Chapter 1

There was a company retreat.

One of the IT guys suggested a game of "Truth or Dare". Out of everyone's expectation, the game quickly devolved into a cringe and boastful version of it.

Cassandra Locksmith showed off the heavy diamond on her finger with practiced fake modesty.

"My boyfriend is absolutely terrible with money, I told him I didn't need anything, but he just had to win this rock at the auction!”

“Last month, he bought me a riverfront condo, and paid in cash too. And today he suddenly booked us first-class tickets to ‌Iceland! Tell me, what do I need to do to stop his bad habits!"

Eventually, my gaze drifted to my own faded, overworn jacket.

From the day we started dating to the day we got married, Edward Gale never bought me a gift that cost more than fifty bucks.

That man always said we were building a life together, that every penny had to be spent where it truly mattered.

Even my wedding ring was just a plain silver band he’d scrounged up on a secondhand store.

I could feel a bitter lump forming in my throat. It was right after her, I got picked for the next "Truth or Dare".

Cassandra threw a devilish smile and immediately shout out, "Wendy, since Sinclair forced me to pick 'Truth' the last time. I'll choose a 'Dare' for you! No worries, it's a simple one: call your husband and make him come pick you up."

I called Edward, the phone tune rang seven times before going to voicemail.

When I was about to give up, a cold text from Edward popped up on my screen.

Edward: [Busy.]

As the company retreat finally drew to a close, I stepped out into the lobby only to spot a sleek Maybach idling near the entrance. The car door swung open, revealing none other than Edward Gale.

This was the very man who always forced me to walk home in heavy rain just like this one. He claimed that we desperately needed to conserve five dollars on taxi fare.

Yet here he stood, meticulously opening a designer umbrella over Cassandra's head. He acted like a devoted gentleman before escorting her into the luxury vehicle and driving off into the night.

This scene was like a sharp knife, piercing my heart.

——

The relentless rain battered down, soaking my thin clothes in mere seconds. By the time I managed the grueling walk back to my apartment, a violent tremor racked my body, my thoughts were hazy with exhaustion.

Yet the piercing chill of the storm was nothing compared to the painful loop playing in my mind. The moment Edward tenderly sheltering Cassandra, carrying her away from the storm in his pristine luxury car.

In all five years of our relationship, I had never seen him look so tender, so effortlessly attentive.

My fingers moved on instinct, my thumb tracing the inexpensive silver band on my hand. I remembered the exact moment Edward had slipped it onto my finger, the shame and bitter guilt etched across his face because he lacked the money for a proper engagement ring.

"Wen, once I achieve real success, I swear I am going to buy you the grandest diamond in the world."

He had promised back then, his eyes burning with incandescent ambition.

It was all a charade. From the very beginning. The magnificent diamond he had bought without a second thought was already glistening brightly on another woman’s hand.

My phone chimed. It was a message from my landlord.

Mr. Yale: [Hey, I won't be renewing your lease when it expires at the end of the month. I've sold the place. Really sorry about the short notice.]

Outside, the storm raged harder, the howling wind echoing the hollow ache in my chest.

I was still staring blankly at the screen, unsure of how to reply, when a notification from our office group chat popped up. It was Cassandra.

Cassandra Locksmith: [Ugh, can anyone relate? My boyfriend just bought me a place in Rose Gardens. What am I supposed to do in this huge house?]

Rose Gardens, huh?

It was the exact complex I was currently living in.

A sickening seed of suspicion took root in my gut. I began tearing the apartment apart. I ripped through drawers and emptied cabinets until, finally, I found it tucked away beneath a pile of old documents: a property ownership certificate.

I opened it. The registered owner was Edward Gale.

Ice flooded my veins, spreading to my fingertips as my vision blurred with unshed tears.

This was the luxury apartment Cassandra had gotten with a simple pout. Meanwhile, I had been paying rent on it, to my own husband for exactly sixty-seven months!

The sheer absurdity of this man...

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone. Through the cracked glass of the screen, I dialed a number I knew by heart. When the line connected, all my hesitation vanished.

"Grandma," I said while holding back my anger. "Does your offer still stand? I want to come back and inherit our family's business."

I've got my grandma's affectionate reply crackled through the speaker. "Finally! The offer's only meant for you, child! I'll be waiting for you in Azure."

I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening into steel.

"Then, I'll be on a flight in three days. I land in the evening."

I paused, looking around the cheap apartment I had poured my soul into.

"And I am never coming back to Blackmount."