On the day of my dad's second marriage, I begged him to visit my grandma's grave, but my stepmom mistook me for a mistress.

She barged into the cemetery with a large group, all in the name of "getting rid of homewreckers."

"Still denying you're seducing someone else's man?

"Fine, today I'll show your mom what happens to a worthless daughter who can't keep her hands off other men."

Like a pack of savages, they smashed my grandma's headstone.

They forced me to kneel, humiliated me in every way possible, and beat me.

Just as I was on the verge of collapse, my dad appeared in front of me.

With the last of my strength, I looked up at him.

"This time... she won't be able to give you her blessing."

...

My dad had already asked thirteen people to tell me he was getting married.

Despite not having spoken to him for years out of stubbornness, I decided to return home to give my blessing.

The man who always seemed so powerful in the news came to the airport himself to pick me up.

He awkwardly shoved keys and a bank card into my hand.

"This time, don't leave. I bought you two villas. Since you studied makeup abroad, how about I start a company for you? Just for fun, huh?"

I stayed silent the entire ride.

When we got to the hotel entrance, I didn't get out. I looked straight at him.

"No need. I still feel more at home in Grandma's house."

The moment he heard Grandma's name, his expression changed.

"Gianna, I know I was wrong back then, but thank you for coming today. Please give me a chance to make it up to you both."

Since today was his big day, I didn't want to ruin it for him.

After thinking it over, I softened my tone.

"Dad, I've done fine these past few years. I don't need anything. What you really need is Grandma's forgiveness and her blessing."

He avoided my gaze.

"She hasn't wanted to see me in years. There's no way she'd forgive me, let alone give me her blessing."

I wanted to talk a bit more, but people kept calling him to get ready for the ceremony.

Forget it.

"Go take care of things. I'll go visit Grandma, and I'll send you the location. You can speak to her yourself then."

He rubbed his hands nervously, like a child who'd done something wrong. Finally, he lifted his head firmly.

"Alright, Gianna, just say a good word for me with her. Otherwise, I'm afraid she won't see me."

It wasn't that Grandma wouldn't see him. Grandma had passed away long ago.

In her will, she specifically stated that Dad was not to know where she was buried.

It had been years since I'd come back, and the city had changed drastically.

I still remember where Grandma rested.

It was a cemetery that no longer appeared on any maps.

The area around Grandma's headstone was overgrown with grass.

I knelt down and pulled each weed out by hand.

"I'm sorry, Grandma. I haven't come to visit you in so many years."

After ten minutes, the area in front of the grave was clean.

I placed Grandma's favorite chrysanthemums in front of the headstone and broke down, unable to stop my tears.

The memories from five years ago came flooding back.

That day, when she wrote her will, she was still of sound mind.

My stubborn grandma held my hand, stressing over and over.

"Your dad is just like your grandpa. He gave up his family for money. Your mom worked herself to death, and you never got a father's love. So what if he's rich now? Let him live with his money. I don't want a cent.

"Remember, even when I'm dead, I don't want to see your dad. Don't tell him, and don't let him come visit me."

At the time, I really thought she hated Dad.

But in her final moments, even as her mind faded, she kept calling out Dad's nickname, asking if he'd come back.

That's when I realized that Grandma didn't blame him at all.

She just felt sorry for Mom and me and wanted to stand up for us.

In truth, the one who hadn't forgiven him all these years wasn't Grandma or Mom. It was me.

I've been through so much these past few years. I don't want to hold onto that anger anymore.

It's time to let it go. I want to give him my blessing.

I had been hesitating, wondering if telling Dad about Grandma's death on such a joyful day would hurt him.

But then I thought, "Today, Dad probably needs Grandma's blessing."

And Grandma wouldn't want to miss such an important day in his life.

I stroked Grandma's photo and sent Dad the location anyway.

Kneeling before the grave, I told Grandma about the years I spent abroad.

The happy moments, the sad ones.

I laughed and cried, then cried and laughed.

Before long, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Grandma, Dad's here," I said, wiping my eyes and getting up cheerfully.

When I turned, I saw a woman in a wedding dress standing there.

She didn't look older than forty, and she was well-preserved.

Her white wedding dress was flawless, its craftsmanship clearly expensive.

She was accompanied by around twenty middle-aged bridesmaids.

I hadn't expected that in such an abandoned cemetery, someone would come to pay respects on their wedding day.

I ignored them, but one of the heavily made-up bridesmaids behind her pointed at me.

"She's the one who didn't get out of the car at the hotel entrance."

And then they all surrounded me in a rush.

