Because I had once loved him, I wanted to see Samuel one last time before I left. So, I attended the banquet.

In the crowd, Samuel stood out with his striking handsomeness. His facial features were clean and sharp, his tall frame wrapped in an elegant dark gray suit, exuding an extraordinary presence.

Harper was there too, dressed in a wine-red wrap dress and rhinestone-studded high heels, radiating confidence and style.

"Lily, you've been married for almost two years now. Why haven't you gotten pregnant yet?"

"Well, when you hit the average life expectancy, does that mean you should go ahead and die?"

"You!" Harper was about to erupt, but her expression shifted. Her beautiful eyes softened as she spoke more gently. "Don't get so worked up. I was just concerned for you. If you can't get pregnant, Samuel won't wait for you forever. And I certainly don't have the patience for it."

I studied her every move carefully, shocked by how similar we were. Our hair color, eye color, skin tone, and even our body types were similar. Of course, my child would look like her.

My throat tightened, and with a voice nearly hoarse, I mocked her. "What gives you the right to interfere in our marriage? I'm the one who's his legal wife."

These two despicable people had played me like a fool. Before leaving, I was determined to disgust them just as much.

Sure enough, Harper's smile instantly vanished. Her fingers, clutching her wine glass, turned white from the strain. After a long pause, her hand gradually relaxed, and she set the glass down. She raised her hand.

"Take a look at my ring. What do you think?"

On her finger was a ring with a massive pear-shaped blue diamond, clearly worth a fortune.

I didn't respond, and she continued to explain smugly, "This is a gift from Samuel."

"A proposal gift?"

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and her words became halting. "What proposal? It's… It's a birthday gift."

It wasn't a birthday gift.

I had seen this ring in the Glendale family photo album before. Samuel's grandmother and mother had both worn it. It was a family heirloom passed down to the daughter-in-law of the family.

"It's beautiful." My eyes stung, and tears nearly spilled over.

"What are you two talking about?" Samuel, noticing us in conversation, walked over. He glanced at me, then at Harper, visibly relieved to see the two of us appearing cordial on the surface.

Harper smiled and wrapped her arms around Samuel's arm, her gaze brimming with love. "Samuel, I was just showing Lily the birthday gift you gave me."

As she spoke, she waved at me as if showing off.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied.

"Samuel, wasn't Lily a fashion designer before? She could design my wedding dress. I think I'll be getting married in a year or two."

Samuel glanced at me guiltily, hesitating. "Lily is busy trying to conceive and doesn't have much time. Besides, she's not exactly a top-tier designer. A wedding dress she designs wouldn't be that great. We'd be better off hiring a top-tier designer from Fluenka."

My husband and his girlfriend openly discussed me as if I weren't there, completely brazen.

Finally, I spoke up. "You two sure are close, even picking out wedding dresses together. Anyone who didn't know better might think you were having an affair!"

Harper's face turned pale in an instant. Big tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful.

"Lily, how can you say that? Apologize now!" For the first time, Samuel's usual gentleness was gone, replaced by sheer anger.

I stared intently at Samuel's angry face and suddenly found it amusing.

From the moment I met him until now, it was the first time I had ever seen him lose his temper. It felt novel.

So, my husband would get angry just as long as I said something nasty to his mistress.

"I was just joking. You're taking it too seriously," I said, feigning a relaxed tone.

"Samuel, I'm fine. How about this? If Lily designs my wedding dress, we can let this go," Harper said, tugging at Samuel's sleeve and giving him a look.

"I don't have time. I'm focusing on trying to conceive!"

"Well, you haven't gotten pregnant anyway. Who even knows if you can? You might as well design Harper's wedding dress and earn her forgiveness. Harper, feel free to share any ideas you have for the dress."

Harper's eyes gleamed with malice as she smirked. "I don't have many demands. I just want the wedding dress embroidered with my boyfriend's initials: SG."

Samuel drew in a sharp breath, and his gaze toward me suddenly carried a hint of unease.

I pretended not to notice anything. "Your mysterious boyfriend's last name starts with G, too? Griffin? Graham? I haven't met your boyfriend yet. When will you bring him around to meet us?"

"Don't bother guessing. My boyfriend is a powerful man of mystery. You could rack your brains and never figure it out."

If I hadn't overheard Samuel's phone call, I really wouldn't have guessed who her boyfriend was.

