You Have Your Way

In her third year of dating Jackson Hunter, the cool and proud Lumina Walker took out a secret loan of one million dollars to repay his debt. She even resorted to performing stripteases in a bar. Everything changed when she overheard a shocking conversation between him and his friends. "You're ruthless even to yourself! Just to get back at Lumina, you pretended to be a bartender for three years, tricked her into taking out a loan for you, and used her nude video as collateral. You even got her to strip at your bar! " "If she ever found out that you're the loan shark and own the bar she stripped at… She'd probably drop dead from anger right there and then!" another chimed in. Celia Price was Lumina's living nightmare, her tormentor for nine years since their middle school days—relentless bullying, harassment, and abuse. The painful twist? Celia was Jackson's secret love all along—for a decade, to be exact. Yet Lumina didn't cry, didn't fight back. So when her Uncle Howard called and ordered her to marry the mute oldest son of the powerful Morgan family from Crown City, she agreed without hesitation. Chapter 1 Lumina Walker, cool and untouchable ice queen. At her height of obsession over her boyfriend Jackson Hunter, she secretly took out a loan worth millions to pay off his debts. No one knew—not even her family. As part of the deal, she had to take a nude video as collateral. She even went so far as to perform stripteases at a bar for extra cash. Late at night, Lumina stood before raucous men screaming for her name. Her eyes turned red as she slowly removed her clothes, her body swaying in a seductive dance. When the performance ended, she was left with nothing but a few scraps of fabric. As soon as she left the stage, Jackson, who had been waiting in the crowd, quickly wrapped his black trench coat around her. He led her into a cramped backstage room and pushed her against the door. "Shush. Stay still. I want you." In the darkness, Jackson's rough hands skillfully pulled down her underwear and he went into her from behind. Lumina gasped uncontrollably and looked back in terror. "You… Get out first... We're right next to the door…! People in the hallway might hear us." Jackson leaned in and gently licked her earlobe. "Relax. The way you danced out there turned me on. I want to hear your voice." His voice was both teasing and commanding, and Lumina's alluring figure quickly went weak. She was pressed against the door powerlessly, moaning softly as he guided her. They went at it twice before Jackson finally let her go, planting a kiss on her cheek with lingering affection. "I still have another hour before clocking out, Lumi. You should head home and rest first." After the redness faded from her face, Lumina got dressed and headed out. Maybe she was still dazed by what had just happened, but she lost her way and accidentally walked into the VIP lounge area where staff weren't allowed. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard her own moans coming from one of the private rooms at the end of the hall. "She sounds so wild!" "You've really fallen head over heels for Celia, Jackson. You picked dare over truth just because you didn't want to say Celia's measurements out loud. You've even recorded Lumina's moans for us!" "Speaking of which… If Lumina found out you that actually like her nemesis Celia, I wonder if she'll just drop dead from anger?" Lumina froze—her body went rigid, and her mind blanked for a few seconds. Chills ran down her spine. "Serves her right for pushing Celia off the roof and turning her into a vegetable!" Jackson snarled. "You're ruthless even to yourself! Just to get back at Lumina, you pretended to be a bartender for three years, tricked her into taking out a loan for you, and used her nude video as collateral. You even got her to strip at your bar! If she ever found out that you're the loan shark and own the bar she stripped at… She'd probably be so furious, she'd die right there and then!" "What you did was even worse than what they said online—make a woman pay for you, sleep with you, and sell herself for you!" Those words hit Lumina like a truck; her head buzzed, and her blood ran cold. "Oh, right, didn't you keep that video she used for the loan? You know, the one where she's holding her ID, fully nude? I heard it's in high definition? Share it with us already!" "That's hot! Show it to us as a treat!" Inside the room, Jackson lounged on the sofa, bearing not a trace of the affection he had shown Lumina earlier. His lips curled into a cold smile. "What's the rush? Celia just woke up. Her birthday is in seven days. I'll persuade Lumina to have a wedding that day. Then, I'll reveal to her the truth about Celia's fall and release the videos of her in the nude and doing stripteases. Celia will be ecstatic, and I can confess to her." "Genius! Good luck in advance, bro!" "Cheers!" The room erupted in cheers. Lumina couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the