Joy Nye’s eyes snapped open. Disoriented, she sat up, a chilling realization washing over her: she was naked. Her mind went blank.

"Crystal—" The masculine voice that cut through the silence sent a fresh wave of panic through her.

"Brother-in-law?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Cary Nash, his face a mask of awkwardness and guilt, glanced at her. "We—"

"Let's…let's talk about this later," Joy managed, forcing a semblance of composure. "We need to get dressed." Aside from the unsettling chill of nakedness and a throbbing pulse at her temples, she felt surprisingly…normal.

But before she could even reach for a discarded garment, the bedroom door splintered inward, sending shards of wood flying. Sunny Nye, her face contorted with rage, stormed in. "Joy Nye! Cary Nash! What have you done!" she shrieked.

Hot on Sunny's heels was Leaf Bright, Joy's fiancé, his expression a mixture of confusion and fury.

Joy froze, her heart pounding against her ribs. Before she could speak, a sharp smack echoed through the room. Sunny’s open hand had connected with Joy’s cheek, the force of the blow leaving a stinging red imprint.

"How could you, Joy?" Sunny’s voice was laced with venom. Tears streamed down her face, but her eyes glittered with fury. She lunged at Joy, clawing at her hair.

Joy, still clutching the blanket around her, instinctively tried to defend herself. "Let me go! Last night, you—"

Smack! Sunny’s hand struck again, silencing Joy before she could utter the words, “you were the one who helped me in.”

"Don't even try to deny it!" Sunny spat. "I've suspected your feelings for Cary for a long time. But I never…I never thought you'd stoop this low."

The accusation, so blatantly false, left Joy reeling. She looked at Cary, hoping for some sign of support, some denial. But he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"So desperate for attention, are you?" Sunny continued her tirade. "Seducing your own cousin's husband? On the eve of your wedding to Leaf?"

Joy’s head throbbed, a sharp, piercing pain. She felt as though her world had been shattered, and she wasn't even given a chance to understand what had happened, who was behind this twisted setup. Sunny, her grip tightening on Joy’s hair, dragged her towards the door. "Get out! Get out of my house!"

Joy’s scalp burned. She clawed at Sunny’s hand, desperate to break free. "Let me go! I swear, I haven't done anything with Cary!"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Sunny shrieked. "You were in bed together! And you expect me to believe nothing happened?" She yanked harder, pulling Joy down the stairs.

"Sunny! What in God's name is going on?" Paul Nye, his face a thundercloud, stood at the foot of the stairs. His voice was sharp, demanding, but he made no move to intervene.

"Dad! Look at this viper you brought into our home!" Sunny screamed, her voice bordering on hysterical. "She tried to steal Cary from me, right here, on my birthday!"

"I didn't!" Joy cried, her voice raw with pain and confusion. She met Paul’s gaze, her eyes blazing with a cold fury.

She had always known that Paul and his family resented her presence, that they wanted her gone. But she never imagined they would resort to such a despicable scheme.

A sudden, chilling clarity pierced through the fog of confusion. The drink last night…she remembered feeling dizzy, disoriented. And it was Sunny who had led her to her room. A trap. They had set a trap for her.

Her gaze, now sharp and calculating, made Paul flinch. But the cunning glint in his eyes quickly returned. "Joy," he said, his voice dripping with false concern, "how could you do this to us?"

Joy simply stared at him, a single, scornful snort her only reply.

"Get out!" Dexter Nye’s voice boomed through the house. He grabbed Joy's hair, yanking her head back with brutal force. Agony shot through her scalp. Tears welled in her eyes as she was dragged, stumbling, to the front door.

"Ah—"

Screech—

Joy was shoved violently into the street, narrowly escaping the wheels of a speeding car. The driver’s face, a mask of shock and anger, sent a fresh wave of fear down Joy’s spine.