Chester glanced at me lying asleep on the bed and clicked his tongue. "I wish daylight didn't exist. I don't want to waste my time on her."

Felix patted his shoulder. "Chester, just hang in there for two more days. You'll be free soon."

Chester nodded. "Yeah, same for you. You don't have to force yourself through it anymore."

Felix froze for a moment, but Chester didn't even notice the former's expression.

…

When I opened my eyes again, Chester was perched at the edge of the bed, casually sipping his coffee.

"Time to get up. Don't you remember? We're trying on wedding dresses today."

I mechanically threw back the covers, quickly washed up, and followed him to the car.

The ride was silent. Chester seemed a little surprised. After all, I used to cling to him and make a fuss nonstop.

At the bridal shop, I wandered through the dresses absentmindedly, while Chester ignored me entirely, absorbed in his chat screen.

"Let's go with this one," I said, pointing randomly at a dress.

Just as the sales assistant was about to wrap the dress, a familiar voice cut through the air. "I like this one, too!"

The moment Giselle appeared, Chester's eyes snapped to her.

All the years of humiliation and resentment surged at the sight of her. I turned to the assistant. "Wrap it for me."

The assistants glanced at each other nervously. I threw my card onto the counter and pressed, "I said wrap it up. I saw this dress first."

Giselle said nothing. She just crossed her arms and watched Chester on the couch.

He put down his newspaper and approached me, pressing his hand onto mine. "It's only a wedding dress. If you don't have the patience for something this trivial, you're not worthy of being the lady of the Miller family," he said coldly.

The assistants had hesitated at first because they feared the Miller family's power. When they saw Chester siding with Giselle, they immediately smiled and handed her the wrapped wedding dress.

Just as she was about to pay, Chester stepped forward, snatched my card, and handed it to the assistant. "I'll take care of her wedding dress."

I stared at him in disbelief.

If it were the past, I would have broken down, unable to understand why he would side with someone who humiliated me.

Now, it was all perfectly clear.

After years of calculated closeness and endless lies spanning days and nights, giving up a single wedding dress meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I walked toward the door.

Suddenly, Giselle grabbed my hand and dropped the wrapped dress at my feet.

She looked down at me with a smug smile. "Looks like you really wanted this dress, so I'll be generous and give it to you. Stop crying. Men hate it when women just sit there and bawl. Am I right, Mr. Miller?"

Chester didn't respond. He simply instructed the assistant to pick up the dress bag and hand it to me. "Let's go. Don't make a scene out here."

That was it. I lost control and flung the dress bag straight at him.

Both Chester and Giselle froze in shock.

Chester was the first to recover. He ran after me. "Miranda, what are you doing? It's just a dress!"

I shrugged off his hand and stared at him through tear-filled eyes. "Just a wedding dress? Chester, ask yourself—was it really just a wedding dress?

"If you think I'm embarrassing myself, if you think I'm overreacting, then let's not get married! I don't need a wedding dress anymore. Fine by me, fine by you!"

Chester had never seen me like this. In the past, a single frown from him would make me immediately submit.

For the first time, panic flickered across his usually stoic face. He reached out and grabbed my shoulder. "Calm down!"

I shrugged his hand off.

"Miranda!"

Frustration laced his voice, but I didn't look back, leaving him only with the sight of my resolute back.

Having lost my parents early, I had always been starved for love, and Chester was the first person to give it to me. He mattered to me, even more than myself.

I had always obeyed him. Even when he asked me to do things I didn't like—like the strange games he liked in bed—I went along with them, just to make him happy.

It was clear now—Chester and Felix had always expected me to follow their every command. I wasn't going to do it anymore.

Chester's frown deepened. "Didn't they say she was dutiful? Looks like she's not exactly obedient."

Giselle linked her arm with his and said softly, "Chester, I know you love me, but it's clear you don't like her. Just put up with it for a couple of days for my sake."

Chester nodded slightly and turned his gaze away. "I'll handle it. We'll stick to the plan."

I had been running for a long time and was just about to call my grandmother when I realized I had left my bag at the bridal shop.

I deliberately waited at the bus stop for an hour before taking a cab back to the store, only to find Chester and Giselle still there.

He was picking out a wedding dress for her. He didn't lounge on the couch reading a newspaper like usual. Instead, he went through each dress carefully.

I had never seen Chester so focused and gentle, not even the first time we met when he had tended to my injury.

I let out a self-mocking laugh, wondering if that was what it truly felt like to love someone.

They spent another hour in the shop, and I watched from a nearby gazebo the entire time. Finally, they left together, carrying their selections. On the rain-soaked street, they kissed in the car.

I lowered my head and walked into the shop to grab my bag, just in time to hear the staff whispering.

