Wedding Night: She Gave Herself to Another

I wandered through the streets as memories from years ago resurfaced.

Rachel had cried herself unconscious in my arms when the Mead family's capital chain broke back then. I actually kneeled in front of Mom and Dad for three whole days for her sake, until my knees were a bloody mess, just to secure that life-saving capital injection.

I was 20 years old when I stormed in alone to rescue her when she was abducted by a rival family. I took a bullet through the chest and nearly lost my life then.

I was 25 years old when she suddenly got drugged in a bar. I rushed to her side, with steel still fixed inside my body, and was beaten until my spleen ruptured, surviving two emergency resuscitations.

I was 30 years old when she was trapped beneath an avalanche. I dug through the snow until dawn, and when she was finally dragged out, my entire body was frozen stiff, and the hospital issued critical condition notices five times. I never thought that one day she would become like this.

Just at that moment, I glanced up and saw Quentin's interview broadcasting across a massive skyscraper billboard.

He was being hailed as the Innovator of the Year and an Industry Disruptor, with the host exclaiming, "Mr. Sorenson led his team to break through these technical barriers in just six months—a true role model for the younger generation!"

I froze in my tracks, the blood draining from my face. I was the one who led the team for a year, pulling all-nighters, testing, failing, and starting over to build that core data. Rachel had actually handed all the credit to Quentin while I was completely occupied with planning our wedding.

I clenched my fist in anger when my phone suddenly rang. I answered the video call and caught Quentin straddling Rachel, thrusting continuously.

Quentin's voice was filled with lust while asking, "Is Charlie going to be mad if he finds out about us, Rach? What if he actually wants a divorce? We're out of condoms, too. What if you suddenly get pregnant, Rach?"

Rachel panted seductively, cutting him off. "What are you afraid of? Charlie is just putting on an act to scare me! He loves me too much to ever actually divorce me. I'll just give birth to the child if I really get pregnant. He'll get to be a father without doing any of the work—he'll probably be thrilled."

That disgusting scene suddenly drained all the strength from my body, making my stomach churn. Quentin deliberately panned the camera to show the decor of our wedding suite, his eyes filled with blatant provocation.

I gripped my phone until my knuckles went white. I had personally designed every inch of that wedding suite just to make sure Rachel's first night was perfect, only to find out I had done all that work just for them to enjoy it.

I suppressed my churning emotions and scoffed. "You seem pretty occupied, but you still had time to give me a live show, Rachel."

Upon hearing my voice, Rachel went completely frigid. She hurriedly shoved Quentin off her, snatched the phone, and glared at me. "What the hell is wrong with you, Charlie? Why did you suddenly video call me?"

I scoffed in disbelief. "I have absolutely no interest in watching a live show—your darling assistant was the one who called me."

Rachel froze, glancing at Quentin with a hint of doubt. She immediately took his side when she noticed Quentin lowered his head in grievance.

She turned back and snapped at me, "You'd better stop your act this instant, Charlie! You're the one at fault here! You wouldn't even buy condoms when I asked you to yesterday, so Quentin was just trying to get back at you for me! I'm not married yet, so I can give my first time to whoever I want!"

I calmly cut her off, saying, "You're absolutely right. Your body, your choice. You can give your virginity to anyone you please, and I have no right to complain. I also have autonomy over my own choices, though; if I want a divorce, I will get one. You have no right to control that, Rachel."

Rachel's face went completely pale. She quickly regained her composure, her voice dripping with contempt while saying, "You ought to remember that our engagement was decided by both of our grandfathers, Charlie. You're all alone now, so the entire Lund Group relies on my family to keep it afloat!"

She toned it down slightly after noticing my silence, saying, "I won't hold it against you that you walked out yesterday as long as you don't make things difficult for Quentin from now on, Charlie."

I found it utterly absurd upon hearing her dismiss my sacrifices as dependency and justify her own betrayal; all my past care and indulgence had somehow become the leverage she used to threaten me.

