He dragged me inside without a chance to say a word. I could feel the blood dripping from my wound, staining the carpet, only to disappear into the fibers.

He stopped abruptly in front of a door, pushing me into the room. The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere grew tense, the room falling into a heavy silence.

I stumbled, my legs giving out beneath me, and I fell to the floor. Liam’s friends exchanged uneasy glances. Some of them reached out, seemingly wanting to help, but Liam shot them a glare that froze them in place, his eyes warning them to stay away.

I slowly lifted my head and saw Liam grab the wine glass from Evelyn's hand, pulling her into his arms with exaggerated tenderness.

"Enough, don't drink anymore. You'll get drunk if you keep at it."

Evelyn, her eyes red with tears, slapped at his chest in frustration. "Don’t bother me! Aren’t you getting married? Aren’t you supposed to be comforting your girlfriend? What are you doing here?"

Liam took her hand gently, his voice soft and apologetic. "I know, I know. It’s my fault. I brought her here to apologize. But please, don’t drink anymore."

He glanced at me then, his expression darkening as his gaze met mine.

The sight of their intimate exchange left me feeling numb. I didn't feel anger, sadness, or even disappointment anymore—just a cold emptiness.

Gripping the edge of the table to steady myself, I pressed my hand against my wound, forcing myself to stand. I scanned the room, noting the crowd of people present, all silent witnesses to this scene.

They witnessed Liam and I fall in love, and now they were about to watch us break up.

I took a slow breath and began, my voice barely a whisper, "Evelyn, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have provoked you. I shouldn’t have tried to come between you and Liam. Now…"

I’ll give him back to you.

Before I could finish, Evelyn interrupted me, stepping forward with a glass of wine in hand. Her expression was unreadable, a mixture of emotions I couldn’t quite place.

"Ava," she said, her voice steady yet tinged with something deeper. "I didn't handle my feelings well, I was foolish. If you can forgive me, drink this wine, and you’ll be my good sister-in-law from now on."

I shook my head gently, refusing. "No, I just had surgery. I can’t drink this, I really can’t."

The truth was, I didn’t want to be with Liam anymore, and I had no desire to become her sister-in-law.

But in Liam's eyes, my refusal only made it look like I was deliberately embarrassing Evelyn.

His voice came sharp and demanding, "Ava, you must drink it. Don’t forget why you’re here today."

"Liam," I snapped, meeting his eyes with a piercing stare. "Are you sure you want me to drink it?"

His eyes wavered for a moment, but after a brief exchange with Evelyn, whose eyes were red and pleading, he gave in, his decision final.

"Yes. You must drink."

I locked eyes with him, the tension between us palpable. "Fine."

Without another word, I took the glass from her hand, stared at Liam one last time, and downed the entire glass of white wine in one swift motion.

The next moment, my hand went limp, and the cup crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. I couldn’t hold on any longer. Darkness enveloped me, and I fainted.

"Ava!"

Before everything went black, I caught a glimpse of Liam’s panicked face as he rushed toward me.

"Ah, my foot, it hurts," he muttered, but his attention was quickly drawn to Evelyn, who gasped in alarm. Without hesitation, he turned to her, concern replacing his urgency for me. "Let me see where it hurts."

A bitter smile curved on my lips before I lost consciousness completely.

When I awoke again, the familiar gastric tube was back in place, and the steady beeping of the monitor was the only sound in the room.

"Bed 22, you're awake. How could you drink after just having surgery? Do you have any idea how much effort we put into saving you?" The nurse’s voice was filled with exhaustion and frustration. "Next time, don’t put yourself at such risk. It’s too dangerous."

I could only offer a soft apology. "I’m sorry, thank you. I won’t do it again."

The nurse paused, as if remembering something, before speaking again, her tone taking on a different edge. "Was it your boyfriend who brought you here that day? What was his deal? We told him your condition was critical, but he refused to believe us. He wouldn’t sign the consent forms, just sat there in the ER, waiting for the girl to get treated instead of you."

I thought about it for a moment before asking, "Is the girl seriously injured?"

The nurse scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Seriously injured? Please. If it had been two minutes later, the wound would have healed on its own. She kept screaming about glass shards in her injury."

"The man believed it so much, he wouldn’t stop pestering the doctor to recheck her. He was running around all night. They’re both a pair of oddballs, honestly."

The nurse let out a frustrated sigh and added, "Miss, your choice in boyfriends is really something else."

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Even strangers could see Liam’s clear favoritism, but it took me five years to realize it myself.

I stayed in the hospital for five days, and during that time, Liam never once contacted me.

Yet, every day, I saw him in Evelyn’s posts.

He was either cooking for her, washing her feet, or even doing her laundry.

They took trips to see the sea and watch the sunset, their smiles shining brightly in every photo.

They even shared a kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel, the view breathtaking, just like their love.

How romantic, how beautiful.

Someone commented on Evelyn's post, "Your boyfriend is so romantic, he clearly loves you so much."

And Evelyn responded with a proud smile, "Not boyfriend, but my exclusive knight."

