Yuliana spun around and snatched the phone right out of Charlie's hand.

"It's nothing. I was just looking up whether what those guys did counted as disorderly conduct."

Charlie wanted to push further, but seeing her closed-off expression, he swallowed his questions. They were husband and wife, after all. He believed she wouldn't lie to him.

He nodded and got up to freshen up, but Yuliana called out to him.

She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a first-aid kit. "Your hand is hurt. Let me take care of it."

Charlie blinked, then obediently sat back down on the edge of the bed. He held out his hand, revealing a jagged, bloody cut. He had planned to ignore it, thinking it wasn't deep enough for a bandage, but he hadn't expected Yuliana to notice.

As he watched her focus intently on dabbing the wound with an alcohol swab, his mind drifted back to the ceremony.

"Yuliana, about what Bella said at the wedding today—"

"Don't get it wet when you shower, or it'll get infected," she interrupted. "And try to be more careful the next time you get into a fight. After this, there won't be anyone around to patch you up anymore."

She muttered that last part so softly that Charlie couldn't quite catch it.

"What did you just say?"

Yuliana offered a faint smile. "Nothing. It's late. I'm going to get some rest."

With that, she put the kit away and climbed into bed.

By the time Charlie finished his shower and came back out, Yuliana was still awake. He climbed in beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and reaching for the buttons of her pajamas.

Yuliana reached up and caught his hand, stopping him from going further. Her voice was flat, stripped of its usual warmth. "It's been a long day. I want to sleep early tonight."

Charlie didn't force her. He simply tucked her in and turned off the light.

…

The following morning, Yuliana was jolted awake by a commotion coming from downstairs.

She dressed and headed down, only to find Alyssa in the living room, chatting and laughing with a large group of people in the living room.

Charlie stood to the side, brows furrowed, his tone laced with his signature impatience. "What are you doing here?"

Alyssa didn't miss a beat. Lounging on the couch as if she owned the place, she arched a playful brow at him. "What, not happy to see me?"

A few of Charlie's friends walked over with a grin. "Alyssa said you're the hero who saved her last night. She was so grateful she just had to come by and thank you in person."

Charlie's scowl deepened as he took in Alyssa's languid pose on the couch. "I'm not seeing much sincere gratitude here."

Alyssa smirked, and with a magician's flair, she pulled a box of chocolates from behind her back.

"Back in college, I used to make you chocolates every Valentine's Day. After all these years, I'm sure you've missed the taste."

Charlie didn't reach for the box, but the hard lines of his face softened noticeably.

Seeing the opening, Alyssa tossed the chocolates into Yuliana's arms. "Those are Charlie's favorite almond chocolates. Please put them away for him."

At that, Charlie's brows knit together again, his voice turning cold as he said, "Alyssa, you're the one who likes almond chocolates. Don't put your tastes on me. And Yuliana is my wife, not a maid. She's under no obligation to take orders from you."

A glacial chill swept the room, freezing everything in its path. Except for Yuliana—her smile remained perfectly still on her face.

So, almond chocolate was Alyssa's favorite.

It all made sense. Whether it was a corporate gala or their own wedding anniversary, there was always almond chocolate on the table.

She wondered if, every time Charlie prepared them, he was secretly revisiting those college Valentine's Days with Alyssa.

Without a word, she handed the box to the housekeeper to put in the fridge.

Alyssa shot her a look of renewed hostility, but Yuliana ignored it, carrying her breakfast into the dining room.

Because of the open floor plan, even from the dining room, every word from the living room carried over with perfect clarity.

"Charlie, isn't this the painting I did for the art competition in college? I can't believe you kept it! You even had it framed and hung in the living room. If you like my work that much, I'll paint you some new ones.

"And the pebbles we collected at the beach! I thought you'd tossed them ages ago. I never expected to see them in a crystal display box.

"Wait… I remember throwing this guitar with the broken string in the trash years ago. Did you actually take it back?"

Every corner of the house bore traces of Alyssa.

Yuliana remembered when she first moved in. She had asked about these items, and Charlie had simply dismissed them as sentimental mementos from school.

He never offered details, and she never pried. But she had been too blind to see the raw emotion hidden in his eyes whenever he looked at them—a mix of restraint, resentment, and agonizing love, all stirred by Alyssa.

After a morning of commotion, Alyssa offered to pick up the tab for lunch.

Charlie didn't even stop to think before turning her down. "Don't bother. If you've had your fun, just go home."

