Chapter 1

Because my grandmother was gravely ill, my first wedding was set in my hometown.

When it came time to exchange rings, Edward Lane ignored my outstretched hand. "Sophie, I'm going to ask you three questions. If you answer them all correctly, I'll put the ring on you."

I froze, suppressed the unease rising in my chest, and nodded.

"First question. During our relationship, did you really not know who I was?"

I pressed my lips together, staring at him in disbelief, my voice strained. "No, I didn't."

Edward paid no mind to my pale face. "Second question. Did you try to seduce my friend behind my back?"

My eyes went wide, my voice almost failing me. "I did not."

"Last question. Is your grandmother even sick at all? Or did your family make it all up to scam money out of me and force me into this marriage?"

My hands were trembling. The words felt like they were being crushed out of my throat, tears threatening to spill.

"We're not scamming anyone," I said.

Edward's gaze turned cold. "Sophie, you lied to all three questions."

He let go, and the ring clattered and rolled away. "I can't marry you."

In the front row, my grandmother suddenly pitched backward and collapsed.

*****

It was already early morning before Grandma was out of danger.

My wedding dress was plastered to my back with sweat, and my makeup was smeared all over my face.

When I got home, I packed up everything Grandma would need for her hospital stay. Edward came out of the room, his face completely expressionless.

"I'm heading back today," Edward said.

I didn't have the strength to argue with him about the wedding anymore.

For the first time ever, I pleaded with Edward. The moment I opened my mouth, tears streamed down my face.

"Edward, please, I'm begging you, save my grandma," I pleaded. "Can you help me get in touch with those specialists? If I have to, I'll write you an IOU. I'll owe you, okay?"

Edward's brows knitted together, his voice icy.

"Sophie, are you finished pretending?" Edward said.

He threw a stack of papers hard at my face, the force of it whipping my head to the side. My cheek stung, and a red mark bloomed almost instantly.

"You're still putting on an act, still lying to me," Edward spat. "The moment you said you wanted to get married, I had your grandma investigated. All her medical reports are forged.

"These medical reports show your grandma is perfectly healthy.

"How did I never realize you were so greedy and shameless? You'd use your own family's lives as a bargaining chip just to marry into my family?"

His eyes were full of disappointment. "I was so wrong about you."

This wasn't the first time I'd seen that look in Edward's eyes.

Half a year ago, Edward confessed to me that he wasn't just some regular employee.

He only met me because his family sent him to the branch office to toughen him up.

"I never told you because, ever since I was a kid, there were always people trying to get close to me for their own reasons. I didn't want anything to mess with what we had," Edward said.

So I could understand why he kept his identity hidden from me.

Edward grinned as he started introducing me to his friends, but right from the start, I could tell they looked down on me.

There was a coat draped over my seat. Before I could even move, someone shouted.

"Don't touch that." When she noticed Edward looking over, she gave an awkward smile. "It's nothing personal. This coat is really expensive, and I'm just afraid it'll get dirty."

Edward gave my hand a reassuring pat. "That's just how Charlotte is. She doesn't mean anything by it."

I swallowed all my words.

At the dinner, they talked about people and things I had no clue about, then acted all surprised. "Wait, you really don't know about that?"

Later, I stepped outside for some fresh air. When I came back, I passed by the half-open terrace and overheard them talking over each other.

"Edward, you really need to be careful. There are so many girls these days pretending to be sweet and innocent to get your money," one of them said.

"Next thing you know, she'll hit you with a dying relative and a sob story, just to leech off you," another chimed in.

"Hey, do you think she really didn't know you were the second son of the Lane Family, or was she just pretending?" someone else asked.

Edward's face was stormy, his voice cold. "That's enough."

"Sophie's not like that," Edward said.

When I sat back down, Charlotte was already wearing the coat.

She leaned over and whispered, "Could you get me a bowl of soup?"

I didn't think twice, but just as I was about to hand it to her, she gave my arm a little shove, and the soup splashed all over her expensive coat.

Just then, Edward and the others walked in, and Charlotte let out a delicate little cry.

