The voice on the other end of the line asked,

“I’m not two-timing her. I just want to stay with Emily Ross for a little while longer—teach her to be independent, give her enough money to live comfortably, send her far away, and never see her again.”

“As for Sophia Grant, our engagement is already set in stone. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her.”

My heart went completely cold.

I tilted my head back, refusing to shed a single tear for someone so unworthy.

Ethan Parker, if you know I can’t stand even a grain of sand in my eye, why insist on testing my patience?

I unlocked my phone and sent a message to my father:

[Cancel my engagement with Ethan Parker.]

I sat there until morning, when my father’s anxious voice came through the phone.

“Sweetheart, weren’t you and Ethan on vacation? I thought you two were about to settle down—why do you suddenly want to call it off?”

I was silent for a moment.

The truth was, I had figured it out overnight.

So what if ten-plus years of one-sided affection had come to nothing? A forced fruit is never sweet—and I won’t take a bite.

Casually, I said,

“Because I don’t like the voice he uses on his GPS. We’re not compatible.”

My father adored me. Upon hearing this, he only chuckled softly and said,

“Perfect timing—I’ve been thinking about expanding overseas anyway. Since you’re not marrying him, I’ll have the estate in Switzerland prepared for you tomorrow.”

I didn’t mention Emily’s name. She’d struggled to make it out of a poor rural area; maybe she wasn’t all bad at heart.

The next second, my phone buzzed—a friend request had arrived.

It was from Emily.

Once I accepted, she didn’t say much—just sent a few photos.

The first was of her and Ethan squeezed into her tiny rental apartment, eating together.

The table was full of bland dishes.

But I remembered—Ethan had always loved spicy food.

[He made every dish himself. I can’t eat spicy food, so he compromised, even if it meant his own meals were tasteless. But as long as he saw me smile, he was happy.]

Her message followed right after.

My breath caught.

I didn’t eat spicy food either, but every time my eyes watered from the heat, Ethan would simply rest his chin in his hand and tease me:

“If you can’t even handle this little bit of spice, how will you be the Parker family’s daughter-in-law?”

Back then, I thought it was a sweet kind of trouble. Now I realized—he had been teaching me to adapt to a life where I would never be accommodated.

Hands trembling, I opened the second photo.

It showed a pair of matching couple’s watches. When one moved, the other would turn in sync, no matter the distance.

[This was the gift you always wanted for your eighteenth birthday. But because I said I liked it, he gave it to me instead.]

Suddenly I remembered—when I had once asked Ethan for that exact watch, he’d playfully tapped my nose and said,

“Eager to claim me already? I thought you’d break off the engagement as soon as you turned eighteen.”

I had been certain he would buy it for me, so I’d pretended to sulk and never brought it up again.

But on my eighteenth birthday, he’d given me a necklace made from gemstones collected from around the world.

“That watch is everywhere. This necklace is much more meaningful.”

At the time, I was too touched by the thought of him traveling the globe for me to think twice.

Now I understood—he had gone out of his way to redirect my attention from the watch, just to keep me from finding out and blaming Emily.

Photo after photo scrolled past, and my heart grew colder and colder.

[Miss Grant, what’s the point of holding on to someone who doesn’t love you?]

When I didn’t reply, Emily finally lost patience and sent a direct challenge.

I gave a short, cold laugh and replied calmly:

[Sorry, I lost my memory after the car accident. I don’t know you, and I can’t clearly recall my past with Ethan.]

[But when I woke up, he told me I had to marry him, and that he’d soon send you far away.]

Emily was silent for a while before replying:

[You’re no match for me!]

I frowned in confusion.

Who ever considered her a rival?

The next second, the hospital room door was slammed open and Ethan strode in, his face dark with anger.

“Didn’t I say I would marry you? Why are you still making things difficult for Emily?”

Before I could react, he yanked the IV needle out of my arm.

“Emily tried to kill herself—she’s in shock right now. I remember your blood type matches hers. You have to come with me to give her a transfusion!”

I scowled.

“What does her suicide attempt have to do with me?”

He looked at me, his gaze complicated.

“Sophia, you knew she’s sensitive, yet you told her I was planning to send her away.”

“I already promised that after we’re married I won’t see her again. Why did you have to provoke her now?”

“This started because of you—you need to take responsibility.”

I swallowed my frustration and stared into his eyes, speaking slowly:

“The doctor said I need to rest after the accident.”

A cold smirk curved his lips, his chest rising and falling sharply.

“So, in the end, you just want her to die right now? You can’t even tolerate waiting a little longer?”

His voice was low and frightening.

“What is a human life worth to you?”

I froze.

More than a decade of being childhood sweethearts, and it still wasn’t enough for him to trust me now.

