Lisa's pupils dilated in shock, disbelief written all over her face.

"You said you were home alone. How could you have witnessed anything? Besides you, who else has the key to this car? Do you think the judge will believe your confession?" Adam demanded, his voice growing louder, his anger palpable as though he wanted to tear Lisa apart.

One year later, after four years of love, they were supposed to get married next month.

This was the first time Lisa had seen Adam lose control of his emotions. Her heart felt as though it had been pierced with a sharp blade, her very flesh and blood blurring with pain.

He doesn’t believe her?

How could he not believe her?

Lisa couldn’t even bring herself to kill a fish, so how could he think she was capable of taking someone’s life?

Just then, her phone rang.

Adam quickly answered, muttering "Hmm" twice before hanging up. When he turned back to Lisa, his eyes were cold, almost predatory.

"If anything happens to Emilie, I’ll make sure you suffer ten times as much!" he spat.

"Adam, please, listen to me!" Lisa pleaded.

But no matter how she tried to explain, Adam drove away without looking back.

She returned to the apartment in a daze, sinking onto the sofa and sitting there all night, unable to escape the torment in her mind.

At dawn, Lisa's best friend, Audrey Banks, called.

"Lisa, have you seen today's trending news? That bitch, Emilie, was in a car accident yesterday and fractured her right leg. I heard she won't be able to dance again. Looks like evil people get what they deserve!" Audrey gloated from the other end of the line.

Emilie was Adam's childhood sweetheart and the principal of the Victoria Dance Company.

Five years ago, she disappeared without a word, leaving for a career abroad. Those had been the darkest days of Adam's career. He was nearly blacklisted from the industry after a miscarriage of justice in a case. It was Lisa who had stood by him, caring for him and helping him rebuild his confidence.

After a year of pursuing her, Lisa finally became his girlfriend.

Lisa dedicated herself completely to Adam, managing his day-to-day life so he could focus entirely on his career without distraction.

Since then, Adam’s career soared. He gained widespread recognition for winning a difficult cross-border lawsuit.

Their relationship quickly deepened, and they soon moved in together. After the Spring Festival, Adam became the youngest senior partner at his law firm and proposed to Lisa.

After four years of love, the couple was naturally moving towards marriage. Both families were thrilled with the relationship, and their wedding was scheduled for just a month away. However, something unexpected happened that disrupted everything.

Lisa tried to suppress the grief in her heart. "Audrey, the car that Adam gave me showed up at the scene of the crime and hit Emilie... and now he suspects it was me!"

"How could it possibly be you? Have you checked the surveillance footage?" Audrey asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Lisa closed her eyes in despair. "I checked, but I couldn't find a clear shot of the driver's face."

"Unbelievable! You couldn't even get a clear picture of the driver, and he’s still blaming you? Is he out of his mind?" Audrey said angrily. "Don’t worry, I’ll have someone investigate this right away. And by the way, Adam shouldn’t be with that bitch in the hospital now, right? She’s an expert at playing the victim, so watch out—she might steal Adam from you!"

Lisa's voice was distant as she replied, "I... I might as well die before that happens."

The most urgent task was to figure out the truth behind everything. After hanging up, Lisa opened her phone, only to be bombarded with news about Emilie’s car accident.

Although the license plate number had been obscured, Lisa instantly recognized the Mercedes-Benz with the plate number Nan A0926.

After the news of the car accident became a trending topic, Emilie's fans went into a frenzy, denouncing the driver responsible and even threatening to find them and make them pay with their blood.

After much consideration, Lisa decided to go to the hospital.

Half an hour later, she arrived at the VIP ward area of a private hospital. After a brief inquiry, Lisa quickly located Emilie’s room. It was said that only a select few could afford the SVIP private rooms on the top floor. The Jackson family held shares in the hospital, and Adam had secured two adjacent wards for Emilie’s rest and recovery.

When Lisa entered the room, she saw Adam gently wiping the corner of Song Weiwei’s lips. His touch was so tender, as though he were caring for the most priceless treasure in the world.

Her heart ached painfully at the sight.

Just last year, Lisa had been hospitalized for pneumonia. The hospital was overcrowded, and there were no available beds. Adam had used his connections, but instead of arranging a proper bed, he had her sleep on an extra mattress in the hallway.

During the week she was hospitalized, Adam claimed to be too busy with his work as a lawyer to visit her. At the time, Lisa reassured herself, believing that his career was more important and that he was simply too swamped to find time for her.

But now, she realized that being "busy" had only been an excuse. Whenever he wanted to, he could spend an entire night with Emilie, taking care of her. He even broke his own rules, spending a significant amount of money to secure an adjacent ward for her to rest in.

Adam put down the bowl, and as he turned around, his gaze landed on Lisa. His expression instantly darkened.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Don't you think you've caused Emilie enough harm?"

"Lisa, I thought you were just jealous, but now I see you're truly vicious."

He forcefully shoved Lisa out of the room, quickly releasing his grip on her arm as if she were something filthy.

"Adam, I swear it wasn’t me. There’s been some kind of misunderstanding. Once the traffic police release their findings, everything will be cleared up," Lisa pleaded, trying to explain.

