I asked firmly, “Why did you lie to me?”
“There’s no need for so many questions. Tabitha said her leg hurt.”
His voice came through the receiver, its coldness nearly freezing my ears.
“If it weren’t for you.”
Before he could finish, I hung up, too furious to speak for a long while.
“Valerie, don’t be sad. I don’t need the doctor anymore.”
Xavier outside the door seemed to have been listening for a long time. I pulled myself together, offered him a smile and soothed him softly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely bring Dr. Rodriguez back for you.”
I drove to Stephen’s office, only to be told by his new secretary that he was on vacation.
“You really don’t know where he is?”
I pressed again. Since Tabitha’s miscarriage, Stephen had moved out of the villa and never returned. I hadn’t seen him for a while.
The secretary’s expression was odd, tinged with a pity I couldn’t quite decipher. He hesitated, then finally spoke, “You... you should go to the estate Mr. Stein newly purchased.”
An estate? My heart sank. Hesitantly, I drove toward that familiar place etched in my memory.
Winton Manor was the first stop on my honeymoon with Stephen. I once dreamed of owning it. Back then, Stephen promised that once we were wealthy, he’d buy it for me as our third-anniversary gift.
Now we were indeed wealthy enough. The estate was even more beautiful than when I first saw it, the air itself heavy with floral fragrance. None of this was for me.
Hidden in a corner, I heard romantic music and saw a sea of blooming flowers.
Amidst the blossoms, Stephen knelt on one knee. The diamond ring on Tabitha’s finger sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
The ring on my ring finger, now a dull, lifeless band, stung fiercely. I looked down to find it had long since lost its lustre.
The pain was unbearable. I yanked the ring off.
Only as I tossed it into the trash did I realize today was the third anniversary of my marriage to Stephen.
Stephen’s emotional voice carried over and said, “Tabitha, this estate will be your home from now on!”
I snorted derisively, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag and deliberately flicked it onto the pile of expensive decorations.
The spring breeze blew gently, making the cigarette butt’s ember glow brighter. By the time everyone noticed, the entire stage was engulfed in flames.
The raging inferno engulfed Tabitha’s skirt. A piercing scream split the sky, throwing the entire estate into chaos.
Seizing this opportunity, I rushed into the manor’s interior and finally found Dr. Rodriguez, who had been imprisoned.
His clothes were disheveled, limbs stiff. He’d clearly been bound for hours. It was far from the state Stephen claimed he was in while treating Tabitha.
I hurried to help the doctor up, only to collide head-on with Stephen. Both looked utterly dishevelled—their elegant gowns scorched with gaping holes, faces caked in soot.
Tabitha snapped, “What are you doing here? Did you ruin my proposal?”
“Proposal?” I narrowed my eyes, sizing up their attire before letting out a derisive snort.
“My wife is standing right here. What proposal are you talking about?”
Stephen met my gaze, his eyes holding no trace of guilt, only fury at his ruined proposal.
“I couldn’t marry her, so I’m giving her a proper proposal ceremony. Got a problem with that?”
“Whatever. You could make up a hundred of them. It’s none of my business.”
Faced with Stephen’s favouritism toward Tabitha, I displayed indifference for the first time. Stephen seemed surprised, but I ignored him and continued walking forward with the doctor.
Behind me, Tabitha wouldn’t let it go, blocking my path. “You’re not leaving! You must have started the fire!”
I replied, “Don’t make baseless accusations without evidence.”
Stephen pulled the crying Tabitha into his arms, yet his gaze lingered on me.
“We’ll investigate. Once we find out who ruined our proposal, I’ll make her regret ever being born!”
