Chapter 3
Vincent curled his lips in disdain, as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.
“You’ve been chasing me since you were kid, always saying you liked me, with every birthday wish being to marry me when you turn twenty. Now that you’re finally twenty, you’d suddenly settle for someone else?”
Sylvia nestled into his arms, her tone also filled with mockery.
“Not necessarily. With The Winslow Family’s status, all the young heirs across the country are fighting to marry her.”
“Even if every young heir in the world wants to marry her, she only wants to be my wife.”
After saying that, they turned to leave.
Before exiting, Vincent didn’t forget to remind the tailor: “Send the altered dress to my house, and the tacky cufflinks -change them to square ones and no engraving.”
The tailor watched them walk away, letting out a helpless sigh.
“Miss Winslow, what do you think about this…?”
“If she wants it, let her have it. I’ll design a completely new outfit for her,” I replied as I sat down and continued sketching. “As for the cufflinks, don’t mind him. He’s not the groom, so he has no right to interfere.”
That evening, I attended a friend’s birthday party.
Halfway through the party, Sylvia arrived late, followed by Vincent’s bodyguard, who set a red plastic bag by my feet.
“Miss Winslow, were you waiting anxiously? I was going to return the dress after the concert, but Vincent insisted on keeping me in the car…but Miss Winslow, you’ve always been known for your generosity, so I’m sure you won’t mind, right?”
I looked down and saw the three–million–dollar dress now crumpled like a rag. The red fabric was stained with white filth, an eyesore.
People around me reacted differently–some sympathized with me, while others watched the spectacle.
“She’s so calm despite the provocation–guess she’s really in love with Vincent.”
“She’s in love, but what good does that do? Mr. Sterling only loves Sylvia.”
“To think the only daughter of The Winslow Family is so humiliated like this. I bet their whole company will end up with the Sterling name.”
I turned away, not wanting to look at it, and simply signaled for someone to take it away and throw it out.
“Whatever.”
My indifferent tone made Sylvia’s show–off fall flat, and she clenched her fists in anger before walking to the last table, where she belonged.
Soon, her Facebook account, with millions of followers, climbed to the top of trending searches.
“A perfect day, wearing a well–fitted dress, holding the hand of my lover, and listening to my favorite concert.”
The accompanying picture showed her and Vincent holding hands, sharing a passionate kiss.
Chapter 3
Dreame–Read Romance Stori
MATES NAKE
Rejected
27.27%
Before long, countless marketing accounts dug up old Facebook posts where I had confessed my love for Vincent and compared them with Sylvia’s posts, publicly humiliating me.
In the most popular video, Vincent even liked the post.
This sent the online community into a frenzy. The phrase “Gemma throwing herself at him” was turned into a meme.
I froze and immediately deactivated my account, then sent a message to the company’s PR department. Within ten minutes, all related keywords were wiped clean.
The day before the engagement party.
I went to the office in the morning to handle some business, but was forcefully brought back to The Sterling Family mansion by their bodyguards.
As soon as I entered, I saw Sylvia sitting on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. Vincent was beside her, comforting her in soft tones. When he saw me, his expression immediately turned cold.
“Gemma, you’ve gone too far. Sylvia just posted a Facebook status. Was banning her social media really necessary? You know she’s an influencer!”
I didn’t understand. “I only asked to have the posts related to me removed. I didn’t do anything else.”
“You’re still lying! Who else but you, Gemma, would have that power? It’s obvious you’re just jealous of her!”
“It wasn’t me…”
Before I could finish, a mocking voice came from upstairs.
“Already arguing with your husband before marriage? Is this how The Winslow Family raises their daughters?”
His mother, Eleanor Sterling, sat in front of me with an arrogant air. His father, Alistair Sterling, who had bowed respectfully to me just a while ago, was now sitting with his legs crossed.
“Gemma, though we don’t approve of your spoiled behavior, I heard you won’t marry anyone but our son, so we’ll respect your wish. However, we have conditions. Your dowry must exceed fifty percent of The Winslow Family’s total
assets.”
I sneered inwardly, shaking my head as I was about to refuse, but suddenly, a bodyguard punched me in the knee. The pain made me gasp, and I collapsed onto the floor.
His mother gestured, and a servant brought over a glass of red wine.
“Well, sooner or later, you’ll be the daughter–in–law of our family. Now let you offer me a drink, is that too much?”
Chapter 3
