Gavin Liam proposed to me in front of all the teachers and students.

"I want to marry you. I will surely make you happy."

He was wearing a bachelor's gown. Kneeling on one knee, he held a graduation certificate in one hand and a ring box in the other.

He smiled radiantly.

"They are a model couple on campus."

"They are destined to be together by their names! What a perfect match!"

"From freshman year to postgraduate school, it took them a whole six years. The couple I have been shipping will be officially married. Sob..."

The classmates around me were excitedly cheering, saying, "Say yes to him! Say yes to him!"

I stood there in a daze.

Gavin should have said, "Ariel Berg, would you marry me?" But he didn't.

Libby Carter, my stepmother, came to attend my graduation ceremony. She poked her head out from behind me and leaned close to my ear.

"Ariel, you should agree to Gavin first. There are so many people watching."

Under the situation, I was awkward.

I wanted her to help me round up the scene so that I didn't have to force myself to decide.

After my father passed away, my stepmother and I had a close bond, which was like that of best friends. We were relying on each other for support.

I frowned and gestured to her with my eyes, "Libby, I haven't..."

Before I could finish my words, Libby excitedly shouted out.

"She promised. She promised!"

"When my Ariel and Gavin get married, everyone, you should attend the wedding banquet."

"If Ariel gets married early and settles down for life, both Ariel's dad and I will feel relieved."

Amid the applause and flowers, Gavin put a ring on my fingers, which was one size bigger for me.

At that time, I didn't know how big of a trap it was.

On the way home, the driver and Ariel sat in the front seat.

Gavin was close to me, saying, "Let's go get our marriage certificate tomorrow."

I couldn't help but feel wronged. With tears welling up in my eyes, I lowered my head and turned the ring on my fingers, which was too big for me.

"Gavin, I don't even know when we started dating."

"Now how come we are getting married?"

Gavin looked puzzled, asking, "Didn't we agree to be together after your post-graduate?"

Libby echoed, saying, "Yes, Ariel, haven't you two been living together for two years?"

"It is sort of."

To be precise, Gavin and I occasionally stayed in a villa close to the laboratory.

I had been chasing Gavin for four years in college. He hardly paid attention to me.

For him, a poor and independent academic overachiever, he always found me, a rich girl, an eyesore.

He changed his attitude towards me since he started his postgraduate studies.

After graduating from college, he had to work for a living. It was I who asked my stepmother, who was a member of the board of directors, to set up a scholarship for him to pursue his postgraduate studies.

At that time, he was extremely grateful to the board of director's office.

When Libby handed me the villa key and asked me to bring my boyfriend to live there, he neither denied nor refused. He did so probably out of gratitude.

He confirmed with me about my relationship with Libby.

The light in his eyes couldn't be concealed. He asked gently, "Will Director Libby live there too?"

Libby smiled lightly.

"When I had a job to handle there before, I would go there. Now, you two should settle down."

"But you should be there when you have to experiment, right? After all, it's quite far from the school."

I hadn't answered yet, but Gavin spoke politely first.

"Yes, Director Libby, you don't have to worry too much. It's more convenient for you to work if you live in your villa."

Libby smiled. I nodded too.

Later, due to Gavin's research, he always had to do experiments.

When I was not busy, I would go to the villa to find him. We would have meals together, watch movies, and take a walk.

We seemed to be indeed in love.

Gavin's eager tone brought me back to reality.

"Ariel, if you think I didn't do well before, tell me. I will change."

Gavin was sincere.

I muttered, "You never formally confessed, so how could it be considered that we were in a relationship before?"

He chuckled. With his face getting closer to mine, his breath was blowing on my face.

It seemed that he was about to kiss me.

"So, given how we got along before, was I being a rogue?"

My ears blushed with shame. All the worries and grievances in my heart disappeared.

I wanted to push Gavin away, but he pressed closer shamelessly.

Unconsciously, we arrived at the doorstep. Libby got out of the car without saying a word.

She shut the car door somewhat heavily when closing it.

I pushed Gavin away with a little force.

"Libby saw it too. She will say that I, a little girl, am shameless."

He hesitated and stammered.

"That... that's right."

He looked out of the window and rubbed his chin with a smile.

I thought he was laughing at my shyness, so I acted coquettishly.

"Stop laughing."

"Then let's go get a marriage certificate tomorrow."

I hesitated a bit. Even though we were in love, it was too fast to get married.

"Ariel, I like you. Be my girlfriend. I love you. Let's get married."

Gavin held my hand tightly. His hand was warm and sweaty.

His eyes were full of longing and flickering. He couldn't hide his nervousness.

My heart trembled. I nodded.

Like a dream, we got a marriage certificate early the next morning.

Gavin took me straight to the airport enthusiastically, saying that he had long booked a honeymoon trip to Hawaii.

I did feel that he loved me. After all, he had been planning it for a long time.

On the last day of the honeymoon, I drank coconut juice as usual. Then I felt uncomfortable all over.

I rested in the hotel for a whole day. When I woke up, I wanted to go to the hospital, only to fail to find my cell phone or Gavin.

"Gavin..."

I used all my strength to support myself against the wall and walked out, only to see Gavin kissing a woman by the poolside of a villa.

The woman had her arms around Gavin's neck. She was tightly held in his embrace, approaching the pool step by step.

All I could see was Gavin's back and the red marks on the woman's arm. It seemed that she had been cut by a sharp object.

"Gavin."

He turned around at my sound, looking at me in shock.

The woman hid behind him.

I rushed forward, intending to slap him, but he pushed me into the pool.

"Go to hell, Ariel Berg."

He knew I couldn't swim.

I struggled in the water, with the end of the pool getting closer and closer to the end of my line of sight.

I was weak all over.

"Save me, Gavin."

Amidst the shouting, I heard a woman sobbing faintly.

When I fell off the cliff along the water flow, I seemed to hear Libby shouting my name, "Ariel."

When I opened my eyes again, I saw a sketchbook in front of me.

The pages flipping through were like a carousel of my life.

"One, who is love-struck, dies early."

I looked at the pictures in the book, all showing how foolish I was being deceived by Gavin. I couldn't help but curse myself.

The latest scene unfolding was me lying in a morgue.

I had a pale face. I was swollen all over.

Gavin collapsed several times on the side and almost fainted.

"It's all my fault. I didn't take good care of Ariel."

The way he blamed himself made everyone present feel sorry for him. They comforted him one after another.

I felt nauseous.

Soon, Libby came.

"Is she here so fast?"

Her eyes were dull. Looking at me, she wasn't crying or making a fuss. She quietly said, "It turns out you can look better."

I felt a chill on my back.

Then Gavin rushed up and hugged Libby.

"It's all my fault. Don't be like this."

She reached out and gently patted Gavin's back.

There was a red scar on her arm.

"The woman who kissed Gavin, is my stepmother?"

The details that I had never noticed before suddenly magnified in my mind.

Gavin changed his attitude towards me after he knew Libby. He showed his concern for Libby between the lines.

He often stayed in the villa. I found a sexy nightgown there, which I remembered Libby had worn. He said it was a gift for me.

When Gavin proposed to me, Libby was standing behind me. His love declarations were not meant for me to hear.

When Gavin was coaxing me into the car, Libby got jealous and smashed the car door. Gavin smiled, which was a response to Libby's jealousy.

"What kind of stepmother is she? Am I part of your play too?"

I watched as the plot in the scene continued to unfold.

Suddenly, I realized that we are all characters in a comic book.

And this comic book was in the process of being created.