Bride Hits Back

On the wedding day.

At six in the morning, Sophie arrived right on time to help me with makeup.

She unpacked the limited couture wedding dress worth two hundred thousand, held it up against me, and her hands trembled.

"Vivian... your arms..."

The dress was strapless, exposing everything below my collarbones.

The muscle lines along my inner forearms were clearly visible.

"Stop looking. Put on thicker concealer."

Sophie bit her lip and asked no more. She applied three layers of concealer, barely covering the bruises.

Once the dress and veil were on, I turned halfway in front of the mirror.

The woman in the mirror stood in white, her train trailing behind her.

She looked nothing like the useless woman who, a month ago, had been kicked hard enough to crack her skull and end up paralyzed in a wheelchair.

The Vivian Lane from my previous life had already fallen from the rooftop and died.

The one who came back was someone who had crawled out of hell.

At eight sharp, the wedding car arrived downstairs.

Derek wore a tailored black suit and stood beside the car door waiting for me. His cheeks were clean-shaven, his shoes polished bright.

When he saw me, his eyes lit up.

I smiled, took his arm, and got into the car.

Chloe sat in the front passenger seat. She wore a bridesmaid dress, her hair in a low ponytail, with light makeup on her face.

When she saw me get in, she turned back and forced out a weak smile.

"Vivian, you look so beautiful today."

Then she covered her mouth and coughed twice.

I smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Thank you for helping today, Chloe. Your health is not good, yet you still agreed to be my bridesmaid."

"It is no trouble. Being able to witness your happiness makes me happier than anyone."

Derek glanced at Chloe through the rearview mirror. Chloe looked back at him.

The exchange lasted less than a second, but I saw the smugness, excitement, and impatience in it clearly.

The wedding car drove all the way to the Grand Marriott Hotel, the most luxurious hotel in the city.

Floral arches. Red carpet. Flower stands from guests lined both sides.

Derek got out first, circled to my side, opened the door, and bent slightly in a gentlemanly gesture.

"Honey, we are here."

I lifted my skirt and stepped out, then took his arm.

We passed through the corridor and pushed open the banquet hall doors. All the guests turned at once, applause roaring through the room.

I swept my gaze across the venue.

The flowers, lighting, tables, and chairs were exactly the same as the wedding plan.

Only in the center of the stage, where the champagne tower should have been, stood an octagonal fighting ring.

Protective ropes surrounded the ring. Thick blue wrestling mats covered the floor. On the metal stand at the side hung two brand-new pairs of boxing gloves.

I pretended to be surprised.

"What... is this?"

Derek patted the back of my hand lightly, his tone natural.

"Don't be nervous, Vivian. It is a tradition from my hometown. The bride has to get into the ring and wrestle one of the groomsmen for good luck. It is just for fun."

He stepped aside, and Chloe walked out from behind him. She wore a sports jacket over her bridesmaid dress and carried a pair of gloves.

Her face still had that same weak expression, and her voice was soft.

"Vivian, Derek insisted I go up. I could not refuse. Don't worry. My health is so bad I don't even have the strength of one of your fingers. We will just go through the motions."

The relatives and friends below had no idea what was really going on and started cheering along.

"Go on! Follow the custom!"

"Bride, don't be shy. Get some good luck!"

"Chloe is so thin a gust of wind could knock her over. What are you afraid of?"

The cheers rose wave after wave.

Everyone laughed. Everyone made noise. Not one person thought there was anything wrong.

Just like in my previous life.

I was silent for ten full seconds. Then I raised my head and looked into Derek's eyes.

"I can fight."

Derek froze.

I paused, then continued.

"But I have one condition. If any accident happens in the ring, no one blames anyone else. We sign a waiver."

I took a prepared document from Sophie and laid it open in front of Derek.

Black words on white paper. Every clause clear.

"During the ring sparring session, any physical injury caused by either party shall be fully borne by the injured party. The other party shall owe no compensation and shall not be held legally responsible."

Derek lowered his head and scanned it twice. He could not stop the corner of his mouth from lifting.

To him, I was digging my own grave.

Chloe's eyes lit up. She snatched the pen and signed her name.

After she signed, I turned and handed the document to Sophie for safekeeping.

Then, in front of more than three hundred guests waiting to see me make a fool of myself, I slowly took off the wedding dress and the dozens of pounds of protective padding beneath it.