At the altar, my own wedding altar, Jack Hayes held Mia Clark in his arms and made his announcement to the world. “Mia and I… we’re the ones who are truly in love. The woman I intend to marry today is her.” A collective gasp swept through the chapel. Every eye, filled with shock and pity, turned to me. But I didn't scream. I didn't cause a scene. In front of all our guests, I moved with a grace that felt foreign even to myself. I walked toward him, my couture gown rustling softly, and executed a perfect, polite curtsy. “My affection for you ends here, Jack.” “I wish you a happy marriage.” And, I added silently, this time, I wouldn't let my own foolish heart lead my family to ruin. 1. The moment Jack’s resonant voice faded, the air crackled with the guests' sharp inhales. I was, without a doubt, the tragic centerpiece of this spectacle. “Genevieve, it wasn’t until I met Mia that I understood what love truly is,” he continued, his voice thick with performative sincerity. “She’s taught me so much. My heart belongs only to Mia, and she’s the only one I want to marry.” “So please, I’m asking you to grant us your blessing.” The two of them gazed at each other, their eyes brimming with a love so profound it was almost theatrical. It was a perfect portrait, casting me as the wicked witch trying to tear two star-crossed lovers apart. Buoyed by Jack’s support, Mia found her courage. “Miss Sinclair,” she began, her voice trembling just so, “Jack doesn’t love you. Why force him into this? You can’t force happiness. A marriage without love is a prison. Jack and I are truly in love… please, I’m begging you, let us be together.” Her plea hung in the air, thick with manufactured desperation. I looked at them, clinging to each other on the stage that should have been mine, and a faint smile touched my lips. From the age of ten, I knew I would marry Jack Hayes. To become a woman worthy of standing by his side, I had sacrificed my childhood. While other girls played with dolls, I was studying wine tasting and art appreciation. While they compared pretty dresses, I had committed to memory the lineage and ledgers of every influential family in Crestwood. While they fretted over getting a perfect score on a final exam, I was mastering the delicate art of social politics, all to become the perfect partner for him. I knew that the woman beside Jack Hayes could never be a mere ornament. Perhaps it was that lifelong obsession that had twisted me into something unrecognizable. Marrying him, becoming the matriarch of the Hayes family, had become my sole purpose. I couldn’t even tell if it was love or a desperate need for possession. But in my past life, the title I had fought tooth and nail for became the very sword Jack used to destroy my family’s company, Sinclair Industries. This time, I had no intention of sinking into the toxic mire of the Hayes family. I gathered the skirt of my custom-made gown and walked, step by deliberate step, toward the stage. My family’s bodyguards trailed behind me, their bodies tense, ready to tackle me to the ground at the slightest hint of a scene. But I simply stopped, a good ten feet from Jack. I curtsied again, my form flawless, my posture elegant. “My affection for you ends here, Jack.” “And again, I wish you a happy marriage.” Jack stared, clearly stunned. He had obviously braced himself for a fight, a tantrum, anything but this quiet, swift acceptance. The next second, his mother, Mrs. Hayes, stormed the stage. She lunged for Mia, her hand raised to strike, but Jack intercepted her, shielding Mia with his own body. Forgetting all decorum, his mother unleashed a torrent of fury. “You worthless, ungrateful boy! Casting aside a perfect match from a fine family for this… this nobody from nowhere! You've shamed us all! What can she do besides play the victim and manipulate your pity?” Mia’s face flushed a deep crimson, but Jack only held her tighter, as if she were a priceless treasure. “Genevieve has everything and everyone,” he declared, his voice ringing with conviction. “But Mia… she only has me. Genevieve and I grew up together. If a spark was ever going to happen, it would have happened by now. I don’t love her! Why does everyone keep trying to force us together? There’s no happiness in a loveless marriage. I want the world to know that Mia is the only one I love, and I want to give her the best of everything!” His impassioned, self-righteous speech earned a few muffled snickers from the guests. Marriages among the elite were never so simple. Then, Jack turned his righteous anger on me. “You don’t love me either, do you? A business merger like us would never be happy.” I didn’t answer. Instead, I silently