On our wedding, my boyfriend of five years, Lucas Hunter, is in the middle of sliding the wedding ring onto my finger when a little boy rushes up to him and hugs his leg.

"Daddy, please don't ditch me and Mommy!"

At that moment, his first love, Isabella Welch, walks over and shows the paternity test report in front of all the guests.

"On the night Lucas and I broke up six years ago, I was already pregnant with his child."

Lucas' expression changes drastically. He subconsciously glances at me afterward.

"I didn't know about this, Vivian!"

"Well, you do now," Isabella cuts him off. "By the way, not only am I your son's biological mother, but I'm also the sole daughter of the richest woman in Andaysia."

She then shows Lucas something on her phone. The next moment, his gaze becomes passionate immediately.

"I've given up on my marriage alliance just to seek you out, Lucas. I am the woman you should be marrying instead of that…" Isabella eyes me up and down. "Instead of that regular corporate slave."

Lucas stays silent only for a moment before retracting the ring that has touched my fingertip. Then, he slides it onto Isabella's finger.

I can't believe it. Is this really the man I've loved for the past five years?"

"Have you thought this through, Lucas?"

Lucas leans in to murmur into my ear, "Vivian, once I've secured the major project in the company with Isabella's help and get custody over my son, I'll give you an even grander wedding."

I just chuckle icily in return before leaving the altar without even sparing him a glance. After that, I call Alexander Shaw, an admirer who has loved me for ten years, on the phone.

"Are you busy? If not, come here and marry me."

Then, I turn back to look at the new couple, who are in the middle of making their vows.

Isabelle calls herself the daughter of the richest woman in Andaysia, she says. But how is it possible for me to not know that my mom has swapped me out for another daughter?

I could hear Alexander Shaw's loud laughter from the other end of the line.

"Now? My little princess, don't you think you're taking it a little too far, only informing the groom that you're marrying him on the wedding day itself?"

"Just forget it, then," I said, pretending that I was about to hang up.

"I'll be there!" he said, his tone suddenly becoming serious. "I've been waiting for you for 10 years, Vivian Montero, and you've finally come to your senses now. Wait for me. I'm coming back to the country now."

I sighed in relief. Just after I'd booked the next ceremony slot with the wedding officiator, I suddenly heard familiar voices behind me.

"Vivian."

I looked behind me and saw Lucas Hunter, my fiance, carrying a boy in his arms with Isabella Welch's hand looped around his arm. The boy was Isabella's son, Toby Hunter. They looked like the picture-perfect family of three, and it was too piercing to my eyes.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, coming up to me in a low, interrogating voice. He didn't sound pleased. "Didn't I tell you to go home first?"

"I'm waiting for the groom," I answered truthfully.

"Waiting for the groom?"

Lucas frowned. "Vivian, don't do something stupid just because you're mad about the things that happened today. I've already explained everything to you. This is just a temporary arrangement."

"Okay," I said, with a nod of my head. "I get it."

He nodded in understanding. "You've always been understanding and sensible. Isabella is our company's most vital business partner. She also gave birth to a son for me. I need to appease them first.

"But you have to believe me when I say that you're the only one in my heart."

I smirked sarcastically at him.

"You believed her just because she told you that she was the only daughter of the richest woman? But what if I told you that I was, too? Would you believe me, then?"

Lucas widened his eyes.

"Stop joking around. You drank so much alcohol in my place during those social events to secure that order that you even had an internal hemorrhage. How could a rich heiress ever do that for anyone?

"Also, I've already seen photos of Isabella with Mrs. Montero in the same frame. I know that she's for real."

I couldn't even recognize him anymore because of the undisguised greed in his eyes.

I hated that people who used to tell me they loved me were only after my status and wealth. So, I thought of hiding my family background and starting up the company from scratch with Lucas.

But now, it seemed like there was no need for me to reveal my true identity to him anymore.

I chuckled sarcastically.

When Lucas saw that I was chuckling, his tense features visibly relaxed.

"I knew that you would understand. You can go back now. I want you to make steak for dinner."

I shook my head and said softly, "I've already told you that I'm waiting for the groom."

"Are you going to continue causing trouble like this?" Lucas asked darkly.

