Ever since I got engaged to Liam Sterling, my entire family has died in a series of bizarre accidents. My little sister went hiking and was stung to death by a swarm of hornets, her body covered in swollen, venomous holes. My dad slipped at his construction site and fell into an industrial stone grinder. He was ground into hamburger meat; there was barely enough tissue left to identify him. My mom suffered a massive, fatal heart attack while playing bingo. In just one short month, my entire family was wiped off the face of the earth. It wasn’t until the day of their joint funeral that I overheard a conversation between my fiancé and his ex-wife. "Three dead bodies isn't enough for you? I'm begging you, can we just let Chloe go?" "What, are you falling in love with her?" His ex-wife’s voice was venomous. "Don't you forget, you are the sole beneficiary of all those life insurance policies. That Rolex on your wrist was bought with her family's blood!" My fiancé’s voice wavered. "It's not that. Sometimes, leaving someone alive to suffer the grief of losing their whole family is a worse punishment. Let her live." "On our wedding night, I'll pay a few homeless junkies off the street to violate her. That should be enough." It turned out my entire fairytale romance was nothing but a horrifying, calculated murder plot. Since he had such a special "gift" planned for our wedding night, it was only fair that I return the favor. I needed to prepare a massive gift of my own. 1 "You make a good point. Letting her live the rest of her life utterly alone, waking up to nightmares of her dead family... that does seem like better torture." Audrey finally compromised. Hearing that Audrey was willing to spare my life, Liam’s eyes lit up. "Good. I'll reach out to some thugs from the narrows and buy some roofies right now. I'll get your revenge." But before he could even unlock his phone, Audrey pushed his hand down. "I want them to watch us. I want her dead parents to see how much fun we're having!" Audrey actually reached out and shoved the lid of my father's casket open. She wasn't even going to let the dead rest in peace! But as the casket swung open, it was completely empty. It wasn't just Audrey who was shocked. Hiding in the shadows, I was stunned too. After my family died, I refused to let the morticians touch them. I had personally dressed them in their Sunday best and done their makeup. I watched them get placed into those caskets. How could they be gone? Liam quickly let out a lazy, arrogant laugh to explain. "I know how much you hate them, babe. So, a few days ago, I had their bodies secretly pulled, cremated off-the-books, and flushed the ashes down the sewer drain." "Come on, every second of our time is precious. Let's not waste it on dead people." How dare he! I bit down on the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. My insides were boiling with a rage so violent I almost lost control and leaped out to kill them both with my bare hands. But I knew I had to endure this. Otherwise, the grand stage I was setting would collapse. For the entire night, I hid silently beneath the memorial tables, my heart feeling like a gaping, freezing hole in my chest. It wasn't until they finally left that I crawled out. I used my bare hands to clean the disgusting fluids they had left on my family's memorial portraits. I dropped to my knees and pressed my forehead hard against the floor. "Mom, Dad, Lily... I'm so sorry. I'm so useless I couldn't even protect your rest. But it's okay. I promise I will avenge you." When I returned to our shared apartment, the unhinged monster from the funeral parlor had vanished. Liam was back to playing the perfect, grieving fiancé. Seeing me walk in, he handed me a heavy stack of accidental death and dismemberment insurance paperwork. "Chloe, paying for your family's medical bills and the funeral was incredibly expensive. I'm completely tapped out. You've had such a tragic streak of bad luck lately, what if you have an accident too? If we get you insured, at least we'll have money to cover your hospital bills." Is that right? My eyes drifted down to the gleaming Rolex on his wrist, and then to the massive Tiffany sapphire sparkling on Audrey's neck across the room. All of that was bought with my family's lives. Noticing my gaze, Liam quickly tried to cover his tracks. "Oh, this watch is just a cheap knockoff." "And Chloe, I didn't mean it like that. I just want us to have peace of mind. You aren't going to die! The worst that could happen is you end up paralyzed from the waist down and can't have kids." My family's deaths were premeditated murders. The only reason he was so confident I would "only" be paralyzed was because he had already planned for a gang of men to destroy me on my wedding night. Looking at his shifting, expectant eyes, I let out a soft laugh, easing his tension. "You're right. You've spent so much money helping my family lately. I'm clearly cursed. It's smart of you to be prepared." I happily signed my name on the dotted line. But as he excitedly examined the insurance policy, a dark, hidden smile curled on my lips. I had already planned everything for our wedding night. A few hours ago, I finalized a partnership with a man of terrifying wealth and power. He would help me strip