Reborn Heiress，Dumping the Toxic Groom to Build an Empire

At my high-society wedding to my fiancé, Tristan Lu, his executive assistant—and the secret love of his life, Vivian Lin—slit her wrists in a hotel penthouse suite. Tristan smashed the crystal champagne flute meant for our toast. After a brief, heavy silence, he coldly ordered his men, "Wire the hospital whatever it takes. Get her the best care money can buy." Then, pretending nothing had happened, he returned to my side, ready to proceed with our arranged corporate union. Three years later, on the eve of Tristan officially taking over the Lu Corporation, a staged "accidental" car crash left me permanently infertile. Using my condition as an excuse, he shipped me off to a desolate, remote sanitarium abroad. He called it "rest and recovery," but in reality, it was lifelong house arrest. The night he abandoned me there, he pointed at a framed photo of Vivian and spat: "She was pregnant with my child back then! If your family hadn't used that joint venture to force me into marrying you, Vivian would never have been driven to suicide. You killed both of them!" "A barren woman like you doesn't deserve children of your own anyway. Rot here for the rest of your miserable life to atone for what you did to Vivian and our unborn baby." Within a year, my father's conglomerate was aggressively shorted and driven into bankruptcy. Shortly after, I died in that bleak facility from a sudden heart attack, drowning in bitter regret. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of our grand wedding. The officiant was reciting romantic vows on stage, and the ballroom erupted in thunderous applause. The chilling realization hit me instantly: I had been reborn. I clutched my bouquet, fighting to steady my racing heart. Since fate had granted me a second chance, I swore I wouldn't walk into that trap again. Everything Tristan owed me from my past life—I was going to make him pay it back a hundredfold! Tristan took my hand and led me toward the center of the altar, my expression concealed behind the delicate lace veil. My executive assistant, Chloe, stepped up to adjust my train. Taking advantage of the moment, I leaned in and whispered a few sharp instructions into her ear. A sharp gleam flashed across Chloe's eyes. Without a word, she quietly stepped back and slipped away. My father had groomed her himself. She was my most trusted right hand; leaving this task to her was the safest bet. The alliance between the Lu and Stone families had drawn every major corporate titan and elite socialite in the country. Under the glittering crystal chandeliers, the officiant announced over the microphone, "And now, the bride and groom will exchange their rings." Suddenly, a woman in a bridesmaid dress stumbled onto the stage, gasping for breath. "Mr. Lu, it's terrible! Vivian... Vivian tried to kill herself!" Her mascara was running as she dropped to her knees, crying hysterically, "Vivian grew up with you! You two share such a deep bond! Please, go save her!" Tristan's grip on my hand went slack. The velvet ring box slipped from his fingers and hit the marble floor with a sharp clatter. "How could she be so reckless? I told her I'd give her what she wanted once the ceremony was over..." Catching himself mid-sentence, he clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had said too much. He spun on his heel to dash off the stage, but his foot caught on the hem of my long bridal train. That stumble finally reminded him that this was his own wedding. The audience was packed with industry moguls and press reporters. If he abandoned the altar right now, Lu Corporation's stock would tank by sunrise. Freezing in his tracks, he turned to me with frantic eyes. "Victoria, let me go check on Vivian first. We'll resume the ceremony once I'm back. Our marriage is already set in stone anyway—a short delay won't matter." With reddened eyes, I lowered my head, putting on a fragile, accommodating facade. "Tristan, a life is at stake. Let me come with you. She's your employee, after all; if something happens to her, it reflects poorly on both of us." Relief and approval flashed across his face. "Good. I knew you'd be sensible." Pausing a multi-billion-dollar wedding midway so the bride and groom could check on a suicidal assistant was practically handing tomorrow's tabloids a front-page scandal. The guests trailed behind us in hushed, buzzing clusters. Inside the presidential suite, Vivian sat crumpled in a white dress, thick gauze wrapped around her wrist. A blood-stained utility knife lay abandoned on the carpet. The second she saw Tristan