Joanna got a quick reply.

[Really? That's amazing, sweetheart!

[I'm so glad you finally came around. I'm not trying to force you to come home and get married. Your dad and I simply found out that Theo really isn't a good match, and we're worried about you.]

She could almost see her mother's warm, gentle smile.

She still remembered that moment in her last life when she watched through the window as her mother cried, heartbroken in her father's arms.

Her mother kept apologizing over and over, while her father was so full of regret that he slapped himself across the face.

They even begged Theo to talk her into seeing them just one more time.

But what they didn't know was that she'd been right there.

She was like some wounded animal trapped in the dark, screaming silently in her heart for someone to save her.

Just thinking about it made tears slip down Joanna's cheeks.

At that moment, loud noises erupted outside.

She looked up and saw Theo walking in with his arm wrapped around Sharon's shoulders.

Sharon was wearing the exact same wedding dress Joanna was wearing while leaning softly against him, with a sweet smile on her face.

Their parents followed behind them, all of them looking pleased.

The applause was nonstop. Even the roses swayed in the breeze, as if they were giving their blessings to the happy couple.

And right then, Joanna felt like the ridiculous intruder at someone else's wedding.

She hated Theo now. She really did. But still, her eyes stung, and she couldn't stop them from turning red.

Theo caught sight of her thin figure, and his expression flickered with panic.

He rushed over and gently wiped her tears, speaking carefully, "I'm sorry. I never expected this.

"I didn't know Sharon would pull something like this. She had the wedding dress custom-made behind my back…"

He had no idea her tears had nothing to do with him.

Joanna shook her head and forced a weak smile. Her eyes stayed soft as she looked at him, as if she still loved him deeply.

She said softly, "It's fine. I'm just… I'm just glad Ms. Cooper is okay."

Theo felt a sharp pang in his chest. Guilt hit him hard. "There's nothing going on between us—"

Before he could say more, Sharon strutted over with her chin held high, cutting in, "No point acting all kind and forgiving. You really think you're some Cinderella? What isn't yours will never be yours.

"Like this wedding, for example. The real couple getting married today is Theo and me!"

The room fell completely silent. Everyone turned to watch, waiting for the drama to unfold.

Joanna looked at Theo in mock shock, her voice shaking. "What is she talking about?"

Theo stayed quiet for a moment, looking ashamed, but he still said firmly, "Let Sharon have today. She promised if I just go through with this wedding and let her live out her dream of marrying me, she'll leave me alone for good.

"If I don't… she said she'll do something crazy. So for our future, can you just step aside for now?

"I swear, this is all just for show. I'll make it up to you. I'll give you a better wedding next time."

Joanna froze, her hands trembling with emotion.

She'd been wondering how to stop this wedding without blowing her cover.

After all, she was playing the role of someone madly in love with Theo. If he truly wanted to go through with it, she couldn't object without seeming out of character.

But now that Sharon was pushing things this far and making such an unreasonable demand, it was perfect!

Joanna quickly buried the excitement rising in her chest. She let tears fall as she said with a trembling voice, "Did you even think about how this would make me look? Just because I love you doesn't mean you get to humiliate me like this!

"If you really love her, I won't stand in your way."

She slowly removed the crown from her head, her eyes full of disappointment and finality. "Go on and marry her. We're done."

Then she turned to leave.

Theo panicked and grabbed her wrist tightly. "Stop making this a big deal! I told you, this is just an act. I'll throw you an even grander wedding later!"

Joanna shook her head and choked back a sob. "I don't want it…"

Before Theo could say a word, Eleanor Brook stepped forward and slapped Joanna hard across the face.

"What are you doing, Mom?" Theo shouted, furious.

Eleanor's face was cold. "What am I doing? I'm waking this woman up!"

She sized Joanna up with clear disgust, her voice sharp and cruel. "You're just an orphan. If you want to marry up and become someone important, you'd better learn to swallow your pride!

"I watched Sharon grow up. She's been heartbroken because of you for so long. All she wants is a wedding. Is that really something to cry about?"

Sharon smirked and added, "Yeah, don't let her fool you, Theo. Marrying you is a dream come true for so many women. She'd never give you up that easily.

"She's just using your feelings for her to force your hand. That's all this is."

Theo had felt bad when Joanna got slapped, but after he heard that, his face darkened, and his eyes turned cold.

"You're really trying to guilt me like this?" he asked harshly. "What happened to you? You used to be so sweet and innocent. When did you turn into someone so fake and calculating?"

Joanna almost laughed out loud. The logic of these people was ridiculous.

But more than that, her heart was turning to ice.

Even a fool could see Sharon was stirring things up on purpose, but Theo couldn't. Or maybe he just didn't want to see it.

No. He probably knew. He just chose to believe Sharon completely.

Joanna hated how blind she used to be. She had missed all the signs, all the favoritism. She actually believed Theo only saw Sharon as a sister.

In her past life, Sharon's death had been anything but undeserved.

Grinding her teeth, Joanna slapped Theo across the face and spat, "I was so wrong about you!"

All the hate she'd been trying to hold back since the moment she woke up was now burning in her eyes. It was a sharp, wild look that unsettled Theo.

He didn't like this version of her. She was supposed to love him, not look at him like that.

Eleanor snapped, "How dare you hit my son!"

Then Sharon lunged at her. She yanked Joanna's hair with one hand and slapped her face with the other.

"You touched Theo? You low-class trash! I'll kill you!" she screamed.

Joanna tried to fight back, but Sharon's flunkies were quick—they pinned Joanna down before she could move.

