Hendrick, with Yvette in tow, came late to the Triken project's launch ceremony.

The elders had already left after completing the handover, and only the younger generation remained, messing about and eagerly awaiting to watch the drama unfold.

Yvette's hair was messy, her lipstick smudged, and her cheeks flushed pink. Hendrick, on the other hand, had a satisfied grin on his face, and there were even visible bite marks on his neck.

One of the men nearby could immediately tell what had transpired between the two. He raised his wine glass while his gaze darted between the three of us, eagerly waiting for me to fly into a rage.

The past me would've slapped Yvette across the face by now. The current me, however, remained seated while calmly eating some pastries.

Hendrick placed himself in front of Yvette protectively to stop me from lunging forward and hitting her but also to seek an excuse to yell at me.

After finishing my pastries, I relaxedly sipped my coffee as if none of this concerned me.

Hendrick looked upset when he realized he didn't have a reason to yell at me. Then, he snorted as a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"So, you've become all meek and gracious now, just so you can marry me? That's very self-aware of you, Whitney. That's right. If you want me to marry you, then you'd better behave!

"Since today is the first day you've taken over the project, I've brought you a present."

He reached into his pocket to pull it out and was just about to hand it to me when Yvette snatched it from his hand.

"Ricky! This brooch is so pretty!"

When Hendrick saw how happy Yvette looked, he blurted, "You like this, Yvie? Then go ahead and keep it."

Yvette looked at me awkwardly, but it was obvious from the slight tilt of her lips that she was already celebrating inside.

"That wouldn't be right, though. You wanted to give this to Whitney as a present. If you gave it to me, would that upset her?"

Hendrick wrapped his fingers around Yvette's hand holding the brooch and said gently, "If you like it, then take it. Don't worry about anyone else."

He then turned and shot me a look of disdain. "As for her?"

He walked over to the waiter who was removing the floral centerpieces from the tables, plucked a leaf from the arrangement, and tossed it at me.

"Have this," he said before bursting into laughter and turning to Yvette. "That's the present that suits her best."

The leaf floated to the ground, and a gust of air blew it right in front of Hendrick. He then lifted a foot and stomped down on it.

"Oh dear. Why aren't you cherishing the present I gave you? You didn't hold on to it properly, and now it's gone."

The surrounding crowd was trying to hide their chuckles when one of the men teased, "But it doesn't matter what Hendrick gifts Whitney because she'll love it either way. She just wants to avoid embarrassment right now, but later, she'll surely pick that leaf up and put it away carefully."

Hearing this, the others joined in on the jeering.

"Everyone knows how head-over-heels in love Whitney is with Hendrick. I bet she'll love it even more now that the leaf has his footprint on it."

As I stared at their sneering expressions, I suddenly felt like it was all rather pointless.

In the past, I had eagerly longed for Hendrick's presents.

Indeed, he had once given me a piece of chocolate that he had taken a bite out of and didn't want anymore. And because his scent lingered on it, I treasured it so much I couldn't even bear to eat it. I even cleaned out the fridge so I could preserve it.

Those from our social circle had all laughed at me. They had said that even if Hendrick gave me a crumpled piece of paper, I'd still take care of it as if it were a priceless treasure.

I poured more coffee into my empty cup, then picked up another pastry and enjoyed it slowly, looking unbothered.

When Hendrick saw how calm I was, he became displeased, and his expression turned stony.

He hurriedly pulled Yvette to sit down next to me, and the two of them started flirting with each other like a couple madly in love. They also shot taunting glances toward me every now and then, expecting me to fly into a jealous rage.

Feeling utterly disinterested, I wiped my hands and stood up to leave.

Seeing this, Hendrick immediately grabbed my hand. With a condescending tone and a smug expression, he said, "What? Are you already feeling jealous? I've already told you, Whitney. You won't be the only woman I have around, so you'd better start getting used to it now."

Thoroughly disgusted, I yanked my hand back and wiped it with a tissue. "You didn't even wash your hands before touching me. How gross of you!"

Hendrick froze, not expecting to hear that from me. But he soon broke out into laughter.

"Are you playing hard to get? We're about to get married, so why're you still pretending to be all modest?"

How ridiculous. If it weren't for his grandmother, Sophia Lancaster, instructing me to keep my choice a secret for now, I would've cut ties with him.

I stared at him speechlessly before retorting with a low chuckle, "We're not married yet, Hendrick, so don't be so full of yourself."

He froze for a second before bursting out into another round of laughter. When the people around us saw him laughing, they joined in on the laughter too.

Hendrick was laughing so hard he almost stumbled backward. He pointed at me and snorted, "Everyone in Jedina knows that you're head-over-heels in love with me and won't marry anyone else.

"Our families have a marriage arrangement. If you don't marry me, then who are you going to marry? My widowed uncle? Or the youngest brother, who's not even 18 years old yet?

"My second youngest brother is sickly and weak and will likely…" he trailed off.

"Or… are you intending on becoming a widow?

"Who else can you possibly be married to other than me, Whitney Xander?

