Chapter 2

Wendy Wilson POV

By the time I got home, it was already one in the morning.

I stood at the entrance of the walk-in closet, looking at the display wall dedicated to jewelry.

Simon loved gifting me jewelry. He claimed dresses and handbags fell out of fashion fast, but fine jewelry lasted a lifetime, and once promised I’d own more pieces than his mother. It could be worn for a lifetime.

Mrs. Stone had an entire cabinet full of jewels, all of them gifts from Simon’s father, Michael Stone.

Simon once said, “I’m going to make sure you have even more jewelry than my mom.”

So on my birthdays, he gave me necklaces. On Valentine’s Day, he gave me bracelets. On anniversaries, he gave me earrings.

Not a single year was missed.

I opened the cabinet door and took the pieces out one by one.

The ruby choker was something Simon had put on me himself on my eighteenth birthday.

The clasp was too small. He fumbled with it several times, and I laughed so hard I bent back and forth.

The pink diamond bracelet was carved from a rough gemstone he’d traveled fourteen hours to Myanmar’s mines to handpick, before flying all the way to Antwerp for custom cutting—the entire process took a month and a half.

Then he flew to Antwerp to find someone to process it. The whole thing took him a month and a half.

When he came back, his flight was delayed, and he did not arrive downstairs at my place until four in the morning.

He was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open, but he still insisted on stuffing the box into my hands before going back to sleep.

The sapphire earrings were won at Christie's.

At the time, the bidding had reached thirty million, and everyone in the room thought he had lost his mind. Even the auctioneer confirmed it more than once.

Simon held up his paddle without changing expression and only said, “My girlfriend likes them.”

I took them off one by one and placed them into a box.

There was also a butterfly brooch, a long pearl necklace, a full-diamond bracelet...

I remembered the origin of every single piece. I remembered the look on his face when he chose them. I remembered him personally putting them on me and saying, “Beautiful.”

Back then, Simon only had eyes for me.

The same person could fly halfway across the world for me five years ago, yet five years later, he had his driver abandon me in a rainstorm.

These heavy pieces of jewelry proved that Simon had once loved me.

But only once.

I put the jewelry box away, took a hot shower, and slept soundly.

Early the next morning, I was shaken awake by my phone.

Message notifications came one after another, ringing nonstop.

I opened Moments, and Simon’s post was at the very top.

The photo was a group picture from the private room last night.

Phoebe was nestled in his arms, her face still red.

Simon had an arm around her shoulders, his chin resting against the top of her head.

The caption read:

【Getting ready to bring her home as my wife.】

The comments section exploded.

Some people were sincerely offering congratulations, some were asking about Phoebe’s background, but even more were making snide remarks.

【What about Wendy? Is he officially dumping her for good?】

【Hahahaha, finally separated from the personal nanny who followed him around for five years.】

【Wendy’s probably crying her eyes out in the bathroom after seeing this.】

My private messages were even uglier than the comments.

Plenty of people had specifically come to ask me:

“Did you see it?”

“Are you okay?”

“I told you a long time ago he didn’t like you.”

There was not a shred of concern in their words. They were all just watching the show.

I placed my phone face down on the bed, and that familiar dull ache came back in my chest.

I thought I had already let go last night, but when I saw that photo, my heart still spasmed with pain.

A habit built over five years could not be quit in a single day.

But this time, I had already decided to leave.

Before I even had time to put down my phone, Gordon Wilson barged in.

I hurriedly stood up.

Before I could steady myself, Gordon’s slap landed across my face.

The blow knocked my head to the side, my ears buzzing.

“Useless.”

Gordon cursed at me without pause. “You can’t even hold on to a man. What use are you to me?”

I slowly lifted my head.

My face burned with pain, and I tasted blood in my mouth.

Ever since Simon grew disgusted with me, Gordon had either beaten me or cursed at me.

Every time Simon was unhappy, Gordon would withhold Helen Shaw’s medicine from me.

All these years, for Helen’s medicine, I had endured it.

But today, without even thinking, I raised my hand and slapped him back.

Gordon froze. Then his entire body trembled with rage. In the next second, furious, he instinctively looked around for something to hit me with.

“You actually dare hit me—”

“You’re just short on money, aren’t you?” I interrupted him.

Gordon’s movements stopped.

“Julian Kingsley is looking for a wife.” I looked at him. “The wedding fund is ten billion. I’m willing to marry him.”

Gordon’s expression changed from rage to wariness, then from wariness to greed. Finally, he studied me suspiciously.

“Are you playing me? Who doesn’t know Julian Kingsley is blind and has a violent temper? Marrying him would be like going to prison. You’d be willing?”

“I have conditions.”

Gordon narrowed his eyes and sized me up.

“Go on.”

“The day I go to the Kingsley family, you give me the formula for Helen Shaw’s medicine.”

Gordon stared at me. I knew what he was thinking.

The Kingsley family’s status and power were beyond even the Stone family’s.

If I could marry into the Kingsley family, his Wilson Group would certainly be able to reap plenty of benefits as well.

And he knew very well how much that formula was worth. At most, it could earn him one billion.

Trading one billion for ten billion—no matter how he calculated it, he would not lose.

“Fine.”

The anger on Gordon’s face disappeared completely.

“I’ll contact the Kingsley family. Once you get into the Kingsleys’ car, I’ll give you the formula. But if you dare try anything—”

“Helen Shaw won’t get another pill.” I finished the sentence for him.

Gordon looked at me with satisfaction, then turned and left.