"Shameless homewrecker."

"So young, and already trying to steal another woman's man. She needs a good lesson."

They all started hurling insults at me.

The bride in the middle looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place her.

I tried to keep calm and asked, "You must have mistaken me for someone else, right?"

The bride frowned, motioned for everyone to quiet down, and pulled out her phone.

"Didn't you send this message?"

I froze.

That's the message I had just sent my dad.

"Yes..."

Smack.

Before I could finish, her hand landed hard across my face.

"It's you, stop pretending!

"Sneaking around at a cemetery? Grayson knows how to play, huh?

"Come on, when did you start fooling around with him?"

That's when I realized.

The woman standing in front of me was my so-called stepmother, Aria Powell.

My dad had described her as simple and kind-hearted.

After slapping me, she started throwing insults without caring about what was right or wrong.

Maybe she just loved my dad too much, so I tried to stay calm and explain, "You've misunderstood. Grayson is my father. I asked him to come here to pay respects to my grandmother."

As I spoke, I pulled out my ID to show her.

"I used to have the last name Perry, but I changed it. You can ask..."

Before I could finish, she kicked me in the stomach.

I doubled over in pain as she grabbed my hair.

"You're a real storyteller, huh? Different last names, and you still pretend to be his daughter.

"That kick was for my mother-in-law. To cover your tracks, you even cursed her to die?

"You're a real piece of work, homewrecker."

My dad didn't even know Grandma had passed. How could she?

I knew explaining wouldn't help now. I pulled my hair out of her grasp and looked at her seriously.

"Even if you don't believe me, do you think Grayson would sneak around in a cemetery?

"You should figure out what's going on before you get yourself into trouble."

She let out a laugh, tightening her grip on my hair, yanking harder.

"Oh, look at you, missy. Got some fight in you, huh?

"You know he's a CEO, huh? Maybe he's bored of fancy hotels and just wanted excitement in a cemetery. Why not?

"And you want me to ask him? You think he's going to admit to everyone that he came here to cheat on me?"

Everyone around burst into laughter.

"Fine, then let's call the police to figure it out."

I gritted my teeth, struggling to pull out my phone.

She slapped it out of my hand, and it fell.

She stomped on it with her high heel, shattering the screen instantly.

"Still trying to call for backup? You're pretty sly.

"I don't have time for this. Admit you're the mistress, kneel down, apologize, and write a promise to leave. Then, we'll be done here."

The crowd whispered among themselves.

"Kneel! Did it, but can't admit it?"

"So what if you're young? You think that makes you somebody?"

"Do you even realize how many families you homewreckers ruin? People like you should go extinct."

Aria got even more fired up by the crowd's words.

"Don't worry, ladies. Today I'll show her the price of climbing into another woman's bed."

When I didn't kneel, she kicked my leg.

I lost my balance, and my head hit Grandma's gravestone.

Blood started streaming from my forehead, staining the stone.

Grandma had been a clean freak when she was alive.

I desperately wiped the gravestone with my sleeve.

A few bridesmaids dragged me to Aria's feet, but she was staring intently at the gravestone like she had found something fascinating.

"Oh, look! The name on the stone is Stewart. So, this little tramp is a fatherless bastard who took her mom's last name.

"Ladies, this tramp didn't just come for excitement. She's visiting her mom! Isn't that rich?

"What kind of parents raise a daughter like this? Guess her mom deserved to die."

After saying that, Aria picked up a large rock and threw it at the gravestone.

"No..."

I screamed at the top of my lungs, but a few people held me down.

The gravestone shattered into pieces but didn't fall completely.

She kicked it hard.

The stone crumbled into dust on the ground.

"Feeling bad now? Should've thought of that earlier. Today I'll show your mom what kind of fate her little tramp daughter has."

She picked up a sharp piece and walked toward me, and I struggled, yelling, "Are you crazy? This is a crime. It's illegal!

"If you do this, you think Grayson will let it slide?"

Aria hiked up her skirt and kicked me in the face.

I fell to the ground, and she ground her high heel into my face.

"Who do you think you are, threatening me?

"Relying on that pretty face, huh? Haha, you're too young. Today, I'll show you what happens when you don't have that face anymore."

I struggled desperately, but a group of people pinned down my arms and legs.

Aria gritted her teeth and slashed my face.

The pain of my skin splitting open made me groan uncontrollably.

She pulled out a compact mirror and stood in front of me, satisfied.

"Mistresses don't deserve a face."

A long, deep gash stretched across my face like a fish's mouth.

