Chapter 3

Stella rushed forward. "Where's the million?"

Luke pointed at the card in my hand. "It's all on that card."

"See, if you'd been this reasonable from the start, none of this would've happened."

Stella reached to snatch the card, but I twisted my wrist and pulled it out of her grip.

"The money on this card was ready the day I heard you two were getting married. I figured the amount was too big, so I planned to hand it straight to you after the wedding instead of logging it as a gift."

"But I never imagined that just because I gave it a little late, I'd be dragged through all this for nothing."

Stella showed no remorse. If anything, she got more brazen. "Whose fault is that? You should've given it to us sooner. How were we supposed to know you weren't just holding out?"

My mother tugged at me. "Denise, sweetheart, just give your brother's wife the card, and everyone goes home happy."

I looked at her, steady. "Everyone happy? You mean all of you happy."

"Stella beat me in front of everyone, and I don't even get an apology?"

Stella leaned into Luke, all wounded innocence. "Luke, I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I apologize? Denise is the one who wouldn't bring the card out sooner."

Luke instantly shielded her. "You don't have to apologize. Denise is at fault here too."

"This is just a misunderstanding. Nobody did anything wrong."

"Denise, hand your brother's wife the card, and we'll all pretend today never happened."

I laughed. I was so far past speechless that I didn't even know what expression to make anymore.

"'Pretend today never happened.' That's rich."

"Fine, forget her hitting me for now. What about her smearing me online?"

I pulled up the video Stella had just posted and held it up in front of them.

"She muted the video on purpose and claimed I stood up there ordering her to give this family seven sons in six years, or I'd make my brother divorce her, and that I called her a whore. Is that a misunderstanding too?"

"She smeared me online on purpose and pointed the whole internet at me. Look at what people are saying about me."

I opened the comments and read out the filth, one line at a time.

"This sister-in-law isn't even human, setting rules for the bride like that. Who does she think she is? What a stupid bitch."

"Look at that surgery face of hers, mean as anything. You can tell she's trash just looking at her."

"This sister-in-law can go die. I hope she walks out after the wedding and gets hit by a car."

"I hope she marries a three-hundred-pound drunk, gives him seven sons in six years, and gets beaten by her husband every single day."

My father suddenly roared, "Stop reading!"

I drew a deep breath and stopped.

"They used my likeness to make AI videos mocking me. Someone even photoshopped a funeral portrait of me. Want to see those?"

My mother waved both hands. "No, no, no point in looking. There's no point."

"There really isn't. But this video has over ten thousand shares and comments now. That already amounts to spreading rumors and defamation. If I take it to court, Stella goes to jail."

Luke jabbed a finger at my face. "You wouldn't dare."