bar, her eyes red. She wiped her tears all the way home, the conversation she had overheard echoing in her mind again and again. So, her whole relationship with Jackson had been a lie from the very beginning! After losing both her parents six years ago, Lumina stayed in Arriva City against her uncle and aunt's wishes, just because it had the nation's top agricultural university. She had always loved researching crops. She was obsessed with it. She never expected Celia to pick the same university. Celia had been Lumina's tormentor from their middle school days, a downright monster. For nine whole years, she made Lumina's life miserable. She had gone so far as to shave Lumina bald and slapped Lumina for a whole month. Lumina tried seeking help, but nothing ever came out of it. All because Celia had a guardian angel—the heir of the Hunter family of Arriva City. Rumor had it that he harbored a secret crush on Celia for years, but never dared confess. Instead, he helped her behind the scenes. He was a pure-hearted warrior among the wealthy. In their junior year of college, Celia fell from the rooftop and ended up in a coma. Everyone suspected that Lumina had pushed her. Overwhelmed by the false accusations, Lumina drowned her sorrows at a bar, where she met Jackson, a bartender. They hit it off immediately, and after Jackson's intense pursuit, she agreed to date him. For one year, Jackson treated her incredibly well. That was, until a year and a half ago. Gangsters showed up, demanding that Jackson repay his late father's massive debt. Seeing that he had no way to pay and was about to lose both hands, Lumina caved. Under their manipulation, she gritted her teeth and took out nearly a million dollars for him. To pay off the loan faster, she later quit her dream job at the Agricultural Institute and became a stripper. Lumina used to fantasize that once the loan was paid off, she would take Jackson to her parents' graves and tell them she had found true love. But now, looking back, she felt like a fool. She had no idea how long she wandered in the night, until her phone suddenly rang. It was her Uncle Howard from Crown City, the country's capital. "Lumina, we found your late father's belongings. If you agree to marry that mute from the Morgan family, I'll give them to you. Otherwise, for the rest of your life, you—" Before Howard could finish his threat, Lumina coldly cut him off. "I'll marry him." Chapter 2 Howard was surprised by how readily Lumina agreed on the other end of the line. His cold, stern expression broke into a smile. "Have you finally come to your senses? I'm doing this for your good, you know? If the Morgans' eldest son hadn't suddenly lost his voice five years ago, he would've become the family's official heir by now! You're coming back to Crown City tomorrow. I'll take you to them to discuss the wedding." Lumina's lips curled in a cold smile. Her face remained expressionless. Everyone in the capital knew that after Cadmus Morgan lost his voice, he was no longer favored by Margaret, the matriarch of the Morgan family. Lumina didn't answer Howard directly and instead said, "I'll marry him, but you have to agree to two conditions. Firstly, I need seven days. Secondly, I want all of my father's belongings. Every single one of them. You won't keep even one of them." She needed seven days to say goodbye to her best friend and to find a way to erase the nude video from Jackson's computer. She would replace it with evidence of all the years Celia had tormented her. "Fine!" Howard slammed his hand on the table. "I agree!" After hanging up, Lumina headed home. Ever since taking out the loan, she had moved out of the city center to save money. She now lived with Jackson in a cheap rental in the rundown neighborhood that was only worth 150 dollars a month. Lumina looked at the cozy living room she had put together with her own hands. With a cold laugh, she threw all the items she had shared with Jackson onto the floor and stomped on them to pieces. After venting her anger, she walked over to Jackson's computer and tried to guess his password. She tried several times, but every attempt was wrong. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her and quickly shut the laptop. "I heard from the supervisor that you've taken seven days off. Are you not feeling well?" Jackson said as he changed into slippers at the entryway, his eyes full of concern. Hearing his voice, Lumina clenched her fists. "No, I haven't." Jackson gently rubbed her head, making sure she was fine. Then, he suddenly produced a diamond ring. He got down on one knee, his intense eyes fixed on her. "Lumi, from the moment you took out that loan for me, I knew I'd never marry anyone else. Will you marry me?" Lumina looked at Jackson before her. If she hadn't overheard that conversation in the VIP room, she might have been moved to tears. "Yes," she replied. Inwardly, she vowed, 'Jackson Hunter. I'll never marry