Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
I had just closed a grueling case at the precinct when my phone buzzed incessantly. The high school alumni SnapChat group was blowing up, tagging me repeatedly.
"Claire Miller, today is our class president Chloe's engagement party. How dare you not show up?"
I hadn’t spoken to Chloe Sterling once since graduation, so I naturally ignored the invite.
"Are you too embarrassed by your pathetic job to face your old classmates?"
"Not showing up is one thing, but where’s your gift? Don't tell me you’re too broke to afford one!"
Right on cue, Chloe jumped in to mock me:
"Don't worry, Claire. Whatever you send, I’ll Venmo you back double."
"I couldn’t care less about your pocket change."
"What’s wrong? Bitter that the boy you had a crush on back in school is now my husband?"
I frowned. The only person I had ever crushed on back in high school was my husband, Ethan Vance.
Ethan and I had been legally married for over a year, and we were literally planning to start trying for a baby this month.
Did I ever crush on someone else?
I opened the chat attachments and stopped breathing.
Right there on my screen was an engagement photo of Ethan Vance and Chloe Sterling.
It was an opulent, picture-perfect portrait. They stood close, beaming at each other, looking every bit like high school sweethearts stepping straight into high society.
But Ethan was my husband. Why on earth was he getting engaged to Chloe?
My mind spun out of control.
Had he stopped loving me? Had he been cheating on me all along?
While I spiraled, the messages kept rolling in.
"Where is she? Don’t tell me someone is hiding under their blanket, crying their eyes out?"
"Watch what you say! What if she throws herself off a roof?"
"Chloe's fiancé is a titan. Vance Corp is a multi-billion-dollar empire. Chloe marrying him is the ultimate fairy tale."
I stared at the screen, totally bewildered. In my memory, Ethan was just like me—a police officer working long shifts. When did he suddenly become the billionaire chairman of a corporate empire?
For a split second, I wondered if I had slipped into an alternate universe.
I was about to text Chloe to ask what the hell was going on when she fired off another direct jab:
"Oh, Claire, are you even married yet? Does your man treat you well, or does he beat you up?"
"Tell you what—if you come to my wedding, I’ll have my husband give you a job as a janitor at his headquarters."
The other classmates piled on instantly:
"God, Chloe is an angel! Claire, you better thank her. Getting a janitor job at a billion-dollar company isn't easy!"
"Ugh, Claire would never show up. She’s probably drowning in her own tears right now."
Staring at their vicious texts, rage boiled in my chest.
I typed two words into the chat: "Sounds great."
I locked my phone, hailed a cab to Chloe's engagement venue, and stared at my pinned chat at the top of SnapChat.
The contact name "Hubby" stabbed straight into my heart.
Our last text exchange was a week ago. He told me he was going out of state on a special assignment and promised to bring me back a surprise gift.
My chest tightened until I could barely breathe. What the hell was happening?
How could my husband be getting engaged to another woman—and masquerading as a billionaire tycoon?
Did the world secretly change while I wasn't looking?
When I had dashed out of the precinct earlier, my car had mysteriously vanished from the police parking lot. That cold chill hit me again—had I really crossed over into another dimension?
I reached up and touched the gold chain around my neck.
It was our promise necklace. Ethan had saved six months of his police salary just to buy it for me.
"If this is real... what am I supposed to do?"
Clinging to a shred of hope, I took the cab to the grand entrance of the St. Regis Hotel.
The venue was breathtakingly luxurious. A massive banner hung across the grand facade:
"Congratulations to Apex Holdings CEO Chloe Sterling & Vance Corp Chairman Ethan Vance on Their Engagement!"
Under the fluttering banner stood Chloe in a bespoke white designer gown, radiating happiness as the center of attention. A glowing bride-to-be.
Except the man she was marrying was my husband.
Bitterness and sheer agony flooded my veins.
A swarm of familiar faces surrounded Chloe, showering her with flattery.
"Chloe, you've always had the best life! Rich family, and now marrying an even richer billionaire!"
"Class President, you're so secretive! You didn't tell us until the actual day!"
"From now on, you control Apex Holdings with one hand and Vance Corp with the other! Chloe, can you hook me up with a job at Vance Corp?"
Even Mr. Higgins, our strict, tyrannical high school teacher, was bending over backward to suck up to her:
"Chloe, back when you were a freshman, I knew you were destined for greatness. Turns out I was spot on!"
"My son actually just submitted his resume to Vance Corp. Could you put in a word...?"
