I took the fall for Gabriel and spent three years in prison for him.
When I was sentenced, he held my hand, sobbing uncontrollably. he swore that he’d marry no one but me, promising to wait for me until the day I was released.
On the day I got out, he didn’t come to pick me up. I walked over ten kilometers on foot to his family’s old estate, just to attend his mother’s birthday banquet.
When I arrived, I saw him holding another woman in his arms. He didn’t miss the chance to mock me. “A woman who’s been to prison thinks she’s worthy of marrying into *The Prince Family*?”
That’s when I realized—he had fallen in love with someone else during those three years.
Heartbroken and numb, I turned around and agreed to the arranged marriage my parents had set up.
On the day of my wedding, I sat before the vanity mirror, touching up my makeup in my wedding gown.
Suddenly, Gabriel barged in with his friends, laughing hysterically.
“Nora, are you that desperate to be my dirty little mistress? You even stole The Prince Family’s wedding gown to force me into marriage? How shameless can you be?”
Before I could respond, his uncle rushed in. He immediately draped his jacket over me and slid a wedding ring onto my finger.
At that moment, Gabriel’s face turned pale.
***
“This wedding dress is a custom design commissioned by the Prince Family,” the makeup artist said with excitement. “It’s said that the ninety-nine diamonds adorning it were specially sourced from all over the world, handpicked by the head of the family. Ms. Waller, your groom must really cherish you—”
Before she could finish, the door burst open with a deafening bang.
Gabriel Prince strode in, clad in a sharp groom’s suit, his face twisted in fury. Without a second thought, he grabbed me and yanked me off the makeup chair.
“Nora,” he spat, “you’re just an ex-con. Do you seriously think I’d still want you?”
His voice was laced with contempt. “You’re so shameless. I tossed out a careless joke and you had the audacity to take it seriously?
“And now you’re stealing my family’s wedding dress to force me into marriage? How much lower can you sink?”
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the room as Gabriel’s friends gathered by the door, their smirks filled with ridicule.
“Isn’t this Ms. Waller, the one who’s been chasing after Gabe for over a decade?” one of them sneered. “Didn’t she even kill someone for him? Spent three years in prison, just got out recently.”
“She really did time, huh? And now she thinks she can push the Prince Family into marrying her? Doesn’t she care about ruining their reputation for generations?”
“Exactly. Trash is trash. And to pull this stunt on Gabe and Ellie’s wedding day? Absolutely disgusting.”
“She really did time, huh? And now she has the audacity to try and force the Prince Family to marry her? Does she even care how it’ll stain the family’s legacy for generations?”
Their jeers pierced through the room like knives, each word cutting deeper than the last. My chest tightened, like a soggy wad of cotton was suffocating me from the inside.
Three years ago, it was Gabriel who begged me incessantly, swearing he’d marry me the moment I got out of prison. He wore me down, pleading until I finally relented and agreed to take the blame for him.
Even when he broke off our engagement after my release, I didn’t say a word. I turned away quietly and accepted the marriage my family arranged for me.
And now? How had the story twisted so much that I’d become the one shamelessly forcing him to marry me?
With the wedding about to start, I had no patience for an argument.
Pulling free from Gabriel’s grip, I swallowed my anger and calmly said, “Gabriel, I had no idea today was your wedding to Ellie. Besides, who you marry or whether you marry at all has nothing to do with me. Because today, I’m getting married too.”
The crowd around us erupted with laughter, loud and mocking, as if I’d just told the punchline to the most ridiculous joke.
Gabriel caught on quickly, smirking as he joined in with a derisive chuckle.
“You? Getting married? Don’t make me laugh. Who would want you?”
He sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “A woman like you—fresh out of prison—I wouldn’t even take you as a bedwarmer. You’d bring nothing but bad luck.”
His words cut like a blade, stripping away any semblance of dignity. Emboldened by his cruelty, his friends chimed in with their own jeers.
“A bedwarmer? Not a bad idea! Gabe, if you’re done with her, let the rest of us have a turn!”
“A murderous ex-con? Now that’s a thrill! She’s probably a wild one in bed!”
The scorn in Gabriel’s eyes burned even brighter, as if the idea of making me his mistress was some grand favor I should feel grateful for.
Chapter 2With his arms crossed over his chest, Gabriel sneered at me alongside his friends. “Fine, then. When the time comes, everyone here can take turns—one night each. Let’s make it fun.”
The makeup artist, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward to defend me.
“Mr. Prince, Ms. Waller IS having her wedding here today. As a member of the Prince Family, surely you’re aware that Sir Zachary Prince, the head of the family, is marrying Ms. Waller today?”
Her words landed like a bombshell, silencing the room for a brief moment—before laughter erupted like thunder.
Gabriel’s expression darkened instantly. With a swift kick, he sent the makeup artist sprawling into the corner. Blood trickled down her forehead, but he spared her only a cold, disdainful glance.
“A lowly makeup artist dares to make up stories using my uncle’s name?
“Everyone in town knows my uncle is marrying his dream woman today. Spread any more baseless rumors and I’ll rip that lying mouth of yours apart.”
