Chapter 2 You'll Become A Joke

The next day dawned with only thirteen days left before the wedding.

As Daniela was mid-bite at breakfast, her phone buzzed with a message from Joshua. "Busy today. Won't make it to the dress fitting. You'll have to handle it on your own."

Before she finished reading, another alert flashed across her screen.

This time, it was Bella.

A provocative photo loaded-her and Joshua tangled up in an intimate pose.

Almost immediately, Bella deleted the image, but Daniela had already saved a copy.

Another message followed. "Daniela, unloved women are always just the backup. You're nothing but a pathetic woman without family or status. Everything you own, you owe to Joshua. If you didn't have those pharmaceutical skills up your sleeve, the idea of marrying you wouldn't have even crossed his mind. Do you honestly think hanging on to him will change your fate?"

A low, humorless laugh slipped from Daniela's lips.

If even the other woman could see Joshua's indifference, why had she clung to denial for so long?

She lifted her glass of milk, letting its chill steady her nerves, and typed back with composed detachment, "He's a real catch-why wouldn't I want to marry him? Every man strays from time to time. You're just a passing distraction. Once he loses interest, he'll chase someone new. But the one he's walking down the aisle with... that's still me."

Pressing send, Daniela arched an eyebrow, a faint, mocking smile tugging at her lips.

She could practically envision Bella on the other end, seething with frustration.

A man without a shred of integrity belonged in the trash heap with yesterday's rotten fruit.

She refused to waste another minute on garbage like Joshua.

Without a hint of hesitation, she forwarded the damning photo and chat log to her assistant. "Archive this. Make sure nothing gets lost."

...

Inside the bridal boutique, Daniela studied her reflection in a mirror, scrutinizing an elegant wedding gown.

No makeup masked her features; years spent in the lab had left her indifferent to such things.

The woman in the mirror looked delicate, almost ethereal, but there was an unmistakable chill in her eyes-a beauty that warned others to keep their distance.

Behind her, a sharp, imperious voice rang out. "I want to try on the gown she's holding!"

Bella stood tall, chin tilted defiantly, her gaze fixed on Daniela as if she had already won something.

The shop assistant hurried over, her voice polite and unwavering. "I'm sorry, but that gown was custom-ordered by Miss Stewart. There's only one available. If you're interested, you'll need to place a separate reservation."

With a scoff, Bella tossed her hair. "Custom order or not, I want that dress. Are you suggesting I can't pay for it?"

Her voice dripped with haughty disdain, brows knitted in open irritation.

The shop assistant hesitated, torn between two clients she didn't dare cross.

Daniela angled her body, a sly smile playing at her lips as she met Bella's eyes. "You really want to try this one on?"

Bella shot her a disdainful look. "Why shouldn't I? Just because you slipped it on first, I can't have it? I'm not just trying it-I'm buying it. Money's not an issue for me."

She snatched her phone and dialed Joshua, her voice getting gooey.

"Baby, I'm at the bridal boutique, and the shop assistant said the one I wanted was already reserved. She's making it sound like I can't pay for it. If you don't come here right now, I might just cry..."

Whatever Joshua said had her beaming with smug satisfaction. She hung up and sent Daniela a gloating glance. "This gown? You're going to hand it over, whether you like it or not."

Daniela exhaled a light, mocking laugh. Instead of arguing, she waved for the shop assistant to bring her a coffee, then sank gracefully into a chair and opened the lookbook on the table. "You seem awfully confident he'll show up to take your side."

Bella narrowed her eyes, lips curling into a quiet taunt as she leaned in. "He's in love with me, not you. Think whatever you want, but even if you manage to drag him to the altar, he'll never actually exchange vows. You'll become a joke-everyone will watch you get left behind."

That icy certainty radiated from her, and Daniela recognized just how much truth lay in Bella's threat.

Still, the more Bella pressed, the less Daniela felt like holding back.

A few moments later, Joshua swept into the boutique, his footsteps brisk.

He froze when he spotted Daniela, composed and sipping coffee as if she owned the room. His voice turned brittle. "Daniela... why are you here?"

She set her cup aside with deliberate calm, eyes flicking between him and Bella. "I'm here for my wedding gown fitting-just like we scheduled. But Bella seems determined to take the gown from me. So, Joshua, you tell me: should I let her have it?"