5
He didn’t believe I liked Julian. He gazed at me with a complicated expression, reaching out to try and take my hand.
“Scarlett, I regret it. If you’re willing, I’ll go tell Grandpa right now that you’re the one I want to marry.”
Tiffany, standing nearby, heard Derek’s words and instantly turned ashen. She reached out to pull at Derek’s sleeve, but he roughly flung her hand away.
I dodged his touch, my gaze on him utterly devoid of emotion.
“I’m not willing.”
The guests present watched in astonishment as the scene unfolded.
“Is Mr. Hayes Jr. trying to marry Scarlett again?”
“Well, they were childhood friends; there must be some feelings thère. Maybe Tiffany was just a passing fling.”
“Exactly! Look, as soon as he heard Scarlett was marrying someone else, Mr. Hayes Jr. immediately changed his mind.”
Tiffany clenched her fists in indignation, her face completely drained of color. Her eyes reddened, and she threw herself pitifully onto Derek.
“Bro–Derek, didn’t you say you’d marry me? Didn’t you say you only loved me?”
Derek finally remembered he had a fiancée beside him. His face twisted in conflict as he looked at her.
Before he could decide, Mr. Sterling approached, his face grim, and kicked Derek hard.
What are you doing? Is marriage a game to you?”
“What do you take these two young women for? Do you think this is a market where you can pick and choose fruit, swapping them around as you please?!”
“Who raised you like this? You’re disgracing the entire Hayes family!”
Derek looked pleadingly at Mr. and Mrs. Hayes.
<
“Dad, Mom, please help me reason with Grandpa! Didn’t you also want Scarlett to marry me?”
“Scarlett agreeing to marry that illegitimate son is just to spite me. Once she calms down, she’ll regret it.”
Mr. Sterling’s face immediately darkened. He had just publicly endorsed Julian, and now Derek was making a fool of everyone by acting out like this.
“What kind of circus is the Hayes family running here?”
“Who’s getting engaged to whom, exactly? Are they going to switch again in a few days?”
Mr. Hayes, sensing his father’s fury, slapped Derek’s head from behind.
“Stop spouting nonsense, or I’ll break your legs! Apologize to your brother and Scarlett, now!”
Even Derek, in his foolishness, realized everyone was enjoying the spectacle. Under the watchful eyes of Mr. Hayes and Mr. Sterling, he reluctantly apologized to me.
“I… I was drunk, and I said some stupid things. Scarlett, please don’t mind me.”
I smiled, accepting his apology, my gaze falling on the seething Tiffany behind him.
“You should go comfort your fiancée. After all that drama, she must be feeling terrible.”
Reminded by my words, everyone’s attention shifted back to Tiffany.
While she usually enjoyed being the center of attention, this kind of spotlight was definitely not what she wanted.
Tiffany shot me a venomous glare, then gave Derek a resentful look, stomped her foot, and ran out the door.
After the birthday party, Derek called me several times, but I didn’t answer. Julian and my engagement date had been set: next Thursday.
Though the timing was tight, for the Vance family, it was no issue.
My mother also planned to announce my inheritance of the Vance family on the day of my engagement.
Since a Hayes family member was getting engaged, Derek would naturally have to attend.
Julian was upfront, finalizing the ceremony details with the event planner. I was in the dressing room, adjusting the heavy gown I was about to wear. It was a custom–made, elaborately embellished gown–beautiful, but quite heavy.
Just as I was about to change, a staff member rushed in, saying Julian needed to see me about something and asked me
to follow them.
When I arrived at the designated spot, the door suddenly slammed shut from the outside. A hand clamped a handkerchief tightly over my mouth and nose.
The drug took effect quickly. My limbs turned weak and useless. When I was thrown onto a bed, I finally saw who it was
-Derek.
He gently caressed my cheek, his eyes burning with obsession and madness,
9:00 PM
<
“When Julian sees what we’ve done, there’s no way he’ll marry you. You’ll have no choice but to marry me.”
I was furious. I couldn’t believe Derek would dare to do something like this.
“Are you insane? You’re disgracing both our families with this!”
He pressed his lips together, his fingers slowly undoing the buttons of my top.
“Why did you agree to marry someone else without even thinking?”
“I’m telling you, you can only be mine.”
I laughed, exasperated by his shamelessness. I tried to slap him, but my arm was too weak; I merely brushed his face.
“You were the one who wanted to marry someone else at the engagement party! Now you’re blaming me?”
He looked at me with deep–set eyes, leaning down as if to kiss me.
“I regret it. I only just realized now that you were the one I truly loved all along. Tiffany was just a fleeting distraction.”
Just as he was about to tear my clothes off, the door burst open with a bang. Julian grabbed Derek by the hair and
slammed him onto the floor.
Julian and I exchanged a look. He swept me into his arms and carried me into another room.
I was completely drained of strength, so there was no way I could go down to the banquet. I called my mother’s assistant, who was always by my side, and whispered some instructions to him.
