t really matter. Marrying a man in a coma didn’t matter either. I just wanted a place to call my own, a place where I could find peace. I looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, exhaling a long breath. I finally did something that everyone would be happy about! I wouldn’t cling to the Kingston family anymore. This position of “eldest daughter” — I’d give it back to your precious Chloe! The diamond engagement ring on my finger sparkled. I gritted my teeth and slipped it off. I raised my hand, intending to throw it into the nearby trash can, but Julian suddenly rushed over, panicked, to stop me. “Stella, don’t throw the ring away.” He pulled my slender body into his embrace. “The car accident was an accident. If we can’t register this time, there’s always next time.” Julian’s eyes showed concern, and his embrace was still as gentle and strong as before, but all I felt was coldness. “An accident?” I forced a bitter smile. “Counting this time, it’s your 99th time trying to escape the wedding, isn’t it?” “The first time, you said you weren’t ready, and we turned back halfway.” “The second time, you faked a stomachache and made me go to the hospital with you. The third time, you said you were tied up with company business…” I clenched my fists, recounting Julian’s “accidents” one by one. “It’s already the 99th time. When will it be the 100th? Julian, you never intended to register our marriage at all, did you? You just wanted to play a trick on me.” Julian’s pupils contracted, flustered that his plan had been exposed. “How… how could you say that? Stella, don’t you know how much I love you?” I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “But your love… couldn’t even save our child.” My face was pale, my delicate hand resting on my stomach, as if bidding farewell to my lost baby. “We’ll have other children,” Julian said, his face full of heartache. “Once you’ve recovered, we’ll register our marriage again.” The concern he showed now was a stark contrast to the Julian in the hospital room earlier. I could barely tell them apart. I looked up, tears welling in my eyes. “If you really want to register, then let’s go now.” Julian paused. He sensed something was off with me today. “Not now… your body hasn’t fully recovered. Next time.” “No ‘next time’. Now.” I stared directly at him, hoping to see a hint of sincerity. Julian frowned, not understanding why I, who was usually so docile, was being so stubborn. Was it just because I lost the baby? Just as Julian was at a loss, his phone rang in his pocket. He let out a long sigh of relief and released me. “I’ll take this call first.” “Chloe? What do you need… You’re back in the country! Good, I’ll send you the address right away.” Julian hung up, delighted. He gripped my shoulders. “Chloe heard about our car accident and rushed back from abroad because she was so worried! Aren’t you happy to have such a great sister?” My mouth twitched. I had just lost my baby; I really couldn’t bring myself to smile. But Julian was too caught up in his excitement to notice my distress. He pulled me back to the hospital room, eagerly sharing the news with Dominic. The two men laughed together. “We finally get to see Chloe!” After their excitement, Julian realized he had ignored me. He quickly came to my side to comfort me. “Good girl, we can talk about registering later. We’ll have more children too.” He said it so casually, as if I hadn’t had an induced termination of pregnancy, but had simply tripped and fallen. I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile playing on my lips. “Later? I’m afraid there won’t be a ‘later’ for us.”
