When I returned home from abroad the day before my engagement party, I unintentionally discovered that my boyfriend of five years had been seeing a woman who resembled me by nearly seventy percent.

During all the days and nights I was abroad, the two of them had been secretly together.

When I called him, he only let out a faint sigh. “While you were gone, she kept me company. One shouldn’t be too heartless.”

“The company needs a secretary anyway. Why not let her stay for the time being? Otherwise, people might say you were being small-minded.”

Five years of deep affection had, in the end, been lost to the constant presence of his kept woman.

As I looked at the man who once vowed with his life to love me forever, I still couldn’t bring myself to say the words break up.

I wanted to see with my own eyes, between a medical prodigy returning from abroad and a mistress who had to hide in the dark, which one he would choose?

——

In the middle of the engagement banquet, the wedding ring suddenly disappeared.

The host, sweating nervously, forced himself to fill the silence with clumsy small talk.

Coming closer, Gideon Fontaine caught my hand and murmured beside my ear, “It’s only a ten-carat ring. Addison got curious, tried it on, and now it’s stuck. Tomorrow, I’ll make one myself for you, bigger and more beautiful than this.”

My heart suddenly dropped. Just last night, he had called me on video chat, promising sincerely, “I’ve spent a lot preparing a surprise for you. Tomorrow, you just need to be the happiest bride in the world.”

Trembling slightly, my fists clenched as I looked at him stubbornly. “Gideon, is this the surprise you said you prepared for me? Without a ring, how can there even be an engagement…?”

Before I could finish, Gideon’s assistant rushed in, panic written all over his face.

“President Gideon, Secretary Addison just handed in her resignation. She said she’s returning to her hometown.”

Suddenly, Gideon pushed me aside and was about to run out.

I grabbed his sleeve. “Gideon, if you walk out today, everything between us ends here.”

He turned his head for a brief moment, then yanked his arm free and left without another look.

The guests exchanged glances, whispering quietly to one another.

Gideon’s parents looked restless, pacing back and forth. His mother came over and held me, trying to comfort me.

“You’ll always be this family’s only daughter-in-law. I’ll make sure Gideon gives you an answer.”

But my heart was already growing numb. Fighting back tears, I forced a smile.

“I’ll give back the engagement gifts. Let’s just treat today’s banquet as my first day of freedom.”

My older brother’s expression turned dark as he prepared to confront Gideon.

“For him to leave my sister during her engagement banquet for another woman, that’s complete disrespect toward the Quinton family.”

Suppressing the pain in my heart, I quickly stopped my brother and tried to look calm. “Brother, let it go. I don’t want everyone here watching us make a scene.”

He let out a heavy sigh, and my heart sank with it.

Then Gideon’s assistant came over, looking uneasy.

“Miss Ophelia, please don’t be upset with President Gideon. You were gone for three years. If Secretary Addison hadn’t been there for him, he might not have made it through.”

“She disappeared so suddenly, without a word. President Gideon only worried she might hurt herself.”

To them, Addison’s three years of standing by Gideon proved enough to excuse everything, and my coming back was what threw things off.

But if she really wanted nothing back, then why would she quit on the very day we got engaged?

I didn’t see the point in arguing. I just said a few things to my brother and headed home.

That afternoon, Gideon sent a flood of gifts, luxury cars, villas, designer bags, and even a rare old medical manuscript I’d been looking for.

I took one look at them and told the servants to throw everything out.

Gideon knew that walking away in front of so many people would destroy my reputation, but he still never thought about me.

Things always had to go the way Gideon wanted, but I was the one who got hurt.

Because our families had arranged the marriage, he always assumed I would give in to him.

Normally, with my temper, I would have stopped myself from making things worse for him, but he went as far as slipping the wedding ring onto another woman’s finger.

It was in that instant that I realized that once something was stained, it could never be wanted again.

Remembering the dress I had ordered before returning home, which should have been finished by now, I went by myself to the private studio.

The moment I stepped through the door, there was Gideon, holding my custom-made gown against Addison Cooper to see how it looked on her.

My eyes trembled uncontrollably.

That gown, designed by Gideon himself, had been made for me to wear at Grandpa Enzo Fontaine’s birthday banquet.

Back then, his smile seemed like a flower.

“When Grandpa sees me marrying you, he’ll be overjoyed. The gown I designed myself, only the one I love most deserves to wear it.”

But that same gown was now being given to Addison. In the courtyard, I stood there, unsure whether I should go inside.

When a sound reached him, Gideon turned his head and came out quickly.

“Ophelia, I didn’t mean to leave you there alone. I just knew you’ve seen the world, and you could handle such a small scene on your own…”

No words came from me; instead, I turned to Addison.

“I’m glad Miss Addison is all right.”

Surprise crossed Gideon’s face as he spoke seriously, “You grew up without parents, and you’ve always been strong. But Addison isn’t like you. If I hadn’t gone after her, she would have lost herself.”

“I love you so much I’d give my life for you. You’ll forgive me, won’t you?”

“I can’t.”

Growing up without parents had now become yet another reason I was expected to give in to them.

