Chapter 1 Five years into my London assignment, my brother suddenly texted me to say he was getting married. The woman in the engagement photo was the gold digger who’d stolen my first love. She didn't know my real identity. After stealing my college boyfriend, she’d flipped the script and painted me as the other woman. She got me bullied by the entire campus for four years. I saw red. My brother, Michael, was still rattling on, oblivious. "Hannah! Please, I love her, I really do! She’s not like those other women. She never asks me to buy her luxury crap. I’ve already decided—we’re getting the license!" "Mom and Dad said you handle all the family's assets, and that we need your approval to welcome Selena into the family. Please, sis, just this once. I swear, she's the one." "You don't believe me? Look, Selena is gorgeous. It was love at first sight. I swear I won't marry anyone else!" I hung up and went straight to Selena Song's Instagram. Her latest post was a shot of her Harry Winston custom engagement ring. "Only one in the world," the caption read. I looked at the identical diamond on my own hand and my blood boiled. I was about to message Selena when I saw her DM from two hours ago. An invitation to the wedding. "Hey, loser. You said someone like me would never land a billionaire. Well, how do you like me now?" "Why no reply? Scared to show your face and admit I won?" "It's okay to admit you can't compete. After all... no real man wants an uptight prude." I actually laughed out loud. "You invited me, Selena," I texted back. "Don't regret it." 1 I booked the red-eye and flew back to New York. The Manhattan penthouse was empty; everyone was already upstate, setting up for Michael's wedding. Every luxury car from our garage had been sent ahead for the wedding motorcade. I crashed for a few hours. To get to the old family estate, the only car left was the "cheapest" one: our $150,000 Mercedes Sprinter van, the one we used for staff and luggage. When I arrived at the estate, the lawn was already full of guests. A crowd of young women was busy taking selfies in front of the old, dilapidated mansion. I was confused. What was so special about this dump? Years ago, after I’d doubled the company’s size, I decided this old place was too dark. I'd moved us into a glass penthouse with a real view. No one had set foot in this house for a decade. "Selena, you're amazing!" one of the women gushed, phone held high. "This house must be worth, what, twenty million?" "I can't believe it. You're going to be the lady of this mansion!" "I can't even dream this big! Can we come crash here sometime? Please!" Selena’s chin was in the air. "Of course. I'll just mention it to Michael. Just use my name at the gate from now on, security will let you in." My old college roommate practically bowed. "Selena, I always said you and Leo were the better match. If I wasn't scared of Hannah Gu, I would have totally been on your side!" "But thank God you dumped Leo! I heard his family went bankrupt. Your luck is just insane. You ditch one trust-fund baby and land the son of a billionaire! If you know any other rich guys, you have to save one for me!" Leo. My college boyfriend. After Selena stole him, she’d make a point to make out with him right in front of me. In response, I’d made one call and had my family pull all our contracts with his father’s company. The moment he was broke, Selena dumped him. And now, this opportunistic roach had somehow managed to sink her claws into my idiot brother. I was about to walk over when my old roommate spotted me. Her face soured. "Well, speak of the devil. If it isn't Selena's runner-up." "What brings you here? We all thought you were too busy making your 'fortune' to hang out with old classmates." Another woman chimed in. "Right? She dropped out of the alumni chat right after graduation. Never came to a single reunion. Guess she was afraid we'd laugh at her." Then, someone noticed the Sprinter van I’d arrived in. They howled with laughter. "Oh, she’s making a 'fortune' all right! As a nanny for some rich family! Did you stop by on your way to the grocery store? You better hurry back. You don’t want to get fired for being late with dinner!" "What’s that saying? Champagne taste on a beer budget. After Leo dumped her, she swore she’d make him regret it. Now look at her. This is just sad." I sighed. "Open your eyes. Yes, it’s a van, but it’s a Mercedes. It costs over 150 grand." "What? A $150,000 van? Who the hell hires a nanny that drives a car like that?" Selena's face went pale, then twisted. "Who else? The Gu family!" Chapter 2 "Hannah Gu! You tried to steal my man in college, and now that I’m marrying Michael, you’re shamelessly sinking your claws into his family? Did your parents teach you nothing about basic decency?" "Are you that addicted to being a homewrecker? You are just born trash!" I was so stunned by the accusation I couldn't even speak. Before I could, Selena was circling the van. "That's right! This is my husband's family van! I saw the housekeeper driving it when I stayed over. Back then, it was driven by this fifty-year-old woman who’d worked for the family her whole life." "I even threw a fit and told Michael they treated their staff too well, and that he'd have to buy me an even more expensive car!" She jabbed a finger in my face. "You steal my boyfriend, fine! But now you're stealing a poor old woman's job? How desperate are you to sleep your way into this family? You have no shame!" "That woman has a mortgage to pay! You're basically murdering her!" A sharp CRACK echoed as her palm connected with my cheek. It stunned me. "Selena, are you insane!" "You need to provide evidence for an accusation like that. I'm calling the cops!" Before she could answer, her friends lunged. "Evidence? Everyone knows you pretended to be a poor, pathetic waitress at that restaurant just to chase Leo!" "You were always bringing food to the guy's dorm, selling water at his basketball games... you practically had 'DESPERATE' tattooed on your forehead!" "Totally! I remember she even hid a love letter in his takeout box!" "If Leo didn't have high standards and choose our Selena, that bitch might have actually succeeded!" One of them gasped, a look of horrified realization on her face. "Selena! What if she already knew about you and Michael? Why else would she just happen to get a job as the Gu family's nanny right when you're getting married?" "You've