Dominic frowned. “What’s with the long face? Whose fault is it that you couldn’t protect your own child?” “Bro, don’t talk to Stella like that. I’m sure she didn’t mean it!” Julian stepped in front of me. “Just keep spoiling her,” Dominic sneered. “Stella is my fiancée; of course, I’ll spoil her.” Julian turned and gently stroked my head. For a moment, I was dazed. Julian had offered this kind of protection countless times before. It had always been Dominic who played the bad guy, tormenting and scolding me, then Julian would step in to protect me. But now that I thought about it, if Julian had truly protected me, how could Dominic, as his best friend, have been so brazen in scolding me every single time? There could only be one reason: they had colluded all along, using this method to torment and get revenge. Suddenly, I felt utterly sickened. I forced a weak smile. “I’ll go back to my own room to rest first.” I slept for a long time. In between, I knew Chloe and Julian had visited, but I didn’t want to deal with them, so I kept pretending to be asleep. It wasn’t until I heard the clicking sound of a camera and various mocking laughs that I abruptly sat up. “Who are you people?” I pulled the blanket up to cover my body, my voice filled with panic. Standing before me was a group of strangers, their intentions clearly malicious. “Don’t remember us?” They raised their eyebrows and laughed loudly. “We were classmates back in the day, and we often came to patronize you at the club!” My brow twitched. I tremblingly reached for my phone, wanting to call someone for help. Unexpectedly, a short-haired girl snatched it away. “Don’t even think about calling Julian to save you. He belongs to Chloe!” “You were sent by Chloe?” I asked, incredulous. The short-haired girl slapped me hard across the face. “Pah, you little slut, you don’t deserve to say Chloe’s name!” I forcefully threw back the covers, staring at my flat abdomen. “Had an induced termination, did you? Who told you to be so cheap, going to clubs to hook up with old men, and then stealing our Chloe’s sweetheart!” The others chimed in. “Serves you right for losing the baby!” “No, I didn’t.” My face was deathly pale, and I shook my head desperately. But the short-haired girl wasn’t satisfied. She clenched her fist and punched my stomach several times. “It’s all your fault for making Chloe sad. Your womb deserves to rot, you’ll never be able to have children!” Pain surged through my entire body. I desperately tried to press the call bell, but at that moment, Chloe walked in. She was wearing a white dress, elegant and beautiful. “Stop it, Stella is my sister! I won’t allow you to bully her.” Chloe chased the group away. She walked to my bedside. “Are you okay? They were truly awful!” I curled up, weakly saying, “How awful could they be without your orders?” Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears, looking hurt. “Stella, I know you just lost your baby and then went through this, so you’re emotional. But I truly know nothing about it; how could I ever do such a thing to you?” “Seeing you like this breaks my heart. Stella, don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get justice.” As she spoke, she reached out to take my hand. “Don’t touch me!” My throat was terribly dry. I used every ounce of remaining strength to slap Chloe’s hand away. Unbeknownst to me, Julian and Dominic walked in at that exact moment and witnessed the scene. “How dare you lay a hand on Chloe!” Dominic slapped me furiously, then pulled Chloe behind him. Julian also looked at me with a cold expression. “Stella, you disappoint me greatly. Chloe traveled all this way back to care for you, and you’re so ungrateful.” My heart sank, my whole body trembling slightly. “She’s the one who had people beat me first; that’s why I wouldn’t let her touch me.” I pointed to the bruises on my stomach. “If you don’t believe me, you can check the security footage.” “Check what? Chloe would never do such a thing.” Dominic gritted his teeth. “I think you just can’t stand to see Chloe happy and don’t want her to come back!” With that, he took Chloe’s hand and walked out resolutely. Julian sighed. “Honestly, Stella. It’s one thing to dislike Chloe. But to make up such a clumsy excuse… you have no idea how much Chloe cares about you.” He pulled out a box of pastries. “She just asked Dominic and me to buy your favorite crab paste pastries for you. How could she possibly have someone hit you?” I gave a bitter laugh. I’m allergic to seafood; I’ve never eaten crab paste pastries. So this was the man I’d loved for seven years. Not only did he not know what I was allergic to, but when trouble arose, he immediately sided with someone else. I mustered what little strength I had left, got out of bed, and pulled Julian to the monitoring room. “See for yourself.” The screen displayed footage of me being beaten by a group of people, and the name “Chloe” mentioned in their mouths was clearly audible.
