"Cecily!"
Antony's face changed in an instant. He crossed the space in a few strides and clamped a hand around my wrist.
"What the hell has gotten into you?"
I lifted my head and looked at him, spacing out each word.
"Marry him whoever wants him. I'm done waiting on you people."
Antony clenched his jaw, fury burning in his eyes.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"You just had to make me lose face in front of all these relatives and friends?"
Then he suddenly bent down close, dropping his voice against my ear.
"Cecily, you've been with me for three years."
"If you dare call off this wedding today, let's see what man out there will ever want to take on another man's leftovers."
My heart dropped hard.
Before I could get a word out, the little sworn "sister" beside him clapped a hand over her mouth in an exaggerated show, staring at me like she was scandalized.
"Isn't a girl's reputation the most important thing she has? You really have no self-respect at all."
The childhood friend next to her, on the other hand, let out a scoff.
"Ugh, you're so old-fashioned."
She crossed her arms, her whole face careless.
"Antony and I go back years. There's nothing we haven't done."
"Two adults, both willing. What, I sleep with him and suddenly I owe him something?"
My head snapped toward Antony.
"What is she talking about?"
There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face, only impatience.
"We're all close. Just helping each other take care of a need, that's all."
"It's not like we were sleeping around. Do you really have to blow it up like this?"
The childhood friend suddenly smiled.
"You'd better think this through, sis."
"If you really dare to call it off today, these photos won't just be sitting in our old friends' group chat."
As she spoke, she lazily raised her phone.
One glance was all it took. The blood went cold through my whole body.
There on the screen were the private couple photos Antony and I had taken back when we were together.
I stared hard at him, my voice shaking.
"Why does she have those photos?"
Antony didn't so much as lift an eyelid.
"We're all family here. Just posted them in the group as a joke."
"Do you really have to make such a fuss?"
Quite a few guests were already crowding in closer.
Meg Lambert swept a look over the photos, and instead of any anger, her face twisted with disgust.
"Tsk. No shame at all."
"No wonder all she thinks about is luring men in."
With that, she actually snatched the phone away and forwarded the photos straight into the wedding guests' group chat.
"Wanted to call off the wedding, didn't you?"
"Then I'll let everyone see exactly what kind of trash you are!"
The next second, phone alerts went off one after another all across the banquet hall.
Guests were zooming in on the photos, their looks at me turning more and more blatant.
I clenched my fists tight, my voice trembling with rage. "Meg Lambert, unsend those photos right now!"
Just then my phone buzzed once.
The screen lit up with a message.
【*Ms. Fox, the ten-million-dollar wedding gift you ordered has arrived at the hotel entrance. Shall we bring it into the banquet hall for you now?*】
I opened my mouth to answer, but Meg knocked the phone out of my hand.
"You fatherless, motherless little stray, no manners at all, just as I'd expect!"
"Today, in place of your good-for-nothing dead parents, I'm going to teach you how to be a decent person!"
The words were barely out before she raised her palm and swung it hard at my face.
