“Henry, be good. Wait for me to come home.”

Jason walked beside her, and the moment she turned her back to me, she glanced at me and flashed a quick, sharp smile.

That smile held no apology, only open provocation and triumph.

The door opened.

Watching Victoria leave without a pause, the last trace of warmth in my heart disappeared.

“Victoria.”

“If this is how you deal with things.”

“I’m not satisfied.”

“I’ll handle this my own way.”

Victoria finally turned back.

Her face was calm, as if she thought I was only throwing a fit.

She even gave a faint, careless smile.

“Alright, Henry.”

“Don’t overthink it. Wait for me to come back.”

After that, she opened the door and left with Jason.

The door wasn’t fully closed, and sounds from the hallway drifted in now and then.

First came Jason’s low voice, mixed with fear and fake worry.

“Victoria.”

“Henry is so arrogant, and his family is so powerful. If he really wants to deal with me, what… what should I do…”

Then came Victoria’s voice, not loud, but clear enough for me to hear.

“Henry is just angry for now. He’ll calm down soon.”

“And besides.”

Her voice carried a cold certainty that made my chest ache.

“With me here, who would dare bully you?”

“You only know how to vent your temper on me. You’re best at bullying your own people. Look how scared he got from just a few words.”

Their footsteps slowly faded away.

Only a few shaken girls were left in the office, looking at me with sympathy.

Tired, I covered my face, hiding the marks, and spoke softly.

“Excuse me, could someone lend me a mask or a hat?”

One girl hesitated, then handed me a new mask.

“This one is clean.”

I looked at her name tag, my voice slightly hoarse.

“Thank you. I remember you.”

Her face reddened, and she quickly stepped aside.

I covered most of my face with the mask and pulled my hat low.

I left the company and got into my car.

I sent a message to the Lawrence family, the hosts of tonight’s auction.

“Tonight, Victoria will attend with a secretary named Jason.”

“Send Jason to me.”

Anyone in New York’s upper circle would beg for a chance to please me.

Jason handed the Lawrence family that chance.

I made another call.

“Find a stamp shop.”

“I need a hundred pork-shaped stamps, with the reddest ink that won’t wash off.”

The car had barely stopped at the villa when Butler Lawrence, the butler, rushed over.

“Miss Sins just came back. She said she’s taking Mr. Summer to tonight’s charity auction and needs a suitable suit.”

“She… she took someone straight into your dressing room.”

My heart sank, but my voice stayed steady.

“Which one did Jason choose?”

Butler took a deep breath, clearly holding back anger.

“It’s the ‘Aurora’ suit.”

My breath stopped for a moment.

Aurora.

That was the suit I wore to my engagement party with Victoria.

It wasn’t bought from a luxury brand.

It was sewn stitch by stitch by a master tailor, based on a sketch Victoria drew herself.

The suit was set with hundreds of natural sapphires of different sizes.

She once said it was like picking stars from the night sky and scattering them over me.

The value of that suit was beyond money.

It stood for a promise, a grand dream Victoria once wove for me.

I closed my eyes.

I could almost see the light in Victoria’s eyes as she looked at me wearing the “Aurora” suit on our engagement day.

She said, “Henry, I think all the luck in my life was spent on meeting you.”

I never doubted Victoria’s sincerity toward me.

Only now did I understand that sincerity never lasts.

I lay down on the sofa, exhausted.

A maid quickly brought warm water and a soft towel and gently wiped my face.

The towel was changed again and again, rubbing until my skin began to ache.

Yet the blue words seemed to sink into my skin, leaving a faint mark, like a birthmark that wouldn’t fade.

My phone started vibrating nonstop.

There were over ten messages from friends.

“That Summer pretty boy—has he lost his mind?!”

Below was a link and a photo being shared everywhere.

In the photo, I was turned sideways, my face frozen between shock and anger.

The bold blue words on my face—“Pork Quality, Grade A”—were painfully clear.

My hair was messy. I looked utterly humiliated.

The post was from Jason.

It had only one line, with a laughing emoji:

“Some people get too serious when they’re old. A small joke and they lose it.”

“It’s better to be young—no burden, just fun~.”

My friend called right away.

“It’s spread through the whole circle. The comments aren’t too bad, but…”

He paused.

I understood.

My dignity was gone.

I opened my mouth to say I was fine.

