Rebecca's face fell when she heard those words.

"Matteo, is Ms. Walsh still mad at me over what happened last time? If that's the case, I'll just leave so I don't intrude on you two."

As she spoke, she turned to leave. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm and frowned at Evelyn.

"She meant well, Eve. Don't you love animals? Just take it."

Seeing the displeasure in his eyes, Evelyn clenched her hands tightly and turned to his assistant, Zachary Warner, instead.

"Mr. Warner, I'm wearing heels, so it's inconvenient for me to hold the puppy. Could you take care of it for me?"

The people around them started making snide remarks again, mocking her for being ungrateful and acting too high and mighty.

Matteo also assumed she was deliberately giving Rebecca a hard time. His expression darkened as he led Rebecca inside.

The party quickly emptied out, leaving Evelyn alone.

She poured herself a glass of water and took a slow sip, trying to calm the panic and anxiety in her chest.

She used to love dogs.

But five years ago, on a stormy night when the power went out, Matteo had come down with a high fever. She ran out into the rain to find help.

A neighbor's guard dog had chased her the whole way, tearing a chunk of flesh from her calf.

Despite the pain, she forced herself to bring a doctor back. Only after confirming that Matteo was safe did she finally take care of her own injury.

Since then, she had developed a deep fear of dogs. However, to keep him from worrying, she had never told him about it.

Even now, through the fabric of her dress, she could still feel the outline of that old scar.

The guests at the party were all social climbers, reading the room and adjusting their attitudes accordingly. Seeing how Matteo was acting, they no longer bothered hiding their disdain toward Evelyn.

When it was time for the cake-cutting, everyone surrounded Rebecca instead, as if she were the one celebrating a birthday.

Matteo, finally in a better mood, called Evelyn over to blow out the candles.

She walked up in silence, just about to make a wish, when Rebecca suddenly gasped in excitement.

"Oh wow, what a coincidence! Ms. Walsh, you and Elmo share the same birthday! Why don't we celebrate together?"

The moment those words left her mouth, the room filled with stifled laughter.

Seeing the challenge in Rebecca's eyes, Evelyn dug her nails into her palms.

She took a slow breath, her voice carrying a cold edge. "In that case, let the puppy blow out the candles. Everyone can sing for it instead. I won't get in the way."

As she turned to leave, Matteo's temple twitched in frustration. His voice dropped into a warning tone as he called after her.

"Eve! This party was thrown for your birthday. If you leave now, what kind of message does that send?"

Evelyn ignored him and kept walking toward the door.

Finally losing his patience, Matteo caught up to her, grabbed her wrist, and leaned in to whisper something in her ear before pushing her back toward the cake.

"Don't make a scene! Everyone here is part of the elite circle. If you storm out like this and the Gallagher family hears about it, they'll be even more against us."

Against them? What was there to be against? Hadn't he already married Rebecca?

Then, the cheerful tune of "Happy Birthday" filled the room.

Evelyn forced a faint smile, but she stood there like a lifeless statue, her expression void of joy.

Then, out of nowhere, someone picked up the puppy and shoved it into her arms.

A shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps broke out across her skin.

Halfway through the song, the restless puppy wriggled free and jumped down.

It bolted forward, knocking over the towering champagne display. The cascading glasses came crashing down straight toward Evelyn and Rebecca.

Screams echoed through the hall as the shattered glass reflected in Evelyn's widened pupils.

She watched, frozen, as Matteo instinctively pulled Rebecca into his arms and shielded her.

Meanwhile, glass shards and champagne rained down on Evelyn.

A sharp sting shot through her shoulder as broken glass cut into her skin, leaving a long, bloody gash.

Blood trickled down, staining her already-soaked white dress with a deep red.

She collapsed onto the floor with a muffled groan, cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.

Hearing the sound, Matteo turned back. He saw her injured and was about to walk toward her when Rebecca suddenly screamed.

"Ah! Matteo, Elmo scratched me! What if I get rabies?"

Matteo's eyes flickered to the small, barely visible scratch on her ankle.

He hesitated for a brief moment, then gave Zachary a quick order. "Take Eve to the hospital to get her wound treated."

And with that, he hurried off with Rebecca.

The other guests followed suit, not missing the chance to get in a few more jabs before leaving.

"Elmo, Eve… Ms. Walsh sure has a knack for picking names! Look at her now. Doesn't she just look like a stray dog?"

"Don't insult Elmo! He's adorable. Unlike some desperate mutt trying to climb the social ladder."

Every single word cut through Evelyn like a blade.

She looked down at herself, drenched in champagne, covered in cuts, humiliated beyond words.

Her nose burned, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The birthday banner above her swayed before finally falling, landing right in front of her.

She picked it up, looking around at the now empty, chaotic venue.

Finally, with no one left to see her break, her tears fell freely.

And just like that, her 23rd birthday ended in ruins.

It was the early hours of the morning when Evelyn finally dragged her exhausted body home.

The moment she turned on the lights, her phone buzzed several times.

It was a message from Rebecca.

"You've been liking all my social media posts, so you must already know that Matteo and I are legally married, right? He also promised me a wedding in Mauwai. I saw the venue plans. It's absolutely grand.

"Every single detail is exactly what we used to dream about when we were younger. I can't believe he still remembers after all these years.

"I should also thank you. If it weren't for you, Matteo wouldn't have regained his sight. Really, I owe you for taking care of my husband for seven whole years."

Reading the blatant mockery, Evelyn didn't even have the energy to be angry anymore.

She went straight to her bedroom, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.

That night, Matteo still didn't come home. The only thing he sent was a text message.

