Chapter 1

### Chapter 1

My mother had a psychic do a reading. It said I had to marry this year, or something terrible would befall me.

The cards said Philip Winfield, the eldest Winfield son, was the best possible match for my fate, so my mother arranged the engagement on the spot.

I work in a classified government department, and my superior had a wedding gown custom-made just for me.

On the day of the wedding, I pushed open the door to the hotel dressing room and found my gown already on someone else. Rose Whitney, the groom's foster sister, was wearing it.

Her chest strained against the dress like it might split the seams, and she gave me a nasty little smile.

"Sorry about this. Philip and I got a little carried away this morning. I didn't mean to dirty it."

Only then did I notice the hem she'd pinched between her fingers, stained with a few smears that hadn't fully dried.

My scalp prickled, and heat shot straight to the top of my head.

Before I could react, my would-be mother-in-law shoved the door open and hurled a bridesmaid dress in my face.

"Put it on. Now!"

I stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief. "This is a bridesmaid dress! Are you out of your mind?"

Her face went dark, and she flung a sheet of paper at me.

"Little slut. Letting you into the Winfield family at all is doing you a favor. Don't push your luck."

I looked down at the words on the page, "Certificate of Miscarriage," and it took me a long moment to swallow my anger.

Then I called Philip.

"You and your foster sister ruined my gown, and your mother is smearing my name. Philip, is there any point in going through with this wedding?"

The voice on the other end came back cold and full of itself.

"What are you making a scene about? A shameless woman like you, and I'm still willing to marry you. That's your good fortune."

But barely half a day later, it was his entire family kneeling on the floor, crying and begging me to forgive them.

1.

This wedding was nothing as simple as they imagined. It bore on my future, and even more on the Winfields' future. My department had already sent several agents in secret just to vet the Winfield Group from every angle.

If Philip had shown even a little decency, I might have considered ending things peacefully and explaining it all properly to my superior.

But before I could say anything more, he'd already hung up on me.

Were the rich all this insufferable?

Watching the shock on my face, Rose looked ready to laugh herself apart.

"If I were you, I'd just put on the bridesmaid dress like a good girl and spare myself the humiliation."

Mrs. Winfield folded her arms and looked me up and down.

"Don't think that latching onto the Winfields turns a loose little sparrow into a swan."

Not only were my clothes plain, but because of my work I wasn't wearing a single piece of jewelry.

If even my would-be mother-in-law looked down on me like this.

Then there was truly no reason to go through with this marriage.

I held up that miscarriage certificate and said coldly, "You ruined my wedding and trampled on my dignity, and I haven't even come after you for it. But somehow you're the one looking down on me?"

As I spoke, I calmly took out my phone.

"Apologize, or I call the police right now. Try me."

Instead of being frightened, Rose stepped forward and shoved my shoulder.

"You little bitch, let me tell you something. Even the police chief wouldn't dare cross the Winfields. You think the cops are going to help you?"

Her bright painted lips flapped open and shut, so close I could almost smell her breath.

I took a step back and frowned.

"This is a society with laws. Since when can a family like the Winfields do whatever they please?"

The words had barely left my mouth.

Crack!

A slap from Mrs. Winfield landed across my face before I saw it coming.

"You really don't know a favor when you see one, do you? Either you play bridesmaid and fill out the room, or you'll walk in here today and get carried out."

"Forget being my daughter-in-law. From now on you're nothing but a dog in the Winfield house!"

I'd spent years at my department with almost no contact with the outside world. I had no idea how to deal with women like this.

I lifted my burning face and clenched my teeth.

"I'd like to see exactly what you think you can do to me!"

I was about to make a call and bring people in when a waiter's shocked cry came from the doorway.

"My God, she actually dared to cross Mrs. Winfield and Miss Whitney. She must have a death wish."

"A slut who's had an abortion, and she's lucky there's even a bridesmaid dress for her. She's got the nerve to turn her nose up at it?"

"If Young Mr. Winfield's going to marry a shameless woman like that, he'd be better off marrying me."