“I’ll give you the five million,” he said slowly. “But tomorrow, you will marry the lowest creature I can find. A filthy beggar I picked up from the streets. We’ll do it in the grandest cathedral in the city. Every billionaire, every politician, every media outlet will be there. I want the whole world to watch the once-proud Clara Valderama marry a sewer rat. I want photos of you in a cheap dress standing next to human garbage. Only then will I transfer the money.”
My hands trembled. The thought made me want to vomit. But my mother’s frail face flashed in my mind.
I closed my eyes and whispered, “I agree.”
Julian laughed like a madman. “Perfect. Sign here. And smile for the cameras tomorrow, darling. This is going to be my greatest masterpiece.”
**The Marriage of Shame**
The cathedral was packed. Crystal chandeliers glittered. Socialites in designer gowns whispered behind designer fans. Reporters and cameramen lined the aisles. Julian had turned my humiliation into the event of the season.
I walked down the long aisle in a simple white dress—no veil, no diamonds, just tears. People pointed and laughed openly.
“Look at the princess now!”
“She actually agreed to this?”
