Kimberly stared blankly at the message.

When she married Richard, they'd kept it simple: just a table at a hotel with a few relatives and friends.

She'd suggested it, not wanting him to spend his last savings on a wedding while in debt. But on that day, he had still given her the wedding dress of her dreams. She'd been overjoyed yet sad.

The dress maxed out his credit card; his suit was a cheap thrift-store fare. Even so, he'd hugged her, tears in his eyes. "I can't give you the best right now. But when I make it big, I'll throw you the grandest wedding ever."

Yet once he succeeded, he gave that wedding to Lotta instead.

Kimberly shut her eyes and typed: [Bigamy is illegal.]

Before she could send it, Lotta replied: [Yay, he agreed! Kimberly, for all the years you've served him, I'll let you attend our wedding. Honestly, not making him kick you out of the house already is me being generous.]

The words stabbed like knives. Still, Kimberly wanted to see Richard's perfect wedding for herself.

On that day, she disguised herself in a work shirt, wig, and mask, sneaking in as a server.

Richard had booked the city's most expensive hotel, spending a million on decorations alone. Even the wine was air-shipped Romanée-Conti.

The lights dimmed, and Lotta walked the aisle in a diamond-encrusted gown, drawing gasps of admiration.

Richard, in custom tailoring, extended his hand with deep affection. They looked so perfect together, their vows so heartfelt.

Kimberly realized then that he never saw her as his true bride, so that promised wedding never materialized.

What Lotta achieved with a single request, Kimberly couldn't get in a lifetime.

He slipped a ten-carat diamond ring onto Lotta's finger, his voice tender. "I take you, Lotta Anderson, for better or worse."

The diamond sparkled under the lights as he declared, "From this moment, you're my wife, Lotta. I'll love you forever."

Lotta teared up, and they embraced in a sweet kiss.

The crowd cheered as the atmosphere peaked. But Kimberly's hand shook, knocking a wine bottle off her tray. The noise attracted all the attention to her.

Holding Lotta's hand, Richard strode over with a sullen expression. "What the hell are you doing? Do you know how expensive that bottle is?"

Kimberly croaked numbly, "Sorry."

She bent down to clean it, ignoring the glass slicing her fingers.

Lotta recognized her immediately. In fact, she'd arranged for the hotel to let Kimberly in. "They say breaking glass at a wedding brings good luck, but she shattered it during our kiss. Does she think we don't deserve happiness?"

Richard's expression turned stormy. He stomped on Kimberly's hand.

She yelped as shards pierced her skin, blood flowing, but the man was relentless. "Apologize to my wife."

Kimberly stayed silent, her body trembling.

"Forget it, Richard. She didn't mean it," Lotta said, feigning kindness. "Go easy; she's just a server scraping by. Maybe she's jealous of me."

Richard pulled her close. "You're too kind. Don't let people take advantage of you."

Then he glared at Kimberly, full of disgust. "Causing this mess on my wedding day? That's disrespect to my wife and me! Whatever your issue, know this: my wife has things you'll never touch in your lifetime. The hotel owner is my friend. If you don't apologize, every staff member here gets docked pay today!"

The other servers panicked.

"You heard the man. Do it!"

"That wine's over $100,000, and you smashed it on purpose!"

"Mr. Munoz, please continue the wedding. We'll handle her."

Kimberly's heart stung. Before she could ask if he'd truly abandon her for Lotta, the servers forced her head down, making her lick the spilled wine.

"Mr. Munoz, is this good enough?"

Richard cradled Lotta. "Toss her out. Don't let her scare my wife."

If Lotta was his wife, then what was she? As they dragged her out, her mask slipped off as she brushed past Richard. He didn't recognize her.

Outside, the sun shone warmly, but she felt frozen. Staring at the closed banquet doors, she murmured, "Thanks, Richard. Now I can finally move on."

She trudged home to get her packed bags. But in the underground garage, someone clamped a cloth over her nose.

Opening her eyes again, Kimberly found herself in the back seat of a car, her hands bound with rope.

Richard sat beside her, still in his wedding suit, urging the driver anxiously, "Faster! Step on it!"

Unease gripped her. "Where are you taking me? Untie me!"

Richard's face was stone-cold. "Lotta's been kidnapped. I need to save her."

Her eyes widened. "What does that have to do with me?"

"They meant to grab Mrs. Munoz but took the wrong person," he said. "You have to swap places with her."

Mrs. Munoz? Conveniently, she was his wife when it suited him. Otherwise, he was marrying someone else.

