Chapter 2

The door clicked open once more.

Brooke hurried inside wearing her blush-pink bridesmaid dress, her eyes already welling with tears.

"Ethan, Chloe, why are you two arguing?"

She rushed over, seemingly trying to play peacemaker.

Yet, her foot landed with pinpoint accuracy right on the designer bridal heels I had set beside the vanity.

Crunch.

The crystal embellishments on the toe box shattered into pieces.

Brooke gasped in theatrical surprise and tumbled straight into Ethan's arms.

Ethan caught her seamlessly.

"Brooke, are you okay?"

Brooke nestled against his chest, casting me a tearful, guilty look.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to step on your wedding shoes."

"If it comes down to it, you can wear my heels down the aisle. I don't mind dropping out as your bridesmaid!"

What a textbook manipulative bitch.

If this were the old me, I would have swallowed my anger just to keep the peace for the guests outside.

My phone lit up again.

Future Me:

[She did that on purpose!]

[In my timeline, I walked down the aisle in a ruined pair of shoes and became the laughingstock of the city's elite.]

[And Ethan spent the reception telling everyone how embarrassing I was.]

Watching Brooke play the victim in Ethan's arms, white-hot rage exploded behind my eyes.

I stepped forward and raised my hand.

Smack!

The slap echoed sharply through the room.

Brooke's head whipped to the side, five bright red welts immediately blooming across her pale cheek.

The room fell dead silent.

Ethan froze in shock.

Brooke clutched her burning face, staring at me in utter disbelief.

"Chloe! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

Ethan shoved Brooke protectively behind his back and roared at me.

"She already told you it was an accident! What the hell gives you the right to hit her?!"

I stared coldly at the two scumbags standing before me.

"I hit her because she deserved it. Do I need to check the calendar for permission?"

"If your heart bleeds so much for her, Ethan, why don't you marry her instead?"

Ethan sneered, pointing an accusing finger in my face.

"Don't flatter yourself, Chloe!"

"If it wasn't for your old man's empire and his resources, do you really think I'd look twice at you?"

Finally. The ugly truth came spilling out.

Love at first sight? Devotion until the day he died?

It was all an act to bleed my family's company dry.

Behind Ethan's back, a triumphant smirk touched Brooke's lips.

I picked up my phone.

A string of exclamation marks popped up from Future Me:

[HELL YES!!!]

[Back then, I swallowed my pride just to save face.]

[After we tied the knot, they secretly funneled all the Vance family assets away and drove Dad to an early grave.]

[They locked me in a basement and harvested my bone marrow dry just to save Brooke's brother who had leukemia!]

[That photo was taken during that living hell.]

Reading those chilling words, my breath caught in my throat.

I couldn't fathom the nightmare awaiting me if I walked out of this room as his bride today.

"The wedding's off."

I ripped the bridal veil from my hair and hurled it straight into Ethan's face.

"Take your little sidepiece and get the hell out of my sight."

Gathering my voluminous gown, I turned toward the exit.

Ethan let out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"You think you can just walk away, Chloe? Too late."

"The most powerful people in the country are sitting in that ballroom right now. Just try walking out!"

"Are you really willing to drag the entire Vance family name through the mud?"

He knew my family's reputation had always been my weak spot.

My footsteps halted.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated frantically in my palm.

Three urgent messages from Future Me flashed on screen:

[Don't leave! You cannot walk out right now!]

[Even if you run, our family is finished! The officiant is stepping onto the stage right now.]

[If you don't go out there, Ethan is going to broadcast fabricated documents on the giant projector screen—framing Dad for corporate embezzlement and tax fraud!]

My mind buzzed, and pure adrenaline surged straight to my head.

No wonder he wasn't afraid of provoking me today.

He had already set a lethal trap.

Seeing me freeze, Ethan assumed I was backing down.

He walked up to me, looking down arrogantly as he straightened his silk tie.

"Put your shoes on, Chloe, and get to the wings."

"Be a good girl today, and you'll still get to be Mrs. Hayes."

Brooke chimed in with her sickeningly sweet voice, "Exactly, Chloe. Think of the bigger picture."

I looked at their grotesque, hypocritical faces.

My grip tightened around my phone.

Future Me sent one last message:

[Fight back, Chloe.]

[I'm sending you the bypass code for the central AV control room. The master login is Ethan's phone number.]

[Today, we bury them both.]

A cold, dangerous smile slowly spread across my face.

I turned back to Ethan.

"Fine. Let's do this."