Chapter 7 Lawrence called the fire department. When the firefighters arrived and assessed Clarissa's situation, they concluded the only solution was to cut the ring. "No! You can't! That's my engagement ring," Lawrence objected outright. One of the firefighters frowned. "Sir, which is more important to you? The ring, or her finger? Or would you prefer having her finger cut off?" Lawrence's body shook violently. "Take her to the hospital and cut off her finger," he said ruthlessly. Clarissa finally couldn't hold back any longer. She collapsed to the floor, begging him, tears streaming down her cheeks, "No! Please! "Mr. Chavez, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have touched Ms. Wheatly's things! "How much does the ring cost? I'll pay you back, I promise!" Lawrence bent over, lifted her chin, and sneered. His icy stare made her tremble uncontrollably. "Oh? You wanna pay me back? "That ring cost several hundred thousand dollars. Do you have that kind of money?" The firefighters, realizing they were witnessing a farce between a wealthy man and his mistress, shook their heads and left after a few curt words. Terrified that Lawrence would make good on his threat, Clarissa frantically twisted and yanked at the ring. She tore at her own skin until blood welled up, slicking her finger. Finally, the ring rolled to the floor. "It's off. "I... I'll wipe it clean right now, Mr. Chavez..." She stumbled into the bathroom and wiped the ring clean before putting it back into the ring box. Only then did Lawrence's fury subside a little. But in the next second, his expression darkened again into a stormier rage than before-he still couldn't reach me. "It's all your fault. If you hadn't kept messing up our arrangements, Harriet and I would already be married! 0.0 % 08:17 "Fix it. Book our marriage license appointment. Now!" Clarissa, of course, had also seen my latest Instagram post. She knew it was an impossible mission. Fearful of another one of Lawrence's rages, she could only give a stiff nod. "I'm on it, Mr. Chavez." She entered Lawrence's and her name into the appointment form. Soon after, he received the confirmation notification for the marriage license. "I knew it," he muttered. "Harriet was lying. "I thought she had really married someone else..." He breathed a sigh of relief. Clarissa put on a soothing voice, feigning comfort. "Ms. Wheatly loves you far too much to ever marry someone else. "You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Chavez." She let out a long breath, but a deep unease continued to churn within her. "Give me your phone. I'll call Harriet," Lawrence ordered. Her hand, clutching the phone, shook imperceptibly. "Let me tell her, Mr. Chavez. "It's been a long day for you. I'm sure you're tired. Why don't you go take a shower? "Leave it with me." Pondering for a few seconds, Lawrence nodded and stepped into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Clarissa texted me, "Ms. Wheatly, thank you for stepping aside. Mr. Chavez and I are getting our mar- riage license soon. "He told me to throw that old ring away. He's going to buy me a new one. "I hope you can find happiness in your life, just like I have." I saw her message and two photos, one of my engagement ring sitting in a trash bin, and another of the marriage li- cense appointment confirmation for her and Lawrence. A short, contemptuous laugh escaped me. I couldn't be bothered to reply. Just then, I received another text, which stunned me. "Come downstairs. I'm taking you to try on wedding dresses." I knew how busy Austin was, so I wanted to skip many of the usual steps. 41.7 % 08:17 Falling for Lawrence had been the most catastrophic mistake of my life, and the terror of repeating it was paralyzing. But now, Austin's message unexpectedly felt like a steadying anchor. The moment I stepped into his car and saw him, I still couldn't help but panic. Austin was Lawrence's uncle. He had long left the Chavez family and built a business that now competed with theirs. Initially, the family had wanted him to take over the business. It was only because of my engagement to Lawrence that the heir apparent had changed. Though we were nearly the same age, his seniority placed an invisible pressure on me. He asked, "Do you have a preferred wedding dress brand?" "No." I shook my head. 83.6 % 08:17