Julian clenched his fist, a hint of heartache in his eyes as he looked at me, yet his tone remained harsh. “This doesn’t prove Chloe hired them. Besides, she was the one who saved you.” “Stella, you should reflect on why they came to beat you, instead of blaming everything on Chloe!” The truth was right in front of him, yet Julian still protected Chloe. I found it utterly ridiculous. My heart was cold to the extreme; I was too weary to struggle. “Fine, I’ll reflect.” Julian frowned, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. He opened his arms and embraced me. “Alright, Chloe said she’s having a family dinner with us tomorrow. Just apologize to her then, and everything will be fine. She’ll forgive you.” I rested my head on his shoulder, my nose burning, and forced back my tears. Anyway, I was getting married and moving to Port City soon. This dinner would just be a farewell meal for everyone. The next day, before being discharged, Julian carefully noted down the doctor’s instructions for my post-operative recovery. He held up the notebook, shaking it at me as if showing off. “Stella, see how much I care about you.” I nodded, saying nothing. They packed their things and went to the upscale restaurant Chloe had chosen. As soon as we entered, everyone was already there. Julian’s mother, Mrs. Thorne, was also present. “Julian, you’re here! Come, sit down!” Mrs. Thorne waved Julian to sit beside Chloe. As for me, his fiancée, she had always pretended I was invisible. It was Dominic who noticed me. “What are you standing around for? Help order food and serve everyone. A junior with such bad manners!” I had expected Julian to say something on my behalf. But to my surprise, his gaze was fixed on Chloe, not even sparing me a glance. “Okay,” I lowered my eyes, having no choice but to obey Dominic, humbly pouring water and ordering dishes for everyone. As I walked past Chloe, a foot suddenly shot out and tripped me. The drink in my hand accidentally spilled, splashing Chloe’s dress. “Ah!” Chloe gasped, and all eyes in the room instantly focused on me. “Stella Kingston, what are you doing!” This time, Julian was the first to scold me. “This dress was custom-made for Chloe by my mother. No matter how much you dislike her, you can’t keep laying your hands on her!” My eyes reddened, my hands at a loss. “I didn’t mean to.” Julian snorted coldly. He pulled Chloe up. “Come on, I’ll take you to the restroom to clean up.” After they left, it was Dominic’s turn to rage. “I told you not to bring this troublemaker along.” He grabbed my hair, forcing me to fall forward onto the table. In an instant, a large bump appeared on my forehead, and a few trickles of blood seeped out. I cried out in pain. “Dominic, I really didn’t mean to.” Dominic’s eyes were cold. He kicked my chest. “I told you, you’re not allowed to call me ‘brother.’ Chloe is my only sister!” I bit my lip tightly, tears welling up in my eyes, finally overflowing and streaming down my face. “Stop trying to gain sympathy, go clean yourself up in the restroom.” Dominic looked at me with utter disgust. I clenched my fists, my fingertips trembling slightly, and quickly ran out. I wasn’t familiar with the place and wandered for a long time before accidentally stumbling into a restroom. But as I stepped inside, I heard intimate sounds coming from within. “Chloe, your body is still as soft as it used to be…” Julian’s voice was deep, rich, and incredibly magnetic. I froze, not daring to take another step inside. “Hmph,” Chloe purred playfully. “You say that so sweetly, but you still slept with her all those years I was gone.” “I have no feelings for her!” Julian anxiously vowed. “Being with her was just to help you get revenge. Sleeping with her was just practice, so I wouldn’t hurt you later. Chloe, my sincerity to you is as clear as day and night!” Chloe curved her lips into a smile, leaning against Julian’s chest. “You really just ‘practiced’ with her? You never felt anything for her?” “Forget feeling anything, her body didn’t even attract me,” Julian declared confidently. My face was ashen white. At that moment, all my hopes shattered into dust. I remembered the first time we were intimate; Julian, surprisingly, shed tears. At the time, I thought it was because he loved me too much or was too nervous. But now, looking back, those tears weren’t for me. They were tears of regret, believing he had betrayed Chloe. So what did all those nights of desperate entanglement mean? Were they just practice? Minutes later, Julian and Chloe emerged from the restroom. Seeing me standing at the door, my face stained with tears, Julian instantly panicked.
