Travis lifted my chin with his hand, forcing me to look up, and said provocatively to Patrick, "Take a good look at who she belongs to now."

After saying this, Travis leaned down and kissed me. I didn't pull away.

Patrick narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to make me jealous with him right now?"

"That trick won't work. You know I don't like games like this."

He raised an eyebrow and confidently beckoned to me. "Come here."

He was so sure of himself.

That's what happens when you're someone's favorite—you think you can get away with anything. I stayed put in Travis's arms. "Since you left, I found myself a new groom."

On our wedding day, half an hour before the ceremony was supposed to start, Lily called.

Patrick answered right in front of me. I watched his face grow colder by the second, his eyes filled with concern.

He said to whoever was on the other end, "I'll be right there."

I looked up at him. "The wedding's about to start."

His voice was heavy. "We'll have to cancel the wedding. We can reschedule for later."

I didn't cry or make a scene. I just asked stubbornly and calmly, "All these media people and everyone from our circle are here today. If you cancel the wedding now, do you want me to become the laughingstock of the entire city?"

"Grandpa got a special injection just so he could hold on long enough to come and see me get married."

He interrupted me anxiously, "Lily tried to kill herself. She's in critical condition and they're trying to save her. I have to fly to Brookshire right now."

I finally broke down and screamed hysterically, “I don’t care if she’s dying! It’s my wedding!“

Patrick turned to leave. I grabbed his sleeve one last time, begging, "Don't go."

He pried my hand away. "There's no time. Stop making a scene."

The pain in my chest made it hard to breathe. I dug my nails into my palms. "If you walk out that door, don't ever come back."

He paused for a moment, then strode away, rushing off to another woman.

I tilted my head back, refusing to cry. My heart felt empty and numb. This was the man I'd loved for so long. I'd given my heart to the wrong person.

My assistant asked carefully, "Should I tell the guests the wedding is canceled?"

I wasn't afraid of embarrassment. I was afraid Grandpa couldn't handle a shock like this. I thought for a moment. "Go get Mr. Miller."

When Travis knocked and came in, I was sitting at the mirror touching up my makeup. He leaned against the doorframe with that careless, rebellious look of his.

"Calling me in now—don't tell me you want to rekindle our old flame. I'm always available."

I finished the last stroke of my eyebrow and raised an eyebrow at him. "Good boy."

That clearly caught him off guard.

I slapped the contract my assistant had just drawn up onto the table. "Help me finish this wedding, and that south district land is yours."

"Where's Patrick?"

"Dead..."

He laughed happily. "Now that's what I like to hear."

The two of them were equals when it came to family background—one was an elegant, aloof prince, the other a wild, rebellious bad boy. They seemed naturally incompatible, never getting along since childhood. They were famous enemies in our circle.

I was really desperate to come to him.

Our relationship wasn't as hostile as it appeared on the surface. We'd even watched the sunrise together at four in the morning.

Just like everyone thought I was madly in love with Patrick, but I wasn't really that in love with him.

I looked down. "The wedding starts in fifteen minutes. If you don't do it, I'll find someone else."

"I'll do it." He took the contract and raised an eyebrow. "But I won't accept a fake wedding. After the wedding, we're getting legally married."

"Fine."

With the last-minute groom switch, the wedding proceeded smoothly amid all the shocked whispers. When it came time to exchange rings, the Luther family finally couldn't take it anymore.

Patrick’s father stood up and said sternly, "This was supposed to be your wedding with Patrick. How can you just replace the groom like that?"

I laughed softly and shot back, "Well, Mr. Luther, do you know where your son is right now?"

I took the microphone from the officiant.

"Patrick's side piece Lily tried to kill herself, and right now he's on a plane to Brookshire. From today on, I have nothing to do with him.

"I refuse to marry a cheating scumbag like that."

The Luther family looked mortified. Mrs. Luther actually fainted on the spot.

Patrick's reputation in our circle took a nosedive. The Luther family spent a fortune trying to suppress the scandal online.

I wasn't about to just roll over and take it. If he could be heartless, I could be ruthless too.

I wanted Lily to understand that some circles aren't easy to break into, and the path to marrying into wealth isn't as smooth as she thought.

After that day, the Luther family publicly announced that Lily was a scheming homewrecker, that they would never accept her, and she could forget about ever being a part of the Luther family.

After our ugly confrontation at the funeral, Patrick didn't contact me for a whole month.

That was his usual pattern—I was always the one who reached out first to make peace.

But not this time. I wasn't turning back.

I quickly took over the family company and dove into business. After four years as his chief secretary, I'd seen everything. I settled into the chairman's role smoothly.

Family members who'd been eyeing my inheritance were too intimidated by Travis's ruthless reputation to make any moves.

