Abigail's hand clenched around the phone so tightly that she didn’t notice the pain until it became unbearable. Slowly, she loosened her grip and placed the phone down, her fingers trembling.
She raised her eyes to the dark night sky outside, her gaze hollow and unfocused. A single question echoed in her mind: Is Sebastian still the man I knew?
How could someone change so much in just a single week?
Her thoughts spiraled back to the video, replaying it in her mind over and over again, as though dissecting it might somehow restore the man she loved. She clung to memories of the past, the weight of nostalgia, the only thing anchoring her as she stumbled through this thorny path.
As she had come to expect, Sebastian didn’t return that night. The once warm and lively bed felt unbearably cold, and she fell asleep with tears staining her pillow.
The next morning, Abigail sat at the dining table, eating breakfast in the silence that had become her new normal. The sound of the villa door opening startled her, and she looked up to see Sebastian entering.
Her heart stirred involuntarily, and she rose to greet him, the name slipping from her lips out of habit. “Sebastian...”
He didn’t even glance her way. His voice was ice when he said, “I told you not to call me that.”
Without waiting for a response, he strode upstairs, his back turned to her.
Abigail stood frozen in place, staring blankly at him as he disappeared. Habits weren’t so easy to change. For almost four years, she had called him that, and he had always corrected her whenever she used his full name, insisting it made them sound too distant.
But now...
A few minutes later, he came back down, dressed in fresh clothes.
“Sebastian, where are you going?” she asked, this time remembering his demand.
Her attempt to comply didn’t placate him. His dissatisfaction lingered, though even he couldn’t quite explain it. Irritation flashed in his eyes as he snapped, “Do I need to report to you where I’m going?”
She bit back a response, letting the question hang in the air as he walked out the door.
At six in the evening, her phone buzzed, breaking the uneasy quiet of the day. She picked it up and saw his name on the screen.
His voice on the other end was curt, almost mechanical. “Take the ‘Ivory Dream’ and come to the Golden Sands Banquet Hall.”
Before she could respond, the line went dead.
Abigail stared at the phone, her mind struggling to process his words. Ivory Dream. Her fingers instinctively reached for the necklace—a delicate crescent moon pendant he had given her on their first anniversary. Back then, his words had been tender: “You’re my Abby, my dream. This is for you, my light.”
But now, his cold tone made the memory feel like a cruel mockery.
Her chest tightened as she glanced at the clock. Why would he call her to a banquet on New Year’s Day? And why specifically ask her to wear this necklace?
Ivory Dream was the wedding gift Sebastian had given her on their wedding day. It was no ordinary necklace, but a set of crown-shaped necklaces, each meticulously crafted with exquisite detail. The set was incredibly expensive, and there was only one in existence—created solely for her.
Abigail had never worn it casually, always too afraid of damaging it. She reserved it for only the most important occasions.
Tonight, as she prepared to leave, she climbed upstairs to change into a chest-wrapped dress that would complement the necklace’s brilliance. The pendant settled on her skin, its delicate silver gleaming against her fair complexion, making her look even more striking than usual.
She hailed a taxi and made her way to the Golden Sands Banquet Hall. When she arrived, she stepped out of the car, her heart fluttering with anticipation. Her eyes immediately found Sebastian standing at the entrance. She assumed he was waiting for her, so she hurried toward him.
But as she drew closer, her heart sank. There, standing beside him, was Gabriella. Her presence, so familiar and yet so foreign, crushed Abigail’s spirits in an instant.
Sebastian’s gaze flickered over to her, but instead of the warmth she had once known, his expression darkened.
"Why are you dressed like this?" he asked, his voice colder than she remembered.
Abigail froze. Her mind raced as she realized her mistake—he hadn’t asked her to attend the banquet at all. She had misunderstood everything.
Embarrassment flooded through her, and she nervously pinched her fingers together, unsure of how to explain herself.
Sebastian, however, didn’t seem to care about the miscommunication. His focus was elsewhere.
"Where is the necklace?" he asked bluntly.
Abigail instinctively touched the necklace around her neck, her brow furrowing in confusion. Was he planning to sell it?
But her assumptions were wrong. The reality was far more cruel than she had imagined.
Sebastian’s voice was sharp and emotionless. “Take it off.”
She stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat.
Sebastian’s patience seemed to snap. Without another word, he grabbed her by the arm, roughly turning her away from him. As her neck was exposed, he swiftly removed the necklace, his fingers cold against her skin.
Abigail’s heart pounded in her chest as she slowly turned to face him.
What she saw made her world come crashing down.
Sebastian, holding the necklace in his hand, walked past her and toward Gabriella. With an almost tender gesture, he lifted Gabriella’s long hair and placed the precious wedding gift—Ivory Dream—around her neck.
