Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I'll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
A deafening crash shattered the air.
"Something's terribly wrong! The scaffolding has collapsed! Hurry, we need to save them!"
The makeshift scaffolding gave way suddenly, smashing two lead actresses and a group of dancers to the floor, throwing the venue into chaos.
Madison Dixon found herself trapped, her left leg wedged painfully between splintered wooden planks. Amid the tumult, a frantic voice pierced the commotion. "Watch out! The chandelier's coming loose!"
Her eyes shot upwards, terror seizing her as the crystal chandelier danced ominously overhead.
The potential disaster loomed large; a direct hit could be devastating.
Her complexion drained to a ghostly white, fear etched across her features as she struggled against the merciless wood. Each tug sent sharp stabs of pain up her leg, with blood beginning to seep out, staining the wooden shards.
The thought of ripping her skin in a desperate attempt to escape chilled her to the bone.
In her most vulnerable moment, she scanned the horrified crowd, her gaze catching a familiar, rushing silhouette-Colten Pearson, her fiance.
Hope flickered as she reached out to him, but her heart sank when he unexpectedly darted past her. His focus was elsewhere; he swept Lana Elliott into his arms, her co-star who lay crumpled nearby.
"Don't worry, I've got you," he assured Lana, cradling her securely.
"Colten!" Crying, Lana clung to Colten, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
Colten offered a silent comfort to her, effortlessly lifting her from the stage without so much as a fleeting look towards Madison, even though she was closer to him and was going to marry him.
As fate would have it, the wire of a light fixture suddenly gave way, plunging the stage into an enveloping darkness.
Just before the shadows enveloped everything, Madison's eyes searched for Colten, but he never turned back.
Overwhelmed by a primal urge to survive, she clenched her teeth tightly, wrestling her leg free with desperate strength. The eerie sound of wooden planks being forcibly torn away filled her ears.
Her left leg was suddenly released, and in the next breath, a firm grip hauled her from her perilous position.
With a thunderous crash, the crystal chandelier plummeted to the floor, scattering shards of glass in every direction.
As instinct took over, Madison raised her arms to guard herself, but a strong presence was already standing between her and danger.
With the lights returning, the stage was laid bare, a scene of utter devastation and ruin.
Yet, the mysterious savior who had intervened was already gone.
In a panic, Madison scanned the chaos, her gaze finally fixing on Colten.
At the critical moment the chandelier had fallen, he had thrown himself protectively over Lana.
With Lana still clutching his waist, he made no move to pull away, a silent statement of what mattered most to him.
A wry smile ghosted across Madison's lips, laced with quiet sorrow.
She had almost convinced herself that Colten had returned to save her.
The director's voice boomed across the set, his tone sharp and accusing. "What the hell happened here? If that chandelier had fallen on someone, it would have been a disaster."
His fury was palpable, a storm brewing in his eyes as he confronted the props manager, who scrambled for words, desperately trying to shift the blame.
Amid the escalating uproar, Colten finally turned his piercing gaze towards Madison. His eyebrows knitted together as he noticed her bleeding left leg. From a distance, Madison couldn't see his expression clearly.
Cradled in his arms, Lana gasped, her voice slicing through the commotion. "Madison, did you try to kill me?"
Her accusation echoed, abruptly silencing the room.
Colten's features hardened, the air around him turning frigid. "What exactly happened here?"
Tears welled up in Lana's eyes, spilling over as she recounted her story.
"I saw Madison by the light fixture earlier, fiddling with the wire. I didn't think it was anything serious at the time. She confronted me just before we went on stage, claiming I didn't deserve to compete for the spot in the state troupe. I've poured my heart into this, and I just wanted a chance..."
Her eyes brimming with tears, she gazed at Colten and went on, "I only wanted to chase my dreams, but I never imagined she'd stoop to this."
"Shattered Wings," the school drama club's latest sensation, starred two promising lead actresses. It was recognized as a gateway for aspiring performers hoping to enter the prestigious state troupe.
Yet, the competition was fierce; there was only one opening, and the choice would inevitably come down to either Madison or Lana.
From the group of dancers, a voice rose, breaking the tense silence. "Had the stage not given way, that chandelier would have crashed right onto Lana's head."
"Oh my God! Imagine if it had struck her while she was performing. Could she have even survived such an assault? To commit such a heinous act over a mere spot?"
"It's deeper than just the spot. Colten harbors feelings for Lana, yet Madison, the fiancee his family chose, has been tormenting Lana behind the scenes. I believe that, regardless of the role, she had every intention of getting rid of Lana."
A fleeting spark of triumph flickered in Lana's eyes, though she quickly masked it with practiced ease.
Grasping Colten's sleeve, she looked up at him with tearful eyes. "Colten, thank goodness you came for me. Let's just put this behind us, shall we?"
Her feigned benevolence only fueled the whispers further, some voices now vehemently calling for legal action against Madison, branding her a would-be murderer.
Facing the growing hostility, Madison's expression hardened; her fists balled at her sides, her face ashen yet resolute. "Then go ahead, call the police. But I will not confess to a crime I didn't commit!"
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
During her three years of marriage with Brendan, Adeline had become as humble as dust itself. However, what she got in return wasn't love and affection, but endless indifference and disdain. Worse yet, when the woman in Brendan's heart suddenly showed up, he further distanced himself from her. Finally, Adeline couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a divorce. After all, why should she stay with such a cold, distant man? The next one would surely be better. Brendan watched as his ex-wife left with her luggage in tow. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he made a bet with his friends. "She'll definitely regret leaving and will come crawling back to me in no time." After hearing about this bet, Adeline sneered. "Dream on!" A few days later, Brendan ran into his ex-wife in a bar. It turned out she was celebrating her divorce. Not long after, he noticed that the damned woman seemed to have a new suitor. Brendan was starting to panic. The woman who had clung to him for three years suddenly didn't seem to give a damn about him. What was he going to do?
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."