I lowered my eyes and answered softly, “Alright.”

My father had already fallen from power, the company was in crisis, and my greatest support was gone.

Fabian no longer needed to be courteous to me.

Before evening, I moved into the most remote guest room.

After that, I gathered all the jewelry and handbags Fabian had given me over the years and went to a luxury resale store.

I used to shop there often.

So the moment Riley saw me, she smiled and led me straight into the VIP room.

I placed the items on the table one by one.

The first thing that caught the eye was the engagement ring.

That year, Fabian’s company was on the brink of bankruptcy. He had spent almost all his savings to buy me this diamond ring, not particularly large, but once precious.

The second item was a Cartier bracelet Fabian gave me after his company went public.

The third was a Tiffany necklace he bought to apologize after a drunken outburst.

Back then, I loved wearing that necklace to see Fabian.

The crystal pendant shimmered in the sunlight. Fabian would smile, pull me into his arms, and say I was lively and adorable, different from those reserved girls.

Riley widened her eyes and hesitated before asking, “These were all gifts from President Shen a few years ago. Are you sure you want to sell them?”

“Yes.”

She carefully inspected everything and finally gave me a price.

I nodded in agreement.

After receiving the transfer, I turned and left.

Outside, it was lively and bustling.

I heard Fabian’s indulgent voice nearby. “Do you like this necklace?”

Thalia answered shyly, “I do.”

Fabian did not hesitate and swiped his card to buy it.

As he paid, Fabian looked up and saw me, a trace of surprise flickering through his gaze.

His eyes fell on my empty finger.

The ring I never took off was gone.

Fabian set down the card, reached out, grabbed my hand, and stared at me. “Yvette, where is your ring?”

I turned my face away, avoiding his gaze. “I am not wearing it.”

Fabian’s expression darkened instantly. His grip tightened, the pain making me frown.

Thalia quickly held his wrist and called softly, “Fabian.”

Only then did Fabian seem to come back to himself. He loosened his hand, then smiled at Thalia with a hint of distraction. “I lost my composure just now.”

Under the strange looks of the people around us, I left alone.

Six days before I was to leave the Fabian family.

I was in my room organizing documents by myself.

My mother in law sent someone to summon me, saying she wanted me to move out of the Fabian family as soon as possible.

I used the excuse that I still had matters to handle and declined politely.

Her expression changed at once. In front of the servants, she scolded me sharply.

“Married for three years and not a single sign of pregnancy. Am I not allowed to let my son find someone else?”

I lowered my head and replied calmly, “Of course you can. You only need your son to agree to divorce me first.”

Fabian marrying his first love had nothing to do with me.

After all, the divorce agreement had been signed long ago.

All that remained was to collect the divorce certificate.

I had no interest in arguing further and brushed off the conversation.

On my way back to the room, I saw Fabian again.

He was wearing a white shirt, tall and straight, accompanying Thalia for afternoon tea on the terrace.

Thalia wore the newly bought diamond necklace, smiling as she poured coffee for Fabian.

As she bent down, the necklace reflected dazzling light under the sun.

Hot coffee was poured into fine bone china cups. Their gazes intertwined through the rising steam.

Fabian always said he was busy with work.

He had never once done something like this with me.

I turned away in a hurry and went back to my room.

Yet my thoughts refused to settle.

I flipped through several pages of documents in my hands, but not a single word registered.

That one glance of infatuation in my youth had trapped me for three full years.

Only now did I finally see clearly.

To Fabian, I had only ever been a performance played for appearances.

To Thalia, he gave his genuine heart.

I stared at the documents for a long time, until my secretary Xiaoxue knocked on the door and brought in the asset inventory list.

“Madam, everything has been checked,” she said. “Aside from the portion invested in the company, a few pieces of jewelry are missing.”

I looked up sharply. “Which ones?”

My dowry from my parents had been extensive. Even I could not remember it all clearly.

Xiaoxue hesitated before answering, “A diamond necklace, and a wedding dress.”

The diamond necklace.

I suddenly remembered seeing it around Thalia’s neck just moments ago.

I stormed straight into Thalia’s room.

She was standing in front of a full length mirror, trying on the wedding dress.

It was the one my mother had personally designed for me, the only one of its kind in the world.

There were only six days left until Thalia and Fabian’s wedding.

So rushed.

Only then did I realize that Fabian had long arranged all of this in secret.

What I had not expected was that Thalia would dare to put on that dress.

Anger made my entire body tremble. I stepped forward and grabbed the hem of the gown.

The delicate lace tore apart. Pearls scattered across the floor, rolling away with crisp sounds.

I pulled hard at the skirt until the fabric gave off a harsh ripping sound.

Thalia curled up in pain, forced to bend over, her voice shaking. “I was wrong. I will take it off right now.”

I clenched the wedding dress tightly and stared at Thalia with cold eyes.

She lost her balance in front of the mirror and fell heavily to the floor.

The gown was in complete disarray. A large section of the skirt was torn open, pearls and lace strewn everywhere.

