Miles froze.

"Ha... Godmother?"

He burst into laughter, but his eyes were dark enough to drip venom.

"Lydia, I'll give you that. You'd go this far just to spite me? You think teaming up with Annie and hiring two guys to put on a show will scare me? Wake up. Looking like that, you think Dominic would ever want you?"

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

So this was how worthless I was in his eyes.

The two guards ignored his mockery completely.

The leader stepped forward again and repeated calmly, "Mr. Calloway, please release her. This is the godfather's order."

The muscles in Miles's face twitched. Of course he recognized them. They were Dominic's most elite personal guards, not people Annie could simply deploy at will.

Could it be… Dominic had truly stepped in?

Miles abruptly released my wrist.

"Fine. Very fine. Lydia, you've climbed up the ladder, huh? You really think Dominic would be serious about you? You're just a temporary amusement. Don't forget who gave you everything you have. Without me, how many days do you think you'd last? Your education. Your lifestyle. Those ridiculous dreams of yours. What would support them? Tell me."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You really think you can smoothly claim what your dead father left you? Without me, you wouldn't be able to protect a single thing."

The pain spread from my chest to my fingertips. I was trembling with anger.

My father had seen him wrong.

How could trash like Miles ever deserve the trust and favor he'd been granted?

I took a deep breath and met his gaze without fear.

"Miles, I graduate next month. The trust fund and inheritance my father left me will automatically unlock once I turn twenty-two and complete my studies. They will be managed by an independent legal team and asset managers I designate. And if I remember correctly, Mr. Sinclair was one of the witnesses when my father arranged all of it."

I tilted my head and let out a soft scoff.

"So tell me, in what capacity do you think you can control my father's estate or interfere in my life after graduation?"

Miles's face turned ugly in an instant.

He had always known my father had left contingencies in place. He just hadn't expected them to be this airtight.

"You…" He faltered, anger flaring from humiliation.

I stopped looking at him and turned to the guards, giving a slight nod.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

The guards stepped back respectfully.

Miles shot me one last venomous glare.

He knew he wouldn't be taking me today.

If he pushed further, he would only humiliate himself and risk fully offending Dominic.

With a cold snort, he finally backed down and stormed out with his men, face livid.

"Wow, Lydia! That was incredible!"

Annie jumped up first and rushed over, grabbing my arm and shaking it excitedly.

"Did you see his face? He looked like he'd just bitten into something rotten! That was priceless! You actually talked back to him! And the inheritance thing, you should've used that against him a long time ago!"

She kept chattering, flushed with triumph, then suddenly noticed the two guards standing nearby.

Blinking, she leaned in and lowered her voice. "Godmother? That's what my dad's men are calling you? My dad's impressive. Full commitment to the act. Even the title was arranged. Look at how it scared that idiot Miles. But seriously, Lydia, if you actually ended up with my dad, that would be perfect. Miles wouldn't even be in the same league. My dad might be a little cold, but he's responsible, ridiculously good-looking, in amazing shape, and more capable than anyone I know. He's basically walking, talking security. If you became my stepmom, let's see who'd even dare try to bully you."

Her half-joking, half-serious words made my heart tighten. The heat that had just faded from my cheeks threatened to return.

I wanted to tell her this wasn't an act. It was real.

But the words stalled. Seeing Annie's pure excitement for me, and then catching my own disheveled reflection in the mirror, I swallowed everything back down.

"Annie, don't say things like that…" I lowered my head, avoiding her searching gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Sinclair… he just helped me out because of you."

"Really?" Annie tilted her head, unconvinced but not pressing further. "Whatever. Today's a major win. Come on, let's celebrate. Shower first, then I'm treating you to a huge meal. You deserve it."

This time, Miles was truly furious. He froze every one of my bank cards.

In the past, whenever I showed even the slightest sign of defiance, he would threaten to cut me off financially, but he had never actually followed through.

I had always gone back before he needed to. I would apologize, give in, smooth things over.

This time, I refused. So he escalated.

Before panic could fully set in, my phone began vibrating nonstop.

A bank deposit notification appeared. The amount was so large it left me staring in disbelief.

The memo contained only one word. "Allowance."

A message from Dominic followed immediately.

"I'm handling matters overseas and won't be back for now. Keep the cards. Use them. Pay no attention to irrelevant people. What happened today will not happen again."

Concise. Direct. Entirely in character.

Some time later, Annie rushed over in a conspiratorial whisper, saying the family elders were preparing a wedding. My heart tightened instantly.

Would Dominic really marry me?

The memory of Miles leaving me humiliated still lingered vividly.

Insecurity swallowed me whole. I didn't dare ask. I didn't dare confirm.

All the restless energy had nowhere to go, so I poured it into punishing workouts.

Sweat washed away hesitation. Exhaustion numbed my thoughts.

I controlled my diet with precision and trained until drenched, fighting the chaos inside me with discipline.

Soon, the swelling caused by antidepressant medication gave way to firm lines and a slender silhouette. My skin regained a healthy glow.

Even Annie was stunned by the transformation. The first time she saw the slimmer version of me, she actually dropped what she was holding.

"Lydia, you were hiding this face all along? You look unreal. Like you walked straight out of a dream."

Her praise made me flush.

When I first met Annie, I had already gained weight from the medication. This was the first time she had seen me at my true form.

Then Annie's expression darkened again.

"Miles is blind. You're a hundred times more beautiful than Tessa. If he saw you now, he'd regret it for the rest of his life."

As for Miles, I had neither returned home nor seen him again since the gym incident.

He had frozen my cards, trying to pressure me financially.