But Alyssa had no intention of listening. Ignoring his protest, she grabbed Charlie by the arm and started hauling him toward the door.

His friends, afraid he wouldn't go, made sure to pull Yuliana along with them.

They drove to the beach, where a party was already in full swing. Between the roaring bonfires and the blaring music, the shoreline was teeming with life.

The pounding bass of the heavy metal music made Yuliana's heart race, leaving her feeling unwell. She slipped away from the noise to a quieter stretch of sand, sitting in silence as she stared out at the endless ocean.

Charlie noticed her discomfort and walked over, intending to give her a slice of cake.

Yuliana saw him approaching and reached out to take it, but he brushed past her, weaving through the crowd toward Alyssa instead.

Alyssa was just about to take a drag of her cigarette when Charlie snatched it from her lips.

"Didn't you promise me you were done smoking?" he demanded.

Alyssa blinked up at him, putting on an innocent expression. "I just forgot for a second. Why are you so worked up?"

As she spoke, she reached out and took the cake from his hand with a bright, playful smile. "Thanks for this, though."

Charlie paused for a moment, his empty hand curling into a tight fist.

Without another word, he drifted back to where Yuliana was sitting and absentmindedly held out the cigarette he had confiscated from Alyssa.

Yuliana looked up and saw that his gaze was still glued to Alyssa. She didn't reach for the cigarette. Instead, she stood up and brushed the sand from her clothes.

"Thanks, but I don't smoke," she said. "I'm going to the pool."

Only then did Charlie realize how distracted he had been. He was so spaced out that he had forgotten he was holding a cigarette instead of the cake.

He opened his mouth to explain, but Yuliana was already gone. He never even got the chance to say a word.

Yuliana waded into the pool, letting the cool water close over her. The chill shocked her system, finally quieting the noise in her head.

Perhaps she had been wound too tight lately, because the sudden wave of relaxation left her lightheaded. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, she drifted off.

The thumping music drowned out the sound of Charlie calling her name.

When he didn't get a response after several tries, panic seized him. Afraid she had gone under, he sprinted to the edge of the pool. Seeing her floating there, seemingly unconscious, his heart skipped a beat. He dove in without a second thought and hauled her out of the water.

Yuliana opened her eyes groggily. Before she could even process who was holding her, she instinctively looped her arms around his shoulders.

She was wearing nothing but a swimsuit, and Charlie was shirtless. As they clung to each other, skin pressed against skin, the atmosphere between them grew heavy with intimacy.

Her warm breath brushed the crook of his neck, sending a shiver through him. He looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing, until his resistance finally gave way and he leaned in.

Just as they were about to kiss, a piercing scream shattered the moment and forced them apart.

Alyssa stood there, face pale, her teeth biting into her lower lip as tears filled her eyes.

Without waiting for Charlie to explain, she turned and bolted.

Charlie froze for a split second before hastily setting Yuliana down and taking off after Alyssa in a blind panic.

"Alyssa! Wait! It's not what you think! You've got it all wrong!" he shouted as he ran.

Yuliana wondered. What was there to get wrong? The "misunderstanding" of a legal husband almost kissing his wife?

Even after all these years, Charlie was still trapped in his role as Alyssa's boyfriend. His first instinct when caught with another woman was to apologize and explain. That reflex was etched into his very bones, a habit he could never seem to break.

It wasn't until Charlie disappeared from sight that Yuliana realized the moisture on her face wasn't pool water. It was her own tears.

She changed clothes, desperate to escape the place where she so clearly didn't belong. But as she neared the shore, Alyssa burst into view again.

Charlie grabbed her by the arm, and their heated argument drifted over to Yuliana.

"I was just worried Yuliana was drowning!" Charlie barked. "I was saving her. I would've done the same for a total stranger! Is there really a reason to be this angry?"

The words hit Yuliana like a punch to the gut. So that was it. After three years of marriage, she held the same status in Charlie's heart as a total stranger.

Alyssa wrenched her hand free. "Fine! You're such a hero, so compassionate toward everyone. Go back to your wife, then! Why are you wasting your breath explaining yourself to an ex-girlfriend?"

"Alyssa, do you have to be so hurtful?"

"Hurtful? I'm just stating the facts!"

At that, the air between them fell into a tense silence.

"From now on, stay out of my life!" Alyssa snapped.

With that, she left Charlie standing there, jumped into her car, and sped away.

Without a second thought, Charlie hopped into his own car and tore after her.

