The sharp sound rang out, and the entire scene fell into dead silence. Everyone's eyes turned to me. No one had expected that I, who had been taught from childhood to always be gentle and graceful, would publicly strike someone.

Grayson had not expected it either. He froze in place, staring at me blankly.

Seeing this, Maeve immediately became indignant. "He raped me, and now, his fiancée hits me too! I can't live like this. I might as well die!"

She clutched her injured cheek and moved as if to throw herself against the wall. She looked resolute, but her movements were slow and deliberate. Her eyes kept darting toward Grayson as she waited for his reaction.

The acting was terrible, but Grayson could not see through it at all. He rushed over anxiously to hold her and comfort her, promising to give her justice.

I bent down and picked up the broken pieces of the bracelet one by one. My finger was cut by a sharp edge, and bright red blood dripped onto the floor—as my heart had been for years.

Grayson did not notice the blood on the ground or the wound on my hand. He shoved me hard. "Calla Finley! You actually hit someone! Look at yourself. Where's the refined lady you're supposed to be? You're nothing but a shrew!

"Besides, Maeve was wearing it just fine. If you hadn't charged out and scared her into falling, the bracelet wouldn't have broken. Instead of reflecting on your own actions, you resorted to violence. You call yourself a socialite? Even a common woman has more sense than you!"

After ranting at me, Grayson scooped Maeve up in his arms and carried her toward my house.

The onlookers stared at me with varying expressions. Some pitied me, others looked gleeful, and a few just seemed entertained. The humiliation was unprecedented, as if I had been stripped naked for everyone to gawk at.

I clenched my fists. The shards from the bracelet dug deep into my flesh.

All my life, I had done everything perfectly, never displeasing anyone. I was always the one being praised and complimented.

Yet now, when I was simply defending my own rights, he made me out to be the unreasonable one!

…

Back inside the house, Grayson held an ice pack and gently pressed it against Maeve's face. His brows were deeply furrowed with worry, as if she had contracted some serious illness.

While tending to her, he shot me a venomous look.

"Look what you did. You've ruined her beautiful face. Aren't you going to apologize to her?"

My whole body trembled.

He truly pampered Maeve to the extreme. Maeve was slapped for provoking me, which was exactly what she deserved. Yet not only did Grayson humiliate me in public, but he was also forcing me to apologize.

Years ago, when I was six months pregnant and one of his drinking buddies kicked me and caused me to miscarry, he showed no sympathy. Instead, he blamed me for being incompetent and failing to protect his child.

What was more, before I had even finished recovering from the loss, he forced me to apologize to that friend. His reason was that the sight of all that blood had given the man nightmares for nights on end, so I owed him an apology.

I took a deep breath, pushing down the resentment in my chest. I gathered the bloodstained fragments without acknowledging either of them.

Maeve raised her eyebrows with exaggerated magnanimity, acting as if she were above such petty disputes. She said softly, "Forget it. It's all my fault anyway, right? After all, I broke the bracelet first, so I deserved to be hit."

She said it casually, but Grayson immediately frowned and scoffed. "Even if you did break it, you did nothing wrong. Wearing jewelry from dead people is morbid anyway. It's better that it broke. She had no right to hit you, no matter what.

"Calla, apologize right now. Otherwise, this wedding is off. Someone with no manners has no place in the Thatcher family!"

Maeve was thrilled at the prospect of Grayson calling off the engagement. Her eyes gleamed with cunning as she said, "Forget it, Grayson. You two have been engaged since childhood. If you break it off, it'll hurt your reputation.

"I just need her to apologize. That's all. But I'm not someone who accepts cheap gestures. A few empty words won't cut it. Unless… Calla, you agree to let me and Grayson have a wedding. No, wait. I want you to plan it yourself."

Maeve's brows lifted slightly, her eyes bright. Her bold, uninhibited demeanor was fatally attractive to Grayson, who had been raised under strict rules his whole life. His eyes were filled with affection as he cupped Maeve's face and smiled.

"Our engagement is only a verbal promise. I don't care about it at all. But you're so thoughtful, always considering what's best for me. I can't ignore that."

He turned to look at me, his gaze gradually turning cold. "Do as Maeve says. You'll still have the title of Mrs. Thatcher anyway, so you're not losing out. Maeve has been with me without any recognition or status. The least she deserves is a wedding."

As soon as he said that, the room erupted. Even Dad, who had been silent until now, changed his expression.

