"O..Poor bride… She's been sitting there like a fool in that beautiful dress."
"What else could a man possibly want? With a voluptuous figure like that! he must be blind."
The wedding guests whispered among themselves as I ran out of my wedding reception.
Shame washed over me as the news had already started spreading online—"Sterling's bride abandoned at her own wedding."
Four hours ago, Victor had left without a word.
After dozens of unanswered calls and messages, I finally decided to trace him back to our mansion.
Five years ago, my father's company collapsed after a fraudulent investment wiped out everything we had. Overnight, my family was buried in debt.
The Sterling family stepped in to help—but with one condition. I had to marry their son.
Since then, I worked tirelessly for the Sterling company. After graduating, I used every connection my father once had. I brought his investors, contractors, and business partners to the Sterlings.
Now, the Sterling empire was one of the most influential companies in Velmore. I was now the woman left alone and humiliated by the man I sacrificed my career to build with.
The air at the Montclair mansion was tense. I rushed into the sitting room, my breath uneven.
Just as I was about to head upstairs, a familiar voice drifted from the dining room.
"When are you divorcing her?" selena my bestfriend asked impatiently.
My heart skipped. Instinctively, I stepped back and pressed myself against the wall behind the door, holding my breath.
Victor's voice followed.
"Soon. My mother is already arranging the divorce."
"Tomorrow at the gala, she'll approach the contractor in charge of the government project," he continued calmly. "Once she secures the contract for us, we'll have everything we need. After that… the divorce papers will be ready."
My legs nearly gave out beneath me.
The world seemed to spin as I listened to the voice of the man I had loved and supported for five years.
All this time, I believed I was building a future with Victor Sterling.
But now I have realized that he and his family had only been using me.
A sharp pain suddenly twisted in my lower abdomen, making me clutch my stomach.
"I don't want that thing growing inside her," Selena said coldly. "I won't allow her to share you with me."
"You don't have to worry about that," Victor replied without hesitation. "I'll make sure she gets rid of it. I promise."
My hand tightened over my barely noticeable two-month pregnancy. Shock rushed through my body like ice. I didn't know whether to burst into the room or run away.
Selena had been my best friend since high school. Back then, she kept persuading me to refuse the Sterlings' marriage proposal. But when I told her I had already agreed, she began ignoring me and keeping her distance.
I never knew she and my fiancée had already become intimate behind my back.
Just as I slowly turned to leave quietly, my phone suddenly rang. The loud sound echoed through the silent hallway. And instantly, the conversation inside stopped.
I slid the green button and answered the call.
"Mrs. Seraphina wants to see you now."
Lisa—the matriarch of the Sterling family—speaking from the other end of the line.
My heart pounded."Okay," I replied quietly. The call ended.
Victor's mother, the puppet master pulling the strings, had never cared about me unless it involved the family business. Even at the wedding earlier, she reminded me to secure the government contract, not knowing she was already arranging to discard me afterward.
My chest tightened as the truth finally sank in.
"Lysandra."
Victor's gravelly voice stopped me midway.
I turned slowly and glared at him from head to toe. His shirt was half unbuttoned, revealing his hairy chest, and his belt hung loosely from his trousers.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"Nothing," I replied coldly. "I just came to check something."
Without waiting for any more words from him, I turned and ran out of the mansion.
Back at the reception hall, most guests were gone. Only Seraphina Sterlings remained, commanding her small circle. her black turtleneck gown, sleek pixie coils, and calm yet intimidating demeanor.
"Hi, Mrs. Seraphina," I said softly.
"Follow me," she commanded, leading me to the balcony.
As soon as we went to the balcony, she stopped, showing me the phone in her hand.
"Explain this," she demanded.
On the screen: a photo of me in my wedding dress, sitting alone earlier at the reception. The bold headline screaming: "The Sterling Bride Abandoned at Her Own Wedding."
"Mrs. Seraphina… I'm sorry. Victor left."
"Don't bring my son into this!" she cut me off. "You always pin your mess on him.
"I… I'm sorry," I whispered.
"Sorry doesn't fix the fact that my family was dragged through the same very day we welcomed you into the Sterlings' home. It must not happen again."
I lowered my head as much as I could, pretending to show the fear she expected to see.
"Tomorrow is the wedding gala," she said with a cold, businesslike tone. "Important contractors will be there, so dress appropriately. Stand by my son as the daughter of the Silverwoods and the wife of the Sterlings. Also, make sure to approach the contractor in charge of the government contract and secure the project for the company. Don't ruin this opportunity; we need the contract.
I slowly raised my head.
Her face was as serious and intimidating as ever. Before, I would have been desperate to please her. I would have done anything to earn her approval.
But now, all I could see was betrayal. All these years, they had been planning this from the beginning.
"Okay. I will," I replied quietly.
Then I turned and walked away. Not just from her—But from the betrayal and heartbreak that could have hit me unexpectedly.
Little did they know… tomorrow would be the day their empire begins to fall.