I walked to the corner and found a quiet spot to sit down.

Gary frowned slightly, looked a bit dazed, vaguely sensed that I seemed different from before.

Before he could react, the group of friends around him burst out laughing and teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, here we go again, hiding in a corner to sob. Without Gary, Miss Parker can't even survive."

They said, "Don't forget, the Parker Family is the wealthiest in North England. Rose is their only daughter. Mr. Romeo Parker plans to choose a marriage partner for her from the other three top families at her 25th birthday banquet. I heard the candidate has already been decided. Whoever marries Rose inherits the entire Parker Family fortune."

"The Parker Family's assets start at tens of billions. Who knows who'll get this outrageous wealth?"

Someone immediately winked and smirked, "Isn't it obvious? Of course it's Gary. Everyone in North England knows how obsessed Rose is with him. Gary tells her to die and she wouldn't even hesitate for a second. Look, it's only been a month and she's already crawling back."

"Hahaha, to be a simp to this extent is unbeatable. Once she hands over the Parker Family fortune, the whole of North England will belong to the Osborn Family. Gary sure knows how to handle women. Teach us your ways, man."

Gary acted indifferent, but the subtle curve at the corner of his lips betrayed his delight.

He deliberately raised his voice so I could hear, "A cheap woman throwing herself at me isn't even worth a toe of Mariska's. If she wasn't fun to play with, I wouldn't even bother looking at her."

"She insists I marry her and I can't even shake her off. It's driving me crazy." After he finished, he waited for me to break down in tears.

In the past, at times like these, my eyes would already be red and filled with grievance.

But this time, not only did I not shed a tear, I didn't even glance at him.

Gary's face darkened on the spot. He was about to come over when Mariska clung to his arm, "Gary, the auction's starting. Stay with me."

Gary had no choice but to sit back down with her in his arms. Throughout the auction, Mariska liked almost every item.

She kept mumbling that she couldn't afford them, while pretending to be strong and saying she would work hard to buy them herself.

Seeing her pitiful expression, Gary was overwhelmed with sympathy. With a wave of his hand, he lit the auction lamp for every single item.

She happily wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him again and again.

As for me, I only raised my bid paddle once, when the final item, a men's wristwatch, came up.

The watch was sapphire blue, understated yet elegant. Its style matched well with the person in my heart. As a gift for registered our marriage, he would probably like it.

I got my ideal item and was ready to leave, but Gary stopped me.

Behind him stood the event organizer, he held a thick stack of receipts.

I was puzzled, "Is there something else?"

Gary took the receipt list and handed it to me, spoke in a condescending tone, "Don't say I never gave you a chance. Pay for all these items and I'll reluctantly have dinner with you tonight."

I flipped through the list, it was fifteen items in total. Because Mariska had been whining all night, Gary kept hit the auction lamp.

Originally worth less than a billion pound sterling, they were forcefully bid up to 2.5 billion pound sterling.

Seeing that I didn't respond for a long time, Mariska self-righteously scolded me, "Rose, relationships should be equal. You're Gary's girlfriend and you've always used his money for your food, clothes and expenses. You've never spent a dime yourself. Now we just ask you to pay a tiny bit for a gift for Gary and you're already unwilling? You say you love him, but that's so fake and selfish."

Gary, who had been slightly hesitant, seemed convinced by that reasoning.

His expression turned smug and righteous as he lowered his voice and said to me, "Mariska is my wife now. I'm giving you a chance to get along with her. If you upset her, don't blame me for not even letting you be the mistress. Hurry up and pay."

Looking at the smug confidence on his face, I almost laughed out of sheer anger.

All that talk about me living off Gary, was just cake leftover from Mariska, a meal she couldn't finish and a house my father bought for me, from which I was kicked out after catching them sneaking around, I was labeled as filthy and toxic woman.

In five years, I once adored those eyes and brows. But the moment he left me at the marriage office, that burning obsession instantly turned cold.

I looked at him now, all that remained was disgust.

I realized just how blind I'd been, how foolish to have wasted five years on such trash.

Seeing me silent, Gary impatiently snatched the wristwatch from my hand. Before I could stop him, he had already unwrapped it and put it on.

He said, "I'm even wearing your crappy gift now. Satisfied? Now hurry up. Keep acting and I really won't bother with you. Even if you kneel and bring me five billion later, don't dream of getting a word out of me."

Gary's buddies took the opportunity to scold me, "Rose, Gary's already giving you face. Don't push it. A little drama maybe cute, but too much just makes people sick."

"Exactly. It's just 2.5 billion pound sterling, it's just pocket change for you. Being so stingy is disgusting. You should learn from Mariska, she is generous and thoughtful. She bought her gift for Gary with money earned from her part-time jobs," they said.

