It was funny. I know Woiddiff better than Selah ever could.

After all, it was where Oliver and I first met.

Back when I was studying art and design there.

Supplies were expensive. I barely got by sketching portraits for tourists on the streets of Woiddiff.

One evening, as I was about to pack up and head home, Oliver appeared.

He looked scruffy, but even then, his good looks were hard to miss.

I had noticed him before.

He'd been watching me as I painted, stealing glances for quite a while, though I pretended not to see.

Finally, as I was closing up, he walked over.

He said, "Hey, you're from Clens too, right? I got robbed, and now I don't have any money. If you could..."

I stared at him, full of doubt.

He grew more flustered, not knowing what to do with his hands.

He said, "I'm really sorry. I'm not a scammer, I swear. I heard you speaking the Clens language just now. That's why I approached you. I'll leave right now, sorry."

His awkward, helpless look made me laugh.

He took a few steps away but then circled back.

"Seriously, I'm not a scammer," he insisted. "And also, um, you're really beautiful. I mean, uh, I just wanted to remind you. There are pickpockets everywhere. Be careful."

His face flushed red before he even finished his sentence, and he spun around, hurrying off.

Woiddiff at sunset was breathtaking.

He disappeared into the fading light, and for some reason, my heart skipped a beat.

On a whim, I called after him.

I said, "My name's Amber Barnes. Nice to meet you."

That was how I met Oliver.

At the time, for some unknown reason, he had fallen out with his family.

Back then, he didn't look like the heir to the Hall Group because he didn't have his family's financial support.

I thought he was just an ordinary person like me, stranded in a foreign land.

We lived in a small town near Woiddiff. I went to classes and painted during the day.

He either came with me or waited at home.

Occasionally, he took odd jobs to make some money.

Neither of us could cook, but after being abroad for a while, we got homesick and gradually learned to cook.

Our biggest joy was walking to a supermarket two kilometers away on weekends to buy discounted vegetables.

Then, we'd cook together while being scolded by our roommates.

We crammed into that tiny room, living together without any reservations.

We were in love for a year in a foreign land. It should have been tough, but I felt incredibly happy.

It was in the last month in Woiddiff that I discovered I was pregnant.

By the river, Oliver made a ring out of irises and proposed to me.

At that time, I didn't realize that a ring made of flowers symbolized something fleeting.

It was a mirage gone in an instant.

Just like Oliver's promises to me, everything changed once we returned home.

He turned out to be the heir to the Hall Group, and he had an ex-girlfriend named Selah.

In fact, the reason he went to Woiddiff was because Selah was there.

Selah was his first love, and for her, he didn't hesitate to break ties with his family.

That was why he was in such a mess when I met him.

The funny thing was, if it weren't for Selah, I wouldn't have met Oliver.

And according to the Hall family, I could never measure up to them.

Even when Oliver begged his parents, he didn't have the power to marry me back then.

So, I ended up having Cora on my own.

Unfortunately, Cora was born with a congenital heart disease, and to treat her, I had to stay tied to Oliver.

Three years ago, Selah returned to the country, and Oliver and I grew apart.

But for Cora's sake, I kept begging Oliver to stay.

Finally, he agreed to marry me next month.

Looking back now, what wasn't meant to be mine was never going to be.

Just like now, I'd lost Cora.

And I no longer had any feelings left for Oliver.

After a long and exhausting journey with Cora's belongings, I finally made it back to my hometown.

Cora had once told me how much she loved this place, especially because of the sea.

All she ever wanted was to play by the seaside with her parents.

But in the end, she never got the chance. She passed before Oliver could ever bring her here to play.

I thought I would have a moment of peace to collect myself, but suddenly, Oliver barged in with people.

Selah was among them.

Oliver glared at me and demanded, "Amber, what have you done? Where is Cora? Where did you take her?"

I stared at him silently.

Now he cared. It was laughable.

"What do you want? Just say it," I responded coldly.

Selah, half-leaning on Oliver, raised an eyebrow.

She sneered, "I shouldn't have left Cora with you. Look at what you've taught her to do."

I was confused.

They didn't seem angry about me leaving without a word or taking Cora.

Instead, it was as if they had come to accuse me of something.

But what could Cora have done to upset them like this?

Oliver sulked, "I know you don't like Selah, but how could you teach Cora to hurt people? That's a line you shouldn't cross!"

He pulled Selah closer and pointed at a small red mark on her wrist.

I was utterly baffled. What did that have to do with Cora?

He continued, "Don't play dumb. Did you tell Cora to put mango in Selah's coffee? You know she's allergic!"

I glanced at the tiny red mark on Selah's hand and almost laughed.

How would I know about her mango allergy, and why would it have anything to do with me?

I asked, "When? Tell me when Cora had the chance to slip something into her coffee."

I kept packing Cora's things.

Oliver hadn't expected such a reaction from me and stepped forward to grab my hand.

"Let go!" I snapped.

I jerked my hand free.

I didn't expect him to pull so hard that I fell.

Cora's things were scattered all over the floor.