"Oh, my God, I always thought Mr. Miller was all tough and intimidating, but he's shockingly gentle."

"Yeah, but he seemed a bit cold to his fiancee just now. At times, I almost thought Ms. Thorne was the one he really cared about."

"That makes sense. Ms. Thorne does come from a prominent family. I heard the fiancee today is just the daughter of one of the Thorne family's household staff."

"Are you serious? She's barely of any standing and still throws a fit, and Mr. Miller doesn't even bat an eye? He's way too patient."

I stood in the doorway, glaring at them. "Are you done yet?"

Their chatter died instantly. I snorted, grabbed my bag from the couch, and walked out. As I stepped outside, someone muttered under their breath, "She's so arrogant. No wonder her husband doesn't even care about her."

I swallowed the anger roaring in my chest and walked away. At that moment, I had never felt so utterly drained.

Why did my parents have to die so young, leaving me to be mistreated by everyone?

My clothes were soaked, and the cold wind cut through me painfully. I walked all the way home that night and only arrived home very late.

Along the way, Felix called me several times. Even though the caller ID still said Chester, I knew it had to be Felix.

Chester would never call that many times. He was always far colder than Felix. Just seeing the two of them now made my skin crawl.

Suddenly, a blinding white light cut through the darkness, and a familiar figure ran toward me. It was Felix. Only he would run toward me like that.

Seeing me soaked, he immediately took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders.

"Why are you soaking wet again? You just got out of the hospital. Do you even know how to take care of yourself?"

He looked a little angry, but I couldn't understand what right he had to be mad.

Since I didn't respond, he added gently, "What happened at the bridal shop today was my mistake, but the Thornes are a powerful family. I made the decision after weighing everything carefully."

They must have shared information ahead of time. His words sounded carefully prepared.

I let out a self-mocking laugh. To pull off this act, they really had put in a lot of effort. I had thought Felix might be sincere, but it turned out he was just better at pretending than Chester.

I got into the car with a cold expression. Felix froze for a moment, then followed quickly. I had to admit, his patience was far better than Chester's. He called me "darling" the whole way and nuzzled my neck affectionately.

I stared quietly out the window, completely unmoved.

Chester and Felix were worlds apart, yet I had never questioned it before. Maybe I had underestimated just how cruel people could be. Normal people couldn't behave like this.

I was lost in thought when the car suddenly screeched to a halt, and a loud commotion erupted outside.

"Mira! Watch out!" Felix shouted, pressing my head down.

The sounds of a chaotic fight reached my ears. I shivered, hugging my stomach tightly.

"Damn it! Could this be the rival family because of that business deal?" Felix muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, someone lurked from the side, yanked open the car door, and pulled me out.

Panic surged in Felix's eyes as he lunged toward me, only to be stopped in his tracks by a knife pressed sharply against my neck.

He froze, dropping the gun he always carried and raising both hands.

"Let her go! Do whatever you want to me…"

His eyes were bloodshot.

I froze, wondering if all of this was also part of the act.

"Felix…" I whispered his name softly.

The man guarding me grinned and gave a signal for the others to go after Felix.

In an instant, I bit down hard on the man's hand, and he let go with a sharp yelp of pain.

Felix's reflexes were lightning-fast as he grabbed his gun, but he was a moment too late. A knife plunged deep into my shoulder.

…

At the hospital, Felix stayed by my side all night. His right arm was bandaged, clearly injured as well, and he sat with his head down, lost in thought.

Footsteps echoed in the distance as Chester walked toward us.

"You're a real mess," he said with a soft chuckle.

Felix clenched his fists. "Why didn't you warn me in advance?"

"This was a show you staged yourself," Chester said. "If you had seen the script beforehand, how could you have played your part so perfectly? Look at the result. After this, she won't just forgive you—she will love you even more.

"At first, I was worried Miranda might actually want to break up. After today, I see I underestimated her. Her loyalty is relentless, and she would risk everything for me without hesitation.

"Felix, you got hurt protecting her. Are you really starting to care about her?"

"No way!" Felix said immediately, looking slightly annoyed. "How could I like a housekeeper's daughter? I saved her for you and Giselle! If she died, how would you even pull off your revenge plan?"

Chester raised his eyebrows in surprise but quickly smiled again. "Good. If you had fallen for her, it would have been a betrayal of Giselle, me, and the Millers."

Felix hummed in acknowledgment and said no more.

Just as Chester turned to leave, Felix called out to him, saying, "Chester, there's something I need to tell you…"

He frowned. "During that accident just now, Miranda seemed to call my name."

Chester froze in place and turned to look at him. "What did you say?"

