Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up in a strange room, my whole body aching and my clothes in disarray. I couldn't remember anything.

Social media was blowing up with trending topics about me.

[Wright Group Heiress Sacrifices Herself for a Contract. She Sleeps with Business Partner.]

[Charlotte's Chaotic Love Life Exposed. Hotel Scandal Photos Leaked.]

Rumors and photos were spreading like wildfire.

It didn't take long to trace the rumors back to Isabella, my stepsister, was the one who spread the news.

But deep down, I knew Isabella could never pull off something this elaborate. She was not the mastermind type.

Which meant it had to be Amelia.

I drove over to Amelia's apartment.

The door was left slightly ajar.

I pushed the door open a crack and saw Amelia, stark naked, draped all over Oliver as they tangled together on the couch.

She glanced at me standing in the doorway, but instead of freaking out, she pulled Oliver closer and deepened the kiss.

Right then, I was so nauseated that I nearly gagged.

As I recounted this part, my throat tightened, and my fingers clenched around the wine glass.

Evelyn was already grinding her teeth in rage. "What two bastards. You let them get away with it? What happened after that? Was the guy that night really Theodore?"

A bitter smirk crept across my lips. No way was I letting those two walk away scot-free.

I grabbed my phone, posted their steamy video straight to social media, and dropped thousands of dollars to make sure it hit number one on the trending charts.

[Childhood Sweethearts? More Like a Joke. Mr. Williams Cheats With A Scholarship Girl Right Before the Wedding.]

[The True Heiress Gets Betrayed by an Ungrateful Ingrate.]

In no time, the Robinson and Williams families were the biggest joke in all of Sewain.

To shut down the gossip, they decided to reschedule my wedding to Oliver to be held in only a week.

"Charlotte, you need to think about the bigger picture."

"Charlotte, Oliver's young. He messed up. You know how guys are, sometimes they can't control themselves."

"After you're married, we will make sure you're well taken care of. As for Amelia, we'll deal with her. She'll be out of the picture for good."

Listening to the Robinson and Williams elders talk, all I felt was pure disgust. "If you want this wedding so badly, you can marry him yourselves. I'm not doing it."

Oliver's brows furrowed as he dropped his voice. "Charlotte, enough with the drama. You need to know when to quit."

He stepped in, sounding annoyed. "You posted the video, and I apologized. What else do you want? That night was supposed to teach you a lesson. How was I supposed to know you'd end up like that?"

I locked eyes with him, my words sharp and slow. "Oliver, are you seriously telling me you had no clue what kind of scumbag you handed me over to?"

He froze for a second, then snapped back, "Charlotte, your reputation is ruined in Sewain. Who else would consider marrying you but me?"

Shaking all over, I slapped him.

My father, who'd been silent all along, finally spoke. "Charlotte, you've always wanted that old house in the west suburbs your mother left behind, right? If you agree to the wedding, the house will be transferred to your name immediately."

I turned to look at him. After Mom passed, that old house became my deepest attachment. It was where all my memories with her lived.

And now he was using it as leverage.

Any shred of family feeling I had left was completely destroyed.

"Fine," I said.

Everyone was satisfied, except me.

But when I took the agreement to handle the paperwork, that was when I realized the truth about the old house in the west suburbs.

It had already been transferred to Isabella's name six months ago.

I stormed back home and, for the first time in my life, called out my father's name. "Samuel, how could you give away what my mom left me to your mistress's kid?"

His face looked a little awkward, but he tried to keep his cool. "Six months ago, Isabella said she wanted to open a studio. Amelia vouched for her, said she had connections who could help out, so I temporarily transferred the house to her.

"Don't worry. I'll have her transfer it back to you tomorrow."

It was Amelia's doing again.

Before I could say anything, my phone suddenly buzzed in my hand, making my heart skip a beat.

It was a video from Isabella.