“Get in.” Roy released Willow’s hand and approached the driver’s seat.

As Willow drew close, Sierra got out of the car in a fluster. “I’m sorry, Willow. I didn’t mean to make him drive me around like a chauffeur. I should get out of the front passenger seat. I’ll switch with you right now–”

“Hold still! You have a sprained ankle!” Roy stopped Sierra.

Before Roy could say another word, Willow opened the door to the back seat and climbed in. As the car drove off, Roy appeared annoyed, so silence hung heavy in the car.

Moments later, Sierra cocked her head back and said bashfully, “Are you upset, Willow? Roy gave me a ride to school to submit my work because I hurt my ankle. That’s all.”

Before, Willow would snap back with a smile, saying, “I thought it’s compulsory for freshmen to live on campus.”

Today, however, she could not be bothered to engage with Sierra.

Roy said, “She’s having a bad day. Don’t blame yourself or worry too much, kiddo.”

Sierra grinned shyly and pouted. “I’m not a kid anymore, Roy. I’m eighteen, and in a few years, I’ll be old.”

Her gaze lingered on Willow as she said that.

Roy appeared amused, tension lifting from his furrowed brows. After that, Sierra chattered away about her school life while Roy listened intently for once.

Willow looked out the window, her mind elsewhere. She wondered if Sierra’s connection with Roy mirrored hers three years ago. She would say the dumbest and most naïve things on purpose, and Roy would take the time to listen to her. He would even cup her chin and kiss her.

His kisses back then were light, cautious, and almost worshipful. Though time went on, Roy could not get enough of her lips. Only, those kisses became more demanding, possessive, and thick with aggression.

She once lost herself in his affections, until one day, Willow overheard a casual remark from Roy’s buddy. “I didn’t think Willow would be so easy. Once you’re tired of her, maybe I can have a turn.”

Willow fled the scene, unable to take another word. It was humiliating enough to have her private life laid bare, but the thought of hearing the truth from Roy’s own lips was too much to bear. After all, she still cared a lot about Roy then.

“Willow, could you?” Sierra’s voice brought Willow back to reality.

“What?” Willow looked up.

“Roy said you make the best short ribs. Could you make the dish for us, Willow?” Sierra asked with a smile.

Willow glanced at Roy through the rear-view mirror, but Roy kept to himself.

“Sure,” she answered.

“That’s great! Thank you, Willow!”

Then came a buzz from Willow’s phone.

Sierra texted, “Thank you for cooking for us.”

Another text message followed seconds later. “Do you want to know why Roy loves this dish?”

Sierra ended the conversation there. She took pleasure in Willow’s distress, eager to see her squirm in anxiety.

Willow simply dropped her gaze, so Sierra sent another text message as the car entered a villa community.

“Someone once made him the food. Do you want to know who it was?”

Willow put away her phone without responding to the texts.

When the car pulled up outside a villa, Sierra opened the door and stepped out. The moment her foot landed on the floor, she let out a cry and nearly took a tumble.

Roy was quick to break her fall.

“I’m fine, Roy. I can walk… Eek!” Sierra exclaimed as Roy swept her into his arms.

Willow emerged from the car and watched as Sierra clung to Roy, her head nestled against his shoulder, her coy glance meeting Willow’s.

That would have upset Willow before, but she would have had to keep her emotions to herself. Now, she calmly looked ahead and closed the car door. She was even so kind as to punch the passcode for Roy at the front entrance.

Roy took one look at Willow, his expression unreadable.

While Willow was blanching the ribs in the kitchen, Sierra’s cheerful laughter boomed from the living room.

When her phone vibrated on the counter, Willow expected another passive-aggressive text from Sierra. However. her heart quickly sank.

The message came from an unsaved contact, but she knew the number too well. The text was brief. “Transfer me a million bucks.”

Willow grabbed her phone and typed back furiously.

As the bubbling water spilled over from the pot, Willow knocked it off the stove in a panic. Immediately, a sharp, burning pain shot through her foot.

The commotion drew Roy over, and the first thing Willow did was put away her phone when she saw him.

Oblivious to her subtle gesture, Roy strode over the mess and scooped her up with one arm. He turned on the tap with the other. The scalded skin on the back of her foot went numb for a moment under the cold water, followed by a wave of excruciating pain.

Willow bit her lips, her face discolored.

Roy gripped her ankle with a grimace. “You’re not a child anymore, Willow. How did you manage to tip over a pot of boiling water?”

In a fit of frustration and pain, Willow bit down on Roy’s shoulder. Roy gritted his teeth but held onto her.

“Did you burn yourself, Willow? I hope it isn’t bad.” Sierra emerged at the kitchen door, looking anxious. “I’ll get you something for the burns.”

Roy took a glance at Willow’s foot and carried her out, passing Sierra. “We’re going to the hospital.”

When the car started, Sierra limped after them and insisted on coming along because she was concerned about Willow too.

As Roy sped along the road, Willow’s phone in the bag buzzed. Feeling the vibration through the fabric of her face, Willow could not feel more annoyed.

Neither of them spoke, and silence settled tensely over the car.

Halfway to the destination, Sierra broke into tears in the back seat. “It’s all my fault, Willow. You wouldn’t have gotten burned if I hadn’t asked for short ribs. You remind me of my sister, and I just want to get close to you.”

Roy’s expression darkened at that comment.

While Willow said nothing, Roy, on the other hand, offered Sierra words of comfort.

