Mabel couldn't stop laughing. In the end, she looked at Lennon with an unfamiliar gaze and said, "Lennon, I feel sorry for ever having loved you. You really are a piece of trash."

Maybe her mixture of laughter and tears unsettled him. When they reached the elevator, Lennon finally let go.

Mabel stumbled against the wall, her back slamming into it painfully. She gasped in pain.

Lennon didn't seem to notice. He said coldly, "Mabel, I know you're just jealous. I'll let this one slide. Now, just wait for the wedding."

With that, he strode away, never mentioning the apology again.

…

With the wedding only three days away, Mabel was dragged to a Shepard family banquet.

Before entering the hall, she saw the supposedly "injured" Jessie.

Jessie wore a mermaid dress like hers, but Jessie's was clearly high-quality, while Mabel's looked like a cheap knockoff bought online.

A small Band-Aid sat on Jessie's forehead. She gave Mabel a bashful smile. "Mabel, did Lennon yell at you? He really overreacted. I already said I'm fine and told him not to go after you, but he insisted it was your fault I got hurt."

Jessie took Mabel's hand with a faint smile. "Mabel, you're so forgiving. I'm sure you're not angry with me, right?"

Mabel didn't miss the challenge in Jessie's eyes. She shook her head and replied, "No."

Jessie's smile deepened. "That's good to hear."

With that, she linked arms with Lennon and walked ahead into the hall, while Mabel followed behind like a tagalong.

It was almost laughable. Mabel had known Lennon for so long and had never attended a single one of his social gatherings. One reason was her busy schedule; the other was that Lennon said it wasn't convenient.

Around him were the wealthiest, most influential people, while she was just an ordinary person.

Before, Mabel had thought not having her attend was his way of protecting her from discomfort. Now, she realized it was probably because he thought she was embarrassing.

She listened as Jessie introduced people to her incessantly.

Lennon and Jessie looked like a perfect couple, drifting through the elite crowd with radiant smiles, while Mabel was met with looks of utter disdain wherever she turned.

Mabel had worked hard to become an excellent surgeon. She had always believed that life didn't need to revolve around wealth. She was content as long as she could be with the one she loved most.

But now, feeling those eyes on her, she fully realized the gap between herself and these so-called rich people. Their gazes were harsh, as if they were looking at a plaything.

And Lennon did nothing. He let them inspect her as if she were merchandise.

"Mr. Shepard, is this your secretary? She's quite pretty."

"Mr. Shepard, you already have a lovely lady with you. Why not introduce this one to us?"

Several men circled around, joking with Lennon.

Mabel fixed her gaze on him, but his expression was as dark as ink. He said nothing, only warning her with his eyes.

She didn't speak, acting perfectly obedient, like she'd follow Lennon's every word.

"Oh, come on, don't joke around. Ms. Judson isn't Lennon's secretary. She's my friend." Jessie stepped in and pulled Mabel closer. "Mabel, these are our friends. It's good to know them."

Mabel smiled faintly and started greeting the guests.

Every time she spoke to someone, Lennon's expression darkened a little more, until it was downright terrifying.

"Ms. Judson, would you like to dance?" A man offered her his hand.

Mabel placed hers in his with a smile.

"Sure," she replied, following him. Before leaving, she flashed Lennon a broad, beaming smile.

"Damn it!" Lennon swore under his breath.

Just as he was about to say something, Jessie linked her hand with his. "Lennon, let's dance too. Mabel seems well-adjusted to these events. She's probably been to gatherings like this before. Looks like we don't need to worry about her."

After saying that, Jessie tugged Lennon toward the dance floor.

But he was distracted the entire time. After the song ended, he let go of her hand. "Jessie, you said she's attended these events before?"

Jessie gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "I just mentioned it casually. She seemed perfectly comfortable dancing with strangers. It looks like she's used to these kinds of gatherings.

"Wait, she can't really be attending these places all the time, right? Lennon, do you want to…"

Jessie looked at him with concern, letting the rest of her sentence trail off.