away every ounce of wealth and glory Liam had stolen over my family's dead bodies. And in return, I would marry him. 2 Audrey Hayes was a live-in housekeeper Liam had hired. It was only very recently that I discovered she was actually his ex-wife. That night at the funeral, Audrey had only pretended to agree to spare my life. In reality, she was deeply jealous of how much Liam seemed to care about my survival. Since the funeral, she had orchestrated several covert assassination attempts against me. Like the time I was walking out of my apartment building, and a heavy ceramic potted plant plummeted from the roof, aiming straight for my skull. Even though she ran away quickly, I caught a glimpse of her signature dyed red hair leaning over the ledge. Or the time I was driving on the highway, and a massive semi-truck suddenly swerved into my lane. The brakes had mysteriously failed, and the driver was in a total panic. But from a distance, parked on an overpass, I saw Audrey watching the chaos unfold. She even tried to repeat her old tricks, secretly shoving a live hornet's nest into the backseat of my car. Three murder attempts. Three failures. I walked away without a single scratch. Because that powerful man was guarding me from the shadows. "My future wife is brilliant. Faking your signature on the policy to make her jealous and force her hand. We've collected all the evidence of her attempted murders." Reading his text, the corners of my lips turned up. Failing to kill me out in the open made Audrey’s glares grow increasingly unhinged. She couldn't take it anymore. She stopped hiding and decided to kill me right inside the house. She pushed me down the stairs, fracturing my leg. Then, taking advantage of my broken cast, she offered to help me bathe. She secretly sealed the bathtub drain with industrial glue and turned the water on full blast. She walked out, intending to let the water rise over my head and drown me. Outside the house, my protector could shield me. But inside, he had no idea what was happening. Watching the water level rise higher and higher, my heavy cast pinning my leg down, I thrashed wildly, desperately trying to pry the stopper out of the drain. But no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn't budge. Just as the water crested over my nose and I began to suffocate, Liam suddenly burst through the bathroom door. 3 He pulled me out and rushed me to the hospital. I was genuinely surprised he saved me. But when I woke up, he immediately made excuses. "Chloe, Audrey has terrible memory. She's so clumsy, she didn't do it on purpose. Please don't be mad at her, she gets scared easily." He had used those exact same words when she pushed me down the stairs. I turned my face away and didn't say a word. Sensing my coldness, Liam awkwardly tucked the blankets around me, told me to rest, and left the room. But Audrey wasn't going to give up that easily. A few days after I was discharged and resting at home, she laced my bowl of soup with liquid pesticide. I had barely swallowed a spoonful before Liam noticed the smell, slapped the bowl out of my hands, and carried me to the car, speeding to the ER. Even though it was only one bite, Audrey wanted me dead so badly she had dumped two entire bottles of poison into the broth. I went into shock. My organs began shutting down. While doctors fought to stabilize me, Liam paced frantically outside the ICU. Maybe God was trying to make up for my suffering, or maybe my sheer, burning desire for revenge was keeping my heart beating. I narrowly escaped death and woke up. When I opened my eyes, Liam wasn't by my bed. I unhooked my IV and walked weakly down the hall. Turning the corner near the stairwell, I spotted Liam and Audrey. Liam was gripping Audrey's wrist so hard his knuckles were white, looking like a brewing storm. "Didn't you promise me you wouldn't touch Chloe?! I already told you I was going to let her be destroyed on the wedding night!" Audrey let out a cold laugh and wrenched her hand free. "Liam, you really are falling in love with her, aren't you?! Did you forget how my father died?!" A little over a year ago, my dad, a construction foreman, organized a strike. He brought a banner to the wealthy developer's mansion, demanding the millions in unpaid wages owed to his crew. The protest made the local news. Crushed by the media pressure, the developer liquidated his assets and paid the workers. The very next day, the developer jumped off the roof of his corporate high-rise. My mind spun. That developer's name was Arthur Hayes. But my dad was doing the right thing! He was fighting for his starving crew! Arthur Hayes chose to kill himself—what did that have to do with my dad? What did that have to do with my innocent family?! "My father was your mentor! He pulled you out of the gutter! When we got divorced so you could go undercover, you swore to me you would make her entire family pay in blood!" Audrey's bitter, venomous voice shook Liam to his core, leaving him in a daze. Every time she brought up his debt to her father, Liam caved. A second later, he pulled Audrey into a fierce embrace. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I raised my voice and didn't consider your feelings." "I was just angry! I'm angry that you divorced me and pushed me into the arms of another woman. In this entire world, no woman can ever compare to you." As he spoke, Liam pressed his lips passionately against Audrey's. "Let me handle everything, okay? Your hands need to stay clean. I have the wedding night perfectly planned. There will be thugs, and I tipped off the tabloid media. I will completely destroy her reputation. I'll make her kneel at your feet and beg for mercy." Liam’s sweet, intoxicating promises finally melted Audrey's anger. She compromised. "Fine." Then, they began to passionately make out against the stairwell wall. I had heard enough. I turned around and walked away, completely disgusted by their live show. 4 Perhaps because Audrey actually listened to Liam, she stopped trying to murder me. A few days later, Liam sat by my bed and tried to explain away the poison. "Chloe, Audrey really didn't mean it. She thought the pesticide bottle was a new brand of liquid seasoning." Even he must have realized how utterly ridiculous that sounded. But Liam truly believed I was a naive idiot, delivering the lie with absolute sincerity. He smelled heavily of whiskey, drunkenly gripping my hand. If it were the old me, I would have sarcastically ripped him to shreds. But this time, I softened my voice, making it sound sweet and vulnerable. "This is the third time she's almost killed me. And you're still defending her? Are you my fiancé, or hers?!" I was never the submissive type, so my sudden display of soft, jealous vulnerability caught Liam completely off guard. He loved it. Acting like a spoiled, jealous little woman made my stomach physically churn, but I knew it was only temporary. Liam’s heart melted completely. He pulled me into his arms by my waist, coaxing me gently. "I promise, I'll punish her severely for you this time. I'll make her stay up all night doing chores, how about that?" Heh. What a brutal punishment. But I didn't care. I kept playing weak. "Is that really it?" I was deliberately leading him on. He was thoroughly drunk, and he started spilling secrets he never should have voiced. "Chloe, I'm so sorry, but I have no choice. Her father made me the man I am today. I have to avenge him." "Audrey really isn't a bad person. She's just blinded by grief. She killed your three family members, but she let me keep all the insurance money." ... As he babbled on, his hands started wandering, clumsily trying to unbutton my hospital gown. My eyes went dark. I raised my hand and delivered a sharp, precise chop to the back of his neck. He instantly blacked out, slumping heavily onto the floor. I had learned that little trick from the man guarding me. Unconscious on the floor, Liam started mumbling in his sleep. I leaned in closer and heard him whisper: "Chloe... just endure the wedding night. It's the last thing I owe Audrey. Once your reputation is destroyed... I'll take care of you. We'll live a good life together. No more lies." He actually seemed to be falling in love with me. But my heart was already an icy tomb. Staring at the blinking red light of the digital recorder in my hand, my resolve was like stone. He wanted to start over and live a good life? Too damn late! I stepped out onto the hospital balcony and received a text message. "The wedding dress and the venue are completely prepped. Just waiting for your word." I replied without a second of hesitation. "I just secured the final piece of audio evidence. Get ready to be my groom." Time flew by. Soon, it was our wedding day. Liam’s eyes were darting nervously around the venue. He wouldn't look me in the eye. He was feeling guilty. But my smile was radiant and genuine. What he didn't know was that the water he had spiked with heavy sedatives for me... I had swapped with Audrey's glass. He wanted me destroyed? Not in a million years! Right before the grand banquet was supposed to start, Liam led a horde of tabloid reporters to the bridal suite, ready to catch me "cheating." They burst through the doors, aiming their cameras at the tangled, naked bodies writhing under the blankets. He opened his mouth, ready to shout his rehearsed lines of betrayal, and aggressively whipped the blankets back. But he froze. The woman groaning underneath the hired thugs wasn't me. It was Audrey. At that exact moment, the traditional wedding march began blaring from the grand ballroom outside. If he was standing in the suite, who was I marrying? Panic seized Liam’s face. He turned to run, but Audrey weakly grabbed his ankle. "I'm ruined... and you're just going to leave me?!" But Liam’s mind was entirely consumed by me. Without a second thought, he violently kicked Audrey away. He sprinted into the grand ballroom, only to see his beautiful bride walking down the aisle, her arm looped through another man's. He screamed in terror, sprinting down the aisle to stop the ceremony. He grabbed my veil, ripping it back, and yelled frantically. "Chloe! Look at the man standing next to you! That's not me!" He expected me to be shocked. He expected me to be terrified. But he was sorely disappointed. My face was completely calm. "I know exactly who I'm looking at. This man is my groom. He's about to be my husband." I tightened my grip on Carter Grayson's muscular arm. Liam panicked, desperately trying to pry our intertwined fingers