"What are you all whispering about behind my back?" Isabella shouted loudly at us before glaring hatefully at me. "If I were you, I'd get lost as quickly as I can! Don't you find it shameful that you got broken up with on the day of your own wedding, Vivian?

"I'm telling you that we're married now! And we have a kid together! You'd better stay away if you know what's good for you and stop being such a disgusting homewrecker!"

"Married?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at her. "You mean you've registered your marriage already? Oh, but you're not even wearing a wedding dress. Who's really the homewrecker here?"

"We've exchanged rings! This is a wedding!" she screamed loudly in retort.

I looked at the ring she had forced onto her finger and said, "I was the one who chose that ring, and it was made in my size. Don't you think that it's a little too tight for your finger?"

Isabella was so mad that she wouldn't stop shaking all over. She looked at Lucas and said, "Darling, are you just going to stand and watch someone else bully me like this?

"I initially thought of waiting for Mom to return before bringing you to meet her and discuss more about our collaboration. But now…"

Lucas immediately shielded her behind him and glared angrily at me.

"Vivian! You should never have attacked her, even if it was just out of jealousy! Apologize to Isabella at once! Otherwise, you can pack up your things and leave the company!"

"Okay," I said, with a firm nod of my head. "Go ahead and fire me."

In his eyes, this job was my entire livelihood. However, I was the sole heiress to the richest family in the country of Andaysia. If it weren't because I loved him, I'd have left a long time ago.

Lucas was obviously stunned. However, he burst out laughing later on.

"Is this a strategic retreat? You really are something, Vivian, pulling such dirty tricks like that!"

Toby suddenly screamed at me. "Go away! You always steal Daddy from me and Mommy. I hate you!"

The other wedding guests who were just leaving happened to overhear his words, and they turned to look at me in pure disdain and disgust.

"Didn't she immediately attach herself to Lucas as soon as Isabella left last time? I knew that there was something fishy about it the whole time!"

"She's just a nobody with no family background, yet she managed to get to this position in just five years. What else could it be other than her sleeping her way to the top?"

"Wow, I never knew how brazen mistresses could get lately. How could they just bully the wife and child in public?"

I endured the excruciating pain and straightened up, looking at Toby.

"Then, you can have your daddy. Your daddy and I have absolutely nothing to do with each other anymore."

My gaze then swept over Lucas, whose face was ashen.

"I wish you both a long and happy marriage."

Lucas then pulled Isabella away, turning his back on me, and he said coldly, "You'll regret this."

I forced my tears back.

Regret this?

I only regretted ever wasting so many years on him.

I went into a nearby cafe and sat there, waiting for Alexander. I then decided to call Mom.

I hadn't contacted her in five years.

The last time I'd called her, we'd gotten into a huge fight over Lucas. Mom just couldn't understand the "freedom" that I spoke about, and I simply couldn't put up with her controlling manner anymore.

I called her after hesitating for a very long time, but she still didn't pick up, even after a number of rings.

I decided to call Mom's assistant, Naomi Webster, instead. Naomi picked up, and she sounded very surprised when she spoke into the line.

"Ms. Montero?"

I asked, "Is there someone named Isabella Welch who's been approaching Mom lately?"

Naomi hesitated for a while. "I'm not too sure about that. However, Mrs. Montero has been regularly donating to a local orphanage every month."

A local orphanage?

"Help me check who at the orphanage has been receiving the money all this time, and let me know how well they know each other."

After hanging up, I gripped my phone and felt lost for the first time.

Had Mom really adopted a daughter from the orphanage after all?

Suddenly, I saw the latest trending news pop up on my phone. It read, "Mr. Alexander Shaw Walked Away From a Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisition Deal in Yitchaly, Claiming to Return Home for Marriage."

A video was also embedded in the article, showing a tall, stern-looking man smiling gleefully on the phone at the end of a call, then turning and walking off.

The reporters couldn't stop him, so they asked the other party Alexander had been meeting with instead.

"Will your company decide not to go forward with the acquisition deal anymore because of Mr. Shaw's sudden departure?"

The man just smiled and said, "Here in Yitchaly, we firmly believe that love is above all else, and therefore, we are very understanding of his predicament and are more than willing to wait for his return."

I felt a range of mixed emotions in my heart. It was bittersweet yet warm.

I was always the one chasing after Lucas when I was with him. I had never before been the one someone chose so decisively.

