I was at the dealership getting my luxury car serviced when the customer service manager accidentally pulled up a clip from my dashcam. On the screen, my fiancé, Marcus Hayes, was wrapping his arm around a heavily pregnant woman, looking incredibly tender. I forwarded the video to him right then and there. After a few seconds of tense silence, he texted back: “That’s just my distant cousin. Her husband is deployed overseas, so I’m just looking out for her.” I hesitated. Thinking of our seven years of history, I chose to believe him. Just then, a floating screen of glowing, semi-transparent comments suddenly drifted across my field of vision. The comments claimed she was me from ten years in the future. [Don’t believe him! Marcus is cheating on you.] [The luxury wedding gifts from your dad and brother, all the money you invested in his startup—he’s going to use all of it to pamper his mistress.] [In ten years, he will cause the tragic deaths of your father and brother, stealing every single penny your family owns.] My fingers turned ice-cold. I thought I was sleep-deprived and hallucinating. “What the hell? I’ve been with Marcus for seven years. I know what kind of man he is.” The floating screen erupted again: [We knew you wouldn’t believe it.] [Drive to Villa 8 at The Grand Crest right now. That’s the mansion your dad bought for your wedding. Marcus is hosting a baby welcoming party for his son right there!] My heart clenched. Taking a deep breath, I dialed my billionaire father. “Dad, Marcus is cheating on me.” “I’m heading to The Grand Crest now. Bring some security and meet me there.”
On the other end of the line, my dad’s voice exploded with rage: “I knew that penniless loser couldn’t be trusted! Thank God I stopped you from revealing our family’s true net worth to him!” Immediately after, my brother Austin’s cold, sharp voice came through the speaker: “Don’t be scared, Natalie. I’m bringing our security team right now. I’ll personally snap his legs for this!” I hung up, slammed my foot on the gas pedal, and sped toward The Grand Crest. The cold night air rushed through the half-open window, chilling me to the bone. Just a few days ago, Marcus had held me close, whispering sweet promises as we discussed our wedding details. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. Marcus, you better pray this isn’t true, or I will destroy you! Before long, my car screeched to a halt in front of Villa 8. An elegant welcome sign decorated with red roses and pastel balloons stood at the entrance. “Welcoming Party for the Newborn Son of Mr. Marcus Hayes and his beloved wife, Chloe Vance.” I clenched my fists and charged toward the entrance, only to be blocked by two security guards. “Excuse me, ma’am. Mr. Hayes is hosting a private party at Villa 8 tonight. Invitation only.” The security captain looked me up and down with obvious disdain. Since I had been trying on wedding dresses earlier, I was only wearing a simple, thin beige slip dress. I certainly didn’t look like an elite guest. I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “I am Marcus’s fiancée, and more importantly, I am the sole owner of this property!” “This is my house. How did the property management allow strangers to host a party here? Why wasn’t I notified?!” The guard scoffed openly. “Your house? Do you even have a mirror at home?” “Mr. Hayes’s wife is Chloe Vance. The happy couple even held their wedding ceremony right here in this villa! If you want to crash a rich man’s party, do your homework first. Get lost!” My chest tightened so hard I could barely breathe. They held their wedding here?! Marcus had postponed our wedding year after year, claiming he wasn’t ready. Yet, he had already walked down the aisle with someone else. As I stood there shaking with rage, the floating comments popped up again: [Don’t just stand there and take it! Remember the master key card your dad gave you? It’s in your coat pocket!] Right! The key card! Without another word, I pulled out the sleek black card and tapped it against the security scanner. Beep. Master access granted. Welcome home, Ms. Sterling. Leaving the two guards frozen in shock, I marched right in. Inside, Marcus was smiling warmly, his arm wrapped around Chloe as they mingled with the high-society crowd, clinking champagne glasses. The sight made me grind my teeth, fury boiling in my chest. A few days ago, I had suggested we decorate this villa for our upcoming wedding. Marcus had avoided my eyes, claiming his company’s cash flow was tight and that we should wait. It wasn’t because he had no money! He had already stolen my house to nest with his secret family, terrified I would find out! The guests surrounded Marcus and Chloe, showering them with pathetic flattery: “Mr. Hayes, you are so young and successful! And now Mrs. Hayes has blessed you with a beautiful baby boy. You really have it all!” “Exactly! This penthouse estate at The Grand Crest is one of the most exclusive properties in the city. Mr. Hayes really spared no expense for his beautiful wife!” “Chloe is so lucky to have married such a devoted, perfect gentleman!” Marcus beamed with pride, leaning down to kiss Chloe’s forehead. “Chloe went through so much to give me a son. This villa is nothing. In the future, everything I own belongs to her.” I laughed out loud, stepping into the light. “My, what a lively party. I brought a spectacular gift myself. I wonder if Mr. Hayes is ready to receive it?” In an instant, every eye in the room locked onto me. “Who is she? Why is she dressed so cheaply? How did she get in?” The moment Marcus saw my face, the color drained completely from his skin. He rushed forward, grabbing my wrist in a vice grip, and hissed in a panicked whisper: “Natalie? What are you doing here?! Leave right now. I’ll explain everything to you tonight, I promise!” Explain? I sneered, grabbed him by his designer tie, and yanked him forcefully into the center of the ballroom. Marcus gasped in shock, opening his mouth to speak. Slap! I delivered a ferocious slap right across his smug, hypocritical face! Pointing at Chloe, I demanded at the top of my lungs: “If Chloe is your wife, then who the hell am I? Marcus, explain that to everyone right now!”
