John Garnett's secretary fed me to the dogs on my own birthday.

I called his number endlessly to call for help, only for him to block my number immediately, as he fooled around with his secretary at the presidential suite in broad daylight.

All I felt was agony as I was ripped into countless little pieces, still holding on to the black rose seeds he had given me when we were younger.

That was not thrilling enough for the secretary, however, she buried me in the backyard of John' villa, intent on making my perished soul watch their bedroom activities.

It was not until rain poured a month later, and a cluster of black roses suddenly grew in the backyard.

"Where's Claire? I was just scaring her with the dogs—did she run away just to spite me?"

John Garnett chuckled coolly.

'When I was fifteen, I spent 10 million to buy those seeds on a trip abroad.

"It's my gift to her, but for some reason, she planted it in the backyard, facing the bedroom directly.

"Is she trying to get my attention? To make me feel guilty?

"I guess she hasn't spent enough time with those rabid dogs. Let her stay there a bit longer."

With those words, he returned to the couch, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Don't you think that's too much, John?" Lara asked softly as she brought John coffee. "She never liked me and always threatened to leave.

"But she must be even more upset now and deliberately planted the flowers there to provoke you. It's all my fault—I'll resign and leave…"

John took the coffee but never drank it, his eyes lingering where the clusters of black roses bloomed.

It took him a while to regain himself, and he brushed his long fingers through Lara's dangling hair. "What are you saying, silly? You're the one I love the most—she's just been clinging to me for fifteen years, and I just can't get rid of her no matter how hard I try.

"It's all her fault for refusing to greet you at the office, which led to you being ostracised by your colleagues.

"She deserved it! She was so terrified with the rabid dogs barking all around her, even sending a voice message where she was crying so pathetically!"

Hearing that, my departed soul turned away, smiling miserably.

He was the one who had said he loved me, promising to protect me for the rest of my life and vowing that no one would get to lay a finger on me.

He had smiled at me so lovingly when he passed me the black rose seeds. "It is believed that black roses embody a deep and timeless love, just like the love I share with you."

Yet, he had a change of heart and loved Lara instead, believing her one-sided claims that I had led a workplace ostracising campaign against her.

He knew I had been bitten by dogs and was terrified of them, and he pretended he was celebrating my birthday.

In reality, he lured me down to the basement, locking me inside with over a dozen rabid dogs.

They kept biting me, and biting me… It hurt so much I wanted to kill myself right then.

Even as I was torn to shreds, I held on tightly to the seeds of the black roses, imagining that the burly youth I used to know would rush in, and get me out of here.

I actually forgot that the same youth had a new love who wanted me dead.

Foolish, until the end…

-

On the couch, Lara hid a giggle behind her palm.

Then, she brushed a finger down his chest, purring, "You're so good to me, John… Shall I repay your favor with my body?"

John's lips curled up, his eyes lighting up as he lowered his gaze at her.

As he unbuttoned the top button of her blouse—revealing her pretty collarbone, he chuckled, "Such a greedy kitten. Last night wasn't enough for you? Well, you will definitely be satisfied today!"

Just as the both of them were getting into the mood, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Alfie, John's butler, came running inside. "Mr. Garnett! We've checked, but none of Ms. Smith's accounts were touched… Could something have happened?"

John snorted coldly. "Impossible! She'd never bring herself to leave me… Maybe she got herself another sugar daddy, throwing away all her dignity just for spare change."

Alfie did a double take, not expecting John to come up with such a supposition.

Still, he did not dare to argue either, bowing his head as he said, "I'll ask them to keep watch—"

"For what?" John waved him off, his tone weary. "She can go anywhere she wants. Jealous broads like her can die for all I care!"

"That said, we could keep watch to see which prick would wire money to her account. I'd like to humiliate that hussy!"

Alfie pursed his lips but said nothing.

He lowered his head as he backed out of the room, when John added nonchalantly, "Also, buy that diamond ring that caught Lara's eye. No matter how much it costs."

I laughed coolly—that ring was worth millions, but he would get anything Lara wanted.

There was a time when the Garnett family's business had gone bankrupt.

Even so, I had stayed at his side, sparing even instant noodles if I could.

Tuna sandwiches and full-course meals were a luxury, but I worked through sleepless nights for three months just to buy him an expensive suit.

I remember his eyes welling up with tears as he put it on. "You stayed with me through such a difficult time—I will definitely return this favor a hundredfold. If there's anything you want, I'll get it for you."

