At my pre-wedding party, my fiancé’s “girl best friend” leaned against his chest and openly mocked me in front of everyone: "Sister-in-law, I heard your mom was a homewrecker who slept her way to the top. I also heard you used to be a high-end escort, and you only latched onto our Carter after your last sugar daddy dumped you?" Amidst the roaring laughter of the crowd, I backhanded a whiskey bottle against the table, grabbed the jagged glass, and pressed it right against the corner of her mouth. "I was born petty. Whoever dares to throw dirty water on me, I will rip the roof off their house and hang them from the city walls for everyone to see." They called me a psycho. They said I couldn't take a joke. I just smiled, pulled out an unlimited Black Amex card, and set up a little betting game. That very night, I ripped the hypocritical, innocent mask right off that "sweet childhood sweetheart." Everyone thought that was the end of it. Until the day of our Wedding of the Century, when every billboard and screen in the city broadcasted a live feed— That "pure and untouchable" Ivy Thorne was starring in a sickeningly explicit, X-rated scene with my fiancé and his groomsmen. Holding the microphone, I stood amidst the shocked gasps of the entire venue and elegantly announced, "The wedding is canceled." My fiancé, looking like a stray dog, lunged at me and roared, "Sloane! You toxic bitch! What did you do to Ivy?!" I looked at him like he was a complete joke. "Don't panic. This is just the appetizer." "Everything you’ve forced upon me, I will collect back with interest. I’ll make you pay in blood, one piece at a time." Chapter 1 I was born petty. Whoever dares to throw dirty water on me, I will make sure their entire family never knows a day of peace. When I was a kid, a neighborhood Karen falsely accused me of stealing her packages. I literally hired a crew to rip the roof off her house in the middle of the night. When I started working, a coworker started a rumor that I was sleeping my way up the corporate ladder. I hacked the AV system at the company's annual gala and played a security video of her and the regional manager getting busy in the supply closet on an endless loop. Gradually, no one dared to mess with me. They all said I was an unhinged, vengeful psycho—until my family arranged a marriage for me. At the pre-wedding party, his "girl best friend" leaned against his chest and smirked at me: "Sister-in-law, I heard your mom was a homewrecker who slept her way to the top. I also heard you used to be a high-end escort, and you only latched onto our Carter after your last sugar daddy dumped you?" Carter Sterling’s friends immediately erupted into laughter, waiting to see me make a fool of myself. I grabbed a whiskey bottle, smashed it against the edge of the table, and pressed the jagged glass right against her lips. "Carter, you have so many friends. I’m sure losing this one won't matter to you, right?" ... Carter’s face instantly darkened. He forcefully swatted my hand away. "Sloane, what crazy stunt are you pulling now?!" "Ivy was just making a joke. Do you really have to take it this far?" The frat boys behind him immediately chimed in. "Yeah, sister-in-law, do you know who Carter is? Your family hit the jackpot marrying into the Sterlings. You really can't take a simple joke?" "Ivy is our girl, we grew up together. You threatening her like this shows you really don't know your place." I actually laughed. I picked up a shard of broken glass from the floor and twirled it between my fingertips. "You see, I’ve never had much of a sense of humor since I was a kid. I don't understand 'jokes'." "So whoever jokes with me, I treat them like a joke." I looked at Ivy Thorne’s provocative face: "For example, if someone starts a rumor that my mother was a homewrecker, I have every reason to suspect that her mother was the actual homewrecker." "And that makes her a dirty little affair baby, doesn't it?" Ivy’s body went completely rigid, and tears instantly spilled from her eyes. Seeing her look so pitiful, Carter grabbed my wrist: "Sloane Kensington, you apologize to Ivy right now!" "Where do you get the nerve to say something like that? Ivy’s father died saving my father’s life! The Sterling family taking care of her is the absolute least we can do!" "If you spout any more of this garbage, I’ll have you thrown out!" Ivy hid behind him, looking like a kicked puppy: "Carter, don't blame her. Maybe I said the wrong thing... Sister-in-law, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have made that kind of joke." The surrounding friends immediately started criticizing me. "Ivy already apologized, what more do you want, Sloane? Besides, she isn't even wrong. We've seen you getting out of different men's cars more than once." "If you're marrying Carter, shouldn't you wrap up your little 'side hustles'? Getting aggressive over a joke... if you're going to be a buzzkill, you shouldn't have come tonight." I was genuinely amused by this pack of idiots. Before coming here, my dad had earnestly told me that the Sterlings were crucial