In my eighth year working at the Federal Intelligence Agency, my younger brother called me dozens of times, begging me to be the witness at his wedding.

When my superior learned about it, he even arranged a private jet to fly me back to my hometown, Bayshore City.

After getting off the plane and rushing to the wedding venue, I discovered that my brother’s bride was none other than Isabella Reed, the high school beauty who had once falsely accused me of theft, causing me to be ostracized for three years.

She was surrounded by a group of our old high school classmates.

The moment they saw me, they couldn’t help but sneer:

“Hey, isn’t this the thief who stole Isabella’s things back in the day? I don’t think she invited you—how shameless of you to show up?”

“She’s probably so poor she can’t even afford food. She must’ve heard Isabella was marrying the richest man in Bayshore City, so she came to freeload!”

“Some people really have no shame. Everyone, keep an eye on your belongings, or this bottom-feeding thief might steal them again!”

Isabella pretended to smooth things over. “Oh, that incident back then… Claire probably didn’t mean it. I’ve long since stopped caring.”

As she spoke, she looked at me with a smug smile:

“But today is my big day. My husband is the richest man in Bayshore City, and the guests here are all wealthy and powerful. With your lowly status—and your sticky fingers—this isn’t the place for you.”

“If you want to eat, you’ll have to wait at the door. Once everyone’s finished, I’ll pack up some leftovers for you.”

The classmates rushed to praise Isabella for her beauty and kindness, and some even urged me to kneel down and thank her for her generosity.

I only smiled faintly.

“If I don’t go in, this wedding isn’t happening today.”

Because of the secrecy of my work, I rarely interacted with the outside world.

Even with my own brother, I had barely seen him over the years.

But now that he was getting married, and with our parents gone, I couldn’t possibly miss it.

When I arrived at the venue and saw the wedding portrait at the hotel entrance, I realized that the woman my brother had spoken so highly of was the same Isabella who had framed me and made me a pariah in high school.

At this moment, Isabella stood at the entrance of the luxury hotel in a snow-white custom-designed wedding gown, eagerly waiting for the groom.

Her old classmates surrounded her.

“Isabella, you kept this too well hidden! Only today do we find out your husband is the richest man in Bayshore City!”

“Right? You really have talent, to marry such an extraordinary man. Being your classmate is the luckiest thing in my life!”

“Isabella, you’re about to be the billionaire’s wife now. Don’t forget your old classmates!”

Even our old homeroom teacher, Mr. Johnson, spoke with flattery:

“Isabella, do you know why I never criticized you back then, even when your grades were poor and you didn’t study? Because I knew you were destined for greatness.”

Basked in all this praise, Isabella’s smile grew wider, her eyes full of pride.

But the moment I appeared, the same classmates who had just been fawning over her immediately frowned, glaring at me with disdain.

“Hey, isn’t that the thief who stole Isabella’s bracelet back in high school? I’m sure she wasn’t invited. What are you doing here?”

“What else? She must be starving and came to freeload because Isabella’s marrying a billionaire!”

“What bad luck! On such a happy day, this piece of trash shows up!”

“Everyone, keep an eye on your things, or this lowly thief will snatch them again!”

Just like in high school, they mocked and humiliated me without restraint.

Only Mr. Johnson avoided my gaze.

The bracelet they mentioned had been a birthday gift from my father during my freshman year.

At that time, Isabella and I were roommates. She thought it was pretty and begged me to let her wear it. After I lent it to her, she refused to give it back.

I asked her several times, but she kept brushing me off.

One day, when she took it off to shower and left it on the table, I simply retrieved it myself.

But when she came out, she immediately cried and accused me of stealing it.

Later, Mr. Johnson investigated and told me Isabella’s family was poor and she might never get to wear something that nice in her lifetime. He asked me not to hold it against her.

Out of respect for him, I let her keep the bracelet.

But instead of being grateful, she spread the rumor everywhere that I was a thief, and I was ostracized for three whole years.

Now, facing my classmates’ familiar ridicule, Isabella once again pretended to smooth things over:

“Oh, that incident back then—Claire didn’t mean it. I’ve long since let it go.”

Then she turned to me with a proud and mocking smile:

“But today is my wedding day. My husband is the richest man in Bayshore City, and the guests here are all powerful figures.”

“Claire, with your lowly status and your dirty hands, you don’t belong in this high-class setting.”

“If you want food, wait outside. After everyone’s done, I’ll pack up some leftovers for you.”

