I took the necklace I'd treasured for years and tossed it into the trash without a second thought.

The four-leaf clover good luck bracelet, the nail polish, the dress, the cosmetics Jasper bought me and our love token.

I gathered everything that carried memories of us and put it up for free online.

Then, I headed to the office. I handed off my projects and files to others, packed my things and got ready to leave.

The office was abuzz with chatter. An employee couldn't help but ask, "Hazel, where are you going?"

I replied casually, "I've resigned. The company will rely on all of you from now on."

The girl's eyes immediately welled up. "Hazel, don't go! Mr. Sage won't want you to leave either. I'll go tell him to keep you."

Keep me? I smiled faintly and patted her head. "I didn't want to stay and he signed the papers himself."

She looked shocked. "How could that be?"

Yes, how could it end like this today? But Jasper probably didn't want me to stay in the company anymore.

I stepped to leave, but then heard a commotion in the company lobby. Jasper walked in, holding Yvonne's hand.

The company employees respectfully called Yvonne "Madam." At that moment, standing on the second floor looking at them, I suddenly felt like a complete joke.

Even the people in the company knew about their relationship and I was the last to find out. Jasper Sage, you hid it so well!

Two more days. Once those two days were over, we would never see each other again in this life.

That night, Jasper carried Yvonne back into the house. She had twisted her ankle and he suggested she recover in my room.

"Hazel, Yvonne is thin and weak and your room has better lighting. Let her stay there for a while."

I was silent for a few seconds. Yvonne's eyes were red and she shook her head somewhat sadly. "Never mind, Hazel certainly wouldn't want that. After all, this is your and her room."

She even looked genuinely wronged. Jasper immediately got upset, turning to glare at me.

"Hazel, you and Yvonne are like sisters. Can't you even give up a room?"

I stared at him steadily, my voice very soft. "Fine, she can move in." I'll be leaving soon anyway.

Both of them were stunned, seemingly not expecting me to agree. But I had already casually packed my things and moved them to the second bedroom.

Jasper helped Yvonne carry the things and he seemed to find something wrong when he saw the room. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly calmed down.

"Hazel, where are the things I gave you in your room? They're gone."

My voice was flat. "I packed them away."

Yvonne put her things down and looked at me with teary eyes. "Thank you, Hazel. You're so kind to me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have met such a wonderful person as Jasper."

Her face was pure, but her eyes flashed with smugness and provocation.

How could I have ever thought she was innocent?

Jasper's expression turned slightly awkward. He looked at me instinctively and said, "Hazel, let me handle dinner tonight! I promise you won't be disappointed."

He spent ages bustling around the kitchen, only to prepare a table full of spicy dishes. Yvonne gazed at Jasper with adoration in her eyes. "Jasper, how did you know I love spicy food?"

"Because Hazel likes it."

Hearing that, Yvonne's smile faded, replaced by a look of grievance.

Jasper glanced at me. Seeing no reaction from my end, he picked up a crayfish for me, then another for Yvonne.

"Hazel, you've always loved crayfish. I even learned to make it just for you."

My table was covered in bright red, explosively spicy dishes. Hearing his words, it felt incredibly laughable. It was Yvonne Lake who loved crayfish and it was she who loved spicy food.

Because of him, I suffered a stomach injury years ago, leaving it very sensitive. I've disliked spicy food and been unable to eat it ever since a fact he's completely forgotten.

Jasper put dish after dish onto my plate, urging, "Hazel, eat up! Don't you love spicy food the most?"

I was never the one who loved spicy food. I wanted to tell him, but in the end, I endured the discomfort in my stomach and ate all the dishes.

Soon after eating, I ran to the bathroom and threw up violently. Later that night, my stomach was cramping with sharp pains and I was covered in cold sweat.

Jasper wasn't in bed. I forced myself through the discomfort to the living room to look for medicine.

Before I even reached it, I saw the living room lights on and heard a man's gasps and a woman's seductive moans.

My body stiffened. I walked closer and saw Jasper holding Yvonne in his arms.

Yvonne was naked, not wearing a stitch, leaning intimately against Jasper.

Even though I already knew about their relationship, I never expected them to do such things at home. My vision blurred and I nearly collapsed.

I finally stood up. My stomach was aching and I could only lean against the wall to barely support my body.

