I turned away in a hurry and went back to my room.
Yet my thoughts refused to settle.
I flipped through several pages of documents in my hands, but not a single word registered.
That one glance of infatuation in my youth had trapped me for three full years.
Only now did I finally see clearly.
To Fabian, I had only ever been a performance played for appearances.
To Thalia, he gave his genuine heart.
I stared at the documents for a long time, until my secretary Xiaoxue knocked on the door and brought in the asset inventory list.
“Madam, everything has been checked,” she said. “Aside from the portion invested in the company, a few pieces of jewelry are missing.”
I looked up sharply. “Which ones?”
My dowry from my parents had been extensive. Even I could not remember it all clearly.
Xiaoxue hesitated before answering, “A diamond necklace, and a wedding dress.”
The diamond necklace.
I suddenly remembered seeing it around Thalia’s neck just moments ago.
I stormed straight into Thalia’s room.
She was standing in front of a full length mirror, trying on the wedding dress.
It was the one my mother had personally designed for me, the only one of its kind in the world.
There were only six days left until Thalia and Fabian’s wedding.
So rushed.
Only then did I realize that Fabian had long arranged all of this in secret.
What I had not expected was that Thalia would dare to put on that dress.
Anger made my entire body tremble. I stepped forward and grabbed the hem of the gown.
The delicate lace tore apart. Pearls scattered across the floor, rolling away with crisp sounds.
I pulled hard at the skirt until the fabric gave off a harsh ripping sound.
Thalia curled up in pain, forced to bend over, her voice shaking. “I was wrong. I will take it off right now.”
I clenched the wedding dress tightly and stared at Thalia with cold eyes.
She lost her balance in front of the mirror and fell heavily to the floor.
The gown was in complete disarray. A large section of the skirt was torn open, pearls and lace strewn everywhere.
Thalia sat on the floor in a miserable state, tears filling her eyes as she looked at me, her tone aggrieved and fragile.
“Miss Jiang, if you wanted me to take it off, you could have just said so. Why did you have to use force?”
My face was cold as I nudged her lightly with the tip of my shoe.
“You stole my wedding dress and still dare to talk back?”
Thalia lowered her head and simply cried, like a little white flower wronged beyond measure.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded behind us.
Fabian rushed in, pushed me aside, and pulled Thalia into his arms.
I stumbled back two steps and instinctively grabbed the dressing table beside me, barely managing to steady myself.
The wedding dress slipped from my hands and fell to the floor, already ruined beyond repair.
Fabian looked at me, his eyes filled with disgust and unfamiliarity, as if I were someone he had never known.
“Yvette, I already told you. I only wanted to make up for past regrets. Why must you make things difficult for her?”
A ball of fire lodged in my chest, leaving me unable to speak for a long while.
Only after some time did I force out a sentence with difficulty.
“That was the wedding dress my mother designed by hand.”
Fabian’s voice was icy. “It is just a piece of clothing. What difference does it make to lend it to her for a few days?”
“You would rather tear it apart than let someone borrow it?”
“Do you still think you are the eldest daughter of the Yvette family? Know when to stop.”
I stood there, unmoving.
It was clearly the season of blooming spring, yet I felt cold all over.
Fabian always knew exactly where to strike to hurt me most.
That wedding dress could never be worn again.
Thalia leaned against Fabian, frowned slightly, and glanced at the ruined dress on the floor, a trace of disdain flashing through her eyes.
Fabian immediately softened his tone to comfort her.
“Do not worry. I will order a new one right away. It will definitely be ready in time for the wedding.”
I bent down, picked up the tattered wedding dress, and left in silence.