you, whether it's this life or the next.' Hearing her answer, Jackson smiled. His eyes almost curled as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "We'll have our wedding in seven days." Lumina momentarily froze at his words; she almost laughed herself to tears. Soon, Jackson took her out for supper, just like always. They went to a roadside barbecue stall. Lumina sat down while Jackson went to order some food. Suddenly, a red sports car pulled up in front of her, and an uninvited guest stepped out. The woman was attractive, dressed in the latest designer outfit and carrying a rare Hermes bag. It was none other than Celia, the nightmare who had haunted Lumina for over a decade. Celia glanced around the barbecue stall with clear disdain before fixing her gaze on Lumina, her red lips curling in contempt. "I haven't seen you for three years. I heard you're in a relationship now. What a coincidence, too… Your bartender boyfriend and my guardian angel even have the same last name—Hunter. But look at you, dragged here to eat this cheap, toxic food. If I were dating my dear Hunter, he'd never let me touch this filth." Lumina didn't say a word, simply looking at Celia in silence with calm eyes. After a while, she suddenly spoke up. "When you fell from the roof three years ago, it wasn't me who pushed you." Celia was stunned for a few seconds, not expecting Lumina to bring up the past. Lumina ignored Celia's reaction and went on speaking. "That day, you and your lackeys forced me to swallow a burning cigarette on the rooftop. While I was struggling, you kept trying to get the best angle to film my humiliation. You stepped to the right and slipped by accident. I was the real victim, but your lackeys all stuck to the same story—that I invited you to the rooftop and pushed you off." During that time, Lumina had been slandered persistently. All the surveillance footage from that day was destroyed by the Price family in advance. Luckily, she had kept a backup plan. Celia raised her eyebrows in surprise, but showed no fear at all. "So what if you were wrongly accused? As long as Mr. Hunter is on my side, who in Arriva City will believe you?" Lumina frowned and looked up at her suddenly. "I don't get it. I've never provoked you. Why have you always hurt me?" "Why?" Celia looked down at her with arrogance, her lips curled into a sneer. "A cursed orphan like you, who lost both parents… What right do you have to steal the spotlight that should belong to me?" Hearing herself accused of bringing a curse to her parents, Lumina clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. Her gaze grew cold. "And what about you? Your mother died because you never called for help after your father beat her. You missed the chance to save her. She begged you, but you coldly ignored her. On the other hand, my parents died in an accident. So, tell me—who's really the cursed one here?" "Who said you can talk about that?!" Celia shrieked. She never expected Lumina to bring up her family's dirty laundry. Her face twisted, madness flashing in her eyes. Just as Lumina was about to say something else, Celia suddenly grabbed a metal skewer from the table and stabbed it right in Lumina's face. Slash! The sharp skewer pierced Lumina's fair skin, blood streaming down her right cheek. "What's going on there? Someone call the police!" shouted a bystander. Pain numbed the right side of Lumina's face. Just as she tried to call for help, she saw Jackson standing at a distance, looking on with indifference. Celia smiled in satisfaction as she walked up to Lumina. Without warning, she drove the skewer toward Lumina's head. Chapter 3 "That's what you get for infuriating me! I'm going to ruin you right this instant! No matter what I do, Mr. Hunter will always cover for me!" Celia sneered. Stab! The skewer drove into Lumina's scalp. It was so painful that Lumina shuddered—she almost cried. Anger flared up inside her. She grabbed a skewer from the table, raising it to strike Celia's face in retaliation. Right before the skewer could hit Celia's face, however, Jackson caught her wrist. His grip was tight, his tone cold as he said, "Miss Price didn't do anything to you. Why are you hurting her?" Lumina looked up at the uncaring man, blood streaming down her face. Her voice trembled as she said indignantly, "She didn't do anything to me? Look at my face and my head! Who do you think did this?" Jackson paused, frowning slightly. "It's just a couple of scratches. Put a bandage on it and you'll be fine. She has Mr. Hunt's protection. If you hurt her on purpose, you'll be the one to suffer in the end. I'm stopping you for your good." Lumina was stunned at first. She looked at the man she had loved for three years with red eyes. A wave of mixed emotions crashed over her. Celia sneered in satisfaction. "Tsk, you really have no idea what's good for you. At least your bartender boyfriend sure knows which way the wind blows!" Lumina wiped the blood from her face