“Serena, are you really going to marry Xavier?” The familiar voice suddenly pulled Serena Edwards back to reality from the painful memories of her previous life. Only then did Serena realize she had been reborn, and at the crucial moment when she needed to make a life-changing decision. Her parents’ words echoed in her ears. Without hesitation, she firmly said, “Mom, Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I won’t marry Xavier. I want to marry his uncle Timothy instead.” Serena’s mother Rita widened her eyes upon hearing this, even the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out from shock. “Serena, weren’t you looking forward to marrying Xavier every day? Why do you suddenly want to marry his uncle Timothy?” Concerned about Serena’s sudden decision, Rita repeatedly asked for confirmation. However, Serena just nodded firmly and said, “Mom, I’m serious this time. I don’t want to marry Xavier anymore. I want to marry Timothy.” Surprisingly, seeing her sudden change of heart, her parents showed relieved smiles. The Edwards and Davis families had been friends for generations, and Serena and Xavier grew up together. They had originally agreed to get married after graduation, and their parents had always hoped for this union. However, during Christmas of their graduation year, Xavier suddenly proposed to break off the engagement because his first love, Irene Burton, had returned from abroad. He bluntly stated that Irene was the one he truly wanted to marry. By then, Serena had already fallen deeply in love with him, so she was insanely jealous of Irene. She used every trick in the book, even threatening suicide, ultimately forcing Xavier to marry her. Nevertheless, even after they got married, Xavier often didn’t come home at night. Later, to get pregnant, Serena drugged him. When he learned about her pregnancy, Xavier flew into a rage and moved in with Irene. Most heartbreaking of all, during Serena’s late pregnancy one night, she suddenly experienced excruciating abdominal pain and called Xavier dozens of times to take her to the hospital. But Xavier coldly told her he had no time because he was busy planning his trip with Irene for the next day. In the end, Serena lost her baby due to delayed treatment, and then lost her own life from massive bleeding during her hysterectomy. Serena’s parents lost both their beloved daughter and unborn grandchild on the same day. Overwhelmed with grief, they died in a car accident on their way to the hospital. In contrast, Xavier didn’t shed a single tear. After returning from his trip with Irene, he not only inherited all of the Edwards family’s assets without question but also held a grand wedding. Even more tragic was that shortly after Serena’s death, Xavier’s uncle Timothy mysteriously disappeared. His family found thousands of photos of Serena at his residence, documenting every significant moment of her life from her eighteenth birthday until just before her death. In the photos, she was sometimes laughing joyfully, sometimes crying bitterly, each picture carefully preserved. Only then did Serena realize that someone had been silently loving her all along. Now, with a second chance at life, Serena vowed she would never make the same mistakes again. Serena’s parents went to see Timothy Sherwood that same day, but they returned shortly after. Serena looked at them in surprise, a flash of disappointment in her eyes. “You finished talking so quickly? Did he refuse?” Rita shook her head gently. “He didn’t.” Rita studied Serena thoughtfully, asking with curiosity, “Serena, were you two close before? I felt like he wasn’t surprised at all when he heard about the marriage arrangement with our family. “Honestly, he clearly knew about your history with Xavier, so he should have been quite shocked. But not only was he not surprised, he agreed to your marriage rather quickly. “Serena, don’t you find that strange?” Serena looked somewhat embarrassed. She quickly changed the subject, “Timothy has always been a composed person. No matter what shocking news he hears, he always appears indifferent. There’s nothing strange about that. Besides, he’s already thirty, and a family marriage arrangement was inevitable for him sooner or later. Isn’t it better to choose a girl he already knows?” Rita nodded in agreement. Although the Edwards and Davis families had been friends for generations and maintained good relations, whenever they met Timothy, they always found him polite yet distant. Later, after discovering that Timothy was the same way with his own family, Rita grew accustomed to it. Then, Rita snapped back to the present and looked at Serena seriously. “Serena, are you sure you want to marry Timothy? Even if you get married, we won’t force you. After all…” “Mom, I’ve thought it through clearly. I want to marry him,” Serena interrupted Rita directly. Seeing the determination in Serena’s eyes, Rita didn’t ask further. Although she didn’t understand what exactly had happened between Serena and Xavier, she ultimately respected Serena’s choice. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Rita added, “Your wedding with Timothy is set for the tenth of this month. “Do you have a favorite hotel? You only get married once in your lifetime, so I’ll definitely prepare everything meticulously for you.” After that, Rita took Serena to choose a hotel, searching from afternoon until evening, but they were never completely satisfied with any option. Feeling exhausted, they sat down at a random restaurant. While Rita was in the restroom, a familiar voice came from behind Serena. “Serena, did you send your parents to pressure my family again? Are you that desperate to get married? Why do you keep clinging to me? “You knew I was bringing Irene here today, so you deliberately followed us, didn’t you? Serena, why are you so pathetic? Can’t you live without me?” Serena turned her head and locked eyes with Xavier. In her previous life, Xavier was the person she most desperately wanted to see when she went into labor. However, when she called him dozens of times, begging him to be with her during childbirth, he coldly said he had no time. In the end, she had to enter the delivery room alone, receiving taunting messages from Irene during her most vulnerable moment. Irene sent her countless bedroom photos with Xavier, interspersed with private audio recordings of the two. In the recording, Irene pretended to ask with concern, “Serena is in labor. How can you bear to abandon her?” Xavier, breathing heavily, replied, “I only care about you. What does her giving birth have to do with me? You know I only want you to bear my children. No one but you deserves to carry my child.” Hearing Xavier’s heartless words, Serena’s water broke from emotional distress. After enduring a day and night of agony, her baby ultimately died from oxygen deprivation. When Serena was wheeled into the operating room, both she and her child passed away. As soon as she came back to her senses, she saw Xavier walking toward her with Irene on his arm. Seeing Serena’s suspicious gaze, Xavier immediately flew into a rage, harshly rebuking her, “You’re truly shameless, constantly clinging to me. When I refused to marry you, you manipulated my family into pressuring me. “Today I’m just bringing Irene out for a meal, yet you’re still following us. “Why are you so disgusting? You’re like a dog trailing after us.” Even though Serena had been reborn, Xavier’s vicious words still broke her heart. In her previous life, she had loved Xavier with all her heart, but he had treated her like a begging dog. Serena hated herself for being so blind before, but this second chance wasn’t too late for her. Now, Serena gave Xavier a cool glance, her eyes calm. “Xavier, who told you I want to marry you? “We were just close as children. Did you think I would fall in love with you and marry you because of that? “I am getting married, but definitely not to you. I’m not here to stalk you today; I was just checking out wedding venues and stopped here for a break.” Serena thought she had made herself clear, but she didn’t expect Xavier to suddenly sneer, “Serena, your parents were at my house this morning discussing our marriage. What are you pretending for? “Your constant pursuit makes me sick. “Don’t think you can force me to marry you by convincing my family! I’ve told you, no matter what you do, I won’t marry you. I would sacrifice everything to marry Irene!” Serena knew Xavier was stubborn, and her explanations meant nothing to him. So she said, “Think what you want. Anyway, I won’t marry you.” Hearing Serena’s retort, Xavier wanted to say more, but Irene timely pulled his sleeve. “Don’t get angry over someone like her. She’s not worth it.” With that, Irene gave Serena a smug look and mocked, “Serena, I know you can’t let go of Xavier. After all, he’s so exceptional, and you’ve loved him for so many Christmases. “But I think you should give up early. Xavier will only marry me, and you two will never be together.” She then left, holding Xavier’s hand. Watching the two of them walk away, Serena found it laughable. In her previous life, she had misjudged people, ultimately meeting a tragic end. This time, however, she was determined to satisfy Xavier and Irene, letting them love each other forever and grow old together. She would never again involve herself in their relationship or become a supporting character in their love game. After Rita returned from the restroom, they quickly finished their meal and hurried home. The next day, Timothy sent someone to deliver a black card with unlimited credit to Serena. This credit card had no spending limit, allowing Serena to splurge as she pleased. Thinking