"When the time comes, I'll wear the wedding dress you design and have my wedding with my boyfriend at the estate. You must come."

"You're going to be the most beautiful bride in the world," Samuel said indulgently.

"Okay."

A chill spread from the depths of my heart, seeping through my entire body. Something inside me shattered, softly and quietly.

When I married Samuel, he told me that because of his family's many affairs, we would simply register our marriage and skip the wedding ceremony.

Since he came from a powerful family and had always treated me well, I didn't question it and agreed without hesitation.

It turned out it wasn't that he didn't want a wedding. He just didn't want one with me.

Samuel's secretary appeared just in time, breaking the awkward tension between the three of us. "Mr. Glendale, there's an important call for you."

Before leaving, Samuel didn't forget to give me instructions. "Lily, make sure you start working on the wedding dress design. I want to see the sketches in a week."

"Samuel, you're so nice to me!" Harper said excitedly.

The moment Samuel walked away, Harper strutted toward me with a smug, condescending air. Her voice dripped with mockery. "See? Even though you married into a wealthy family, to people like us, the real aristocracy, you're nothing more than a servant.

"Enjoy these few years while you can. This is probably the happiest time you'll ever spend in your life. Remember this. You'll never be my equal. You're just a commoner."

She beamed triumphantly, the blue diamond on her ring catching the light and gleaming like a sharp blade.

I had no intention of swallowing my anger anymore. "Oh, trust me, I've been very happy. My dear husband treats me so well. He clings to me all the time, always wanting kisses. You have no idea how amazing he was last night… My waist is still sore."

"You! Whatever little scraps of affection he gives you are nothing. I'll show you what real love looks like."

Then, Harper suddenly gasped, "No! Don't!"

Before I could even react, Harper grabbed my hand and dumped my red wine all over her own face. Then, she staggered backward and collapsed onto the floor.

The members of the Glendale family immediately gathered around.

Harper had already switched to her delicate, pitiful act, tears spilling from her eyes like shattered pearls. "Lily, I asked you to design my wedding dress because I recognize your talent, not because I see you as a servant.

"You really misunderstood me. If you don't want to do it, fine, but why push me? My foot hurts so much…"

As soon as she said that, the guests, who had been unsure of what had happened, quickly formed their own conclusions. One by one, disdainful eyes turned toward me.

"I knew it. Women from poor families are always so sensitive and insecure, always thinking the whole world is against them."

"Apart from her face, she really doesn't have anything going for her."

"Marriage only lasts when both sides are equally matched."

They spoke freely, openly, as if I wasn't there. No one gave me a chance to explain.

Amid the commotion, I saw a painfully familiar figure rushing toward us.

"Harper, what happened?" Samuel took off his suit jacket and draped it over Harper's shoulders, carefully checking her leg.

"I'm fine; I just fell. Don't be mad."

"You're wearing such high heels. It must hurt a lot." Samuel took off her heels and massaged her foot with such tenderness that it was as if he wished he had been the one to fall instead.

Then, he carefully scooped Harper into his arms. As he passed by me, he shot me a sharp glare, his voice low and harsh.

"If you didn't want to design the dress, you could've just said so. Why did you have to lay a hand on her? How did you become so disgusting? Right now, I don't think you're even fit to be the mother of my child."

The man in front of me wasn't my husband.

He was another woman's lover.

I fought to keep my voice steady as I defended myself. "Did you even see what happened? Why do you automatically assume I pushed her?"

"She's not like you. She's innocent."

"If that's how you see me, then let's end this. Go find another woman to be the mother of your child. I'm done being humiliated like this."

Maybe sensing my frustration and determination, Samuel's tone softened slightly. "Harper isn't seriously hurt, so I'll let this go. I'll take her to the hospital for a check-up. You should stay home and reflect on yourself. If you ever pull something like this again, don't say I didn't warn you."

Harper, still nestled in Samuel's arms, winked at me before putting on her fragile act again. "Ugh, it still hurts. Let's go."

"I'll take you to the hospital right now."

I couldn't stop smiling bitterly. My husband sure treated his girlfriend well.

Exhausted, I turned and walked away. Looking back one last time from a distance, I realized that from that moment on, the Glendale family had nothing to do with me anymore.

I slipped off my high heels and left them in the sand, then hurled my handbag into the depths of the sea. Without looking back, I walked toward the horizon.

The next day, a shocking headline exploded on social media. "The lady of the Glendale Group has gone missing."