slipped the engagement ring from my finger. I was about to return it when I noticed a dazzling, expensive-looking diamond already gracing Mia’s ring finger. A humorless smile played on my lips. I turned to the bodyguard beside me, took his gloved hand, and placed my ring in his palm. “Return to sender.” Mrs. Hayes grabbed my arm, her eyes pleading with me to stay. But my father stepped in, firmly removing her hand. “Since the Hayes family has clearly made other arrangements, we will not impose any longer.” With that, he took my arm and led me away, his back ramrod straight with fury. Because of a careless joke made by our parents years ago, I had spent eighteen years loving Jack Hayes. I’d endured the sneers of our social circle, who called me his lapdog, and I had simply smiled through it. Their laughter meant nothing because I knew that, in the end, I would be the one marrying into the Hayes family. It was only when I had finally clawed my way to that position that I realized my foolishness had dragged me, and my parents, into an abyss. This time, I was done playing their game. That den of vipers? They could have it. 2. The moment we were in the car, my father’s rage erupted. “That bastard Jack Hayes! To abandon my daughter at the altar… Unbelievable! First thing tomorrow, I’m telling my secretary to halt all joint ventures with the Hayes corporation!” he thundered, his voice bouncing off the leather interior. “If it weren’t for my respect for his father, who would ever want to marry their daughter to that piece of trash! My Genevieve is brilliant, accomplished! The line of suitors is a mile long, and he dares to humiliate her like this? I need to hire someone to teach that punk a lesson he’ll never forget.” My mother tried to soothe him, but it was no use. If my father had a machine gun right now, I was certain he’d level the entire Hayes estate. A small laugh escaped my lips. My father stopped his tirade, looking at me with concern. “Honey, have you been shocked into a daze?” I squeezed my parents’ hands, feeling the warmth of their skin against mine. It wasn't the cold, lifeless touch I remembered. The raw emotion of it all made my eyes well up. Thinking I was heartbroken, my dad immediately ordered the driver to turn back around to confront Jack. I quickly stopped him. “Dad, even if Jack hadn’t pulled this stunt today, I was going to call off the wedding.” My father’s mouth opened, but he swallowed his curiosity, afraid of upsetting me further. I watched the city lights streak past the window before turning to face my parents, my expression serious. “Here, at home, I’m the apple of your eye, cherished and protected. But if I went to the Hayes family, I’d be nothing more than a pawn to secure their business, a vessel for producing an heir.” They stared at me, completely bewildered. In my previous life, when Jack had brought Mia to crash our wedding, I had fought back with the ferocity of a cornered animal. I was determined to marry him, even if it meant turning our wedding into a battlefield. The dress was torn, champagne glasses shattered, and the beautifully decorated venue was reduced to rubble. In the end, under pressure from all sides, Jack had relented. He married me, his heart full of resentment, and thus began the tragic second act of my life. To punish me for "stealing" Mia's place, Jack was cold and distant. He began a hostile takeover of my family's company as his ultimate revenge. My mother-in-law, blaming me for failing to secure her son's heart, grew more critical by the day. “You’ve been married into this family for how long now, and still no sign of a pregnancy?” she would sneer. I could only offer a bitter smile in return. Because of Jack’s disdain, the entire Hayes clan treated me with contempt. Eventually, Sinclair Industries was fully acquired. My parents, broken and defeated, jumped from their office building. I was left with nothing, a pathetic dependent living on the scraps of the Hayes family’s charity. The final straw was the news of Mia giving birth to Jack’s child. I looked my parents in the eyes, my voice steady. “That kind of life… it would be a living hell. An agony I couldn't bear.” A gilded cage like that was its own special kind of torture. No identity, no joy. A world where even I couldn't protect myself—and yet, it was the very world Mia was desperate to enter. Perhaps with Jack protecting her, things would be different. But none of that mattered to me anymore. After hearing me out, my parents’ brows were deeply furrowed as they processed the weight of my words. Finally, my father’s gaze softened. “Then what do you want to do now, my dear?” “I’m going to go back to school. Get my master's.” Then, I let myself be a child again, burrowing into my mother’s arms. “Sinclair Industries is my future, after all. I’m going to make it stronger than ever before.” The heavy atmosphere in the car was shattered by my father’s booming laugh. “Hahaha! That’s my girl! The daughter of Robert Sinclair! I’ll have my assistant make the arrangements immediately.” Within days, all the paperwork for my studies abroad was complete. The day I left, I told no one. A heavy snow was falling, blanketing the city in white, just like it had on New Year's Eve all those years ago. A younger Jack had proudly taken my hand in front of our families, announcing with childish bravado, “This is my girl!”