about how Xavier had criticized her for every penny she spent in her previous life, she couldn’t help but feel resentful about everything she had endured. Taking the black card, Serena sent Timothy a message: [Thank you.] Timothy didn’t reply immediately. Half an hour later, he sent an address, explaining he was abroad and couldn’t respond to messages easily. Serena knew Timothy was busy. As the head of the Sherwood family, he was a true businessman who could be in a meeting domestically one minute and flying overseas for negotiations the next. Yet this brilliant man had taken his own life after her death in her previous life. In her past life, after marriage, Serena had been psychologically controlled and belittled by Xavier until she felt worthless, believing she didn’t deserve to be loved. Only after death did she realize it wasn’t that she was unworthy of love, but that she had only had eyes for Xavier, ignoring those who truly cared for and cherished her. At noon, Serena went shopping with the black card Timothy had given her. However, as soon as she entered the mall, she unfortunately ran into Irene. This time Xavier wasn’t by Irene’s side. Upon seeing Serena, Irene immediately adopted a defensive posture and said acidly, “You again? Serena, Xavier was right—you’re like a dog following us around.” “What’s wrong? Yesterday you saw me with Xavier at the restaurant and got upset, so today you want to warn me again to stay away from him?” “Wasn’t I clear enough yesterday? Xavier will never marry you. He only loves me, and I’m the only woman he wants to marry! You’d better give up while you can!” Irene was smug, like a proud peacock. If there hadn’t been so many people in the mall, Serena would have slapped her and asked why she was so shameless. Fortunately, she controlled her impulse. Raising an eyebrow, she coldly examined Irene and said, “You want to marry Xavier? I don’t want him anymore, but why do you keep emphasizing that he only wants to marry you?” With that, she gave Irene a contemptuous glance and turned to leave. She had no time to waste words with Irene; shopping was her priority. However, she had barely taken a step when Irene grabbed her from behind. Seeing Serena’s icy stare, Irene sneered, “Do you really not want him anymore? Who knows if you’re just playing hard to get?” “If you really want to leave Xavier, have your parents cancel your engagement right now!” After hearing this, Serena blurted out, “You’re insane!” Serena couldn’t comprehend why Irene would shamelessly make such a demand. She tried to shake off Irene’s grip, but Irene held on tightly. Serena’s patience was exhausted. Using all her strength, she flung Irene away. Irene hadn’t expected Serena to be so strong. Her entire body stumbled backward. With a thud, the back of her head hit the ground hard. The pain made Irene’s face turn pale. She struggled to prop herself up, glaring venomously at Serena. “Serena, I never thought you could be so vicious! To steal Xavier from me, you’ve become completely shameless!” “I’m definitely telling Xavier about this. Just you wait!” Serena thought to herself, “Why does she think I’m trying to steal Xavier? I clearly want to leave, but she keeps harassing me. Isn’t it normal that I pushed her away?” Nevertheless, Serena couldn’t be bothered to waste more words on Irene. If she wanted to tattle, Serena wouldn’t stop her. Serena coldly smiled and said, “Do whatever you want.”
After returning from the mall, Serena had just parked her car in front of the Edwards mansion and stepped out when a man suddenly jumped out from behind a nearby tree—it was Xavier. “Serena, why are you targeting Irene? You made her cry again!” Xavier shouted. Serena was bewildered, but thinking back to what happened at the mall, she instantly understood. “You’re so powerful now!” Xavier sneered. “Even though you say you don’t want to marry me, you’re bullying Irene behind my back. You’re just jealous of her, aren’t you? Why aren’t you saying anything? Feeling guilty? If Irene hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even know you pushed her. Serena, I never thought you could be so devious. On the surface, you claim you don’t want to marry me, but you’re constantly targeting Irene. You’re just trying to force her to leave me. Serena, you’ve been obsessing over me for so long. Aren’t you tired? Do you absolutely have to be with me? Why do you even like me?” Serena remained silent for a moment, gave him a long look, then suddenly laughed coldly. “Xavier, Irene was blocking my way at the mall today, which is why I pushed her. Besides, I’ve told you many times, I no longer want to marry you.” Xavier immediately interrupted her, “Serena, just admit it! You’re playing games. You do want to marry me, but you’re pretending not to care. Unfortunately, I’ve disappointed you again! No matter