Chapter 4 You’re Not Thinking of Backing Out Are You?
Seeing the panic and dread in Micah’s eyes, a satisfied smile spread across my face.
Turning to the guests, I said, “Like many of you, I was genuinely looking forward to today. But unfortunately, Mr. Turner had other priorities.
“He’s been having an affair with his former classmate, Piper Hamilton. At one point, he even considered walking away from the wedding altogether.
“How dare a lowlife like him act like he has the right to be picky? Let me make this clear–I’m the one who is calling it quits, not him.
“Now then, if everyone would be so kind as to direct their attention to the screen, you’ll see a few clips from their ‘private meetings.‘ Feel free to interpret them as you see fit.
“And Mr. Turner… with a man like you, I imagine Ms. Hamilton really had to put on a show. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment with urologist.”
Without sparing a glance at the shocked crowd, I handed the microphone back to the host and strode off the stage.
a
Behind me, gasps and murmurs spread as the screen illuminated. Micah and Piper were caught red–handed as explicit footage of them was broadcast on-
screen.
I changed out of my dress and slipped out the back door, ready to walk away from it all.
But to my surprise, Micah came after me, shouting from behind.
Before I could turn around, he grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me back.
The fury burning in his bloodshot eyes made my heart tighten with fear.
“Tabitha, you destroyed everything between Piper and me. I’ll never let you get away with this!”
I stared into Micah’s reddened eyes, feeling a heavy weight settle in my chest.
Maybe sensing my fear, he sneered coldly. “It’s fine that you wrecked me, but you also destroyed Piper. I’m going to make you pay the exact same price.” “And what the hell are you planning to do?”
Regret crashed over me. I should’ve brought someone for backup. Micah looked completely unhinged, like a man driven by madness.
“What else? I’m going to strip you bare and show you what it means to be truly exposed!”
With that, his hand shot toward the buttons of my clothes.
- ne. “Micah, if
A wave of anger and desperation surged through me. “Micah, if you even think about touching me today, I swear you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” think ab Micah froze, letting out a harsh snort. “Regret? The biggest mistake of my life was ever being with you!”
He grabbed at my clothes roughly, nearly ripping them apart.
Ail of a sudden, a cold, mocking voice rang out behind me. “Mr. Turner, why are you making such a spectacle in public? How pathetic.”
Micah blinked, caught off guard. Before he could say anything, I shoved him hard.
The man behind me stepped forward, planting himself firmly between us. His imposing six–foot frame instantly brought me a surge of relief and safety. At the sight of Sterling, Micah’s confident smirk faded.
He clearly knew Sterling was Piper’s fiancé,
“This is between me and Tabitha. I suggest you step aside,” Micah said coldly,
Sterling simply sneered. “Mr. Turner, you’ve slept with my girlfriend so many times. It’s like a wildfire tore through everything I believed was mine. Do you honestly think this doesn’t matter to me?”
Micah’s hand clenched into a fist at his side. He likely knew he was no match for Sterling, so he held back.
In that moment, it hit me–Micah was nothing but a coward, someone who preyed on the weak and ran the moment anyone stood up to him.
A strange relief washed over me. Thank God I did not marry him. Thank God I uncovered the truth before it was too late.
Otherwise, my life would have been nothing but pain.
After a heavy silence, Micali finally spat out, “Piper and I are in love.”
The moment Micah spoke, Sterling’s fist slammed into his face.
One brutal blow sent him crashing to the ground.
Love?” Sterling sneered. “Don’t insult that word. An affair is an affair. There’s no need to sugarcoat it. All you ever cared about was what’s between your legs.
Micah’s fury ignited instantly. He scrambled up and lunged at Sterling.
But he never stood a chance. Sterling’s assault was relentless. It was a one–sided beatdown from start to finish.
As bruises spread across Micah’s face, a cold smile tugged at my lips.
Scumbags like him deserved every strike.
Just as Sterling was winding down, I was ready to jump in and land a few more kicks.
Out of nowhere, a sharp female voice pierced the chaos. “Stop!”
I turned to see a woman in a white dress rushing toward them.
She stood before Micah. Her eyes blazed as they fixed on Sterling.
“Mr. Gray, I’m the one you want. If you’re looking for a fight, take it out on me. Leave Micah alone!”
Sterling let out a cold, mocking laugh. “If I weren’t above hitting women, do you really think you’d still be standing here, talking to me?”
Piper’s face turned pale. She bit her lip, and tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him.
“Believe it or not, when I got engaged to you, I genuinely planned to spend my life by your side… But then things got complicated between Micah and
me…”
Sterling rolled his eyes. Disdain and disgust were etched across his face.
