The patriarch of the Hughes family was convinced I was the one bringing good fortune to Simon.

Strangely enough, the family seemed to like me more and more with each passing day. They treated me like I was one of their own like I truly belonged. Despite Simon’s cold indifference, I honestly thought I was happy. That was until I found the photos.

One afternoon, my mom came into my room with some surprising news.

"Daniel, Simon’s younger uncle, is coming back from Europe in five days," she said.

I froze, caught off guard.

Daniel had never married in my past life, and I certainly didn’t expect our arranged marriage to progress so quickly.

I vaguely remembered Daniel. One thing was clear, though. He was always a good guy, almost like an older brother to me. Marrying him now felt like it would bring me more peace than tying the knot with anyone else.

I wasn't sure why, but the thought of him felt… right.

The next morning, I was up early, working away in my studio on the design for my wedding dress. I've been sketching out my dream wedding dress since college when I studied fashion design.

But every design I came up with back then had to fit Simon's tastes. He wouldn't let me use any design elements I liked—everything had to be for him.

But now?

Now, I was free.

Free to design the dress I loved, the one I’d actually want to wear—while marrying someone else.

A few days later, I finished putting the final touches on my dress and decided to grab a coffee from the breakroom.

That was when I saw Audrey’s post on social media.

In the photo, she was wearing my wedding dress. But it wasn’t the gown I had envisioned. The gown was cut in half and turned into a super-short skirt. To make matters worse, she was grinding against Simon, their bodies pressed so close as they danced.

[Simon knew I needed a dress, so he specially sent this one to me. Gosh, I feel so spoiled right now!]

I could hardly believe my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as anger shot through me. Without a second thought, I stormed toward the fifth-floor ballroom, furious and ready to blow up.

There they were—Audrey and Simon—dancing like the world had disappeared around them. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, swaying with an intensity that made it feel like they were the only two people in the room.

"This is my wedding dress!" I shouted, unable to keep my fury in check. "How dare you give it to her?! And ruin it like this?!"

Audrey immediately launched into her act, playing the innocent, helpless girl. Her eyes filled with fake tears, her voice quivering.

“Simon, did I do something wrong? Why is she so angry?” she whined, acting all soft and fragile.

Simon, of course, stepped in front of her, blocking me from her view like I was some sort of threat. "Bianca, it's just a dress!" he sneered. "Besides, you're still going to wear it for me at the wedding. So what's the big deal? If it’s that important to you, why not just make a new one?"

My blood boiled. "Who says I'm wearing it for you?" I shot back, my voice colder than I meant it to be. "This is the dress I'm wearing for my wedding."

Simon scoffed and shook his head like I was some naive child. “Come on, Bianca, don’t act like you don’t know. Your wedding is our wedding. I already agreed to marry you. There’s no need to keep up this act.”

That was it. I was done.

I glanced at the scissors lying on the nearby table, grabbed them, and walked straight toward Audrey's dress. Without hesitation, I sliced the hem of the fabric, cutting it near her leg.

"Simon," I said, my voice cold and sharp, every word carrying weight, "since you're so sure of yourself, watch closely. I won't settle for anything dirty. And I won't keep the dress stained."

Simon froze, his eyes wide with shock. In the past, no matter how I acted—whether playful or bratty—he’d never seen me like this. Never seen me so serious, so determined.

His instincts kicked in, and he reached for me, but before he could make a move, Audrey's high-pitched voice sliced through the tension.

“Simon, my leg! I think I scraped it. It really hurts, but don’t worry about me. Go take care of her. This is all my fault…”

Simon hesitated for a moment, torn between me and Audrey. He looked from my retreating form to her, and then back at me. After a long, suffocating pause, he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

“Don’t worry about her. An insecure woman like her needs to be taught a lesson. Maybe this will help her reflect.”

I couldn’t respond. My body went numb, and my heart felt like it had dropped into a void. I just stood there, watching as my wedding dress—the one I’d poured my heart into—began to fall apart in my hands. The delicate fabric unraveled, just like everything else in my life.

I wiped my eyes quietly, trying to hold my emotions together, but the weight of everything I'd lost hit me like a freight train. All that effort, all that hope…was ruined in an instant.