how much you pretend not to care, target Irene, or play tricks, I won’t give you a second glance. I will only marry Irene in this lifetime. Even if I have to fight my entire family, I’ll marry no one but her! Just wait and see! I will definitely marry Irene!” Serena found it laughable inside, not understanding why Xavier felt the need to act this way in front of her. Since Xavier didn’t love her, she no longer loved him either. Leaving each other alone would be the best choice for both of them. With this thought, she politely smiled and spoke calmly. “Well, congratulations to you both in advance.” Xavier snorted, “Thanks for your blessing! But before that, we need to settle old scores!” With that, Xavier picked up a cardboard box at his feet and opened it in front of Serena. Inside were all the small gifts she had once made for him by hand. Xavier held the box with both hands, sneering as he tilted it, spilling the contents onto the ground. But he didn’t think that was enough. Then, he raised his foot and viciously stomped on those carefully crafted gifts until every single one was crushed before finally stopping. “Serena, do you see clearly? All the gifts you gave me are worthless in my eyes, and they even annoy me! Before I met Irene, and because our families had arranged our engagement, I reluctantly accepted your gifts and even mistakenly thought I loved you too. But if I had met Irene earlier, you wouldn’t have had any chance to get close to me.” His face lit up with a bright smile, as if he had finally gotten rid of a huge problem. “Well. Please throw these useless pieces of trash in the garbage bin! Irene is waiting for me!” After saying this, he glanced at Serena. Seeing her looking so calm, he frowned. According to his expectations, Serena should have been furious. After all, those gifts were handmade with love for every special occasion. Now that he had destroyed everything with his own hands, how could she remain unmoved? However, Serena simply crouched down silently, picked up the broken pieces one by one, put them back in the box, and then threw it directly into the trash can. Xavier immediately became angry and embarrassed, thinking, “Doesn’t she love me deeply? Why is she reacting this way?” But he quickly figured it out—she was pretending again. He said through gritted teeth, “Serena, what game are you playing? Let me warn you! You can target me, but if you dare to bother Irene again, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Serena had been in a good mood originally because she had a successful shopping trip at the mall. But now, having her mood ruined by this self-important guy for no reason, she felt irritated. She said impatiently, “Xavier, don’t you understand what I’m saying? I’ve already told you I won’t chase after you anymore, but you keep coming to find me. Does Irene know you’re harassing me?” “You!” Xavier pointed at her furiously and asked, “Why are you bringing up Irene? What are you planning to do to her now?” Serena gave a cold, speechless laugh, walked right past him, and entered the mansion without looking back. Serena had just sat down on the couch and picked up her phone when she saw that Irene had updated her Instagram: “To that slut: Stop foolishly coveting what doesn’t belong to you. As a woman, you should have some self-respect. Otherwise, no matter how much you love a man, he’ll only think you’re shameless.” The accompanying photo showed Xavier impatiently scolding a woman, his head tilted to one side. Although only her back was visible, Serena immediately recognized herself. The background was clearly outside her apartment building—obviously captured during their argument moments ago. Serena hadn’t realized Irene had followed them. She must have been hiding in a nearby car, secretly watching everything. Serena let out a scornful laugh. In this life, she only wanted to cherish those who truly loved her; she had no interest in entangling herself with Xavier again. Yet Xavier and Irene kept causing her trouble, making her life miserable. Serena angrily muttered under her breath, “You two are the worst!” Still unsatisfied, she clicked on the comment box in the bottom right corner of the photo and typed: “Congratulations to the jerk and the bitch!” After posting the comment, Serena finally felt relieved. Humming a tune, she turned and headed to the bathroom. When she emerged wrapped in a towel, she noticed her phone on the coffee table flashing repeatedly. Someone was calling her. Serena usually kept her phone on silent when at home, only occasionally answering calls. The screen continued to flash. Serena hurried over, feeling inexplicably excited, thinking, “Could it be Timothy calling me?” However, by the time she picked up the phone, the call had already ended. That’s when she noticed that in just half an hour, she had dozens of missed