On my first day at Wells Group, I was assigned to the same project Peter had mentioned during the interview.

Peter gave me tremendous authority, almost handing over the core decision-making power to me entirely.

Relying on my solid expertise, I moved swiftly and steadily from selecting partners to negotiating terms, then setting the market position for the new brand.

Within a month, the project was already showing results.

Peter praised me by name three times during the weekly meeting.

He said, “Lydia, you were born for this job.”

I smiled but said nothing.

Yes, I was born for this.

In my past life, if not for Nicholas, I would have been standing here instead of being trapped in that gilded cage.

While my career soared, Vicky’s social media updates became constant.

One day, she was fretting over which shade of platinum handbag to buy at the luxury stores.

Then, she showed off the limited-edition sports car Nicholas had gifted her.

A day later, she posted an aerial shot from a private jet heading to Maldivea.

Most of the likes and comments came from our old classmates.

[Wow, Vicky, you really married into wealth! Wells Group is one of the world’s top five hundred companies, right? They must be worth hundreds of billions!]

[Vicky is so lucky. This is what it means to be a winner in life!]

Someone even tagged me.

[Lydia, where are you working now? Weren’t you and Vicky best friends back in college?]

Vicky quickly typed a reply.

[Lydia works at my boyfriend’s company, Wells Group. She’s more ambitious than I am and not as useless as I am. Hehe.]

Her words were laced with sugary malice.

I stared at the phone screen, unfazed, and swiped past.

A week later, when I arrived at our class reunion, the private room was already full.

Everyone was buzzing about Vicky and Nicholas.

“Vicky’s so lucky. It’s like she jumped straight to the top.”

“Yeah, I was jealous when Lydia got into Wells Group, but who’d have thought that Vicky would become the president’s fiancee? No matter how capable Lydia is, she’s still working for Vicky.”

“Lydia’s here!” someone called out.

All eyes turned to me at once—some with sympathy, some with regret, and some with barely concealed glee.

Back then, Vicky and I had been the two top aces of the Finance Department.

But she was about to become the president’s wife, and I was just an entry-level employee.

“Lydia, come sit over here,” a classmate said, waving me over.

Just as I sat down, the door swung open.

Vicky entered. She was holding Nicholas’s arm and smiling radiantly.

The room went silent, then burst into applause and teasing cheers.

“Wow! That’s the great president, right? He’s so handsome!”

“Vicky, you’re terrible for hiding something this big from us!”

Vicky wore a polished smile and basked in their admiration.

She walked straight to me, pulled out the chair beside mine, and sat down as if nothing had ever happened between us.

“Lydia, work must be tiring lately. You’ve lost weight,” she said with mock concern.

She sighed lightly. “Look at me. Nicholas won’t even let me work. I’ve been home so long I feel like I’m turning into mold.”

Then she patted his arm playfully. “You shouldn’t push her so hard, Nicholas. Lydia’s my classmate, and you’re still giving her so much work. Even capitalists shouldn’t exploit their employees like that.”

Her tone sounded warm, yet every word flaunted her status as the president’s fiancee while reminding everyone that I was nothing more than an employee.

I looked at her. She brushed her hair aside and revealed a massive diamond ring that gleamed in the light.

“Women shouldn’t work themselves so hard. Marrying a good man is better than anything else.”

Her remark drew nods and murmurs of agreement from around the room.

I ignored her and turned my gaze toward Nicholas.

He played along and smiled faintly, yet the smile never reached his eyes.

His gaze was hollow and lifeless, as if he were an empty shell.

A faint chill lingered around him—something cold and tainted by death.

In my past life, I had only started to sense that eerie presence after I married him.

But this time, I could see it clearly.

“Oh, right.” Vicky suddenly took an elegant invitation from her bag and handed it to me.

“We’re getting married next month. You have to come. I want you to be my bridesmaid.”

She smiled stiffly. “You were my best friend in college. You should come and share my happiness.”

I took the crimson invitation and opened it.

The wedding was to be held at midnight at the Wells family’s old estate.

My fingertips traced those few words.

It was such a strange hour. Vicky must have been blinded by her dream of becoming the CEO’s wife, since she thought nothing of it.

Midnight was the darkest hour of the night.

In my previous life, my wedding had been held at this exact place and this exact time.

Back then, I only thought the Wells family had peculiar traditions.

It was not until much later that I understood the true meaning of that ceremony.

Did she really think what she was holding was an invitation to live happily ever after?

I raised my head and met her hopeful gaze. I smiled and agreed.

“Sure. It’s such a big occasion. I will definitely be there.”

On the day of the wedding, I arrived early at the Wells family’s old estate.

The car drove down a long, shaded lane and stopped before a massive traditional courtyard house.

When I opened the door and stepped out, a gust of cold wind rushed toward me, carrying the faint scent of decay.

There were several bridesmaids. They were Vicky’s college friends.

They all looked uneasy as they took in the eerie surroundings.

“Vicky, this place feels kind of creepy.”

“Yeah. Why would anyone hold a wedding here? This doesn't look like a wedding venue at all.”

Inside the dressing room, Vicky sat before the mirror in a pure white wedding gown.

Her face was glowing with barely contained excitement and joy.

When she heard the questions, she waved them off.

“You don’t understand. This is called style.”

“The Wells family is a century-old family. They have traditions. Nicholas said this is the family’s most important ceremony, and it has to be held in the old estate to receive the ancestors’ blessing.”

Her words convinced the girls who had never seen much of the world.

They immediately started gushing with admiration.

“So that’s why. The rich really are different.”

“Vicky, you’re so lucky. Nicholas treats you so well.”

I sat quietly in the corner, watching them praise Vicky. Her face was full of hope for the future.

She was probably imagining that after tonight, she would officially become a part of the Wells family. She thought she would transform from an ordinary girl into someone untouchable.

However, she had no idea what awaited her.

The night wore on.

The entire estate was deathly silent. Only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees broke the stillness.

The banquet lacked the lively atmosphere it should have had. The courtyard was filled with white candles.

The bridesmaids were no longer smiling. Their faces had gone pale as they huddled together.

Only Vicky remained lost in the dream she had woven for herself.

Finally, the antique clock on the wall struck twelve times.

The ringing echoed through the air, as though coming from another world.

A man in a black robe stepped onto the stage. His face was expressionless as he announced in a flat tone, “It is time. Please welcome the groom.”

Everyone turned toward the corridor leading to the back hall.

Vicky’s eyes were bright with anticipation as she lifted her gown. She was ready to greet her groom.

Nicholas appeared in a black suit, and his face was colder than ever.

He was not holding flowers.

In his hands rested a black wooden memorial tablet.

On it was a name—Joseph Wells.

Beside it, there was an enlarged photo of a young man who looked exactly like Nicholas.