“Stella, what are you doing here? How long have you been here?” He quickly let go of Chloe, striding over to anxiously grab my hand, his heart pounding. My lips trembled slightly. I tried hard to control my tears, not letting them fall. “I accidentally bumped my head and wanted to clean up in the restroom, but this place is so big, it took me forever to find it.” My voice was choked, my fingers weakly clutching the hem of my clothes. If anyone had been observant, they would have noticed my distress. But Julian merely sighed in relief and didn’t press further. He gave Chloe a meaningful look, signaling her to leave, then led me to the sink. “I only walked away for a moment; how did you manage to hurt yourself like this?” Julian gently cleaned my wound, then found a band-aid from the shelf and carefully applied it, his eyes full of concern. “It looks like I’ll have to stick to Stella like glue from now on. How else can I feel at ease?” He gently kissed my lips. “Come on, we’re not eating this meal. I’m taking you home.” My eyes were clouded. I desperately wanted to ask Julian if it wasn’t exhausting to act so convincingly. But the words died in my throat. Since I was leaving soon, I decided to just muddle through these last three days. Back at the apartment, Julian suddenly gently cupped my face. “Stella, your birthday is in three days. I want to register our marriage on that special day with you.” I paused, surprised. So, the day I was leaving was my birthday. Julian saw my silence and anxiously added, “Stella, are you worried something might go wrong again, like before? Don’t worry, it’s your birthday this time; I promise there won’t be any accidents!” I pressed my lips together, my heart heavy with bitterness. Registering on my birthday—so this was Julian’s plan for his 100th escape. I forced a smile, my heart filled with sorrow. “Okay.” “Then it’s settled. You should get ready.” Julian smiled, then carried me to the bedroom to rest. I didn’t resist. The next day, I organized my luggage and realized I had left the farewell gift from Director Miller, the orphanage director, at the Kingston family’s house. If Director Miller hadn’t taken me in when I was lost as a child, I probably wouldn’t be alive today. I was leaving Capital City soon, and that gift was my last keepsake. I hailed a cab and went to the Kingston mansion. As I arrived at the entrance, I ran into Chloe. Chloe looked displeased as soon as she saw me. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your wedding registration tomorrow? What are you doing here?” I sidestepped past her into the mansion, not wanting to argue. “I’m just picking up something of mine; I’ll be quick.” “I didn’t agree to let you in!” Chloe angrily chased after me, her peripheral vision accidentally catching something on the third floor. Hearing the faint laughter from upstairs, a plan instantly formed in my mind. “Ah!” Chloe faked twisting her ankle and lunged towards me. We both tumbled down the stairs, and I landed beneath Chloe, becoming her human cushion. Dominic and Julian, hearing the screams from the third floor, immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed down. “What happened!” Chloe cried, “Stella was upset with me, she wanted to pay me to leave, and when I refused, she pushed me down the stairs.” Dominic’s veins instantly bulged. He kicked me hard in the chest, sending me flying three meters away. Then, he clenched his fist and roared, “Chloe just wanted to come home and stay here; how did she ever offend you?” “I didn’t push her…” I lay on the cold floor, feeling as if all my bones were shattered. Beside me, Julian frantically helped Chloe up, carefully checking her for injuries. Seeing no severe external wounds, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Didn’t I say I’d marry you on your birthday? Why would you still bully Chloe? She’s no threat to you at all.” Julian walked up to me, his eyes full of anger and disappointment. “She pushed me. I didn’t touch her.” I clutched my chest, in so much pain that my face was pale and covered in cold sweat. “You’ve learned to lie now too!” Julian raised his hand and slapped me. At that moment, I felt like I had been struck by lightning. This was the first time in seven years that Julian had ever laid a hand on me. I looked up at him in disbelief, tears streaming from my eyes. Julian’s heart tightened, the hand that had just struck me now trembling slightly. “What are you crying for? Go reflect on your terrible actions! Otherwise, I won’t register our marriage with you.”
He forced himself to be calm, cruelly turning around to help Chloe to the hospital. Dominic followed, his face worried, leaving me alone in the mansion, gasping for breath from the pain. “Why… don’t you believe me?” I stammered, my chest heaving violently. I was clearly the one more seriously injured, yet neither my fiancé nor my own brother had shown me the slightest bit of concern. I shed tears of despair, wanting to pick up my phone to call an ambulance for myself, but as soon as I tried to get up, my vision went black, and I collapsed forward weakly. I don’t know how long I was unconscious. I woke up in a pool of dried blood. The mansion was silent, and the sky had turned completely dark. My burning body told me I needed to get to a hospital immediately. “Ugh…” I struggled to get up, every step pulling at my injuries, eliciting a heavy groan. I staggered forward, but as soon as I opened the mansion’s front door, I saw a group of people rush in like mad. “Miss Stella Kingston, are the indecent photos circulating online really you?” Reporters, carrying cameras and thrusting microphones, flashed their lights at my face, again and again. “As far as I know, you’re a socialite. But why are you engaging in power-for-sex transactions with others?” “I heard you were forced to have an induced termination by your sugar daddy a few days ago. Do you have any explanation for this?” The media’s sharp words pierced deeply into my heart, one after another. But the more terrified and panicked I became, the more excited these people got. “We heard you got lost as a child and grew up in an orphanage, and after returning to your parents, you abused their adopted daughter. Is this true?” I was pushed down into the crowd. I could only curl up, clutching my head with both hands, to avoid further harm. “We heard Director Miller, who watched you grow up at the orphanage, died of a heart attack because of the rumors about you. Do you feel any guilt about that?” My eyes suddenly widened. I grabbed a reporter’s pant leg. “What did you say? Director Miller passed away?” No one answered me. Reporters only heard what they wanted to hear. Gradually, more people gathered around. I lost count of how many times I was stepped on. Just as I was on the verge of despair, Julian rushed over, shouting loudly at the crowd. He brought bodyguards to disperse the reporters, then anxiously picked me up from the ground. “Stella, I’m so sorry I’m late. I’m taking you to the hospital right now.” I trembled, holding onto him. “Julian, they said Director Miller died. That’s not true, is it?” My body was freezing cold, my clothes stained all over. A flicker of pain crossed Julian’s eyes. He didn’t answer, only nodded with difficulty. “How could this be?” My voice choked, tears rolling down my face, one after another. The dual blow of physical and mental trauma made me faint once again. Julian arranged for the best specialist doctors to treat me. He stayed by my bedside, sleepless. “Why isn’t she waking up!” He turned and roared at the doctor, his fists tightly clenched. “Julian, why get so angry?” Dominic walked in from the doorway, speaking leisurely. “Didn’t we agree on this? Use the media to provoke her, ruin her reputation, and get revenge for Chloe.” Julian suppressed his anger. “Provoking is one thing, but look at her now. Look at how badly she’s hurt.” “Accidents happen. Nobody can guarantee absolute safety.” Dominic frowned slightly, as if realizing something. “Julian, you haven’t fallen for her, have you?” Julian’s heart sank, as if struck by something. Dominic’s tone instantly became anxious. “Don’t forget why you got together with her seven years ago! Now Chloe is still in the hospital, unable to get up because of her. If you dare to like her, don’t ever set foot in my Kingston family again!” Julian bit his lip hard. He forcibly pushed away the strange feeling in his heart and said firmly, “Being with her was just for revenge. How could I possibly like her?” “Chloe is the only one in my heart, always!” Dominic was half-convinced. “You really never developed feelings for her?” “Never,” he looked up defiantly. At that moment, no one noticed a single sparkling tear roll down my face as I lay on the hospital bed. “That’s good,” Dominic sighed in relief. “Tomorrow is her birthday. After you escape the wedding one last time, you can break up with her.” “And don’t let her go to Director Miller’s funeral either. Let her truly feel how painful it is to lose someone important!” “Don’t worry, I know better than you how to maximize the damage.” Julian stood up, his voice cold. “Let’s go outside first, otherwise she’ll wake up soon.” After the two left, I slowly opened my eyes.
