Chapter 1 The Betrayal
On my wedding day, my husband Ferdinand Wallace's secretary had the audacity to replace every single flower arrangement with cheap artificial ones.
"Mrs. Wallace, I am allergic to pollen. Artificial flowers are so much better. They never wilt, after all."
I fired her on the spot and paid three times the original price to have the entire venue completely redone with fresh blooms.
Before long, Ferdinand stormed in with a dark scowl on his face and demanded an explanation.
"Judith did not mean any harm. You publicly fired her and humiliated her in front of everyone. Now she is in the hospital with a severe pollen allergy. Was that really necessary?"
I let out a bitter laugh and shot back, "Do you think it is normal for her to turn our wedding into something that looks like a funeral? There were so many relatives watching. Ferdinand, I did what I did to protect your family's reputation."
Ferdinand fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "You are right. After all, today is our wedding day. I will give her a warning."
That night, he was more passionate than ever before.
When I woke up the next morning, however, my private photos were spreading like wildfire across social media. My phone screen was flooded with vile, harassing text messages.
Ferdinand stood there with his arm around his secretary, Judith Pearson. He stared at me with cruel satisfaction in his eyes.
"Does it feel bad to be called a w***e? You embarrassed Judith, so I am returning the favor with a hundred times the humiliation. If you beg me, I might consider putting a stop to the rumors."
A sharp pang of heartbreak and fury rose in my chest. Without hesitation, I grabbed my phone and dialed my ruthless, domineering stepbrother.
"I want them all destroyed. Not a single one of them gets to walk away."
Ferdinand paused in shock, then curled his lips into a scornful smirk.
"Are you out of your mind? Your parents died years ago. Where did this brother come from? Do not forget, my family took you in. Otherwise, you would never have had the right to fire Judith in the first place!"
The man standing before me felt like a complete stranger, and it terrified me. We had been in love for seven years. The marriage I had dreamed of for so long had completely crumbled on its very first day.
"Louisa, have you realized your mistake yet?"
He drew closer, his arm wrapped possessively around Judith's waist. With mocking tenderness, he brushed away the tear from the corner of my eye.
"I wouldn't mind letting the whole world see what you look like in bed."
He pulled out his phone. The video showed me writhing passionately, my body entwined with his in ecstasy.
"Tsk, tsk. You sound so filthy when you moan. These clips could easily sell like hotcakes on OnlyFans."
I clenched my fists tightly, my gaze filled with a mix of rage and deep hurt as I stared at him. "Why are you doing this? I was only fighting for the wedding I had longed for. What did I do wrong? I simply wanted to uphold your family's dignity. What is my crime?"
I roared at the top of my lungs, "Ferdinand, tell me the truth! From the very beginning to the end, have I ever made a single mistake? If those fake flowers had stayed, believe me, your family would have become the laughingstock of everyone!"
He hesitated for a second, suddenly recalling how much the wedding meant to me.
For the floral arrangements, I had specially ordered new seedlings from abroad. When someone accidentally damaged two pots of them, he had the culprit thrown straight into the slums.
He also remembered the countless influential figures who had attended the wedding ceremony the day before.
"Mrs. Wallace is absolutely right. It is all my fault! My reputation means nothing compared to hers. Mr. Wallace, please hurry and take down those photos!"
Tears streamed down Judith's face. She bit her lip so hard it turned bright red, looking as though she had suffered an immense injustice.
I could not hold back a cold laugh. "I fired you privately. How did that turn into being humiliated in front of thousands of people in your version of the story?"
"Enough!" Ferdinand cut me off, his voice dripping with disgust.
"Louisa, look at how thoughtful Judith is toward you. Yet instead of apologizing, you keep making excuses. Someone like you definitely needs to be taught a harsh lesson!"