Suddenly, I received a text message notification from one of the top bridal boutiques in the city. I tapped into the message and saw that they had also sent me a catalog of high-fashion wedding dresses and jewelry sets.

"Good day, Mrs. Shaw. Your husband has already made arrangements with us. Please feel free to choose whichever dress and jewelry set that you like."

Alexander had even considered my reluctance to wear my original, old wedding dress.

I went to the bridal boutique and spent the entire afternoon trying on dresses and having my makeup done. Just as I was about to finish, I received another text on my phone.

"Come out and turn to the left."

I rushed out of the boutique with the train of the dress in my hands and saw Alexander leaning against his sports car by the roadside, with the seats filled to the brim with roses.

He handed me a bouquet of fresh roses and said, "Sorry for making you have to rush."

"Nothing to be sorry about," I said, my smile wide, as I took the roses from him. I immediately realized that the roses were my favorite Giardina roses, the kind that could only be found in Yitchaly.

I had just briefly mentioned that they were my favorite kind of flowers when I was 18, yet he'd remembered it for years until now.

I held this bouquet of flowers in my hand as I attended my very small-scale wedding ceremony.

As soon as the ceremony ended, Alexander had to fly back to Yitchaly at once to complete the acquisition and handle the aftermath. Yet, before he left, he kissed my forehead.

"Wait for me to come back. I'll give you a proper, grander wedding ceremony than this."

I brought the roses home, my heart filled with sweetness, completely forgetting the frustration from earlier that day.

As soon as I opened the door to my home, however, a bottle of perfume was suddenly thrown at me.

"What are you doing in my mansion? Get out! Get out!"

Isabella stood at the door with her hands on her hips, flinging another two more bottles of perfume at me. The fragrance was overpowering and made me feel nauseous.

It wasn't until then that I realized my carefully decorated home had been completely wrecked.

The elegant, minimalist furniture had all been replaced with garish pink furniture instead, and Toby was scribbling recklessly on the wallpaper with bold crayons. He saw me and threw his crayons at me, just like his mother.

"Your mansion?"

I sneered and dodged to the side. "Is your name even on the property title?"

Toby immediately began screaming at the top of his lungs. "Daddy belongs to Mommy! And the mansion also belongs to Mommy!"

"What's the noise all about?" Lucas said, walking out from the master bedroom in a bathrobe while water droplets dripped from his hair.

"This mansion is mine. And whoever is my wife has the right to do whatever she wants in it," he said.

Isabella walked over to me smugly, her gaze landing on the bouquet in my arms.

"Heard that? I'm already being lenient by not charging you rent all these years!

"And these flowers look nice. Is this a wedding gift for us? Leave it. You can get lost now."

"Stay away!" I exclaimed, hugging the roses closer to me.

Still, she snatched the bouquet from me, took a closer look at it, and curled her lips in disdain.

"It's just meh. Just about as horrible as you are."

Then, she threw the flowers to the ground and stomped on them.

And just like that, she completely ruined the first bouquet of flowers that Alexander ever gave me.

I was furious. I grabbed Isabella by her hair and shouted, "You'd better pay for my flowers!"

Lucas frowned and forcibly pulled us apart instead.

"Can't you be more magnanimous with her? Isabella has been spoiled rotten ever since young. This is just her temper."

"Magnanimous?" I laughed coldly. "You brought your mistress into my home, let her stomp and ruin my flowers, and now, you're asking me to be magnanimous?"

Lucas' face darkened as he looked at me in frustration. "It's just a bunch of flowers. Why are you being so dramatic about it?

"Stop throwing a fuss. I'll buy you another one tomorrow. Now go and make dinner. We're all hungry."

I blurted, "Why? Am I your maid now?"

He looked at me in confusion. "Weren't you the one who always liked cooking for me? You just have to cook two extra portions this time. Is it something you can't do?

"You're behaving very poorly tonight. See how much you've upset everyone? I'm giving you a chance to mend your behavior by having you cook dinner for us. Don't you dare push your luck anymore."

"Me? Mend my behavior?" I laughed angrily. "So, you think that it's all my fault for everything that happened today?"

Lucas' voice died in his throat. He averted his gaze in frustration and said, "Fine, whatever. It's my fault. I'll give you three months' worth of bonus next month. Happy now?"

