I shoved him away. Sting at him coldly, my gaze swept over to Emily, who had just stepped out of the private room behind him and I said, “Glen, there’s something I want to tell you.” I try so hard not to vomit when my I glare at him. “The wedding’s off.” 

“What?!”

Both Glen and Emily shouted in unison.

“What are you talking about? Why would you call off the wed—” He stopped mid-sentence and I swear I could see a light bulb flick on above his head. “Did someone threaten you?” he asked, wide-eyed, like he couldn’t even fathom the truth staring him in the face.

“Tell me who it was! I won’t let them get away with it. I’ll always have your back. You can always rely on me, remember?”

I almost laughed hearing those words come out of his mouth. Like hell I would. 

He was nothing but a small-town nobody who somehow managed to climb his way up. If it weren’t for me, he’d be completely irrelevant in this city. No name, no money, no future.

But me? I’m the daughter of the Snows—the richest family in the Asterfield. If my parents so much as stomped their feet, the entire city would tremble.

And yet, I, the precious daughter raised in the palm of their hands, was blinded back in college. I fell for that pretty face of his and the fake concern he wrapped me in. I’d gotten drunk on the way he made soup for me when I was sick, how he’d rub my stomach when I had cramps, whispering, “I’ll always be your strongest support, Lana.”

After graduation, I fought tooth and nail with my parents, insisting I would marry him. I even convinced them to give him access to our best resources—connections, contracts, you name it. In no time, I handed him the golden ticket to becoming one of the city's new elites.

Looking back now, it was all cracks and holes.

Every single thing Glen has today came from us, the Snow. Without us, he’s nothing. What does he have to back me up with? His six-pack abs?

I scoffed and threw my bridal bouquet to the ground.

“No one threatened me, Glen. I just change my mind. I don’t want to marry you.”

My gaze shifted to Emily, standing just behind him. “I’m not interested in secondhand trash. You can keep her,” I flicked my head toward that vixen.  

The moment those words came out of my mouth, I saw a flash of malice flicker in Glen’s eyes. But he quickly masked it with that fake, affectionate smile, like he was some romantic hero in a soap opera.

Even now, in this mess, he still tried to regain control. He reached out for my hand and said in that same patronizing, condescending tone, “Come on now, baby, don’t be mad. This is just a misunderstanding. Emily was just helping me look for a red rose I wanted to add to your bouquet. That’s all it was. A misunderstanding.”

He tried to pull me in, smiling like we were back in those early days, saying with that half-teasing, half-scolding tone, “Lana, seriously, this temper of yours… you really need to work on that. Who else but me could ever handle you?”

He reached up to brush my bangs aside, but I glared at him, stepping away with clear disgust.

“Don’t touch me! You make me sick, Glen Rivera!”

Finally, the mask slipped.

Glen’s face twisted. His voice dropped, sharp and cold. “It’s not a time for jokes, Lana. There’s a whole room full of guests behind this door—do you really think you can just cancel a wedding on a whim? Don’t forget, you were the one who begged to marry me in the first place!”

He took a breath, trying to rein it back in.

“Okay I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout a t you. I know you’re upset because Emily and I came out of the same room. It’s just a misunderstanding. I’ll explain everything on the way to the venue, okay?”

“That’s right, Lana,” Emily chimed in, pretending to be all sweet and innocent. “It’s just a big misunderstanding. Glen and I were only in the room for, like, two minutes before you showed up. Nothing happened. It’s not what it looks like, really.”

She reached for my arm, trying to act all friendly and close. But there was no real warmth in her eyes—only fear. The fear of losing access to all that money, to everything she thought she’d gotten her claws into.

I shifted away, barely moving to avoid her touch.

And just like that, she gasped, stumbled back dramatically—and crashed to the ground like I’d just shoved her across the room. The sharp scrape of her elbow against the floor echoed louder than it should have. Blood instantly welled up from a long gash on her arm. It looked gruesome.

Before I could even register what had just happened—

SLAP!

Glen’s hand struck my face so hard my ears rang.

“Lana Snow, what the hell is wrong with you?!” he roared. “Who do you think you are, laying your hands on Emily like that? She was trying to help you and you attack her? How could a person be so vicious?” 

The sting of the slap spread from my cheek like fire. I stood there, stunned. No one—not in this life or the last—had ever dared to hit me.

I stared in pain and disbelief as he rushed over to cradle Emily in his arms, fussing over her like some fragile flower.

She lay limp in his embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Lana,” she whimpered between sobs, “I just wanted to clear things up. I swear I just wanted to explain. But how could you? Just because you’re the daughter of the richest man in the city, doesn’t mean you can treat people like dirt. I know I’m not from some big, fancy family like you, but that doesn’t give you right to treat me like rat.”

She wept harder, as if the heartbreak was too much to bear.

By now, guests had started to gather, searching for the bride and groom after the wedding was delayed. As they saw the scene unfold, murmurs began to rise among them.

“I heard the Snows’ heiress is spoiled and arrogant,” someone murmured. “Typical rich-girl behavior—entitled and heartless.”

“Yeah, she’s a walking disaster. Can you imagine marrying someone like that? Poor Glen. He’s way too good for her.”

