Chapter 2

Alex's protective instincts kicked in.

Alex suddenly yanked my wrist, and the force made me wince in pain.

He scanned me from head to toe, his eyes impossible to read.

"How did you end up like this?" he asked.

End up like this?

I frowned a little, then gave a sarcastic chuckle.

It's not that I became like this, I've always been this way.

Alex never knew it.

"Sophia, even if Lily did something wrong, you can't hit her in a place like this. Do you understand?" he asked.

Here he goes again, giving me another lecture.

Guess he never gets tired of lecturing me.

He loves to lecture me.

I grinned. "Alright, I'll wait until after the wedding. Sorry, Lily, I jumped the gun."

"Sophia. Are you even listening to me?" Alex snapped, his frustration obvious.

He was getting really worked up.

There were a lot of his buddies and students here today.

I bet he loves showing off in front of them, always making sure everyone knows who's in charge.

After all, I was the one who chased after him back then.

I spent three years running after him, and only then did this so-called genius finally agree to be with me.

And during our time together, I have to admit, I played the role a little too perfectly.

I was gentle, well-mannered, thoughtful, and always acted like the ideal girlfriend.

I always made sure Alex looked good in front of everyone.

I barely even dared to breathe when we were out.

It wasn't that I was afraid of him.

I was putting on an act, and I'd keep it up until the day my womanizing father died, so I could take back what belonged to me from his illegitimate son, with my own hands.

But Alex kept pushing his luck because of it.

He thought I was so desperate that I couldn't bear to lose him.

He saw me as some long-suffering martyr for love, inheriting my mom's lovesick genes, always putting romance above everything else.

But now, the girl who always put up with everything was finally standing up to him, and he couldn't handle it.

"Do you really think the timing matters? That's not the issue, you shouldn't have hit her in the first place." Alex snapped.

I nodded.

I looked at him.

Just like before, I looked at him with that same old devotion.

And my eyes were still full of love for him.

After all, he really was easy on the eyes.

I put on my sweetest smile and tugged at Alex's hand. "Alright, alright, I was wrong. I shouldn't have hit her, okay?"

Alex and Lily exchanged a glance, both thinking they'd got me wrapped around their fingers now.

Lily lifted her hand up, making a show of it.

"Sophia, I won't make this hard for you. In our group, if you punch me, I slap you back. Since you've married Alex, you have to follow our rules too. One slap from me, and we'll call it even," Lily said with a smirk.

At my own wedding?

She actually locked up my friend.

She snatched the maid of honor spot and showed up in a white dress.

And she still wants to slap me?

I was starting to think there was something seriously off with the vibe here.

It's like I've attracted nothing but the creepiest, most bizarre people and things, like my life turned into a magnet for trouble.

Lily made a show of raising her hand, as if she was about to slap me.

I flashed a cheerful, defiant smile and turned my left cheek toward her. She gave me a triumphant grin, looking all pleased with herself.

"That's more like it, Sophia. Relax, I don't hit hard. I'm much gentler with women than those guys are," Lily said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

She tugged at the fabric over her chest, grinning. "Sophia, from now on, don't treat me like a woman and get jealous over Alex. I'm basically a guy. I mean it, I'm a guy."

She said it again, louder this time.

Then she put on a dramatic act, raising her hand like she was about to slap me.

I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, perfect timing.

Just as Lily's hand was about to land, my mom showed up.

She grabbed Lily's wrist and gave her a solid kick.

"Who gave you the right to hit my daughter?"She snapped.

I wiped my tears, throwing myself into Mom’s arms. “Mom, it’s my fault. Lily stripped Mia and locked her in the bathroom. I slapped her in anger, yet Alex says I’m wrong and wants me to take the slap back.”

As soon as I finished, my dad, who'd been whispering with the third child from that side of the family, suddenly snapped to attention.

"How did I end up with such a spineless daughter? You're getting pushed around like this and all you can do is cry?" he barked.