The Heiress Dumps the CEO and Dazzles the World

The banquet hall on the top floor of the Binhai Hotel blazed with reflected light from its crystal chandeliers, dazzling enough to make the eyes swim.

Beneath their glow, a red-and-gold banner proclaimed, “The Shen and Lu Families Join in Marriage, May Their Union Last a Hundred Years,” announcing the grand opening of a wedding destined to make history.

The guests were out in force, filling the hall with finery and perfume. Cameras and microphones were already trained on the end of the red carpet, ready to capture tonight’s most dazzling couple.

Shen Xingruo stood at the center of it all, looking like a fairy beneath the moon in a wedding gown custom-made by a renowned Italian designer.

Her smile was flawless, its perfect curve almost as if measured with a ruler, as she greeted every guest who came to offer their congratulations.

No one saw her hand hidden beneath the hem of her dress, her nails digging hard into her palm and leaving several deep-red crescent marks.

Three years.

That was how long she had spent trading away her place at Cambridge, suppressing all her pride and sharp edges, and imitating someone else in exchange for this so-called “happiness.”

“Tsk, look at her. Doesn’t that outfit look just like the one Lin Wanzhi wore to that charity gala three years ago?”

Behind her came a mocking voice, deliberately lowered yet pitched just loud enough for her to hear.