In the seventh year of dating Noah Quincy, he proposed to me at my birthday party.

While I was overjoyed looking at the ring on my hand, he was in the bathroom, fooling around with the girl next door.

"Noah, are you really going to marry Madeline?"

Noah sneered, "It's just for fun. She's nothing compared to you."

When I was completely disheartened and turned to another man, he went crazy, begging me not to leave him...

My name is Madeline Grant, the daughter of Imperia's richest man, and the acknowledged princess of Imperia's elite.

Noah's family background was vastly different from mine.

When he confessed to me, everyone thought he was a bastard lusting after a princess, waiting for me to humiliate him and make him no shame.

But I agreed because, when I was eight, he saved me from traffickers. From that moment on, I was committed to him.

Everyone knew that I liked Noah. As long as Noah asked, I would give him everything.

In the seven years of our relationship, Noah went from being so worried about me that he would rush me to the hospital if I said I was in pain, to not even showing up when I was hospitalized after a car accident.

I don't know when it started, but he changed. He stopped loving me, became indifferent to everything about me, and was incredibly attentive to that so-called girl next door.

I met the girl next door, Belinda Garot, for the first time when Noah and I went home to meet my parents.

Belinda threw herself into Noah's arms in front of me, looked me up and down, and then disdainfully said, "This is your girlfriend? She's pretty average."

Then she immediately covered her mouth, eyes wide open, and innocently said to Noah, "Oh, Noah, your girlfriend won't be mad at what I said, right? It's my fault for speaking so bluntly."

My beauty was well-known, and many pursued me. Because Noah's mother was present, I held back and looked at Noah, expecting him to defend me since he never allowed anyone to speak ill of me.

But he said to me, "Belinda is still young and speaks bluntly. Please be understanding."

Meanwhile, Belinda was still clinging to Noah, wriggling and acting coy, saying, "Her gaze is so fierce. I'm scared."

Noah looked at me and warned, "In front of my mom, you need to behave. Don't throw a tantrum. Belinda is still young, don't scare her."

At that moment, I didn't know whose boyfriend he really was.

During the summer vacation of my sophomore year, I went abroad for a semester.

I had an apartment near the school and gave Noah the keys, allowing him to come over anytime.

But I never expected that when I suddenly came home, I would find many women's shoes on the shoe rack by the door.

My bag, a birthday gift from my dad, was hanging by the entrance. I distinctly remembered that when I left, all my bags were in the closet.

As I walked in, I heard laughter and saw Noah in the kitchen with a cake. Belinda was sitting at the bar, wearing my clothes, and they both had cream on their faces.

Noah's hand froze in mid-air, still holding a dollop of cream he was about to smear on Belinda's face.

At that moment, I felt like my world had collapsed.

My boyfriend, in my house, was joking around with another woman, and that woman was wearing my clothes.

They were so engrossed in their fun that they didn't even notice the sound of me opening the door.

Noah's face instantly darkened, "Why are you back?"

As if I shouldn't have come back and interrupted their fun.

I questioned him, "Is my coming back ruining your good time?"

Belinda looked at me, full of grievance. "Madeline, you're making it sound like I'm a homewrecker."

"Shut up."

Belinda pouted and then started crying, "Madeline, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have played around with Noah. We've been like this since we were kids. I'll be more careful in the future."

Noah's tone was harsh and full of blame, "It's just brother-sister play. Why are you freaking out?"

"Noah, this is my house. Don't you think you owe me an explanation as to why she's wearing my clothes and why my bag is hanging by the door?"

Noah, with an air of ownership, said, "She's my sister and is staying here temporarily. She'll move out once she finds a suitable place. These clothes of yours are out of season, and you'll just throw them away and get new ones. Since you're not in the country, I thought it would be better for Belinda to wear them instead of wasting them."

"What gives you the right to make decisions for me? These are my things!" Anger burned in my heart, feeling a sense of betrayal.

Belinda came over and grabbed my hand, "Madeline, don't be angry. If you have any issues, take them out on me. Don't blame Noah or argue with him."

I didn't like others touching me, and I knew she had no good intentions. She was a manipulative person, and I didn't want to be involved. So I shook off her hand.

I hadn't used much force, but she fell backward, breaking a glass on the table. Her hand landed on the shards, cutting her skin and causing blood to spill.

Belinda screamed, "My hand, my hand..."

I wanted to help her up, but Noah pushed me hard. I tripped over the sofa, flipped over it, and hit the back of my head on the table, feeling dizzy immediately.

In my daze, I seemed to hear Noah scold me, "Belinda is a pianist. If her hand is seriously injured, her future will be ruined!"