The nauseating brown-nosing turned my stomach. Chloe's smile stretched wider as she basked in the worship.
"Of course! I’ll talk to my husband Ethan tonight. Anyone who wants into Vance Corp, just sign up with me."
"Mr. Higgins, it’s all thanks to your mentorship back then."
My cab pulled up to the curb, and I stepped out.
"Wait! Isn't that Claire Miller?!" someone shouted. "What, did you sprint here the second Chloe offered you a janitor gig?"
"You actually showed up to Chloe's engagement party wearing those rags? Chloe's generous enough to let it slide, but if it were my party, security would have kicked you to the curb!"
I had been on duty at the precinct all morning. Since I had to change out of my uniform, I had thrown on an old graphic tee and worn jeans.
I had never cared about designer labels or makeup. Defying my family's wishes, I had chosen to put on a police badge. To me, clothes were just meant to be functional.
"Come on, guys, don't be too harsh. Claire probably can't afford new clothes on her monthly pay!"
"True, but showing up completely empty-handed? Not even a card or a gift bag? Where are your manners?"
"Claire, just because Chloe married your high school crush doesn't mean you have to be so petty and bitter."
Watching these vile, hypocritical faces made me sick to my stomach.
I hadn't come here to celebrate. I had come to get answers about Ethan.
Chloe gathered her flowing white train and strutted over, her voice dripping with venomous mockery:
"Oh, come on, everyone. We’re all old classmates. It’s an honor just having Claire show up. No need for a gift—consider her meal on me."
"Alright, that’s enough. Clear out, everyone. I need to wait for my husband."
The crowd sneered and began to disperse. I called out firmly:
"Hold on. Who said I didn't bring a gift?"
"Haven't you heard of online transfers?"
I pulled out my phone and held it up.
The very next second, Chloe’s face morphed into pure rage. She raised her hand and slapped me across the face!
"Why do you have a photo of my husband on your lock screen?! You filthy little side chick!""No wonder Ethan kept claiming he was swamped with business trips and wouldn't let me visit! He was keeping a dirty little mistress behind my back!"
"If I hadn't caught you, fine! But today is my engagement party, and you have the audacity to shove your face in mine?!"
Chloe screeched, flailing her arms and clawing at me like a maniac.
Instinct kicked in. I blocked her swing, grabbed her wrist, and twisted her arm behind her back, pinning her in place.
I was a trained police officer. I wasn't about to let Chloe Sterling assault me.
I wanted to demand an explanation, but words died in my throat. Everything unfolding before me was completely bizarre.
If I really had crossed into an alternate timeline, wouldn't I be the one destroying someone else's happy family?
No. Ethan was "my" husband!
My thoughts were a chaotic blur. Meanwhile, the surrounding classmates rushed forward, yelling:
"Claire Miller! Let Chloe go right now!"
"I always knew you were rotten to the core! Becoming a cheap mistress is bad enough, but now you're assaulting his fiancée?!"
Chloe thrashed against my grip, screaming, "Let me go, Claire, or I swear to God I'll make you wish you were dead!"
"How dare you seduce my man! Just you wait!"
Mr. Higgins caught me completely off guard and struck me hard across the face.
"Claire Miller! Is this how I raised you to behave?!"
"Are the rest of you blind?! Get over here and pull her off Chloe!"
"Having a student like you is the ultimate disgrace to Oakridge High!"
The crowd swarmed me. Outnumbered, I had to let Chloe go.
They formed a protective wall around Chloe, hurling vile insults at me.
I forced myself to speak calmly. "I am not a mistress. The man on my lock screen is my legal husband. Everyone calm down."
Hearing that, Chloe’s eyes turned blood-red with fury. "Are you saying "I'm" the mistress?!"
"You seducing whore! You stole my man and you assaulted me! You're dead!"
I frowned. "You swung at me first. I restrained you to protect myself. That’s legal self-defense."
"Even if we take this to the police department, I am completely in the right."
Chloe’s chest heaved violently. Dressed in pristine white silk, she looked like an angel, but her face was twisted into pure demonic malice.
"You dare lecture me on the law, you little homewrecker?!"
"You think knowing a few combat moves makes you untouchable?"
"Hold her down! Pin her! I want to ruin her!"
A few classmates hesitated. "Chloe... isn't this going too far? We're all old classmates."
Chloe spat contemptuously, "Too far? I'll take full responsibility!"
"At worst, I'll pay a settlement! I have more money than I could ever burn!"
