The morning broke with chaos.

Brighton’s usual buzz had turned into a full-blown media circus. Every news outlet, blog, and gossip site was flooded with clips of Lucas Alcott’s parents, their voices trembling with emotion, their carefully crafted outrage echoing across screens.

“Serena Vale ruined our son’s life,” Mrs. Alcott said, dabbing her eyes dramatically with a tissue as the cameras zoomed in. “He loved her. He gave her everything. And she threw him away for money.”

Her husband leaned forward, his tone sharp. “She left Lucas right before their engagement party, disappeared overnight, chasing a richer man. It broke him. He quit medicine because of her.”

Reporters leaned in...