Chapter 1

At the welcome-home banquet for his first love, Ashton made me drink an entire glass of liquor just to make her happy.

I was pregnant, and the pain in my abdomen was unbearable.

Blood stained my white dress.

But he was too busy hand-feeding caviar to his first love while his friends egged him on.

As I lost consciousness, I heard his contemptuous laugh.

"Don't worry about her. She's just a plaything. She can't survive without me."

When I woke up in the hospital, I touched my now-flat stomach and wanted to send him the miscarriage report.

But I found that he'd changed his profile picture to a side-view photo of his first love and had blocked me for the ninety-ninth time.

This time, though, I didn't act cute and beg for forgiveness like before.

Instead, I booked a flight out of the country for three days later.

I had just gotten home when I heard a loud crash.

Serena stood among the broken porcelain pieces. When she saw me, her eyes immediately reddened.

She threw herself into Ashton's arms, crying.

"I just accidentally dropped it. Why does Elena look so scary, like an old witch..."

"She frightened me."

What she'd broken was the first gift Ashton had ever given me.

A ceramic doll that the prince of the elite social circle had made for me with his own hands.

Ashton gently stroked Serena's hair, his eyes full of tenderness. I could even see traces of how he used to dote on me.

"Don't be scared. It's just a doll. I'll smash it with you."

He bent down, picked up the doll's head, and threw it hard on the floor.

The pieces shattered into even smaller fragments.

Beyond repair.

Serena perked up, clapping and laughing.

But my hand holding my bag trembled slightly.

Years ago, Ashton had grabbed my face dominantly, his eyes wild and carefree.

"This is the first time I've made something like this for a woman."

"If you dare break this doll, I really won't keep you anymore!"

But this time, he'd smashed the doll with his own hands.

Then again, for the sake of making Serena smile, he didn't even want our child.

I gave a self-mocking laugh, picked up a broom, and started cleaning up the pieces.

Suddenly, Serena coughed.

Ashton asked nervously, "Are you okay? Did you cry so much your throat is hoarse?"

"Elena, Serena cried because of you! Go make her favorite mango juice right now."

I paused, disbelieving.

"Did you forget I'm allergic to mangoes?"

Ashton's expression stiffened. He looked away guiltily.

He started flirting with the beauty in his arms instead.

I cleaned up the pieces and threw them in the trash along with the last bit of attachment I had left in my heart.

Just then, I heard Serena's coquettish voice again.

"I'm leaving now. Meet me at the hotel tomorrow—the same one as last night~"

Ashton instinctively looked at me.

His expression was unnatural as he explained.

"Serena and I go way back. I'm just catching up with her. Don't overthink it."

I didn't bother exposing his lies.

I just pretended not to see the suggestive bite mark on his neck.

Serena shyly waved goodbye to Ashton.

I didn't watch their sweet farewell. I turned and went to the master bedroom to pack for my trip abroad.

But when I pushed open the door, I saw that our couple's photo that used to hang in the center of the wall was gone.

In its place was one of Serena's paintings.

So during all those years Serena was abroad, Ashton had never let her go for even a moment.

But that had nothing to do with me anymore.

I opened my phone and set a countdown for my flight in three days.

Suddenly, my phone auto-pushed a trending topic.

"Elite Circle Prince Makes High-Profile Appearance on Dating Show, Wedding Bells Soon for Him and Serena Morrison"

In the video, Ashton and Serena were passionately kissing, the sweetness off the charts.

No wonder he hadn't asked a single question during the entire day I was hospitalized for the miscarriage.

He was too busy showing off his relationship with Serena.

I remembered last year when paparazzi photographed us on vacation together.

To avoid suspicion, he blocked me and gave me the cold shoulder for a month.

I never imagined that someone so low-key and cautious would go on a variety show for his first love.

Just then, Ashton pushed the door open and interrupted my thoughts.

His first words were reproachful.

"Our Elena is so delicate."

"A mango allergy won't kill you. Serena just got back to the country—why did you have to upset her?"