Six years of a secret relationship, and at our engagement party, the million-dollar emerald bracelet Lucas bought couldn’t fit my wrist. Tessa, his adopted sister whom he tutored in college, took the bracelet without hesitation and said, “Isn’t this sized for my wrist? Lucas, why don’t you buy her another one? I really like this.” Lucas didn’t mind her behavior at all, looking at her with adoration. Under the spotlight, I, the bride-to-be, felt my eyes welling up with tears. The atmosphere instantly became tense. Tessa smiled provocatively, “Lily, you don’t mind, do you? Lucas has always indulged me.” Lucas chimed in, “Stop acting. Are you trying to embarrass me in front of all these people?” I smiled graciously, “The bracelet suits you better, Tessa. Why don’t you take my place as the main character today?” After all, I didn’t want this fiancé anymore. 0 Seeing her success, Tessa’s face lit up with a smug smile. Lucas, however, was momentarily stunned, seemingly unprepared for my reaction. His friends quickly tried to smooth things over, and the atmosphere gradually became lively again. In truth, this wasn’t the first time Tessa had snatched a gift meant for me, nor was it the first time he had sacrificed me for her. I had lost count of how many times this had happened. At this moment, under everyone’s gaze, I just felt utterly exhausted. Suddenly, Tessa let out a cry and swayed as if about to faint. “Lucas, I suddenly feel unwell. Could you take me home first?” I couldn’t help but laugh, “Tessa, you certainly know how to time your discomfort.” Hearing my tone, Lucas became impatient. “Stop being so sarcastic. You know about Tessa’s condition.” Tessa leaned against him, looking pitiful. “Don’t blame Lily. It’s my fault for causing you trouble. I’m just unlucky.” Lucas was overwhelmed with concern and prepared to leave with her. I quickly tried to stop him, “Lucas, it’s our engagement party. All these friends are still here.” He clicked his tongue, trying to suppress his anger, “Can’t you see Tessa’s about to faint? You’re still trying to provoke her into apologizing to you. How narrow-minded can you be? Are you trying to force this marriage?” His words instantly chilled me to the bone. This engagement party was only agreed upon after repeated requests from me. He said since we were going public with our relationship on his side, there was no need to invite my family. As a result, almost everyone present was his friend or relative. Over the years, from his assistant to his girlfriend, I had always been treated as a dependent clinging to him. Before becoming his wife, I hoped he could tell everyone that Lily was his official girlfriend and the business partner who had accompanied him all along. However, I didn’t get to see this moment after all. Once again, Tessa had destroyed a significant moment in my life. At this point, did I need to continue? The answer was already in my heart. I still remember when we first met at an industry conference. He was a junior entrepreneur, passionately pitching his startup plan to my father. Standing not far away, I was instantly captivated by his demeanor. Despite my pride, I willingly fell for those expressive eyes of his. I desperately persuaded my father to invest in his company and even joined as his assistant to accompany him every step of the way. I knew then that he had an adopted sister from his college tutoring days. And this so-called sister naturally intervened in our world time and time again. When I was helping him deal with difficult clients, Tessa would call with a coquettish voice, and he would immediately abandon me to leave. In the middle of the night, Tessa would call him out to find her cat. Even when I had a high fever of 106°F, he could rush out on a rainy night just because she said she wanted dessert. Whenever I expressed my dissatisfaction, he would immediately accuse me of being narrow-minded. He said if it weren’t for taking on her tutoring job in college, he might not have had money for food. Moreover, her parents were divorced and both lived abroad, entrusting her care to him. She had poor health and could easily encounter bad people living alone, so he should naturally take extra care of her. Thus, there was always a shadow in our world of two. And I, the fiancée who had accompanied him to entrepreneurial success but developed migraines, insomnia, and anxiety, became synonymous with being overly sensitive and jealous. At this moment, I felt as ridiculous as a joke. 0
I spoke coldly, my tone resolute: “Then let’s end it. There’s no need to continue.” Sensing the tense atmosphere, his friends stood up, their faces plastered with smiles, trying to persuade us to continue. I slowly removed my white gloves, then pulled off my veil, and turned to walk away. Lucas abruptly stood up, shouting angrily: “With so many people here, you think you can just end it and leave? Get back here right now!” Tessa’s eyes welled up with tears, her voice choked with sobs: “Lucas, did I make Lily angry? Lily, you’re the main character today, how can you leave first?” Lucas gently comforted her, then yelled at me again. “There you go again with your princess attitude. If you don’t want to get engaged, then don’t!” I stopped in my tracks but didn’t turn around: “Fine, if that’s the case, there’s no need to force it.” He didn’t speak again, just roughly pushed me out of the banquet hall. The door slammed shut with a “bang,” and I heard his voice seeping through the crack, tinged with a hint of smugness and mockery: “Just wait and see, she’ll be back begging for forgiveness within five minutes.” I stood still, turning to look at the tightly closed doors of the banquet hall. I could imagine the looks of pity or derision on his friends’ faces, as I was all too familiar with them. Lucas had often mocked me in front of his friends, saying I had thrown myself at him, and that when my dad died, all my assets would be his. Although he never said it to my face, after hearing it so many times, I knew most of what was said. Just now, his friends were staring at me like I was some kind of joke, while Tessa was still nestled in his arms. I, the supposed star of the engagement party, had become a superfluous bystander. What should have been