Quentin actively mocked me, while Rachel self-righteously blackmailed me. They were truly a perfect match for each other.

I met her gaze calmly, showing no emotion. "It's completely over between us, Rachel."

It was the following day when the ridiculous events at the wedding spread throughout the social circle. Jack Mead, Rachel's grandfather, called to assure me that the marriage would still happen, promising he would make sure Rachel and I still went through with the wedding and vowing to discipline her severely.

I simply replied calmly, "It won't be necessary since I'm going to back out of the marriage, Mr. Mead Senior."

Mr. Mead Senior sighed heavily before hanging up.

I began drawing up the divorce agreement, and before I could even print the document, the front door was slammed open.

Rachel stormed in aggressively with a group of bodyguards, pointing right at my face and yelling, "I never realized you were so malicious, Charlie!

"I was just being kind and helping someone out, and you actually ran to Grandpa to complain! His men almost tore Quentin apart! You can go ahead and experience it yourself since you think getting bitten by leeches is no big deal!"

She waved her hand, and a few bodyguards grabbed me and tied me up. They carried me outside and threw me into a car, which went on a rough drive out to an isolated area. They then dragged me out and dumped me into a dark, damp pit.

I hit the ground hard, and only then could I see clearly that the bottom of the pit was a squirming mass, completely covered in leeches.

Quentin stood at the edge of the pit, putting on a pained, helpless expression as he said softly, "I hope you won't hold it against Rach, Charlie. I'm sure she only lost her temper because I almost got hurt. I'm certain that she'll let you out once she cools off, so you should just hang in there for a little while."

Rachel had already lost her patience. She commanded coldly, "Throw him in!"

In the next second, everything around me spun as I was thrown heavily to the bottom of the pit. I could feel a damp, cold, and slimy sensation covering my entire body as countless leeches immediately wriggled and attached themselves to me.

I merely thought that the piercing pain and numbness made me lose all track of time. It wasn't until I felt my consciousness gradually slipping away and even breathing became difficult that Rachel's indifferent voice finally came from above. "Get him out of there—don't actually end up killing him."

Rachel's bodyguards hauled me up like a sack of garbage, dragged me all the way back to the house, and dumped me onto the cold, hard floor.

Rachel stood over me, looking down with a casual, indifferent expression. "I hope you remember this lesson well, Charlie. Quentin is going to stay here while he recovers from his injuries, so make sure you take good care of him."

She then hooked her arm through Quentin's and walked straight into the bathroom, where the sound of running water soon drifted out faintly, mingling with suggestive panting and low giggles.

I, on the other hand, was left lying there on the floor. I was covered in injuries and couldn't even move a muscle.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but Quentin suddenly walked out while wrapped in a bathrobe, with several noticeable hickeys on his neck. He squatted in front of me with an undisguised look of triumph on his face.

"Rachel was giving me her virginity while you were waiting like an idiot at the wedding yesterday. She actually bled a lot, but she forced herself to bear the pain just to satisfy me. You've been with her for years and never even slept with her. Is there something wrong with you down there, Charlie?"

I was incensed. I clenched my fist and tried to punch him, but Quentin intentionally threw himself backward, hitting the floor with a loud thud. "I was only trying to help you to your feet, Charlie, so why are you suddenly hitting me?"

Rachel suddenly stormed out and struck me hard across the face. She then barked before the stinging pain could fade, "Hold him down!"

In that instant, two bodyguards grabbed my arms, pulling them behind my back, and slammed my head down toward the ground.

"You'd better apologize to Quentin this instant—grovel before him and beg for his forgiveness!" Rachel snarled.

I was forced to bang my forehead against the floor repeatedly with a succession of dull thuds, causing my vision to go dark. I was completely consumed by humiliation and pain, but that wasn't the end of it.

I was forced to endure a prolonged beating as they kicked and punched me mercilessly until I began losing consciousness and lacked the strength to even groan.