In the end, it was nothing more than lip service.

Nonetheless, the mood was gone even after Alfie left.

Instead, Lara purred, "John, I'm hungry."

"Alright. Just stay put."

John gave her a warm peck on the cheek and went to work in the kitchen. "I'll make you something nutritious to prepare for your pregnancy."

I felt a dull ache over my chest even as I watched him work masterfully in the kitchen.

After I helped John restore his family's glory, he told me he disliked children and forced me to get an abortion.

When I lay on a hospital bed after—too frail to even move, I asked him to cook for me.

All I got was a cold glare as he snapped, "Cook for you? Don't you know how much my time is worth?"

Later—as soon as I recovered a little, I made pasta for him, but he didn't even look at it and snapped again. "What an eyesore. Get it out of my sight. "

Perhaps he had not loved me for a long time now.

It was my fault for never noticing—for stupidly believing that true love would never die.

Now, Lara smiled as she leaned against the doorway, purring so softly her voice could melt anything, "I heard you made pasta. Can I have a bowl? With minced ginger, please. My cravings are really terrible these days."

"You've got it," John grinned lovingly. "Who would spoil my baby if not me?"

Still, he soon paused when he inadvertently noticed the black roses outside. "I'll tell the gardener to uproot those flowers. They remind me of Claire's disgusting face—I don't want them to hurt our eyes!"

Lara clearly panicked, but forced herself to smile anyway.

Lara then asked, "There's no reason to go that far, alright? I've forgiven Ms. Smith already, and those flowers look quite nice. We could just leave them be."

Seeing her ashen face, John had a vague feeling that something was strange. "What's gotten into you? What's the issue with uprooting those flowers and planting your favorite moth orchids instead?"

Lara took a deep breath, feigning calmness as she said, "That's not what I mean… Ms. Smith has been with you for years, and I don't want to ruin your relationship…"

John looked downwards and continued mincing the ginger then. "Relationship? Well, it's a relationship, but not a romantic one—one that comes from sympathy.

"To me, she looked like a pathetic stray. When one looks at you with those wet puppy eyes, you can't help throwing it a bone.

"But then it would cling to you and refuse to leave, and all you feel is annoyance.

"I never loved Claire Smith—I was just allowing her to stay with me.

"It was only when I met you that I felt that heart-pounding, relishing taste. That's love."

My heart skipped a beat.

I would never have believed it until John said it out loud, that he had just been treating me like a tool.

When Garnett Corp needed partners, I would go with him to social drinking events with potential partners, enduring the itch and migraines despite my alcohol allergy.

If he so much as said he felt cold, I'd brew soup overnight for him.

If he said his stomach hurt, I would hire the most expensive private doctors.

But after so many years of that, I ended up no more than a pathetic stray to him.

All of my sacrifices were trampled over as if it was only right, treated ever so cheaply.

Nonetheless, the kitchen was swirling with steam, and a plate of pasta was soon finished.

As John brought it to Lara, he then remembered and asked quietly, "Did Claire really leave the other day? Didn't she say anything?"

Lara tensed up, but quickly hid it as she purred, "You still don't believe me, John? I tried to reason with her when she left, but she refused to listen.

"She said she's going to leave you, so that you'd regret it for the rest of your life… I then watched her run out into the street like she was crazy, but didn't chase after her."

John raised a brow. "Crazy woman. Who does she think she is? She's not even fit to lick your shoes! Who would want her aside from me? She's just trying to make herself look sympathetic, and in the end, she just wants me to feel for her!"

He rubbed his chin, his eyes sweeping across the drawing room at everything that belonged to me, and called Alfie, "Send people to the villa. I want everything belonging to Claire Smith thrown out and burnt."

As he hung up, he huffed, "She thinks leaving is her way of getting back at me? I'll show her that I don't need her—that means she wasn't the one who dumped me!

"She can disappear all she likes. And since she has left, she should never come back!"

Lara pretended to look shocked, tugging on John's sleeve as if taking my side, "Just forget it, John. Ms. Smith will get upset with me when she comes back and sees that her things are gone…"

John's gaze turned even more sinister. "She'd never dare! I burnt all of it, and that means I'm cutting all ties with her! From this moment on, Claire Smith is never to set foot in Garnett Villa! She will be left wandering outside, just like a stray!"