Chapter 3

3:

When he realized he wasn't hallucinating, he slammed my phone onto the floor.

He grabbed me by the collar and landed a heavy punch right on my jaw.

"Grant, you son of a bitch! Are you messing with my wife?"

"No wonder Aria refuses to move in with me yet. She has a side piece out here?"

"You're a lying, pathetic piece of trash. You actually had the nerve to come to our wedding with a photo of my wife!"

"What? Were you planning to break us up and take her for yourself?"

Xavier's rage grew with every word, and his punches became more violent.

I tried to explain, but he wouldn't give me a chance to breathe.

Then, he spotted the Patek Philippe watch on my wrist, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

He ripped the watch off me with brutal force.

"I bet she bought you this watch too, didn't she? You've been playing her!"

"Grant, I'm going to kill you today!"

As a crowd began to gather, some people got nervous and tried to step in.

"Xavier, take it easy! There must be a mistake. Everyone knows Aria only has eyes for you!"

But Xavier picked up my phone, which now had a shattered screen.

He forced my thumb onto the scanner to unlock it and scrolled through my gallery.

He found dozens of photos of me and Aria. There was even a picture of me holding the jade scepter.

The evidence was undeniable. To the onlookers, we clearly had an intimate relationship.

The crowd's looks of curiosity turned into disgust and mockery.

"Grant, you were the teacher's pet back in the day. Who knew you were such a scumbag?"

"Sleeping with a married man's wife and then showing up at the wedding? You make me sick!"

"I bet he's a professional gold-digger. Xavier should beat the life out of him!"

Xavier pointed a finger at my nose, screaming.

"Grant, I invited you because we used to be deskmates. I didn't think you were trying to steal my woman!"

The insults kept coming. Some people even pulled out their phones to record me while cursing.

I used every bit of strength I had to push myself off the floor. I looked at Xavier and sneered.

"Xavier, you're hitting me without even knowing the truth. I'm going to make you regret this. Give me my watch back!"

Xavier let out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"You're going to make me regret it? I'm the one who's not finished with you!"

"You seduced my wife, let her pay for your life, and then came here to humiliate me!"

"You pathetic little homewrecker. My wife and I are already legally married. Forget the watch―I have the right to sue you for every penny she spent on you!"

Legally married?

Aria and Xavier were already husband and wife?

Everything clicked. No wonder Aria acted so strange every time I brought up getting our marriage license.

Xavier still wasn't satisfied. He threw my five-million-dollar watch onto the ground as hard as he could.

I watched it shatter into pieces, and my mind finally cleared.

"That watch cost over five million dollars. Xavier, how exactly do you plan on paying me back?"

"I'll pay you back with your life!"

Xavier lunged at me again.

This time, his friends joined in. They surrounded me, kicking and punching until I couldn't get up.

The other guests didn't stop them. Some even spat on me as I lay on the floor.

The hotel lobby was busy, but not a single person stepped in to help.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

The woman I wanted to spend my life with had led me into this nightmare.

Xavier finally stopped when he got tired.

He knelt down to grab my collar again, and that's when he saw the pendant around my neck.

Without a word, he ripped it off.

My eyes widened. That was my mother's last gift to me. I couldn't let him destroy it!

"Xavier, give that back!"

Hearing the desperation in my voice, Xavier smirked.

"Is this little thing important to you?"

"Give it back, and I won't press charges for what you did today. Otherwise, I'll make sure you regret ever being born!"

"Threatening me? You think you're in a position to do that?"

He opened his hand and let the pendant drop. It hit the marble floor and shattered into four pieces.