and turned to look at Celia, who was still gloating. While Jackson was still distracted, Lumina's hand shot out. She grabbed a freshly grilled skewer of meat from the next table and flung it in Celia's face. Smack! Celia howled in pain as the hot food burned her, her fair cheek instantly turning red. Jackson's face turned cold; he ran over to Celia, shoving Lumina away. Lumina stumbled and fell to the ground, thrown off balance. Her ankle twisted. Worse, she landed on her injured right cheek. Blood gushed from the wound, and she quickly lost consciousness. Just before she fainted, she heard Celia's furious screech. "How dare you burn me? I'll make Mr. Hunter avenge me! I want you to suffer a hundred times worse!" - When Lumina opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the face of a middle-aged nurse. Seeing her wake up, the nurse sighed. "Look at you! You're so pretty, but you're nearly disfigured. What a pity. Now that you're awake, don't forget to pay your hospital bill later." Pain shot through Lumina's head and face. Her eyes red, she asked, "The man who brought me here… Didn't he pay the bill?" The nurse looked at Lumina and sighed several times before saying kindly, "Someone called an ambulance for you. No man sent you here. If the department head hadn't covered your expenses, you'd still be bleeding. Anyone can see you've been victimized. You youngsters need to be careful about who you date." Lumina's nose stung, her eyes welling with tears. The nurse shook her head and left the room. Soon after, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. A group of men in black burst in, slamming the door behind them. Lumina noticed the words "CG" embroidered on their uniforms, and her heart sank. It was said that the heir of the Hunter family had assembled a special team, the "Celia Guards", to clean up after Celia and keep her happy. No wonder Celia was so untouchable. The stories were all true. The men in black roughly dragged Lumina out of bed, pinning her limbs to the ground. In the darkness, burning hot torture tools pressed down again and again on her bare arms, legs, and face. Lumina screamed in agony, her whole body seized by fear. "Let me go… Ngh…!" Just as she tried to cry for help, someone shoved a cloth into her mouth, and more torture tools scorched her body. She writhed uncontrollably, her hands clawing at the floor, tears rolling down her face from the pain. The five men became crueler as they saw her suffer. "That's ninety times now! Ten more to go. Mr. Hunter said you must pay her back a hundredfold, just as Miss Price demanded!" "Everyone in Arriva City knows Miss Price is Mr. Hunter's favorite, but you burned her with a skewer of barbecued meat! No wonder he sent us to teach you a lesson!" "If you know what's good for you, apologize to her on camera right now!" The leader of the "Celia Guard" held up his phone and started filming Lumina. Lying on the floor, covered in burns and stripped of all dignity, Lumina stared at the group with bloodshot eyes. Even as she longed to kill herself from the overwhelming pain, she remained defiant. "I'll never apologize! Tell your Mr. Hunter that I never provoked Celia! She abused me for nine years straight! She's the one who owes me an apology!" she insisted, her voice ragged. The leader paused, disappointed by the footage he had gotten. "Mr. Hunter said it himself. You made Miss Price cry for so many nights and visited more than a hundred psychologists! Do you think he's accusing you falsely?" "He'll know the truth in six days!" Lumina snarled. Chapter 4 As soon as Lumina finished speaking, she was met with a savage barrage of punches and kicks. Her body was already quite frail; before long, she collapsed on the ground and lost consciousness completely. When she woke up again, she found herself back in the hospital bed, though she didn't know who had moved her there. Jackson sat beside her, his expression cold. "I told you not to mess with Celia. She's got someone to protect her. Now that her guardian has taught you a lesson, have you finally learned from your mistake?" Lumina was stunned for a moment, then suddenly started laughing through her tears. She had nothing but hate. She hated that she had loved the wrong person, hated that she devoted everything to her first relationship. In the end, she didn't meet someone worthy at all! Jackson watched Lumina sob quietly. For some reason, he felt a twinge of regret. But Lumina had nearly destroyed Celia's family in the past years. How could he feel any sympathy for a woman so brutal? Lumina stared at Jackson. She hesitated for a few seconds, then tried to tell him the truth. "I never bullied Celia. It was always she who…" Before she could finish, Jackson's phone rang. It was the leader of the Celia Guards. "Sir, Miss Price just contacted me and asked me to thank you on her behalf, but… Well, she…" When it came to Celia, Jackson couldn't care less what Lumina was saying. He rushed out of