I was eventually dragged to my feet and stuffed into the car. I was thrown into an abandoned warehouse in the suburbs following a long, bumpy ride. I felt several cold, hard objects being tied to my body as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

I then heard the rhythmic ticking that instantly jolted me back to consciousness—it was actually a bomb.

I got patted on the cheek by the leading bodyguard, who crouched before me with a ruthless expression, saying, "You shouldn't mess with people you can't afford to offend in your next life, buddy."

I fought back with everything I had, but I couldn't break free. I glared at them with bloodshot eyes and barked, "How dare you! Rachel will make you pay for this!"

Those bodyguards immediately burst out laughing.

"You think Ms. Mead actually cares about you, huh? Mr. Sorenson is the only person she cares about right now! She'd only worry that Mr. Sorenson had to get his hands dirty, even if she found out that Mr. Sorenson wanted you dead. Have a safe trip to the afterlife!"

They laughed uproariously as they locked the warehouse doors from the outside.

I was left in the dark, with only the cold, rapid ticking of the countdown. I closed my eyes as the final glimmer of hope within me extinguished. "Goodbye forever, Rachel…"

It was then that someone called out my name. "Charlie!"

I hadn't expected anyone to call out to me at a moment like this. I figured I was just hallucinating at that point. I clearly never expected Ruby Shaw, my arch-nemesis, to rush into the warehouse.

I had known Ruby for 20 years, and we had been rivals since childhood. I was seven years old when she destroyed my school craft project in public. I was 12 years old when she stole my registration form for the math olympiad.

I was 18 years old when she intentionally ruined my answer sheet during our final exams. I was 23 years old when she poached my entire core team during my first startup.

I never expected her to run in and save me, completely putting her own life on the line. I yelled to her anxiously, "It's a bomb, and it's about to explode, so get out of here this instant!"

Ruby came straight to me without any hesitation, cut through the ropes binding me in one swift motion, and hurled the bomb out at the last possible moment.

I immediately shielded Ruby from the shockwave as the blast went off on the other side, holding her tightly. I eventually blacked out as the violent explosion tore open my back.

…

Third-Person Point-of-View

In the meantime, Rachel was meticulously treating a microscopic scratch on Quentin's body. Those who looked closely would see that the scratch was so tiny that it was already on the verge of healing itself.

Quentin spoke up, putting on an innocent act. "Isn't Charlie's punishment a bit too harsh, Rach? What if it deeply hurts him? I'd hate to be the homewrecker tearing a family apart."

He then turned his face away in self-reproach and slapped himself hard across the face. "Why can't I just control my feelings for you? Why can't I control how dependent I am on you? If it weren't for me, you and Charlie would be out having a wonderful honeymoon right now."

Rachel immediately grabbed his hand in distress, her voice soft yet urgent while saying, "It's not your fault, Quentin—none of it is. I did everything of my own free will."

She then looked up at Quentin, her eyes brimming with reproach. "Charlie is the one being completely selfish and spiteful here. I was just trying to help you, but he got all defensive because of it.

"It's actually a good thing to teach him a lesson before the wedding. He needs to know his place so that he doesn't get ahead of himself after we're married and thinks he can walk all over me."

Quentin lowered his gaze, his voice downcast yet laced with seduction while saying, "You shouldn't say that about Charlie, Rach. I'm the one to blame for everything here."

"You shouldn't bring him up anymore, Quentin," Rachel said, cutting him off. She then touched Quentin's face gently and murmured, "You're the only one I truly care about now."

They drew closer together, their breaths mingling in the space between them.

"Quentin…" Rachel murmured as she leaned in and took the initiative to kiss him.

Quentin pulled her in by the waist and held her close, their lips meeting in a deep, passionate kiss. He kept murmuring her name between the kisses, his hot breath mingling with hers. "Rach…"

Rachel responded with her eyes shut, her fingers sliding into his hair as she became entirely swept up in the treacherous kiss.

It was then that the door burst open with a bang.