Sierra kept the tears coming. “I’m sorry, Willow. I didn’t think things through. I should have realized you might not want to cook for someone else, especially since you made that dish specifically for Roy. I sprained my ankle when someone pushed me. It’s not my intention to trouble Roy. I didn’t mean to get injured.”

Struck by a thought, Roy made a face. He slammed the brakes right outside the hospital, and Willow nearly hit her face on the windscreen.

Roy looked at Willow with all the malice in the world.

“Is this a game to you, Willow? It’s just a dish. If you don’t want to make it, fine. Why go to such lengths? When are you going to stop this childish behavior? Get out!”

Willow stood barefooted on the cold cement floor outside the hospital, her feet chilly and throbbing.

As Roy sped away, she was reminded of that night in the storm. At least Roy dropped her off at the hospital today, and she smiled wryly at the thought.

Meanwhile, her phone in the bag buzzed incessantly, but it was a call this time. Willow took a deep breath, her brows furrowing irritably.

A gruff voice of a middle-aged woman boomed. “No money? Who are you trying to fool?

“You probably don’t know this, but Ian goes to school in Hereshire now. He saw you getting into a fancy car today. The car must be worth millions.

“You didn’t tell us that you got a sugar daddy. I’m only asking for a million dollars. He won’t be missing that much money. I got his license plate, so you better wire the money in a week, or I’ll talk to him myself.”

Willow gnashed her teeth and said curtly, “You get your monthly three grand and not a penny more.”

By the end of the call, Willow found herself shaking while clutching the phone. She felt a mix of anger and fear.

Then, the phone blared once more.

Exasperated, Willow sank her back against the wall and answered, “Can’t you just leave me alone? Beat it!”

‘Don’t yell at me, Willow…” Sierra’s timid voice came on the call. “I was just worried about you…”

Willow turned her attention to the screen, which showed Sierra’s number. Judging by Sierra’s docile behavior, Willow was certain that Sierra had put her on loudspeaker for Roy’s ears.

Sure enough, Roy’s icy voice pierced through the call.

“Apologize, Willow!”

Willow drew a deep breath and terminated the call with trembling hands.

Since that day, Roy did not contact Willow again, nor did he go home.

Willow knew that Roy was angry. He was punishing her for her defiance. Usually, she would cave in to him within three days. However, this time, Willow glanced at the calendar and decided to give herself a break.

The weather turned dreary on the last day of October. That evening, Willow got a call from Roy. He gave her an address and told her to dress up.

Though the nature of the event was not spoken of, Willow knew that Roy’s best friend, Adrian Cavill was celebrating his birthday. From the day Willow got together with Roy, she had taken note of all the important dates of his friends.

Willow agreed to go, and none of them brought up the last fight they had. As she had been wearing slip-ons at home to let her foot heal, her foot protested as she wedged it into stilettos to match her evening gown.

At the party, Willow was surprised to see Roy’s mother. The poised woman took Roy’s arm and brushed past Willow, her gaze fixating on Willow’s face for a moment before shifting away.

Roy’s mother said to Adrian with a smile, “You’ve got your gift. I won’t stay and make things awkward for you young people. Have fun.”

Sierra popped out of nowhere once Roy’s mother was gone. It then dawned on Willow the reason why Roy had brought her to the party.

There had been whispers in the community that Willow could stick by Roy’s side for so long largely because his mother had never openly criticized her. Of course, Roy’s mother could not possibly be fond of Willow. Willow was simply invisible to her.

As it turned out, Willow was just a shield for Sierra, taking the brunt of Roy’s mother’s rage if any, and the thought of it made Willow chuckle silently.

After seeing his mother off, Roy returned to the venue and headed straight to Sierra.

Sierra wore a bluish dress, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked timid, her eyes darting around curiously.

Roy stared at her, his emotions hiding behind his eyes.

Sierra bumped into a passing server with a tray in hand. As the tray tipped over, Roy snatched her waist and pulled her to safety.

The smashed and shattered wine glasses caught everybody’s attention.

Startled, Sierra clenched to Roy’s collar and recoiled in his arms. “Oh, no, Roy. Did I cause a scene? It’s embarrassing.”

Roy stroked her back to offer solace. “No one will say that you’re embarrassing.”

“I-I’ll clean up the mess right away.” Sierra got down to clear the glass shard, only to withdraw her arm with a shriek.

Roy nervously examined her hands.

On his knees, the terrified server apologized profusely while picking up the broken glass.

“Ha…”

A sneer came from behind Willow.

“This one is worse than the last.” The comment was made right in Willow’s face.

The insult was directed at Sierra and Willow.

In fact, Roy’s friends had never accepted Willow. They looked down on commoners like her. They could be all friendly in front of Roy, but the taunts and disdain would go on behind his back. Besides, no one was worried that Willow would complain, given her history of clinging to Roy and submitting to his wishes.

Willow went outside for a breather since it was freezing for anyone to hang around the pool. However, the warmth from staying indoors was fleeting, and soon, she was shivering.

She eventually regained some temperature from taking two drinks when Sierra showed up. Sierra’s cheeks were flushed as she wobbled her way over, a glass of wine in hand.

“I need a word with you, Willow.”

Willow backed away, keeping a distance between them.

“Don’t try me,” she warned.

Nevertheless, Sierra stuck close to Willow and murmured in her ear, “If we both were to fall into the pool, who do you think Roy would save?”

With a splash, Sierra pulled Willow into the water.