At my wedding, the grand screen meant for our love story video suddenly switched to a private video of me and a stranger. I called my fiancé, who hadn’t arrived yet, for help. But I heard him say coldly from the other end: “Do you like this wedding gift?” “This is payback for you killing Willow!” He then walked down the aisle with my stepsister, holding what he called the wedding of the century. Pushed to the brink, I leaped from a cliff into the ocean. But when he heard the news, he went absolutely insane with regret. To create the wedding of the century for me, Julian Thorne had invited every reporter in the city. Everyone was thrilled to witness the union of the city’s two most prominent families. The emcee excitedly shouted: “Let’s all witness the purest form of love!” The moment he finished speaking, the LED screen flickered twice. The pre-wedding video, which was supposed to play, suddenly turned into a dimly lit clip. In the video, a woman’s face was unnaturally flushed, her gasps tempting. My face instantly went ashen. Because the woman in the video was me. But the man in the video… He wasn’t my fiancé, Julian, at all. And I had absolutely no memory of this video! “Who’s that guy? I always heard Elara was promiscuous; turns out it’s true!” Scandals like this were prime fodder for headlines. Reporters swarmed forward, cameras flashing frantically. “Ms. Vance, are you proud to show a video like this at such a time?” “Ms. Vance, some say you used illicit means to get close to Mr. Thorne. Is that true?” “I didn’t…” I instinctively recoiled. The emcee’s face was chalk-white: “Uh… this might be a technical glitch…” But the reporters had no intention of letting me go. “Ms. Vance, we heard you’re a wedding planner. Was this scandal intentionally planned by you?” “Who’s the man in the video? Is he your new sugar daddy? Does Mr. Thorne know he’s marrying damaged goods?” The venue devolved into chaos, countless cameras aimed at me. They wouldn’t leave me alone. I stumbled backward, accidentally stepping on the long train of my gown. My high heel slipped, and I fell backward. With a crash, the decorative wall behind me shattered. Shards of glass sliced cruelly across my back, and a warm wetness seeped through. The crowd shrieked, but no one reached out. The cameras kept rolling, focusing on my utterly disheveled state. The emcee was terrified, trembling as he pleaded with everyone: “Uh… please maintain order… paramedics…” There were too many people surrounding me. It took a great deal of effort for the paramedics to push through. They finally managed to carry me away from the wedding venue, but blood had already stained my pristine white wedding dress a dark crimson. I sat shivering in the dressing room, bewildered. Before I could even process what had just happened, hurried footsteps burst in from outside. “You’ve completely disgraced the Hayes family!” My father slapped me across the face. “From now on, I disown you! The Hayes family no longer has a daughter like you!” “No, I don’t know…” My father shoved me away brutally. I fell hard to the ground, and more blood gushed from my wounds, making my vision swim. “I wish I had never given birth to an animal like you!” “If any of you dare to help her, you’re going against the Hayes family!” With that, my father slammed the door shut and left. After his words, no one dared to send me to the hospital. They just sighed, shook their heads, and left. Wrapped in my blood-stained wedding gown, I huddled in the corner of the dressing room. My hands still trembled; I could barely hold my phone. I dialed Julian Thorne’s number. “Julian, help…”
Before I could finish, a low chuckle came from the other end. “Help you?” Julian said softly. “Elara, do you still think all of this today is an accident?” I froze, disbelief washing over me. His laughter was deep and chilling, carrying a bone-deep coldness. “Elara, this is the price for you killing my sister.” “And this—” “Is just the beginning.” With a cruel laugh, he coldly hung up the phone. “Julian!!” I screamed his name as reporters rushed back in. Someone deliberately tore off my wedding dress. But they didn’t plan to let me go. After all, a scandal this big would surely get them front-page headlines. I even forgot how I managed to escape. But they weren’t done with me yet. Someone recognized one of the men in the private video as a rising male celebrity. In an instant, his fans erupted in fury. They felt I had tarnished their idol. So they spontaneously joined the reporters in tracking me down. After finding me, they broadcast my location far and wide. When the fans found