business partners, and this marriage would benefit both our corporate empires. But I’ve known since I was a little girl that tears and compromise are the most useless things in this world. The only way to avoid being bullied is to be crazier and more ruthless than they are. Whoever dares to take a bite out of me, I will smash every tooth in their mouth. I slowly opened my hand, letting the glass shard fall from my palm. "You know what, you guys are right. Getting mad over a little thing like this does make me a buzzkill." Smug, I-knew-it expressions washed over their faces. Carter’s expression softened slightly, and he opened his mouth, likely to say something condescending. I cut him off immediately: "However... if we're talking about playing games, I'm the best there is." "You want to play? Bring it on. Let's keep going." I looked around the circle of trust-fund babies who were thrilled by the drama. I grabbed a large glass and poured seven or eight different types of hard liquor into it. "Whoever loses drinks this whole glass, then has to answer one question from the winner. It has to be the absolute truth." "If you dare to lie, or if you're too scared to answer, you drink three more glasses." One of the guys scoffed. "Sloane, games are fine, but it's boring without any stakes." I swirled the murky liquor in the glass, my smile deepening. I pulled out a sleek Black Amex card and slapped it onto the table. "Whoever can make me drink a single glass tonight gets this card. No limit." Instantly, the entire room went dead silent. Carter’s face turned livid. "Sloane, is this enough? You think just because the Kensingtons have money, you can humiliate people?" I ignored him and stared dead at Ivy. "What, too scared to play? Weren't you so good at 'joking' just a minute ago?" "Ivy, you're up first." Ivy's eyes practically glowed with greed staring at that Black Card. She grabbed the dice cup and shook it. When it was my turn, I didn't even look before I lifted the cup. Six sixes. After a pale-faced Ivy realized she lost, I spoke without hesitation: "Truth: Did your mother marry your father before or after you were born?" Ivy began to tremble uncontrollably. "I... I pick Dare!" I nodded and slid the glass of repulsive liquor toward her. "If you don't have the guts to admit the truth, that's fine. Chug this, then call your mom on speakerphone and scream that Ivy Thorne's mother is the real homewrecker." Ivy instantly broke down in tears. "Carter! No! I don't want to play anymore!" Tch. Boring. She had the nerve to bark at me? I stripped her fake skin off in two seconds. Carter exploded. He shoved me back hard: "Sloane, is that enough?! Ivy is a girl, how could you treat her like this!" I genuinely laughed out loud. An idiot like Carter couldn't even identify the most basic, entry-level manipulative pick-me girl. "When she was spreading rumors about my mother and insulting me, why didn't you remind everyone she was just a 'girl'?" I stepped into his personal space, forcing him back: "Carter, you protect her so fiercely, people might start thinking she's the mistress you're keeping on the side." "Is she your 'best friend,' or just a friend you can sleep with casually?" Carter was thoroughly enraged. He raised his hand, ready to slap me. I didn't dodge. I just looked up at him. "Hit me." "Let everyone see how the young master of the Sterling family beats his fiancée over a mistress's daughter." "Should I call your dad right now and tell him tomorrow's wedding is off?" I pulled out my phone, pretending to dial Mr. Sterling’s number. Carter panicked, snatched the phone from my hand, and smashed it violently onto the floor. "Sloane, you are completely unreasonable!" "Tomorrow is our wedding. You better spend tonight reflecting on what you did wrong. Don't you dare embarrass me at the altar tomorrow!" He wrapped his arm around a sobbing Ivy and stormed out. His friends threw a few mocking comments my way and scattered. I looked at the mess on the floor and slowly smiled. I'm going to embarrass you? Alright. Let's see who ends up embarrassed tomorrow! I went home, pulled out my backup phone, and dialed a number: "Run a background check on Ivy Thorne, and that father of hers who supposedly died saving Carter's dad." "I want to know absolutely everything about their family. The dirtier, the better." The person on the other end chuckled. "Boss lady, it's the night before your wedding. You sure you want to play this big?" "Cut the crap. Before morning, I want every single file in my inbox." I hung up and looked at my cold reflection in the mirror. Carter Sterling. Ivy Thorne. You thought this was over? I was born a survivor. Since you dared to throw dirty water on me... I'm going to boil that water with your blood, and burn you both alive in it. The next day, the Wedding of the Century between the Sterling and Kensington families was the talk of the city. My dad whispered to me: "Sloane, keep your temper in check. Today is your big day." "If you really don't like Carter, just keep him around as a pretty face to serve you. At the end