They didn’t talk about love everywhere, but their love was there, in every moment, in every gesture.

The two of them, calling themselves childhood sweethearts, carried on with their intimate displays, doing all sorts of things that blurred the lines of friendship. Meanwhile, I had been with Liam for five years, and he had never once cooked for me.

There was that time I was sick with a fever and craving seafood porridge, so I asked him to make it for me. His response? "I’m already exhausted from work, and now you want me to serve you at home? Don’t you feel bad for me? Why don’t I just order takeout?"

I remember, foolishly, questioning whether I had asked too much. In the end, I didn’t get the porridge I longed for. Instead, I drank a box of milk and nibbled on a couple of dry pieces of bread.

Later that night, I woke up thirsty and stumbled to the kitchen to get some water. He complained that I was being too noisy, disturbing his sleep. So, I spent the rest of the night curled up on the sofa alone.

The next morning, he woke up early and, while changing his shoes, said, "If I finish work early today, I’ll bring you the seafood porridge."

He left without even acknowledging the breakfast I had prepared for him. I sat down to eat in silence, my phone in hand. That's when I saw Evelyn’s post.

“Who said he wanted to eat and got fed immediately? Hehe, it was me.”

The photo showed two elaborate breakfasts and a buttery croissant, one of those rare delicacies you had to arrive early for. The person holding the buttery croissant had a watch on their wrist that I knew all too well — it was the birthday gift I had just given Liam.

What did I feel at that moment? Heartache, frustration, anger, but no despair. I used to believe that one day, I would replace Evelyn. But now, I have given up on that dream.

During my hospital stay, I wasn’t idle. I confirmed orders with my partner and made arrangements to sign the contract once I was discharged. My father also sent over wedding dress and ring designs, telling me that my fiancé had carefully selected them. Everything was in place, waiting for me to come home.

As I stared at the beautiful wedding dress and the massive engagement ring, a small part of me felt a flicker of hope.

After several days of rest, my health slowly improved.

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, Liam finally remembered me. He called, but I didn’t answer.

When I returned home, I found him unexpectedly waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he rushed over to greet me.

"Ava, why didn't you answer my call? How are you?" His voice was softer, perhaps out of guilt or because we hadn’t seen each other for a few days.

I pulled away from his touch, keeping my voice low. "I’m fine."

Without hesitation, he reached for my hand again and sat down beside me. He half-knelt on the floor, his expression earnest as he admitted, "Ava, I was too impulsive that day. Can you forgive me?" He pulled out a small square box and opened it to reveal a sparkling diamond necklace. "Do you like it? I bought it especially for you." He eagerly moved to place it around my neck.

I absentmindedly touched the necklace, feeling no emotion. "I know. Do you have anything else to say?"

He hesitated, his tone shifting awkwardly. "Actually, there is something. Evelyn resigned, and I want her to join our company." So, the necklace was part of a calculated exchange.

I thought it over for a moment, then nodded. I was leaving anyway, so it didn’t matter. Liam seemed surprised by my quick agreement. His excitement was evident, and he reached out to hug me. But I stepped back, just slightly. A brief shadow of loneliness crossed his face.

"Ava, you..." He trailed off, but before he could continue, the sudden ringing of his phone interrupted him.

He looked at the caller ID, his expression changing to concern. "What’s wrong, Evelyn?"

"Liam, there are some gangsters following me, I’m so scared!" Evelyn’s voice trembled on the other end, her distress clear.

"Wait, I’ll be there right away." He sprang up, rushing toward the door. But as he reached it, he turned back to look at me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Ava, you..."

I raised my hand dismissively, not even bothering to look up. "Go ahead. Don’t get into trouble."

"Wait for me. I’ll be back soon." With that, he hurried out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The sound of the door closing echoed in my ears, and as it did, I already had my plane ticket booked to leave. I glanced around the living room. My belongings were noticeably fewer, while there were more cups and pillows for couples, and a photo of Evelyn and Liam on the shelf.

Well, at least I wouldn’t have to clean up the mess.

I packed my things quickly, feeling a strange sense of finality. All I had to do now was wait to leave.

Liam didn’t return that night, and I slept soundly, a sense of relief washing over me.

The next morning, when I arrived at the office, I was met with an unwelcome sight. Evelyn had already taken my seat, and she looked at me with a smug, almost mocking expression.

"My assistant is furious," she said with a sneer. "She’s been telling everyone how you’ve been replaced. I can’t believe Liam let her take your position."

I barely registered what my assistant was saying. My head was spinning, my thoughts racing. It turned out Liam had made all the arrangements without so much as a word to me. It didn’t matter if I agreed or not. What struck me the most, though, was the fact that Evelyn had taken my position, a position I had worked so hard to earn.

I could no longer stay silent. After days of enduring my anger, I couldn’t take it anymore. I stormed into Liam’s office, slamming my hands on his desk. "I don’t care if you want her in the company," I shouted. "But why does she, someone with a background in design, get to take the position of Sales Director? Are you trying to ruin the company?"