Lisa gathered herself and said, "I should go alone."

Returning to the wedding apartment once again, it felt as though a century had passed in just two weeks.

As soon as she opened the door, an unpleasant, rancid smell hit her, and her stomach churned. Unable to bear it any longer, she rushed into the bathroom and vomited up her breakfast.

"Second Miss, are you okay?" the driver asked, his voice full of concern.

Lisa shook her head, turned on the faucet, and rinsed her mouth. Stepping out of the bathroom, she immediately noticed the moldy snacks and white porridge sitting on the dining table. She quickly covered her nose.

It was the day of the accident when she had returned to eat the leftovers. Now, after sitting out for so long, the food had gone rancid, causing the smell to linger in the apartment. She guessed that Adam hadn’t been home during this time.

Perhaps as long as Emilie was still in the picture, Lisa would never be Adam’s first choice.

Lisa and Adam had been university sweethearts. They had dreamed of this moment—starting from school uniforms to wedding dresses, believing they would be each other's forever.

But now, in the wake of a car accident, she found herself accused of being the murderer, a label pinned on her based on rumors and baseless claims.

Her tears had dried up, leaving her heart numb. As she looked around the apartment, the traces of their life together seemed to mock her, reminders of a love that had been shattered.

From the appliances and furniture to the smallest refrigerator magnets, she had carefully chosen each item. Now, all that remained was endless pain and unbearable memories.

People around her often said that Adam would always hold Emilie in his heart. They believed that if Emilie hadn’t left without a word to chase her career, Lisa would never have stood a chance.

At first, Lisa didn’t let these words bother her. She was certain that even the hardest stone could eventually be warmed.

After graduation, Lisa turned down an offer from a prestigious top-three investment bank to work in a financial company, determined to be the woman who supported Adam’s success.

Adam once said he didn’t like takeout, so Lisa spent hours perfecting her cooking skills.

Adam preferred women with slim figures, so Lisa meticulously controlled her weight, cutting out carbs after dinner.

Though Adam’s demanding job often kept him away for days or even weeks, Lisa never complained, patiently waiting for him to return.

Even Mrs. Jackson, who came from a wealthy family and had a discerning eye, praised Lisa for being well-behaved, graceful, and cultured.

But what good was it to be sensible?

Whenever something happened to Emilie, Adam would rush back to her without a second thought. He didn’t believe Lisa, nor did he believe that the woman who had loved him for five years, lying next to him every night, could be innocent.

Lisa swallowed her heartache and instructed the driver to pack up all her belongings. She even tore the wedding photo on the wall in half—ripping her own portion into pieces and flushing them down the toilet.

Once it was done, Lisa called Adam, intending to return the valuables in person. But he kept insisting he couldn’t be reached. After pondering for a long while, she decided to go to the hospital, determined to end everything herself.

Just as Lisa had suspected, Adam had taken a long leave and was staying at the hospital with Emilie.

How ironic.

In the five years they’d been together, Adam, a workaholic, had never taken a single day off, even when he was sick. Yet now, he had abandoned everything to be by Emilie’s side.

In the rehabilitation room, Adam gently supported Emilie’s shoulders, speaking to her softly, his face full of the compassion and concern Lisa had never once received.

When Emilie asked for water, Adam, ever attentive, brought it to her lips after the wind had cooled it.

Emilie claimed she was tired, and Adam gently guided her aside to rest, wiping the sweat from her brow and massaging her uninjured leg.

It turned out that Attorney Jackson could care for someone—but that someone had never been Lisa.

Suddenly, Emilie’s eyes widened, and she saw Lisa standing in the doorway. Her face twisted with fury: "Why is she here? Isn't it enough what you've already done to me? I've given you up to her, so why are you trying to take my life too?!"

"Adam, get her out of here! I don't want to see her!" Emilie screamed, her voice wild. She struggled to stand but lost her balance, the weight of her casted leg pulling her down.

Adam rushed to her side, catching her in his arms and pressing her head against his chest. His face turned pale with fear, his eyes red with panic.

"Calm down, Emilie. No one will hurt you again... I’ll get rid of her right away. As long as I’m here, everything will be fine."

Turning his gaze toward Lisa, he spoke with cold disgust: "Lisa, why do you have the nerve to show up here?"

Perhaps from the constant crying, Lisa had grown numb. Seeing Adam now, her heart no longer hurt as much as it had before.

"I have some important items to return to you."

Twenty minutes later, after Adam had finally managed to calm Emilie, he stepped out of the physical therapy room alone.

Lisa handed him the apartment key, car key, safe key, and the bank card they had both signed. As she placed them in Adam’s hands, a sense of relief washed over her.

"From now on, we don’t owe each other anything."

Lisa had expected tears when she saw Adam again. She had once loved him deeply, believing he was the only one for her in this life. But witnessing Adam tenderly holding Emilie in his arms had shattered that final shred of hope.

