Karli's POV

Over the phone, the discussion about my marriage alliance with the Kanes went smoothly. When I mentioned I was pregnant, I was ready to be given the cold shoulder.

However, Leonard's voice was calm over the phone. He didn't sound displeased at all.

"It's fine. I don't mind it. Let's just treat this child as ours in the future," he said.

I understood immediately. There were no feelings involved in this marriage. It was just an exchange of mutual interests between both families.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, the more one expected from a relationship, the more painful the disappointment became. In fact, it would actually be easier to breathe without the burden of expectation.

I secretly returned to the apartment Douglas and I shared. There, I began to pack my bags. As I packed my clothes into boxes, an inexplicable sorrow surged within me.

This place was full of my youth and love of six years. Yet, only a mess remained.

In the wee hours of the morning, Douglas finally returned. He walked up to me, exhausted, a slight fragrance lingering around him. That was the same fragrance of the perfume Isabelle often used.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind naturally, resting his head against my back. "Sorry I'm home late, Kay-Kay. Belle was scared tonight and wouldn't stop crying. I couldn't get away until I got her to sleep."

When I didn't respond, he drew me into his embrace, his eyes searching mine. "Are you still mad over what happened this afternoon? Quit making a fuss. Was it because Belle took the brooch, or was it because I said to wait a little longer to get married?"

I remained stiff, neither reciprocating his embrace nor pushing him away.

Meanwhile, he was immersed in his own world, explaining, "I really do want to marry you, but I'm a perfectionist. I have to make sure everything is perfect.

"This wedding isn't just for you. It's also for me. I don't want it to have any flaws. Do give me more time to prepare."

His words were gentle and touching, exactly the way they always were over the last six years. I clenched my hands into fists by my side, welling up with tears.

Earlier, I said to Clara that I didn't care and wanted to let go. But deep down, I had still been holding on to a sliver of hope.

When I found out I was expecting, I heard my baby's heartbeat in the examination room. Each beat made my heart flutter.

I still wanted to give this child a complete home.

Taking a deep breath, I fought back the tears in my eyes as I took out the pregnancy report from my bag and presented it to him.

"I really am pregnant. Don't you want to give our baby and me a home?" I asked.

Douglas took the report from me and studied it for a few seconds. Then, he massaged his forehead wearily.

"Must you be like this, Karli?"

He placed the report down on the coffee table, his voice turning firm. "I just wanted to postpone our marriage a little. Must you test me with a lie like this? I can't believe you even fake a pregnancy report!

"You really are so immature. I've been working so hard every day just so I could give you a perfect wedding. Why would you use such a repulsive tactic to back me into a corner?"

His words stabbed me in my heart like a blade, the pain making it difficult for me to breathe.

He always had a million reasons why he was busy and endless excuses to postpone our wedding. Yet, the moment Isabelle needed him, he always had time for her.

When she was afraid of the dark, he'd leave me in the middle of the night to stay with her. Whenever she craved desserts, he'd postpone important meetings just to buy it for her. Whenever she felt even the slightest bit unwell, he'd drop everything to rush to her side.

Only with me did he always tell me to wait.

I closed my eyes, my tears rolling down my cheeks slowly.

"If that's the case, I'm going to agree to my parents' wishes to return home for the marriage alliance—"

Douglas frowned. Just as he was about to respond, his phone rang out urgently. He answered it immediately in a tender voice, "What's wrong, Belle?"

Whatever she said on the other end of the call made Douglas's face fall. He straightened his back and grabbed his coat hurriedly.

While walking away, he comforted, "You'll be okay. I'll be right there. I remember your period is due to come soon. Have you got enough sanitary products?

"Okay, got it. The usual brand and size, yes?"

He ended the call, completely forgetting about what I was just talking about. While changing into his shoes at the door, he said casually, "Belle isn't feeling well, and she's home alone. I'm going over to keep her company for a few days.

"Let's take some time to think things through for now. Spend some time reflecting on your mistakes."

With that, he rushed out the door with his suitcase in hand.

I watched him from behind as he walked away, and the tears I had been holding back finally spilled over. Little did he know that he could no longer find me after he walked away this time.

Karli's POV

I threw everything in the apartment that had anything to do with Douglas straight into the trash. The photos of us, the matching trinkets, the gifts he'd given me…

As it turned out, clearing out six years' worth of memories was remarkably easy. But the instant I threw everything out, my heart felt painfully empty.

I opened the safe. In it were a few sets of jewelry given to me by Douglas's mother, Kate Osborne. Every item was actually worth a fortune.

This was actually a symbol of the acknowledgement I had received from the elders. Yet, everything just looked so ridiculous now.

I didn't want to leave these items here, but I didn't want to keep them either.

I took the jewelry boxes with me as I headed toward Sullivan Manor. My fingerprint was still stored in the fingerprint lock system, so the door lock simply clicked open.

Initially, I wanted to leave right after dropping the items off. However, the conversation in the living room made me freeze in place.

I could hear Kate saying in a helpless voice, "Doug, be honest with me. You gave the brooch to Belle at the party. Does that mean you're planning to break up with Karli?"

Douglas fell silent for a while before answering in a firm tone, "No. I love her so much. Why would I break up with her?"

"Then why did you do that the other day? The family gathering was clearly organized for the two of you. Yet, you decided to let Belle have her way. Did you even show Karli any respect?"

I held my breath, leaning to the side outside the door that was slightly ajar.

The thing Douglas said next made my hit sink. "Mom, Karli's just was too possessiveness. She starts throwing a tantrum the moment she sees me with Belle.

"How could I possibly comply with everything she asks? I just want to teach her a bit of a lesson to get her to tame that temper of hers."

Right at this moment, through the gap in the door, Isabelle noticed me standing outside. A strong sense of spite and envy flared in her eyes.

Immediately following that, she chimed in in a grievous tone, "It was all my fault, Kate. I was thoughtless because I liked brooches. I'll apologize to Karli later. Please stop telling Dougie off…"

Kate let out a helpless sigh. "That's enough. You should quit siding with Belle all the time too. It won't do any good if you keep giving Karli the cold shoulder. Just give in for now and cheer her up a little."

Nonetheless, Douglas remained firm. "It's not about cheering her up. Belle is right. No one is allowed to push my younger sister around.

"Karli is just stubborn. Once she reflects on her own issues and comes back to me, asking for us to get back together, I will, of course, return to her."

He thought I couldn't bring myself to leave him. He was convinced that I'd be the first to give in to him, just like I always did after every fight in the last six years.

My heart went cold as I leaned against the wall.

Just then, Kate spoke again. "Karli is a wonderful woman. I'm just worried you'd break her heart and regret it in the future!

"I bumped into Clara at a jewelry exhibition yesterday. She picked out an extremely pricey set of jewelry, saying she wanted to give it to her best friend as a wedding gift. Isn't Karli her best friend?"

Instantly, silence lingered in the air for a few seconds.

All of a sudden, Douglas's tone turned icy. In a slightly mocking voice, he said, "She's just playing tricks to force my hand into marriage. What I hate most is when others force me into making decisions. Since she can't take a hint, I'll just leave her hanging."

At this moment, my heart died completely. Absolutely nothing stirred within me, and there were no lingering feelings at all.

I set down the jewelry boxes in my hands gently, then turned around and left.

That night, I boarded the private plane that came to pick me up. Was Douglas waiting for me to ask to reconcile with him?

There was absolutely no way this would happen again in this life.