The party ended miserably. The beach, so vibrant only moments ago, was now desolate and cold. The only sound left was the relentless, heartless crashing of the waves against the rocks.

Just as Yuliana was about to leave, Charlie's friends called out to her.

"This is bad! Yuliana!" Ethan Carter shouted, stamping his feet in panic. "Charlie just jumped into the ocean!"

By the time Yuliana reached the scene, Alyssa's car was already submerged in the ocean. Alyssa was slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious.

Without a second thought, Charlie plunged into the water, fighting the battering waves to reach her.

He swam with everything he had, shouting over the roar of the waves, "Alyssa! Alyssa, don't be afraid! I'm coming for you!"

"It's my fault… It's all my fault," he choked out. "I shouldn't have made you angry. I shouldn't have let you drive off alone. If you hadn't been so upset with me, you wouldn't have been speeding. This never would have happened…"

He trailed off. The mere thought of it seemed to cause him unbearable pain. He took the full weight of the blame upon himself, consumed by remorse.

Yuliana stood on the shore, a memory surfacing of the time she nearly died from an alcohol allergy last year. Back then, Charlie had stayed away, claiming he was buried in overtime. He never once visited her during her entire hospital stay.

The contrast between love and its absence was glaringly obvious.

The saltwater was piercingly cold at this time of year. Charlie's face had turned deathly pale from the cold, yet he pushed forward with a terrifying determination.

When he was still some distance from Alyssa's car, his face suddenly contorted. Yuliana recognized that look—he hadn't warmed up before diving in, and his calf was cramping.

"Can any of you swim? Someone, help him!"

But none of Charlie's friends gathered there knew how to swim. They could only stand there, uselessly watching the tide.

Charlie's strength was flagging. He struggled to stay afloat, nearly dragged under by the waves several times, choking down mouthfuls of saltwater. His lips had turned purple, and his face grew more ghastly by the second, yet he refused to turn back.

"Charlie, come back!" his friends on the shore shouted. "Otherwise, you'll lose your life too!"

But Charlie didn't listen. He fought the current as if he had already decided that if he couldn't save Alyssa, he'd rather go down with her.

Finally, he reached the car. Seeing Alyssa motionless inside, he shouted her name at the top of his lungs, "Alyssa! Alyssa, wake up! Look at me!"

But Alyssa had completely lost consciousness and remained unresponsive. In a desperate frenzy, he slammed his bare fists against the window—once, twice, over and over until his hands were shredded and bloody. Blood stained the frothing water around him, yet the glass refused to yield.

As the water rose past Alyssa's chin, Charlie delivered one final, bone-shattering blow. The glass finally gave way, the shards slicing deep gashes into his hand.

He hoisted Alyssa onto his back. No matter how many waves slammed against his face, he wouldn't let the woman on his back suffer even a scratch.

After they finally made it ashore, Charlie had barely set Alyssa down before he passed out.

Fortunately, the ambulance arrived just in time to rush them both to the hospital.

Charlie's friends watched the ambulance fade into the distance, letting out a collective sigh.

"Charlie is usually cold and distant with everyone. How did he end up so hung up on Alyssa? He's reckless when it comes to her. Once, just to keep her from drinking, he drank himself into the ICU, nearly losing his life."

"Yeah, he'd give her his heart if he could," another added. "Remember that high school hiking trip when they ran into a mudslide? He pushed Alyssa to safety and got trapped in a cave himself. The rescue team spent three days and nights saving him. Any later, and he would've been a goner."

"Everything Charlie has ever risked his life for has been for Alyssa. I thought he still had feelings for her, so I was trying to get them back together."

They kept reminiscing about the epic love story of Charlie and Alyssa, completely forgetting that Yuliana was standing right there.

Their words left Yuliana's mind blank. At that moment, she finally understood why everyone had looked at her in shock when she stood up at Charlie's wedding. Looking back, she must have seemed like a complete joke to them.

His heart had already belonged to someone else. No matter how hard she tried, she was never going to move the needle even a fraction of an inch.

She had been wrong from the very beginning, and this total defeat was entirely her own doing.

…

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor was already wheeling both of them out. The group crowded around him anxiously.

"The lady is out of danger. But the gentleman… The bones in his hand are shattered. He may lose the use of that hand permanently."

The doctor couldn't help but add with a sigh of admiration, "In all my years, this is the first time I've seen a man so willing to sacrifice himself for the one he loves."

Yuliana stood at the back of the crowd. Watching the agony etched on Charlie's face, she lowered her eyes and let out a cold, hollow laugh.