a romantic scene left me feeling cold all over, shaking uncontrollably, as if I were standing in a biting wind. My feet felt as heavy as lead, but I still walked away without looking back. Lucas didn’t come after me. I sat alone by the river until late at night, until the cold wind triggered my migraine. My phone vibrated, and a message from an unknown number popped up. I opened it to find a video of Tessa in a short skirt, being held in Lucas’s arms. He looked like an anxious father, rubbing her hands to warm them, covering her face, and muttering, “It’s okay, I’m here with you.” But I clearly saw Tessa stick out her tongue playfully. It was obvious that she had planned this with someone else to show me. In the past, her numerous provocations aimed at angering me and making me give up and back off had made me break down countless times. But now, I couldn’t find that hysterical feeling anymore. I guess once your heart dies, it can no longer be stirred. My phone lit up again, with a series of voice messages from Lucas. I played one of them, and his angry voice echoed along the riverbank. “Where the hell are you? How dare you walk out with so many people waiting? Are you out of your mind?” “Tessa’s been crying. Is this how you act as an elder? Stop being so dramatic and come back to apologize to her right now!” I laughed bitterly. Right, as the fiancée who had thrown herself at him, how could I be worth cherishing? I only fueled his arrogance. Just last month, he had thrown Tessa a birthday party, complete with celebrity performances and a drone show. He even forced me to go on stage and sing for her. When I said I had a headache due to my period and didn’t want to sing, he told me to leave if I was going to be an eyesore. Afterward, he even gave my new Chanel handbag to Tessa to cheer her up. I scrolled through my phone contacts, and finally couldn’t resist calling my father. “Dad, do you want to retire? Your daughter wants to come home and take care of you.” 0
I was my father’s only daughter. Although my mother passed away early, he never let me feel a lack of fatherly love. In recent years, as he’s gotten older and his health has declined, he’s repeatedly expressed his hope for me to visit him more often. But I was so focused on Lucas, and because of our frequent conflicts, I had also grown distant from my father. I knew how difficult it was for my father to manage a large corporation, but I still couldn’t bear to give up my life by Lucas’s side. I abandoned a life of luxury, gave up my family’s business, and devoted myself to assisting him in his startup, only to end up completely broken and hurt. My father was clearly awakened from his sleep by my call. Hearing his anxious voice asking what had happened, I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Nothing’s wrong, Dad. I just miss you.” “My dear daughter, did Lucas bully you? Why do you sound so upset?” I could no longer suppress the pain in my heart and burst into tears over the phone. After crying, I talked with Dad for a long time. I could tell he was very emotional too, constantly talking about arrangements for when I return home. Having made my decision, I started preparing to leave. My father had built his business empire from scratch, and he had intended to groom me as his successor. But after graduating and returning to the country, under the pretext of wanting to strive independently, I stayed in Lucas’s city, neglecting my father whose gray hair was increasing day by day. Now, I was eager to return home, not wanting to stay here any longer. Late at night, I returned home to find Tessa’s shoes and coat scattered at the entrance. From inside, I could hear Lucas’s doting voice: “Why are you barefoot? You’ll complain about cold feet later.” She responded in a coquettish manner: “Who told you not to prepare for me? You must have been too busy today, right?” I stood in the living room, looking disheveled, while she feigned surprise: “Lily, why are you back so late? We thought you had already come home.” Her demeanor was as if she were the mistress of the house, while I had become an unwelcome guest. I was too exhausted to care that she was wearing my new pajamas and holding my unopened Hermès perfume. She seemed to have grown accustomed to using my things naturally. Lucas always said, “It’s not that she doesn’t have money, she’s just alone here without anyone to take care of her. You’re with me now, so you’re like an elder to her. Giving her some things is no big deal.” Seeing my silence, Lucas mistakenly thought I was about to get angry and hurriedly explained, “I just took Tessa to the hospital for a check-up. It was too late and unsafe, so I let her stay for the night.” “Fortunately, nothing’s wrong with her. Otherwise, how could I face her parents?” His tone was full of reproach, but he failed to notice my wind-reddened face and weak expression. The headache made me feel dizzy, and I had no strength left to argue with them. He asked in bewilderment, “You’re not angry?” Stopping in my tracks, I explained for him: “Tessa’s parents aren’t around, so it’s right for you to take care of her. I’m used to being independent, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll forget about it after a good night’s sleep.” They were momentarily stunned. Lucas hastily said, “You know Tessa’s been emotionally unstable since she got sick. I was afraid something might happen to her.” I interrupted him: “That has nothing to do with me. You don’t need to explain so much.” He became annoyed and forcefully grabbed my arm, but I shook him off as if I’d seen a ghost. Tessa, on the verge of tears, said: “Stop fighting. I’ll leave now and never appear in front of you again.” She turned to leave, but Lucas warned me: “She’s still just a young girl. Can’t you tolerate her? Stay at home and reflect on your behavior!” He helped her put on her coat, and before leaving, he didn’t forget to go to the bathroom and stuff her pink underwear into his pocket. As she passed by me, Tessa secretly stuck out her leg, tripping me. Already dizzy, I stumbled and fell to the ground, the pain hitting me again. But Lucas acted as if he hadn’t seen it and left directly with her.
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