She had made up her mind. She could no longer afford to love Adam, nor did she want to.

Adam looked at the keys and bank card in her hand, and then he laughed, a bitter edge to his voice. "Do you think this is over? You owe Emilie, and you’ll never be able to repay her in this lifetime!"

At that moment, Adam still clung to the belief that Lisa was responsible for the accident. The police may have released her due to insufficient evidence, but in his mind, she was guilty.

Lisa’s expression remained calm as she spoke, her voice steady: "I have nothing to fear when I stand tall. I owe Emilie nothing."

"It's a good saying, Lisa. One day, the truth will come out, and when it does, I’ll make you pay ten times the pain I’ve endured!" Adam shot Lisa one last glance before taking the keys and bank card from her hand and turning to leave.

His resolute departure marked the final end of their relationship.

Five years of deep love had crumbled in an instant. It wasn't life or death that separated them, but the absence of love.

With the wedding cancelled, there was still much to take care of in the aftermath. The invitations had already gone out the day before Emilie's accident. Lisa made the difficult calls one by one, informing the guests about the cancellation and offering sincere apologies.

Her family and friends were understanding, offering kind words of reassurance, telling her everything would be fine. But when it came to Adam's brothers, the responses were nothing but scorn and ridicule.

The harshest of them all came from Adam’s close friend, Vera—Emilie’s devoted follower.

"Lisa, you've caused Emilie so much misery! She deserves to be struck by lightning!"

Lisa had long grown numb to the insults. After hanging up, she continued with the tedious task of canceling orders that hadn’t shipped yet and blocking the logistics. Any items that had been sent out—unless they were customized—would be returned, one by one. The refunds were credited back to Adam’s account in full.

She had been the one to handle every detail of the wedding—from selecting the venue to choosing the dress and even the small items. Everything had been chosen with care and love.

In the past, she had been busy and happy, eagerly anticipating the day she would wear the perfect wedding dress and marry the man she loved most. Now, all that remained was a pile of broken dreams and a mess of unfinished plans.

When Lisa visited her mother at Hale's house, she found her mother-in-law looking weary, holding Lisa's hand with a sigh. After hearing that her son had unilaterally broken off the engagement, she had been so furious it triggered her high blood pressure. Once she recovered, she returned to Lisa’s side.

"Lisa, Adam was just confused when he broke off the engagement. How could you throw away five years of love like that?" She shook her head. "I can’t believe you'd hurt anyone."

"When the case is fully investigated, I'll make sure that son of mine comes and kneels to beg for your forgiveness."

In truth, Adam’s mother, Risa Jackson, never thought much of Lisa. She always felt Lisa wasn’t quite worthy of such an exceptional son. But Lisa was obedient, sensible, and came from a family with money. More importantly, she took good care of herself, making it hard to find someone better.

"Aunt Linda Jackson, Adam and I can never go back to what we were." After some time to adjust, Lisa had managed to calm herself, enough to face the shattered remnants of her relationship with a clear mind.

Everyone around her, except for a few of Emilie’s close friends, had chosen to believe in Lisa, including Richard Jackson, Adam’s father, and Risa. How could a well-educated, gentle, and virtuous girl, who was about to marry Adam in a month, suddenly become a murderer out of jealousy? It just didn’t make sense.

But Adam didn’t believe it.

No matter how much Lisa tried to explain, it was as if he had already made up his mind. He was convinced she was the culprit.

"If you need anything, call me anytime."

"I know, Aunt Linda."

After sending Risa off, Lisa’s phone rang again. It was the courier. There were so many things to handle, and despite her best efforts, she had missed something. Today’s delivery had not been intercepted in time and had already been sent to the Clearwater Bay Apartment.

"Can you please help me open the box and see what's inside?" Lisa has received too many express delivery these days and has become numb.

She chose to throw away the custom-made items that could not be returned.

The courier was very embarrassed: "It says valuables and the buyer needs to sign for it."

Lisa happened to need to go to the hotel to refund the deposit, and planned to pass by Clear Water Bay to collect the express delivery.

She hung up and got up and walked towards the garage, and happened to meet Lester Hale, her nominal brother, who was coming back from outside.

Since the accident, this was the first time Lisa had met Lester. I heard from Lisa's mother that he was in charge of handling matters at the police station.

"elder brother."

"You want to go out?"

"yes."

Lester stopped and frowned: "It's getting cooler today, so put on a coat before going out.

The age difference between the brother and sister is a bit large, so they can't talk together. They only greet each other when they meet on weekdays. The sudden concern made Lisa uncomfortable: "There is a coat in the car."

"where are you going?"

"Clearwater Bay."

Lester's eyes narrowed slightly and he said calmly: "I happen to be going there too, so I'll see you there on the way."