“She’s cursed, I swear. Women like her only bring misfortune.”

“She’s probably been cheating on him since day one. Just look at her—you can tell. Poor guy probably got dragged into this marriage and now he’s stuck cleaning up her mess.”

“Exactly. She’s got the attitude, the money, probably the affairs too. Glen must’ve been forced into this whole thing. Poor man…”

Seeing the crowd grow, Glen switched gears. He dropped the anger, replacing it with a look of wounded devotion as he turned to me.

“Lana, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Hit me, yell at me, whatever you want. Hell, stab me if it makes you feel better. Because I love you. I’ll always loved you.”

“But don’t you hurt Emily. She’s just innocent, harmless, delicate woman. How could you raise your hand against her? And to make it worst, you had to do it today. This was supposed to be our wedding day… and you chose this moment to lash out at her? You really went too far. Don’t you ever worry that this is going to come back around one day?”

“He’s right!” a few people from the crowd echoed. “She’s just a poor girl, Lana. While you've got everything—why did you pick on her?!”

The judgment rolled over me in waves—accusations from people who didn’t know a damn thing about the truth. They saw a wounded bride, a sobbing other woman and a man standing tall, claiming to love too much.

They didn’t see what I saw: A stage. A script. And Glen Rivera, center spotlight, playing the role of heartbroken hero.

Something inside me cracked.

I gritted my teeth, my hands clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

“That’s rich, coming from you, Glen,” I snapped, my voice low and venomous. “You and Emily were literally screwing each other minutes ago in that room—and now you’re standing here playing the heartbroken groom while painting me as the villain?”

But Glen didn’t even flinch. Instead, he let out a theatrical sigh, feigning heartbreak like he was playing to a stage.

“I really didn’t want to do this,” he said, voice breaking with fake sorrow. “I told myself I’d take the secret to my grave. But now… now you’ve forced my hand, Lana.”

He looked me straight in the eye with a sadness so fabricated it could win an Oscar.

“I can’t keep covering for you anymore,” he said, his voice full of fake sorrow. “You think I didn’t notice the massive pair of horns you put on my head? I swallowed all of it without a word. Emily and I are completely innocent, yet you choose to slander me like this, stomping all over the heart that’s loved you unconditionally.”

He clutched his chest and moaned like he was on the verge of tears. “I’m a man too, Lana. I have a heart. And what you’ve done? It hurts.”

Even though I’d already braced myself for the worst, seeing Glen drop the act in front of everyone—just to defend his mistress—still left a bitter sting in my chest.

And when I thought about how I’d spent my previous life breaking my back for a man like him, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. God, how blind and stupid had I been?

Glen’s theatrics stirred up the crowd like sharks smelling blood. A wave of gasps and whispers spread through the guests as fingers started pointing in my direction.

“Wow, who would've thought the heiress of the Snow was such a shameless woman? She’s not just a flirt—she’s a full-blown heartbreaker. Honestly, girls like her shouldn’t be allowed within ten feet of a decent man.”

“Is it just me, or does anyone else actually feel bad for Glen? The guy's a total gentleman. He bent over backward to protect her reputation. If Lana Snow hadn’t pulled rank and thrown her weight around, I doubt he would've ever gone public with this.”

“She’s unbelievable. Most women would kill to have a man like him and she goes and plays games? I’ve always said it—those rich families are all smoke and mirrors. The only thing spotless in their mansion is probably the marble floor in the foyer.”

Glen looked incredibly pleased with himself. And when he walked past me, he leaned in close enough that only I could hear him, his voice low and smug.

“See that, Lana? The world’s full of people who hate you. I’m the only one who ever truly loved you. But since you caught me and Emily today, I guess there’s no point pretending anymore. Here’s the deal—if you kneel and apologize to us and promise to serve Emily obediently after we marry, I’ll be generous and still take you as my wife. In return, I’ll keep your dirty secret private.”

“You wish,” I snapped coldly, glaring daggers at him.

His expression darkened. His fake gentleness cracked, replaced by a nasty smirk like he had something big enough on me to ruin my life. He sneered, “Fine. Then wait and see. Unless you’re on your knees and begging for forgiveness, I swear you’ll never be ‘Mrs. Rivera’. You’ll be lucky if you’re not groveling at my feet one day, begging for scraps.”

Then he strutted away, chin up, completely ignoring the storm he’d stirred.

People were dying to know what bomb Glen was planning to drop next, so they rushed after him like he was the main act in some scandalous drama.

As I stepped into the grand hall, my eyes welled up instantly at the sight of two familiar faces—Mom and Dad.

“Mom! Dad!” I rushed into their arms, wrapping myself around them and sobbing like a child waking up from a nightmare.

They held me tight, panic flashing in their eyes. “What happened, sweetheart? Did Glen do something to you? If that bastard laid a hand on you, we will—”

Their words cut off the moment Glen paraded past us, proudly holding Emily’s hand like she was the bride he was about to marry.

My parents had seen their share of deception in this world. One glance at him was all they needed to understand what kind of game he was playing.

They were furious—Dad was ready to shout at him right then and there—but I grabbed his arm and stopped him.

Because right now, more than anything, I wanted to cherish this miracle of being reborn into a moment where my family was still whole.