Chapter 1When His Mom Mistook Me for a Homewrecker, All Bets Were Off

At the class reunion, my boyfriend's mom suddenly burst in, flanked by a crowd. Waving a photo, she screamed that I was a home-wrecker. The picture was taken at my birthday party, showing my dad's colleague handing me a gift.

She stood on a chair, pointing at me, her voice shrill with fury: "This woman is a shameless tramp, a family-wrecker!" With that, she hoisted a chair and hurled it straight at me.

I winced, enduring the pain, and tried to explain: "You've got the wrong person! I'm your son's girlfriend!"

Her fury only seemed to swell. She slapped me harder. "You trash! Trying to claim kinship with me? Pah! My son and his girlfriend are childhood sweethearts! What in hell are you?"

I lowered my gaze, shielding the ice in my eyes.

* * *

"Riley, that dress must've cost a fortune!" At the class reunion, Skylar's eyes gleamed as she stared at me.

I smiled faintly. "My dad got it for me for my birthday."

"Balenciaga's new collection? Riley, since when did your family hit the jackpot?" Brittany, my long-time rival across the table, sniped, her voice laced with venom.

We'd been at odds since high school, and I usually just ignored her. But she kept digging, her words sharp and cruel: "You didn't, like, land yourself a sugar daddy, did you?"

Her words spiraled into absurdity. Just as I was about to shut her down, the private room door burst open. A furious voice ripped through the air: "You shameless harlot! How dare you seduce my husband!"

A woman in her thirties stormed in, flanked by a small entourage. The man behind her glanced at a photo, then pointed at me. "Brenda, that's her."

"You filthy tramp, I'm going to beat you to death today! Get her!"

Before I could even react, her hand connected with my cheek, a searing slap. Then a kick to my stomach sent me sprawling to the floor. I clenched my jaw, enduring the pain, and choked out, "You've got the wrong person! I don't even know your husband!"

She grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Oh, I haven't got the wrong person! Your trashy face, I'd recognize it even if it were dust!" As I finally saw her face clearly, a flicker of familiarity sparked, but I couldn't place where I'd seen her before. "Open your damn eyes and look! Isn't that you, you piece of trash, in this photo?"