the room. "What happened to her?" "Miss Price just broke down crying. She said that Lumina sent her a provocative text this morning, saying that if she'd known, she'd let Miss Price die three years ago. Miss Price is upset and wants us to put ants on Lumina's wounds to teach her a lesson." Jackson's gaze turned cold. "Lumina really is vicious. Do as she said. Make sure Celia feels better." "Understood." An hour later, the Celia Guards barged into the hospital room again. Lumina saw the group of men and understood instantly. The phone call Jackson had just answered… It was about Celia. There was no way Celia would let her off that easily. The man in charge took out four ropes and tied Lumina to the bed, her arms and legs spread wide. The others immediately poured syrup onto her burned arms and legs, then released jars full of live ants onto her wounds. Countless ants crawled up Lumina's limbs, feeding on the syrup from her burns. The combination of pain and itching was unbearable… This cruel torture made her convulse, her limbs twitching as she let out a scream of despair. Yet, they still didn't let her go. They recorded everything on their phones, only leaving after Lumina finally passed out from the pain. She didn't know how long she had been out. When Lumina finally came to, she was slapped awake…hard. Celia stood by the bed, slowly withdrawing her hand, her face twisted with contempt. "Oh, how Mr. Hunter spoils me! Whenever I'm upset, he'll protect me no matter what. Oh, and Lumina… I heard from him that you stripped down to your underwear at a bar for some guy! How pathetic can you get? By the way, I sent your striptease video and the footage of you screaming like a banshee just now to the university group chat. Guess what your classmates said? They said you're such a tart! They're wondering just how wild you get under a man, how hard can you cry?" Celia laughed maniacally and ground her cigarette butt into one of Lumina's burn wounds, leaving a black hole in Lumina's wrist. "Are you finally getting it, Lumina? If you know what's good for you, keep your mouth shut about me and get out of Arriva City. Never show your face to me again! Word is, Mr. Hunter is going to confess to me on my birthday. Soon, I'll be Mrs. Hunter. We'll always be worlds apart!" Lumina stared at the hospital ceiling, her eyes dull and lifeless. She would leave. She would go to Crown City soon and marry the person she was supposed to marry… Three days later, Jackson came to take Lumina home from the hospital. She stared out the window, lips pressed tight all the way. Her face was expressionless, like a lifeless doll. Jackson noticed her mood and deliberately went out of his way to buy her favorite peach strudel. When they got home, Lumina frowned slightly at the three wedding dresses hanging in the living room. Jackson walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. "Lumi, I picked out the wedding dresses myself. We'll get married in three days." Lumina pushed his hands away, her voice trembling. "Does it have to be in three days?" Jackson paused, then reached up to ruffle her hair. "Didn't we already agree to it? That's the best day. Besides the wedding, I have an extra surprise for you." Lumina looked at the man who breathed lies so easily and forced a smile. "What a coincidence. I have a surprise for you that day, too." "What kind of surprise?" Jackson asked, curious. Lumina opened his laptop and smiled faintly. "It's a secret…but for now, I'll need to use your computer." Jackson thought Lumina was still head over heels for him, so he let down his guard and typed in his password. Chapter 5 Jackson went into the living room and messaged his secretary, Ashley. "She agreed. Decorate the wedding venue in the next two days." While Jackson was away, Lumina quickly found her nude videos on his computer. With trembling hands, she deleted them and replaced them with evidence she had gathered over the years—proof of Celia's bullying of her and the truth behind the rooftop fall. Finally, she renamed the new file to match the original nude videos. Just as she finished, she received a call from a courier. He said her package was at the door. After Lumina opened the door, someone struck her hard on the shoulder, and she instantly blacked out. In the darkness, two men dragged her away. An hour later, in an abandoned factory… When Lumina came to, she found herself hanging five meters above the ground. The floor beneath her was covered in a dense layer of sharp, broken glass. Three thugs stood on the ground below. Suspended next to her was Celia, who burst into terrified tears when she saw the glass beneath them. "Who are you people?! Let me down! I don't want to die!" Lumina gripped the rope tightly, her face pale. She wondered, who would plan to kidnap both her and Celia at the same time? The ringleader looked up and said coldly, "We're going to play a game. Whose man brings a million dollars to save you first gets to go free. The