"Eve, I still have some things to take care of. Is your injury serious? If it hurts too much, let me know, and I'll come back right away."

Evelyn stared at the words on the screen, her eyes flickering with emotion. After a long moment, she finally typed out a short reply. "Don't bother."

"Matteo, from now on, I won't need you anymore," she thought to herself.

Once the wound on her shoulder had scabbed over, Evelyn returned alone to the Gallagher family's old estate.

Back when Matteo was blind, this was where they had lived together, just the two of them.

She grabbed a shovel and walked to the lush peach tree in the yard.

Beneath it, buried deep in the soil, was the time capsule they had made together on Matteo's 18th birthday.

She dug it up.

The metal box was rusted, and condensation had formed inside the sealed glass jar.

She pulled out the folded paper stars one by one, unfolding them carefully. The first note revealed her own handwriting.

"I wish for Matteo to see the world again. I wish Matteo a safe and happy life. I wish to always stay by Matteo's side."

Every single wish had been about him. Some had come true.

Some would never come true, not in this lifetime.

Next, she unfolded the other note. It was Matteo's wish.

"I wish to regain my sight. I wish for Becky to be well."

Every word was about him and Rebecca. Not a single one about her.

So that was the truth. He had never resented Rebecca for leaving him. He had willingly taken on the suffering of that accident for her, without hesitation, without regret.

A bitter smile curled on Evelyn's lips.

She crumpled up her own wish and tossed it into the drain. Then, she reached up and unfastened the necklace around her neck.

It was the first gift Matteo had ever brought her. It was purchased with the money he earned from his first business deal after returning to the Gallagher family.

She had felt guilty that he had spent so much on it, but he had only pulled her into his arms and kissed her endlessly.

"Eve, they say it's lonely at the top. But as long as you're with me, I'll have the courage to keep climbing. This is just a necklace. One day, everything I have, including myself, will belong to you."

She buried the necklace, along with everything that tied her to the past.

After filling in the hole, Evelyn turned back toward the house.

But just as she reached the front door, she ran into Matteo and Rebecca.

The surprise in his eyes was clear when he saw her standing there.

"Eve, what are you doing here?"

Evelyn didn't answer. Instead, she threw the question back at him. "What about you? What are you two doing here?"

Before Matteo could speak, Rebecca smiled and chimed in.

"It's been a while since I last heard Matteo play the piano. He said the piano was still in the old house, so we came to get it. Ms. Walsh, you know this place well. Why don't you show us the way?"

Without waiting for Evelyn's response, she grabbed her arm and pulled her into the house.

A flood of memories surged through Evelyn's mind the moment she pushed open the door.

Everything in the room was exactly the same as the day they had left. Not a single thing had changed.

"Eve, do you remember when we—"

"I don't." Evelyn lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

Matteo froze for a second, then pointed toward a brick model in the corner. "Didn't we put this in the study after we finished building it? Why is it here?"

Evelyn didn't follow his gaze. Her voice was calm and indifferent.

"You couldn't see back then. A lot of your memories must feel like a blur, like illusions that are all mixed up."

It was just like how she had once believed that Matteo loved her.

But in reality, what he felt for her had only been a mirage. She was something he clung to in desperation.

Because he had been blind, he had relied on touch to navigate his world. She had been like a walking cane to him, a guide, a necessity. That was why he had thought she was important.

But once he regained his sight, he could do whatever he wanted. And just like that, she became irrelevant.

She had believed that their years of companionship would be enough to carry them through any storm.

But in the end, it was nothing more than an illusion. It was just a dream that had crumbled into emptiness.

A fleeting sadness crossed Evelyn's face, and Matteo felt a tightness in his chest.

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but before he could, she turned away and walked toward the balcony.

"The piano is in the last room down the hall. You can go there yourselves."

As the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance, Evelyn sat down in a rocking chair and slowly closed her eyes.

Before long, the bright afternoon sky darkened. Heavy clouds rolled in, and soon, the first drops of rain began to fall.

She got up and went back to the living room just in time to hear the sound of a piano playing from a distance.

It was the first piano piece she had ever heard in her life—A Lover's Dream.

As she listened, she felt as if she had been transported back to that summer when she was ten years old. Without realizing it, she followed the melody.

Through the window, she saw Matteo and Rebecca sitting at the piano, their hands moving in perfect harmony as they played a duet.

Even after all these years, their connection hadn't faded in the slightest. Their synchronization was as flawless as ever.

Seven years had passed, yet the way Matteo looked at her was still filled with deep, unwavering affection.

So, this was how much Matteo loved Rebecca.

He loved her enough to hold onto that love for seven whole years, even after she had abandoned him.

Of course.

They were both born into privilege—him, the golden boy of the Gallagher family; her, a shining star of high society.

On the other hand, Evelyn was just the daughter of a maid.

Why had she ever dared to step into a world that wasn't hers?

Why had she ever thought she could claim something that had never belonged to her?

If she could go back in time, she would never have fallen for Matteo at first sight.

She would never have secretly loved him.

And she would never have thrown away everything just to take care of him for seven long years.

The music gradually faded into silence.

At some point, Rebecca's hand slid over Matteo's, slowly tracing upward.

Through the window, Evelyn saw her wrap her arms around his shoulders, leaning in to press her lips against his.

"Matteo, I know you still love me…"

At that moment, Evelyn could take no more. She turned and walked away.

The rain poured down harder and harder, drenching her completely.

Her mind was blank, lost in a storm of emotions.

One second, she felt like a withered weed clinging to the edge of a cliff.

The next, she felt like a lone boat capsized by a relentless tide.

She was rootless and directionless, drifting aimlessly.

Even her tears vanished into the rain, leaving no trace behind.