Chapter 4
A day before the wedding anniversary, I went to the place where we first met. It was an abandoned harbor located in the suburbs.
Damian built the One and Only manor for me over there to show that I was his one and true love.
However, when I walked into the manor, I found that the decorations and furniture inside had completely changed.
The light-blue curtains I loved had become pink curtains. The white gardenias in the garden were uprooted, and in their place were lilies—Alice’s favorite flowers.
There was even a baby’s cradle in the master bedroom.
I went to the bathroom. The door wasn’t shut tight, so I heard the sound of water running inside, along with a man and woman laughing.
“Dear, if Annie learned that you’re with me right now, would she get so upset that she’d get a miscarriage?”
That was Alice’s voice.
Damian just tightened his hold over her waist and grunted, “Don’t ruin the mood. Just get on your knees for me.”
I stood in the shadows. Despite my hands and feet going cold, I felt strangely calm.
I did not rush in to start screaming hysterically, nor did I point a gun at their heads like a madwoman.
Instead, I turned around and went to the secret drawer at the bedside table.
In it was a thick album, and on the cover was hand-stitched, blue enchantress.
The album contained all the photos we took over the three years of our marriage.
I turned to the first page.
Damian smiled gently and sincerely in the photo, as if I truly was his entire world.
I took out the gold lighter Damian often used from the drawer. On it was the Morrety family’s emblem—a viper curled around a sharp sword.
Click.
Blue flames jumped up and shone against my cold eyes.
I brought the fire close to the edge of the photo, and the flames instantly lapped greedily on the paper. It first burned off his eyes, then my wedding gown, and finally, the fake happiness.
The acrid scent of paper burning filled the room.
With an expressionless face, I watched the flames burn through the pages. The memories I once treasured twisted, charred, and were finally reduced to ashes under the heat.
The two people inside the bathroom were still laughing, but the album in my hands was already burnt.
As smoke rose from the damaged album, I walked to the trashcan in the corridor.
The damaged, burnt album plunged into the trashcan with a thud. Some sparks flew, but it soon faded into the darkness.
I let go, and the expensive lighter also fell down with a dull thud.
Three years of love. Three years of lies. Even the fool called Annie died in the flames.
Half an hour later, Damian walked down the stairs in a clean suit. He looked refreshed.
“Annie? Why are you here?”
When he saw me, panic flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he soon hid it.
“I wanted to take a look at the place we first met.” I went over with a smile and smoothed his tie. “Damian, I’ve prepared the private jet for tomorrow. I’m going to go to the island on the Great Western Ocean to retrieve the surprise I prepared for you.”
Damian squeezed me so tightly it felt like he wanted to break my bones.
“Alright. I’ll wait for you. Annie, once our wedding anniversary is over, let’s move to a place where we’re the only living souls in the area.”
I did not ask for a reason. I just stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. It was not as sweet as before. I only felt the bitterness of betrayal on my tongue.
“Sure. Goodbye, Damian.”
Then, I turned around and left.
…
The next afternoon, Damian was sitting in the manor’s messy bed while toying with a lock of Alice’s hair.
“Don Damian, this is Donna Annie’s surprise for you,” his assistant whispered.
I had someone send the surprise to his office in Morrety Corporation early in the morning.
Damian took it and asked, “Where’s Annie?”
The assistant was about to answer when the news channel suddenly broadcasted emergency news.
“Latest update. A private jet belonging to Morrety Corporation exploded and plunged into the Great Western Ocean due to unknown reasons. Preliminary investigation indicates that Annie Morrety, the wife of Morrety Corporation’s president, was the only passenger on the plane at that time.”