Chapter 1

At my engagement party, my fiancé and my parents had prepared a table filled with mystery boxes.

My younger sister, Elena Hayes, wrapped her arms around my fiancé, Adrian Whitmore, and sweetly pleaded, “There are so many mystery boxes. Madison can’t possibly open them all. Can I pick three too?”

Adrian affectionately ruffled Elena’s hair.

“You never change. You’ve known your sister and me for so long, yet you still act like a child.”

Our parents, Charles and Victoria Hayes, smiled indulgently.

“Our Elena has always been lucky. Maybe she’ll win something amazing.”

Elena eagerly grabbed three mystery boxes before anyone else could stop her.

She opened the first one.

“A ten-day honeymoon trip to Valehaven.”

The second one.

“All the cash gifts from Madison’s wedding.”

And the third.

“The Whitmore family’s heirloom emerald bracelet.”

When I opened my own mystery boxes, every single card contained the same message:

“Better luck next time.”

Elena draped an arm around my shoulders with a smug smile.

“Looks like you’re still as unlucky as ever, Madison.

“A bet’s a bet! I’m going to Valehaven with your fiancé instead.

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him for you. I won’t let some pretty girl from overseas steal him away.”

I stood frozen, convinced they were playing some cruel joke on me.

Then Adrian spoke.

“Madison, a bet’s a bet.

“Take off the bracelet Grandma gave you and give it to Elena.”

Chapter 1

I stood there completely stunned, staring at Adrian and my parents in disbelief.

They all seemed to be waiting for me to take off the bracelet.

Elena gave me a playful wink.

“Madison, you’re not seriously going to back out of the bet, are you?”

Mom spoke up beside her.

“Madison, Elena just wants to have some fun and wear it for a couple of days. Don’t be so stingy. A bet’s a bet. Don’t be a sore loser.”

I lowered my eyes and let out a bitter, humorless smile.

The bracelet was too small for Elena’s wrist, so I gripped it tightly and pulled it off, scraping my skin in the process.

A red mark immediately appeared across the back of my hand.

“Here. Take it.”

I handed the bracelet to Adrian.

He took it without hesitation, then gently covered Elena’s hand with a silk handkerchief before carefully sliding the bracelet onto her wrist.

“I thought Elena might be too young to pull off a piece like this, but it actually looks better on her than it did on Madison.”

My parents smiled delightedly as they took Elena’s hand and admired the bracelet.

“Elena, be careful with it. Don’t break it. Otherwise, you’ll have some explaining to do to your future brother-in-law.”

Adrian merely smiled.

“It’s just a bracelet. I can afford to replace three or five of them if they break.

“As long as Elena keeps that lively spirit of hers. Don’t become dull like your sister. You’re the sweetheart of this family.”

He affectionately pinched Elena’s cheek while my parents gently held her hands.

And I stood there like a complete outsider.

I turned and walked to the restroom, mechanically rubbing the red mark on the back of my hand.

Today was supposed to be my engagement party.

It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Adrian came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of my neck.

“Why are you still acting like a child and getting upset over something so small?

“It’s just a bracelet. Whether you have it or not, everyone at Whitmore Industries already knows you’re going to be my wife.”

He took my hand and gently blew on the swollen, reddened skin.

“Your wrist looks a little bare now. How about I take you shopping for a bracelet later?”

I turned around and pushed Adrian away, putting some distance between us.

“Adrian, are you really taking Elena on our honeymoon?”

“Of course.”

He answered without hesitation.

“Madison, you’ve always kept your word. Why are you suddenly trying to get out of the bet now?

“Elena is graduating soon anyway. I thought I’d move the trip up and take her before the wedding. It’ll be a graduation trip for her.”

I stared at Adrian, unable to believe what I was hearing.

He looked at me and smiled, gently cupping my cheeks and giving them a playful squeeze.

“She wants to try cliff jumping by the ocean. Before she graduates, I want to make sure she gets the chance.

