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.