Chapter 1

During the Labor Day weekend, I took Skye, my boyfriend Xavier's younger sister, to the opening ceremony of his new influencer marketing hub.

Skye had just undergone a major brain surgery, and I wanted to take her out to get some fresh air.

At the event, a streamer named Bianca was aggressively promoting a face cream.

"Listen up, family! My man is feeling generous today. This cream usually retails for five hundred dollars, but today, you can get it for just fifty!"

Skye tugged on my sleeve and whispered. "Gwen, there's something wrong with that cream."

She had interned at the Health Department and was extremely sensitive to these things.

"The ingredients list suggests a high level of illegal hormones. Long-term use will literally rot someone's face."

Out of a sense of justice, Skye stepped forward to talk to Bianca. "This product isn't FDA-approved and the hormone levels are dangerous. You shouldn't be selling this."

Bianca was in the middle of her livestream. Her face instantly darkened when she was interrupted.

"What kind of crap are you spewing?" she sneered. "Who the hell do you think you are, trying to critique my merchandise?"

Skye was shocked by her arrogance. "You are defrauding your customers!"

Bianca put her hands on her hips, looking down her nose at us. "I'm the lady of this house! I own this place!"

"Let me tell you something. You're coming in here spreading rumors and damaging my reputation. You aren't leaving this building until you pay me seventy thousand dollars in damages!"

The lady of the house?

I wondered why Xavier had suddenly jumped into the influencer industry. It turned out he had built this hub just to keep a mistress!

I was about to call Xavier when Bianca beat me to it.

"Babe, get over here now! Two disgusting haters snuck into the hub to cause trouble. They're trying to ruin my brand!"

1

When Bianca realized I knew who Xavier was, her eyes glinted with malice.

"Oh, I see why you're here to pick a fight. You're trying to seduce my man, aren't you?"

Before I could speak, she pulled out her phone and aimed the livestream camera right at my face.

"Look, family! Everyone look at this shameless woman!"

Her voice was shrill, echoing through the speakers and across the entire event hall.

"She brought a sick girl here just to claim I'm selling fakes and pretend she knows my husband!"

"Are you upset because the real wife is here? Were you planning to put on a sob story once he arrived?"

Her words were like buckets of filth being thrown over me.

Before I could even react, the murmurs of the crowd began to drown us out.

"I knew they looked shady. Just another pair of scammers trying to get a payday."

"She looks decent enough, but she's so shameless. Even brought a dying girl to help her lie."

"If you can't afford the fine, don't cause trouble. Why harass the owner's wife?"

"You... you're lying!" Skye's voice trembled. Her post-surgery recovery made her dizzy, and her face turned pale as a sheet.

She struggled to breathe, clutching her chest as she swayed on her feet.

I immediately held her, using my body to shield her from those venomous stares.

"She's the one selling dangerous products! We are just protecting people!" I shouted at the crowd, but my voice was lost in the noise.

Bianca saw that I was still fighting back and a cruel look flashed across her face.

With a flick of her hand, several burly security guards surrounded us, blocking every exit.

"I've got news for you. My husband gave me this hub. I make the rules here!"

She bragged about her status while shoving the camera closer to my face.

Behind me, Skye weakly tugged at my shirt.

"Gwen... did we go to the wrong place? This... this can't be Xavier's company..."

She wanted to believe we were lost. She couldn't accept that her idolized brother would own a place like this or let a mistress harm people.

My heart sank. Skye's innocence was the final blow to my own denial.

"This is the hub Xavier invested in, Skye. And this woman is the mistress he's been hiding."

I pulled out my phone, my fingers shaking as I dialed Xavier's number.

I needed to ask him what the hell was going on.

But before it could ring, a hand with bright red nails snatched the phone from my grip!

"Trying to call for backup? Too late!"

Bianca waved my phone in my face, gloating, before slamming it onto the floor.

The screen shattered into a thousand pieces.

She wasn't finished. She lifted her sharp stiletto heel and ground it into the device.

The sound of snapping plastic signaled the end of my last bit of sanity.

Bianca watched my expression, her smile widening.

"Today, you aren't just paying seventy thousand. You're going to get on your knees and apologize to my viewers, or you're never leaving!"