Logan began to accept me. He even learned to say he loved me.
And when he discovered my parents favored my sister and disliked me, he would say he felt sorry for me.
I thought I had truly entered his heart. I never imagined there was already someone else living there—his childhood sweetheart, the girl born with congenital heart disease.
Because of her clumsy little performances, he made me back down again and again.
He always said, "Shirley, Jillian's father died saving me. And she has a heart condition. Can't you just give in to her?"
So for Logan's sake, I yielded.
Over and over.
But Jillian was never satisfied.
The final straw came during our engagement banquet.
In front of everyone, Jillian accused me of stealing her father's keepsake—a pearl necklace.
And sure enough, it was "found" in my handbag.
Except when they took it out, it had already been broken.
Pearls scattered across the floor like evidence of a crime.
Right on cue, Jillian clutched her chest and had a heart attack, sobbing that she was about to die.
That was the first time Logan hit me.
Without saying a word, he slapped me. Hard.
Then he ordered coldly, "Shirley, apologize."
"It's one thing for you to be jealous normally, but the one thing you should never touch is Jillian's father's keepsake."
"You're truly a vicious monster. No wonder your parents don't like you."
"Today, you will kneel and apologize to Jillian—until she chooses to forgive you."
That was the moment my heart froze.
Eyes burning red, I screamed, "I won't apologize, Logan!"
"Because I didn't do it."
"If you don't believe me, check the surveillance cameras."
For a moment, I saw hesitation flicker across his face. But Jillian's cries of pain grew louder.
Panicked, Logan lifted her into his arms—and completely forgot about the surveillance footage.
He looked at me with deep disappointment. "Shirley, you really are hopeless."
"You could've ended this with a simple apology, and instead you choose this?"
"I think the Martin and Gomez family union needs to be reconsidered. And there's no need for an engagement banquet anymore..."
My heart went cold. Completely cold.
Only then did I finally realize—Logan had never loved me.
Between me and Jillian, he never once chose me.
Just like my parents. Between me and my sister, they always chose her.
I heard myself say, "Then let's break off the engagement!"
Logan froze. He stared at me for a long time, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Fine."
"Remember, this is your choice."
"But Shirley—if you did something wrong, you must apologize. Otherwise, I'll make sure you learn what it means to offend me, Logan Martin."
His words sounded like a curse.
But back then, I was young and arrogant. I didn't understand the weight of those words. I thought—I have hands, I have feet, I have an education. How bad could life be after leaving him?
I never knew... It could be that bad.
Once I was kicked out of the Gomez family, stripped of my status as the daughter of the Gomez family and the future daughter-in-law of the Martin family... I could barely take a single step.
And with Logan spreading the word that he'd "teach me a lesson," forget finding a job—I couldn't even find a place to stay.
During that time, just to survive, I ended up selling drinks in bars.
And Logan made sure I saw everything.
He publicly declared his love for Jillian on social media, announcing that she was the future young madam of the Martin family.
He handed her endless resources—lifting a girl who couldn't even recite a full line of dialogue... and turning her into an award-winning actress.
