Kelsey's POV

As such, I had another drink.

But my alcohol tolerance was terrible. Just two small glasses and my head was already spinning.

I tried to push his hand away, but instead, he grabbed the back of my neck and forced another drink down my throat.

The next thing I knew, I had collapsed face-down on the table. I wanted to call out to Belinda to ask her to take me home, but when I looked over, her seat was empty.

She was gone.

That was when it hit me. I’d been set up.

But it was already too late.

I was taken to a hotel room, and everything after that became a blur. When I woke up the next morning, Mr. Nicholson was gone.

I immediately checked my body, and there didn’t seem to be anything off. No visible harm. Still, I felt hollow.

When I got home, the first thing I saw was Francis staring at me like I was filth.

“So what, was that your plan all along? Follow me to the hotel just to seduce my client? Kelsey, I didn’t know you were that desperate.”

Before I could speak, Belinda stepped out from behind him, arms crossed, fake pity dripping from her voice.

“Kelsey, I mean, seriously? The wedding’s in less than two weeks, and you pull this? How could you cheat on Francis like that?”

Ignoring her, I faced Francis and said, “Francis, you were the one who called and told me to go to the hotel. I showed up, but only to realize it was all a trap. You and Belinda planned this together! I’m calling the police!”

“I told you to drive over and pick us up, not to cozy up with Mr. Nicholson. Don’t twist my words,” he defended, frowning tightly.

The hangover must have kicked in. That was why he couldn't remember what really happened.

Belinda, on the other hand, scowled the second I mentioned calling the police.

“Police? Really, Kelsey? You chose to drink last night. I even tried to take you home, but you wouldn’t leave. You were all over Mr. Nicholson. Don’t turn around and blame us for your choices.”

I was speechless.

That bastard Mr. Nicholson had already wiped the hotel security footage before he disappeared this morning, cleaning all the evidence.

Now, it was just my word against hers.

Just then, Francis pulled out his phone and showed me a photo of me, smiling faintly while drinking, curled up beside Mr. Nicholson’s arm.

And that one picture was all he needed to believe everything Belinda said.

The disgust in his eyes was undeniable as he hissed, “You make me sick, Kelsey. Of all people, you had to go for my client?”

Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head.

That was when it all clicked.

Belinda planned every bit of this.

She worked with Mr. Nicholson to trap me, humiliate me, and ruin me in front of the man I once loved.

“Believe whatever you want. But I didn’t sleep with him. This was all her doing!” I shouted, pointing at Belinda.

But Francis waved his hand and snapped, “Enough! You’ve never liked Belinda, and now you’re trying to frame her for everything. You seriously need help.”

“Frame her? Look at this!” I held out my phone, my voice cracking. “My private photos, she leaked them. They’re everywhere now. She sent them to our group chats and even sold them online!”

I was shaking from anger, overwhelmed by the injustice, as tears poured down.

“It’s just a few photos,” Francis scoffed. “What’s the big deal? You’re not dead. And I doubt Belinda did it on purpose.”

“Exactly,” Belinda chimed in, stepping into his arms with her eyes glistening.

“I was trying to take a selfie, I didn’t realize it would send to the whole group. I didn’t mean for it to happen,” she whimpered and leaned into him like she was the victim.

“You accidentally sent high-res photos for a buck each? How long are you going to keep pretending?” I shot back, livid.

“That’s enough!” Francis shouted again. “I'm letting this whole hotel thing slide. It’s not like you can even get pregnant anyway. As for the photos, Belinda didn’t mean to do it. You’re her big sister. You should be more understanding. She’s a well-bred, upper-class girl, like hell she’d sell those pics for a buck. It’s obviously just a misunderstanding.”

I stood there stunned, barely able to breathe. I couldn't believe those words came from the man I once thought would protect me.

I let out a bitter laugh.

So this was it. All the love I’d held onto for years was nothing more than a cruel joke.

The sunlight from the window was blinding, but I stared at him anyway, numb and empty.