Mr. Higgins immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Chloe has wealth and power. Teaching a little home-wrecking tramp a lesson is doing society a favor!"
I took a defensive stance, my voice turning icy. "Don't do anything stupid. We live in a society of law and order."
Chloe lunged forward and slapped me across the cheek.
"To hell with your law! Around here, I "am" the law!"
"Didn't you all want six-figure jobs at Vance Corp?! Grab her!"
The greed in their eyes ignited. Several classmates stepped toward me.
"Claire, don't blame us. You brought this on yourself by being a side chick."
"Getting beaten up by Chloe is a blessing in disguise. When she settles with cash, you won't have to work another day in your life."
"Yeah, remember to buy us dinner with your payout!"
Before I could back away, several girls rushed me from behind, grabbing my arms and tackling me to the floor, pinning me down.
The sheer audacity of their greed made me scoff in disbelief.
"You are committing a felony!"
Chloe loomed over me, wild-eyed, and struck me hard across my face again. With my arms held down, I couldn't dodge.
"I told you! I make the rules here!"
The blow echoed loudly, leaving a scorching, throbbing pain across my cheek.
"Seducing my fiancé? A gutter rat like you thinks you're worthy of a couple's photo with Ethan Vance?"
Still unsatisfied, Chloe snatched my phone from my hand, smashed it onto the marble floor, and stomped on it repeatedly with her sharp stilettos.
I watched the screen crack, flicker with green static, and die. The photo of Ethan and me vanished forever.
A sharp, tearing pain ripped through my heart, as if the most precious thing in my life had been violently ripped away. Tears spilled down my cheeks.
"Chloe, what else do you want me to say?! I'm not a side chick!"
"I don't know why my husband is suddenly your fiancé!"
Chloe leaned down, digging her sharp nails into my jaw, hissing, "He's "my" husband, you shameless whore!"
"Dressed like a homeless beggar, yet wearing such an expensive gold necklace? Which dirty trick did you use to get a man to buy this for you?!"
She clamped her fingers around the chain and yanked hard.
Panic seized my entire chest. "No! Stop! That’s our promise necklace!"
"Please! Give it back to me!"
My vision blurred with tears as I begged her, but my desperation only fueled her sadistic rage.
"A promise necklace?! Even I don't have a promise token from him yet, and a cheap tramp like you gets one?!"
She violently tore the gold links apart and tossed the broken pieces into the air.
"Here! Gold for everyone!"
The classmates cheered and scrambled across the floor like wild dogs, snatching up the shattered gold.
Watching the token of my marriage being trampled and looted tore my soul apart.
Chloe walked over to the banquet cart, grabbed a large platter of shredded chicken drenched in fiery red chili oil, and brought it back to me.
"Aren't you a hungry little chick?"
"Come on. Open wide."
"Let's choke this little homewrecking chick on her own kind."
I clamped my teeth shut. They could beat me, but they would not degrade me.
Seeing my resistance, Chloe wrapped her manicured fingers around my windpipe and squeezed with all her might. The suffocating agony forced my jaw open as I gasped for air.
Instantly, she dumped the burning chili oil straight down my throat, cramming chunks of meat into my mouth.
The fiery oil seared my lungs. I gagged violently, coughing and choking.
Then, Chloe raised the heavy ceramic platter and smashed it directly over my skull!
"CRASH!"
The platter shattered into sharp shards, slicing deep gashes across my cheek and forehead. Between the blinding pain on my skin and the burning acid in my throat, I curled up on the floor, convulsing in agony.
Chloe looked down at me with cold disgust.
"You almost ruined my wedding dress, you filthy slut."
"You honestly thought a nobody like you could steal my fiancé? Go look in a mirror."
"Even if I beat you to death right here, do you think Ethan would care? You think he'd say a single word to defend you?"
I choked and dry-heaved, desperate to clear the chili oil from my airways, unable to utter a single sound.
"What is going on out here?!" a sharp voice demanded.A sliver of hope sparked in my chest. Did someone finally have the decency to stop this?
Chloe merely scoffed, turning toward the newcomer with an innocent smile.
"Evelyn, I'm just putting a homewrecking whore in her place. She tried to seduce Ethan."
Chloe's older sister, Evelyn Sterling, frowned in annoyance.
"You can't do this out in the open lobby. Drag her into the back rooms."
"Julian, Dad, and Ethan are arriving any minute. It'll look bad if they see this mess."
"Take her away. As long as she doesn't die, do whatever you want to her."
"Knowing today is the union between the Sterling and Vance families, and she still dared to crash it... what a shameless bitch."
