Chapter 3

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.