"Edward, your girlfriend is so vindictive. All I did was tell her not to touch my coat when you guys came in. Did she really have to spill soup all over me?" Charlotte whined.

Stunned, I stared at her, barely believing what I was hearing. "You asked me to get you some soup, and you pushed me. That's why it spilled."

Mark Carter, standing next to Edward, snickered. "If you messed up, just say sorry. Why make up stories? Charlotte's allergic to fish, so why would she ask you for fish soup?"

Everyone was eyeing me like a pack of wolves, just waiting for me to slip up.

I had no way to prove my innocence. "Let's check the security footage and see..."

"That's enough," Edward said, his expression turning cold. He walked over, took my hand, and looked at Charlotte. "Sophie didn't mean it. It was just an accident. I'll cover the cost of your coat.

"We're leaving now."

Rain was falling outside, the steady patter making everything feel blurry and muffled, like the whole world was wrapped in a wet blanket.

I looked at Edward, my voice shaky and desperate. "Edward, I swear, it wasn't me. It was her..."

That was the first time I saw confusion and disappointment in Edward's eyes. He put his hand on my shoulder, his expression full of helplessness.

Edward said, "Charlotte's always been super careful with her new clothes. She never lets anyone else touch them. She even irons them every night before bed.

"You really think she'd ruin a coat she waited three months for? Why would she do that?

"And Mark's right. Charlotte never drinks soup. You're the one who actually likes it.

"Honestly, even if you just said it was a mix-up, that'd be better than making up stories.

"Sophie, what's wrong with you?"

Before I could even recover from that sting, I ran into Mark again.

All these years, with Grandma's medical bills piling up, I'd been working as a tutor on the side.

Mark walked in while I was teaching a kid. He noticed how distant I was and just shrugged.

"So you're the tutor my sister's always bragging about? She even told me to give you a raise for the next lessons," Mark said.

I was about to walk past him, but Mark suddenly stuck out his leg, making me stumble.

He grabbed my arm, his lips curled in a teasing smile. "Careful there, Miss Quinn."

When I finished the lesson and walked out, I ran straight into Edward's cold, stormy gaze.

The air was thick with smoke, stinging my throat and making me cough.

Edward looked at me with a complicated expression. Just as I was about to step closer, he took a step back and held his phone up in front of me.

On the screen was my chat history with Mark.

I said, "I don't know how to thank you. Maybe we could have dinner together sometime.

"Honestly, I thought you were pretty nice the first time we met."

Mark stood behind Edward, looking uncomfortable. "Miss Quinn, all I did was mention giving you a raise. But after you sent me those messages, I figured Edward ought to see them."

With my nails digging into my palm, Sophie tried to steady her voice. "I only ever said hello to him, that's all."

The little kid, oblivious to the tension in the room, ran out and wrapped his arms around my leg.

"Ms. Quinn, when are you coming back?" he asked, looking up at me with innocent eyes. "But you're my aunt. Can't you stay with me every day?"

Edward didn't even blink. He grabbed the kid's arm. "Why are you calling her your aunt?"

The kid looked like he was about to cry, intimidated by Edward's glare. "Because you and Ms. Quinn were hugging. That means Ms. Quinn is my little aunt."

Mark threw his hands up in surrender. "Edward, I just caught her when she stumbled. I have no idea why she suddenly fell into my arms."

The kid's wailing was getting on everyone's nerves. Edward kicked whatever was closest to him and stormed out.

I hurried after him. "Edward, please, you have to believe me. Those messages weren't mine. Mark only grabbed me because he tripped me first.

"Even back at that dinner, they never liked me. They're always picking on me."

Edward stopped in his tracks, his voice low and angry. "So you're saying they're all doing this on purpose, just orchestrating everything to mess with you?

"They'd mess up their own favorite clothes, use your phone to send those texts, and trip you on purpose?

"Sophie, listen to yourself. Do you really believe that?

"These are friends I've known since I was a kid. You're the girl I like. Why would they go out of their way to do this to you?"

His words left me frozen in place, and by the end of the day, Edward and I went our separate ways, both upset.