Belinda's sharp cries were the last thing I heard before losing consciousness.

I was in the hospital for a week.

The housekeeper found me lying between the sofa and the table in the living room, called an ambulance, and had me taken to the hospital.

The doctor said I had a severe head injury and was in a coma.

During this time, Noah didn't show up once or even inquire about my condition.

He was busy taking care of the injured Belinda.

Belinda's hand wasn't seriously injured. It looked bad but wasn't deep. It wouldn't affect her piano playing, and she didn't even need to be hospitalized. The doctor bandaged her up and said she'd be fine in about a week.

Noah reappeared half a month later, by which time I had been discharged from the hospital and moved back home.

He found me and asked me to apologize to Belinda because I had shaken her hand off, causing her to get injured and miss a very important piano competition.

I found it ridiculous. Belinda had clearly fallen on her own. Why should I apologize?

"You pushed me, I was in a coma and hospitalized for a week. Where were you?"

Noah said, "I pushed you by accident, that's between us. You caused Belinda to fall and get injured, missing her competition. You must apologize to her and compensate her! If you don't apologize, we'll break up."

I had him thrown out, and he never came looking for me again. I didn't want to lose him, so I swallowed my pride and apologized to Belinda.

The day I went to apologize, he was with Belinda, the two of them accompanying Noah's mother, looking as intimate as a family of three.

In the living room, I sincerely apologized to Belinda and gave her 100 thousand dollars as compensation. As for her wearing my clothes and using my bag, I didn't hold it against her.

To win Noah back, I lowered myself significantly.

But Belinda cried and hugged Noah's mother, Joanna Solace, saying I was humiliating her.

Joanna already disliked me. Under Belinda's tearful assault, she hated me even more and said, "I know your family is rich, but you don't have to look down on us or use money to humiliate Belinda."

Noah looked at me with even more displeasure, "It's been a month. I thought you'd come to apologize sincerely. Who are you using money to humiliate?"

Belinda wiped her tears and said, "Madeline, I know you're rich, and I know you didn't mean to push me that day. So, I didn't ask you to apologize. You don't have to apologize, but you don't need to use money to humiliate me!"

It was raining heavily when I left. I walked back to the car in the rain, thinking about Noah's attitude. I sent him a message to break up.

I went home and had a high fever, ending up back in the hospital. When I woke up again, Noah was sitting by my bed, his face full of wounds, holding my hand.

He repeatedly apologized and explained his relationship with Belinda, explaining why he had to be good to her.

Belinda's father died saving his father, leaving them orphaned and widowed. When Belinda was fifteen, her mother also died from overwork.

The Noah family always felt indebted to Belinda and her family, treating her well in every way. Noah said he had to repay this debt and asked me to understand.

He cried, saying he didn't want to break up, that it was just angry words, and begged me to give him another chance.

I still had feelings for him and softened, getting back together with him.

Belinda continuously appeared in our lives, always affecting our relationship.

Every time he had to choose between Belinda and me, he always chose Belinda. She was always more important than me.

Noah treated me well, but when it came to Belinda, he always put her first.

He said he owed Belinda that much.

But I didn't owe Belinda anything. Why should I endure all this?

I loved him too much and forgave him again and again for abandoning me.

We fought, we argued, but every time Noah cried and begged me to understand, I softened.

After graduating, Belinda became a piano teacher and started a dessert shop with friends, gradually fading out of our lives. Everything was moving in a positive direction.

And on my birthday, Noah created a surprise for me and proposed.

I fantasized about a wonderful future. He had once said that having children was too dangerous and too painful, and since he didn't want me to suffer, we wouldn't have kids. Looking at the engagement ring, I happily planned our upcoming trip...

But at that moment, my fantasy was shattered by Noah himself.

Hearing their sounds of pleasure from the bathroom, my heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. I took several steps back to steady myself.

The conversation I heard inside struck me like lightning.

"Noah, are you really going to marry Madeline?"

"Getting married doesn't affect our relationship."

What a good line.

My best friend, Elise Lowe, wanted to go up and knock on the door, but I stopped her. I didn't want to cause a scene. This was my birthday party, and if it got out of hand, it would make me a laughingstock in Imperia and damage the Grant family's reputation.

The next thing I heard made my blood run cold.

Noah said, "Madeline is the only daughter. Her dad is in poor health, and she can't do anything. The Grant Group will be mine sooner or later. If we get married and then divorce, at least half of the family fortune will be mine. With that money, we can live comfortably for generations."

"If she has an accident and dies, the whole fortune will be ours."

More than sadness, I was shocked.

Noah actually wanted me dead...