"It's not as entertaining when you go overboard with this act of yours, so hurry up and admit you've made a mistake!"

Everyone there was waiting excitedly for me to make a fool of myself.

Yvette's smile, in particular, had almost reached ear to ear as she waited expectantly.

I recalled Sophia's instructions and didn't bother to pay any more attention to Hendrick. Soon, everyone would know just who I was going to marry anyway.

Yvette and I rode the same car back.

She turned the brooch around in her hands and looked at me smugly.

"So what if Ricky marries you? He doesn't like you, so even if you marry him, you'll still be nothing more than an unwanted stray."

Without Hendrick around, Yvette was finally revealing her true colors.

She took out her compact to touch up her makeup. The reflection in the mirror revealed a smug, triumphant-looking woman.

In my past life, our father had gotten her to marry a rising star in the business world. Though this man from Sodersburg had started out from scratch, he eventually became an investment mogul, and his net worth skyrocketed.

Yvette's life had turned out so much better than mine with an arranged marriage.

Now that I had another chance at life, I wasn't going to let Dad intervene in her marriage. I wanted to see just how she was going to end up.

Yvette gave me an annoyed push when she realized I was ignoring her.

"Don't think for a second that you can appear calm by just staying quiet."

I chuckled helplessly. "In that case, I hope you get the marriage that you wished for and that you and Hendrick have little babies soon."

Hearing this, Yvette flushed red, and her face became twisted. She sat there frozen, wanting to go off at me but not knowing how to do it exactly.

I asked our driver to pull over, then opened the door and got out, leaving her inside the car with her eyes bulging and her mouth agape.

On the day of Sophia's 70th birthday, my father and I went to give our well-wishes.

In order to avoid being the center of gossip of those who also came for the celebration, I went to the gardens by myself.

Yvette hadn't been invited, but I somehow ran into her there.

There were rumors that Hendrick had been constantly giving her presents these few days. It had started off with a one-of-a-kind necklace that he had won at an auction. Then the next day, it was a limited-edition luxury bag, and the following day, it was a sports car.

Now, she was dressed head to toe in luxury brand and looked even more eye-catching than Sophia at her own birthday celebration.

When Yvette saw me, she sauntered over arrogantly.

"How can you dress like that for Mrs. Jefferson Senior's birthday, Whitney? A master designer custom-made this for me, and it's one of a kind. This is how you should show your respect toward Mrs. Jefferson Senior."

I snorted inwardly as I stared at her. It was hilarious how she was strutting around so arrogantly without even caring about the star of this birthday banquet. I couldn't wait to see how she was going to clean up this mess of hers.

Seeing as I didn't respond, Yvette continued in her haughty tone, "Also, Hendrick has promised to have a world-class designer custom-make my gown for your wedding. As for your wedding dress, he said you can just buy whatever's available."

I was getting rather annoyed, so I stood up to leave. Just as I did so, I noticed a necklace with a carved gemstone around her neck, and my heart sank.

That necklace was identical to the one my mother had left me before she died.

My maternal grandmother had passed the necklace on to my mother, and before my mother passed it on to me, she had added a carved multicolored gemstone and had it inlaid onto the necklace while also engraving my name on the back.

After my mother passed away, I had cherished it immensely and couldn't even bear to wear it.

I walked closer to Yvette and reached for the necklace, wanting to get a better look.

Yvette, however, suddenly leaned backward and jumped into the lake.

She yelled loudly as she splashed around, "Whitney, I know Ricky doesn't love you, but why do you need to take it out on me and push me in?"

Before I could say anything, an icy voice sounded behind me.

"Whitney, what did you do?"

Suddenly, I found myself pushed into the lake as well. I could only watch as Hendrick hurriedly jumped in behind me and carried Yvette out, then took his coat off and draped it around her.

I swam up and got out of the lake, dripping wet. When Hendrick saw me, he slapped me hard across the face and roared, "Have you gone insane?"

I stared at him, then at Yvette before asking her sternly, "Where did that necklace around your neck come from?"

A flash of guilt crossed her face, but her tone became more confident when she realized Hendrick would stand up for her.

"It's a gift from Ricky."

I stepped forward, staring at her closely.

"You're lying. My mother had someone handcraft that necklace especially for me. It's the only one of its kind. Take it off right now!"

Yvette's hands flew to the necklace to shield it from me. "Why should I? This is a present from Ricky! You're my sister, and you want to steal this from me? I never expected you to slander me just to prevent me from marrying him!"

She began to cry, and her whimpers and sniffles were grating to the ears.

I couldn't be bothered to waste my breath on her, so I just reached out to grab the necklace. But before I could, Hendrick stood protectively in front of her and roughly pushed me to the ground.

"Whitney! If you dare bully Yvette again, then don't blame me if I don't show you any mercy!" he roared.

Looking as if she had been wronged, Yvette turned to Hendrick and tugged on his sleeve.

"Ricky, don't blame Whitney. It's my fault. I shouldn't have taken your present and made her upset."

"You're just too kind, Yvette."

