The Professional Bridesmaid's Revenge

I'm a professional bridesmaid. At a wedding, the bride asked me to share a love story.

I immediately said: My husband and I got married after knowing each other for only six months. Besides my parents, he's the person who loves and cherishes me most in this world.

He makes all my birthday wishes come true. He cooks me breakfast every day. When it rains, he always tilts the umbrella toward me.

Amid envious blessings, a girl suddenly stood up from the audience, looked at me with a smile and said: "Really? But Jace told me he loves me the most. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."

Gripping the microphone tightly, I recognized the girl immediately.

She was my husband's phone wallpaper.

His niece from abroad, no blood relation.

I suppressed my emotions, forcing a smile as I tried to lead her away.

But she shook off my hand, looked me up and down, her disgust and disdain unconcealed.

"Six months ago, if I hadn't made Jace angry and left the country, how could I have left him behind?"

"Why else would he settle for a woman like you?"

"You're only with Jace for money, aren't you? It's absolutely disgusting."

Vivian's tone and manner were exactly like a wronged wife confronting a mistress.

Yet I held the marriage certificate with Jace, but felt like discount merchandise, despised by her from head to toe.

I'd always known that Jace's brother had adopted the daughter of a fallen comrade.

Jace doted on her to the bone.

But I never imagined they had this kind of relationship.

My nails dug into my palms as I forced myself to stay calm, holding back from slapping Vivian at a client's wedding.

Guests were already pointing at us and gossiping.

"What's going on? This woman's husband is involved with his niece?"

"And the niece is openly competing for him right in front of her? What kind of family is this!"

"Just now this bridesmaid was saying how much her husband cherishes her. Sigh, looks like she's just another foolish woman."

The bride was already displeased, signaling me with her eyes to control the situation.

I pinched my palm hard, forcing a smile.

"What are you saying, Viv? If you've had too much to drink, go home. Jace is waiting for us."

Vivian laughed mockingly and without hesitation raised her hand and slapped me.

"You're not worthy of mentioning Jace in front of me. Jace loves me most. If you don't believe it, ask him yourself."

My struck ear was still ringing when I numbly turned my head.

I saw Vivian's feet give way as she fell sideways.

And Jace appeared just in time, catching Vivian in his arms.

Vivian buried herself in his embrace.

"Jace, I missed you so much."

Jace stroked her head, responding indulgently.

"Mm, I know."

In that instant, my heart felt like it had been completely carved out, leaving me frozen in place, unable to move.

Eight years. I'd pursued Jace for eight whole years.

Later, when Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was busy earning money and lost contact with him.

Until six months ago, when Jace suddenly found me and proposed.

I thought he'd finally seen my worth, or had grown accustomed to my devotion.

Whatever the reason, as long as it was him, I was willing.

After marriage, Jace did the laundry and cooking, showing favoritism in every aspect of life.

I became even more certain he truly loved me.

But now I was being told all of this was just because Vivian had left the country in a fit of anger, and Jace was settling out of spite?

"Sorry, my kid is a bit willful. I'll take her away. Compensation will be transferred to your account shortly."

Jace carried Vivian princess-style and left. The Maybach's exhaust quickly disappeared.

I couldn't help but laugh, tears streaming down simultaneously.

To pay for Mom's treatment, I worked desperately to earn money.

Professional bridesmaid, pet funeral director, dog walker, hourly worker...

Wherever people were needed, I went, working almost 24 hours without rest.

How ridiculous that only now did I discover my pillow partner who earned three thousand a month and occasionally needed my financial support actually drove luxury cars and wore custom clothes.

The most laughable part wasn't even that.

It was what Jace whispered as he brushed past me.

"Say one wrong word, and you'll be collecting your mother's corpse."

After the wedding ended, I swiped my card to compensate the bride.

Only to find my bank card had been frozen.

I immediately understood Jace had manipulated it.

I was reported by the bride and kicked out of the ceremony.

When I messaged my boss to explain, all I saw was a glaring red exclamation mark.

I took a deep breath, forced to face reality.

I'd lost this job. Mom's life-saving money had decreased by another source.

On the way home, I leaned against the car window, pupils dilated, eyes unable to focus.

I couldn't understand how days that should have gotten better and better had turned out like this.

That winter, Dad was hit by a car and became a vegetable. The driver fled the scene. Mom couldn't handle the shock and fainted.

