Chapter 2

It was high-definition and silent.

But every frame was filled with absolute humiliation.

It was the most shameful night of my life.

The ballroom fell into a dead silence, followed by a sudden, deafening explosion of whispers.

The gasps of the guests echoed through the hall.

Thousands of eyes pierced through me like needles.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined that Ethan had kept a copy of this security footage.

He had hidden Melanie's crime for three years.

Yet, he kept the footage of my deepest humiliation locked away in his drawer.

For three years, he had been gentle, attentive, and indulgent.

Yet, at our wedding, at the very moment I thought I was being saved, he threw me into the mud and stripped away my dignity in front of everyone.

He really did think I was dirty.

He wanted everyone to see my shame on our wedding day.

He wanted to make sure I could never hold my head up again, so I would have no choice but to remain his submissive wife.

In the crowd, Melanie's lips curled up into a smug grin.

She had planned the whole thing, got away with it for three years, and was now watching my public execution with pure joy.

Ethan looked at me, his eyes still deceptively gentle.

"Chloe, as long as you behave and stay as my wife, I promise no one will ever see this again."

"Otherwise, I'll let the whole world see just how 'clean' you really are."

The cold digital screen continued to loop the video.

The girl on the screen was shaking, unable to even stand, sliding down the wall in desperation.

The high-res lens captured my flushed cheeks and ragged breathing perfectly.

Every second was a slap in the face.

The whispers of the crowd buzzed in my ears, sharp and cruel.

"So she really was that wild back then. No wonder she got pregnant out of wedlock."

"Ethan is practically a saint. He tolerated this shame and raised another man's kid for three years."

"Any man would find her disgusting. If she actually married into the Carter family, Ethan would be the real victim."

Not a single person mentioned the drugging.

They didn't care if I was the victim.

They all assumed I was cheap, wild, and loose.

Tears welled in my eyes. "Ethan, you bastard!"

I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught my wrist with brutal force.

He flung me to the ground, and his foot stepped on my custom haute couture wedding gown, ripping the expensive fabric.

Melanie covered her mouth, pretending to be shocked.

She spoke just loudly enough for everyone around to hear.

"Ethan custom-made that gown for me, and I only lent it to Chloe."

"Since she ruined it, she needs to pay for it."

I looked up at Ethan in disbelief.

He had told me this gown was designed specifically for me.

During the dark days of my pregnancy, when I couldn't sleep because of my anxiety, he had stayed up all night, rubbing my back to soothe me.

When my morning sickness was so bad I couldn't eat, he had canceled his business meetings to cook soup for me, feeding me spoonful by spoonful.

In the winter, he would tuck my freezing hands into his warm pockets.

When I almost died giving birth to Lily, he stayed by my hospital bed for three days and nights without closing his eyes.

Just last month, he held my hand in the boutique, promising me the wedding of my dreams.

But in the end, all I got was this cruel betrayal.

Melanie bent down, lightly brushing the tear in the fabric, her voice dripping with malice.

"This is a million-dollar designer gown, and you ruined it."

"Either pay up, or I'm calling the police."

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