Chapter 3

My mom finally moved.

Not to help me, but to drag me up from the floor.

Before I could react, Stella had already grabbed my other arm.

"Mom, what are you doing!"

I struggled, but their combined strength was greater than mine.

"Shut up! You've shamed us enough already!"

They dragged me, pulling and yanking, towards the back of the stage.

The guests watched, some pulling out their phones to record.

"Let me go! What gives you the right to lock me up?! Open the door!"

From outside, Liam's amplified voice boomed, carried by the sound system throughout the entire hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse the little interruption earlier."

"Right now, my abandoned ex-fiancée is reflecting in the little storage room backstage. What do you say, when do you think she'll come to her senses?"

The hall erupted in laughter.

"Mr. Miller is so entertaining!"

"This is better than watching a movie!"

"That woman deserves it!"

I had become the public laughingstock of this wedding.

My phone vibrated.

I pulled it out and saw a message from my mom.

"Anya, stop making a scene. Stella's happiness is what matters most. Kneel down and apologize to Liam, and this whole thing will blow over."

I stared at the words on the screen.

Stella's happiness is what matters most.

What about me?

Didn't my happiness matter?

Didn't my dignity matter?

Did I deserve to be humiliated, locked up, and made a joke of?

The music outside grew louder. Liam and Stella had started dancing. The guests' applause and cheers grew in intensity.

And I, like a piece of trash, was locked in this dark corner.

My phone vibrated again.

This time it was from Stella.

"Anya, I know you're angry right now. But think about it, Liam is so exceptional, he deserves better. Please don't be so stubborn, okay?"

I slid down the door, collapsing into a ball on the floor.

The physical pain, my family's betrayal, my lover's humiliation, and the departure of the man who said he'd protect me, pushed me into a bottomless abyss.

I no longer had the strength to even cry.

Let it be.

Let them mock.

Let them gloat.

Anyway, I had already lost everything.

Liam's voice came from outside: "Everyone, now for the most exciting part. Let's go see if our ex-fiancée has come to her senses yet?"

Footsteps grew closer.

The sound of a key turning.

The door swung open, and blinding light streamed in.

Liam stood at the doorway, followed by a group of guests, all holding their phones, recording.

"Anya, what's your decision? Are you ready to apologize?"

I looked up, about to speak.

Suddenly, the main doors of the wedding venue were violently thrown open.

A group of people burst in. Julian stood at the entrance, behind him dozens of imposing bodyguards in black suits.

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone was stunned, including Liam.

Julian took off his suit jacket and strode towards me.

His leg was still limping.

He draped his jacket over me, then scooped me up into his arms without a word.

"What are you doing! Let her go!" Liam finally reacted.

Julian didn't even spare him a glance.

In that moment, I felt alive again.

"Julian, you're a cripple. Do you think you can turn things upside down with a few guys?" Liam fumed, enraged.

Just then, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit stepped forward.

He held a document and threw it directly in Liam's face.

"Mr. Miller, from this moment on, 35% of Miller Group's shares belong to Mr. Hayes. You have been removed from the board by the directors."