He Let His Mistress Wear My Wedding Dress

When I was born,Wall Street's oracle named me the market's golden girl. My fiancé,Julian Hawthorne,had delayed our wedding for three years.

At the rehearsal dinner on the eve of our wedding,everything changed.

He stood there holding his pregnant assistant,who was wearing my custom Valentino dress. "Ava is carrying my child.Let her wear the dress.Once the baby's here,I'll still marry you." The assistant,Ava,stood there playing the crying victim.

He was never worth waiting for.

I smiled. "She can have the dress.The wedding is off." Julian's face darkened. "If you leave me,who on Wall Street would marry you?" A drawling,bonechilling voice came from outside the ballroom. "I would.Call my lawyers.This venue is mine tonight." … "Scarlett,stop making a scene." Julian stood in the middle of the ballroom in a custom suit.

He looked annoyed. The woman beside him wore the dress meant for me. She clutched her stomach,pale and trembling. That wedding dress.

My mother had found a designer who had spent a year tailoring it for me. It was one of a kind.

My hands curled into fists. "Take it off!" My voice shook with rage. "You don't deserve that dress!" Ava's eyes filled with tears. "Miss Sterling,it's all my fault.I'll—" She tugged at the dress,then stumbled into Julian's arms.

Julian steadied her. He looked back at me,irritated. "Scarlett,Ava's pregnant.Do you really have to come at her like this right now?"

The ballroom went silent. Then murmurs spread through the room like a Manhattan cocktail party. Everyone knew I was the market's golden girl. A born financial prodigy.

Julian throwing away our marriage for an assistant? He's insane. Mrs.Hawthorne came over with a practiced smile.

She reached for my hand. "My dear child,you've been wronged.But Ava is carrying a Hawthorne heir,after all.Be the bigger person.It's only a dress." I pulled my hand back and gave her a cold look. "Mrs.Hawthorne,when your family approached mine about this marriage,you gave your word.You promised that no outsider would interfere in this marriage." Mrs.Hawthorne avoided my gaze.

She answered stiffly. "Of course.You're going to be Mrs.Hawthorne.Surely you can show a little grace to a pregnant woman." Before I could say anything,my brother Ethan stepped out from the crowd.

He lowered his voice in warning. "Scarlett,think about the fallout for our family and the company." I stared at him. "You expect me to just swallow this?" Ethan frowned. "The Hawthorne Group is too powerful.What will happen to the Sterling family's reputation if you call this off in public?" Julian's expression eased.

He walked over and lowered his voice. "Scarlett,I know you feel wronged.Ava has been with me for three years.She went undercover in a rival firm when my company was at its lowest.Now she's carrying my child.I can't walk away.Why do you have to make this so difficult?" I stared at him and let out a cold laugh. "So you want me to give up the dress,the wedding,and the title?" "And what's next?Am I supposed to raise her child for you,too?"

Julian fell silent.

Mrs.Hawthorne spoke for him. "Legally,the child would be yours.No one would challenge your status.And with your health,this may actually be easier for you." I laughed.

So they had it all figured out for me. I took the custom Cartier bracelet from my wrist. He had put it on my wrist after pleading with my family for days. I threw it at his feet.

The heavy Cartier bracelet clattered against the floor,silencing the room. "Julian Hawthorne,this deal between our families is over." Julian's expression twisted. "Scarlett,think this through." He stepped forward,jaw tight. "It's on the front page of The New York Times.Every prominent name in the country is here.If you dare call this off today,you'll make both our families a laughingstock." I looked at him,my voice icecold. "You made me a laughingstock first." Julian didn't expect that.

He tilted his head back arrogantly. "Who else would dare have you?" A voice cut in from outside the ballroom. "I would." Every head turned. It was Damian Blackwood.

He strode in wearing a bespoke black suit,flanked by his notorious team of ruthless lawyers.He was the head of the Blackwood Group,a financial empire powerful enough to shake global markets.

What was he doing here?

Julian's face darkened. The hall fell silent. "…Mr.Blackwood,"someone stammered. Damian didn't look at him.

His eyes were fixed on me. "Miss Sterling.Forgive my late arrival." Mrs.Hawthorne forced a smile. "Mr.Blackwood,we're so honored—" "I'm here to propose." Four words. Silence.

Julian gritted his teeth."Mr.Blackwood,this is my rehearsal dinner with Scarlett." Damian slowly turned to him. "I believe I heard Miss Sterling call off the engagement." Julian grew desperate. "She was angry!She didn't mean it!" He turned to me and lowered his voice. "Scarlett,don't throw your life away over a tantrum.Don't drag a man like Blackwood into your little rebellion."

Before I could speak,Damian laughed. "Interesting,Mr.Hawthorne.You didn't think about her future when you put your mistress in her wedding dress.You didn't think about her future when you forced her to mother your mistress's child.But now I'm here to propose,and suddenly you remember her future." Julian's face went pale.

Sensing the shift in the room,Ava clutched her stomach and let the tears fall on cue. "Mr.Blackwood,you misunderstand,"she said. "Julian was only thinking of my baby.He never meant to humiliate Miss Sterling." Ava turned to me,eyes wet. "Scarlett,if my being here upsets you that much,I'll go.But please don't ruin Julian over this." Julian immediately pulled Ava behind him. "Ava,you don't have to beg her." He glared at me,his eyes filled with blame. "Scarlett,I always thought you were cold.I never knew you could be this cruel to a pregnant woman." I scoffed.

Three years. When Julian's investments failed,I used my trust fund to cover his losses.

When the Hawthorne Group had a PR crisis,I stayed up all night to craft his crisis PR strategy.

When a rival tried to short his company,my father pulled strings to stabilize the market for him. And now,I refused to let his mistress wear my wedding dress. He called me vicious.

I was about to speak. My brother,Ethan,stepped forward with a tight smile. "Mr.Blackwood,my sister's upset.Please don't take her words seriously."