I glanced at the cheap little doll keychain hanging from Gary's phone, completely out of place.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Very thoughtful indeed. What, that keychain is not even worth 9.9 pound?"

Mariska looked like she'd been mortally insulted. Her eyes instantly turned red as she bit her lip, tried to look like a pitiful, strong little flower, "I don't have your kind of money, but everything I buy, I earn with my own hands. I'm cleaner than you. How dare you humiliate me?"

Gary pulled her into his arms protectively and barked at me, "Apologize to Mariska!"

I smiled and shoved the entire receipt list into her arms, "Mm. You're clean, I'm dirty. So let your clean money pay for these gifts for your Gary."

Mariska's face turned ghostly pale. She slumped in Gary's arms as if about to faint.

Gary, burned with fury, slapped me across the face, "Rose, I've had enough! You dare bully Mariska like this? On your birthday banquet, even if you kneel and beg me, I won't agree to the marriage alliance!"

He shot me a glare and stormed out, carrying Mariska along.

In the past, those words would've shattered me. I would've cried, begged, done anything not to be abandoned. But now, I felt nothing.

That slap? Considered it repayment for him save me from the kidnappers five years ago.

A few days later, the jewelry store called. The wedding ring the Gilmore Family custom-ordered for me was ready.

When I rushed over, I saw Gary with his arm around Mariska's waist, they tried on rings. The two of them were pressed close, clearly intimate.

When he saw me come in, Gary snorted and deliberately bit Mariska's ear, make her squeal and swat him playfully.

As if that weren't enough, he grabbed her waist and kissed her deeply, right there, like no one else existed.

After the kiss, Mariska gave me a provocative glance and blushed coyly. "Stop it, so many people are watching."

The professionally trained store staff kept their heads down and eyes averted.

Only I pursed my lips, felt a wave of physical disgust.

Gary raised his brows at me, misreading my expression and squinted smugly, "Since you know you're wrong, come apologize to Mariska on your knees."

But before he could finish, Mariska suddenly gasped, "Gary, this ring is so pretty. I really love it! Hurry and let me try it on."

The staff shook her head apologetically, "Sorry, this ring belongs to Miss Parker. It's a custom-made, one-of-a-kind global limited edition. We can't let you try it on." The clerk carefully picked up the ring and slipped it onto my finger.

Mariska stared at my hand, her eyes glints with resentment and greed.

Suddenly, her eyes reddened with unjustified grievance, "Rose, you know that Gary and I are getting married next week. Are you trying to embarrass me on purpose with this wedding ring?"

Getting married next week? But Gary knew my birthday banquet was next week too, where my father would host my engagement banquet to a marriage alliance partner.

As the daughter of the wealthiest man in North England, my wedding would be the talk of the city.

I looked up at Gary. His gaze flickered and he gave a guilty, awkward explanation, "Just hide somewhere during the ceremony. I'll tell the wedding planners it's a traditional Scotland wedding, swap you out for Mariska as the bride. Once it's over, I'll spend a few days with you. You should be happy with that."

He said it like he was making some noble sacrifice. I was so furious I laughed. All my life, I'd never seen someone so shameless.

A housemaid's daughter stole the place of a heiress for a glamorous wedding was one thing, but expecting me, the real bride, to hide like a rat?

Thankfully, I'd cut my losses in time. The groom had already been replaced.

Gary mistook my silence for submission and ordered, "Anyway, you won't need the ring anymore. Take it off and give it to Mariska."

"No," I sneered coldly. "Gary, where did you even get the confidence that I must marry you?"

Gary froze, then scoffed like he'd heard the world's funniest joke, "Do you even hear yourself? Who else would want a shameless, clingy mutt like you if not me?"

Before I could react, he yanked the ring off my finger and shoved it onto Mariska's.

But the ring was a size too small. No matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn't fit. Tears welled in her eyes as she whimpered, "Rose, if you didn't want to give it to me, you could've just said so. Why hurt me like this on purpose?"

Gary was furious, he snatched the ring and stormed into the restroom. He flushed it down the toilet five times.

Then came out with his arms around a weeping Mariska, but not before shouted at me in disappointment, "If Mariska can't wear it, you, a venomous woman, don't deserve to either."

The ring was gone. I had no idea how I'd explain this to Frank, until he called first to comfort me.

He said he'd already ordered a new custom ring overseas and promised it would arrive in time for my birthday banquet. He told me not to worry.

I relaxed and on my way back, I dropped by the studio to pick up the wedding dress my mother designed for me before she passed.

But as soon as I walked in, the front desk staff said, "Miss Rose, Mr. Osborn is upstairs."

For five years, no one around me knew I'd been obsessively in love with Gary to the point of self-destruction.

Even in the one area I valued most, my work, Gary acted like he owned the place. That thought made my heart sink.

I rushed upstairs and the scene I walked in on made my blood boil all the way to the top of my head.