With that, Evelyn stepped forward, ground her leather heel hard into my bruised face, and twisted it back and forth.
Chloe grinned with cruel satisfaction.
"Thanks, Evelyn. I'll take this trash to the back."
"The rest of you, head into the ballroom and wait for the feast. When you leave later, make sure to grab your VIP gift envelopes from the front desk."
Chloe waved her hand, and several burly female classmates dragged me down the hallway into a secluded storage room.
They shoved me onto a wooden chair and tied me up tightly with thick cords.
"Chloe, don't let it ruin your day. Ethan is so successful and handsome, flies are bound to buzz around him."
"Yeah! He was definitely just using this tramp for fun. You're the only woman he truly loves."
Chloe smiled smugly, soaking up their praise.
"Obviously. Why else would he be getting engaged to me?"
She walked over and tapped my swollen, bloody cheek with a condescending chuckle.
"Some people just love humiliating themselves."
"So what if Ethan played with you in the past?"
"Right now, he's "my" man."
The searing burn in my throat had eased slightly. I forced out a hoarse, ragged rasp:
"Call him... Call Ethan right now. Ask him to his face."
Chloe glared at me with pure venom.
"Ha! You think Ethan is going to save you?"
"You think a billionaire cares about a discarded plaything?"
"Fine. I'll crush your pathetic delusions once and for all."
Chloe pulled out her phone and put the call on speaker. A second later, that familiar, deep voice came through the line:
"Hey, Chloe. Why are you calling now?"
"I'm about thirty minutes away."
"By the way, did your dad and Julian arrive yet? I don't want to show up before them."
Chloe dropped her vicious tone instantly, switching to a high-pitched, babyish purr:
"I just missed you so much, baby~"
"Dad and Julian will be here soon, so hurry up!"
"Oh, by the way... do you remember a high school classmate named Claire Miller?"
Ethan’s voice paused for a fraction of a second. My heart skipped a violent beat. "Could it be...?"
"Never heard of her. Why? Did she crash the party?"
My heart plummeted into a freezing abyss.
How could Ethan not know who I was?
Had I really... jumped into an alternate reality?
Why would the universe do this to me?
The emotional devastation tore deeper than any physical wound. I stared blankly at the glowing phone screen.
Chloe shot me a triumphant smirk.
"Nothing important. She just showed up waving a couple's photo of you two, claiming you're her husband."
"I was worried she was some mistress you kept on the side."
Ethan scoffed casually over the line.
"Are you kidding? How could I have a mistress?"
"The photo is probably photoshopped. You're my only wife, Chloe."
"Wait, that Claire Miller name... I think I saw a girl like that working at an escort club once. She's probably trying to extort us for cash."
"Just throw some money at her and kick her out. I'm almost there. Don't let a nobody ruin our engagement."
"I'll have the driver speed up. Ten or fifteen minutes max."
Chloe giggled, traded a few more sickeningly sweet words with him, and hung up.
She slammed the edge of the phone against my bruised cheek, sneering:
"I knew it! You're just a cheap club whore! No wonder you're so vile!"
"If you had just asked for cash, I might've thrown you a few hundred to get lost."
"But now? Heh. I'm going to show you the price of crossing Chloe Sterling!"
"SLAP!"
She hit me again, full force.
I didn't even flinch. I sat there in a daze, murmuring brokenly, "How is this possible... Ethan is my husband..."
My dazed mumbling made Chloe's eyes flash with murderous fury. She eyed me up and down, then let out a chilling laugh.
"Still daydreaming?"
"Looks like a few slaps aren't enough to teach you a lesson!"
"Strip her! Strip every piece of clothing off her! I want my husband to see what a desperate, naked slut looks like!"Panic seized my chest like a vice. I couldn't let Ethan see me like this.
I broke down, sobbing and pleading:
"No! Please, Chloe, don't!"
"Don't take off my clothes! I was crazy, I lost my mind!"
"Just let me go! Please let me go!"
My terror only delighted Chloe further.
"Let you go? Keep dreaming!"
"I hated you back in school—always acting so pure and righteous, silently drooling over my man."
"Now that he's putting a ring on my finger, you show up trying to blackmail him?"
"If I don't break you today, you'll think the Sterling family is made of soft clay!"
She ordered the others to rip off my shirt and jeans, filming the entire thing on her phone.
I fought back wildly, but my battered body was too weak.
"Take a good look, everyone! This club escort barged into a high-society engagement to ruin a family!"