enter, tears poured down her cheeks, and she threw herself into his arms. "Tristan! I didn't mean to... I just love you too much!" "I know I come from a humble background and don't deserve you. But just once, I wanted to wear white and be your bride, like any ordinary girl." "I don't need a legal title, Tristan. I just wanted this one dream." "You've always known that my only wish since we were kids was to be your wife." Tristan held her tightly, his expression torn with raw anguish. "You foolish girl! Didn't I promise I'd take care of everything after the ceremony?" "Why would you do something so stupid? If anything happened to you, how could I go on?" Vivian took his hand and pressed his trembling palm gently against her flat stomach. "Tristan... the doctor confirmed it a few days ago. I'm... I'm two months pregnant with your baby.""I couldn't bear the thought of our baby being labeled a bastard from the day they're born... That's the only reason I lost my mind." Shock and ecstatic disbelief washed over Tristan's face. "Truly? Vivian, you're carrying my child?" Vivian wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and nodded through her sobs. "Yes. We're having a baby." They wept in each other's embrace, completely oblivious to the room full of guests who stood frozen in utter shock. "Are you kidding me? Tristan Lu knocked up his own secretary?" "Unbelievable. Pulling a stunt like this on his wedding day? Talk about a calculating homewrecker." "Look at how he's holding her. There's no way that's just an innocent fling." "Victoria Stone is getting completely humiliated. This is a massive slap in the face to the Stone family." My face drained of all color. The heirloom jade bangle on my wrist—given to me by the Lu matriarch herself—slipped off my trembling arm and crashed against the floor tiles, shattering into jagged green shards. I stumbled back a step, putting on a masterclass of shattered betrayal. "Tristan... I always thought she was just your capable assistant. Now you're telling me she's carrying your flesh and blood?" Tristan looked at me, caught between embarrassment and defensiveness. "Victoria, she's my childhood sweetheart. She's... the woman I truly love." "And so?" I cut him off, voice trembling with cold fury. "You two are star-crossed lovers, and now you have a child on the way?" Every question hit like a whip, leaving Tristan cornered and tongue-tied. Vivian suddenly fell to her knees before me, sobbing pitifully. "Miss Stone, please don't blame Tristan! It's all my fault! I couldn't control my feelings, and I was selfish enough to want his baby." "That night... he had too much to drink and mistook me for you. That's the only reason we... we crossed the line..." "Slap!" My hand cracked across her cheek, sending her head spinning. "Watch your mouth!" I snarled, eyes blazing with icy disdain. "I am the sole heiress of the Stone family. I have self-respect and standards. How dare a cheap homewrecker drag my name through the mud to cover up your sleazy affair!" "Before this engagement, Tristan and I never spent a single moment alone outside of formal business meetings." "You have zero morals and got knocked up out of wedlock, and now you want to throw your filth onto me? You might not care about your dignity, but the Stone family cares about ours!" Vivian clutched her burning cheek, tears streaming harder. "It's all my fault... Miss Stone, please don't be angry..." With that, she began violently slamming her forehead against the floor, bowing over and over. Seeing blood seep from her forehead, Tristan yanked her back into his arms, furious. "Stop it!" He whirled on me, his voice dripping with venom. "This isn't Vivian's fault! She just wasn't born into a billionaire family like you were! In my eyes, she's worth ten of you! You just got lucky being born a Stone!" "If it weren't for the multi-billion-dollar joint venture between our families, do you really think you'd be standing here as my bride today?" "You're the reason Vivian was driven to suicide! She's carrying my child!" "Since everyone is here anyway, let me make this abundantly clear: from this day forward, Vivian is my woman. I won't let her and my child live in the shadows!"I stared at him with pure ridicule. The sheer absurdity was almost comical. He had the audacity to claim he looked down on me? To say I only stood here because of my family's backing? If it weren't for the Stone family injecting billions into their liquidity pool, Tristan wouldn't even have a secure seat on his own board of directors! I held my head high, meeting his furious gaze unflinchingly. "Our marriage was strictly