She was helpless as Sharon slapped her again and again. Her cheeks swelled, and her head spun from the hits.

No one stepped in to help. In fact, many guests pulled out their phones to record the whole thing.

Some even clapped, laughing and shouting, "Nice hit!"

Theo just stood there, cold and silent. He didn't move until Sharon kicked Joanna in the stomach, making her cry out in pain. Only then did he finally look panicked and shout, "That's enough!"

Sharon fixed her dress calmly, not a hair out of place. She looked up at Theo and said sweetly, "Sorry. I just couldn't stand watching her lay a hand on you. No one touches you in front of me and gets away with it. I'll protect you, even if it means ruining her."

Her eyes were full of love, raw and intense.

But that love only made Theo more uncomfortable. It burned straight through him. He turned away and hurried to Joanna, wanting to help her up.

Joanna's stomach throbbed painfully. She stared at Theo's outstretched hand with cold eyes, then looked away and pushed herself up on her own.

Theo's face twisted in frustration. But seeing her torn scalp and the blood trickling down from her temple made his heart ache.

"If you hadn't thrown a fit, none of this would've happened," he said.

Joanna felt like ice was spreading through her veins.

She'd been beaten to a pulp, and he thought it was her own fault for not behaving. This was just like her last life. His way of making her "obedient" had always been brutal.

Joanna didn't say a word. She turned around and started to leave.

Theo watched her back, and a strange panic rushed through him. For some reason, it felt like she was really going to disappear from his life for good.

He quickly ordered his assistant, "Take her to the villa. Make sure she's well taken care of."

Joanna froze. She knew exactly what that meant.

Theo wasn't going to let her go. Even if he had already chosen Sharon, he still wanted to keep Joanna around.

Men like him never thought they had enough women. He wanted both—Sharon as his wife, and her as his hidden lover.

Joanna tried to run, but her heavy wedding dress held her back.

Theo stood there with cold eyes as his people pinned her down. "Don't even think about running," he said flatly. "No one in this city would dare help you."

Joanna looked at him, her heart going numb. She wanted to argue and to scream back at him, but she knew it would only make things worse.

So, she forced a bitter, unwilling look on her face and let them drag her into the car.

Inside, she turned to look helplessly back at the hotel.

There, under the bright lights, Theo and Sharon stood side by side.

They kissed, surrounded by cheers and applause.

And as the officiant led them through their vows, they promised each other forever.

Joanna was placed under house arrest in the villa.

It was the home Theo had prepared for their future together. Everything in it—from the renovations down to the smallest decorations—had been picked out by her.

She once thought this would be her safe place. She never imagined it would turn into a cage.

After returning to the room, she pulled out her phone and started typing a message to her mother, briefly explaining what had happened to her.

At the end, she added, [Please help me fake my death.]

Since she'd mentioned she couldn't talk on the phone, a reply came quickly. [Okay, sweetheart. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

[Give it two weeks, tops. I'll take care of everything and come get you.]

As Joanna read that, her eyes welled up with tears.

In her previous life, when she was locked away in a villa near the monastery, she had tried to reach out to her parents, but Theo had taken her phone away.

This time, she was going to ask for help before he had the chance to react.

She replied with a simple "Okay" before deleting the entire conversation.

Over the next few days, the staff at the villa kept a close eye on her. She wasn't allowed to leave, and her phone had been taken the night of the wedding.

Still, she had faith in her parents. She wasn't worried.

Then one day, she heard yelling downstairs. When she went to look, she saw Sharon had shown up.

Sharon was lounging on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other. When she saw Joanna, she gave a nasty smile and asked, "So, how's life in your pretty little cage, playing the side chick?"

Joanna's face turned cold. "Don't forget—you're the one who broke up someone else's marriage."

Sharon laughed and raised her hand, showing off the huge diamond ring on her finger. "But guess what? I'm officially Mrs. Brook now."

As soon as she said that, she tossed her phone at Joanna.

Joanna picked it up, and the second she looked at the trending news, she froze. In the past few days, the Brooks and Coopers had publicly announced their marriage.

There was even footage of Theo holding Sharon close in front of everyone, smiling and promising to love her for the rest of his life.

Their wedding had been broadcast, and right along with it was footage of Joanna being slapped.

Some so-called "insiders" claimed Joanna was Theo's clingy ex who tried to crash the wedding and got beaten up by the bride.

Others said Joanna had always known she was the third wheel. They said that even though she knew Theo would never marry her, she still shamelessly threw herself at him.

The comment section was filled with insults against Joanna. The words were so disgusting that they made her whole body tremble.

Sharon sat there proudly, watching Joanna's spirit fall apart. Then she added with a smug tone, "You know what? Your classmates actually wanted to speak up for you, since they knew the truth.

"But Theo was worried that if they cleared your name, people might come after me. So he paid everyone off and wiped the internet clean of anything showing the two of you together.

"He said you're just an orphan, so it doesn't matter if people talk trash about you. But I'm different—I'm the Coopers' daughter. My reputation has to stay spotless.

"And most importantly, he didn't want me to be upset. He said when he saw me standing on the rooftop that day, his heart almost stopped.

"He told me he used to be confused about what he really wanted, that he'd chosen the wrong person before, but from now on, he'd love me with everything he's got."

She paused, then looked Joanna up and down like she was inspecting a cheap knockoff.

Crossing her arms, she scoffed. "You've been with him this long. If you behave, he might just keep you in this pretty cage like a pampered pet. And honestly? I bet you'd be fine with that."