Lisa had loved Adam so humbly and patiently, sacrificing her own dignity. Even when Emilie relentlessly sent provocative messages for four years, stirring up all kinds of hatred and attempting to undermine their relationship, Lisa chose to ignore it. She truly believed that her sincerity would earn Adam's love in return.

"What’s the point of arguing?" Adam's voice was cold.

"Lisa, the wedding is canceled. I won’t marry a woman with such a vicious heart!" His tone was final.

Those words hit Lisa like a hammer, shattering her heart. She stood motionless, staring at the man in front of her, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Just the day before his business trip, Adam had held her in his arms. They were incredibly affectionate, and he kissed her cheek with tenderness, calling her the kindest and most gentle wife. He promised that in just one month, she would be the happiest and most beautiful bride in the world.

After the wedding, they were supposed to travel—first to Norway to see the Aurora, then to Africa to witness the great migration, and later to Fiji for diving. He had even handed her his bank card and the key to his safe, telling her she would be the queen of their home.

But everything changed the moment he returned.

Lisa stepped forward desperately, grabbing his arm, her voice barely above a whisper, pleading, "Adam, what can I do to make you believe me again?"

"I will never trust you again," Adam said coldly, shaking off her grip.

Although the car accident hadn’t been life-threatening, Emilie’s leg was badly injured. Even if she recovered, she would never be able to perform on stage again.

She had started dancing at five, living her entire life for ballet. If she could no longer perform on stage, it would feel like losing everything.

Lisa’s shoulders trembled, her voice caught in her throat as she fought back tears. No... not her. What could she possibly do to make Adam believe her?

Suddenly, a harsh, female voice cut through the air. "It was this bitch who broke Emilie's leg!"

Before Lisa could react, a forceful shove sent her stumbling away from Adam, and she was slapped across the face. The blow was so strong that she lost her balance, crashing to the ground and hitting her head on the trash can. Stars danced in her vision.

Emilie's mother, Marry Grant pointed at Lisa, her voice venomous. "You stole Emilie's boyfriend and ran her over with a car! A wicked, malicious woman like you deserves to rot in hell!"

Lisa’s ears rang. "I didn’t hit Emilie with my car! Stop spreading lies about me!"

"The evidence is clear, and you still deny it? You shameless bitch!" Marry’s rage turned her into a madwoman. "Let’s see how you escape this!"

Like a wild animal, she lunged at Lisa, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her forward. "Come on, everyone! Look at this woman! She destroyed my daughter's future—she’ll never dance again. Let’s expose her for what she really is!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, reporters flooded the scene.

"That's her! The woman who was behind the hit-and-run!"

"She's the one who ruined Emilie's career and kept her from ever performing again!"

"Someone call the police! Arrest her now!"

...

"Adam, help me!"

Lisa turned desperately to Adam, but he stood silently by, his face devoid of emotion, as if he were a stranger.

The insults rained down, and reporters closed in on Lisa, their cameras flashing relentlessly. Each word felt like a slap, the pressure mounting as she struggled to hold herself together.

The world around her began to blur. Blood rushed to her head, and her vision darkened. In that moment, everything went black, and she fainted.

The day after Emilie's car accident, Lisa’s heart shattered.

She collapsed at the ward's door, overwhelmed by both hypoglycemia and the crushing weight of betrayal. But Adam, cold and unforgiving, dismissed her collapse as an act—an attempt to avoid responsibility. He had her unceremoniously thrown into a hospital utility room, where medical waste was stored.

A compassionate nurse, passing by, noticed Lisa and used her phone to contact her family. They were the ones who picked her up.

Back at home, Lisa fell ill.

The controversy surrounding Emilie’s car accident continued to rage, and soon Lisa was being hunted online. Her name was plastered across social media, inundated with hate and vitriol from Emilie’s fans. The comment sections of her posts were soon flooded with curses, forcing them to be shut down altogether.

Some of Emilie's most extreme fans went so far as to send Lisa dead mice and shrouds in the mail.

Unable to return to her normal life, Lisa took leave from work and retreated to the Hale family home to escape the media frenzy.

Meanwhile, Adam made a public announcement that their engagement was over, and had his assistant collect all the betrothal gifts the Jackson family had previously given to the Hale's.

The large flat in Clear Water Bay, a wedding gift from the Jacksons, had been intended as the couple's new home. Lisa had moved in and lived there for two months, only to be told by Adam to pack her things and leave within a few days.

Lisa was in the yard, sunbathing weakly, when she received the call. Since falling ill, she'd lost her appetite and couldn't keep food down, causing her to lose weight rapidly.

During this time, the police came to the Hale house, taking Lisa in for questioning.

While the surveillance video showed Lisa's car at the scene, the driver’s face wasn’t clearly visible, and there were no other witnesses. It was only confirmed that Lisa’s car had struck Emilie, but there was no solid evidence to prove she was the one behind the wheel. After the investigation, Lisa was granted bail and released.

"Lisa, your brother has arranged for the driver to move your things out of the Clearwater Bay apartment. Once you're feeling better, I'll take you abroad to relax for a while," said Leslie Hale, Lisa's mother's voice, full of concern as she looked at her daughter, who was now looking frail and thin. She tried to hide her discomfort, but it was clear how deeply troubled she was by the situation.