It all clicked in one sickening instant: it wasn't the boss who was cheating—it was Ryan!

In that case, Haley had intended that slap for me after all.

Haley, whom Ryan had introduced as "just a colleague," was in reality, my boyfriend's little side affair.

No wonder he wasn't in any rush to marry me. No wonder he'd been running hot and cold, always finding some excuse to keep me waiting.

I'd been so sure of his love, so convinced of his loyalty, I never saw it coming. And now, here I was, facing down the woman who'd been his secret.

Haley stood before me, hands on her hips, glaring with a fierce determination that bordered on absurdity.

I sighed, keeping my tone measured. "Haley, let's be rational. We're both victims here—the one at fault is Ryan."

The words barely left my mouth before she ripped off her high heel and hurled it at me.

I couldn't duck in time, and the sharp chain on her heel caught my face, leaving raw, bleeding scratches.

Haley's voice turned shrill, like a cat who'd had its tail stepped on, and her words cut even deeper than her heel had.

"Ryan isn't at fault here! He was bewitched by a vixen like you. He was led astray! He's innocent—blinded! Viewers, don't you agree?" she called out to her live audience, who were watching her livestream.

"This bitch has been after Ryan from the start! She even went as far as scheming to trap him into marriage, and now she has the nerve to say she's done nothing wrong! Who does she think she is? Just a mistress—does she really think she’s on my level?”

The girls behind her gripped their cameras tightly and stormed toward me with hostility, their eyes brimming with disdain.

One of her friends stepped forward, sneering. "Exactly! Haley and Ryan grew up together; she got this job because he vouched for her! Who are you to come in and tear apart their years of love? Get real!"

My head was spinning. Ryan and I had been together for seven years. We had never once broken up, since the day we graduated.

He'd only known Haley for three years, and he'd even admitted she'd come to the company through a friend's recommendation, not his. Where was this story of a childhood romance coming from?

Had they all been lied to, or was I the one completely duped?

Before I could make sense of it, Haley leaned into her live feed again, riling up her audience. "Everyone, today I'm setting things straight with this homewrecker, and showing her what happens when you steal someone else's man! Does anyone here know her? Post her information in the chat!"

At her words, a sea of cameras closed in on me, their lenses glaring, recording, poised to spread this humiliation far and wide.

Panic jolted through me, and I instinctively ducked, covering my face. "Haley, you're crossing the line! Filming someone without permission is illegal!"

But she didn't listen. Two of her friends held me down as she pressed the camera right in my face and landed a savage kick in my stomach.

"I'm teaching a shameless mistress a lesson—this is justice! Who's going to stop me? And anyway, Ryan's family's connections could get me out of anything," she sneered. "Even if I get locked up, Ryan would pull strings to get me out. I'd do this a thousand times over!"

Pain exploded across my body as a merciless barrage of fists, kicks, and sticks landed all at once.

Haley handed the camera to someone nearby, then rolled up her sleeves, raised her fist, and slammed it fiercely into my stomach. The other girls grabbed sticks and swung them toward me.

One wooden club landed squarely on the top of my head, and a deafening ring echoed in my ears as warm blood trickled down from my scalp, blurring my vision.

The attack happened so suddenly that it wasn’t until I felt the blood on my face that a surge of fury finally took over.

Why was I the one being betrayed—and yet here I was, getting beat up for it?

At first, I'd pitied Haley, thought we were both played for fools by the same man. But now? She was a woman unhinged, utterly ruthless, and I was done being her target.

With a sudden surge, I ripped my arms free from the girls holding me down and got to my feet, knocking several of them off balance in one swift motion.

I marched forward, each step punctuated by fury, and aimed a solid punch straight at Haley's nose.

As Haley clutched her swollen face in alarm, a high-pitched scream escaped her. Her nose was fake, and my punch had definitely knocked it out of place.

Sure enough, when she lifted her head again, her nose was skewed to one side. Paired with her grimacing expression, the sight was almost comical.

I sneered, "I initially thought we were both victims here, deceived by the same guy. I even considered teaming up to make Ryan pay for his betrayal. But it turns out you're too foolish to think straight and it seems you're out for blood. If that's how you want it, don't expect me to show any mercy."

I knew she was no match for me, as I had trained in Taekwondo.

A few of her supporters stood frozen nearby, some even raising their cameras to capture her disheveled appearance.

I glanced at the screen, watching the comments flood in.

Haley, looking deranged, clawed at her own hair. "Why are you filming me? Drop your phones and beat her to a pulp!"

"Today I’ll show you the price of going after my man!" she yelled, grabbing a stick and rushing at me, tangling me into a brutal fight.

"Why are you all just standing there? Call for backup!" she barked at the girls, some of whom I had already knocked down. In a panic, Haley shouted to the rest, who quickly bolted to get help.

In an instant, a group of men and women waiting outside burst through the door, swarming the room.

As I tried to fight back, a few strong men seized my arms, dragging me across the stage, sending the set pieces and decorations crashing down in every direction.

I struggled, but it was futile. Several hands gripped my hair and sleeves tightly, leaving me completely pinned.

Seeing her stick broken by my kick, Haley hesitated, no longer daring to come closer. Instead, she snatched up a few crystal decorations from the stage.

"You shameless tramp," she sneered, inspecting the crystal in her hand. "You're dressed so plainly. How could you afford these expensive pieces? You must be spending my man’s money!"

She examined it further, then laughed coldly. "No, that can’t be right. Ryan wouldn’t waste that much on a seductress like you. These must all be rented, huh? Trying to fake wealth to fool Ryan into marrying you? Dream on!"