“I remember you’re afraid of heights. You wouldn’t have much fun anyway. Besides, you can take care of the company’s little errands while I’m away, right, sweetheart?”

Chapter 2

“Once I get back, how about I make it up to you with a honeymoon in Fernford? Just the two of us this time. We won’t take anyone else.”

He gave me a brief hug as if to reassure me, then eagerly returned to the banquet hall to discuss the travel plans with my parents.

I stared at the detailed itinerary I’d spent more than two weeks putting together on my phone. It felt as though someone had carved out a piece of my heart.

True to his word, Adrian moved the trip up to three days later.

For those three days, I barely saw Adrian or my parents at home.

Elena was thrilled. She practically posted on social media eight times a day.

Whenever they returned, they came home carrying bags upon bags of clothes and accessories for Elena’s vacation outfits. There was barely any room left to walk.

So I stayed late at the office instead.

When I finally went home three days later, the house was empty.

Elena had posted a photo of the four of them at the airport.

“The whole family is off to Valehaven!”

I opened the live photo attached to her post and heard my parents’ voices in the background.

“Good thing Madison didn’t notice that the mystery boxes had been switched. Otherwise, how could the four of us have enjoyed this trip together?”

My fingers tightened around my phone.

I stood there, frozen.

At that moment, a message from Adrian appeared on my screen.

“Madison, I had my assistant calculate and we should get a few hundred thousand dollars from the wedding. I added some money of my own and transferred $200,000 to Elena.

“It’s her first time traveling abroad. She’ll want to buy things, so how can she go without enough spending money?

“I deducted it from your year-end bonus, sweetheart.”

He even added a cute kiss emoji at the end.

It was one of the emojis Elena used all the time.

I stared at the screen, my heart sinking as though it had been weighed down by a thousand-pound stone and dropped into an icy abyss.

I could barely breathe.

A new comment suddenly appeared beneath Elena’s post. It was from one of her college roommates.

“Wow, Elena! Is that the emerald bracelet you’re wearing? The one that was sold for a fortune to an anonymous billionaire at an auction in Paris eighty years ago?”

Elena replied:

“Yep. It’s the Whitmore family heirloom that’s passed down exclusively to the wives of the Whitmore men.”

She never mentioned who the bracelet actually belonged to.

Then, to make matters worse, Adrian liked her comment.

A moment later, Mom and Dad did the same.

I stared at my phone until my eyes slowly filled with tears.

When I finally looked up, I wiped them away and submitted my resignation through my phone.

Adrian wasn’t at the office, so I followed the usual procedure and processed my resignation through his account.

My resignation notice was one month.

That month would be my final deadline to put an end to this relationship.

That evening, I was working late in my study when Elena suddenly started a video call.

The moment I answered, the lively chatter of my family filled the otherwise quiet room.

Elena sat on the edge of the plush bed in their presidential suite and waved at me.

“Hey, Madison! Miss you!

“I just posted my latest video. Go like it for me!”

Mom’s helpless sigh came from somewhere off-camera.

“You, honestly. Don’t bother your sister while she’s working.

“You’re always so mischievous. What will your future mother-in-law do with you once you get married?”

Adrian sat quietly behind Elena, his head lowered as he checked his emails on his phone. He didn’t even look up when he heard my voice.

But then he suddenly raised his head.

“Elena’s still young. We need to be careful when choosing someone for her. She shouldn’t rush into marriage.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Chapter 3

Elena kept urging me to open the app.

I tapped on her profile and saw that she had indeed posted a new video about half an hour ago.

It was one of those couple videos that had been trending lately. Elena was lying on the bed while Adrian held onto her arm and effortlessly lifted her with one hand.

They looked incredibly intimate, and the comments were filled with congratulations.

“Wow, what a gorgeous couple! Wishing you two a lifetime together!”

“I got so busy sending promo invites to everyone else that I forgot to send one to you two!”

“Wait, is that the heirloom emerald bracelet on her wrist? The one that’s only passed down to the wives in the Whitmore family?”