calls, all from Xavier. Feeling extremely annoyed, she immediately blacklisted his number. Xavier clearly wasn’t giving up, though. He kept trying to video call her through WhatsApp. Furious, Serena answered the call and shouted, “Xavier, are you insane? I’ve stopped pursuing you, but you won’t stop harassing me!” On the screen, Xavier’s face was dark with anger, his eyes filled with rage. He immediately scolded her, “Serena! What do you mean? I just warned you to stop bothering Irene. Have you forgotten already?” Serena gave a cold laugh, immediately understanding he was referring to her comment. She thought, “Why don’t you first look at what your precious darling posted?” Meanwhile, Serena could hear Irene’s fake, pitiful sobbing in the background, which instantly depleted any patience she had left for Xavier. “Xavier, even if love has blinded you, are you completely unable to tell right from wrong?” Xavier was visibly stunned on the other end of the call, while Irene’s crying conveniently grew louder. After a pause, he spoke even more loudly, “Serena, you’re being completely unreasonable! Irene was just expressing herself online, and she never said it was about you, but you assumed she was insulting you. Yet you’re clearly insulting her! I don’t even want to blame Irene, but what gives you the right to be so vicious? “Regardless, you’ve made her cry, so apologize to her right now! Otherwise, I’ll post all your dirty secrets online and make sure your parents and your company won’t have any peace!” Serena could hardly believe Xavier would stoop so low as to threaten her like this. Just as Xavier was about to continue, a woman suddenly covered his mouth with her hand. At this moment, Irene peeked out from behind Xavier, her eyes brimming with tears, still pouting and sniffling softly, looking utterly wronged. She said in a low voice, “Xavier, stop scolding Serena. This isn’t entirely her fault. I stole the happiness that should have been hers, so it’s normal for her to hate me. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen in love with you…” As she spoke, she began crying again. Seeing this, Xavier quickly comforted her tenderly, “She made you cry, yet you’re still defending her. What do you mean by ‘should have been hers’? She and I were just childhood playmates. We never loved each other. All these Christmases, she’s been the one constantly pursuing me! “Irene, being loved by you is the greatest honor of my life. Don’t ever feel guilty for loving me again. Seeing you like this breaks my heart.” Hearing these words, Irene lowered her head as tears continued to stream down her face. Then, she suddenly reached out to grab the phone from Xavier’s hand, intending to apologize to Serena. Xavier said angrily, “Why are you apologizing to her? It’s clearly her fault!” However, Irene stubbornly snatched the phone and choked out to the screen, “Serena, I’m sorry. You should be mad at me because I took away the man you love most. “But I love Xavier too much to bear the thought of him being with another woman. Please give us your blessing, okay? “If we don’t have your blessing, even if we get married in the future, I’ll always feel guilty. “He was wrong earlier, but he was trying to protect me, so please understand him and don’t blame him, okay?” As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed Xavier’s collar and pulled him in front of the camera. “Xavier, apologize to Serena right now! Promise you won’t yell at her again or threaten her! Otherwise, I won’t let you kiss me there anymore!” Finally, Irene’s face turned bright red with embarrassment as she lightly punched him with her fist. Xavier pressed his lips together, his hand mischievously reaching for her waist. “Hey! Stop it!” Irene dodged playfully. “Serena is waiting for your apology! If you keep being so shameless, I’m going to get angry!” Watching this scene, Serena suddenly felt very sad. She remembered how in her previous life, after they got married, Irene would often flirt and banter with him in front of her. Irene always pretended to feel guilty, deliberately flirting with Xavier like this in front of her to provoke her. Serena took a deep breath, suppressing the sadness in her heart. Fortunately, in this life, she no longer had to endure any of this. Xavier finally withdrew his hand and looked coldly at the screen. “Listen, you don’t need to apologize to Irene, and I won’t hold this against you anymore. Let’s call it even this time. “Serena, neither of us is wrong. Just as you’re obsessed with me, I’m deeply in love with Irene. But I don’t love you; I love Irene. Even if you forced me to marry you, I would only ever care about Irene. Rather than having an affair after marriage, it’s better to let me go now. We’ll both have our own new lives.” Serena couldn’t help but frown. In her previous life, Xavier not only had affairs behind her back after they married, but he also openly flirted with Irene. However, in this life, she had already let him go. She no longer loved him or followed him around. So now, it was clearly them who wouldn’t leave her alone. Seeing Serena lost in thought, Xavier felt very dissatisfied. He impatiently said, “Serena, what trick are you playing now? Did you hear what I just said? I will never marry you, so hurry up and tell your parents. Stop bothering my family about this arranged marriage.” Serena smirked and replied directly, “No problem. No one will bother you about this again.” With that, she immediately hung up the phone.