"Grayson Thatcher, even if your family did me a favor once, you can't bully my daughter like this. Making her plan a wedding for you and your mistress? Do you have no decency? I'm telling you, my daughter will never..."

Just as Dad was about to reveal that I had chosen someone else, I raised my hand to stop him.

"Dad, don't. I'll do it. Not only will I plan it, but I'll even make sure it's a grand, spectacular affair."

Maeve had initially assumed I would refuse such an absurd condition. She was ready to use it as an excuse to pressure me into breaking off the engagement myself. When I agreed to plan the wedding, she thought I was desperate to marry Grayson. Her expression darkened completely.

Grayson had not expected me to accept his idea so quickly either. Pleased, he gradually smiled at me. "If you'd been this understanding from the start, none of this would've happened. Don't worry. As long as you behave and don't cause trouble, the three of us can definitely make this work."

I let out a cold laugh but did not respond. Three people could never make it work. I had no intention of repeating the same mistakes and dying miserably again.

Grayson did not care whether I responded or not. As he walked toward me, he finally noticed the injury on my hand and looked surprised. "Your hand is hurt. Why didn't you say anything? You're bleeding so much. Does it hurt?"

Before he could get any closer, Maeve immediately clutched her swollen cheek and exclaimed dramatically, "My face is injured from the hit. Will it make me look bad on the day of our wedding? Can you take me to the hospital right now to get it checked?"

Grayson's expression turned serious instantly. "You're right. That's what matters. We can't delay."

I scoffed. I had actually thought he had changed for a moment. It turned out he was just in a good mood and threw me a scrap of concern.

As if to placate me, Grayson kept reminding me to get my hand treated before he left. I did not need his nagging. I would take care of it myself.

After spending over a decade with him in my past life, I had long since grown used to licking my wounds alone. I carefully picked out the shards embedded in my flesh, then disinfected and bandaged the wound.

After enduring pain for so long, even my body had gone numb. More than the injury, the destruction of my grandmother's keepsake was what broke my heart.

I contacted people everywhere in hopes someone could repair it. Shortly after, my best friend called me back.

"Calla, I found a restoration expert. He's worked on museum pieces and can fix anything. I asked him about your bracelet, and he said it's no problem."

Hearing my friend's words, the weight on my chest finally lifted. I nearly cried with relief. "That's wonderful. I don't care how much it costs. As long as he can restore it, I'll pay anything."

My friend laughed mischievously. "He doesn't need the money. Restoration work is just a hobby for him. He's gorgeous too, six foot three and a total heartthrob. Want me to introduce you? He's way better than that scumbag Grayson Thatcher."

I gently declined.

My friend grew anxious. "You're not seriously going to marry that bastard, are you? Everyone in our circle knows about all the awful things he's done. Don't be stupid and throw yourself into that pit of fire."

It seemed the publicity campaign was working well. A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Don't worry. I've chosen a different match."

I would not waste another moment of my life on Grayson.

Just as the bracelet situation was resolved, my engagement to Emmett Harlow, the son of the wealthiest man in the country, was finalized. Both families sat together to discuss setting a date for the formal engagement. The registration of marriage and the wedding would require much longer preparation.

Emmett's mother smiled warmly. "Calla, what kind of wedding would you like?"

I smiled back. "I'm fine with anything. I'll leave it to the elders to decide."

It was just a strategic marriage anyway.

She waved her hand repeatedly. "That won't do. A wedding is one of the most important events in a person's life. Whether it's the venue or the dress, you two must genuinely love it.

"Emmett, clear your afternoon schedule and take Calla to try on wedding dresses. If she doesn't like any, we'll commission custom designs. We absolutely can't let her feel shortchanged."

I froze slightly, feeling warmth rise in my chest. In my past life, my wedding to Grayson had been rocky and half-hearted.

Grayson's mother had insisted that once I married into their family, I would be their daughter-in-law. The Thatcher company was already declining and desperately needed money. I had to economize on everything while still ensuring they did not lose their reputation in front of outsiders.

To meet their harsh demands, my family ended up covering most of the expenses.

Yet on the wedding day, Grayson still did not show up. The news of it went viral. He became the notorious playboy heir and even gained a following of young admirers.

Meanwhile, I was the one left at the wedding venue, being gossiped about. Some said I was incompetent, that I could not even control my own husband and that I was a complete failure.

Just thinking about those awful experiences made it hard to breathe.