Gabriel’s reputation for cruelty was infamous across the town. When he made a threat, he meant it.
The makeup artist turned pale, frozen in place and too terrified to even breathe. Her wide, fearful eyes turned to me, as if pleading for help.
Not wanting to escalate the situation with my wedding just moments away, I decided to let it go and move to another room to fix my makeup.
Before I could leave, Gabriel grabbed my veil in a firm grip and yanked it violently. “This veil was designed personally by my uncle. It even carries his private insignia. Nora, where did you steal it from?”
The veil had been fastened with hairpins and when it was torn away, I felt a sharp, searing pain as if my scalp had split open.
While serving time in prison for Gabriel, I once had my head bashed open.
I was allergic to anesthesia, so I endured thirty stitches without feeling a shred of pain. But now, the searing pain made my vision blur and darken.
Fighting through the agony, I reached out with trembling hands to grab a corner of the veil and repeated in a low.
With steady voice, I said, “Gabriel, I’ll say it one more time. Today is MY wedding to your uncle. This veil was custom-made for me by him. I didn’t steal—”
Before I could finish, Gabriel grabbed my face and yanked hard at my lips.
“My uncle is THE head of the Prince Family. Without his permission, even my parents wouldn’t dare utter a single extra word. You said he's marrying you? A woman who’s been to prison? What makes you think you’re worthy of him?
“Consider this your warning: if you spread more lies, tearing your mouth apart will be the least of your worries.”
He shoved me away and I stumbled, crashing into a storage shelf. My grandmother’s memorial photo fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Panic shot through me as I quickly picked it up, carefully dusting off the surface and cradling it close to my chest.
My mother had told me that before Grandma passed, her final wish was to see me get married. She even had this photo taken, smiling her brightest, just for the occasion.
Now, the wedding hadn’t even started and Gabriel had already ruined it.
Tears welled up, my resentment simmering just beneath the surface.
Before I could collect myself, Ellie’s delicate, needy voice echoed from the doorway,
“Nora, I know you don’t want Gabe to marry me, but what’s the point of bringing your Grandma’s memorial photo here to ruin my wedding?
“Don’t you see? Holding onto that picture is like cursing Gabe’s and my child. All it does is make him hate you even more. Please, Nora, stop this nonsense and give me Grandma’s photo. I’ll take care of it for you.”
“Get lost! Don’t touch me!” I snapped, my voice sharp with anger.
Ellie lunged for the photo, but I turned my body to shield it from her grasp. Undeterred, she clung tightly to my arm.
She leaned leaning closer to whisper, her tone dripping with venom, “Nora, now you are capable of crying and grieving? Where was this so-called remorse when you were taking someone’s life?”
“Did you even think about your precious Grandma while you were committing murder? Did you know that old hag couldn’t even think straight in her final moments, but she was still calling your name?”
Her words pierced me like a blade, cutting straight into my heart. My fingers trembled uncontrollably from the pain.
Before I could react, Ellie suddenly grabbed my hand, leaned backward and threw herself to the ground. Her palms scraped against the floor, leaving angry red marks.
Tears streamed down her face as she cried pitifully, like a fragile flower in a storm. “Nora, I was just trying to help you! Why did you push me?
“Oh no—Gabe, my stomach hurts! Could it be the baby? Did I fall on my stomach?”
Chapter 3"Ellie, don’t play mind games with me—ah!”
A heavy kick slammed into my chest, sending me sprawling onto the ground. The sharp scrape of the floor tore my palms, blood seeping from the fresh wounds.
Gabriel hurriedly helped Ellie to her feet, his hands gentle and his gaze filled with a tenderness I had never seen before.
He then raised his foot and stomped down on my grandmother’s memorial photo, glaring at me from above.
“Nora, how dare you push Ellie? Don’t you realize she’s pregnant with my child?
“And now you show up with a dead woman’s memorial photo to sabotage my wedding with Ellie? You’ve really crossed the line! I’ll make sure you learn your lesson for this!”
Gabriel stomped on the photo repeatedly, the shards of glass shredding my grandmother’s warm, smiling face, yet he didn’t stop.
“What are you doing? Gabriel, stop disrespecting my Grandma! Stop it! Stop right now!”
Holding a lit lighter just beneath the photo, Gabriel glanced at me with a mocking smirk.
“Nora, if you’re going to beg, at least learn how to do it properly.”
The onlookers burst into jeers and laughter, fanning the flames of my humiliation.
“Nora, Gabe’s being generous by tolerating a convict like you as his mistress. That’s a blessing you couldn’t dream of in eight lifetimes. And now you have the nerve to pull a stunt like this? You’re getting exactly what you deserve!”
“Utterly shameless. Using a memorial photo to force a marriage and even attacking his fiancée? You’re lucky Gabe hasn’t dealt with you more harshly.”
“Get on your knees and apologize while you still can. If you don’t, you’ll regret it soon enough!”
I stayed frozen, refusing to move, my chest heaving with silent defiance. Gabriel’s wrist flicked and the flame licked the edge of Grandma’s photo, curling and charring the corner.
