Chapter 2

By the time the rescue team arrived, my face was already turning blue from the lack of air. I curled up in agony. It was only then that Jeremy noticed me. I could smell Tara on him as he pulled me into his arms. "Vera, what's wrong? You—" The nauseating stench of mingled fluids filled my nose. My stomach churned violently, and I instinctively shoved him away. Jeremy's expression froze before twisting into a scowl. "Vera Graves! It's just sex. What's with your attitude? Tara already said you should go first. You were the one who refused! You have no right to be mad at me." My heart twisted in pain, and a broken laugh forced its way up my throat. "You're right. I have no right." The words had barely left my lips when I felt a hot stream trickle from my nose. "I told you. I'm only doing this to help Tara, you… Vera? Vera!" Jeremy's panicked voice echoed dimly as the world spun around me. My vision went black, and I collapsed. … I was jolted awake by a sharp slap across my face. When I opened my eyes, Jeremy hurled his phone at my face in a fit of rage. "Vera, how could you be so petty?" The force of the impact nearly made stars dance before my eyes. Fighting through the stabbing ache in my chest, I forced myself to look up at him. Jeremy's brows were furrowed as he shouted furiously, "Were you the one who post those online? Do you know Tara has lost her job because of you?" My gaze dropped to the glowing screen, where headline after headline flooded his notifications. "Scandal on Sheris Heights: Fiancee Betrayed in Public—A True Emergency or Cold Reality?" "Man Sleeps With Another Woman Even as Fiancee Collapses on Sheris Heights." Jeremy seized my arm and yanked me off the bed. "Let's go. You'll apologize to Tara at our wedding. You'll set the record straight in front of everyone and tell them it's not like those tabloids made it out to be!" I tore my arm free, a mocking smile tugging at my lips. "Apologize? What for? I wasn't the one who posted those things! Besides, isn't it the truth?" Jeremy turned back and landed another slap across my face. He shook out his stinging hand and sneered. "That's enough! What's the big deal if I lost my virginity to Tara? We're not married yet. I can give it to whoever I want! And so what if we made a promise? Can you honestly say you've kept every single one of yours?" I said nothing. I only looked at him, long and hard. Over the years, I had kept every promise I ever made to him. How could he even say that? The sight of my anguish seemed to jolt Jeremy back to himself. Realizing what he just said, he pulled me into his arms and tried to explain. "Vera, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that… Please, help Tara. Think of it as helping me too. You don't want to see me despised by everyone, do you?" Jeremy was about to continue pleading when I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat and cut him off calmly. "Fine, I'll do it." He hadn't expected me to agree so easily. Stunned, he stared at me for a moment before breaking out in delight. Phone already in hand, he made a call to Tara as he left my ward, not once asking about my injuries. But I no longer cared. After this, I only owed him one last favor. I rushed to the wedding venue, only to find the entrance already swarming with reporters who had caught wind of the scandal. The place was packed so tightly it was almost impossible to squeeze through. The moment I appeared, every camera and microphone swung toward me in unison. "Ms. Graves, is what they're saying online about your fiance true?" "Why didn't you stop him at the time? Did he really cheat on you?" "How did you feel as you watched your fiance sleep with another woman?" The barrage of questions caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily stunned. Jeremy was supposed to be waiting in the dressing room. Instead, he forced his way through the crowd, clearly unable to wait any longer. He was dressed in the custom suit I had ordered for him. It was worth tens of millions. Taking my hand, he looked at me with pure happiness on his face. "All those stories online are lies! Tara and I are just friends. How could anything like that ever happen? My wife and I are deeply in love. If I had really betrayed her, would she still be willing to marry me?" As Jeremy spoke, he clenched my hand tighter. As I watched him lie without the slightest flicker of guilt, my chest tightened with a sharp ache. If that was what he wanted, I would fulfill his wish. I faced the reporters and barely eked out a smile. "That's right. Those rumors are false. My husband and I are very much in love." The smooth progression of the wedding seemed to dispel everyone's doubts. But before we even got to exchange vows, Jeremy was already gone. Surrounded by the guests' hushed whispers, I quietly dialled a number. "I've made up my mind. Begin preparations for the succession ceremony."