Leaving only sixteen-year-old me to take charge.

During that time, I often stared blankly at the 17th-floor window.

That's when Jace appeared like a ray of light.

He helped me raise money, took care of Mom, comforted my emotions.

And arranged Dad's funeral when he passed away.

Jace was the deity heaven sent to me.

I couldn't believe he'd never loved me.

When the car reached its destination, I pulled myself from my memories.

I needed to ask Jace for answers.

Pushing open the door, inappropriate sounds came from the bedroom.

"Jace, I've always loved you. I don't want to leave you. Please break up with that old woman, okay?"

"Just thinking about you kissing her, having children with herI'm going crazy."

"Jace, don't you love me?"

I froze in place, legs as if filled with cement, unable to move a step.

The next second, Jace's low voice came through.

"I won't allow her to give birth to a child."

A thunderous crashmy mind went completely blank.

We'd had a child.

It was the night he proposed six months ago. I was overjoyed, thinking it was heaven's gift to us lovers finally united.

Later I lost the baby from overwork and blamed myself painfully for a long time.

Could it be...

I burst through the door, voice trembling with tears.

"The babywhat really happened with the baby!"

Vivian shrieked, followed by a glass being thrown at my forehead.

"Get out!"

Tears welled in my eyes as I wanted to curse these shameless pair.

But when I opened my mouth, I choked, unable to say anything.

Ten minutes ago, Jace had backed Vivian, not giving me a single glance from start to finish.

And now they were intimate on my bed while I stood there bleeding.

Jace was startled for a moment and immediately got up to walk toward me.

Before he could take half a step, Vivian grabbed him tightly.

She said petulantly, "Jace, if you make me angry again, I'll never speak to you again!"

He looked so helpless as he bent down to kiss her forehead.

I held back my tears, fixated on one question.

"Was the baby really..."

"Yes. I didn't want to make Vivian unhappy."

Jace said it so casually, as if discussing something as trivial as taking out the trash.

I smiled bitterly. At this moment, I was a joke.

A joke played for a fool.

"Jace, let's get divorced."

Jace responded indifferently, "Fine."

I was truly exhausted and turned to leave.

My phone suddenly rang. "Ms. Shaw? Your mother's condition isn't good. Please prepare two hundred thousand for surgery immediately."

My mind exploded with a boom, blood taste filling my mouth.

I lowered my head to Jace.

"Please, save my mother."

"What? Jace, you're still spending money on her?"

"Didn't I say your money can only be spent on me!"

Vivian's tears came instantly, leaving Jace flustered like a clueless boy.

He could only turn and threaten me.

"Help me explain. I'll unfreeze your bank card."

I didn't hesitate for a second. "Vivian, you've misunderstood. He's never spent a penny on me."

"I even thought his monthly salary was only three thousand, and I gave him an extra thousand for household expenses every month."

Vivian smiled satisfactorily, hugging Jace's waist coquettishly.

The two flirted while my mother couldn't wait.

"Jace, the bank card!"

After watching him unfreeze it, I immediately rushed to the hospital.

Mom had already fallen into a coma. I transferred all one hundred thousand from the card to the bank, but still needed another hundred thousand.

I begged bosses from various jobs but only scraped together thirty thousand.

My last hope could only rest with Jace.

"Jace, I'm still seventy thousand short. Consider it a loan. I'll definitely pay you back later. Please let my mother get treatment, okay?"

Before Jace could speak, Vivian panicked.

"No way! I've seen plenty of materialistic women like you who'll do anything for money, even using your mother's illness as an excuse. How shameless!"

"I'm not lying..."

I was about to confront her when I turned and saw broken pieces in the corner.

I immediately lunged over.

Tears fell uncontrollably as I roared, "Who did this! Who did this!"

Vivian giggled. "Hehe, my hand slipped accidentally. You won't blame me, will you?"

The pain in my heart nearly made me pass out.

Jace stood protectively in front of Vivian. "Vivian hasn't seen this kind of camera before. She was just curious and took a closer look. It was an accident."

I slowly stood up, staring hard at his face.

"Jace, you know this is the only thing my father left me. You know how much I treasure it normally. And now you're treating me like an idiot with simple words like 'accident' and 'didn't mean to'?"

Jace's initially reluctant expression showed a hint of impatience.

"What more do you want?"

