Deirdre immediately recognized the crux of his announcement. “What happened?”“She told the journalists you’ll be attending her wedding, so now, if you don’t go, that will make things really tough to explain.”“She said I was going to attend. Right on the journalists’ faces.” Deirdre’s expression darkened. She had mistaken the certainty in Charlene’s words earlier today as a bluff—she did not know it was planned.Still, something puzzled her. Why would Charlene go to all these lengths to force her into attending her wedding reception? Unless… Charlene had something else planned for her?Deirdre raised her head at that thought. She needed to warn him. “Brendan?”She needed to remind him that Charlene never did something without an ulterior motive. But before she could say anything at all, someone knocked on their door. The voice from the devil herself came from the other side. “Bren? Bren! Are you in there?”Deirdre’s heart stopped for a millisecond. How did she know he was in the
Brendan sneered and left Deirdre’s room. Charlene was about to follow him when a thought leaped into her mind. She turned around, studying the awkward expression on her face, and beamed smugly. “I made quite a lot of broth today, Miss McKinnon. Would you like to have a sip?”Deirdre shot a brief glance at her and pretended to be deaf. Charlene chuckled, unperturbed, but something deep inside her eyes revealed malice. “It’s okay. All I’m asking is that you attend my wedding at the end of the month. Please, Miss McKinnon… I insist.”-For the rest of the month, Brendan seemed to pour all of his attention into the wedding preparations. News about it traveled so far and wide that Declan King heard of it all the way from Eastgene. It was what prompted him to call. Deirdre was the one who answered. She told him everything unreservedly. When she was done, Declan snickered. “Ooh, mysterious. What is our boy Brendan cooking right now?”Deirdre had no idea, either.“If I know anything
Deirdre was stunned into silence for a moment. Then, a series of footsteps came, announcing an intruder. Charlene strode inside the room. Brendan and Deirdre were about a few meters apart, with the latter staring at the floor with an awkward grimace. “Bren!” She cried out while secretly seething. Damn it! No matter how hard she tried to prevent it, this b*tch would always find a way to charm Brendan! Suppressing her rage, she smiled and asked, “What happened? Miss McKinnon’s wearing a terrible grimace.”What she called “a terrible grimace” was really just Deirdre’s face turning red from being flustered. Charlene could not tell, but Brendan could—and he gave a long, hard look. “Nothing. Bumped into her after coming back here from work. We talked a little.”“Really? Was a talk enough for her to make that face?” Charlene remarked coquettishly as she snaked her arm around Brendan’s. “Jeez, you should really be kinder and gentler to Miss McKinnon, you know? That kid she’s pregnant w
”Lord Almighty, it’s worse than bad. It’s designed to ruin every strength and grace your lovely face possesses!” Mrs. Engel seethed. “I can’t believe she’s this… this… wrathful! Small-hearted! Ungracious!“If she’s that worried about you stealing her thunder at her own wedding, then she should have never invited you in the first place—simple as that! Why invite you to such an important occasion and then try to ruin your looks like that? If you go there like that, you’ll be the punchline of the evening!”Deirdre was comparatively calmer. “That’s exactly what she wants.”“It’s her live wedding, for crying out loud! God, she would sacrifice even her own wedding if it meant she could embarrass you somehow!” Mrs. Engel snarled indignantly.Who in this entire world would want her wedding to focus on someone else other than herself and have it smeared by a joke? Well, Charlene was the only woman mad enough to do that!“It’s okay,” Deirdre replied placidly. This was exactly as she had pre
“Brendan really knows how to choose his woman, dang! Remember Charlene McKinney? That one was gorgeous too, man. Too bad the woman this time…”Someone began to compare the bride herself with Deirdre. “I thought Charlie McKinsey was pretty, but now his ex-wife’s cousin is here, I gotta say… damn. That ain’t a gap. It’s an entire level of difference!”“Maybe Brendan cares more about the vibe, ya know? But if it were me, I'd definitely tie my knot with McKinnon, 100%.” The crowd began to laugh up their sleeves while Charlene had to maintain a smile despite broiling. What did these little sh*ts mean by ‘an entire level of difference’? Were they blind or nuts!?And that b*tch! The color and style of the dress should have made it impossible to shine in an event as grand as this! How the hell did she turn a piece of rock into a gemstone!? She used the dress to somehow elevate herself!F*cking b*tch!Charlene whipped her head in the direction of the stylist following her, irate. The sur
The man did not answer her. In fact, Charlene quickly felt another pair of hands coming for her. This time, she shrieked and slapped it away. Someone pulled the curtains away, and the light revealed six men in the room with her—all of them obviously drugged. Most of them were sitting on the floor, tripping out of their wits, but two of them were staring at Charlene with lust in their eyes.Blood was drained out of Charlene’s face. “Why are you here!? I told you to wait at the guests’ lounge!”Unfortunately, these people were too far gone to listen to any instruction. One of them slapped their hand on Charlene’s lips while the other began to remove her clothes against her will. She struggled but could not break free at all.And yet, toward the end, Charlene stopped resisting and… danced with them. Someone hammered at the door from outside, waking Charlene out of her trance. She quickly shoved the men away, horror overwhelming her visage. Something was not right! There was somet
Charlene covered her face and wept bitterly. She was so good at bursting into tears to the detriment of her dignity that it began to move some of the crowd into doubting their initial moralist instinct.Brendan was about to say something when one of the guests burst out of the horde and slapped Charlene.“You lying, two-timing b*tch!” the man thundered. “What did you tell me when you slept with me? B*tch, you told me you’re only in this for Brendan’s money. You told me you would run away with me once you got the money, but what did you do? You threw a six-against-one orgy behind my back! Does it kill you not to have a d*ck inside you for a moment!?”His invective, plus that slap that came from nowhere, shocked Charlene. When she finally recovered and looked at the man, she ignored her disheveled hair and shrieked, “Who the f*ck are you!? I don’t even know you! Security! This guy just slung an untrue slander at me, and I want him out!”As she covered her face, the man’s features bec
Charlene regarded him as though he was her messiah. Throwing her arms around his thigh, she launched a litany to explain why she was innocent despite the weight of evidence showing otherwise.“Bren, you believe me, don’t you? Someone set me up! I don’t know who, but I know they’re trying to destroy me. You know I devote my heart and soul to you, Bren! How could I possibly want to be with any other guys!?”Brendan said nothing, even as Charlene tightened her arms around his legs. He took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. When white smoke started to swirl in the air around them, he finally looked down at her. “How big of an idiot do you think I am, Charlene?”Charlene considered the frigid look on his face and shivered. “I’m willing to excuse your… orgy with the possibility that you’ve been drugged.” He continued. “But what about those pictures? How are you supposed to explain that away? Doctored? Deep fake?”His inquisitor’s tone bleached Charlene’s visage. Her lips w