“Only animals lose control like that. Looks like you two have gone back to your primal instincts.”
I almost laughed out loud. Sterling’s savage tongue was on full display, and even Piper was nearly in tears from the harsh insult.
“Now that both mine and Micah’s reputations are ruined, what more do you want?”
“Not much. Just make sure you pay back every single penny I spent on you. If you don’t, I’ll have to bring in my lawyer.”
Piper froze, disbelief flashing across her face.
“Sterling, are you even a man? A real man spends money on a woman. That’s just the way it’s supposed to be. You did it willingly before, so why the hell should I have to pay you back now?”
Watching Piper get so fired up, it was obvious Sterling’s words struck a nerve. He clearly had spent a lot on her in the past.
Sterling laughed bitterly. “I’m a man, not an idiot. If you don’t pay up, expect a lawyer’s letter in your mailbox soon. Don’t forget, financial fraud can land you behind bars.”
Just as Piper opened her mouth to respond, Micah’s cold voice came from behind her. “Piper, don’t argue with him. Whatever it costs, I’ll cover it.”
Piper turned to him. Her eyes were filled with gratitude. “Micah-
“Enough. This isn’t your fault. The real issue is people pretending to be wealthy when they can barely scrape by.”
“But… his family gave me a bridal gift worth three million dollars..
Micah’s expression froze. After a long, tense silence, he clenched his jaw and said, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay for it.”
Three million wasn’t a small amount. But if Micah was willing to take on that kind of debt, one thing was clear–his feelings for Piper ran deep.
Just as the two of them shared a brief moment of hope, Sterling stepped in, cutting through it like a blade.
“Let’s not forget,” he said, “I’ve also paid for two years of Piper’s living expenses, along with the car and apartment I bought her. All together, that comes to roughly 20 million dollars. So, Mr. Turner, will you be paying by wire transfer or check?”
Micah stared at Sterling in disbelief. “20 million? Why don’t you just go rob a bank?”
Sterling smirked coldly. “Everything’s documented. You either pay up, or your ‘true love‘ takes a nice little stay behind bars. The choice is yours.”
I hadn’t expected Sterling to be this wealthy. 20 million was probably nearly all of Micah’s savings.
After all, his company had only just started turning a profit, so his dividends weren’t very substantial.
Sterling turned to Piper. His voice was low and serious. “Piper, is it really that much?”
Piper looked down, avoiding Micah’s eyes. “Micah, I don’t even know how it got so high… He’d usually give me tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands at once… Before I realized it, the amount just kept adding up,” she said bitterly.
It was obvious Piper had done the calculations herself.
At this rate, Micah’s earnings wouldn’t be enough to keep up with her spending anytime soon.
Micah’s face darkened, even more than after Sterling’s earlier blow. Sensing his hesitation, I shot back, “You’re not thinking of backing out, are you? It seems like your so–called ‘true love! wasn’t worth much after all.”
Chapter 5 Don’t Waste Your Anger
Micah shot me a furious glare. His jaw was clenched tight. “Who says I’m not willing to pay? Money can always be earned back. As long as Piper and I are together, nothing else matters!”
Sterling wasted no time pulling out a payment QR code. “Well, Mr. Turner, you might as well transfer it now. I have a feeling you’ll try to dodge this once the day’s over.”
With a grim expression, Micah reluctantly sent the 20 million dollars to Sterling As soon as the transaction was complete, a flash of confidence returned to him.
“Remember, the money’s paid. From now on, Piper and I owe you nothing!”
“Don’t worry. I don’t waste time on scumbags.”
“You-”
Micah’s face flushed with anger, but after Sterling’s earlier strike, he clenched his fists and forced himself to stay calm. Instead, he met Sterling’s gaze. His eyes were blazing with silent rage.
He seethed quietly, and his fury was impossible to ignore.
Behind him, Piper seemed oblivious. She quickly reached out to grasp his arm.
“Micah, we’re no longer involved with them. Let’s not lower ourselves to their level. Honestly, asking an ex for money back just comes across as desperate.”
Micah seemed to draw strength from Piper’s words. He shot Sterling and me a dismissive glance.
“You’re right, Piper. Let’s go.”
Without another word, they walked off.
Sterling turned toward me. “Are you okay?” he asked.
His eyes lingered on my neck, right where Micah had grabbed me. Without thinking, I touched the spot.
It still throbbed with a dull ache. That bastard certainly hadn’t gone easy on me.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
I shook my head. “No way. After today, the hospital’s the last place I want to be. Honestly, I should be at a bar, celebrating finally cutting ties with that scumbag.”
