Sweetheart Scheme

I'm a wedding dress designer, and one day before the finals of the Bridal Queen Tournament, explicit photos of me are posted all over the internet.

Countless people accuse me of defiling the concept of love. They say I don't deserve to make wedding dresses, and in the end, I'm disqualified from the tournament.

The photos can only come from one person—my boyfriend, Felix Evans.

On the verge of a breakdown, I seek him out for answers. But right before I walk through the door, I hear him having a conversation with his twin, Leon Evans.

"As expected, the netizens sank their teeth into Dahlia the moment the photos were posted online. I'm guessing that she's going to be blacklisted by the entire fashion industry too. There's no way she can compete against Sylvia for the title of Bridal Queen anymore."

"Does this mean I can't pretend to be you and sleep with her anymore? Truth be told, she's pretty good in bed. She's pure, but she's also seductive."

"You should take advantage of the situation and sleep with her as much as you want then. Once Sylvia wins the title of Bridal Queen, I'm going to cut ties with Dahlia completely and officially pursue Sylvia."

Listening to their casual conversation, I feel like a sharp blade is being ruthlessly stabbed into my heart.

I don't know how I got home. After sitting in a daze the entire night, I call a studio overseas and tell them, "I'll be joining you in three days."

Dahlia's Point of View

My phone was filled with headlines such as "Dahlia Ferguson Doesn't Deserve to Make Wedding Dresses" and "Kick Dahlia Ferguson Out of the Fashion Industry".

They were like sharp blades being ruthlessly driven into my heart.

Meanwhile, my boyfriend, Felix Evans, and his twin, Leon Evans, were clinking glasses and celebrating on the other side of the door.

"Your plan worked perfectly, Felix. A wedding dress designer exposed for having a promiscuous private life—there's no way Dahlia can make wedding dresses anymore, let alone compete with Sylvia for the title of Bridal Queen."

"You deserve some credit too. You taught her all those poses, and only her face was visible in all those photos too."

They exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

I clapped a hand over my mouth, my nails digging into the tender flesh of my palm. The stinging pain reminded me that I wasn't dreaming.

The love that I had been willing to sacrifice everything for turned out to be nothing more than a cruel farce. The tender nights had merely been poison wrapped in honey.

Tears streamed down my face as I staggered outside. Everything in my vision turned blurry and warped.

Truth be told, I used to distance myself from love because of my parents' failed marriage. I was only brave enough to pour my passion into my wedding dress designs, using them as an outlet to channel my feelings.

All of that had changed when Felix appeared in my life six months ago.

There were many attractive things about him. He was handsome, rich, gentle, and thoughtful, but he was also calm and composed, and the only woman in his life was his stepsister.

I was interested in him, but I never thought of getting into a relationship with him.

Yet during a banquet, while I was being ostracized by everyone else and mocked for only knowing how to make wedding dresses, Felix invited me to have the first dance of the evening with him.

"I've always thought that love and marriage are the two most wonderful things in the world," he said. "A wedding dress is the perfect physical representation of them."

In that moment, a crack formed in the defenses I had erected around my heart.

After that, Felix publicly endorsed my work. He asked out to dinner and movies as well.

The media speculated that he was pursuing me, but my rationality told me that the two of us existed in two different worlds.

One day, I ended up staying at the studio too late, having lost track of time because I was too engrossed in my work. Just as I thought I wouldn't be able to hail a cab to go home, Felix's car appeared.

After sending me home, he held my cold hands and said, "Dahlia, will you let me send you home for the rest of our lives?"

I was dazzled by the stars sparkling in the sky that night. My mind went blank. I couldn't say a word and could only nod.

However, after we got together, Felix became a little odd.

He was cold and indifferent to me during the day. I would go days without being able to contact him whereas he used to message me every day in the past. If I sought him out, he would always ignore me to focus on his work.

But when night fell, he became extremely passionate and always tempted me into trying out bold, daring positions with him.

I wasn't fond of how different he was between night and day, but when I asked him about it, he explained that he was under a lot of pressure due to the heavy workload he had to deal with during the day. He showered me with overwhelming passion when night fell because he loved me too much.

I never would have guessed that the real reason for the drastic difference in his personality was that I had been with two different people the entire time.

Felix's enthusiastic pursuit of me had been a trap from the very beginning. He had planned to steal my work and eliminate me from the tournament for the sake of another woman.

I had no idea how I managed to get back to my home, a place filled with memories of my time with "Felix".

All the strength left my body as I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down onto the floor. My face was as pale as a sheet by then.

The night was long and silent. I hugged my knees as I sat in the dark, torturing myself by looking at the articles that were shaming me over and over again.

My numb heart finally started beating again when my phone's battery level turned red. With trembling fingers, I dialed the number of a studio in Chaldon.

"I've made my decision. I'm willing to join you."

"Trust us, Ms. Ferguson. You've made the right choice."

"Alright. I'll see you in three days."