Hendrick pulled her into his arms and gently consoled her.

Hendrick knew how important the necklace was to me, and yet he was publicly humiliating me without even considering what was right or what was wrong, just to protect Yvette.

Yvette's hand caressed the necklace as her eyes stared back at me tauntingly. I felt both disgusted and furious seeing them pressed up against each other.

Ignoring the abrasions on my hands, I leaped up to my feet and stalked toward Yvette.

"If you know what's good for you, then take the necklace off right away! Don't make me do it for you!"

Hearing this, Yvette's tears started pouring out yet again, prompting Hendrick to wipe them away gently with his hands.

Then, he spun around to face me. He was taken aback when he saw me, furious like I had never been before.

He instinctively wanted to explain, but before he could, Yvette took the necklace off and handed it to me.

"If you like this necklace so much, then you can have it, Whitney. Don't let me come in between your relationship with Ricky."

She pretended to hand the necklace to me, but when I was about to reach for it, she deliberately let go.

The necklace smashed onto the ground with a loud crash, and the multicolored gemstone shattered into pieces.

My eyes reddened, and I reflexively wanted to slap her, but Hendrick gave me a rough push just in time.

"Whitney! I've already warned you not to bully Yvette, or I won't go easy on you!"

I stumbled backward because of his shove, causing me to nearly twist my ankle and fall to the ground yet again.

Yvette's lips curled up into a smug smile.

Hendrick's expression stiffened when he realized that he had nearly pushed me over, and he reached his hand out, wanting to stabilize me.

Yvette, however, promptly pretended to pass out and flopped to the ground, not forgetting to whine for dramatic effect, "Ricky, I think I choked on too much water earlier. I'm feeling so dizzy."

Hendrick ran over and gathered her in his arms.

"Yvie, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"

He turned to scream at the household staff, "Quick, call the ambulance!"

When the guests heard the commotion, they all gathered around and started whispering about me.

"Isn't that Ms. Xander, the eldest daughter of the Xander family? I heard that she pushed her younger sister into the lake because she was jealous of her."

"I've heard rumors long ago that she's especially cruel to this step-sister of hers. Turns out it was all true."

Hendrick glared at me. "I didn't think you'd be so vicious, Whitney. Hurry up and apologize to Yvette. Someone as sly as you is not fit to be my wife."

The crowd behind him burst out into mocking laughter.

"Ms. Xander, it's natural for men to indulge in these kinds of games. When Mr. Jefferson attends social events in the future, there'll definitely be other women keeping him company. You'll likely die from frustration first if you're going to be overcome with jealousy every time that happens."

Amidst the cackles, Hendrick walked toward me with Yvette still in his arms.

"My grandmother is going to announce the news of our marriage today. If you still wish for me to marry you, then you'd better do as I say," he said condescendingly.

"You need to tell Grandma that you and Yvette are very close and don't wish to be separated. Ask her to let Yvette come live with us as well, so Yvette can justifiably stay in the house with me.

"If you do so, then I'll forgive everything you've done, and I'll also clear up any rumors of you and your step-sister not getting along."

My eyes bulged wide as I stared at him in disbelief. Though I knew what kind of person he was, actually hearing him say such despicable things still shocked me greatly.

I didn't say anything in response, thus, he assumed I had agreed. His lips curled into a smirk as he said confidently, "You must beg Grandma to agree to this. Only then will I prepare a magnificent wedding gift for you so you won't be embarrassed."

From how pleased he seemed with himself, it appeared as if he was certain I would abide by his request just so I would be able to marry him.

Right then, I saw my best friend, Solana Zitta, run over. She helped me up and wrapped a towel around my still-dripping-wet body.

She was indignant on my behalf. "Don't you see that Whitney's clothes are wet too?"

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out.

"What are you all doing?"

Everyone turned around to see Hendrick's second youngest brother, Jeremy, as well as their father, Tony, walk toward us.

Jeremy walked up to me, and he frowned when he noticed my drenched clothes and hair.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

Tony's expression, on the other hand, was stony as he turned to Hendrick. "What are you doing, Hendrick? We're here to announce that the Jeffersons and the Xanders will be united through marriage, so why are you making such a scene?"

Hearing this, Hendrick and the rest of the crowd knew that this meant they were officially going to announce that Hendrick and I were to be wed.

Excitement colored their expressions as they eagerly awaited for Tony to announce the news.

Hendrick gave me a smug look, his gaze seemingly warning me.

"Remember what I told you. Ask Grandma to allow Yvette to come live with us so she can keep you company."

One of Hendrick's friends was already congratulating him in a low voice.

"Congratulations, Hendrick. You're going to be the heir to everything the Jefferson family owns."

A self-satisfied smile formed on Hendrick's face as he continued to exchange flirtatious glances with Yvette. However, his joyous mood did not last long, as he was immediately shocked by Tony’s announcement.

"I've already discussed it with mom. In order to unite the Jeffersons with the Xanders, Whitney Xander will be marrying Jeremy Jefferson."

Everyone froze at those words.