My classmates exchanged uneasy glances—some wanted to speak up, but one look from Inez’s piercing, furious gaze made them shrink back in silence.

Then, she turned her fire on me.

Her eyes blazed with hatred as she stepped closer.

“Lindsay, you really are something else,” she spat. “Back in high school, you were already flirting with every guy in sight. And now? You're still seducing my fiancé.”

She scoffed, voice rising with rage.

“He was supposed to accompany me to this reunion, but suddenly said he had something ‘urgent’ to handle. I never imagined that ‘urgent’ thing was sending you, you shameless vixen.”

“Inez,” I said through clenched teeth, suppressing the pain searing through my body, “you’ve misunderstood. There’s nothing going on between me and Patrick.”

I lifted my head and met her gaze.

“If you don’t believe me, then call him. Ask him yourself.”

Earlier today, I had planned to keep a low profile and ride with Uncle Ken. But Patrick insisted on driving me—especially after learning I was attending a reunion. “Maybe my girlfriend’s your classmate,” he said with a smirk.

I didn’t expect his words to be so accurate.

Because yes—his girlfriend is my high school classmate.

Worse… she’s my old nemesis.

Inez was the reigning school beauty back then. But when I transferred in during our second year, I unwittingly dethroned her. From the moment I arrived, she had it out for me. A senior she’d been pining for confessed to me in public—and though I turned him down kindly, that moment sealed her hatred.

She even tried to rally others to bully me, though none of her schemes succeeded.

“Call him?” Inez snorted in contempt. “What, so your lover can come running to save you? Dream on, slut. You think he’d turn against me, his fiancée, for someone like you? I’ll call him—but only after I’m done with you!”

“Inez, you should really call him now and clear this up,” the class monitor said urgently. “Assaulting someone is a crime.”

But Inez’s lackeys shoved him aside.

“Crime?” one of them sneered. “Our boss is the law around here. Do you nobodies even know who her fiancé is?”

“You’ll wet your pants when you hear it,” another chimed in with a smirk.

“She’s marrying into the Patton Family of Chicago next month. You dare mess with the future young madam of the Patton household? Do you even want to live in Chicago?”

The moment they mentioned the Patton Family, fear swept across the room. My classmates backed away, their faces pale, avoiding my eyes.

Even the class monitor froze, his stance crumbling under pressure. One of the thugs casually shoved him aside, and no one dared stop it.

In Chicago, the Patton Family was practically untouchable—for ordinary people, at least. Most only knew Inez was about to marry into wealth, but not that she was set to marry into the Patton family itself. To them, she had hit the ultimate jackpot.

Some of my classmates even looked tempted to cozy up to her.

But what they didn’t know—what none of them knew—was this:

The Patton Family only rose to power because of my family.

If it weren’t for our support, they’d still be buried in a forgotten corner of our hometown, living in obscurity.

I opened my mouth to explain, but they didn’t give me the chance. The moment they surrounded me, fists started flying. They beat me mercilessly, all to please Inez.

I'd never experienced such violence before. Each blow left me breathless, the pain swallowing my voice until I couldn’t even cry out.

“Pick her up,” Inez sneered as I collapsed to the ground, barely conscious.

They forced me upright, gripping my arms tightly while Inez sauntered toward me, holding a chair. Her expression was twisted with hatred.

“Lindsay, you slut,” she hissed. “Didn’t you beg my fiancé to drive you here? Since you don’t want to walk on your own, you won’t need those legs anymore.”

With that, she raised the chair high.

The people holding me tightened their grip, ensuring I couldn’t move. I stared at the chair in horror.

“Inez, think this through,” I said, terrified. “If that chair hits me, the consequences won’t just fall on you.”

“Consequences?” she laughed bitterly. “Do you think seducing my fiancé will turn you into some kind of princess? Wake up!”

The chair came crashing down.

I screamed. Agonizing pain exploded through my legs. I felt the snap before I heard it — a sickening crunch that echoed louder than my own cries.

“You’re finished, Inez,” I rasped, barely able to breathe. “You’ll never marry into the Patton Family now. Not after this. And they’ll go down with you.”

Even if I wanted to forgive them, my family wouldn’t. I was their pride, their heart. And now, I can barely move.

One thought kept pounding in my head: They’re all done for.

“You still dare to threaten me?” Inez sneered. “Do you even know what the Patton Family is in Chicago? Let me spell it out — even if I kill you today, someone will take the fall for me. Can you say the same?”

“You don’t know what my family stands for,” I gritted out.

“Your family?” She laughed cruelly. “You’re nothing but a pretty face who used that face to seduce my brother in high school, and now my fiancé? I’ll destroy that face and see who you can seduce next.”

She grabbed a steak knife from a nearby table.

My heart dropped.

“No...” I whispered, breathing quickening.

Inez walked closer, slowly, maliciously dragging the cold blade across my cheek.

“A face like this…” she murmured, “What a shame it would be to scar it forever.”

The blade grazed my skin. I shivered from the icy touch.

Then, she paused. “But I’ll give you a choice, since we were once classmates,” she said mockingly.

“Kneel in front of everyone. Beg for mercy. Admit you’re nothing but a man-stealing vixen hiding behind a pure act. Do that, and I’ll let you go.”

She looked down at me, smiling wickedly.

“You’re dreaming,” I spat through the pain, hoarse but unyielding.

I am Lindsay Hines. I would never kneel — not to her, not to anyone. Especially when I’d done nothing wrong.

Inez’s expression turned icy.

“You really are stubborn. Let’s see how long you can keep that up.”

“Inez… isn’t this enough already?” the class monitor asked weakly, face pale with fear.

The class meeting today was organized by the class monitor. If anything happened to me, Inez might be shielded from the consequences—but as the event’s host, he couldn’t escape responsibility.

“Class monitor, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for this little vixen and let her cloud your judgment?” Inez sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.

“N-No, of course not!” he stammered, blushing and quickly waving his hands in denial.

I took a deep breath. While the two of them were distracted, I suddenly broke free and threw myself at Inez with all the strength I had left.

“Ah!” she shrieked as I tackled her to the ground. The knife in her hand sliced across her arm, and blood began to spill.

“I’m bleeding!” she cried out in panic.

Her lackeys rushed to her side to help. Seizing the brief opening, I tried to flee. But the beating earlier had damaged my legs—badly. I managed only two stumbling steps before I collapsed again, pain shooting through my body. Her lackeys caught me instantly and dragged me back.

Inez snapped. With a crazed look in her eyes, she lunged at me, plunging the knife into my leg. I screamed as pain exploded through my body.

“Trying to run?!” she shouted, her eyes bloodshot.

My cries filled the room. Outside, curious bystanders peeked into the private box. Inez, snarling like a madwoman, glared at them and barked, “What are you staring at? Never seen a homewrecker get what she deserves?”

A few people looked ready to speak up, but one of her lackeys coolly revealed her identity—Patton Family’s future daughter-in-law. Instantly, fear silenced the onlookers, and they slipped away into nearby boxes.

Furious, Inez shouted for the door to be closed. Then she rammed the knife into my mouth, twisting it. Blood poured out—I couldn’t even scream anymore, just choke and moan in agony.

“I was only planning to teach you a lesson,” Inez hissed. “But you dared hurt me.”

Her voice turned venomous. “I’m getting married next month! If there’s a scar on my arm, do you know what that means for me? If I don’t get to enjoy my big day, then you won’t live to see another one.”

With that, she slashed the knife across my cheek.

A searing pain tore through my face, followed by a rush of blood. I whimpered, barely conscious, but she wasn’t done.

She kept cutting.

Again and again.

My face was soon a patchwork of gashes. Blood dripped into my hair, soaking it. Every breath, every twitch, sent waves of unbearable pain through me.

The room was dead silent. My classmates stared in shock and horror. Some of the girls were crying, too terrified to even look.

The class monitor, pale and shaking, finally spoke.

“Inez… Isn’t that enough?”

“Enough?” Inez gave a twisted smile. “We’re just getting started.”

She turned to the monitor with cruel amusement. “You seem so protective of this little tramp. Let’s give you a chance to really enjoy her.”

The monitor stiffened. “What… what do you mean?”

Inez chuckled darkly. “Her face is a mess now, but that body? Still good. And if she keeps her eyes shut, maybe you won’t even feel guilty.”

She turned back to me with a malicious grin. “Since you want to act pure in front of our classmates and seduce men behind our backs… let's strip away that fake innocence.”

Then, looking at the monitor again, she jeered, “Well? You wanted to be her hero. Why don’t you take off the first piece of clothing?”