Chapter 4

Before the door closed, the last thing I heard was Vivian's playful mockery.

"Looks like I didn't love you in vain. You're really loyal—willing to abandon your wife for me."

"But if you just want to pretend you don't care so you can go chase after her, we won't look down on you."

Adrian's firm reply rang out:

"Without me, no one will want her."

They bet five hundred thousand dollars that within three days, I'd come crawling back to apologize.

In that moment, the last ember of hope in my heart was completely extinguished.

I pulled out my phone and called a number I hadn't contacted in ages.

In less than three seconds, the call was answered.

"In three days, I'm getting married. Come—as the groom."

The other end sounded excited and was about to ask something when a text from my grandmother suddenly came through.

"My dear granddaughter, how's the wedding planning going with Adrian? Do you want to come home for dinner tonight? I made all your favorite dishes."

Following was a photo of the food.

Grandma had made every dish that Adrian and I loved, filling the entire table.

I could only swallow the bitterness in my throat, not daring to tell the truth and worry the grandmother who'd worked her whole life raising me.

I could only reply with a voice message, trying to sound natural:

"Got it, I'll come keep you company right away. But Adrian has a business dinner tonight, so he won't be joining us!"

Before getting in the car, I instinctively looked up toward Adrian's villa.

He and Vivian were surrounded in the center of the crowd. Amid everyone's cheering—

His ears turned red.

My cheek burned with stinging pain. Before I knew it, my dried-up eyes filled with tears again.

I raised my hand to cover my face, unwilling to let anyone see my embarrassment.

...

I don't remember how I got home.

When I came to my senses, the rice in my bowl had been poked beyond recognition.

Seeing my mood was off, Grandma quickly put down her utensils and pulled me into her embrace.

She carefully spoke: "Tell Grandma—did that Adrian boy bully you?"

Meeting Grandma's loving, concerned gaze, the truth rose repeatedly in my throat, only to be swallowed back down.

"Grandma, how about I take you somewhere else?"

After a long while with no response, I looked up questioningly. Grandma's warm tears dropped right into my eye sockets.

"Grandma promises you—wherever Emma goes, I'll follow and take care of you."

"Marriage isn't the destination of happiness. If you don't like it, if you're hurt—you don't have to go through with it. Grandma only wants you to be happy forever."

My closest person's comfort was like warmth rising from spring tides after winter recedes.

I could no longer hold back the flood in my heart. I buried myself in Grandma's arms, sobbing, releasing years of grievances.

The next day, as I was packing clothes for our trip, my alternate phone buzzed with a notification.

The content showed Vivian in ski gear, nestled in Adrian's arms. The two looked as intimate as lovers in passionate romance.

The caption read: "Someone came to make up for my regret of never seeing snow. Today he's transformed into strict Coach Adrian~"

I froze. The snowman toy Adrian had given me fell from my pocket.

It was his gift to compensate for me never having seen snow. He'd promised to take me to see snow as soon as work quieted down.

But one busy period led to another. That promise was tossed into the farthest corner of his heart, long covered in thick dust.

I snapped out of my numbness and threw the toy forcefully into the trash.

Just then, a scream came from Grandma's room.

When I pushed the door open, Grandma was collapsed on the floor in pain.

From her shattered phone came Adrian's voice: "You were violated..."

"Emma... is what he said true... when did you suffer such grievance..."

"It's all my fault... cough cough... all my fault for not protecting you..."

Grandma cried while clutching her chest.

The pain on her face made me react immediately.

Grandma's heart condition was acting up!