“Francis, let's just forget the wedding,” I firmly said. “I’m no longer interested in marrying you.”

For a moment, he just stared at me with a hint of panic.

Then he scoffed, “Don’t use a breakup as a bargaining chip, Kelsey. No one else is going to marry you. You’re a freak who can’t even have kids. I’m the only one who ever would’ve taken you.”

Kelsey's POV

“Tch, seriously, Kelsey? Can you stop with the same tired threat already?” Belinda scoffed. “Telling Francis you don’t want to marry him, how outdated is that?”

Just then, Mom came out of the kitchen holding a bowl of congee. She glanced at me with thinly veiled disgust and said, “Don’t want to marry? Fine. That works out great for Francis and Belinda. Honestly, you’ve always been the extra in this house. At least now we don’t have to keep pretending.”

Everyone in this house looked at me like I was some disease.

I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

I turned around and headed back to my room, shut the door behind me, and quietly pulled out the suitcase I’d already packed.

Most of the clothes and jewelry I owned were from Francis, which he gifted me at every event, party, and dinner he took me to. He also always brought me something when he returned from business trips, saying seeing me happy made it all worth it, no matter the price.

Just as I was lost in the memory, the door opened and in walked Belinda, carrying a bowl of oatmeal and a smug smile on her face.

“Hey, Kelsey. Since Francis is busy with a meeting in the study, I was thoughtful enough to bring you breakfast. Don’t waste my kindness, okay?”

I glanced up at her, and she looked so fake that it made my stomach turn.

“I’m not hungry. Please leave,” I flatly refused.

“Why should I? You’re the one who should be leaving. I know you're just pretending to pack, but you’re just waiting for Francis to come running after you. Women like you are so easy to read.”

She laughed mockingly, then gasped and covered her mouth in an exaggerated show of innocence.

“Oh wait… I forgot. You’re not exactly a real woman, are you?”

Smirking, she pulled out a small box and flipped it open to show off a golden flower hairpin.

“You see this? Francis bought it for me at an auction. Said if I liked it, he didn’t care how much it cost.”

My heart immediately sank upon seeing it.

I knew that pin.

He had promised it to me years ago when we visited a private collector. Seeing me staring at it for so long, he pulled me into his arms and whispered that if it ever went to auction, he’d make sure it would be mine.

And yet, here it was, in her hands.

Triumphant, Belinda shut the box like it was a priceless treasure. Then she looked around my closet and wrinkled her nose.

“Tacky. After all these years as an adopted daughter, your taste is still trash.”

She then punctuated her insult with a harsh kick to my suitcase, only to lose her balance and slip, crashing to the ground.

The box also went flying, and the hairpin tumbled out. It hit the floor hard, bending out of shape. One of the embedded gemstones popped off and rolled away.

Seeing that, Belinda screamed. She cradled the broken pin in horror, then whipped around and pointed at me, furious.

Right on cue, Mom and Francis burst into the room.

“My hairpin!” she shrieked. “Kelsey, this is all your fault! Why didn’t you move your stupid suitcase? Or did you do it on purpose because you were jealous? You couldn’t stand that Francis gave it to me! You’re so vile!”

I immediately turned to Francis to explain, but he didn't give me a chance.

“Yes, I gave it to her,” he said coldly. “She’s giving me a child, so she deserves something beautiful. I know you liked that pin too, but that doesn’t give you the right to destroy it out of jealousy!”

His words hit harder than any slap.

“I should’ve known,” Mom sneered. “We raised a snake. Trash will always be trash. Should’ve left you in the gutter where you belonged.”

Helpless, I endured their insults and humiliation, but I was so angry that my whole body trembled.

When I finally opened my mouth, I could feel how stiff my face had become.

“She kicked my suitcase and tumbled on her own. I didn’t touch her. Yes, I used to love that pin, but now that it’s hers? I don’t even want to look at it, just like I don’t want to look at you, Francis. Because today, I realized something. You were never good enough for me.”