other one will get her rope cut!" He paused, then dramatically gestured downward. "Smack! Fall! Ground into mince!" Celia's face went completely white with fear; she immediately called Jackson, her voice shrill and panicked. "Mr. Hunter! Help me! I've been kidnapped! The thugs say you need to bring a million! You have to get here before Lumina's boyfriend, or they won't let me go!" On the other end, Jackson's eyes turned cold and sinister. "Wait for me. I'm bringing the money now!" The thugs looked up at Lumina, who hadn't moved, and barked impatiently, "Aren't you going to make a call?" Lumina gripped her phone so hard, her knuckles turned white. Jackson had never loved her. He would probably show up as Mr. Hunter to save Celia instead. Meanwhile, the leader of the Celia Guards was already reporting back to Jackson. "Sir, we checked… Those three thugs contacted Lumina two days ago!" Jackson's grip tightened, his expression darkened. So, Lumina… She had teamed up with the kidnappers to set Celia up! No wonder the ransom was a million! It was all just a ploy to make him pay off the loan! "Lumina, you really are getting more and more malicious!" Just then, Lumina's call came in. Jackson rejected it, his face stone-cold. Back in the factory, Lumina stared at her phone in disbelief. Why wouldn't Jackson answer? Suddenly, Celia's phone rang, and she accidentally put it on speaker. In the quiet, abandoned warehouse, Jackson's angry voice came through, loud and clear. "Celia, I'll get there before Lumina's boyfriend! Tell the thugs to just cut Lumina's rope! If they're willing to punish her, I'll give each of them an extra hundred thousand!" All of Lumina's hope shattered in that instant. She forced a smile. Jackson didn't just refuse to save her… He actually wanted her dead. He hated her to the bone. No love… He had absolutely no love for her! Twenty minutes later, Jackson stormed into the warehouse wearing a black mask and sunglasses. He carefully rescued Celia, holding her in his arms, then shot a look of utter disdain at Lumina, who was still hanging in the air. His icy eyes were filled with loathing. Before leaving, he kicked the box of cash he had brought over and turned to the thugs. "Like I said—if you mess Lumina up as badly as possible, I'll pay each of you a hundred thousand extra!" Lumina's gaze followed them as they left, her fingers trembling. The warehouse soon fell silent again. The thugs cut her rope, and Lumina plunged five meters down. Crash! She landed on her back. Sharp shards of glass stabbed into her skin, making her scream in agony as tears streamed down her face. She staggered to her feet, blood soaking her white T-shirt as it dripped steadily to the floor. Drip… Just as she tried to step off the bed of glass, the thugs blocked her way. Lumina frowned, her voice cold. "Celia got what she wanted. You have your money. Why won't you let me go?" Exposed, the thug sneered. "You're smart, but your love life's a total mess! You almost died, but the guy didn't even answer your call. He treats you worse than a stranger! Now, I'm short a million because of you!" "Finished insulting me?" Lumina kept her expression blank and tried to leave, but was blocked again. "Who said you could leave? Sure, our deal with Miss Price is done, but we're not going to let Mr. Hunter's money go to waste." The three thugs exchanged glances. Then, one tied Lumina up while another forced a burning cigarette butt into her mouth. Lumina was forced to look up as she let out an agonized scream. She trembled from the pain, tears and sweat pouring down her face. The thugs grew even more excited as they watched her suffer. "Miss Price told us that three years ago, she fell by accident because she was trying to force you to swallow a cigarette for a photo and you refused. That's why she fell from the rooftop. Now, she wants us to help her get closure after she gets her money. Time for you to relive your experience of getting bullied all over again!" "Look at you cry! Haha! Swallow it!" "Hey, we're running out of cigarettes. How about some sand next?" The two men pried Lumina's mouth open and shoved in burning cigarette butts and cup after cup of fine sand, forcing her to swallow them all with her eyes red. As the thugs' mocking laughter echoed through the warehouse, Lumina's tears streamed down her face and fell onto the blood-stained glass beneath her. She didn't know how much time had passed before the three finally let her go. Lumina got up, her body still shaking. After only a few steps, her vision blurred, and she slowly lost consciousness. Chapter 6 When Lumina opened her eyes again, the familiar smell of disinfectant filled her nose. She had been lying in the hospital for two days, undergoing repeated stomach pumping. Jackson hadn't come to see her once. It wasn't until night fell that a shadowy figure approached her bedside. Jackson, dressed in all black, looked at Lumina, his eyes showing a hint of concern. "How