In their circles, some women would fabricate all kinds of identities just to climb higher.

Lennon's expression darkened further. A few moments later, he strode over to Mabel, who was still dancing. To everyone's shock, he grabbed her and dragged her out.

Once they were gone, Jessie quickly took control of the room, smoothly becoming the center of attention and playing the role of the hostess with ease.

…

Lennon took Mabel to a medical checkup center. She was forced to undergo a full medical examination, especially the gynecological part, in a humiliating position.

When the results came back, Lennon's expression turned grim. "Mabel Judson! You lied to me. You said it was your first time. Then what's with this report?"

The report Lennon tossed over read, "The patient has extensive coital experience."

Mabel had just survived an explosion and a collision, and now with Lennon gripping her neck, her body swayed.

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Lennon, why would you doubt me? Don't you know how much experience I had?"

During the first two years of their marriage, they were intimate almost every day. Lennon's demands were high; he kept her up every night, even making her dress in costumes for roleplay.

Now, that was being turned into a weapon against her.

Lennon said with disdain, "No wonder you wore lingerie whenever I asked. Who knows how many people have seen you in it?"

He released Mabel and tossed her onto the ground as casually as one would throw away trash.

Standing over her like a king, he said, "I'm not divorcing you. I'll give you a grand wedding. But after that, you'll quit your job. From then on, stay home and play the part of Mrs. Shepard. Don't show yourself in public again."

He left without sparing her a glance, as if marrying her was a gift and she had no reason to refuse.

No sooner had he left than two men in black arrived.

Despite Mabel's struggles, the two men forced her back into Lennon's villa and locked her in. Before leaving, they took all the food from the house and ordered that no meals be delivered.

"This is Mr. Shepard's decision," they said.

For two straight days, Mabel remained trapped in the villa.

By the wedding day, she was so starved and ghostly pale that she looked like a wraith, yet not a single soul spared a thought for her well-being.

Lennon had held his wedding ceremony twice, but both times had turned into jokes. The third one was even grander than the first two, but this time, the bride was different.

Sara Murray, Lennon's mother, and Jessie arrived with the makeup artist.

Seeing Mabel, Sara looked away and muttered, "How disgusting! Don't think you're marrying my son. Jessie is the bride today. You're just a bridesmaid here to walk through the ceremony like a shadow."

She looked at Mabel in disdain. "I promised Lennon that you could join the ceremony as a bridesmaid, and he agreed to it. I really don't get what's so great about you that keeps him away from home and makes him constantly say he loves you."

Mabel's body swayed. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug in. She almost laughed out loud.

Lennon really never failed to disappoint.

He suspected her of cheating and made her undergo that humiliating checkup. Even this wedding was fake.

A bridesmaid? He had really outdone himself.

Luckily, Mabel had no intention of going on stage. She smiled at Sara. "Don't worry, Mrs. Shepard. I'll behave today."

Sara snorted and turned to attend to Jessie.

Jessie changed into her custom wedding gown, put on expensive jewelry, and finally stepped out to the wedding car with her mother's support.

After they left, a maid pointed to the last, ordinary black car. "Ms. Judson, that's your car."

The lead car was a million-dollar limited-edition limousine, while Mabel's was a car worth less than five thousand dollars.

Mabel didn't get in. She returned to the villa, changed out of her bridesmaid dress into a T-shirt and jeans, and grabbed her pre-packed suitcase.

Ignoring everyone's attempts to stop her, she climbed into the Uber she had booked in advance and left.

The moment she left, the maid tried calling Lennon, but the call wouldn't go through. She called Sara, who simply said she got it and hung up.

After hanging up, Sara patted Jessie's hand. "Jessie, you're officially my daughter-in-law now. I really like you."

Blushing, Jessie leaned shyly on Sara's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Mabel's car sped toward the airport. She went through security and boarding swiftly.

When the plane's door shut, it was the exact moment the wedding ceremony began. Mabel timed it perfectly and sent a message to a hacker she'd contacted.

"It's time to move. I want them utterly ruined."