Everything was going well when suddenly the internet exploded with stories about the "jilted rich bride."

The articles painted me as the woman Patrick had abandoned on our wedding day, claiming he and Lily were true love, casting me as the villain in some soap opera.

The coverage went viral instantly, causing a massive online uproar.

Before I could even respond, Travis posted our marriage certificate online along with a photo of me at eighteen in my school uniform.

"This is the woman I've loved for years—and Patrick thinks he gets to ‘jilt’ her? As if."

That caused an even bigger sensation. So very Travis.

I smirked and played along, posting the only photo we had together.

"I may have been blind before, but my vision's crystal clear now."

The narrative completely flipped. My phone started buzzing.

It was Patrick calling. I declined.

That evening, one of Travis's friends was throwing a birthday party, and he came to pick me up.

In the car, I studied his sharp profile and blinked. "You haven't been secretly in love with me this whole time, have you?"

"Cough..." He nearly choked. "Well, you're my wife now anyway."

When we walked into the private room, I immediately spotted Patrick sitting in the corner looking thunderous, his mood so dark that everyone was giving him a wide berth.

Travis shot his friend a death glare. His friend said innocently, "I didn't invite him. He just showed up."

Travis walked over with his arm around my waist. Patrick stood up and fixed me with an intense stare. "Enough with the games. Come home with me."

I lifted my chin defiantly. "Are you volunteering to be my side piece now?"

"Hannah!"

"Don't shout at me, I'm not deaf." My expression turned icy. "I'm married now. You need to remember your place and stop making inappropriate remarks, Mr. Luther."

Patrick's face darkened with rage. He strode over, grabbed my arm, and started pulling me toward the exit.

"Are you completely deaf?" Travis tightened his grip on me.

Patrick locked eyes with me. "Come with me. You want a wedding? I'll give you one."

"Let go." I said sarcastically.

"I told you that day— If you walk out that door, don't ever come back.

"Patrick, there's a saying: love that arrives too late is worthless."

His face turned ugly. He said coldly, "Hannah, you'd better not regret this."

He left looking defeated. Travis rubbed my reddened wrist where Patrick had grabbed me and muttered, "What bad luck."

Word about what happened at the bar that night spread quickly. What I didn't expect was that Lily would actually have the nerve to come looking for me.

We arranged to meet at the cafe outside our old high school. I showed up on time.

After all these years, she looked much more polished than the poor, pale girl from high school who still had light in her eyes. She was prettier now, and clearly well-off.

The bag on the table was the latest Hermès, and every piece of clothing she wore was designer.

She smiled warmly at me. "You're still as beautiful as ever."

I sat down and said bluntly, "You, on the other hand, are nothing special. I'm disappointed."

I was telling the truth. Back then, she'd been this fragile but radiant girl who was determined to change her fate through education. She had this resilience about her.

After high school graduation, she left for the best university without a second thought. That kind of independence and grit was genuinely attractive, which is why she became the one who got away for Patrick.

Patrick used to say she had this wild, untamed energy, a vitality that was different from the pampered girls in our circle.

He said she was special.

What you can't have always seems the best. They'd developed feelings during their youth and then separated—it was that adolescent heartbreak.

So when they reunited, it was like a spark hitting dry kindling.

Lily smiled bitterly. "You know, I've always envied you. You're beautiful, your family's wealthy, everyone's nice to you, you never lack for anything."

I shot back, "So you stole Patrick."

"I didn't steal him." Lily protested defensively. "You two may have grown up together, but we fell for each other first."

I felt sick to my stomach. "You seduced him while I was his girlfriend."

"That's such an ugly way to put it." Her face went pale. "I know you still love him, but forcing something never ends well."

I flashed the expensive diamond ring on my finger. "My husband is charming and treats me wonderfully. I'm not going to pine over a piece of trash.

"I don't want to get involved in whatever's between you two. If you're so capable, get him to marry you."

I picked up my bag to leave, but Lily panicked and grabbed my hand. "I can't live without him."

"Not my problem."

Her eyes reddened. ”You're as formidable as ever. Because you've distanced yourself from him, he can't stop thinking about you. He feels guilty about you."

I suspected she had serious mental issues—she was so calculating herself that she assumed everyone else was too.

"Ha, sounds like he's a glutton for punishment."

She suddenly stood up and dropped to her knees with a loud thud, grabbing at my pants and begging desperately, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have coveted what was yours. I shouldn't have fought you for Patrick.

"I just love him too much. I want to stay by his side forever. Please forgive me."

I was completely baffled by her over-the-top performance when Patrick, who'd apparently been watching from the doorway, strode over and pulled her up from the ground.