Blood poured out, filling my mouth with a metallic taste.

She kicked me again, grinding dirt into the wound, the pain unbearable.

Dirt got into my eyes, and the pain made tears stream uncontrollably.

Through the blur, I caught a glimpse of Grandma's photo in the distance.

She was smiling so kindly.

"Grandma, I'm sorry. I was wrong.

You always hate noise.

It is my fault for disturbing your peace."

I reached out desperately for her picture, but Aria stomped on my hand.

"Still putting on a show? Your grandma? Yeah, right. Family, I say just ruining her face isn't enough—she needs to learn her lesson.

"Let this be a lesson for all unfaithful women.

"Her mom raised a shameless daughter, so she should be dead to repent with her."

"Ladies, get the tools we used for the garden renovation from the car."

In no time, they all stood in front of Aria, each holding a shovel or a pickaxe.

Ignoring the pain on my face, I grabbed her pant leg and begged.

"Please, whatever you want, take it out on me. Don't disturb the dead, I beg you."

"Get lost," she snapped, kicking me aside.

A light rain began to fall.

She grabbed the pickaxe, glancing at the sky. "Hurry up, we can't delay my wedding."

I was pinned down by several people, struggling helplessly, sobbing.

The rain, my tears, and blood all mingled together.

I felt angry, helpless, and full of guilt.

The raised grave was slowly flattened, then dug into.

My heart plummeted into despair.

My grandmother's urn was exposed before my eyes.

Aria reached for it. I lost it, biting the bridesmaid who was holding me down with all my strength.

She let go in pain, and I stumbled forward, crashing into Aria.

Aria lost her balance, stepping on her wedding dress. She fell to the ground.

I quickly shielded my grandmother's urn with my body.

"You wretch! My custom wedding dress!" Aria screamed.

Covered in mud, Aria's eyes burned with fury as she grabbed a shovel and slammed it onto my back.

Then, a crowd of people started kicking and punching me.

I held onto my grandmother's ashes tightly as the beating continued, feeling like my soul was being ripped from my body.

"Don't be afraid, Grandma. Even if I die, I'll protect you."

The wooden urn was now stained with thick, sticky blood.

I thought, I might really die here.

With all the strength I had left, I raised my head and glared at each one of them.

"You... you... and you...

"Don't worry. I'll remember all of you. Even if I become a ghost, I won't let you go."

Maybe it was the sight of my bloodshot eyes and the rage in my face that scared them.

They stopped.

But Aria kicked me in the back, sneering.

"Even if a ghost showed up today, it wouldn't stop my wedding or keep me from doing what's right.

"Trying to scare us with ghosts? Why hasn't your mom come back to help you?

"Is she ashamed of you, or just too useless? Want me to ask her for you?"

Her eyes blazing, she stepped forward to grab the urn from me.

I backed up a few steps, then seized a pickaxe and started swinging it wildly at them.

I didn't have much strength left, but I swore the first person who got close would know what happens to those who stand out.

Even Aria hesitated.

But she wasn't ready to back down.

She turned to a red-haired woman behind her.

"Layla, forget the $30,000 you owe me. Today, I want her to kneel and beg for forgiveness.

"Lily, didn't your husband need an investment for his project? I'll talk to Grayson about it later.

"Mila, your kid wants to get into that top school, right? I'll take care of it."

...

She rallied the group one by one, and just like that, they were all fired up again.

I swung the pickaxe, but they seemed to feel no pain.

In the end, during the struggle, Aria snatched the urn from me.

She raised it, ready to smash it to the ground.

I begged her desperately.

"No, please... I'm begging you..."

I dropped to my knees in front of her.

"I'm kneeling. I'll do anything you want.

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Please, give it back. I'm begging you."

Aria looked smug.

"Oh? Not so tough now, huh? Where's that fight you had earlier?

"But it's too late now."

She kicked me to the ground, but her phone rang.

It was my dad.

"Aria, you could've at least told me you took my phone.

"Do you even know I've got important news to share?

"Stay where you are. I'm coming to meet you right now."

As soon as the call ended, everyone around her started panicking.

"Aria, let's get out of here! If Mr. Perry finds out what we did to his daughter, he won't let us off easy."

Aria stood frozen, not moving an inch.

"She's just a bastard. A homewrecker. If I let her go, do you think she'll leave me alone? She'll ruin my wedding for sure.

"This wedding is my dream. There's no way I'll let her ruin it."

She stared at me, thinking.

"Didn't you just say you'd give me whatever I wanted?

"Well... I want you to disappear."