The Mean Girl Married a Billionaire and Snubbed Me. Little Did She Know, I’m the Matriarch of His Family. Chapter 1

In my Poli-Sci class, the resident "pick-me" girl managed to hook the CEO of Sterling Enterprises.

She handed out wedding invitations to the entire class, making a point to deliberately skip me.

Yet, on the day of her wedding, the grand reception was delayed for hours. Why? Because the legendary, elusive "Great-Aunt" of the Sterling family hadn't arrived.

Now, she was desperately begging everyone, trying to get just one minute with this Great-Aunt.

Meet me?

But she was the one who made it explicitly clear she didn't want me there.

* * *

As soon as Poli-Sci ended, Chloe Jenkins suddenly stood at the podium and announced to the class that she was getting married.

The date was just a week away, and the venue was the ultra-luxurious Plaza Hotel downtown.

Honestly, rumors had been swirling for a while. People said Chloe had gotten very close to a wealthy older man, and several classmates had seen her being dropped off at campus in a Rolls-Royce.

"Seriously? I heard a single table at the Plaza costs over ten grand. A wedding there has to be in the millions!"

"Wow, that’s insane. Who exactly is your fiancé, Chloe?"

Though the university allowed students to marry, it was still incredibly rare to see a sophomore tying the knot.

Chloe smiled shyly. "You guys might have heard of him. My boyfriend's name is Liam Sterling. His family is actually pretty normal, he just thinks you only get married once, so he wants to give me a beautiful memory."

"Liam Sterling? That sounds familiar."

"Wait, isn't that the CEO of Sterling Enterprises, the biggest conglomerate in the city? Please tell me it's just a coincidence!"

Chloe gave a subtle nod, not denying it.

"No wonder!"

"The Plaza is actually owned by the Sterling family, so it makes sense to host it there. We're so lucky to get a free meal out of this! I've never had five-star hotel food in my life."

"Congratulations, Chloe!"

As the classmates showered her with congratulations, Chloe pulled a stack of elegant wedding invitations from her brand-new Louis Vuitton bag.

"Because there will be a lot of VIPs there, Liam said we need to strictly enforce the invitations to keep out any... uninvited guests. So please make sure to bring these," she said sweetly.

"Don't worry, we'll keep them safe."

Chloe went around handing them out. When she got to my desk, her hands were suddenly empty.

I raised an eyebrow.

Chloe gave me an exaggerated look of guilt. "Hazel, I'm so sorry. My boyfriend said he accidentally missed you when counting the guest list. The seating chart is already finalized, so we really can't squeeze you in. I'm so sorry."

She bit her lower lip. "How about I make my boyfriend take you out to a nice dinner next time to make up for it? If I can't get your blessing, I'll honestly be devastated."

I looked at her deeply, pretending I didn't see the smug triumph dancing in her eyes.

"No need," I smiled genuinely. "Happy wedding."

Chloe acted as if she was still overcome with guilt, tears welling up in her eyes. She put on such a show that the rest of the class immediately rushed over to comfort her, telling her it wasn't her fault and that she shouldn't let me ruin her mood.

She was pretty—delicate features, fragile demeanor—and had been voted the department's sweetheart the moment she stepped on campus. That frail look made people instinctively want to protect her. My classmates began side-eyeing me, telling me not to be petty, since Chloe clearly didn't do it on purpose.

I hadn't even said anything negative, yet somehow I was the villain.

I stayed in the classroom to read. The others quickly cleared out. A few minutes later, Chloe suddenly strutted back into the room.

"Hazel."

"There was no 'headcount mistake'. I left you out on purpose," she said, her tone dripping with arrogance.

"I know. So?" I asked, genuinely confused. "Are you done? If you're done, I need to get back to my reading. Who you marry has nothing to do with me. Actually, if you were marrying a pig, I might attend. That would be rare."

Chloe's face drained of color. "Hazel, stop pretending! You act all high and mighty all day, but behind closed doors, you're just some rich guy's sugar baby. Yet you put on this fake 'good student' act to make everyone think you're perfect."

"It's pathetic."

I didn't even bother looking up from my book. "Proof?"

Chloe scoffed. "Hazel, looking at your hypocritical face makes me sick. Someone like you has no right to attend my wedding. You don't even deserve the last name Sterling."

I hadn't planned on engaging with her, but everyone has their limits.

I snapped my book shut.

"Whether I deserve the last name Sterling or not is none of your business."

"But tell me... you really, truly don't want me at your wedding?"

Chloe froze, unable to guess what I was getting at. After a moment, she let out a loud sneer. "What do you think? Why would I ever want you there?"

"You won't regret this?" I stared straight into her eyes.

"Why would I? Because of you? Hazel, you're not just a hypocrite, you're a narcissist."

I packed my book into my backpack and said softly, "Understood, Chloe. In that case... I hope you don't regret this."