—sending the adults into peals of laughter. It was all just a misunderstanding in the end. I scrolled through the news on my phone before boarding. A headline caught my eye, accompanied by a picture of Jack and Mia: Cinderella and Prince Charming Finally Get Their Happily Ever After. I smiled softly. I switched off my phone, picked up my boarding pass, and walked away without a backward glance. 3. Three years later, I returned with a master's degree, ready to officially take the reins of the company. To celebrate my homecoming, my friends in our social circle threw me a welcome-back party. I’d developed a taste for fine liquor during my years away, so my best friend, Chelsea, had chosen a chic, upscale bar. The moment I walked in, however, my eyes landed on Jack, sitting alone in a dim corner. He saw me at the same time. Our gazes met, and I frowned involuntarily. "What's he doing here?" Chelsea shrugged. “You know how it is. Our circle isn’t that big. The second news of your return broke, it spread like wildfire. Of course, the Hayes family heard about it.” I nodded. In our world, the slightest whisper could become public knowledge in minutes. Especially with my parents, who were prone to bragging about me. I glanced back at Jack. He was radiating a "do not approach" vibe. “Is Mia not with him?” I asked. Chelsea leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t even get me started! She’s the walking punchline of our entire social circle. Anyone who gets associated with her ends up being ostracized. It's like she's cursed. So everyone keeps their distance.” I gave her a questioning look, but she just shook her head, not wanting to elaborate further. Instead, she pushed me toward the crowd with a grin. “Alright everyone! Tonight, if our girl Genevieve walks out of here sober, it’s on every single one of you!” That was all the encouragement they needed. One by one, they came up to toast me, and I graciously accepted each drink with a smile. For three years, I had poured every ounce of my energy into my studies, wishing I had eight brains to absorb all the information. Now that I was back, I deserved to let loose. I’d only had a few drinks when a hand closed over my glass, pulling it away. It was Jack. “You’re a lightweight. Don’t drink so much.” I was not in the mood for his unsolicited concern. I simply took the glass back. He tried to grab it again, but I sidestepped him easily. “Don’t be a spoilsport, Mr. Hayes,” I said, my tone light but firm. God, I hated men who thought they could make decisions for me. My playful rebuke clearly caught him off guard. He just stood there, stunned. I had always navigated these social scenes with ease, and now, my skills were even sharper. I didn't need a knight, and I certainly didn't need a prince to protect me. Turning my back on him, I clinked glasses with the handsome son of a real estate tycoon. Jack remained half a step behind me for the rest of the night, a silent, brooding shadow. I didn’t give him another glance. Suddenly, someone shouted, “Look, fireworks!” I turned toward the large window. The night sky had erupted in a dazzling display of color. Brilliant bursts of white, red, and yellow painted the darkness. Jack moved to stand beside me, holding his drink. He leaned in close, his voice a low murmur in my ear. “Do you like them?” When I didn’t respond, he smiled faintly. “I promised I’d give you a spectacular fireworks show one day. It’s a shame you were abroad all these years. I never got the chance.” I watched the vibrant explosions silently. He had said that once, a long time ago. But childish promises fade with time, lost to the river of years. And I no longer needed them. I pulled myself back to the present and gently tapped my glass against his. I offered him a perfect, practiced smile. “Thank you for the gift, Mr. Hayes.” My detached, formal reply seemed to throw him. “You’ve changed,” he murmured, his voice low.
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