A hundred eyes stared at us in stunned silence. Marcus’s lips trembled, but he was too guilty to utter a single word. I turned to the crowd of wealthy guests, raising my voice: “Listen up, everyone! I am Marcus’s actual fiancée! This villa belongs to me!” “Now, if you have nothing to do with this trash, get out! I have some family garbage to clean up!” The atmosphere turned freezing cold. Suddenly, Marcus let out a mocking laugh and violently shook off my grip. His eyes filled with disgust and pity. “Where did this crazy bitch come from? How did security let a psycho in?” “Today is my son’s celebration! You came here to cause a scene? Which of my business competitors paid you to do this?!” “Security! Get this lunatic out of here!” Seeing this, Chloe’s eyes welled with tears instantly. She pulled a thick stack of cash from her designer purse and handed it to me timidly: “Miss, if you did this because you’re desperate for money, please take this. Just don’t ruin our special day, okay?” The moment she said that, the crowd erupted in murmurs of disgust directed at me. “So she’s just a gold-digging psycho? Trying to extort a rich family at a baby party!” “Throw her out! Don’t let her dirty the young heir’s celebration!” Just then, the floating comments flashed before my eyes again: [Vile bastards! Don’t back down! Slap him with the truth! You have the digital deed of this villa on your phone!] Yes! I pulled out my phone and brought up the official, legally stamped digital deed of the property. “Look closely, all of you! The sole owner of this villa is Natalie Sterling!” “Who does Marcus think he is? He couldn’t afford a single square foot of this place on his own!” Whispers broke out across the room. Marcus’s face flushed red, then turned a ghostly pale. “Oh, please. Where did you photoshop that fake deed? You dare flaunt it in front of the real owner?” A mocking male voice cut through the room. It was Zach Cole, Marcus’s wealthy best friend. He walked in, flanked by several beefy security guards. He glared at the guards, annoyed: “Are you guys blind? Why is this crazy woman still standing here?” The security captain sweated profusely: “Mr. Cole, she… she had the master key card to Villa 8…” Hearing this, a dark, vicious glint flashed in Marcus’s eyes. He suddenly raised his foot and kicked me hard right in the shin! The sudden pain knocked me off balance, and I crashed onto the hard floor. The master key card slipped from my pocket. Zach bent down, picked up the card, inspected it, and sneered. “The counterfeiting technology these days is impressive. Nice replica.” With a sharp snap, he broke the master card in half and threw the pieces right into my face. “If you’re really the owner, why haven’t any of us seen you around during the six months Marcus has been living here?” “You’ll do anything for money, won’t you? Even fabricating a pathetic lie like this!” The crowd went wild. “This is insane! People are actually counterfeiting security cards now!” “I knew it! She’s dressed like a beggar. There’s no way she owns a mansion in The Grand Crest!” Chloe sighed, tossing a couple of hundred-dollar bills onto my head. “Take this money and get your head checked.” “If you get on your knees and apologize right now, we’ll be generous enough not to press charges for trespassing.” Marcus held Chloe tightly, looking down at me with cold malice: “Did you hear her? Take the money, apologize, and get the hell out! Don’t make me get physical!” The crowd’s mob mentality was fully ignited. “Disgusting! Beat some sense into this shameless bitch!” “Why are we being polite to a grifter? Drag her out!” Someone threw a heavy glass tumbler at me. Smash! Scalding pain bloomed on my temple as warm blood immediately rushed down, blurring my eyes. The next second, a cup of hot coffee was poured directly onto my back. I curled up on the freezing floor, surrounded by their vicious, mocking laughter. Marcus turned to the security guards, his face filled with utter revulsion: “She’s clearly mentally unstable. Call the asylum and have them drag her away!”