Thalia sat on the floor in a miserable state, tears filling her eyes as she looked at me, her tone aggrieved and fragile.

“Miss Jiang, if you wanted me to take it off, you could have just said so. Why did you have to use force?”

My face was cold as I nudged her lightly with the tip of my shoe.

“You stole my wedding dress and still dare to talk back?”

Thalia lowered her head and simply cried, like a little white flower wronged beyond measure.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded behind us.

Fabian rushed in, pushed me aside, and pulled Thalia into his arms.

I stumbled back two steps and instinctively grabbed the dressing table beside me, barely managing to steady myself.

The wedding dress slipped from my hands and fell to the floor, already ruined beyond repair.

Fabian looked at me, his eyes filled with disgust and unfamiliarity, as if I were someone he had never known.

“Yvette, I already told you. I only wanted to make up for past regrets. Why must you make things difficult for her?”

A ball of fire lodged in my chest, leaving me unable to speak for a long while.

Only after some time did I force out a sentence with difficulty.

“That was the wedding dress my mother designed by hand.”

Fabian’s voice was icy. “It is just a piece of clothing. What difference does it make to lend it to her for a few days?”

“You would rather tear it apart than let someone borrow it?”

“Do you still think you are the eldest daughter of the Yvette family? Know when to stop.”

I stood there, unmoving.

It was clearly the season of blooming spring, yet I felt cold all over.

Fabian always knew exactly where to strike to hurt me most.

That wedding dress could never be worn again.

Thalia leaned against Fabian, frowned slightly, and glanced at the ruined dress on the floor, a trace of disdain flashing through her eyes.

Fabian immediately softened his tone to comfort her.

“Do not worry. I will order a new one right away. It will definitely be ready in time for the wedding.”

I bent down, picked up the tattered wedding dress, and left in silence.

It felt as if someone were gripping my chest tightly, the pain so intense I could barely breathe.

Just endure a few more days. Once the procedures are done, I will leave.

I converted most of my dowry jewelry and properties into cash and stored it away properly.

Fabian ignored me the entire day and only appeared in the evening.

He told me that my father had been reassigned to an overseas branch and would be leaving in three days. My mother would accompany him.

Fabian stood at the doorway, backlit, his handsome face half hidden in shadow.

“Yvette, if you had not married me, you would already be a fallen heiress by now.”

“I have said it before. What I have with Thalia is only a formality, a way to make up for past regrets.”

“Your position as Mrs Fabian will not be shaken.”

I remained silent.

Had I not fallen for Fabian at first sight back then, had my family formed a marriage alliance with another Jiangcheng elite family instead, I would not have ended up in such a situation, forced to endure these humiliations.

Seeing that I did not speak, Fabian pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and threw it heavily onto the dressing table.

“You lied to me and secretly sold it.”

He bit down hard on the word lied, his anger unmistakable.

I replied calmly, “If I no longer want it and sold it, what is the problem?”

Fabian frowned deeply. “The secretary said you have been selling off a lot of your dowry lately.”

He stared at me, his gaze sharp and oppressive.

“You do not wear jewelry and you do not attend social events. What do you need so much money for?”

I met Fabian’s gaze steadily. “My father has been transferred. The overseas journey is long, and many things require arrangements.”

That was not entirely untrue.

Fabian threw the items I had sold onto the dressing table one by one. Jewelry clashed against each other, producing crisp sounds.

His expression darkened. “Everything I gave you, you sold it all.”

“Yvette, are you trying to spite me?”

I lowered my head and organized the necklaces, placing them into the jewelry box one by one.

With a soft click, the lid closed.

I could take them abroad and sell them later. Fabian would not be able to control things that far away.

I said softly, “No.”

I was not acting out of spite.

The things Fabian gave me had long since lost their meaning.

Fabian sneered. “Thalia is the one I was meant to spend my life with. You are not qualified to be jealous of her.”

I replied numbly, “I know. Then let us divorce.”

Fabian’s true love was Thalia. They were the ones meant for each other.

He had said this far too many times already. I was tired of hearing it.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

I continued what I was doing, folding the evening gowns one by one.

Once I went abroad, these luxurious clothes would no longer be of any use.

Seeing how unusually quiet I was today, Fabian’s tone softened slightly. “Leave these things to the servants.”

I gave a perfunctory tug at my lips and answered casually, “Alright.”

There were only two days left until Fabian and Thalia’s wedding.

The villa was filled with festive decorations. Even the area outside my secluded room had not been spared.

I could see them the moment I pushed the window open.

On the red banners were words written in Fabian’s own hand.

To hold your hand and grow old together.

To gain one true heart and never part until white hair.

Three years ago, when Fabian and I got married, there had been nothing like this.

I stood quietly by the window.

Thalia appeared at the far end of the corridor.

She looked especially happy today, her brows curved with delight, her steps light as she walked toward me.

The hem of her white wedding dress floated like clouds.

Thalia stopped at my door, her tone gentle and innocent.

“Miss Jiang, what kind of necklace do you think I should choose for the wedding day?”