Vivian leaned close to my ear. "I know why you fell hopelessly in love with Jace."

"There's something you don't know. The hit-and-run driver who killed your father was me."

"I was a minor then. Jace didn't want me to go to prison, so he ran away with me."

"Helping you later was just to clean up my mess. Did you really think anyone would help you that selflessly?"

My eyes turned red as I slapped Vivian hard across the face.

Vivian screamed as I was pushed to the ground.

"Vivian, are you okay?"

Vivian said nothing, just looked at Jace with red, pitiful eyes.

Jace immediately grabbed me and shoved me into a small room.

The door locked from outside. I crawled over using my hands and feet, but was already locked inside.

"Jace, let me out!"

"My mother is still waiting for me. I can't waste time here."

I screamed hoarsely, nearly desperate.

"Jace, if anything happens to my mother, I'll hate you forever!"

Jace's cold voice came through. "What could happen to your mom? She's been on medication for three years and hasn't died yet."

"I think I've been too good to you. You need to be taught a lesson."

I slumped powerlessly to the floor. Was this his idea of being good to me?

Even our first meeting was a lie.

Now I felt like I was standing in fog, seeing Jace less and less clearly.

Then my phone rang.

"Ms. Shaw, your mother couldn't be resuscitated. Please accept our condolences."

When the door opened, I took a long time to finally relearn how to walk, moving my steps.

Jace reached out to support me, anxiously explaining, "Summer, I didn't know Mom was really critically ill. If I'd known, how could I possibly..."

I didn't give him a single glance, walking straight past.

What's the point of saying these things now?

The plot beside Dad's grave was one Mom had bought for herself long ago.

Now I came to see her off on her final journey.

Tears fell like broken beads, one after another. My heart felt like it was being ground in a meat grinder.

I couldn't feel a single beat.

I didn't know if I was alive or dead.

I numbly wiped the dust from my parents' faces when suddenly a bouquet of chrysanthemums was placed beside me.

"Mom, rest in peace. I'll take good care of Summer."

My stomach churned violently. I almost vomited right there.

"Don't say such disgusting things in front of my mother. You're polluting her ears."

I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, keeping my tone as calm as possible.

"Jace, let's get divorced."

I thought he'd be happy I was voluntarily stepping aside.

But his eyes remained indifferent. "After the divorce, where do you want to go?"

"Riverport?"

I looked up sharply.

He remained calm and cold. "I've already declined Riverport University's invitation on your behalf and recommended Vivian instead."

"Vivian will go in your place to advance her photography skills. I'll stay with you and fulfill my duties as a husband."

I pushed him away and roared.

"What gives you the right to make decisions for me!"

"You know my life's faith is to become a deep-sea photographer and fulfill my father's last wish. I finally got this training opportunity, and you gave it to your mistress! What gives you the right!"

"Who do you think you are? Who wants you to stay with them?"

I raised my fists and pounded on him, but Jace just looked at me coldly.

He was certain I couldn't do anything about it.

Just like when Dad's camera was smashed to piecesbesides heartache, I could do nothing.

"Jace, so you're here! I found you!"

Vivian skipped over and jumped into Jace's arms.

Pointing at Mom's portrait, she yelled, "What is this thing!"

"Jace, I had my eye on this plot long ago! The dog we raised together for nine years is buried here. How can we let some dirty thing disturb its peace!"

Jace hesitated slightly. "But..."

Vivian cried and made a scene. "I don't care! I want Summer to dig out that old woman's ashes and kneel to apologize to my dog!"

"Otherwise I'll never speak to you again!"

Whenever Vivian used this tactic, Jace would absolutely obey.

Sure enough, Jace looked at me.

"Vivian is young. Just give in to her."

"Slap!"

I used all my strength to deliver that slap.

Staring coldly at Jace. "Are those even human words?"

Vivian kept making a scene. Jace personally held me down.

Just as my knees were about to hit the ground, a group of people holding cameras swarmed forward, practically shoving them in Vivian's and Jace's faces.

"You're the girl who disrupted the wedding a few days ago, right? What was your psychology when you publicly provoked your aunt?"

"Miss Pool, rumors say you have an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert. Is this true?"

"Miss Pool, we heard you were adopted. You entered the wealthy Pool family at age five. Have you maintained this inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert since you were five?"

"Mr. Lambert, we heard Miss Pool aborted a child. Was the child yours?"