With that, she grabbed an ornate porcelain vase from beside her feet and began smashing it—and everything else on the stage.

In seconds, shards of porcelain, pearls, and crystal glittered across the floor in a chaotic, sparkling mess. Even the pure-gold swan statues on either side of the stage were dented, their heads twisted out of shape beyond recognition.

As she rampaged, she yelled smugly, "This is all rented, right? I'll smash everything! Let's see how you plan to pay for the damages!"

These decorations were, indeed, rented, but by the wedding company—arranged with immense care by her boss for a fee of over one million just for the setup.

I felt a pang of sympathy for her boss’s wife as I rushed forward, desperate to stop Haley. But before I could reach her, she slammed a bottle against my head, and a sudden, eerie calm washed over me.

I wiped at the warm blood trickling down my forehead.

I shot a cool glance at the nearby camcorder that was silently recording everything.

There were no security cameras in this hotel banquet hall. However, I had a habit of recording every moment of the rehearsal, documenting each detail of the bride and groom’s wedding rehearsal day.

So, I let her rage.

Go ahead, destroy everything. It was all my company's property, and every single item she broke would have to be repaid—down to the last cent.

When she caught sight of my smirk, her face contorted in a mixture of rage and disbelief. "Why are you laughing? How dare you laugh!"

I chuckled, pointing toward the carefully boxed wedding gown at the edge of the stage. "I'm laughing because after trashing all that, you still missed the most important thing. As long as the wedding dress is intact, the ceremony can still go on."

Haley gaped, then marched over to the gown. "This gown… You rented this too, didn't you? There's no way you could afford something this exquisite."

She marveled at it, unable to resist its beauty. "It must've cost a fortune. It's gorgeous."

Suddenly, her face darkened, and she glared at me with renewed spite. "Give it up. Ryan's already promised to marry me once he gets promoted at the end of the year! No matter how beautiful your gown is, he's never going to marry you!"

As she spoke, she held the dress up to herself, admiring her reflection in the glass and grinning like a cat who'd gotten the cream. "Perfect! I'll accept this as a wedding gift from you to me and Ryan."

The smugness on her face, the way she hugged the gown to her chest, set her double chin wobbling in satisfaction. "Fine, you've got taste, I'll give you that. I'll spare you since you know how to deliver a proper wedding gift. Let's go, everyone!"

No way I was letting her off that easy after hurting me like that.

Watching her try to retreat after all this, I crossed my arms and let out a cold laugh.

"If you can fit in it, I'll consider giving you the dress. Haley, that gown is in the store's largest size. But with your figure—sorry, it's no use gifting it if it won't fit you, right? Such a shame."

Haley's face twisted in disbelief, staring back at me like I had lost my mind to be this battered and still throw jabs her way.

For a moment, her expression hovered in stunned silence before she raised a trembling finger, pointing at me, her lips curling into a crooked sneer. "Alright, just you wait. I'll show you."

She yanked off her jacket and slipped the wedding dress over her head with a feverish kind of desperation.

Two girls scrambled up beside her, trying to pull the gown wide enough to squeeze her inside. The dress stretched unnaturally, the silk straining against her curves, until the threads started to snap, audibly giving way under the pressure.

But Haley didn't seem to notice or care. She twisted her body left and right, satisfied with the reflection on her phone screen.

"It looks perfect on me. Why don't I just propose to Ryan today? There's no way he'll turn me down anyway, " she said.

Her entourage chimed in with eager encouragement. "Exactly, you're his dream bride! Unlike some people, you don't have to trap him into marriage—he'll be thrilled!"

The words had barely left their mouths before a loud ripping sound cut through the room, rendering everyone silent immediately.

The dress split open from the waist up the back, exposing a thick roll of flesh that spilled out like it was trying to escape the garment.

Haley shrieked, hurriedly covering herself with her hands, and screamed at everyone to turn around and look away.

I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing. And that one laugh was all it took to send her over the edge.

Red with rage, she wriggled free of the shredded dress, barely managing to button up her oversized shirt before lunging at me with wild eyes. "What are you laughing at? You think you can laugh at me, you pathetic, unwanted mistress?"

With a crazed look, she grabbed a massive pair of scissors from who knows where and charged at me, raising them like she meant to strike my neck.

But right then, a familiar voice broke through the chaos. "What are you doing?"

The room stilled instantly, and everyone's gaze shot to the banquet hall's doorway, where Ryan stood, confusion plastered on his face. "Haley, didn't you tell me to come here? What is going on?"

Haley's expression softened, and her eyes instantly filled with crocodile tears. "R-Ryan, it's about time! I was about to be bullied to death here!"

She dropped the scissors and threw herself into Ryan's arms.

He pulled her close, smoothing her hair with a soft expression. "There, there, baby, I'm here now. Don't cry. Tell me who hurt you, and I'll make sure they pay."

Haley lifted her head, the hint of a victorious smile tugging at her lips. "You're the best, honey! It's nothing, though. I've already dealt with her. Let's see if she tries to steal my man again!"

She added, "Oh, honey, what would you do if another woman wanted to propose to you?"

Ryan wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing in a breath as he answered, "Baby, I already told you, didn't I? In this life, I only want you. Even if another woman stood before me in a wedding dress, begging for a yes, I wouldn't give her a second look."

They stayed there, wrapped up in each other as the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving only me still lying there on the stage, barely collecting myself, while they basked in their little world.