Fortunately, I did not stay lost in those memories for long. Emmett's deep, magnetic voice pulled me back to reality.

"Is now a good time for you, Calla? We can go right away or reschedule if that's more convenient."

Emmett carried himself with impeccable posture, his every movement exuding the confidence of an elite professional.

After I nodded in agreement, he escorted me out. He opened the car door for me and helped me fasten my seatbelt. Throughout the entire drive, he went out of his way to find common topics to chat about so that I would not feel awkward or bored.

My initially tense mood relaxed instantly.

"Thank you," I thanked him softly.

Emmett shook his head with a faint smile. "These are just basic courtesies. There's nothing to thank me for."

I smiled bitterly. These most basic things were what Grayson had never done for me.

The car drove smoothly, and we soon arrived at the bridal boutique. Emmett accompanied me as I tried on wedding dresses, never showing a hint of impatience.

I stood in a pristine white gown, my hair swept up elegantly. Under the lights, my flawless features took on an air of proud, distant beauty.

Emmett froze in place, staring at me with a dazed expression. There was something in his eyes I could not quite decipher.

The rest of our time together was just as pleasant.

During this period, Grayson and Maeve did not come to bother me—not until their wedding day drew near.

My assistant, Sloane Jones, placed a proposal in front of me.

"Ms. Finley, the wedding has been finalized. We're using only the best of everything, and we've hired well-known media outlets and influencers to livestream the entire event. Rest assured, the whole country will be able to watch their wedding."

I nodded in satisfaction.

Beyond making this a spectacle, the most crucial point was that I had only agreed to help plan the wedding. I never said I would pay for it.

I casually delegated the wedding arrangements to Sloane. All expenses would come out of Grayson's pocket.

Looking at the 300-square-foot flower garden and the stunning wedding venue, I could not help but smile. The venue was beautiful, and it came with an extremely high price tag.

When Grayson and Maeve arrived at the venue the next day, they were stunned by the lavishness of it all.

Grayson pulled Maeve into his arms and reassured her smugly. "Babe, look how well Calla treats you. She really knows how to play the gracious hostess. Don't worry. I'll never let anyone mistreat you."

Maeve did not look pleased. Instead, she glared at me with venom in her eyes.

She did not lash out at that moment, though. She just played along and showered me with a few hollow compliments.

The wedding ceremony began and proceeded smoothly. That was until they began displaying the couple's happy photos on the big screen. Suddenly, a high-resolution bedroom photo appeared.

All the live streams were immediately shut down. The entire venue erupted in chaos.

Maeve, who had been so carefree on stage, suddenly burst into tears and shouted at me accusingly, "Calla Finley! I should've known you wouldn't be so kind as to plan my wedding! You want to destroy my reputation! I get it now. You're still mad about the bracelet, so you decided to ruin me in revenge!"

I froze. I had not done this. I turned to Sloane, who shook her head, looking just as confused.

Before I could react, Grayson slapped me across the face and roared furiously, "Calla Finley! You're a woman too. How could you do something so vicious? Besides, the bracelet broke because you scared Maeve and made her fall. It had nothing to do with her. How dare you use that as an excuse to get revenge?"

The guests began whispering and pointing at me.

"Even if she did something wrong, this punishment is way too harsh."

"Destroying someone's reputation like this is truly evil."

Maeve sobbed even harder. "If you sent me, you could've just told me. I would've apologized and begged for your forgiveness. Why did you pretend to make peace and agree to plan our wedding, only to humiliate me like this?

"I can't live with this shame. I'll just die right now so I won't stand in the way of your love anymore!"

Maeve rushed toward the corner of a table, ready to bash her head against it. Grayson panicked and quickly grabbed her to calm her down.

When he was not looking, Maeve flashed me a triumphant smirk. Seeing that expression, I suddenly understood everything. No wonder I had not been able to defeat them in my past life. I was nowhere near as shameless or ruthless as they were.

I stood there, frozen.

Accusations echoed all around me. Those twisted faces seemed to tear apart the version of me that had always been obedient, sensible, virtuous, and gracious.

My nose began to sting, and my entire body trembled uncontrollably.

I forcibly suppressed the discomfort and spoke coldly, saying the kind of vicious words I never would have uttered before.

"You've been a mistress this whole time. You threw away your dignity ages ago. Who are you putting on this innocent act for now? Besides, I didn't post that photo. It's such a high-resolution close-up. I wasn't standing at your bedside watching you two go at it, so how could I have possibly taken it?"