I couldn't hold back any longer. "You think that I'm just after that bit of money? I am the true—Ouch!"

There was a sudden pain in my thigh.

Toby had actually stabbed me in the thigh with a sharp steak knife!

"You bad woman! You can't bully Mommy!" he screamed, about to stab me again.

Lucas' eyes widened as he instinctively made to rush toward me.

"Get lost!"

The pain had ignited my fury, and I shoved Toby heavily to the ground. He fell to the floor and began screaming loudly.

Isabella immediately pulled him up and slapped me so hard that I fell to the floor instead.

"How could you be so vicious? He's just a child! How much strength did you think he could put into that attack!"

I was sprawled on the ground, my head dizzy and my vision blurry. I could also hear a ringing in my ears.

Lucas pulled Isabella back, his voice stern. "That's enough, Isabella. She's still bleeding."

Yet, Isabella wouldn't let up and kept struggling in his arms. She kicked out at me and screamed, "She deserves to die! How dare she hit my son! Let go of me, Lucas! You don't want to work with my mom anymore, do you?"

Lucas went silent for a few seconds. Then, he grabbed some gauze and threw it at me.

"Get out. Stop being an eyesore around here."

I slowly got up to my feet and looked him straight in the eyes.

"This is my mansion. If anyone is to leave, it would be the rest of you."

This was a luxury property in the heart of the city, and I had been prepared to move in with Lucas after our wedding. I even grew worried he would grow suspicious of the extravagance and deliberately hired a real estate agent, claiming it was a last-minute sale and that I'd snagged it at a bargain.

But now, Lucas had clearly forgotten about it and even thought of making it a nest for himself and his other woman.

Isabella burst out laughing and said, "At least think of a better excuse the next time you try to lie about something like that! You wouldn't even be able to afford a single square foot of this mansion even if you sold off your entire family!

"Now get lost! Or else, I'm calling the police on you!"

My thigh was throbbing in pain. I didn't want to argue with her anymore, so I staggered my way into the master bedroom to grab my documents.

I was going to sue them in court the next day to get my mansion back!

When I pushed the door to the master bedroom open, however, a strong, pungent odor immediately assaulted my nostrils.

The sheets were crumpled, with torn pajamas and stockings strewn across the floor. Several used condoms also lay scattered on the rug.

To think that they'd already done it in my bed, too!

I forced down the urge to throw up and went to the safe to retrieve the documents before leaving without another backward glance.

"Remember that you're not welcome to ever step back in through that front door forever!" Isabella screamed behind me.

I went straight to the hospital to get my wounds bandaged up. Then, I went to a hotel and fell asleep at once.

While I was half asleep, my phone suddenly lit up with a bank transfer notification.

"You have received 5,000 dollars from Lucas Hunter."

He'd even added a note, saying, "Bandage yourself up so you don't get any scars. Then go out and clear your head."

I accepted the bank transfer and then blocked his number.

Early the next morning, I headed for the law firm.

"We can get the full title deed back," the attorney, Avril Carpenter, said. "Or, we can also have him compensate you at market price. This house is worth at least 80 million dollars now."

"I want the money," I said without hesitation. "And compensation for damage to the property."

"That requires on-site evidence, preferably photos or videos."

Now that I knew what to do, I immediately rushed back to the mansion with a miniature camera.

When I opened the door, however, I froze at once. The living room was full of people.

Lucas' parents and relatives were all having a welcoming banquet at home. When they saw that it was me at the door, their eyes were filled with hostility at once.

The entire mansion had been rearranged, and the situation was even worse than it had been yesterday.

My oil paintings were slashed and thrown into the trash. My antiques were being used as ashtrays, and the silk scarf that Mom had given me was being used as a rag.

"Get out of my mansion," I said coldly.

"Your mansion?" Lucas' mother, Michelle Padilla, scoffed loudly before bursting into laughter. "Lucas told me that he was the one who bought this place. Did you really think it was yours just because he let you spend a couple of nights here?

"If it weren't for you interfering in Lucas' and Bella's relationship, he would have already been a billionaire's son-in-law by now! How dare you still show your face to interfere with his life again!

"Get lost, you shameless bitch of a homewrecker! You have no right to attend this welcoming banquet we're all hosting for Isabella!"