Chapter 1

It was only then that Clara Gunter noticed me sitting in the corner. She wasn't the least bit embarrassed, though. Instead, she smirked and continued, "What's the matter, Lillian? Why are you being so quiet? Did I actually hit the nail on the head, and now you're too scared to speak up?"

She smiled and leaned into Nicholas Jordan, my fiance, her lithe, pliant body resting against his in silent provocation.

In that instant, the crowd's probing looks shifted toward me.

I never deigned to address rumors with people who didn't matter. "I would have missed out on hearing such an excellently crafted story if I had spoken up."

I pulled Nicholas away from Clara after saying that, only for Nicholas to recoil as if he had been electrocuted and stand by Clara's side.

Nicholas looked furious. He was so desperate to know the truth that he didn't even notice me standing there, looking pale and embarrassed. "Where did you see such information? You'd better not think that you can frame my fiancee just because we're best friends, Clara! Lillian and I are getting married soon!"

It seemed as if he were defending me, but I could tell from the way he had just stepped back that he believed Clara's accusations. I couldn't help but feel an unbearable pain gripping my chest.

Clara noticed that my face had gone completely pale and mistook it for a sign of admission, her expression turning both smug and disdainful.

"You know that my uncle works for the police, right? You see, I felt something was off about Lillian before this, considering how she coincidentally had a fever during a heavy snowstorm and collapsed right by your car. You rescued her back then, and she had clung to you ever since.

"It looks exactly like a setup to scam you into marriage! I'm your best friend, so I didn't want to see you get conned. I had my uncle look up her ID info, and as soon as he checked, it turned out that Lillian is a notorious gold digger!"

Those around us erupted into murmurs, while Clara crossly held up her phone for everyone to see. "I've gone to so much trouble for you, yet you're being completely ungrateful about it, Nicholas!"

Nicholas snatched the phone and stared fixedly at the screen, noting the name Lillian Naughton displayed there. Just as Clara claimed, there were only two individuals by that name—one was the prestigious heiress of the Naughton family, and the other was an infamous marriage fraudster and gold digger.

It just so happened that the system was undergoing an update; neither profile could display any pictures at that moment.

In that instant, the temperature around Nicholas plummeted. He slammed the phone onto the ground in irritation and said, "There isn't even a picture showing that this is the Lillian I know, so maybe she really is…"

Nicholas' voice trailed off. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes as he confronted me, forcefully seizing my wrist. "Go on—say something! Did you do it on purpose when you collapsed by my car with a fever back then, Lillian?"

I could feel the throbbing pain in my wrist, though it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. I had intended to tell him at our wedding that I was the heiress of the Naughton family in Halport and that I would approve his family's business proposal with the Naughton Group right then as a wedding gift.

I couldn't help but feel an unprecedented sense of betrayal after seeing him turn this furious over a few unreliable rumors. I barely managed to ask through gritted teeth, "Do you not believe me, Nicholas?"

In the meantime, the crowd whispered among themselves on the side. "You can tell she was caught red-handed! Lillian and Mr. Jordan's first meeting was her collapsing right in front of the Jordan family's limited-edition Rolls-Royce!"

"He's actually marrying her without even looking into her background. He had clearly run into a seasoned conwoman who was deliberately targeting him!"

"Mr. Jordan has bought her so much jewelry over the past few months, yet she's hardly worn any of it. Did she sell them off?"

Nicholas' expression turned even more grim after hearing their remarks.

Someone even began making personal attacks, saying, "You can tell just by looking at Lillian's face that she has gotten plastic surgery. She got herself a pretty face just to seduce men; after all, no one is born looking that perfect!"

Hearing the crowd murmuring in agreement, Clara threw a punch at Nicholas and said in frustration, "You're clearly blinded by her looks! How could you still not believe me even with all the evidence before you?

"I should just sit back and watch you get played! Lillian is the type of woman—beautiful and manipulative—who loves fools like you!"

No matter how much jewelry I had, I wasn't about to layer it on and parade around like a gaudy peacock.

I refused to tolerate Clara's relentless slander and be treated like a fool any longer, so I said coldly, "You'd better watch what you say—malicious defamation can get you behind bars. What makes you think I couldn't possibly be the heiress of the Naughton family?"

Nicholas, however, interpreted my remarks as threats. He shoved me back with enough force to make me stumble, his gaze turning dark and hostile. "How dare you threaten Clara right in front of me!"

He then declared coldly, "Go inform all the guests that the wedding has been canceled!"