Chapter 2

Iris's POV

I turned and walked toward the exit, one step at a time.

Those stares pierced my back like needles. People were laughing, whispering, commenting: "I knew she was punching above her weight..."

I quickened my pace, practically running out of the ballroom.

It was raining outside.

Cold raindrops hit my face. I couldn't tell which was rain and which were tears. Standing on the steps looking at the city's neon lights, I suddenly felt ridiculous.

I'd always thought that if I tried hard enough, if I was gentle enough, I could be happy. But now I understood—some things can't be earned through effort.

I'm an orphan. No family, no connections, nothing.

In this city, I was just a speck of dust that could be blown away at any moment.

The rain got heavier. I called a car and stumbled back to my tiny rental room—barely 50 square feet.

The moment I pushed open the door, I finally broke down.

I slid down against the wall, buried my face in my knees, and cried silently. Tears poured out like a dam bursting, soaking the hem of my wedding dress.

He said he loved me once. Those sweet words still echoed in my ears. So were those tender kisses, those intimate embraces, those promises—all lies?

Why?

Why was he so cruel to me?

How could he forget that he was the one who said he loved me first!

I loved him so much. He was my entire world, but to him I was nothing...

I don't know how long I cried before someone knocked on the door.

I didn't respond, just kept my head buried in my knees.

Then urgent knocking came from outside. "Miss Wilson, I know you're in there. Please open the door. I have something important to discuss with you."

I looked up sharply.

That voice... it was unfamiliar.

I wiped the tears from my face and opened the door. Two middle-aged men in black suits stood outside. Behind them was a Rolls-Royce.

"Who are you..."

"Miss Wilson, I'm Steven Parker, the butler of Hayes Group," one of the men said respectfully. "We've been searching for you for many years. We finally found you today."

Hayes Group?

I froze. "You must have the wrong person. I'm just an orphan. I don't know any Hayes..."

"You're not mistaken. You did grow up in an orphanage. Your current name is Iris Wilson, but your real surname is Hayes." Steven interrupted me, his eyes slightly moist as he pulled out documents from his briefcase.

"This is a DNA test. A month ago when you donated blood, your information matched the genetic database we've been maintaining. We only discovered today that you're the young lady of the Hayes family who's been lost all these years."

"Twenty-three years ago, there was a fire at the hospital when Mrs. Hayes was giving birth. Someone took you away. You've been missing ever since. Your parents have been searching for you all this time..."

My head was spinning.

"May I call you Miss Hayes?"

All us kids at the orphanage shared the Wilson surname. Life at the orphanage wasn't great. I kept hoping to be adopted, but that person who wanted to take me home never came, day after day of disappointment.

Maybe it was because I was naturally introverted. The other kids were always more—

I stood in the doorway feeling the whole world spin.

Half an hour ago, I was still the orphan humiliated and dumped at an engagement party.

Now someone was telling me I'm the long-lost heiress of Hayes Group.

Was I dreaming? Or was this some sick prank Adrian cooked up?

I stood frozen in place, looking at Steven's expectant eyes, completely at a loss.

Wait—no. Adrian might have money, but compared to Hayes Group, his family business was basically a mom-and-pop shop. There's no way he had the juice to get a commercial empire like Hayes Group to pull off some prank.

If anyone found out he dared impersonate Hayes family, he'd be finished. He'd even face legal consequences.

"I... I need a minute." My voice came out shaking.

"Of course, Miss Hayes." Steven took a step back. "But your parents have waited far too long. Tonight... could you come with us?"

My emotions were all over the place. I really wanted to see my parents. Growing up, I'd been forced to be independent, but deep down I desperately craved love, craved someone who'd genuinely care about me, give me the warmth of a family.

That's why when Adrian showed me even the tiniest bit of love and care, I was willing to give him everything, even knowing I might get hurt. I was willing.

I nodded.

The moment I sat in that Rolls-Royce, I went completely numb. The leather seats were soft as clouds, there was a faint scent of perfume in the air—everything felt so unreal.

The car started moving.

Rain pounded harder outside, the wipers working frantically. I stared at the blurred window, and suddenly flashes of how Adrian looked at me tonight came flooding back—that disgust, that contempt.

Tears burst out again.

I bit my lip hard, not wanting to lose it in front of strangers, but I couldn't control it. Three years of memories crashed over me like a tidal wave, every scene tearing at my heart.

I felt so hurt. Why did it turn out like this? Did I really do something wrong? Am I not good enough? Am I not worth loving?

"Miss Hayes, are you alright?" Steven saw me in the rearview mirror, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine." I wiped my face, my voice hoarse and broken.

But how could I be fine?

I remembered the first time I met Adrian. Three years ago, winter. I was selling handmade jewelry at a stall outside the orphanage.

He wore a perfectly tailored black coat, his features sharp and refined, with an elegant, magnetic presence—like a model who'd stepped out of a magazine. He walked over slowly and asked in a deep, velvety voice, "How much for this?"

I was so nervous I could barely speak. "F-fifty."

He smiled and pulled out a hundred. "Keep the change."

That smile—I fell for it for three whole years.

My tear-stained face reflected in the window, completely wrecked. I remembered preparing for tonight's engagement party for three months.

Three months!

I'd saved for half a year to have that dress custom-made. I practiced walking elegantly every single day, practiced how to socialize properly with his high-society friends. I even memorized all the guests' names and preferences.

And for what?

He showed up with another woman, and she was pregnant with his child.