I scoffed before retorting, "I'm already 23 years old. I don't need your consent to go places or live my life. I own this wedding gown—and nobody is taking it from me."

"You insolent brat!" Dad roared, slapping me hard across the face.

Mom lunged forward, aggressively ripping at the gown. "It's Winnie's since she takes a fancy to it—take it off right now!"

I tried to resist, but Mason held both my hands firmly. I was only wearing a strapless bra and underwear under that wedding gown, leaving me completely exposed before him. I felt utterly humiliated, and just as I was about to cry, Mason released me and allowed me to change into my own clothes.

I saw Winnie wearing the wedding gown the moment I stepped out of the changing room, looking absolutely smug. "I told you that this wedding gown belongs to me!"

I was about to call the boutique manager over when Mom suddenly pulled me back. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? You ought to know that a wedding gown this beautiful only belongs to someone as beautiful as Winnie! You should stop being so delusional, Hannah!"

Dad snatched my phone away from me. "Go home and reflect on your behavior! You're on house arrest until Winnie's wedding is over, in two days from now!"

Mason instructed his men to shove me into the car, ignoring my furious cries.

He then leaned in close and whispered with a smug grin, "It seems you truly were playing hard to get that day, Hannah. You showed up here to attract my attention, didn't you? If you behave obediently, I'll spend the first half of the wedding night with Winnie and the second half with you."

He quietly placed a key in my hand after saying that.

I spat in his face and snarled, "Who do you think you are, you delusional piece of trash? Get lost! You're a total joke if you think you're in my league!"

Mason's expression hardened. "You'd better not push your luck, Hannah. Who else but me would ever want an ugly woman like you? You'd better think long and hard about it before coming to a decision!"

He had his men send me back home after saying that.

I was seething with rage as I was locked away in my own bedroom. I couldn't wait to see Mason reduced to a pathetic, ruined shell of a man in two more days. I was certain that when the time came, the Sherwood family would instantly direct all their anger toward Winnie, Mom, and Dad.

I had to find a way to legally sever ties with them before that day arrived.

I started trashing my room in the dead of the night, keeping everyone awake. Mom and Dad still refused to let me out, though, so I resorted to setting everything on fire.

That night, more than half of the Lowe family's estate went up in flames. Mom and Dad eventually reprimanded me as a harbinger of misfortune and officially kicked me out of the family.

I took advantage of the chaos to snatch my phone and call Draco, who sent someone over to pick me up without any hesitation and had them drop me off at one of his unoccupied estates. I spent the next two days catching up on sleep and gathering my strength, waiting for the wedding day to arrive.

Upon showing up on the first floor of the banquet hall in the custom wedding gown, Mom's, Dad's, and Winnie's expressions immediately shifted.

Mason looked secretly pleased for a split second before masking it with a furious glare. "Did you seriously show up in a wedding gown to crash the wedding? You're way too shameless, Hannah!"

I didn't expect to run into these two nightmares getting married here, of all places. I frowned and said, "You're overthinking it. I'm here to get married as well, so step aside—I'm going in!"

Winnie gathered up her wedding gown and marched over to me, unable to hide the sheer jealousy and hatred in her eyes. "Why have you always been taking things from me since childhood, Hannah? I can let you have the wedding gown, but I will never let you have Mason!"

That single sentence caused a collective gasp to echo through the crowd.

"What's going on here? Did the eldest daughter of the Lowe family actually steal the wedding gown, and now she's going after the groom as well?"

Mom and Dad pushed their way through the crowd and walked over to us.

"Have you lost your mind, Hannah? You literally tried to burn our whole house down just because we wouldn't let you steal Winnie's husband! How dare you crash their wedding dressed like this! Do you want us to call the police on you, Hannah?"

In that instant, everyone stood frozen in shock.

"Damn! She's the one who caused the fire at the Lowe residence two days ago! How outrageous! Those of ill appearance are often the source of chaos! I would've cut all ties with her if I were her parents!"

I wanted nothing more than to sneer at them at that moment.

Winnie had always coveted my belongings ever since we were children, always playing the victim to make it look like I was the one taking things from her. Mom and Dad always took her side, stripping away everything that was rightfully mine just to hand it to her.

I retorted coldly, "You were the ones who held me against my will! Did you seriously expect me not to do whatever it took to save myself?"

Dad slapped me hard across the face. "Do you really have to air out the family's dirty laundry? You ought to know that we locked you up because you shamelessly went after Wendy's husband!"

"What's going on here?" Layla and Matt asked as they rushed over.

Upon hearing Mom, Dad, and Winnie lay out their accusations against me, Layla and Matt exchanged bewildered looks. "Hannah made it very clear she had no interest in marrying Mason when we visited your place to propose marriage a week ago, though."

I scoffed as I clutched my stinging cheek. "I'm glad someone here is capable of having some common sense. I've already explained that meeting them at the boutique and being here today were entirely coincidental, as the man I'm marrying happened to book this exact same venue—just up on the second floor."

Those present instantly burst out laughing. "Isn't the second floor usually closed to the public and only reserved for VIP banquets? I've never heard anyone hold a wedding on that floor before!"

Mom and Dad grew even more ashamed. "We never expected you to become such a pathological liar, Hannah! Get out of here! You're no longer considered a part of the Lowe family from this day forward!"

Upon hearing that, I smiled with satisfaction. "I'm all for that! I request that everyone present act as a witness for me, as I have no desire to be implicated by the Lowe family!"

Layla and Matt were stunned for a moment. "What do you mean by 'being implicated'?"

I pointed directly at Winnie and declared, "Winnie is absolutely incapable of saving Mason!"

Winnie went pale, her eyes brimming with tears. "You ought to know that as early as our birth, a grand diviner already calculated our destinies and proclaimed us both to be blessed women in the future.

"How could you frame me like this in front of everyone just because you want to marry into the Sherwood family in my place, Hannah?"

Mason pulled Winnie into his arms protectively, glaring at me with pure disgust. "You'd better give it up, Hannah! Winnie is the only one I'm marrying in this lifetime! You could strip down right here in front of me, and I still wouldn't marry you in a million years!"

I said with a sneer, "If you're hellbent on self-destruction, I'm certainly not going to stop you! I just feel bad for your parents!"

I turned to leave after saying that, but Layla suddenly stopped me, asking, "Is what you just said true, Ms. Hannah? If that's the case, could we please ask you to marry Mason instead?"

I suddenly realized a parent's devotion really knew no bounds. Layla was just as terrified for Mason's well-being as she had been in her past life, completely unfazed by the public embarrassment of breaking the engagement on the spot if it meant saving him.

"I already said I'm not marrying that piece of trash, so stop pleading with her, Mom!" Mason snarled, looking at me with pure hatred. "You'd better stop your games and manipulative actions, Hannah! I will never marry you, not in this lifetime!"

No sooner had Mason spoken than a deep, steady male voice rang out from outside the door. "You are in no position to marry my woman."