Serena had made it clear to her parents and the Davis family that they should never again mention her marrying Xavier. She also specifically instructed her parents not to reveal her engagement to Timothy for now. After all, Timothy was Xavier’s uncle, and she didn’t want to create any complications before the wedding. Timothy truly didn’t mind going public, but since Serena was thoughtfully considering his interests, he graciously accepted her kind gesture. Over the past few days, Serena had been extremely busy, focusing all her attention on customizing her wedding dress and rings. She had been spending freely with the unlimited black card Timothy had given her. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse her fiancé’s generosity. Besides, with Timothy’s wealth, these expenses were practically nothing. Serena had selected the latest creations from internationally renowned designers—breathtakingly beautiful pieces whose only drawback was their outrageous price tags. However, money was the last thing she lacked now. This was the confidence that came with being adored. Three days later, Serena’s wedding dress was air-shipped to the bridal shop. She rushed over early in the morning, applied exquisite makeup, and waited eagerly to try on her dress. While waiting in the lounge for the staff to prepare the exclusive custom gown that had just arrived, she idly scrolled through her phone to pass the time. It wasn’t until she came across Irene’s Instagram that she discovered Xavier and Irene were also preparing for their wedding. Irene had even specifically mentioned Serena in her latest post, but since Serena had muted notifications, she saw this provocative content too late. In that Instagram post, Irene wrote: [Our wedding is approaching, and we’re short one bridesmaid. I hope you can come!] Serena could never understand why Irene harbored such intense hostility toward her, both in her previous life and now. Was it simply because Xavier had once loved her deeply? In truth, Xavier had once treated Serena exceptionally well. Whenever men pursued her, he would immediately appear and chase away those with ill intentions. He would possessively wrap his arm around her shoulders and tell them, “Don’t even think about going after my future wife!” Serena had been sickly since childhood. Xavier learned to take meticulous care of her when she was ill, even buying delicious cakes for her in the middle of stormy nights. Serena remembered once when she had a sudden appendicitis attack in her school dormitory, curled up in bed and breaking into a cold sweat from the pain. Upon hearing the news, Xavier rushed straight into the girls’ dormitory and carried her on his back all the way to the hospital. On that bitterly cold winter night, he wrapped her up warmly while wearing only thin pajamas and flip-flops himself. After they reached the hospital, before Serena had even recovered, Xavier came down with a high fever from the cold. Despite this, he insisted on staying by her bedside to care for her until she was discharged. He had become alarmingly thin. Back then, they both naively believed they would naturally marry after graduation according to their families’ arrangements—until Irene appeared. Initially, Irene kept finding excuses to be around them, casually provoking Xavier. Gradually, in his eyes, all of Serena’s once-adorable habits transformed into intolerable flaws. Later, they began to argue frequently about Irene, and he even directly proposed breaking off their engagement, claiming Irene was his true love and he would marry no one else. Yet Irene seemed to forever lack security, constantly trying to prove to Serena that Xavier loved only her. Even though Xavier was going to marry her in this life, she still persisted in doing so. Now, she was even entertaining the absurd idea of having Serena as her bridesmaid. Serena shook her head with a cold smile. Just as she was about to put away her phone, a commotion erupted outside. “Wow! This wedding dress is gorgeous! Xavier, I want this one!” Hearing the familiar voice, Serena froze. She thought, “Are Irene and Xavier also here to choose a wedding dress?” She walked to the lounge doorway, where she could see everything happening outside. Irene was standing in front of her custom wedding dress, showering it with praise. Even Xavier cast an admiring glance at it. “It really is beautiful! Irene, you’ll look absolutely stunning in it.” Irene’s face lit up with joy as she reached out to touch the dress, but the shop assistant stopped her just in time. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this wedding dress was custom-made for another client, so please look at other styles.” Being publicly rejected, Irene immediately became embarrassed and angry. She reluctantly shook Xavier’s arm, pouting, “Xavier, I want this one. I really love it! It seems like it was made specifically for me—it matches my style perfectly!” Xavier initially wanted to persuade her to look at others. After all, in his eyes, all wedding dresses looked more or less the same. But after hearing Irene’s words, he immediately decided to buy this dress for her. He pulled out his bank card, pointed at the wedding dress, and said, “We want to buy this one at a premium. Please negotiate with that customer so she can order another one.” The shop assistant didn’t take his bank card and politely refused again, “I’m truly sorry, sir. This dress was created by a top international designer and is the only one in the world—it cannot be replicated.” After being repeatedly refused, Xavier was visibly annoyed. “Go tell that customer we want this wedding dress now. I’m willing to pay double the price. Will that work?” The shop assistant looked at him awkwardly and said, “But this wedding dress is worth millions of dollars. Are you sure you want to pay double?” Xavier’s hand holding the bank card froze in mid-air. “What? Millions of dollars for a wedding dress? Is it encrusted with diamonds or something?” Serena couldn’t help but laugh out loud, instantly drawing their attention. “Serena? What are you doing here? Why are you here?” Xavier’s face darkened terribly, his eyes filled with anger as he glared at Serena. Behind him, Irene was even more irritated, her eyes full of wariness. Serena calmly walked toward the wedding dress and said, “I’m here to choose a wedding dress, of course.” “Choose a wedding dress?” Xavier almost snarled through gritted teeth. Then, he roared in fury, “Serena, you shameless woman! You clearly said you wouldn’t pursue me anymore, but now you’re secretly shopping for a wedding dress? Are you really so desperate to marry me?” Serena swatted away his finger that was nearly poking her nose and looked at him calmly. “I’ve already told you that I’m not marrying you. There’s no need to get so worked up and make a fool of yourself in front of others.” With that, Serena signaled to the shop assistant to help her try on the wedding dress. Then, she ignored Xavier and silently walked past him. However, Xavier grabbed her wrist from behind, veins bulging at his temple, rage burning in his eyes. Serena winced in pain and struggled a few times but couldn’t break free. She could only say helplessly, “Xavier, what exactly do you want? I told you I won’t marry you and won’t pursue you anymore. What are you still worried about?” Xavier let out a cold laugh and said mockingly, “You deliberately chose the same store as us today. How dare you say you’re not trying to marry me?” He pulled Irene close and announced loudly, “Irene and I have already set our wedding date. We’re going to City Hall next Wednesday to get our marriage license! “So, Serena, give up already! I will never marry you!” Serena was stunned for a moment, suddenly remembering that she and Timothy were also getting their marriage license next Wednesday. It was indeed an auspicious day, and she and Timothy had originally planned for that day too. If Timothy hadn’t booked the VIP lane in advance, they might have had to wait until the afternoon. Thinking of this, she smirked and said, “Yes, I have given up. The person I’m marrying isn’t you. Can you stop wasting my time trying on wedding dresses? I’m meeting my fiancé later to look at our new home.” Under the shocked gazes of Xavier and Irene, the shop assistant took down the wedding dress and respectfully followed behind her. Irene was the first to recover, saying mockingly, “Serena, someone has already reserved this dress, worth millions of dollars. Although your family is wealthy, you probably can’t afford it.” Serena turned back and blinked. “I can’t afford it, but my fiancé can.” With that, she lifted her chin and walked gracefully into the fitting room. Irene snorted coldly and whined to Xavier, “I want this wedding dress too! If Serena’s fiancé is buying it for her, you should buy it for me too!” Xavier pushed her hand away and shouted angrily at Serena’s back, “Serena, stop right there! Are you just saying this to upset me? Tell me clearly! Who are you marrying? I won’t let you sell yourself for