chapter2
1171 Words
Alice's lips moved, about to speak, when she saw that man smile at her.
One thought flashed through her mind:
Damn, that man has one hell of a smile.
Justin prompted her softly, “Alice?”
Snapping back to reality, she was just about to say “I do” when the giant screen at the venue flickered—
And suddenly, a high-definition video began to play.
On the screen: Justin, holding another woman in a clearly intimate embrace.
The timestamp? Last night. 11:52 p.m.
Alice froze. Her mind went blank.
That… was Justin?
Gasps echoed around the hall.
She looked up slowly—Justin was yelling to cut the power.
But his panicked face told her everything.
She looked past the crowd and locked eyes with the man sitting quietly at the front—Enzo.
He was in a wheelchair, lips curled in a mocking smile, completely unfazed.
Alice’s breath caught in her throat.
Was this man… the disabled third uncle that Justin had mentioned?
The one who had been exiled from the Bieber family ten years ago?
Was he behind this?
Her father shouted at Justin, “Where were you last night?!”
Justin’s face flushed. “Uncle, let me explain. Alice, it wasn’t on purpose. I was drunk. I mistook her for you…”
Alice felt the sky collapse.
Mistook someone else? Just like her?
How could she blame him when she was guilty of the same?
The guests whispered and snapped photos.
Both families quickly cleared the venue, ushering the guests out.
Backstage, a "crisis meeting" was underway.
Alice stood in a corner, fingers clenching beneath her wedding dress, face pale, listening to them negotiate her fate.
“The wedding can’t be canceled,” her father said first, heavy yet firm.
“This marriage isn't just about the two of you.”
Alice stared at him blankly. “But… everyone saw what happened.”
“We know,” her father sighed, before shifting tone, “but both families have signed multiple cooperation agreements because of this union. The Biber family has given us a lot of resources. If we back out now, it’ll look like the Shen family broke the deal. We can’t afford that.”
Her throat burned. “So you want me to forgive him?”
“Give him a chance—not for him, but for you,” her father insisted.
“We’ll postpone the ceremony for three months. Give him time to prove himself.”
Her stepmother added, “This scandal is already big enough. Let’s not make it worse.
Everyone knows you were engaged to Siming since you were eighteen.
Who else would still marry you if this falls apart?”
They kept saying reputation, interests, family name—
But no one asked what she wanted.
She almost laughed—
Only, she couldn’t.
To her father, she never mattered.
Only the deal did.
She lowered her lashes. “…What if I say no?”
Her father’s eyes darkened for a moment, before softening again.
“You’re still young. You don’t understand. People don’t always marry for love.
Sometimes they marry for status, for family benefit. That’s your duty as a Shen daughter.”
“…But I’m not one anymore.”Alice whispered.
Alice looked past him—at Enzo, seated calmly, watching the drama unfold.
And at that moment, Alice realized—This farce wasn’t over.
Justin once said his uncle was dangerously unpredictable.
Now Alice believed it.
And she wouldn’t be a pawn in this game anymore.
Those three exclamation marks were soul-crushing. Alice was in pain. She couldn’t even walk properly.
Lin’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t help it—he burst into laughter.
His boss... got slept with... and got a bad review?
Even after all these years working under Enzo this was something else.
Enzo gave him a look. “Are you laughing at me?”
“N-no! Absolutely not!” Lin panicked. “I swear I’m not—let me explain—”
Enzo raised a hand. “No need.”
“Thank you,.” Lin breathed a sigh of relief.
But Enzo smiled. “You’re thanking me too early, Lin.”
A chill ran down Lin’s spine.
Then the cold sentence dropped:
“Salary deduction.”
Lin: “But President, you’ve already deducted my salary three times this month. I’ll have nothing left!”
“No worries. If it’s not enough this month, we’ll start on next month’s.”
Lin: How can a man say something this cold with a body that’s 36.5°C?!
One Hour Later.
The Wedding Hall.
"Hey! You little brat, where the hell have you been? Get in there and get your makeup done—the guests are already here!"
Alice raised her eyebrows at her stepmother’s nagging.
How surprisingly considerate she was today—actually showing up to care about her wedding.
Wasn't she the one who'd been dying for the rich family to call off the engagement so her own daughter could marry Justin?
But Alice didn’t think too much about it.
Though today’s chaos had been unexpected, she knew she bore some responsibility.
After all, she had lost her virginity to another man the night before her wedding.
To hide the marks on her neck, Alice told the makeup artist she’d do her own bridal makeup. Her skills were more than good enough.
The wedding dress she slipped into was adorned with dazzling diamonds—the one she had chosen together with Justin.
She could still remember the look of amazement in his eyes when she stepped out of the fitting room.
“A woman dresses up for the one she loves.”
That day, Alice finally understood the meaning behind those words.
As she walked down the aisle, her father by her side, her gaze locked with Justin’s from across the stage. Her eyes shimmered with tears—
She was finally going to marry her hero.
Justin was her first love, the only man she had ever loved.
Fairy tales weren’t all lies. Sometimes, a girl really could marry the man she fell for at first sight.
“I’m entrusting my daughter to you.”
Alice looked at her father, eyes stinging with emotion.
He might have remarried, but he had never been a bad father. He had always treated her well.
Justin smiled and took her hand like making a vow. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take good care of Alice.”
Alice was wrapped in joy—until the officiant spoke:
“Alice, do you take Mr. Justin to be your lawful husband, to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in joy or sorrow, for all the days of your life?”
Just as she opened her mouth to say yes, she saw a man sitting beside Justin’s father.
Him?
The man from last night?
What was he doing here? Sitting next to Justin’s father no less. Was he here to ruin the wedding?
The officiant continued, “Alice, do you…”
- Writer