Her so-called generosity won her more admiration:

“Isabella, you’re amazing! Not only do you forgive Claire’s past mistakes, you’re still so kind to her. No wonder you married the richest man in Bayshore City!”

“Claire’s just a thief. How lucky she is to have a classmate like you!”

“Claire, hurry up and kneel to thank Isabella for her kindness, then go wait for the scraps!”

I ignored their arrogance, looked straight at Isabella, and smiled faintly:

“If I don’t go in, this wedding won’t happen today.”

At my words, everyone burst into laughter.

“Claire, were you reincarnated from a garbage bin? You sure love to act important!”

“Hilarious! She really thinks she’s someone who can ruin Isabella’s wedding to a billionaire?”

“Some people never change—still poor, still pretending after all these years!”

Isabella chuckled disdainfully.

“Claire, you should know that with my status as the billionaire’s wife, you’ll never be qualified to even speak to me again.”

“I only gave you a chance to eat our leftovers because we were once classmates. But if you keep making a scene, don’t blame me for throwing you out!”

Seeing she was still the same as back then, I couldn’t help but sneer.

This was the sister-in-law my brother praised so highly?

“No need to kick me out. Honestly, I don’t even want to attend this wedding.”

I turned to leave.

“Stop right there!”

Before I could take more than two steps, Isabella rushed forward. While no one was looking, she quickly shoved a ring into my pocket, then grabbed me and shouted:

“You filthy thief, you just can’t help yourself, can you? You actually tried to steal something at my wedding!”

At her words, the classmates rushed over.

“Isabella, what’s going on? Did Claire steal from you again?”

Isabella nodded, holding up her bare hand with a look of indignation and grievance.

“My diamond ring was just on my finger a moment ago. After speaking to Claire, it disappeared.”

“Claire, I didn’t expect that after all these years, you’re still the same old thief.”

“That was a globally limited-edition wedding ring my husband bought at auction—worth tens of millions!”

With that, Isabella didn’t hesitate—she reached into my pocket in front of everyone.

Sure enough, she pulled out the very ring she had secretly planted there.

The moment they saw it, my classmates erupted, their anger boiling over:

“Claire, are your hands cursed? Can’t you survive without stealing?”

“Isabella treated you kindly, and this is how you repay her?”

“Stealing a ring worth millions—are you insane or just tired of living?”

“No wonder you wanted to leave in such a hurry. You were trying to run off and sell it!”

I swept my gaze over the crowd, finally resting on Isabella.

“There are security cameras here. Framing me like this is a crime, you know that?”

Smack!

Isabella slapped me hard across the face.

“Who are you trying to scare?!”

“I’m the billionaire’s wife. Why would I need to frame a worthless bottom-feeder like you?”

Her words were quickly echoed by the crowd:

“With her status now, just speaking to you is charity. Why would she ever slander someone so insignificant?”

“Exactly! You’re already a thief, and now you’re trying to weasel your way out. Pathetic!”

“Call the cops! Lock her up for life!”

The classmates surrounded me like I was a criminal, afraid I might escape.

Even Mr. Johnson stood in front of me with contempt.

“Claire, from now on, don’t ever say you were my student.”

“I never taught someone with such rotten character.”

The gossip and condemnation drew in bystanders. Some pointed and whispered, others recorded me on their phones, and a few even spat at me.

I calmly took off my jacket and tossed it into a trash bin.

Then I looked Isabella straight in the eyes, my tone icy.

“Do you realize that slap you just gave me is enough to land you in prison for the rest of your life?”

Isabella burst into wild laughter, full of disdain.

“Claire, you’ll say anything, won’t you?”

“Even if I weren’t the billionaire’s wife, what’s the big deal about hitting a piece of trash like you?”

“You really think you’re somebody?”

Others quickly joined in:

“This worthless woman is not only poor but delusional. Did she just say Isabella could go to prison for slapping her? What a joke!”

“She’s so low-class she probably doesn’t even understand what ‘billionaire’ means.”

“Exactly. No self-awareness at all. She really thinks a single slap entitles her to a lifetime prison sentence for Isabella!”

Since joining the Federal Intelligence Agency, this was the first time anyone had dared treat me with such disrespect.

Ignoring their jeers, I calmly dialed my superior.

“Sir, someone here has framed me for theft and physically assaulted me.”

“How should this be handled?”

On the other end came my superior’s thunderous voice of disbelief and fury:

“Who has the audacity to do this?!”