Her heart sinking, she thrashed tearfully. "Trading me for her? You're out of your mind! This is your fault. You two paraded a public wedding, making them think she's your wife."

"You know?" He blinked, his emotions swirling.

He reached for her hand, but she slapped it away. His chest ached, and he looked away. "I'll explain later. Saving Lotta comes first. These guys are rough. She's young and can't handle it. Just switch with her, and I'll send help right away. Don't worry. They're after me, not you."

He said it so casually, but her heart broke. No matter how she begged, he remained silent.

Soon, they reached an abandoned construction site.

He donned a mask and hat, posing as an assistant. Lotta was seen tied to a pillar, a gunman beside her.

"I've brought Kimberly Munoz," he said, shoving her forward like an object on a leash. "Release Lotta as agreed."

Lotta's eyes filled with tears. "Save me. I'm so scared."

"Don't worry. I'm here with you," he soothed, then turned to the kidnapper. "What are you waiting for? You have whom you want."

The kidnapper eyed both women suspiciously. "You claim she is Richard's wife, but he just married another. Without proof, why should I believe you?"

Richard tossed over their marriage certificate. "I stole this from Mr. Munoz. Take a look. Lotta's the woman I love—I'll save her no matter what, even if it means betraying my boss. That wedding? Just a ploy to make his real wife jealous. She's always been his true love."

Gagged, Kimberly couldn't speak.

The kidnapper glanced at the certificate, then aimed his gun at Lotta. "Stay back. Let the women switch themselves. Any tricks, and I shoot."

Richard pushed Kimberly forward. "Go."

She closed her

As the car raced down the road, Richard called his top bodyguard. "Gather a team and go to this location. Get Kimberly out at all costs."

Back home, he checked Lotta for injuries, relieved to find none.

She clung to his arm, whining, "You've already sent people for Kimberly, so we're good. Let's pack and go on our honeymoon."

He stared at her, unease gnawing at him. During the wedding, visions of another woman in that gown kept flashing in his mind.

Kimberly would look stunning in it. He owed her a grand wedding. Once Lotta was settled, he'd make it right with the biggest ceremony.

He paced anxiously. "We'll go once Kimberly is safe."

Lotta pouted. "But you promised. Every minute we're late means I see less of the northern lights."

"They won't disappear if we're a bit late. Don't you have any conscience?" Richard snapped, losing it for a second.

Lotta burst into frightened tears. "I-I didn't mean it. I just want to finish your promise on the bucket list sooner, so our lost baby in heaven knows his dad loved us."

Regretting his outburst, Richard pushed down his irritation and hugged her. "Sorry, that was my fault. You're right; let's go now."

After her miscarriage, he'd promised to fulfill her bucket list as compensation. Once it was done, he could focus on Kimberly.

Lotta brightened, pulling out a pre-printed document. "I saw this lovely house in the suburbs. Buy it for me?"

His mind was preoccupied with Kimberly, and he signed without reading it.

"Would Kimberly be scared? Nah, she's level-headed. She'd protect herself," he muttered under his breath. "I've sent a solid team. She will be fine."

Lotta tossed the document on the table and eagerly handed him a suitcase. "Let's go!"

As they loaded the car, a staggering figure approached from afar. It was none other than Kimberly.

When the kidnapper had tried to assault her again, she had kicked him in the groin and fled. In the chaos, she got slashed a few times but ignored the pain.

After all these years, she'd found the man behind that nightmare, and it all led back to Lotta.

Rushing home, she bumped into Richard loading bags, smiling dotingly as he helped Lotta into the car, heading for the airport. His promises of rescue were lies.

Her heart ached, but she stopped, imagining his reaction when he learned Lotta had orchestrated his near-downfall. She was eager to see how Richard would view Lotta, the woman he had cherished for so many years, once he learned the truth.

Inside the house, in the study, she spotted the signed divorce agreement on the desk.

Just then, Lotta texted: [The divorce agreement is on the table. Richard is mine now.]

Kimberly checked the security footage: Lotta had just said she wanted it, and Richard had signed without a glance.

She gripped the document tightly as another message arrived: [Your flight to Ashaihill is booked. Mr. Elmer Shaw isn't patient. Get here soon.]

Kimberly: [Okay.]

Before leaving, she placed the new agreement beside the old one from his nightstand.

On the desk, with both documents side by side, she picked up a pen and wrote down three words in a flourish: [As you wish.]

Then she wheeled her suitcase out, leaving for good.