Just as I started calming down and trying to leave, I heard Yvonne panting as she confronted Jasper.

"Jasper, who do you truly love in your heart? Hazel or me?"

I paused. Then came his answer without the slightest hesitation. "You, of course."

His words were firm and decisive, piercing my already numb heart.

My hand trembled as I clutched my chest, only to realize that even numbness could still feel pain.

"But everyone says Hazel is your capable assistant and that you owe your success to her. You've had decades of history together. I can't compare to Hazel."

Her voice held a hint of grievance. Jasper lowered his head and kissed her deeply, a shadow crossing his eyes when he heard the first few sentences.

He scoffed, "Sage Enterprise has been built entirely by my own hands these past years. Everyone knows she helped me, but without me, there would be no Sage Enterprise at all."

"Besides, as a man, why would I need her protection? She only did that to make outsiders humiliate me."

"Now her ambition is growing. She's not like you, obedient and sensible. Evie, you're so much better than Hazel, that tomboy."

"Evie, are you still questioning my love for you? If I didn't love you, I wouldn't have made it so Hazel can never get pregnant again."

The intimate sounds in the living room continued. I leaned against the wall, head tilted back, trying to keep the tears from falling, but I couldn't stop them.

I never imagined he thought of me this way. Decades of knowing each other, yet it couldn't stand up to human nature.

I met Jasper when we were kids. Because my parents worried about my safety, they enrolled me in judo and boxing lessons from a young age.

As a result, I often ended up protecting kids my age and that's how I met Jasper.

He was bullied a lot because he was frail and malnourished. One day, I passed by and chased the bullies away.

Jasper didn't have a mother, so I brought him home with me. My parents treated him like their own son.

When others mocked him, I'd step forward and scold those who insulted him.

This protection lasted over twenty years. Even now, when he's in danger, I instinctively shield him.

But I didn't expect that my protection at the cost of my life would be a humiliation in his eyes.

Did being protected by a woman make him feel ashamed?

Jasper said with disdain, "She still wants me to marry her. She's a tomboy. She has no femininity at all, but she wants to marry me every day."

"How could I marry such a tomboy who no one wants? Every time I see her body, I feel sick to my stomach, yet I still have to sleep with her."

My face went pale. I couldn't hold it in anymore and ran to the bathroom, throwing up violently. It took a lot to recover and I felt like I'd lost half my life.

I lifted my clothes and looked at the body covered with scars in the mirror; the muzzle next to the heart, the burns on the neck and the wounds of all sizes on the body.

There were also centipede-like wounds on the abdomen, which were left by being stabbed more than a dozen times not long ago and all this was to protect him.

Yet, in his eyes, it had become a humiliation. Looking at my scar-ridden self in the mirror, I suddenly felt incredibly ridiculous.

In Jasper's darkest times, I promised I would always love him. But now, I realize I couldn't do it anymore.

Jasper, I loved you for over twenty years, but now I've completely given up!

The next day, I woke up early. My suitcase was packed with my belongings. Jasper looked startled when he saw it. "What are you doing, packing your bags?"

His tone was a little anxious, but there were no more ripples in my heart. I said calmly, "I want to go home and stay for a few days."

Hearing this, Jasper seemed relieved. "I'll take you there tomorrow."

"No need! Yvonne is injured, you need to take care of her!" Jasper wanted to say it was nothing, but the next second, there was a scream from Yvonne's room.

Moments later, Jasper came downstairs. "Hazel, Evie isn't feeling well. She's shy, so could you go help her down?"

I only had one more day before I could leave and I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I walked upstairs.

In the room, Yvonne's naked body was covered in hickeys. When she saw me looking at her, she raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "Hazel, did you enjoy the show last night?"

I looked at her deeply. "You know, Yvonne, I saved you. Why are you doing this to me?"

Yvonne's expression turned icy as she demanded, "Then tell me. Why is it that I'm younger and prettier, yet I'm struggling, while you get to live in comfort, with Jasper by your side?"

"Hazel, I'm not willing to accept that. Or do you still think he has feelings for you?"

I looked at her, perhaps because the disappointment had piled up so high that even the last trace of disgust I felt for her had faded. Someone like her wasn't even worth the energy it took to despise her.

Yet, she suddenly stood at the top of the stairs, smiling as she asked, "Who do you think is more important in Jasper's heart, you or me?"