Chapter 2

But when I got to the end, I let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"You're truly something, Charles," I said, my voice icy.

His eyes flickered. "What are you talking about?"

I waved the document in front of his face. "Two hundred thousand dollars to buy seven years of my life, and you snuck in a clause dumping all the liability from the Starlight Venture guarantee on me. Is this supposed to be compensation... or are you just using me as a scapegoat for your mistakes?"

Ruth's face darkened. "That's just an add-on term."

"An add-on term that leaves me fully responsible for everything?" I shot back. "Your lawyer must be a pro at shifting blame."

Charles finally lost his cool. "You signed that bank guarantee three years ago, Aaliyah."

"I signed a guarantee, not a liability contract you drew up behind my back," I snapped, tapping the page. "If I sign this and Starlight Venture goes under, you walk away scot-free while I get stuck holding the bag. You really thought this through."

The room grew heavy, the air thick with tension.

Sophie went completely quiet.

At that moment, she must have finally realized just how rotten this whole scheme was.

She'd thought she was just taking my place as the bride. But now she saw it was never that simple.

I closed the agreement and lifted my gaze to Charles.

"You brought me back here not because you cared about me," I said, my voice calm but cutting, "but because you were scared I'd go out there and ruin your perfect little ceremony."

Charles said nothing.

I nodded slowly, the realization sinking in.

"I see."

He thought I'd finally caved, so his tone softened. "Aaliyah, I don't want this to get ugly. Just sign, take the money, and I'll handle the guests. You can keep working or move to another city—I won't stop you."

"Of course you don't want it ugly." I chuckled sarcastically. "You want me to walk quietly to my own ruin."

With that, I gripped the papers and headed for the door.

Charles' expression shifted. "Where are you going?"

"To the banquet hall."

He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. "Don't you dare!"

I stared at his hand, my voice steady and cold.

"Let go."

"Aaliyah, don't make me do this," he warned, tightening his grip.

"You already did," I said, staring straight into his eyes. "You just didn't think I'd fight back."

His fingers dug into my skin. Without hesitation, I raised my other hand and smashed the crystal glass from the table against the back of his hand.

I didn't hit him hard—just hard enough to make him flinch and let go.

I shook out my wrist and glanced at the glass.

Good. No cracks.

"Careful," I warned, my tone razor-sharp. "That glass is expensive."

Ruth shot to her feet in a fury. "Stop her!"

Sophie paled in a panic, her voice trembling. "Aaliyah, don't! There are too many people out there..."

"Exactly," I retorted, shooting her an icy glance. "That's why I'm going out there. Do you really think something this filthy deserves to be hidden backstage?"

With that, I clutched the agreement, flung the door open, and strode out.

The wedding music swelled right on cue.

Guests were already seated, melodies drifting through the air, while relatives from both the Goodman and Grant families chatted away on either side, gushing over the opulent decor and upscale venue.

What a vibrant scene.

The perfect stage for it all to burn to the ground.

I stepped out from backstage, my wedding dress trailing behind me, and every head in the banquet hall snapped toward me. The officiant froze, then quickly forced a smile. "And now, let's welcome the bride..."

"Wait," I cut him off.

I took the microphone from his hand and planted myself dead center of the stage.

The entire room fell deathly silent.

I swept my gaze over the overflowing gift table, the printed wedding programs, and the untouched champagne tower.

Perfect.

All the pieces were perfectly aligned.

Just then, Charles, Ruth, and Sophie came barreling out after me.

Charles' jaw was tight, yet he struggled to regain control. "Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay—there's been a slight change to the schedule. Aaliyah and I just need to handle a private matter—"

"A slight change?" I cut him off, my voice ringing crystal clear across the hall. "No. The groom is replacing his bride, and he's trying to frame me for his business debts."

Just like that, chaos erupted instantly.

Ruth snapped sharply, "Aaliyah! What on earth are you talking about?"

"Am I?" I held the agreement high for everyone to see. "Then explain this to your guests, Ruth. Why does this 'settlement' force me to take full responsibility for every single liability of Starlight Venture?"

Every investor at their table bolted upright.

Charles' face turned cold and pale.

This was his worst nightmare come to life.

It wasn't the truth that would ruin him.

It was me saying it out loud—right here, in front of everyone who was never supposed to know.

Ruth forced a rigid smile toward the crowd. "Everyone, please don't misunderstand—young couples quarrel all the time. Aaliyah is just feeling a little overwhelmed today..."

"I'm not overwhelmed in the slightest," I retorted, looking down at my gown. "I'm just wondering. Since the wedding's off, who's footing the final bill?"

The room went completely silent for a few seconds.

Then someone in the crowd couldn't hold back a snicker.

Charles stared at me like I was a ticking bomb about to blow his entire life apart.

He never saw it coming—me dragging all his secrets into the light, and my first question being who was covering the wedding costs.

But that was just how I was.

I'd been poor. I knew exactly how much everything cost.

I'd been so broke that selling my house felt like losing a piece of myself. So broke I had to count every single penny just to keep his projects afloat—even grocery shopping meant crunching numbers nonstop.

After life kicked me around enough, the first thing I learned wasn't pride. It was how to guard every last dollar.

Yes, I might lose my pride today.

But I wasn't losing a single dime.