Kelsey's POV

Unexpectedly, Francis raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

“You’ve gone too far, Kelsey! Since you clearly don’t know how to repent, stay in this room for the next few days and reflect on your behavior. No food allowed!”

He then dragged his mother and Belinda out of the room and locked the door from the outside.

I tried to stop him, but he shoved me back in so hard I hit the floor.

Indeed, there was no food or water, and my wounds were left untreated.

I sat there all night, staring out the window in silence, my body slowly sinking into despair.

By morning, I was running a low fever, so I messaged Francis, asking him to bring me some medicine.

I waited the entire morning, but no one came.

Luckily, he’d forgotten that during the renovation, I’d had a secret compartment built into the walk-in closet that opened into the backyard.

Still dizzy, I crawled out through it, one inch at a time.

Just as I was about to head to another room for medicine, I heard voices from the living room.

Turned out, he hadn’t gone to work.

He was there, lounging on the carpet with Belinda, the two of them wrapped around each other, feeding grapes from one mouth to the other.

Then she leaned in and kissed him playfully.

“Kelsey’s got a fever. Aren’t you going to give her medicine? You’re seriously planning to starve her?”

Francis chuckled, biting into a grape, and leaned close to her ear. “It’d be better if she died. Then no one could say I cheated or betrayed her. I’d be the perfect, grieving fiancé. Then we'll hold a nice funeral and I'll marry you without any baggage.”

Belinda giggled, voice syrupy sweet. “You’re so bad. But if she starves to death or the fever gets worse, it’s even better. That way she won’t find out that we’re the ones who hired that creep.”

The moment I heard that, my whole world stopped. A ringing filled my ears, and my brain just shut down.

Tears then blurred my vision as I curled up on the floor, covering my mouth so they wouldn’t hear me sobbing.

Turned out, they wanted me dead.

All those years, all the tenderness I thought we shared had all been a lie.

I crawled back to the bedroom, fighting the pain in my body, and started packing.

That was when my father called.

“The wedding venue is ready. Don’t forget to show up the day after tomorrow at Coastal Luxe.”

Nodding, I replied, “Okay.”

Once I finished packing, I tore every photo of us in wedding clothes into shreds and tossed them into the closet.

Then I took photos of the gifts Francis had given me and listed them online to sell at a low price.

Brushing my fingers over the wedding gown I had guarded like a treasure, my tears started to spill.

When he proposed to me, he gave it to me, saying he had designed it himself and even hand-stitched my name into it.

He also said it was one-of-a-kind because I was.

Now it felt like a cruel joke.

I cut my name out of the gown and tucked the torn piece into my suitcase.

Then I sent him a message.

[Belinda distributing my private photos is a crime. If you don’t want me reporting her to the police, unlock the bedroom door.]

Less than a minute later, I heard the lock click.

He opened the door and tossed a fever pill on the bed.

“The wedding’s still on. If you like the flower hairpin so much, wear it at the ceremony. You’re only good enough for the damaged one. I’ll just give Belinda a brand-new one.”

Saying nothing, I picked up the medicine and swallowed it dry.

At this point, my heart had been shattered too many times to feel anything.

In two days, at Ross Pascall’s wedding ceremony, everything would be over and I’d be free, never looking back.

Seeing I wasn’t reacting, Francis grew irritated, slammed the door, and left.

For the next two days, I didn’t see him again aside from his assistant, who dropped off the wedding dress I was supposed to wear.

Well, that suited me fine. Out of sight, out of mind.

On the wedding day, I put on the gown sent by Ross’s family, picked up my suitcase, and walked out of the villa for good.

Before I left, I gave Francis three parting gifts.

First, a wedding-day video that would play at the venue, filled with secret photos and clips of him and Belinda together.

Second, the custom wedding gown he’d once made for me, neatly packed and would be delivered right to the venue.

Third, a photo of my official marriage certificate with Ross, which I would send directly to his phone.

And with that, I got into the car and headed to the wedding that was truly mine.