Chapter 4

The next morning, the hotel front desk called to tell me a woman named Victoria Croft was looking for me.

I told them I didn't want to see her.

But somehow, she got a duplicate keycard to my room. She burst through the door, followed by a horde of paparazzi. Cameras flashed in my face, blinding me. Panicked, I pulled the duvet over myself, trying to hide.

But Victoria had no intention of letting me off easily. She ordered her bodyguards to tear the blanket away.

I had never felt so utterly humiliated. I was like a lamb led to the slaughter, completely defenseless.

"I want the whole city to see what a homewrecking whore you are!" she screamed.

She lunged at me, clawing at my face and ripping at my hair while the cameras captured every second of it.

It was clearly a orchestrated, public execution.

Fortunately, the police arrived quickly. They kicked the paparazzi out, and I was finally saved.

At the station, a female officer kindly wrapped a jacket around my shivering shoulders and gave Victoria a stern warning.

But Victoria’s voice in the interrogation room was loud and proud. Even sitting in the lobby, I could hear every word.

"She's a mistress! She ruined my marriage! Why shouldn't I teach her a lesson?"

"Clearly her parents didn't raise her right, so I had to do it for them!"

I stared at the floor, my fingernails digging so deep into my palms that they drew blood.

I stood up abruptly, marched into the interrogation room, and pushed the door open. I knew I looked like a hot mess, but I didn't care anymore.

"I didn't ruin your marriage," I said, my voice trembling but clear.

"He proposed to me. He told me he was single. He said he loved me and wanted to build a life with me."

"We've been together for seven years. The only reason we didn't have a big wedding was because he said we had to wait for his family's approval—"

Before I could finish, William rushed into the room. He walked right past me, pulling Victoria into his arms as if I were nothing but thin air.

"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.

Victoria nodded.

"Let me take you home. Leo is crying for you."

William turned to the police officer. "I've already spoken to your chief. I'm taking my wife home now." Then, he finally looked at me, his eyes cold and distant. "Miss, I apologize for my wife's behavior today. I will have my assistant reach out to explain everything later."

I watched him guide Victoria out of the station.

At that exact moment, I realized that my beautiful seven-year dream had officially turned into a nightmare.