Chapter 2

2.

My voice was hoarse as I stared at him.

"Zayne Sterling, you're threatening me with that? Are you even a man?!"

Zayne sneered. The last flicker of his guilt had vanished.

"Don't forget today is the anniversary of your mother's death."

"She taught you to be a lady. I doubt she'd want to know her daughter turned out to be such a slut."

In that moment of pure malice, he felt like a total stranger.

I unclenched my fists and nodded with a bitter smile.

"Fine. I'll give it to her."

The next day, at the Sterling-Quinn wedding, the bride had changed. It was the talk of the town.

Zayne's assistant showed up at my door and dragged me to the venue.

He forced me into a bridesmaid dress.

"Mr. Sterling says people are whispering that Miss Nyla stole your man."

"He needs you to be the maid of honor to shut down the rumors. Consider it a small sacrifice!"

I looked down at the dress and laughed until I cried.

How pathetic.

To be a bridesmaid at the wedding of the man I loved.

To be used as a tool to make his new bride happy!

Once I was hauled onto the stage, Nyla grabbed my arm, pretending to be affectionate. Her voice was a venomous whisper.

"Sister, haven't you noticed how the men are looking at you?"

I looked around. Every man in the room was staring at my chest and waist.

Their gazes were filthy and suggestive.

Nyla smirked triumphantly.

"Zayne was worried people would talk about me, so he had to give them something else to talk about."

"That video from the other night? He uploaded it. It already has over a hundred thousand views!"

My brain felt like it exploded.

I pulled out my phone and saw the trending headline.

"Scandal! Quinn Heiress Cheats Before Wedding; Zayne Sterling Forced to Switch Brides!"

The attached photo blurred the man's face but showed me clearly, looking desperate and exposed.

The comments were a cesspool of insults.

"She couldn't even wait until the wedding? How thirsty is she?"

"She looks so innocent, but she's a total tramp underneath!"

My hands shook. I shoved Nyla away and ran to the backstage area.

There, I heard Zayne laughing with his groomsmen.

"Zayne, you were the guy in that photo, right? Jada has a killer body. I can't believe you posted that for everyone to see."

"Aren't you worried she won't marry you later?"

Zayne sighed, sounding like he was carrying a heavy burden.

"I had to do it for Nyla's sake. I needed her to have a peaceful wedding."

"Besides, I know Jada. We've been together for years. She's too obsessed with me to actually leave."

I couldn't take it anymore. I burst into the room and slapped him across the face.

"Zayne Sterling, you are disgusting!"

He looked panicked for a second, then grabbed my hand to explain.

"Jada, listen to me. This is for your own good."

"Everyone knows the Prince is crazy. If he sees you like this, he might cancel the marriage himself!"

He sounded so righteous. He had crushed my dignity into the dirt and called it a favor.

My heart was dead. "This was Nyla's idea, wasn't it?"

Zayne's eyes flickered. Before he could answer, Nyla burst in, crying.

"Zayne! Help! Mr. Ward touched my waist, and I accidentally splashed water on him."

"Now he's demanding I kneel and apologize to him in front of everyone!"

Zayne immediately let go of me and ran to her.

"That's too much! Nyla, I won't let you apologize to a man like that!"

Then, he turned to me with eyes as cold as stone.

"Jada, go apologize to Mr. Ward in Nyla's place!"