business from day one. By pulling this sickening display in front of our peers, you haven't just humiliated me—you've dragged the Lu family name through the gutter!" "If you and Vivian were so deeply in love, why didn't you have the spine to call off the engagement months ago? You wanted the Stone family's billions, but you also wanted to play house with your little mistress. Tristan, did you really think you could have your cake and eat it too?" I turned my piercing glare onto Vivian, my tone cutting like ice. "And you, Miss Lin! You knew you were pregnant. You had dozens of private chances to tell him, yet you stayed silent." "You deliberately chose his wedding day, in front of the city's entire high society, to stage your little tragedy. Do you dare look these people in the eye and say you didn't plan every single second of this?" Vivian wailed defensively, "I didn't plan it! I swear! I just... I heard colleagues at the office saying that Miss Stone has a ruthless temper, and that the moment she married in, she'd fire every female staff member close to Mr. Lu. I was terrified of losing my job and my baby... I just panicked..." Tristan glared at me, his eyes murderous. "Victoria, you vicious woman! You haven't even walked down the aisle and you're already plotting to purge my staff? You want to cut off my closest allies?" I burst into dry, mocking laughter. "Tristan, did you leave your brain in bed this morning? She feeds you a line and you swallow it whole? 'Colleagues'? Which colleagues? What are their names? Where did they say this?" "My executive team stepped foot into the Lu headquarters for the first time this morning. They don't even know where the restrooms are yet, let alone have time to spread office gossip. Did you think my professionals behave like your undisciplined pet?" I stepped closer to Vivian, pinning her down with my gaze. "Miss Lin, why don't you call this 'colleague' in right now? Let's have a little confrontation so I can clear my name." Vivian's face flushed crimson. She stammered, completely cornered, before whispering weakly, "I... maybe I misheard..." The guests exchanged knowing glances. Nobody in this room was stupid; such a cheap, transparent trick was pathetic to watch. Disdainful murmurs rippled through the suite. "Just a desperate mistress trying to use a pregnancy to trap an heir." "Crashing a high-stakes wedding like this, assuming the Stones would eat the insult just to save face. Cheap move." "Miss Stone is handling this with way more class than I would." In the middle of the chaos, a middle-aged woman rushed into the room and dropped straight to her knees. It was Martha, the Lu family's longtime housekeeper and Vivian's mother. "Miss Stone, please forgive my Vivian! For the sake of all the years I've served the Lu family, please spare her!" "If the Dowager Mrs. Lu finds out about this, Vivian won't survive!" Tristan immediately reached down to haul her up. "Martha, get up right now!" He spun on me, his voice trembling with outrage. "You're supposed to be my wife, yet you stand there and let the woman who raised me kneel at your feet! Is this the prestigious Stone family upbringing?" "Vivian and I love each other! You used your family's leverage to force me into this wedding, and I accepted it! But you can't even tolerate another woman. A petty, jealous shrew like you could never be the lady of the Lu household!" "I am the heir to the Lu empire! It's normal for a man in my position to have women on the side! If you can't stomach that, get the hell out!" Tristan and Vivian stood with their hands tightly intertwined, playing the role of tragic lovers torn apart by cruel reality. I looked at them, took a slow step backward, and slipped off the massive five-carat diamond ring. "Since Mr. Lu is so fiercely devoted, how could I possibly be cruel enough to tear you two apart?""Fortunately, the vows weren't finished. Legally, we are absolute strangers." "Miss Lin is already wearing white—she's practically dressed for the occasion. Why don't you let her drink that ceremonial toast with you?" "I, Victoria Stone, wish you two trash heaps a lifetime of misery together." "The alliance between the Stone and Lu families is officially terminated." "I am calling off this wedding!" The moment the words left my lips, the entire room erupted. "Holy shit! A hundred-billion-dollar merger, blown up just like that?" "Tristan humiliated her publicly. There's no way Richard Stone lets this slide." "Victoria is the golden daughter of the Stone empire. Why should she swallow this insult?" "Still, he's the sole heir to the Lu conglomerate. He's practically