Tears streaked down my face as I clenched my teeth. The anguish was unbearable, yet I forced myself onto my knees, my voice trembling with fury and despair.
“Mr. Prince, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hurt your fiancée. Please... I’m begging you... give me back the photo—ah—!”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Gabriel delivered another swift kick to my shoulder, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
“Nora, the person you owe an apology to is Ellie.”
Clenching my fists tightly, I forced myself to crawl on my knees toward Ellie. Lowering my head to the floor, I bowed deeply.
“Ms. Moor, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so cruel and malicious as to hurt you and I definitely shouldn’t have ruined your special day. I’m truly sorry.”
With trembling stiffness, I turned my head, my bloodshot eyes locking onto Gabriel.
“Now... can I have the photo back?”
The next moment, flames erupted, the photo consumed in seconds by the hungry fire, reduced to nothing but ash.
A wave of anguish surged through me. Furious and despairing, I lunged toward Gabriel’s feet, pounding at him with all my strength, my voice cracking with rage.
“Gabriel, you bastard! I apologized, I bowed—so why would you still burn my Grandma’s photo? Have you forgotten how kind she was to you? How could you?”
For a moment, Gabriel’s gaze wavered, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. But just as quickly, he stepped back, leaving me clawing at nothing but air.
He ignored my words entirely, a smirk tugging at his lips as he spoke, his tone casual yet sharp.
“Nora, didn’t I warn you? Stop spreading ridiculous lies about marrying my uncle.”
Chapter 4“At this point, you still think you can worm your way into my life.
“Too bad—out of all the lowly paths you could have taken, you had to set your sights on the head of the Prince Family.
“Do you even know who my uncle is? He’s a powerhouse in both business and politics. Do you really think someone like you, a convict, is worthy of associating with him? Let me make this clear, Nora: my uncle despises psycophatic criminals more than anyone else.”
The thread of tension in my mind snapped in that instant.
I never expected Gabriel to think of me as the kind of person who would stop at nothing to climb the ladder.
Three years ago, on New Year’s Eve, he had patted my head, praising me as a woman who was righteous and unafraid to love or hate.
Three years may not seem long, but that time span could really change a person’s heart completely. It didn't seem that long, but it was enough for him to bring me shame I’d carry for life.
Biting my tongue, the sharp pain brought a fleeting clarity. I shakily removed the necklace from my neck and held it in my palm.
“Gabriel, you recognize the veil is personally commissioned and designed by your uncle. Then you should recognize my necklace as well.”
This necklace—was the one I wore the day I was released from prison, when I returned home from the Prince Family’s estate, my face covered in dirt and shame.
When Zachary came to my house to propose, he personally brought the betrothal gifts, claiming they included a family heirloom passed down in the Prince Family to the rightful wife of the family head.
Sure enough, Gabriel recognized it instantly. He snatched it from me, examined it closely, then hurled the necklace in my face.
"Nora, I really underestimated you. You even managed to make a fake look this convincing.
"The real necklace is with my uncle. Not even my father is qualified to inherit it. So tell me—where did you copy this from?"
As the crowd around us grew, their words became more and more vicious.
"That's too much. Isn't she just trying to claim the title of The Prince Family's daughter-in-law?"
"How can a person be this shameless? Zachary is marrying his true love today and she's out here trying to slander him. Doesn't she fear Zachary's methods?"
"What’s this compared to anything? Ms. Waller would kill for Gabe, so what’s a little trickery and fraud?"
"Ugh! That's disgusting!"
When some people started spitting at me, the others didn't hold back either.
The fresh cut on my face, left by the necklace, stung with a sharp, searing pain.
"I didn’t kill anyone!" I gritted my teeth and fought back my anger, but Ellie stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face.
Her eyes glinted with malice as she sneered, "Nora, I didn’t want to get involved, but stealing my uncle’s necklace and spreading rumors that he’s marrying you? That’s going too far. As someone about to join the Prince Family, it’s my responsibility to put you in your place."
She raised her hand to slap me again, but I caught her wrist mid-swing and shoved her back with force.
Using the wall for support, I pushed myself to my feet, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.
I leveled a sharp glare at the crowd, my voice cutting through the whispers. "You idiots. If you’re so desperate to know if I’m Zachary’s woman, why don’t you just call him and ask?"
The room fell silent for a few seconds after my words. Ellie, feigning composure, grabbed me and started dragging me toward the door.
"Nora, you know perfectly well that my uncle is getting married today and doesn’t have time to take your call. Why put Gabe in such an awkward position? Or are you saying you’ll only stop if Gabe marries you instead?"
As she yanked at my dress, the diamond ornaments came loose, catching the light as they scattered. She gasped, her expression exaggerated with shock, her eyes wide as she stared at me.
"Oh my God, this wedding dress is real. Nora, you’ve got some nerve. This dress was custom-made by my uncle for his future bride! Every single diamond on it—he traveled the world just to collect them.
"Forget about stealing the veil and the necklace for now, but how could you take the wedding dress meant for the bride on her wedding day?"