I knelt before Jaxon and Arabelle, bowing so low that my posture resembled that of a dog. The sight of me, humiliated beyond measure, caused the guests to burst into laughter. The shame was so overwhelming that even though my arms remained unbroken, the crowd no longer cared.
Flashes from cameras flickered relentlessly, each one capturing my degradation.
"Look at her, she’s just like a dog."
Jaxon took Arabelle’s hand, raised his foot, and stepped over me.
"From now on, don’t show your face in front of me again. Get lost."
I quietly dusted off my knees and walked out, my head heavy with humiliation.
The next day, the front page of every newspaper displayed a photo of me kneeling at the engagement banquet, with the headline:
"Aldridge Family Criminal Kneels Like a Dog at Engagement Banquet; Why?"
As I glanced at the newspaper, I was already on my way to the Montgomery estate.
Only four days remained. In those four days, I had to awaken the man in the coma and marry him.
The Montgomery family was an old, prestigious lineage.
Once one of the top families in Greenville, their power had faded when their only son became paralyzed ten years ago. Yet, their legacy and influence still lingered.