got a stalker, girl! You'll have to sleep with one eye open! God knows you'll wake up one night and find her in bed with your husband!" Selena's face was purple with rage. "I knew someone was stalking my Instagram! It was you! Again!" "There are millions of men in the world. Why do you always have to chase mine? You’re a goddamn infection! Shameless!" She was screaming. Every guest on the lawn turned to stare. As they pieced her words together, their expressions turned to disgust. "I knew rich guys had mistresses, but I’ve never seen one bold enough to crash the wedding." "My company's future depends on a partnership with the Gu family. I can't let this cheap slut ruin this!" A mob started to form, all of them yelling at me, calling me every filthy name in the book, demanding I get off the Gu family's property. Selena pulled out her phone and dialed Michael. "Fire that new nanny! I don't like her!" My brother's voice was tinny, confused. "What? But last time, you said you loved her cooking." "Well, I don't like her now! If you keep her, you can forget about this wedding!" "It's her or me, Michael! Your choice!" I tried to get my phone to explain. My head snapped to the side as one of her friends slapped me. Hard. Another one grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. "What? You gonna tattle? Michael only has eyes for Selena. Give it up, you slut!" "You couldn't beat her in college. You really think you can win now, as a nanny? Dream on!" "If you make a single sound, I'll break your jaw." I couldn't move. They slapped me over and over, my ears ringing. Then, I heard my brother's voice from Selena's phone, resigned and final. "Selena. I choose you." "Don't worry, okay? The nanny is fired. Please, don't be mad at me." That idiot! Selena hung up and smirked, looming over me. "How does that feel, Hannah? I told you I'd deal with you." "Now... get the hell off this property." I shoved my attackers off and spat the blood from my mouth. "I leave," I said, my voice cold, "and your wedding is over." As I wiped my mouth, one of them spotted my hand. "Selena! How does she have your wedding ring?" Selena went ballistic. "She must have stolen it! Get it back! Get it off her!" A group of them swarmed me, pinning my arms. My blood was pounding in my head. I roared, "Get off me! This ring isn't yours! It's mine!" "The one Michael gave you is a FAKE!" Selena lunged, her nails digging into my already swollen face. "My husband is a billionaire! He would never give me a fake!" "Do you know how much this ring costs? Seven figures! It’s a custom Harry Winston! One of one!" "You could sell your body for a hundred years and never afford this!" She turned to her friends. "What are you waiting for? Rip it off her!" "If she doesn’t give it, chop off her hand! I'll take responsibility!" Chapter 3 A volcanic rage gave me a burst of strength. I threw them off me and dialed my father. "Cancel the wedding! Song Lingling is not to set foot in our family!" "And get the lawyers. I'm suing her." My father was confused. "Hanyue? What are you saying? Your brother said this woman was a nice girl. Your mother and I have even met her." "Nice? She's about to chop my hand off!" The words ripped out of me. The next second, the phone was ripped from my hand. Selena, holding it, started screaming into the receiver. "Listen up, you old fossil! You must be Hannah’s sugar daddy, right? Do you know your whore is out here trying to sleep with other women's husbands?" "You better leash your dog! If I ever see this bitch again, I'll beat the shit out of both of you!" My father’s voice boomed, furious. "Who is this? Give my daughter back her phone!" Selena spat. "Daughter? You’re sick, old man, playing games like that." "I'll tell you who I am. I'm Selena Song! The future mistress of the Gu family! You got a problem with that, you come find me. I'll be waiting!" Before my father could speak, she smashed my phone on the cobblestones, shattering it. Her friends cheered. "Damn, Selena! Badass! Spoken like a true Mrs. Gu!" "That's nothing! Ten more old guys could show up, and I'd send them all home in an ambulance!" "Nobody messes with the Gu family!" Selena, drunk on the praise, turned her attention back to the ring on my hand. "Why is it still on her? Do I have to do it myself?" She was unhinged. Afraid she'd damage the ring, I pulled it off and handed it to her. She snatched it, but she wasn't done. "You think you can just walk away after stealing my ring? Not so fast." My face was grim. "What do you want?" "Hold her down! If she'd steal a ring, who knows what else she's stolen from the house!" "What belongs to the Gu family belongs to me. You stole from me, and you're going to pay!" Two of them grabbed me, forcing me to the ground. The others went to the van and grabbed my briefcase. I panicked. "Don't touch that! Those are vital company documents!" The woman holding it burst out laughing. "You? A company? 'Vital documents'?" "What company does a nanny have? A housekeeping service?" Another one sneered, "No, stupid. She's a mistress who climbs into beds. It's a 'call girl' company! Hahaha!" They threw my briefcase on the ground. Selena stepped on it, grinding her heel in. "Important, huh? This must be where you've hidden all the stolen goods." "Open it!" I was seeing black, struggling against the hands holding me down, but it was useless. I watched, helpless, as Selena pulled out the files. My five years of work. The entire plan for our European expansion. Global market research. It was a multi-billion dollar strategy. If it succeeded, it would double our company's annual revenue. Selena glanced at the papers, her face wrinkling in disgust. "Just a few pieces of scrap paper. You were this worked up over paper?" "Let me show you, right now, what happens when you try to steal another woman's husband." And with a smile, she tore my life's work to shreds. My twenty thousand words of handwritten analysis, gone. I wanted to rip her face off. As I tried to get up, someone kicked me in the back, sending me face-first into the dirt. Seeing me so humiliated, Selena laughed. "You want them? Crawl and get them." "Get her phone. Let's see how many other men she's seducing. I'll post it online. It's a public service, really." One of them picked up my shattered phone and handed it to her. She managed to power it on and opened my work chat.
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