apart. "No! You can't do this! Chloe, did he drug you?! You're supposed to be marrying me! You designed this entire venue specifically for us!" "Just look at the banners outside! And look at—" Liam’s voice abruptly died in his throat. He followed his own pointing finger and stared. Nothing in this room belonged to him. The massive silk banners hanging from the ceiling boldly displayed the names of the Bride and Groom. But the Groom's name was Carter Grayson. Liam’s eyes flooded with bloodshot panic. He charged at the nearest pillar, desperately trying to tear the banner down. "The event staff screwed up! Didn't anyone notice they printed the wrong name?!" He was lying to himself, completely unable to accept reality. He thrashed wildly, but he couldn't do any real damage to the immaculate setup. There were hundreds of custom banners and signs. He could tear at them for a day and a night and still wouldn't make a dent. I knew Carter had done this on purpose. He wanted to announce to the entire world that I was his. But watching Liam act like a rabid dog was making me bored. I lazily clapped my hands. Instantly, dozens of heavily built security guards swarmed the aisle, pinning the thrashing Liam to the marble floor. No matter how hard Liam fought, he was no match for a dozen trained guards. He was pressed flat against the ground. I walked slowly down the steps of the altar, looking down at him from above. I shattered his delusions. "Liam, I wasn't drugged, and the staff didn't make a mistake. You're right, I did design this entire venue. But from the very beginning, the groom I had in mind was never you." Those words hit Liam like a bullet to the chest. "Why are you doing this?! So you never loved me at all?! You were just acting this whole time?! I loved you so much, I treated you so well! Why are you doing this to me?!" I genuinely couldn't comprehend how Liam had the absolute sheer audacity to say those words. How he had the nerve to act like the victim. "Once upon a time, I really did love you. I loved you so much I wanted to introduce you to everyone I knew, my friends, my parents. But my love for you is exactly what got them killed!" "Do you have any idea? Ever since they died, I've laid awake every single night, disgusted with myself, wondering why my love was so filthy. It was toxic." "I hate myself. I hate that I was so blind that I fell in love with a monster like you." Hearing my words, Liam finally understood everything. All the color drained from his lips. "Since when did you know?" "Since when?" I pretended to think for a moment, then spoke slowly. "Did you really think I could ever forget? I will remember that day for the rest of my life. The day of my father, my mother, and my little sister's joint funeral. I heard your conversation with Audrey." "You and Audrey couldn't wait to screw each other right in front of their caskets. It was their memorial, and you just had to defile it!" Liam didn't say a single word in his defense. He knew it was all true. "But Chloe, I was forced! Audrey's dad was my mentor! When she demanded revenge, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing!" "But I deeply repented! I promised myself that after the wedding day, I would never lie to you again. I genuinely wanted to spend the rest of my life making it up to you!" Hearing his pathetic excuses, I let out a cold sneer. "Spend the rest of your life with me? You slaughtered my entire family, and you expected me to play house with you?!" "Audrey isn't a bad person! There's a reason she killed your family! The developer your dad drove to suicide was Audrey's father!" Hearing him bring that up only stoked the raging fire in my chest. "My dad didn't kill her father! Stop spewing your delusional garbage! My dad worked in construction his whole life. He treated his crew like brothers. He was a foreman, but he never looked down on anyone." "When those millionaire developers withheld wages and his guys couldn't feed their kids, my dad would empty his own savings to buy them groceries! Arthur Hayes withheld paychecks for an entire year! He owed them millions!" "That wasn't a few bucks! It was millions of dollars! The workers' families were starving! Men were committing suicide because they couldn't pay rent! Do you think my dad wanted to go protest?! He was fighting for justice for his dead friends!" "Arthur Hayes didn't have to jump off that roof! He was a coward who couldn't handle the public pressure of his own crimes! You don't get to blame my family for that!" By the time I finished screaming, Liam’s face was completely ashen. "I'm sorry." At the very end of the line, that was the only useless, pathetic phrase he could muster. But it didn't matter. I was going to make sure he paid the ultimate price. Yet, Liam still wouldn't give up. He violently slammed his forehead against the marble floor, over and over, the sickening thuds echoing through the silent ballroom. "I know I was wrong! But I didn't kill your parents or your sister! Audrey did!" "Chloe, I was wrong! Please, can you just give me one more chance? I swear I'll do whatever you want. I'll never hurt you again!" I was just about to tell him to rot in hell when Audrey suddenly appeared at the ballroom doors.
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