the richest bachelor in town. Couldn't she just turn a blind eye to a mistress?" Tristan stared at me in disbelief. "What did you say? You're breaking the engagement?" "You're out of your mind! The contracts are signed! You think you can just breach them? This involves both our empires. You're being completely reckless!" Cradled in Tristan's arms, a faint glimmer of triumph flashed in Vivian's eyes. She tugged at his sleeve, putting on a show of self-sacrifice. "Tristan, please don't fight with Miss Stone because of me. I don't need anything. Go finish the ceremony... don't ruin the merger." Tristan held her tighter, heart aching for her. "I'm sorry you have to endure this, Vivian. I won't let you down." He turned back to sneer at me. "You want to walk away? Does your father agree? Do the Stones really have the guts to throw away the billions riding on this deal?" The next second, a deep, commanding voice resonated from the doorway. "The Stones have more than enough guts!" Memories of my past life flooded my mind—how Tristan had systematically dismantled my family's empire for Vivian's sake. Pure fury flared within me. This time, history would not repeat itself. Standing in the doorway was my father, Richard Stone. Flanking him were my older brother, Alexander, Chloe, and our entire corporate legal team. My father walked in, his presence suffocatingly powerful. "I've spent thirty years in the corporate world building my empire on credibility and strength. But I will never sacrifice my daughter's dignity and happiness for profit!" "Tristan Lu, on your own wedding day, you fooled around with your secretary, disgraced yourself with an illegitimate pregnancy, and humiliated my daughter before our peers. Whoever wants this trash can have him. My daughter is far too good for your family!" Tristan's face turned ash-gray. "You dare breach the contract? When the board demands accountability, can your family handle the penalties?" My father let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Tomorrow morning, I will personally address the press. I will tell the entire business world that Tristan Lu lacks basic moral character." "My daughter refused to marry into filth." "As for the termination penalties? The Stone Group will pay every single cent without blinking!" Alexander stepped up to my side, barking at our security detail, "What are you standing around for? Escort my sister home! Freeze all pre-funded project accounts and pull our teams immediately. We're done doing business with these clowns!" Tears pricked my eyes as I threw my arms around my father. In my past life, my father and brother had compromised over and over just to give me a foothold in the Lu family, only to be devoured alive by Tristan in the end. Seeing them alive, fierce, and protective broke the dam of my emotions. "Dad... I don't want to get married. I want to go home. I miss Mom." My father gently patted my back, his eyes soft with fierce protectiveness. Alexander scoffed behind us, "To hell with this wedding. Let's go home, Vic. We don't need this trash!" Tristan bellowed after us, "Don't you dare! Victoria Stone, remember this: the moment you walk out that door today, don't you ever dream of stepping foot into the Lu family again!" I paused, turning back to deliver a gaze as cold as a winter grave. "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Lu. For the rest of my life, I wouldn't touch you or your family with a ten-foot pole." The second we arrived back at our family estate, my mother rushed over with tears in her eyes, pulling me into a tight embrace. "My poor baby... you suffered so much today." Because of the wedding, our extended family was gathered at the house. Cousins and relatives immediately crowded around to comfort me. "Good riddance! A Stone daughter never lacks suitors. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to men ten times better than him!" "Exactly! Sleeping with his secretary right before the wedding? The man is pure scum. Walking away was the best decision you ever made!" A genuine smile broke through my tears. In this life, my family was safe and whole. I would guard them with everything I had.Sitting in the living room, my mother held my hand as I rested my head on her shoulder. "Mom, Dad, you have to back me up on this. Tristan pulling this stunt was an open insult to the entire Stone family!" My father nodded grimly. "Don't worry. After a scandal like this, the Lu Corporation's stock is going to take a bloodbath tomorrow." The next morning, Chloe walked into my bedroom with a bright, satisfied smile. "Miss Stone, you're awake. Something huge