me, they attacked me, pulling my hair and slapping my face. “You slut! You’re the one who ruined our idol’s career, aren’t you?!” I desperately protected my head, cowering in a corner, trying to find a single glimmer of hope. Amidst the chaos, a bottle of sulfuric acid was flung, burning my exposed skin with a sickening sizzle. I let out a piercing scream, but they showed no sign of stopping. Just then, the police slowly pushed the crowd back, allowing paramedics to lift me onto a stretcher. I grabbed a nearby officer’s uniform, pleading: “I want to report a crime. I didn’t do anything, I’m innocent…” The officer scoffed, saying flatly: “We advise you to keep a low profile on something like this. You’re causing too much of a stir right now, and we don’t want to draw fire ourselves.” As I was led away from the crowd, I finally got the only moment of respite I’d had in two days. I was covered in injuries, but when I called for an ambulance, the paramedics on the phone suddenly received a call. The nurse, who had been trying her best to save me, suddenly stopped and looked at me awkwardly: “Ms. Vance, we have no choice. These are Mr. Thorne’s orders, and we dare not cross him.” Hearing them mention Julian, I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. In the dark alley, I was left all alone. I dialed Julian’s number. But he roared into the phone: “Elara, the moment you killed my sister, our love died! Why wasn’t it you who died in that fire?!” “I told you! That fire wasn’t me…” But the call was already disconnected. Julian had no intention of listening to my explanation. I collapsed to the ground in despair. The fire he mentioned, the one that claimed his sister’s life… That was three years ago.
Julian’s sister, Willow, and I grew up together; we were best friends, envied by everyone. Julian had a reserved and cold personality, but Willow was different; she was always smiling. One time at a party, she secretly snuck out. It was then that the villa caught fire. In the midst of the chaos, Julian searched frantically. “Willow! Where are you?!” Just then, a sharp-eyed guest suddenly pointed at the fire and screamed: “Someone’s in the fire!” In an instant, Julian’s eyes turned red, and he roared hoarsely: “It’s Willow! Willow is still inside!” When I found out, I immediately rushed in. A faint cough came from a corner. I pushed desperately towards it, finally seeing her trapped under a fallen beam. Willow’s face was streaked with ash, her eyes full of tears. She saw me and cried out: “Elara, I can’t get out!” “I came because of the note you left! Why did you try to harm me?!” “I didn’t…” Before I could explain, another burning beam crashed down. I was too slow to dodge and was hit, falling hard. Before I passed out, I thought I saw Julian rushing in… When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed. The doctor told me Julian had saved me. And Willow… was dead. After that day, Julian became even colder. My father, to apologize to the Thorne family, decided to have me marry Julian, as an atonement from the Hayes family to the Thorne family. Julian didn’t refuse. On the day of our engagement, I held Julian’s hand and earnestly told him: “Julian, I will find out the truth about that villa fire and get justice for Willow.” I didn’t know then that he had always misunderstood me.
I woke up in a warehouse, hearing a clamor of voices: “I heard that woman is nearby! Don’t let her get away!” “Search quickly! One photo of her is an exclusive!” I shivered with fear. Just then, my phone rang. “Ms. Vance, the video from your wedding has caused public outrage. The board has decided to terminate all partnerships with you. Please return the advance payment for the wedding dress design…” “But that video is fake… I was framed, I can clear my name…” I tried to explain. “Ms. Vance.” The other party cut me off. “We don’t care about the truth; we only care about profit. Also, please pay the penalty for breach of contract.” “Penalty?” “Yes, fifty million.” This amount was astronomical for me right now. Before I could even catch my breath, the fans and reporters, alerted by my phone ringing, gasped: “She’s there!” I ran for my life! “Don’t let her get away! That bitch needs to pay!” “Mr. Thorne said! Get her on the front page, and today’s bonus triples!” They chased me like mad. Stumbling, I fled, not even knowing where I was going. Not far ahead, a couple strolling turned around. It was Julian! And the woman beside him was my stepsister— Seraphina Hayes. Julian… how could you be with the person I hated most…
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