He ignored my struggle and dragged me up to the rooftop, shoving me into a helicopter that was about to take off.

My concussion hadn’t fully healed, and the violent turbulence made my head spin.

As soon as we landed, Ethan pulled me roughly toward the hospital.

He forced me into a chair in the blood collection room. The chill of the alcohol swab brushed my arm, and I finally found my voice:

“Ethan, are you insane?”

The doctor beside us noticed something was off. After drawing a small amount of blood, he immediately stopped.

“Sir, her current condition isn’t suitable for further extraction.”

He pointed to the two full bags already prepared.

“This is enough for Ms. Ross, and new supplies are on the way.”

Ethan’s gaze dropped to my pale face, his brows finally knitting together.

Suddenly, Emily let out a weak whimper from the hospital bed.

His eyes shifted instantly.

After a brief pause, his voice turned cold.

“Continue. She’s the one in greater danger right now.”

“This is your mistake—you should bear the consequences.”

Seeing my lips turning faintly purple, he hesitated, then placed a hand on mine.

“Just hold on—it’ll be over soon.”

His tone softened.

“I just want you to remember this lesson—you shouldn’t bully her.”

I yanked my hand away in disappointment, shutting my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

He sighed, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

“The rare wild ginseng and the deer antler extract from tonight’s auction—tell the organizer I’ll take them.”

I drifted into unconsciousness.

When I awoke again, the room was empty except for a bowl of steaming ginseng broth by my bedside.

I pushed myself up on shaky legs, didn’t spare it a glance, slipped on my shoes, and headed for the door.

As I passed a hospital room, a weak voice called out to me.

It was Emily.

I froze for a moment but didn’t turn back.

Just as I was about to keep walking, a sharp, pained scream burst from behind me.

“Ah! It’s so hot!”

Instinctively, I turned and saw Emily pouring a bowl of scalding ginseng broth over her own arm.

“Sophia Grant!”

Ethan’s voice rang out from the other end of the hallway.

He strode in quickly, grabbing me and pulling me into the room.

“How much longer are you going to keep this up?”

His eyes burned with fury. “Can’t you even leave a patient alone?”

Watching him tend so carefully to Emily’s burn made a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

I looked straight into Emily’s eyes, my voice flat and calm.

“I’m not marrying Ethan. You can stop acting now.”

Ethan’s movements froze. After a few seconds, he slowly stood up, a mocking smile on his lips.

“The doctor said you only have temporary memory loss.”

Leisurely, he pulled out a familiar notebook and tossed it in front of me.

“When you remember how much you used to love me, you won’t be saying stupid things like that.”

My heart gave a painful twist.

It was the diary I had shyly given him the day he confessed to me, filled with more than ten years’ worth of my unspoken affection.

Now it had become a weapon to hurt me.

I bit my lip hard, but the tears still spilled over.

Ethan kept going.

“If you were still the kind, gentle Sophia from before, I’d treat you the same as always—respect you, love you, protect you.”

“But now, over petty jealousy, you don’t even care about someone’s life.”

“Selfish. Cruel. When did you become like this?”

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, unable to say a word.

“She’s always been like this.”

“She’s always been a proud princess—princesses never bow their heads. You’re the one who failed her.”

The firm, unyielding voice came from behind me.

The newcomer wore a Grant family security uniform, but his bearing carried an undeniable air of authority.

He stepped in front of me, shielding me in his arms.

“Miss, I’m sorry I’m late.”

I wiped my tears upward, forcing back the sobs, and told Ethan,

“Sorry—how much I loved you? I don’t remember anymore.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned to leave. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a rare flicker of panic on Ethan’s face, as if he might come after me.

“Ethan, I think my hand has blistered…” Emily’s fragile voice rang out.

In the end, he didn’t follow me.

As I stepped out of the room, I threw the diary into the trash without hesitation.

From that moment on, we had no more contact. I was busy preparing to leave; he was busy giving Emily his so-called “love that belonged only to her.”

One day, a bridal boutique sent me a message saying the wedding gown I had designed myself was nearly finished.

Only then did I realize the wedding Ethan and I had originally planned was just a week away.

That dress was my own creation. Even if I could never wear it now, I couldn’t resist seeing it one last time.

Under the lights of the boutique, the gown shimmered with iridescent beauty. My hands trembled as I reached out to gently brush the fabric.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t getting married? Looks like you’re still reluctant to let go.”

I turned to see Emily again.

“I’m just here to say goodbye. I’d never take a man with a wandering heart.”

“It’s just a shame for such a beautiful dress to go to waste.”

A cold laugh escaped my lips, my words laced with mockery.

“If you want it so badly, it’s yours.”