Pain surged through my entire body. I licked my cracked lips, my face filled with bitterness. So, the scandalous photos circulating online and being ambushed by reporters were all Julian’s doing. Even when Director Miller, who had watched me grow up, passed away, he wouldn’t let me say my final goodbyes. He truly never had feelings for me… Soon after, Julian came in again. Seeing me awake, he immediately put on a joyful expression. “That’s great! I was worried you wouldn’t wake up in these two days and it would delay our marriage registration.” I lowered my head, a cold laugh in my heart. Delay the marriage registration? More like delay your escape plan. I took off the diamond ring and placed it in Julian’s hand. “This is the engagement ring you gave me. I’m returning it to you now… After we register tomorrow, you can put it back on me.” Julian paused slightly, then smiled. “Okay, whatever Stella wants.” I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you remember how happy you were the day I accepted your proposal? My feelings for you never changed, but I want to ask, do you still have any genuine feelings for me?” “My love for Stella is unwavering, to my dying breath,” he answered without hesitation. Suddenly, I found it all so pointless. I hummed in agreement and lay back down on the bed. “I’m tired. You can go home and rest; you don’t need to stay with me.” “Then get a good night’s sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow at the registry office.” Julian tucked me in, then placed a cup of warm water by the bed, acting unbelievably gentle. The next day, I was woken by a bucket of ice water. The biting cold made me sneeze three times. I looked up in panic, seeing my own brother, Dominic, standing before me. My whole body instantly tensed. “Today, I’m sending you off to be married.” He looked down at me with a condescending gaze. “This bucket of water is to wash away your past sins. If you treat people kindly from now on, there will still be a place for you in the Kingston family.” He called two makeup artists in and produced a pristine white wedding gown. “As your older brother, I feel responsible for you. I specially prepared these things for you. After you’re done with your makeup, a driver will take you to the registry office.” I froze. He knew all about Julian’s 100-time escape plan, yet he was still pretending to send me off. “What, too happy to speak?” Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Don’t just sit there, start your makeup. Julian is waiting for you at the registry office, and Chloe and I will be there to witness your happiness.” I gave a bitter laugh internally. Witness my happiness? More like watch my humiliation. “Okay, thank you… brother.” I quietly agreed. I was too tired to expose Dominic’s lies; anyway, I would be leaving soon. Dominic frowned slightly. Normally, he would get angry and scold me if I called him ‘brother,’ but today was different. He had to let me taste some sweetness first; only then would the subsequent revenge be more effective! “Hmph,” Dominic suppressed his disgust and nodded, then turned to leave. Seeing his back completely disappear, I shivered and got out of bed, holding my soaking wet body as I spoke to the two makeup artists. “How much did he pay you? I’ll double it. You can leave now, but please keep it a secret for me.” After dismissing the two makeup artists, I gently caressed the beautiful wedding dress. “So soft, what a pity.” I picked up the dress and ruthlessly threw it into the trash can. Then, I wrote a statement of severance from my family and entrusted a lawyer to publish it. Finally, I drafted a scheduled SnapChat message to Julian, set to be sent a few hours later: 【Seven years of youth and an unborn child. Your revenge was a complete success.】 Having done all that, the people sent by the Harrison family to pick me up arrived. A valiant-looking short-haired woman stepped out of the car. She saw my sorry state but asked no questions, simply taking off her own jacket and wrapping it around me. “Miss Stella, if you’re ready, please come with me.” I nodded, thanked her softly, and followed her into the car. I didn’t look back, nor did I feel a hint of longing. Because in this city, there was no one left worth loving. In a private dining room at the restaurant, Julian was embracing Chloe, whispering how much he missed her. He was still completely unaware of my departure.
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