But my throat felt stuffed with wet cotton. No sound came out.

I took a deep breath and forced my voice steady. “I’ll handle it.”

Then I hung up.

Almost at the same time, footsteps sounded outside the villa.

More than ten bodyguards in black walked in and threw Jason to the floor.

He steadied himself and suddenly looked up.

“Henry Xavier, all you know is how to bully people with your family’s power, right?!”

“Without your family, what are you?!”

I slowly sat up on the sofa and looked at him.

I even let out a soft laugh.

“Jason, my name is Henry.”

He froze, clearly not understanding why I said that.

I paused, watching the blood drain from his face.

“You should know what the ‘Xavier’ in Henry means.”

Jason’s lips began to shake.

Of course, he knew.

In New York, the Xavier family was something untouchable, a height he could never reach.

He forced himself to sit up, his voice trembling.

“I… I just wore one of your suits! What’s the big deal?! I’ll give it back!”

He fumbled to unbutton his jacket.

“No need.”

“I don’t want dirty clothes.”

I stood, walked slowly towards him, and looked down.

“Dirty people, too.”

“I, Henry, don’t want those either.”

Jason froze, his hand stuck in midair, his face pale.

At that moment, a large cardboard box was carried in.

Inside was a full box of pork stamps.

I nodded at the bodyguard.

The bodyguard picked up the stamp, dipped it in ink, and pressed it onto Jason’s calf.

Jason screamed.

One stamp after another fell, bright red marks spreading across his arms, neck, and face.

He cried, begged, and in the end could only sob.

One hundred stamps. Not a single one is missing.

When the last stamp landed, Jason collapsed to the floor, his body covered in twisted red words.

I wiped my hands, and my voice calmed.

“I forgot to tell you. This ink is special. It can’t be washed off. It’ll stay with you for life.”

“I was just joking with you, Mr. Summer. You’re not angry, are you?”

Crying and screaming, Jason was dragged away by the bodyguards.

Soon, the familiar sound of a car engine came from outside.

Victoria had returned.

She wore the gentle smile she always used when soothing me.

“I rushed back as soon as the auction ended. Look what I brought you.”

Inside the jewelry box was an emerald brooch, priceless.

Victoria leaned close, wanting to pin it on me herself.

“You said you liked this style.”

“I knew it suited you the moment I saw it. Come, try it.”

As she moved, a clear scent drifted over.

It was Jason’s smell.

A wave of nausea rose in me, and I pushed Victoria away.

At that moment, Jason rushed in and grabbed her hand.

“Victoria!”

“Henry is insane! He had people stamp my whole body with ink!”

“Didn’t you say you’d always protect me?”

Victoria’s breathing became uneven.

Seeing Jason’s miserable state, her tone turned cold.

“Henry, how did you become like this?”

“So cruel?”

“Jason is still young. How can he face people after this?”

Her voice grew sharper. “Do you really want to ruin Jason?”

I looked at how she shielded Jason.

Suddenly, I remembered Victoria at eighteen.

She was careful then, barely daring to hold my hand too tightly.

We stood before the Buddha, hands clasped, making a pure, youthful vow.

Later, I asked what she wished for.

She said she wanted to earn a lot of money, to become someone worthy of Henry.

I swallowed the bitterness in my chest and forced my shaking voice steady.

“Have you ever thought about the marks you left on my face?”

“What am I supposed to do now?”

Victoria opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Seeing her silence,

Jason suddenly pulled out a medical report and shouted,

“Victoria! You’re pregnant with my child!”

“By the timing, this child is mine!”

“You can’t let him treat me like this! Take me away! Please take me away!”

I stood frozen, stunned, watching the brief flash of joy in Victoria’s eyes.

She grabbed the report and read it again and again.

Her happiness was clear.

“Don’t be afraid. We’re going to the hospital now.”

Victoria led Jason away, her steps steady as she passed me.

She left behind only one sentence:

“Henry, calm down and learn how to be a good husband.”

As Victoria held Jason’s hand and prepared to leave, a dozen lawyers in suits walked in and blocked their way.

The middle-aged man leading them placed a notice of share freeze in front of Victoria.

“Miss Sins.”

“According to the agreement you signed with the eldest young master before marriage…”

The man slid the document in front of her. “All your shares in Sins' have been frozen.”