money.” Serena stopped again and responded coldly, “What right do you have to control me now? Since you’re so bored, why don’t you comfort your fiancée?” She thought to herself, “How ridiculous! He’s about to marry another woman, yet he still wants to interfere in my business.” Xavier’s shouts were left behind as Serena walked away. Soon after, Irene’s tearful sobs could be heard. When Serena emerged wearing the wedding dress, the two were still arguing. She sighed inwardly, surprised to witness him arguing with Irene in this lifetime. In her previous life, Xavier had treasured Irene like a precious gem, not allowing anyone near her. As Serena stood in front of the mirror, the shop assistants gathered around, full of admiration. Even Xavier stopped arguing and stared at her in a daze. He hadn’t expected her to look so stunning in a wedding dress. He had imagined her in a wedding dress countless times, but nothing compared to the impact of seeing her with his own eyes. Irene called his name several times before bringing him back to reality. He felt deeply guilty about his momentary trance. Then, he convinced himself it was just another of Serena’s tricks. He angrily grabbed Serena’s wrist and demanded, “You still say you’re not trying to marry me? Then why are you deliberately showing off this dress to me?” Serena’s wrist ached from his grip, and she was both angry and anxious. “I told you I won’t marry you!” With that, Serena pushed Xavier away with all her strength. Xavier stumbled backward, roaring in anger, “Serena, it’s come to this point. You’re still lying about not marrying me?” He was furious, glaring at Serena with murderous eyes. Seeing Xavier’s enraged look, Serena couldn’t be bothered to explain further and coldly said, “You’ll know everything on the wedding day!” “Fine! You’d better be telling the truth, because if you dare to cause trouble at my wedding, I will kill you!” Hearing his threats, Serena turned and left immediately, not wanting to stay a second longer. She felt suffocated just being in the same room with Xavier. After leaving the bridal shop, Serena went straight back to the villa. She decided not to leave the villa until the wedding day to avoid running into Xavier and Irene again. For the next few days, she stayed behind closed doors to avoid Xavier and Irene’s harassment. Soon Wednesday arrived, the day she and Timothy had agreed to get their marriage license. In the morning, Serena put on her wedding dress and left early for City Hall. However, as soon as she got out of the car, she saw the people she’d been hoping to avoid. Xavier and Irene were standing at the entrance of City Hall, him in a sharp suit and her in a wedding dress. Their friends surrounded them, taking photos with their phones. Irene spotted Serena first and immediately tugged at Xavier’s sleeve, whining, “Xavier, Serena’s here again!” Following her gaze, Xavier became instantly furious. He strode forward and shouted accusingly, “Serena, you really still want to marry me! Today is when Irene and I are getting our marriage license, yet you dare to come cause trouble!” Serena smirked, “Who told you I came to City Hall for you? Do you own this place?” “Still making excuses!” Xavier said through gritted teeth. “I warned you, if you dare to cause trouble, I won’t let you off easy!” At this point, Xavier and Irene’s friends started gossiping. “This woman has no shame!” “If she’s so desperate to get married, why doesn’t she just find any man?” Hearing the comments from Xavier and Irene’s friends, Serena pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She checked the time, realizing Timothy should arrive soon. Seeing her silence, Xavier and Irene thought she was feeling guilty. Xavier arrogantly shouted, “Why aren’t you leaving? Before I lose my temper, get as far away as possible. Don’t let me see you again!” “A woman like you, even if you begged me, I wouldn’t marry you!” Irene added fuel to the fire, “Can’t you see how much Xavier despises you? Bitch, get lost!” Their friends joined in, “Get out! You’re not welcome here!” “She’s truly shameless!” Seeing Serena standing still, Xavier impatiently signaled to his friends. Several men immediately rushed forward, roughly grabbing her arms, intending to drag her away. Serena struggled fiercely, but she was no match for their strength. “Xavier, how many times do I have to tell you I won’t marry you?” “Don’t you understand?” Xavier glared at her angrily and said, “Serena, how many times do I have to tell you I won’t marry you? I only love Irene!” Then, he signaled his friends to hurry up and not waste his and Irene’s time. Those men forcefully dragged Serena, making it impossible for her to break free. As she was about to be dragged away from City Hall, a cold voice suddenly rang out. “Let her go!”
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