Chapter 5

Scarlett wheeled herself into the dressing room.

Seeing the mess on the floor and the chicken drumstick with a bite taken out of it, she covered her mouth in mock horror.

"Oh my, doesn't Madison want to wear it?"

"Pierce went to so much trouble for this dress. How can you treat his efforts so carelessly?"

She wheeled over to the wedding dress and reached out to lovingly caress the layers of white tulle.

Her eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion, filled with infinite regret and longing.

"It's so beautiful... If my legs still worked, I'd look so beautiful wearing this dress."

"Too bad I'm a cripple. I'll never have the chance to wear it and walk in it."

Pierce turned his head and glared at me viciously, any trace of guilt from earlier completely gone.

"Madison! Look how understanding Scarlett is, and then look at yourself!"

"I'm just asking you to eat a little less, to wear a dress, and you have this many complaints?"

"Put it on! Put it on right now! Don't make me do it myself!"

I looked at these two people singing the same tune, and the last shred of hope in my heart was completely extinguished.

"Fine. I'll wear it."

I stood up, grabbed the wedding dress with its constricted knees, and pulled it on in front of them.

Without the shapewear compressing me, the dress stuck at my hip bones and wouldn't pull up no matter how hard I tried.

The hard boning rods pierced through my skin, the pain piercing to the bone.

I gritted my teeth and didn't make a sound.

Seeing this, Pierce didn't call a stop. Instead, he strode over and grabbed the zipper pull.

"Breathe in! Madison, breathe in!"

The force in his hand was frightening, completely disregarding whether he'd hurt me.

"Riiiiip—"

The crisp sound of fabric tearing.

Not the zipper going up, but the lace fabric on the side splitting open.

At the same time, the sharp metal zipper sliced open my back.

Bright red blood stained the snow-white wedding dress.

I gasped in pain, cold sweat instantly soaking my forehead.

Just then, Scarlett, who had been watching the show, suddenly screamed.

"Ah! My wedding dress! You ruined my wedding dress!"

As if she'd received some enormous shock, she frantically wheeled herself forward.

Before I could react, she actually lunged from the wheelchair and shoved both hands hard against my chest.

"You'll pay for my dress! You fat pig! You don't deserve to wear it!"

I was already unsteady from being constricted by the dress. With her push, I instantly lost my balance.

"BANG—"

I fell backward heavily.

My lower back hit the sharp marble corner of the dressing room squarely.

"CRACK!"

That was the sound of bone dislocating, so clear it made my scalp tingle.

Excruciating pain hit me. My vision went black and I nearly passed out.

At the same time, Scarlett, from using too much force, also fell from her wheelchair.

"Ah! Pierce, save me! It hurts..."

She'd only fallen lightly onto the carpet, but she screamed louder than anyone.

Pierce was clearly closer to me.

He'd clearly seen me crash into that sharp corner with his own eyes, seen the blood seeping out.

But in that instant, he didn't hesitate for even a second.

He stepped over me lying in agony on the floor and rushed toward Scarlett, who had only scraped some skin.

"Scarlett! Did you hurt yourself anywhere? Don't be scared, I'm here!"

I lay on the cold floor, feeling my lower body gradually losing sensation.

Blood flowed along the hem of the wedding dress.

Looking at those two people embracing tightly not far away, I suddenly didn't feel the pain anymore.