The ballroom glittered with gold and champagne, but to me, it smelled of lies.
"Congratulations, Miss Lin. Soon, you'll be the Madam of the Lu Family!"
I smiled at the woman in red who handed me the toast. My hands didn't shake — not yet. But my heart felt like glass, cracking with each congratulatory word.
On the grand stage, my fiancé, Lu Chen, the man I had loved since childhood, stood beside my half-sister, Lin Meiyu. His hand rested casually on her waist as he gave a speech about "true love" and "fate."
The engagement party… was theirs. Not mine.
I had planned this wedding for years. I had bled for it, given up my youth for it, even sacrificed my career for him. And now, they were announcing it as if I had never existed.
"Lin Xinya," Meiyu purred, her voice like poisoned honey, "you should be happy for us. After all, you were never meant to be the Madam Lu."
The guests laughed politely. My fingers tightened around the glass stem.
But then, I saw him — my father — in the corner. He didn't look at me. He was busy shaking hands with Lu Chen, discussing the merger of their companies… the reason for this betrayal.
"Tonight is your last night as a Lin," Lu Chen whispered in my ear when he finally approached. His breath was warm, but his words were ice. "Tomorrow, you'll be nothing."
The champagne slipped from my hands, shattering on the marble floor. So did I.
---
Later that night, they drugged me. I woke to the sound of waves and the cold bite of chains. The yacht was empty except for Meiyu, who smiled as she kicked me overboard.
The last thing I saw before the black water swallowed me was the silver moon… and her face, laughing.
---
But when I opened my eyes again, I wasn't drowning.
I was in my old bedroom, surrounded by posters from five years ago. My phone buzzed with a message:
> [Lu Chen: Let's meet tonight. I have something important to tell you.]
Five years before the betrayal. Before the lies. Before I became their prey.
I smiled — slow and sharp.
This time, I wouldn't love him.
This time, I'd destroy them first.