"A pure, unadulterated whore!"
I begged through my tears, but someone shoved my own wadded-up shirt into my mouth, gagging me completely.
I trashed and muffled, trying to scream that I wasn't an escort—I was a cop!
"Wait."
I'm a cop. Why would Ethan call me a club escort?
My heart slammed against my ribs. My whole body froze.
Could it be... I didn't travel to another dimension?
Could there be an undercover operation?!
The girls holding me down grew visibly uneasy at my sudden stillness.
"Chloe... what if this goes too far? What if she dies?"
"Maybe we should stop. We were classmates, after all..."
Chloe sneered coldly. "Stop? She's just playing possum!"
"Rip off her underwear! Now!"
The other girls shrank back, hesitant to cross that line.
Chloe scoffed and stepped forward to do it herself. I curled into a ball on the cold floor, using my last ounce of strength to protect my dignity.
I looked at her, my voice muffled and broken through the gag:
"Please, Chloe... beat me, kick me, do whatever you want... just don't strip me."
"Please."
Chloe yanked and pulled, but my grip was locked in sheer desperation. Panting with frustration, she glared down at me, her eyes glinting with sick malice.
"Fine. You want to keep your dignity? Then lay there and let me use you as a doormat."
"If you survive, maybe I'll let you go!"
Curled on the floor, I closed my eyes and nodded faintly.
The next second, Chloe’s sharp designer heel slammed directly into my face.
"You think this pretty little face can steal men?!"
"Let’s see what you can steal after this!"
"Take this! And this!"
"Don't just stand there! Stomp on this bitch! Trample her until she screams bloody murder!"
"Ten thousand dollars cash to whoever stomps the hardest!"
Greed flared in the eyes of the other girls. They rushed in, kicking and stomping every inch of my body without mercy.
For ten endless minutes, blows rained down upon my ribs, spine, and face. By the time they stopped, I was lying in a pool of my own blood, barely breathing.
Chloe crouched down in front of me, her sneer dripping with venom.
"Let's see you try to seduce someone now, you piece of trash."
"Now, strip the rest off!"
"I’m posting her naked body all over the internet!"
My fading consciousness snapped back in sheer horror.
"Mmph! No! You promised!" I muffled against the gag.
Chloe let out a mockingly sweet laugh. "Oh? Did I? Even if I did, so what?"
"I changed my mind! Why would I keep a promise to a filthy stray like you?"
Chloe personally ripped away my last shreds of clothing, then pulled out her phone to record my battered, exposed body.
I wanted to fight back, to tear her apart, but my limbs refused to obey.
"I swear to God, if I survive this room, I will put every single one of you behind bars!"
Suddenly, Ethan's deep, authoritative voice echoed from the hallway outside like a thunderclap:
"Chloe? Where are you? The ceremony is about to start!"
Chloe’s expression shifted instantly. She shoved the gag deeper into my mouth, ordered the girls to form a human wall around me, and smoothed down her dress.
Noticing some dirt on her white train from where I had struggled, she kicked me violently in the ribs one last time before putting on a sweet smile and opening the door.
"Baby, what are you doing back here?"
"Dad and Julian aren't here yet, are they?"
Through the small gaps between the girls' legs, I saw Chloe wrap her arms affectionately around Ethan's suit-clad arm.
My soul screamed his name, desperate for him to notice me, but not a single sound escaped my throat.
"I just wanted to see my gorgeous bride as soon as possible," Ethan murmured smoothly.
Tears streamed down my bloody temples.
Chloe giggled coyly. "I'm not your wife yet! If you want me to call you husband, you have to marry me in front of the whole world first!"
"Go on back to the ballroom. I need to touch up my makeup."
Ethan nodded and began to turn. My heart plunged into bottomless despair as his footsteps started to fade.
"By the way," Ethan suddenly paused, glancing back at her. "What happened to that girl, Claire Miller?"
"I'm curious how she managed to get a photo of me."
Hope roared back to life in my chest. I trashed against the floor, trying to make noise, but a heavy classmate immediately sat on my back, pinning the air out of my lungs.
"Hm? What's going on in there?"
Ethan took a step forward, his sharp eyes scanning the room.
Chloe panicked, quickly blocking his view. "Don't look! The girls are changing! You can't look!"
"I already had security kick Claire Miller out. Go mingle with the guests, baby. I need to finish getting ready."
Ethan’s gaze turned intensely suspicious. He pointed straight through a gap between two girls:
"Why is there someone lying on the floor?"
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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