did you get hurt, Lumi?" Lumina stared at the man before her, her throat dry and her body trembling. Just as she was about to speak, Jackson's phone vibrated. She glanced over. The message was from someone saved as "Captain." "Sir, are you sure you want to spend one hundred thousand to promote the Lumina video?" Lumina frowned and instinctively gripped the bed sheet. "Who messaged you?" Jackson slipped his phone into his pocket and ruffled Lumina's hair with a gentle smile. "Just some spam. We're getting married tomorrow, Lumi. Don't overthink it." Lumina dug her fingernails into her palm and clenched her teeth, saying nothing more. Jackson only stayed a short while before leaving in a hurry. An hour later, Lumina's phone vibrated as it promoted today's trending topic. She looked at it, and she instantly started to shake with rage. It was the video from two days ago in the abandoned warehouse, showing her being forced to swallow cigarettes and sand. The title read: "So Satisfying! The Bully Gets Bullied Back!" In just one hour, the video had millions of views and countless comments. "Heard she's the bully who lured the Agriculture University's most beautiful girl to the roof and pushed her off three years ago!" "Serves her right! All bullies deserve this!" "What a shame, her face is blurred out!" "Does anyone know who she is? Let's dig up her family!" The comments from the netizens were like knives, carving deep into Lumina's self-esteem. With shaking hands, she tried to reply and explain that she was the real victim, but every comment she posted was mysteriously deleted. Suddenly, the hospital room door opened, and Celia's mocking voice rang out. "Do you like the surprise I prepared? I didn't even want to promote the video, but Mr. Hunter thought it was upsetting that I got kidnapped, so he insisted on spending a hundred thousand to push it out. He also says this is just an appetizer. The real show is tomorrow. I'm really curious what he'll do to you by then!" Lumina stared coldly at Celia, her fingertips turning white. The next morning, Jackson arrived at the hospital with a makeup artist and a wedding dress. Lumina changed into the dress and sat quietly, letting the stylist do her makeup. An hour later, they arrived at the wedding venue. Jackson's friends were already waiting, watching Lumina with sneering smiles. "Hey, from the way Lumina looks, she really seems to be looking forward to today's wedding." "She probably doesn't know the ceremony she's so excited about is actually our boss's confession to Celia!" "Don't forget, he promised to show something good later." "Damn, Jackson is so ruthless! I heard he spent several hundred thousand to livestream and promote it just to appease Celia. Lumina's going to get famous thanks to her nude videos!" Jackson's lips curled into a cold smile. "It's time to close the trap after spending too much time setting this up. A vicious woman like Lumina deserves everything that's coming to her." They didn't speak loudly, but Lumina heard every word. She glanced at the time, stood up, and walked over to Jackson. "I need to use the restroom." Jackson's earlier indifference melted into concern. "You're wearing a wedding dress. I'll come with you." Lumina shook her head, her gaze frigid. "Jackson, we'll have a whole new relationship in a short while." Jackson thought she meant they would soon be husband and wife, but his eyes flashed with a trace of disgust. "That's right. Soon, we'll be married." Catching the look in his eyes, Lumina let out a self-mocking laugh. Not husband and wife. Just strangers. Strangers who would never meet again. Lumina lifted her skirt and walked to the restroom. She quickly changed out of her wedding dress and into the black clothes she had prepared in advance, then hurried out the door. Half an hour later, she returned home. She took only her identification documents and the tomato plant she had lovingly cared for these past two years. Six months ago, she had signed up for the national cultivation competition. If her tomato plant matured as expected in a week, she was almost certain to win the grand prize—one million dollars and instant fame in the world of agronomy. The irony was, she had originally entered the competition out of love for the field and also to use the prize money to pay off her loan and marry Jackson in style. Downstairs, the people from Crown City's Morgan family were already lying in wait. Lumina walked over, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Who called you here?" The butler bowed his head and answered solemnly, "The madam asked me to bring you to the ancestral residence. She wants to speak with you in person." Lumina frowned slightly. Everyone knew that ever since Cadmus lost his voice, he had fallen out of favor with the matriarch Margaret. However, Lumina had no choice but to get in the car. As soon as she sat down, her phone notified her that Jackson had started livestreaming the wedding citywide.