I snapped back to reality when I heard the crying in front of me.

I looked up to see Zac hugging Aurora tightly as if he were holding a rare treasure and was reluctant to let anything happen to her.

I smiled bitterly as I looked at everyone's judgment-filled gazes, feeling a bit nauseous.

Zac acted as if he wasn't aware. He just held Aurora with trembling hands and said with relief, "Aurora, I'm glad that you're alright. If something were to happen to you, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."

Aurora was so touched that she buried her head in his chest. The next second, she gave me a defiant look. She spoke pitifully as her gaze swept over me. "Zac, I know I've let you down. I also know that you're going to marry Celia, but I really can't live without you. Zac, please forgive me."

She was crying pitifully, her eyes red as she looked at Zac.

This alone was enough to make his rationality crumble. He immediately wiped the tears from her face, kissed the top of her head repeatedly, and reassured her, "Aurora, I'm sorry. But don't worry. Even after I get married, you'll always be my top priority. Celia and I have been together for eight years. I owe her this."

Yes, we had been together for eight years. He fell in love with me at first sight at the beginning of our freshman year and immediately pursued me passionately. We naturally got together, and he treated me attentively during our years together.

This continued until Aurora's return.

In my previous life, I refused to let go of our long-term relationship, which led me to fall deeper and deeper.

Looking at the scene before me, I just wanted to get rid of Zac as soon as possible, so I simply said coldly, "No need, Zac."

Zac shot me an impatient look, his eyes no longer filled with the initial sincerity but with disdain. "Celia! Don't you have a conscience? Can't you see that Aurora is in a bad mood? Must you butt in now? Are you that desperate to get married? Do you have to marry me now?"

After saying that, he immediately kissed Aurora's forehead to comfort her before glaring at me again. "I'm telling you, even after we get married, Aurora will still matter the most to me. Don't even think about taking her place in my heart! You don't deserve it!"

I snapped back, "Let's break up."

"What?"

After hearing what I said, Zac immediately looked at me in shock. The fury in his eyes was almost tangible. Then, he immediately glared at me with disdain.

"Celia, have you no shame? I'm telling you—even if you're playing hard to get, there's no way I'll fall for you. Even if I do marry you, it'll only be out of gratitude for voluntarily giving me your place during the cruise ship accident."

I looked at him without any emotion and said calmly, "I really want to break up with you."

Zac scoffed, stood up, and hugged Aurora in his arms. He looked at me disdainfully. "Celia, everyone here knows that you've been clinging to me like taffy since Aurora returned. Now that you finally have the chance to marry me, you won't give it up. I don't believe you, and no one here will either."

Seeing the smugness in his eyes, I simply took off my engagement ring and tossed it into the trash can nearby. "I don't care whether you believe it or not. We have nothing to do with each other anymore."

He had used all his savings at the time to buy me that ring when we first got together.

Once upon a time, Zac had kneeled before me with a ring in his hand, his eyes full of tenderness as he said, "Celia, I'll be good to you forever."

I was overjoyed when I accepted the ring. After being together for so many years, I regarded the ring as a treasure and never took it off.

At this moment, Zac still refused to believe me. Looking at my back, he said sarcastically, "You just found out you're carrying my child and want to threaten me to stay away from Aurora, right? Even if you're carrying twins, they still won't be as important to me as Aurora alone."

I said nothing and went downstairs.

In my previous life, he imprisoned me in the basement after learning that I was three months pregnant. He made my life more miserable than death every day.

After enduring until the day I gave birth, I bled heavily in the hospital.

Without the slightest hesitation, he asked the doctor to give up my life and even named the child I gave birth to at the cost of my life 'Rory.' He even wanted to use my child to pay tribute to the love he lost with Aurora.

How ridiculous.

Without bringing anything, I went straight back to my own home—the one that had once brought me so much joy.

…

When I woke up, it was already past 3:00 pm the next day. Just as I was about to get something to eat, a message suddenly popped up on my phone.

Zac: [I have your parents' ashes. You have 30 minutes to come get them, or I'll throw them to the ground.]

I immediately frowned, fearing Zac might actually desecrate their ashes. I quickly took a cab to Zac's villa. Right when I entered his villa, a small ceramic urn fell from overhead, hitting me squarely on the head.

I instinctively reached for it but ended up cradling the urn in my arms, its contents spilling all over me. After seeing what it was, I immediately straightened the urn and carefully scooped all the ashes back into it, ignoring the men and women present.

Holding another urn, Aurora said arrogantly to me, "Celia, kneel, or I might not be able to hold this urn steady."

My heart skipped a beat. She was holding the other ceramic urn that contained ashes.

Looking at the people around me, I tried to speak as gently as I could. "Aurora, let's talk it out."

As soon as I finished speaking, someone kicked me in the knee, forcing me to my knees. "You witch, how dare you call her by her name? How shameless!"

I clutched the urn tightly in my arms, but someone slapped me in the face before I could steady myself.

The sudden slap sent me to the ground. Before I could react, Aurora walked straight over to me. She raised the urn high in the air.

"No... Don't!"

Aurora ignored my cries and smashed the urn directly on my head. With a loud bang, the urn shattered, and fresh blood covered my vision. Just as I was about to get up to protect the remaining ashes, Aurora kicked me in the stomach.

Excruciating pain followed instantly. Punches, slaps, kicks—all kinds of attacks fell on me.

I tried to resist, but I was held down firmly. At one point, someone shouted, "Blood! She's bleeding so much! Is she dead?"

The crowd dispersed and looked at the blood underneath me. Aurora seemed to remember something. When everyone was still frozen in fear, she kicked my stomach hard. Blood instantly covered the ground beneath me. Before I could even make a sound, I fainted.