"You must have misheard," Chester said firmly. "How could a woman like her possibly know about our plans? Even if she did, there's no way she could tell us apart."

Felix kept his head down, saying nothing. After a moment, he finally nodded.

Chester frowned at him. "Felix, make sure you know your place. A woman of her status isn't even fit to be a housekeeper for our family. Stay out of this."

Felix smiled and firmly said, "Of course, Chester."

Even so, Chester kept a wary eye on him. "Go back for now. I'll take care of things here. There are only two days left. If she stays calm over these two days, it will all be over."

…

When I woke up again, Chester was sitting beside my bed. By now, I could easily tell them apart. Chester was arrogant, while Felix was gentle and a little shy.

"You're so foolish. I could have handled everything," Chester said, showing a rare hint of warmth.

He even reached out to brush my hair, looking genuinely concerned, but I didn't accept it and pushed his hand away.

The fragile warmth he had shown vanished immediately. He snapped, "Miranda, you were ready to risk your life for me a moment ago! Why are you acting like this now?"

I stared at his angry face, then shifted my gaze to his perfectly unharmed right arm. He had acted so convincingly yet left such an obvious flaw. I didn't answer him and turned away. "You should go. I'm tired and need to rest."

Hearing my cold response, Chester snorted and slammed the door on his way out.

Before leaving, he commanded the doctor, "Give her the best treatment possible. I don't want to see a single scar on her at the wedding in two days."

Once the door closed behind him, I finally exhaled, feeling a small measure of relief. However, it didn't last long, as the Thorne family arrived shortly after.

Seeing my dark expression, Giselle snorted. "What's with that look? I came to visit you, and instead of being grateful, you actually have the nerve to glare at me?"

I let out a soft laugh. "Ms. Holt, you stole my identity from me. Why should I be grateful?"

"What did you say?"

Giselle's face flushed red with anger. She clearly hadn't expected someone as meek as me to talk back.

Suddenly, a sneer spread across her face as if a new thought had struck her. "Miranda, do you really think you can act so arrogant just because you're about to marry Mr. Miller? Let me make this clear—being Mrs. Miller isn't that easy. Someone as lowly as you will never rise above your station.

"When we were kids, I could take your paintings and your inheritance. Now that we're adults, I can take your husband just as easily."

I stayed quiet, unmoved by her words. Instead, I smiled. "Chester will never be yours."

The second I finished, Giselle and Anne laughed, ridiculing my overconfidence.

I ignored them and kept the record button pressed on my phone beneath the blanket.

My calm only seemed to infuriate Giselle further. "I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?" she shouted, raising her hand as if to strike me.

However, I refused to submit any longer and grabbed her wrist midair.

"You dare fight back? The marriage isn't even official, and you're already acting like the lady of the house?" she snapped. "Very well. Miranda, do you really think I can't deal with you? Just wait. You'll be on your knees begging me to forgive you for what you did today."

That was the last thing she said before leaving.

I didn't take it to heart. Giselle had always been that arrogant.

Not long after, a doctor came to inform me that Chester had already completed my discharge paperwork.

I finally lost my patience and called him. "Chester, didn't you say you'd give me the best treatment? Why am I being discharged all of a sudden? Don't you realize my wound is still bleeding?"

He answered calmly, "There are doctors at home who can look after you. I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in the hospital."

It was such an obvious lie, yet I didn't have the energy to argue. After a long silence, I hung up the phone.

The knife wound on my body suddenly throbbed, and blood seeped through the white bandage, glaring against the darkness.

Back in college, Chester had already been the heir to the Millers, making him completely out of place among his peers and leaving him with few social connections.

The only person he ever let close was me, but word got out to business rivals, who saw me as his weakness. Later, they even tried to abduct me, using my safety to control Chester.

I never imagined Chester would come for me. Back then, my grandmother hadn't found me, and the rest of the world treated me like I didn't exist. Yet Chester had kicked the door open and appeared at the entrance like a knight.

He bent down beside me, gently brushing the scars on my face and whispering, "I'm sorry I'm late."

Thinking of that, I couldn't help but reach up to touch my cheek. The scar had faded, but I could still feel it. The man who had tended to it so carefully was already dead on the night I learned the truth.

I realized the one who had actually saved me that day must have been Felix. Chester loved Giselle with all his heart and had never felt anything for me. Felix, on the other hand, truly cared for me, though his feelings were fragile, tangled with pretense and insecurity.

The memory faded as the bodyguards opened the door, leaving me no chance to refuse. However, they didn't take me home. Instead, the car headed toward the Thorne residence.

"Our heroine has finally arrived."

The moment the door opened, Giselle came toward me, holding a glass of champagne. "Miranda, welcome to my birthday party."