My eyes dropped to the gown that Addison was holding. “The gown you designed with your own hands, shouldn’t it be worn by the one you love most? What’s left for you to love me with?”

Avoiding my eyes, Gideon quickly explained, “Ophelia, you’re the one I, Gideon Fontaine, am going to marry. Addison has been with me for three years; I just wanted to make it up to her a little.”

I no longer wanted to look at his hypocritical face. Turning toward the studio manager, I said, “The gown’s been worn by someone else. I don’t want it anymore. The deposit and penalty fee, eighty thousand in total, send them all to the Quinton family.”

After I finished speaking, I turned and walked away. To keep myself steady, I pressed my nails deep into my flesh.

Behind me came a tearful voice. “Miss Ophelia, are you angry because of me and President Gideon?”

“It’s my fault. I was worried that Miss Ophelia would hear gossip after returning, so I thought about resigning and leaving first.”

“I never expected President Gideon to stop the engagement ceremony and chase after me. If Miss Ophelia is upset, please scold me instead, don’t make things hard for President Gideon.”

With such sincerity in her words, Addison spoke in a way that moved Gideon, who drew her into his arms to comfort her.

“My decisions have nothing to do with you. Why are you apologizing to her?”

After offering her a few soft words of comfort, he lifted his eyes to me, disappointment clouding them.

“Ophelia, since childhood, you’ve always been independent and never cared about what others say. Don’t you see that because of us, Addison has already suffered enough gossip? How can you still hold her responsible for my leaving?”

Unable to hold it in any longer, I turned toward the two of them as they clung to each other.

“Gideon, from the moment I stepped into this courtyard, have I said even one harsh word about Addison?”

“I may have grown up without parents, but does that give you the right to throw all your filth onto me?”

A slight tremor ran through my voice, and Gideon panicked at once.

Keeping my expression cold, I suddenly raised my voice.

“Does President Gideon believe that I, Ophelia, can’t marry without you? Or does President Gideon think the Quinton family has sunk so low that our daughter must beg for approval?”

For the first time, Gideon saw me truly angry, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to do.

Watching my expression, he spoke cautiously. “Ophelia, it was wrong of me to leave the engagement banquet, but I only did it because I care about you too much and lost control.”

“You’re only upset that I gave the wedding ring to Addison. Tonight, I’ll go to the black market and buy Queen Elizabeth’s wedding ring for you.”

“Queen Elizabeth’s wedding ring?” A bitter laugh escaped me. “Gideon, it seems you have no idea what I’m actually angry about.”

Silent, Gideon kept his eyes fixed on me. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “I can’t give Addison a title. All she wanted was a ring, such a simple request. Can’t I at least grant her that?”

“You and I are the ones who will spend our lives together. For our sake, can’t you just let this go?”

My eyes moved from the gown draped on Addison’s body to the hands Gideon used to shield her so carefully.

Quietly, I replied, “Fine. I’ll let go. I’ll never concern myself with you again.”

The pallor on my face went unnoticed by Gideon. He believed, as always, that acting pitiful would make me give in to him.

“As expected of my dearest Ophelia, your understanding truly is remarkable.”

Pain tightened my chest as I turned and left in haste.

When I reached home, Addison was directing people to move things into the villa next door.

Seeing me, she didn’t even bother to fake a smile.

“The place I was staying wasn’t safe, so President Gideon gave me this villa.”

“Miss Ophelia isn’t married to President Gideon yet. His premarital assets aren’t under your control, are they?”

Too tired to argue, I turned to go inside, but my eyes caught on the blood-red pendant around her neck.

Catching my look, Addison smugly brushed her hair back, letting the pendant show completely.

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately, so President Gideon gave me this pendant.”

“I heard it’s the one Miss Ophelia was wearing during her car accident. It even has your mother’s blood on it. I must say, things from the dead really do keep away evil. I’ve been sleeping perfectly ever since…”

My hand came down across Addison’s face, stopping her words cold.

As she stood frozen in shock, I reached for the pendant, but Addison reacted first; she threw it to the ground.

Pieces of the shattered pendant scattered across the floor, and my heart broke right along with them.

Kneeling down, I trembled as I gathered the shattered pieces of sapphire, not realizing my fingers were bleeding.

“Ophelia!” Gideon rushed forward, pain flashing across his face as he took my injured fingers into his mouth and shouted for someone to call the family doctor.

Addison’s reddened eyes as she began to cry softly.

“Miss Ophelia will never forgive me now. Even if I sold myself, it wouldn’t be enough to repay her pendant.”

Freezing for a moment, Gideon quickly let go of my hand and drew Addison into his arms to comfort her.

“Stop blaming yourself for everything.”

Turning his eyes toward me. “Ophelia, it’s just a pendant. If you want, I’ll find you an even bigger and better one. Stop taking it out on Addison.”

At his words, my eyes slowly rose to meet him.

“Gideon, you know exactly what that pendant means to me. How could you…”

“Miss Ophelia, would you believe that I never wanted to steal President Gideon from you if I died?”