happened last night—you're going to love this." It turned out that shortly after we walked out, Tristan's mother—Dowager Mrs. Lu—received the news. She was so furious that she reportedly smashed her prized antique tea set against the wall. "That absolute idiot! He blew up our multi-billion-dollar alliance with the Stones over a cheap little secretary!" "I thought that girl was just an ambitious assistant, so I never paid her any mind. Turns out she's a venomous parasite who dared to get knocked up!" "Did she think pulling a stunt at the wedding would force Victoria to swallow her pride? Does she have any idea who Victoria Stone is? Richard Stone's only daughter, groomed as an heir since childhood—why the hell would she tolerate that insult?" "Everything I meticulously built for Tristan's succession was destroyed in a single afternoon by those two fools!" "She thinks carrying a piece of flesh makes her untouchable? Ha! The Lu family has no shortage of bloodlines!" "Security! Drag Vivian Lin out of that hotel suite right now! Make her kneel before the press and beg the Stones for forgiveness!" When the dowager's bodyguards dragged Vivian out of the suite, she was reportedly screaming like a madwoman: "Get your hands off me! I'm carrying the Lu family's firstborn grandchild! When Tristan finds out, he'll destroy you all!" The guards didn't flinch. "This is on direct orders from the Dowager. She said you ruined the Lu Corporation's most critical deal, and you deserve whatever comes to you." Vivian shrieked, "That's impossible! I'm carrying his baby! He's the future chairman! The Dowager can't do this to me! I am the future Mrs. Lu!" The Dowager's personal secretary looked down at her with cold disgust. "Miss Lin, the Dowager instructed me to inform you that your termination letter has already been processed, along with an industry-wide blacklisting." "You and whatever is in your belly no longer have the slightest connection to the Lu family." Listening to Chloe's report, a wave of refreshing satisfaction washed over me. The Dowager was just as ruthless and calculating as I remembered. In my past life, that same ruthless efficiency had been weaponized to crush my family. I took a slow sip of warm milk. "What about Vivian? Did the paparazzi catch her being thrown out?" "Every single one of them," Chloe said, eyes sparkling with excitement. "The press went wild outside the hotel. The flashbulbs didn't stop for a second while security dragged her down the front steps." "Her hair was a rat's nest, her makeup was smeared, and she was screaming at the top of her lungs that she was 'Mrs. Lu' and carrying the Lu heir. It was a complete circus." "By six this morning, every financial and tabloid headline read: "Lu Corp Heir Caught Cheating on Wedding Day: Pregnant Mistress Stages Hostile Takeover." Lu Corporation's stock plunged to the daily limit right at the opening bell. Tens of billions in market cap vanished in minutes." I smirked. Exactly as expected. "Splendid." Right on cue, my phone began vibrating violently. The caller ID flashed: "Tristan Lu". I put it on speaker. His enraged roar blasted through the receiver instantly: "Victoria! Are you happy now?! You stressed my mother into a hospital bed, and you've driven Vivian into a corner! The entire city is laughing at the Lu family! How can you be so utterly vicious?!" I dabbed my mouth with a napkin, entirely unbothered. "Mr. Lu, so much temper first thing in the morning. Didn't sleep well? Ah, of course you didn't. Your darling mistress was thrown onto the street by your own mother. I imagine you're busy playing the white knight." "You..." He choked on his own rage. "Don't forget, Tristan—you were the one who publicly declared your undying love for her. You announced her pregnancy to the world." "You were the one who dragged this farce into the spotlight," I said, my voice dropping to a freezing chill. "You brought every single bit of this on yourself." "As for your mother, her chest hurts because your stock plummeted, not because your pathetic romance got ruined." "You think I don't know what's happening?!" he barked. "My mother blacklisted Vivian across the entire corporate sector! How is she supposed to survive? Victoria, do you really have to drive people to suicide before you're satisfied?" "That was your mother's call. What does it have to do with me?" I replied smoothly. "Though, I should probably send her flowers for taking out the trash on my behalf." "Don't worry, Tristan. I won't drive anyone to death. I'd much rather watch her live a life worse than death." With that, I hung up and promptly blocked his number.