Mabel smiled faintly and started greeting the guests.

Every time she spoke to someone, Lennon's expression darkened a little more, until it was downright terrifying.

"Ms. Judson, would you like to dance?" A man offered her his hand.

Mabel placed hers in his with a smile.

"Sure," she replied, following him. Before leaving, she flashed Lennon a broad, beaming smile.

"Damn it!" Lennon swore under his breath.

Just as he was about to say something, Jessie linked her hand with his. "Lennon, let's dance too. Mabel seems well-adjusted to these events. She's probably been to gatherings like this before. Looks like we don't need to worry about her."

After saying that, Jessie tugged Lennon toward the dance floor.

But he was distracted the entire time. After the song ended, he let go of her hand. "Jessie, you said she's attended these events before?"

Jessie gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "I just mentioned it casually. She seemed perfectly comfortable dancing with strangers. It looks like she's used to these kinds of gatherings.

"Wait, she can't really be attending these places all the time, right? Lennon, do you want to…"

Jessie looked at him with concern, letting the rest of her sentence trail off.

In their circles, some women would fabricate all kinds of identities just to climb higher.

Lennon's expression darkened further. A few moments later, he strode over to Mabel, who was still dancing. To everyone's shock, he grabbed her and dragged her out.

Once they were gone, Jessie quickly took control of the room, smoothly becoming the center of attention and playing the role of the hostess with ease.

…

Lennon took Mabel to a medical checkup center. She was forced to undergo a full medical examination, especially the gynecological part, in a humiliating position.

When the results came back, Lennon's expression turned grim. "Mabel Judson! You lied to me. You said it was your first time. Then what's with this report?"

The report Lennon tossed over read, "The patient has extensive coital experience."

Mabel had just survived an explosion and a collision, and now with Lennon gripping her neck, her body swayed.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Lennon, why would you doubt me? Don't you know how much experience I had?"

During the first two years of their marriage, they were intimate almost every day. Lennon's demands were high; he kept her up every night, even making her dress in costumes for roleplay.

Now, that was being turned into a weapon against her.

Lennon said with disdain, "No wonder you wore lingerie whenever I asked. Who knows how many people have seen you in it?"

He released Mabel and tossed her onto the ground as casually as one would throw away trash.

Standing over her like a king, he said, "I'm not divorcing you. I'll give you a grand wedding. But after that, you'll quit your job. From then on, stay home and play the part of Mrs. Shepard. Don't show yourself in public again."

He left without sparing her a glance, as if marrying her was a gift and she had no reason to refuse.

No sooner had he left than two men in black arrived.

Despite Mabel's struggles, the two men forced her back into Lennon's villa and locked her in. Before leaving, they took all the food from the house and ordered that no meals be delivered.

"This is Mr. Shepard's decision," they said.

For two straight days, Mabel remained trapped in the villa.

By the wedding day, she was so starved and ghostly pale that she looked like a wraith, yet not a single soul spared a thought for her well-being.

Lennon had held his wedding ceremony twice, but both times had turned into jokes. The third one was even grander than the first two, but this time, the bride was different.

Sara Murray, Lennon's mother, and Jessie arrived with the makeup artist.

Seeing Mabel, Sara looked away and muttered, "How disgusting! Don't think you're marrying my son. Jessie is the bride today. You're just a bridesmaid here to walk through the ceremony like a shadow."

She looked at Mabel in disdain. "I promised Lennon that you could join the ceremony as a bridesmaid, and he agreed to it. I really don't get what's so great about you that keeps him away from home and makes him constantly say he loves you."

Mabel's body swayed. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug in. She almost laughed out loud.

Lennon really never failed to disappoint.

He suspected her of cheating and made her undergo that humiliating checkup. Even this wedding was fake.

A bridesmaid? He had really outdone himself.

Luckily, Mabel had no intention of going on stage. She smiled at Sara. "Don't worry, Mrs. Shepard. I'll behave today."

Sara snorted and turned to attend to Jessie.

Jessie changed into her custom wedding gown, put on expensive jewelry, and finally stepped out to the wedding car with her mother's support.

After they left, a maid pointed to the last, ordinary black car. "Ms. Judson, that's your car."

The lead car was a million-dollar limited-edition limousine, while Mabel's was a car worth less than five thousand dollars.

Mabel didn't get in. She returned to the villa, changed out of her bridesmaid dress into a T-shirt and jeans, and grabbed her pre-packed suitcase.

Ignoring everyone's attempts to stop her, she climbed into the Uber she had booked in advance and left.

The moment she left, the maid tried calling Lennon, but the call wouldn't go through. She called Sara, who simply said she got it and hung up.

After hanging up, Sara patted Jessie's hand. "Jessie, you're officially my daughter-in-law now. I really like you."

Blushing, Jessie leaned shyly on Sara's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Mabel's car sped toward the airport. She went through security and boarding swiftly.

When the plane's door shut, it was the exact moment the wedding ceremony began. Mabel timed it perfectly and sent a message to a hacker she'd contacted.

"It's time to move. I want them utterly ruined."