If a single wedding dress could teach me everything I needed to know about someone's character, then maybe I should consider myself lucky.

After all, I was finally seeing Simon for who he really was—no delusions left.

Tonight was the family dinner where I’d officially meet Daniel.

First impressions were everything, and I knew I had to look my best. I didn’t want to give anyone the chance to question me, especially not after everything that had gone down with Simon and Audrey.

I took a quick moment to freshen up and gave myself a little pep talk. When I felt ready, I headed down to the underground parking garage. And that's when I noticed it—Simon's Maserati, gently rocking back and forth in the distance.

Curiosity gnawed at me as I walked closer, but when I got close enough to see inside the half-open window, my stomach twisted. There they were—Simon and Audrey. She was sprawled across his lap, her eyes half-lidded as she moved up and down.

Even though I already knew Simon didn’t love me, seeing it with my own eyes still hit like a punch to the chest.

For a brief moment, our eyes met. There was a flash of panic in his gaze, but it was gone in a second, quickly replaced by that smirk of his. To taunt me even more, he gently swept Audrey’s hair aside and kissed her deeply, his movements slow and exaggerated.

Audrey’s soft whimpers echoed in the garage, loud and calculated.

I turned away, trying to keep my face neutral, and climbed into my own car. I had more important things to focus on tonight.

As I made my way to the Hughes family estate, I stopped by a store to grab a gift—a high-end silk tie for Daniel. When I arrived, I was surprised to find Simon pulling up at the same time.

He stepped out of his car, and from where I stood, I could clearly see used condoms scattered across the passenger seat.

'Real classy.'

For a moment, his expression flickered with something like embarrassment when he saw me holding the gift bag. But that passed quickly, replaced by his usual smug look.

“Bought me a gift?” he drawled, taking a step toward me. “Let me see it.”

I jerked the bag behind my back, pulling it out of his reach. “It’s not for you,” I said flatly.

Simon snorted, blowing out a cloud of smoke like I wasn’t even worth his time. “You saw what happened in the garage, right?” he said, his voice annoyingly casual. “I know you’re obsessed with me, but I’ve told you before—this wedding is yours, but the marriage certificate belongs to Audrey. She’s the one who’s being slighted here.”

He leaned in a little closer, his arrogance growing. “It’s perfectly normal for us to do what we just did. She’s my legal wife-to-be, after all. Oh, and our marital home? She’ll probably stop by once in a while for a night or two. You’ll have to get used to it eventually. It’s for your own good.”

I couldn’t believe the audacity of this man.

Even though I’d already decided I wouldn’t marry him, I hadn’t expected him to be so shameless—so blatant in flaunting his infidelity right in front of me.

I turned to walk away, but, of course, he grabbed my arm again.

“Listen,” he said, his voice lowering, “My uncle will be at the dinner tonight. He’s important to the family, so this is a big deal. I’m giving you a lot of face by letting you come.”

I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “One more thing—if my grandfather and dad ask about the marriage license, just tell them we’ve already registered, alright? And about Audrey’s little injury this afternoon—you’ll need to apologize to her after dinner. Don’t forget. Until the wedding is official, I can still change my mind.”

With that, he strode into the Hughes family estate like he hadn’t just made a complete fool of himself.

I let out a long breath, gripping the gift bag in my hand.

'Fine,' I told myself. 'He’ll find out soon enough who I’m really marrying.'

Most of the Hughes family patriarchs were seated inside the dining hall. Daniel hadn’t arrived yet, so I quietly slipped into a seat far from Simon, deliberately leaving an open spot next to me for him.

Simon noticed immediately and frowned, a look of irritation crossing his face. Annoyed, he got up and moved to sit right next to me.

“You’re getting more dramatic these days,” he muttered, eyeing the empty seat beside me. “There’s already a seat saved for you over there. Why are you trying to make a scene?”

I ignored him just as I was about to tell him that the seat wasn’t for him when a tall, commanding figure appeared at the entrance.

Daniel entered the dining hall, his tailored designer suit fitting him perfectly. His strides were steady and confident, each movement radiating poise and dignity.