of the day, our family holds the real power in this merger." I smiled slightly but didn't say anything. My temper has never been something I could just 'keep in check' simply because I wanted to. As soon as I walked into the bridal suite, my phone rang. I answered it, only to hear Ivy’s tearful, victimized voice. I instantly realized what was happening. I swiftly connected my phone's Bluetooth to the venue's main PA system. The guests in the grand hall froze as the following audio blasted through the speakers. "Carter, it's all my fault. If you hadn't comforted me yesterday, we wouldn't have done something so crazy and slept together." "But you're getting married today. You gave your first time to me... What if Sloane finds out and ruins the wedding?" Then, Carter’s voice echoed through the hall: "It's not your fault. If Sloane hadn't provoked you, that accident never would have happened between us." "If you get pregnant, keep the baby. I'll take care of both of you." I leisurely walked out onto the stage and took a microphone. "My apologies, everyone. Thanks for bearing with the entertainment." "It seems my fiancé has some 'friendly' business to take care of before the ceremony can begin." Mr. and Mrs. Sterling turned green. They roared toward the backstage area: "Carter, you piece of trash! Get out here right now!" Carter quickly emerged from the VIP lounge. Mr. Sterling marched up and slapped him hard across the face. "Apologize to Sloane! If you can't get her to forgive you today, you are no longer my son!" Upon realizing that their conversation had been broadcasted, Carter glared at me with pure hatred. But intimidated by his father's wrath, he reluctantly offered an apology: "I'm sorry, Sloane. What happened with Ivy was a mistake. I swear to you, I will never see her again!" He stared at me with venom in his eyes. I returned his gaze with a breezy, unbothered smile. Trying to play me? You're out of your league. But there was truly no need for this marriage anymore. I have no interest in keeping a dirty man. Just as I was about to speak, a photo was sent to my phone. I tapped it open, and the color instantly drained from my face. I froze in place. The photo showed my mother, bound with thick ropes, dangling over the edge of a skyscraper roof! My phone rang immediately. I answered it in a panic. "Sloane, want your mother to live?" "Come up to the rooftop alone. If you try anything smart, I'll drop her off the edge." The call disconnected. I sprinted toward the top floor like a madwoman. Whoever dared to touch my mother would have their entire bloodline buried with her! But the moment I pushed open the rooftop door, several figures lunged at me and pinned me to the concrete. Ivy's face hovered above mine, a manic, twisted smile stretching across her lips. "Sloane, didn't you say you like playing games?" "You dared to ruin things between me and Carter. Today, I'm going to play with you until you break!" "I'm going to let everyone see what the high-and-mighty Miss Kensington looks like stripped naked, panting like a bitch underneath a bunch of men." Carter’s groomsmen surrounded us, their faces twisted with malicious glee. "Sloane, weren't you acting so tough before? Let's see you act tough now." "By the time we're done making you feel good, I guarantee you'll be taking a detour every time you see us." Ivy crouched down and slapped me hard across the cheek: "Sloane, I'm going to livestream every filthy second of this. I want all your high-society friends to admire your performance." "Do you think your dad will thank us, or will he throw you in the river for bringing him such shame?" Ivy laughed triumphantly, forcing a handful of pills into my mouth. As my body began to burn and my face flushed crimson... She excitedly slapped my cheeks: "Why so quiet? Where's that heiress temper of yours?" "Beg me. Get on your knees and beg me right now, and maybe I'll tell them to be gentle." She leaned in close to my ear: "But once we're done playing with you, it'll be time to livestream that old bitch you call a mother." "Do you think everyone will enjoy watching a mother-daughter relay special?" I looked over at my mother, who was tied up and struggling desperately. Then, my violently trembling body completely lost control, and I began to laugh. One of the men kicked me impatiently. "What the hell are you laughing at?" I was laughing because it was funny. It was hilarious. Ivy was knocking on death's door and was entirely oblivious. Just then, the Wedding March began playing from the banquet hall downstairs. "And now, please put your hands together to welcome the bride and groom!" The music played on. After the applause died down, a long, awkward silence followed. I don't know how much time passed. The murmurs downstairs grew louder. "The groom has been waiting forever, where is the bride?" "I don't know, she was just here. Do you think she got cold feet?" The next second, someone gasped: "Look! The main screen!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "395010", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel