After speaking, I cracked open the first bottle of liquor and downed it in one go.

The fiery burn scorched my throat, forcing an uncontrollable cough to escape me.

Across from me, Alexander’s expression hardened further, his eyes growing colder. He clenched his jaw and barked my name sharply.

To make sure he didn’t back out, I gritted my teeth and endured the burning discomfort of my allergy.

By the time I reached the third bottle, I could barely stand, my body leaning heavily against the table for support.

Seeing this, Madeline moved closer. “Scarlett, if you can’t drink anymore, why don’t we just forget this whole thing?”

The familiar scent of sage filled my senses, wrapping around me like a haunting memory.

The same scent clung to Alexander countless nights when he returned home late.

I recoiled instinctively from her touch.

I raised a trembling hand, but she stumbled backward.

Without hesitation, Alexander caught her, his concern evident in the way he looked at her.

In the chaos, I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

The alcohol spun my head, but the sharp sting of pain snapped me back to reality.

My hands hit the shards of broken glass on the floor, and a long piece pierced deep into my palm, blood flowing freely.

At the sight of it, Madeline gasped, collapsing into Alexander’s arms.

As I watched him prepare to leave, Madeline clinging to him, I ignored the pain and crawled toward him, my fingers gripping the hem of his pants.

“Alexander, you promised me. There are still seven bottles left; I’ll finish them…”

He looked down at me, his gaze thick with disdain.

“Stop this, Scarlett. I thought you’d learned by now after all this time being ignored. But here you are, still stubborn. You even went so far as to have your mother fake her death to force me into marriage. Let me make it clear: Madeline’s birthday is in three days. Even if your mother really is dying, she’ll have to wait until after Madeline’s day is over.”

With those words, he turned and walked away without sparing me another glance.

Madeline’s friends rushed to her side, but I was left there, alone and broken, lying in despair.

My allergy made breathing harder with each passing second. In my desperation, I dialed a number.

***

When I woke, I could feel the cold IV fluid seeping into my veins, the steady drip a reminder of how close I’d come to losing everything.

My hands were wrapped in bandages, and my best friend sat by my bedside, her face etched with worry.

As soon as I saw her, I lost all control. My voice came out hoarse and weak. “Amanda.”

She pulled me into her arms, her embrace tight with worry and love.

Through her tears, she scolded me, blaming me for not taking care of myself. The doctor had told her that if she’d arrived even ten minutes later, I could’ve suffocated from the allergic reaction.

Once the tears slowed and I could breathe again, I told her everything that had happened with Alexander. Her fury flared, her voice rising angrily, filling the sterile hospital room.

I stayed silent, unable to say anything.

The doctor had been sending me messages, one after another, about my mother’s worsening condition.

I’d always known this day would come; the end was near for her. The only thing keeping her alive was her hope, her desire to see me happy.

And yet, I couldn’t even give her that simple wish.

Amanda looked at me carefully, her voice gentle as she probed, “Do you still remember Tristan? He’s waited for you all these years.”

The image of his gentle, refined face flashed in my mind. Our moments together had been few and far between, but I hadn’t forgotten him.

She continued before I could process her words, “If Alexander refuses, then we will find someone else. We can’t let Auntie leave with regrets.”

Without waiting for my response, my impulsive best friend dialed Tristan Walker’s number.

My heart leaped into my throat.

The idea seemed absurd, but it was my last glimmer of hope.

When I heard his warm, nervous voice on the other end of the line, saying, “Okay,”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I broke down, tears spilling uncontrollably.

My best friend held me tightly, her hand gently patting my back as she whispered words of comfort.

After the IV drip, I felt better, the haze in my mind lifting and my thoughts turning to my mother. I needed to be with her.

As we stepped out of the hospital room, my best friend flashed me a confident smile. “Don’t worry, Scarlett. In three days, you’ll be the most beautiful bride.”

Her words barely left her lips when I saw Alexander standing before us, his expression dark and unreadable.

The moment my best friend caught sight of him, she rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Jerk!”

I ignored her and locked eyes with Alexander, who turned his cold gaze toward me.

“Scarlett, my patience is running thin. This is your last warning; three days from now, I won’t be at your wedding…”

I met his gaze without flinching and replied, my voice sharp, “You’ve helped me in the past, but I’ve spent ten years by your side. Now that Madeline is back, we’re even. I owe you nothing.”

“As for the wedding, it doesn’t need to be you standing at the altar.”

It was the first time I had spoken to him so coldly in ten years.

A flicker of unease flashed across Alexander’s face, his heart skipping a beat. He parted his lips slightly, exhaling as if something had slipped beyond his control.

But the man who had always held the reins of power in front of me quickly suppressed the unfamiliar stir of unease.

Impatience flared in his eyes as he seized my injured hand, the pressure causing fresh blood to seep through the bandages.

Only then did he seem to notice the wound. “Your hand…”

Before I could reply, Madeline skipped out of the examination room.

Alexander immediately released my hand and rushed to support her. “Why are you out here alone?”

As he turned away, a cold sneer curled on his lips, his words dripping with disdain.

“Scarlett, don’t push your luck. Have I been too lenient, letting you use your mother’s illness to manipulate me? Aren’t you afraid you’ll really curse her to death?”

“You know I don’t tolerate disobedient women. And you know I have a hundred ways to make you behave.”

I watched his retreating figure, my words slipping from my lips in a whisper, “I don’t like heartless, secondhand men either.”

***

Just as I stepped into the hospital, a text message from an unfamiliar number flashed on my phone. [I’m in Finland. I’ll make it back before the wedding. Leave everything to me.]

A sense of relief washed over me.

Although the groom had changed, the wedding would still take place, and there was still so much to do.

Between coordinating with makeup artists and caring for my mother, my days had become a blur.

It wasn’t until the wedding day itself that I truly understood the weight of Alexander’s words. “I have a hundred ways to make you behave.”

To avoid any last-minute surprises, I arrived at the venue early to inspect the preparations.

But the sight before me left me stunned.

The decorations were being taken down, and the last bouquet of flowers was pulled away right before my eyes.

Panicking, I rushed to stop the worker. “What’s going on? I’ve already paid for everything! How can you cancel now?”

The worker gave me a pitying look and sighed. “Miss, it’s not that we want to cancel, but…”

“Think about whether you’ve angered someone. It’s not just us. I’m afraid no one in the entire city will dare handle your wedding now. We’ll refund the breach of contract fee to your account.”

A ringing buzz filled my head, and everything around me blurred into nothingness.

I slumped against the wall, feeling utterly helpless.

It was Alexander.

But I couldn’t make sense of it.

I had already decided to leave him alone. Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Why couldn’t he just let me go?

I thought about that as I hurried to the bridal shop.

Inside, I saw Madeline in my custom-made wedding gown, a crown perched on her head, radiating the arrogance of a princess.

Alexander stood beside her, gazing at her with eyes full of adoration.

I turned to leave, but my gaze fell on the charm necklace around her neck, the one that belonged to Alexander.

That charm had been something my mother had earned through years of bowing, each step taken with the weight of her frail body dragging her through the pain.

They didn’t deserve to wear it.

I stepped forward, extending my hand toward Madeline. “Hand it over.”

Madeline immediately clutched her neck protectively, glancing at Alexander with a look of feigned helplessness.

He stepped in front of her, shielding her with a frown. “It’s just a worthless trinket. Today is Madeline’s birthday. Don’t make a scene.”

“After today, if you want one, I’ll get you as many as you want.”

My eyes burned, stinging with the threat of tears.

When my mother had entrusted the charm to him, he’d promised to protect it.

But to him, it was nothing more than a “worthless trinket.”

Behind him, Madeline raised her brows at me, smug and victorious.

I couldn’t hold back any longer. My hand shot out, grabbing for the charm around her neck.

As I yanked it free, fresh scratches marred Madeline’s delicate skin, blood trickling from the marks.

I no longer wanted the secondhand dress or the secondhand man.

All I wanted was to leave with the charm.

But the bodyguards blocked my path.

Alexander leaned down to comfort the crying Madeline. “Hand it over now, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Madeline stomped her foot, frustration bubbling over. “Alexander, she hurt me! And you’re just going to let her get away with it?”

With a cold glance in her direction, Alexander silenced her.

I remained silent, clutching the charm tightly against my chest.

His patience, once so enduring, finally snapped. Step by step, he approached me.

The bodyguards pinned me down, and the charm around my neck was ripped away.

He casually tossed both charms into Madeline’s hands. “If you still want to marry me, behave yourself.”

Madeline smirked wickedly, lighting a lighter in her hand. “What should I do? I suddenly don’t care for it as much anymore.”

“No!”

I shook my head, desperation flooding through me.

Before my eyes, the last vestige of my mother’s protection turned to ash in her hands.

Anger roared through me. “Madeline, I’ll kill you!”

I struggled, but the bodyguards held me firmly in place.

I turned my hateful gaze on Alexander. “Alexander, why do you treat me like this? Was it wrong to love you with everything I had? Even if I was wrong, I’ve already given up on you! Why are you still doing this to me?”

Why…

Why was he so determined to destroy my hopes, refusing to help me fulfill my mother’s final wish?

Something in my expression seemed to reach him, piercing through his cold exterior.

The hatred in my eyes caused a rare flicker of confusion to cloud his face.

In his memories, whenever I looked at him, my eyes had always been filled with love and adoration.

Unconsciously, he moved closer.

But Madeline quickly stepped forward, wrapping herself around his arm. “Let’s go. The guests are waiting for us.”

He turned and walked away with Madeline, leaving me standing there, abandoned and broken.

I collapsed onto the ground, helplessness, and despair crashing over me like an unforgiving wave.

The wedding decorations were gone.

The wedding dress was gone.

Even the charm my mother had so carefully obtained for me was gone.

Even if Tristan made it back in time, I knew my mother would sense something was wrong.

In the end, I had changed nothing…

I wandered the streets, lost in a fog, letting the rain drench me completely.

Out of nowhere, a black umbrella appeared above my head, and a soft voice spoke beside me.

“Weren’t you supposed to get married today? Why are you out here, crying all alone?”

Sitting in the car, I finally recognized Tristan, though his face was unfamiliar.

He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders.

The warmth of the fabric chased away the chill deep inside me. I gave him a small, apologetic smile.

“Sorry, Tristan. Looks like the wedding won’t be happening after all.”