Chapter 2

2

A month later, the Sterling family held a double wedding.

Same day, same hotel, but two completely different worlds.

My ceremony was in a small ballroom downstairs. It felt like a low-budget farce. Lucas told me that since I wanted "pure love," I shouldn't care about the trimmings.

I wore a rented white gown. Lydia praised my "modesty" in front of the guests, though her eyes were full of contempt.

Lucas went through the motions like he was completing a chore.

Meanwhile, in the grand ballroom upstairs, the wedding of Seraphina and Zane was the event of the season.

Lucas had organized it himself. He claimed he was doing it for his brother, who was rarely home, because a girl as "pure" as Seraphina deserved the best.

After the ceremony, I changed into my reception dress and headed upstairs.

I saw Lucas standing with the newlyweds. His gaze was fixed on Seraphina with sickening tenderness.

He personally fastened a brilliant diamond necklace around her neck. "Sera, this is my wedding gift to you. I hope you and Zane are very happy."

I recognized that necklace.

I had seen it in a magazine last week and mentioned it was beautiful. It cost three million dollars.

Seraphina smiled like a princess. "Thank you, Lucas. You're always so good to me."

Zane, the actual groom, stood to the side. He was expressionless, looking like an outsider at his own wedding.

The guests started whispering.

"The brother-in-law treats the bride better than his own wife, doesn't he?"

"Didn't you hear? His wife, Gwen, is just a pretty face with no substance. She's nothing compared to Seraphina."

"Tsk. Poor guy, marrying a woman like that."

I clenched my fists until my nails drew blood.

Lucas spotted me. He frowned and walked over, his voice dripping with annoyance. "What are you doing up here? Wasn't the clown show downstairs enough?"

I looked him in the eye. "Lucas, who exactly is your bride today?"

He looked at me as if I had told a joke. "Gwen, know your place. Don't start a scene and embarrass me here."

He turned back to Seraphina, pouring her a drink with meticulous care.

I was the biggest joke at the wedding.

Only Zane walked over to me, holding a glass. His voice was deep and steady. "Gwen, he's had too much to drink."

I looked into his dark, bottomless eyes. I realized this man saw everything far more clearly than anyone else.

A year passed. Both Seraphina and I gave birth to sons.

I named my son Andy. I only wanted him to have a peaceful life.

During that year, I used my finance background to quietly stash money into encrypted offshore accounts. I was building a safety net for us.

Lucas's coldness toward me and his favoritism toward Seraphina only got worse.

If Seraphina whispered that I "seemed to dislike her," Lucas would give me the silent treatment for days.

If Seraphina's son had a mild fever, Lucas would abandon me and a sick Andy in the middle of the night to be by her side.

He was trying to break me. He wanted me to be "obedient."

But I was just waiting for my moment.

The Sterling Group's anniversary gala was the perfect opportunity.

I wore a sapphire blue silk dress. It was based on a design Lucas had sketched for me back when he was courting me.

I wanted to see if there was a single shred of humanity left in him.

Seraphina approached me in a white gown. She leaned in and whispered, "Gwen, that dress is stunning. Lucas told me blue suits you because you're like the deep ocean―so cold. Too bad my skin is too warm for it."

She smiled innocently, but her words were blades.

A second later, Lucas walked over with a frozen expression.

He didn't even look at me. He spoke directly to Seraphina. "If you don't like looking at it, you don't have to."

Then, he pulled a pair of scissors from a nearby floral arrangement. In front of all the elites, he grabbed my hem.

With a loud rip, he sliced the expensive silk from the floor all the way up to my thigh.

The dress was ruined. It hung off me like a rag.

"Take it off. It's an eyesore for Sera," he said calmly.

The room went quiet, then erupted in hushed laughter and pitying stares.

Andy started crying in my arms, terrified by the tension.

I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I simply took off my blazer, wrapped it around my waist, and walked out with my head held high.

I didn't let the tears fall until the bedroom door was locked.

Andy reached out his tiny hand to wipe my face. "Mommy… don't cry."

I held him tight, drawing strength from the only warmth I had left.

Lucas, Seraphina―your reckoning starts now.