“I heard the Whitmore heir is getting married soon. Could the bride actually be the creator herself?”

“Mom, I can’t believe I’m witnessing this!”

My expression gradually hardened.

Every congratulatory comment felt like a needle piercing straight through my heart.

Elena still wore that innocent smile. She had even liked the comment speculating that she was Adrian’s fiancé.

“Madison, you’re so good to me!

“When we were kids, I hated sleeping in a separate bed from you. I’d always tell you that I wouldn’t agree to you getting married unless you found a brother-in-law who would do anything for me, spoil me unconditionally, and always treat me well.

“I can’t believe you actually found someone like that!”

Her words were painfully ironic, like a sharp slap across my face.

I spoke coldly.

“Elena, do you really think it’s appropriate to make a couple video with Adrian while wearing my bracelet?”

The mood on the other end of the call instantly changed.

Elena’s smile froze, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Madison, what are you talking about?

“Are you upset because I got your honeymoon trip? But you lost the bet fair and square…”

Mom immediately pulled Elena into her arms and turned the phone toward herself, scolding me through the screen.

“Madison, what kind of sister treats her own sister like this? This is the most important graduation trip of Elena’s life, and you won’t be happy until you make her cry?

“How could anyone have a sister as cruel as you?”

Adrian’s expression darkened as well. He picked up a tissue and handed it to Elena.

“Madison, apologize to Elena.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“What did you just say, Adrian?

“Do you even realize what she’s done? Everyone in the comments thinks Elena is your fiancé!”

“So what?”

Adrian barely lifted his eyes. His gaze was cold and threatening when he looked at me.

“I agreed to make that video with Elena. Nothing inappropriate happened. What other people choose to say is their business.

“But Madison, you’re her older sister. It’s your fault for making such narrow-minded and malicious assumptions about Elena.

“Now apologize to her.”

My eyes burned with tears, but I stubbornly bit my lip.

“What if I don’t?”

Adrian’s expression turned cold.

“Madison, I know how much effort you’ve put into the three projects we’re currently working on. If you’re going to keep being difficult, I have no problem replacing you with someone more cooperative.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

He knew exactly how much I’d sacrificed for those three projects.

I’d worked myself to the bone, even ending up in the emergency room twice after working until I vomited blood.

Then I suddenly remembered the day Adrian proposed.

Hundreds of balloons had filled the sky, each one carrying a message Adrian had written by hand.

“Adrian Whitmore will make Madison Hayes happy for the rest of her life.”

That day, Adrian had worn a white suit. He looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale, and his eyes had been filled with nothing but sincere love when he looked at me.

Yet less than six months later, it seemed he’d already run out of patience with me.

“I’ll give you five seconds to decide.

“Five…four…three…two…”

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Chapter 4

The moment the apology left my lips, it felt as though my dignity had been crushed beneath someone’s heel.

Adrian lowered his phone, leaving the screen dark.

Just before the call ended, I heard his gentle voice.

“Elena, she apologized. Don’t cry anymore.

“I already bought that ruby necklace you liked yesterday. Consider it a graduation gift. You’ll see it when we get back from the trip.”

The call ended.

I braced myself against the desk as tears slowly fell.

Ten days later, their trip to Valehaven came to an end.

Elena’s social media location showed that they were back in the city center, but I had already moved my belongings out of the house and temporarily rented an apartment near the office.

For the next two weeks, I stayed busy wrapping up the projects I’d been working on.

One evening, Mom sent me a photo.

It showed the refrigerator at home, stocked with homemade pickled vegetables and fresh shrimp, one of my favorite foods.

“You’re so stubborn when you’re upset.

“Elena graduates tomorrow. As her sister, are you really not going to come?

“I made all your favorite dishes. Come home for dinner tomorrow. Takeout isn’t good for you.

“You mentioned that the wardrobe in your room was broken. Your dad didn’t even rest after we got back from Valehaven. He spent two days fixing it for you.”