Marcus adjusted his tailored suit, raised his glass, and toasted the crowd: “Everyone, I am truly sorry. My apologies for letting a pathetic lunatic ruin our evening.” “I’ll host another banquet next week to make it up to you all.” The guests immediately smiled, kissing his feet: “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Hayes! Your competitors are just jealous of your success. They can only resort to hiring low-life crazy women to do their dirty work!” “Exactly! With your net worth and influence, you’ll be running the New York business scene in no time. This pathetic stunt is just laughable!” I wiped the blood from my eyes, staring at him like a hawk. “Running New York? Without me, he’s absolutely nothing!” My voice ringed through the hall, freezing the room instantly. Everyone stared at me in disbelief. Fighting off the dizziness, I stood up slowly and glared at Marcus: “Marcus! Why don’t you tell everyone how you actually got to where you are today?!” Marcus’s fists clenched, his knuckles popping. He turned to me, a rare, murderous hatred flashing in his eyes. I laughed bitterly. “The Waterfront Plaza project. How did you get the bid?” “If I hadn’t made a personal call to Mr. Davis of the Sterling Group, your pathetic little company wouldn’t have even passed the security gate of the bidding hall!” Someone in the crowd mocked: “Is she still daydreaming? She talks as if she owns the Sterling Group!” I turned to the crowd, my voice dripping with icy pride: “Have you heard of the Sterling family? I am Natalie Sterling, the only daughter of Arthur Sterling, the richest tycoon in New York!” “If I hadn’t poured my family’s endless resources into his startup, do you honestly think this idiot could become a New York tech mogul in just three short years?!” I pulled up the digital copy of our marriage certificate on my phone: “Still don’t believe me? Look at this! Can you fake a government registry?!” A collective gasp echoed through the room. The atmosphere turned incredibly tense. “Shut up! Shut your mouth!” Marcus completely lost his mind. He lunged forward, grabbed my neck, and slammed me hard against the floor! Slap! He delivered another brutal blow to my face! “Who do you think you are?! How dare you spread lies at my party!” “If you’re a Sterling, then I’m the king of the world! Shut the hell up!” Seeing the guests whispering in doubt, Chloe panicked. She threw herself at Marcus’s feet, crying hysterically: “Marcus, stop! Don’t hit her! It’s all my fault!” She turned to me, sobbing: “Natalie, I know you became mentally unstable after Marcus broke up with you, but please stop lying! Please don’t ruin him! We’ll give you whatever money you want!” She reached out to grab my arm, but the moment her hand touched me, a vicious glint flashed in her eyes. She deliberately threw herself backward, crashing onto the floor, clutching her stomach and screaming: “Ah! My baby! My stomach!” “Chloe!” Marcus’s eyes turned bloodshot with fury. He turned back and threw a heavy punch right into my abdomen! “You crazy bitch! How dare you attack my wife in front of everyone!” With a sickening crack, I felt my ribs fracture, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the white tiles. I curled up in excruciating pain, reaching out a bloody hand toward Marcus. “Help… call 911…” Marcus stood over me, looking down with pure disgust. “Stop faking it. You brought a fake blood pack just to extort us?” “Nice prop. Too bad your acting sucks.” The crimson blood pooled around me, stainining the marble floor. Looking at the blood, a brief flash of panic crossed Marcus’s face. But his expression quickly hardened. “Throw her into the outdoor pool. Let her sober up!” The security guards stepped forward, grabbing me by my hair and dragging me across the floor like a dead dog. To show their loyalty to Marcus, several guests stepped forward to kick me as I was dragged past. “Shameless whore! Stop pretending to be dead!” “She tried to hurt Mrs. Hayes! Drowning is too good for her!” Splash! I was thrown brutally into the freezing water of the outdoor pool. Marcus walked over, grabbed me by my wet hair, and shoved my head deep under the icy water! “Sober yet? Say one more word, and I’ll make sure you never breathe again!” The suffocating water filled my lungs. The agonizing pain from my broken ribs and the lack of oxygen made my vision go dark. Just as I was about to lose consciousness completely… The sharp screech of tires echoed from the main gates of the estate!
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