My voice was cold. “Oh, I see. So the bruises on my face and the shattered antiques—those are all just props for your little show?”

Micah frowned, clearly not happy with my reaction.

Before he could say anything, their friends swarmed around us.

“Micah, this mistress has some nerve showing up here like this,” one of them sneered. “You should slap her—make it up to Lana.”

Micah didn’t move.

But Lana was staring at him expectantly.

Micah turned to me instead. “Just leave, okay?”

“Why should I?” I asked coldly. “And mistress? Tell me, Micah—am I a mistress?”

Someone nearby scoffed and spat at the ground near my feet. “Micah has a wife and kid. What else would that make you?”

I stared at Micah with fire in my eyes. “Well?”

Micah’s voice was low. “No.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Chaos erupted as everyone started shouting in Lana’s defense.

Micah tried to calm them down. “No, it’s not what you think, guys. She and I… we’re just friends. She’s not a mistress. We barely even know each other.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh. “Not even friends? Really, Micah? Then tell me—why are you holding your wedding in my house?”

Someone near me kicked my leg. “Your house? This is Micah and Lana’s home, you delusional gold digger.”

“Typical homewrecker.”

“People like her should be paraded through the streets.”

They hurled insults like it was a sport.

I pulled out my phone and started dialing the police.

But Micah lunged forward, yanked it from my hand and hung up.

“Riley,” he said in a low voice. “Just… let today happen, okay? After this, you can do whatever the hell you want”

I opened my mouth to argue—but then a voice I recognized cut in.

“Just listen, Riley. Don’t make a scene. It won’t help you.”

I turned around and froze.

It was Micah’s mother.

She used to treat me like her own daughter—always warm, always kind. She once told Micah that if he ever dared mistreat me, she’d be the first to object.

Yet here she was, attending his wedding… to another woman.

She dragged me into the bathroom, locked the door and said, “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll make sure you’re treated fairly. Micah didn’t even know you when Lana got pregnant. Technically, it’s not cheating. Let them get married. Then they can get divorced. Better to be with a divorced dad than a man with an illegitimate child, right?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you think I still want to be with Micah? Mrs. Langston, he’s free to marry whoever he wants—I couldn’t care less. But this is my house. I’m only asking him to leave. And of course, he’ll be paying for all the damage done here today.”

Micah’s mom froze.

She stared at me like she didn’t recognize me anymore. “But… don’t you love Micah?” she asked, still in disbelief. “You were willing to do anything for him. I remember you standing outside my door for three hours after he broke up with you.”

“Riley, Micah only married Lana to give her status. It’s not like they’ll really be together. Why are you blowing this out of proportion?” she sounded impatient.

Hearing her dig up the past twisted something deep inside me.

Hearing her bring up the past made something twist in my chest.

God, I’d been so blind.

I was the one with money, the one from a good family—and yet I bent over backwards for Micah, terrified of upsetting him. I gave everything and asked for nothing.

Micah had me all figured out. The more I gave, the more he took.

He made me feel small, worthless—always threatening to leave me if I didn’t play by his rules. And stupid me, I played right into his hands. I clung to him harder.

That’s probably why he had the nerve to marry Lana right under my nose.

He must’ve thought I was fully ‘tamed.’

I’d never been in love before him. So I thought loving someone meant putting their happiness above everything.

But what I never realized—until now—is that real love isn’t about losing yourself. It’s about being happy, too.

With that thought, I turned to Micah’s mom and smiled politely. “That was then. This is now. And if I don’t get a satisfaction answers, I’m calling the cops on everyone.”

I opened the door and stepped out.

Behind me, Micah’s mom snapped, “Riley, you better think this through. Everyone here saw you playing the homewrecker today. Whether it’s true or not, your reputation’s shot. And when that happens, we won’t agree to it even if you fall to your knees and cry blood begging to get back together and marry Micah.”

I spun around and shot back, “Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m already married.”

I bent down to pick up my phone from the ground, ready to call the cops.

But Micah grabbed my wrist.

He looked at me coldly and said, “You’re really determined to ruin my wedding with Lana, aren’t you? Fine then. I won’t protect you anymore.”

He shoved me hard and I fell to the ground. Then he turned to the onlookers and said loudly, “Drag her into the guest room. Don’t let her cause any more trouble.”

In an instant, seven or eight men surrounded me. Their faces lit up with excitement as they dragged me toward the guest room.

We hadn’t even made it inside when their hands started wandering. If they managed to get me through that door, I knew exactly what would happen.

I fought back with everything I had, but I was no match for them.

And then the front door slammed open.

A man’s furious voice echoed through the room. “Touch my wife and you’re dead!”

Tears immediately streamed down my face.

Asher had arrived.