Perhaps to provoke me, he indulged Tessa's every request. Gifts flowed endlessly, and he flaunted his devotion so openly that people in our circle praised him for being romantic.

His subordinates, eager to flatter Tessa, mocked me openly, calling me pathetic and desperate.

Tessa, of course, made sure to forward every insult and every display of his favoritism directly to me.

I didn't block her. Instead, I saved everything, almost masochistically.

Whenever I felt like giving up, those messages became fuel.

Before I knew it, graduation day arrived.

I put on my black gown and adjusted the tassel in front of the mirror.

The woman staring back at me looked composed, her features refined, her figure graceful and lean.

After today, I would finally stand on my own. My father's estate would officially come under my control.

This was the beginning of my new life.

I took a deep breath, switched my phone to silent, slipped it into my bag, and walked toward the auditorium.

At the entrance, I saw someone I hadn't seen in a long time. Miles.

Tessa stood beside him, her arm wrapped around his, leaning close as she spoke with a bright smile.

He listened indulgently, responding now and then.

His gaze scanned the venue, brows slightly furrowed as if searching for something.

The next second, his eyes lifted toward me.

I froze where I stood.

Even though I had chosen to let him go, my body still reacted to his gaze.

Fortunately, his eyes lingered on me for only a brief second before moving on.

He didn't recognize me.

Of course he didn't. In his mind, I was still the overweight girl. He would never associate that image with the woman standing before him now.

The graduation ceremony proceeded exactly as scripted. Speeches from faculty, congratulations from alumni. Everything orderly and ceremonial.

Until the host announced, "Next, please welcome this year's Outstanding Graduate Representative…"

I steadied myself, smoothed my gown, and prepared to stand.

"Tessa Hawthorne."

I froze.

Wasn't I the one chosen to speak as the Outstanding Graduate Representative?

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

Everyone knew exactly what kind of reputation Tessa had in the department.

Tessa acted as though she hadn't heard a thing. She lifted her gown delicately and walked onto the stage, accepting the microphone with practiced grace.

Annie exploded first. She shot to her feet, completely ignoring the formality of the occasion, and pointed straight at the stage.

"Tessa, are you serious? Since when did you qualify as Outstanding Graduate? Everyone knows your record. That position belongs to Lydia!"

Tessa's expression flickered, then smoothed over.

"Annie, I understand you're close to Lydia, but the selection process was fair and transparent. Publicly questioning it shows disrespect to the school and the faculty."

She paused, then smiled maliciously. "And Annie, you should think about Lydia too. I heard a very important guest is attending today. Someone tied to a major future partnership for the university. We represent the school's image. Lydia… might not be the best choice to greet such a guest. Don't you agree?"

The implication was obvious. I wasn't polished enough. I would embarrass the school.

Miles frowned slightly but said nothing.

A soft laugh escaped me.

"Tessa, why don't you explain exactly what's wrong with my image?"

I rose slowly and walked straight toward the stage.

Heads turned. Conversations stopped. Once they saw my face clearly, stunned silence followed.

"Wait… that's Lydia? Isn't she the one who was famous for being fat and ugly? How can she possibly look this good?"

"Who knows, maybe she had work done."

"Plastic surgery or not, she's way prettier than Tessa now. Look at Miles' face. I bet he's regretting it already."

Tessa's face drained of color. When she noticed the admiration in Miles's eyes, jealousy flared visibly.

I ignored the stunned, doubtful, and admiring looks around me and walked toward the stage, one deliberate step at a time.

"Ms. Hawthorne, perhaps you'd like to explain how a plagiarized thesis and failing grades qualified you as Outstanding Graduate."

Tessa went ashen instantly. She looked to Miles for help.

But his gaze hadn't left me since the moment he saw me.

Fury flared across her face. Forgetting where she was, she snapped, "Miles!"

Only then did Miles snap out of it. He stood and walked over to me, speaking as if it were only natural for him to decide. "Lydia, you're already exceptional. Let Tessa take the speech this time."

He reached for my hand.

"Lydia, I didn't realize you'd gone this far for me. You didn't need to change. I never would've looked down on you."

I laughed softly. He wouldn't have looked down on me?

Too bad I was the one who looked down on him. I stepped away from his hand.

"Mr. Calloway, on what authority are you deciding who gets my speaking slot? And everything I've done was for myself. Don't flatter yourself."

His hand froze midair. Embarrassment flickered across his face.

Yet when his gaze fell on my bright, striking face, he showed a rare tolerance.

"Alright, Lydia. I was wrong before. I've reinstated your cards. I even came personally to your graduation."

He pulled out a small gift box and lowered his voice.

"I brought you a graduation gift. You've been upset long enough. Come home with me today."

I glanced at the box. It was the same necklace Tessa had mocked as outdated on her social media just yesterday.

Even when he tried to win me back, he offered leftovers.

I was about to respond when a low, commanding voice sounded behind me.

"Mr. Calloway, where exactly are you taking my wife?"

Every head turned.

A tall, imposing figure stepped in against the backlight from the entrance.

His tailored black suit framed a perfectly proportioned build. Authority radiated from him without effort.

It was Dominic.

He walked straight to my side and slipped an arm around my waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A clear declaration of possession.

Miles stood frozen, eyes reddening.

"You… what did you just call her? No. That's impossible."

He lunged forward as if to tear us apart, but Dominic's guards blocked him instantly.

Dominic did not release him from the moment. His arm tightened slightly, drawing me closer against him in an intimate gesture.

"Lydia Prescott is my wife."

He paused, his gaze settling on Miles's ashen face.

"So tell me—who exactly dared to take my wife's Outstanding Graduate Representative slot?"