Chapter 2

02

I bypassed them and headed toward the interior of the hotel.

Lucas frowned and blocked my path. "Aria, do you think you're worthy of going in there?"

"If you really want to get married, go find a homeless guy under a bridge. I'm sure they'd be thrilled."

I looked into his eyes and felt a deep sense of exhaustion.

The Lucas who worried about me being cold while riding my bike and saved money to buy me gloves was dead forever.

I lowered my eyes and lifted my skirt to move away, but Lucas grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me?"

Before I could speak, a voice came from behind him.

"Lucas, what are you doing?"

"Scarlett."

Lucas's body jerked. He immediately let go of me with a look of extreme disgust, frantically wiping his sleeve where I had touched him.

Scarlett walked closer, looking at me with suspicion.

"Why is she here? And wearing a wedding dress?"

Looking at Scarlett, I couldn't help but clench my fists.

She was the fake heiress who had usurped my identity. If her mother hadn't swapped us at birth and abandoned me, I wouldn't have suffered for so many years.

Unfortunately, by the time the Hale family found me, they had already settled her elsewhere. She only knew me as Lucas's ex-girlfriend.

A flash of panic crossed Lucas's face, fearing he would be linked to me in front of Scarlett.

"She's into Joey now. She came here to confess her feelings to him. Right?"

his friends quickly covered for him.

"That's right, Scarlett. She can't live a day without a man. A woman like her isn't worth your concern."

They crowded around Joey and pushed him toward me. Joey leaned in with a lewd smirk.

"Lucas is out of your league now, but seeing how pathetic you are, I guess I could settle for you."

Lucas clapped and cheered the loudest, desperate to keep Scarlett from doubting him.

Joey reached out with a disgusting smile, trying to wrap his arm around me.

I looked at his red, bulbous nose and felt a wave of nausea. I shoved him away.

"I'm not here to play games with you all. I'm here for a wedding."

Scarlett's brows furrowed, and Lucas immediately reacted by pushing me into Joey's arms.

"Wow, getting married so soon? Joey's a catch!"

On the surface, he shook Joey's hand in celebration, but he whispered a threat to me.

"What are you blabbering about in front of my fiancée? Who would marry you?"

I struggled to break free from Joey, feeling like I was about to vomit.

Scarlett put on a show of being generous and smiled.

"Forget it, she's a girl too. You guys are making her shy."

"But congratulations anyway on finally getting married. I was worried you'd never get over Lucas."

The others immediately followed suit.

"Scarlett is so classy. She's even polite to trash like Aria."

"Exactly. Aria doesn't deserve her blessings."

I swept a cold gaze over everyone present, finally letting my eyes rest on Lucas's smug face.

"I am indeed getting married. But you don't know the groom. My wedding is being held on the hotel penthouse. If you want to see how the other half lives, you're welcome to come up and watch."