Chapter 3

Two days before the ceremony, Ethan’s mother, Helen Miller, showed up at my house.

She brought a bag of bruised, discounted apples, sat on my sofa with her legs crossed, and immediately started acting like the boss of the house.

"Lily, dear, I need to talk to you about something."

"Your house was fully paid off before the wedding, right? Now that you're marrying Ethan, you two are one family. It looks so bad if the house is only in your name."

"Add Ethan’s name to the deed. It’ll make you look like a supportive, loving wife to the rest of the pack."

I held my teacup and remained quiet.

"Even Sharon said that couples shouldn't keep secrets. Generosity makes a marriage last."

*“Even Sharon said.”* How lovely.

An outsider was deciding how my property should be handled, and my future mother-in-law took it as gospel.

I took a deep breath and forced a sweet, innocent smile.

"You're absolutely right. Give me the property papers, and I'll go take care of the transfer tomorrow."

Helen beamed, pulling the property documents right out of her bag and handing them to me.

Unbelievable. She had brought them with her, just waiting for this moment.

I took the documents and escorted her out.

The second the door closed, my smile vanished.

I didn't go to the registry office to add Ethan's name. I went straight to the bank. I took out a property equity loan.

My house was worth $500,000. I walked out with a $350,000 cash loan.

The money cleared that very afternoon. I transferred every single cent into Sophia Parker’s offshore account.

In my past life, Ethan had forcefully transferred this house to his name and sold it, leaving me with nothing.

In this life, he wouldn't even get a single brick.

When I got home, Ethan was actually in the kitchen. He handed me a cup of dark, strong-smelling herbal tea.

"Babe, you look tired lately. I brewed this nighttime wellness tea for you. Drink up, get a good night's sleep, and be the most beautiful bride the day after tomorrow."

I took the cup. Beneath the heavy herbal scent, I caught a sharp, chemical trace of sleeping pills.

He wanted me drugged and unconscious before the ceremony so Sharon would have plenty of time to prepare for the "test."

I brought the cup to my lips, pretending to drink. The moment he turned around, I spat it into a paper towel, balled it up, and stuffed it into my pocket.

"Thanks, babe. It’s great."

A flash of smug satisfaction crossed Ethan’s eyes.

"Great. Go to sleep early. We have rehearsal tomorrow."

He grabbed his jacket, walked into the guest room, and locked the door to make a call.

I pressed my ear against the wall.

"Sharon, she drank it. Sleeping like a log. Everything is set for the ceremony."

Sharon’s voice came muffled through the wall. "Ethan, when she gets on the stage, should I bite her left shoulder or her throat first?"

Ethan laughed. "Whatever makes you happy. She won't survive the bite anyway."

I went back to my bedroom and locked the door.

I sat at my desk, opened my laptop, and organized all the evidence I had gathered into a clean, timed slideshow presentation.

I titled it: **"The Groom's Chronicles."**

I set the program to auto-play and linked it directly to the ceremony hall's main projector account.

With everything set, I lay back on my bed and closed my eyes.

I wasn't a victim anymore. I was a sharpened blade.