My heart softened for a moment.

I remembered how Dad used to repair things for me when I was little. Whenever something broke, he’d grab his tools and spend hours fixing it. Once, he even accidentally hit his finger with a hammer.

But everything in my sister’s room was always brand-new.

The next morning, when I opened my door, Adrian was waiting outside.

He was holding a bouquet of my favorite lisianthus, his eyes filled with affection. He pulled me into a hug and gently kissed my forehead.

“Madison, are you still upset?

“I was only trying to stop Elena from crying. I wasn’t actually threatening you.

“I know exactly how much work you’ve put into those three projects.”

He put an arm around me and led me to the car, acting just as affectionate as he always had.

But when I got into the back seat, I noticed another bouquet, freshly arranged and carefully placed there.

Gardenias.

My heart jolted.

I turned to look at Adrian, but he had already started the car and was driving toward Elena’s college.

The campus was especially lively during graduation season. Elena was dressed in her cap and gown, constantly posing for photos with her friends.

Perhaps trying to cheer me up, Mom and Dad pulled Adrian and me together.

“Madison, Adrian, stand together for a picture.”

I stood beside Adrian. He took my hand and slipped it around his arm, then gave me a slightly bashful look.

“Madison, you look beautiful today.”

The instant the camera clicked, someone suddenly squeezed between us.

“Happy graduation!”

Elena pushed her way between Adrian and me, then affectionately wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

The ruby necklace around her neck caught the sunlight, flashing repeatedly before my eyes.

When we went into the dorm to help Elena collect her things, her roommates kept glancing at Adrian.

“That’s Adrian Whitmore? He’s so handsome!”

Elena immediately shot back with a laugh.

“I warned you, girls. Don’t tell my future brother-in-law he’s handsome.

“My sister gets jealous. She’ll go crazy and yell at all of you!”

Her roommates immediately looked at me before hurrying away awkwardly.

After we finished packing Elena’s things, I instinctively handed her suitcase to Adrian.

But Elena stopped me.

“How could the president of Whitmore Industries lower himself to carry my suitcase? What would people think?

“Besides, Madison, you work out all the time. Think of it as strength training. Just remember to handle my suitcase carefully.”

With that, Elena linked her arm through Adrian’s and headed downstairs.

Mom and Dad followed close behind, carrying a few of her smaller bags.

I was left alone with a suitcase weighing nearly forty-five pounds.

Step by step, I dragged it down five flights of stairs.

The sky outside suddenly darkened.

A deafening crack of thunder followed, and heavy rain came pouring down.

Outside the dorm, I tried to open Adrian’s car door.

It was locked.

The window rolled down just a crack, and Elena stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

“Madison, you lost again!

“Remember? We agreed to play that little race downstairs. You were the last one down, so your punishment is to get home by yourself!

“We’re leaving first. Bye!”

Through the narrow opening, I saw Adrian give me an apologetic smile.

“Madison, Elena’s just being playful.

“It’s her graduation day. Let her have her way this once.

“Just get a ride home. I’ll reimburse you for the fare.”

Mom and Dad were already in the car, one in the passenger seat and the other in the back.

Their eyes held nothing but indulgent affection and helpless amusement toward Elena.

The window rolled shut, and the car quickly disappeared from view.

Rain soaked my hair completely.

Standing there in the downpour, I felt cold to my very bones.

These were the people I’d once been so proud to call my loved ones.

I gripped the suitcase handle tightly, walked back under the dormitory awning, and called a car to take me home.

When the car arrived, I kicked Elena’s suitcase over before getting in.

The expensive designer suitcase toppled into the flower bed and was instantly splattered with mud.

Without hesitation, I opened the car door and got inside.

During the ride, I finally replied to the recruiter whose invitation had been sitting unanswered in my inbox.

“I’ll be there next Wednesday.”

After receiving their confirmation, I immediately booked the earliest flight out of town for the weekend.

Then I listed my house for sale through a real estate platform.

I didn’t want this home anymore.