I can only blame myself for being unable to physically intervene. My heart brimming with urgency and frustration, I turned and drifted into Jasper Martin's extravagant mansion.
It had been seven years since I last saw Georgia Pierce, Jasper's mother. After the Martin family went bankrupt, Aunt Georgia developed Alzheimer's and had been living abroad with Jasper ever since. She still looked youthful in a Victorian-style dress as she addressed Jasper with her authoritative demeanor:
"Why haven't you brought Sadie back yet? It's been ages since I've seen her. I want to have a word with her!"
Aunt Georgia was always kind to me. Before the Martin family went bankrupt, she treated me like her own daughter, always offering me the best she had. She even promised to leave me half of the family estate. After their financial collapse, even when I was with Jasper, she constantly reminded him:
"Don't let Sadie down. If you do, I'll never forgive you."
Because of her kindness and because she was Jasper's mother, I was more than willing to protect her. During that time, Jasper was juggling odd jobs, leaving early and returning late without sharing much with me. Aunt Georgia, in her absent-mindedness, left the stove on, and due to that oversight, a fire broke out.
Aunt Georgia quickly passed out from the smoke. When a beam came crashing down, I pushed her out of the way. I saved her life but ended up permanently scarred and losing a leg. Looking back, it seemed like a fair trade.
But seeing my face, scarred beyond recognition, and my missing right leg, remembering Jasper's eyes when he used to call me "beautiful," I was overtaken by insecurity and confusion. So many years have passed, yet Jasper's expression from that night remains vivid in my mind.
Everest Nelson was our family doctor, and he treated my burns. When I learned I couldn't be fully healed, I begged him to help me stage a scene—one that would push Jasper away from me for good.
So when Jasper came to my house that day, he found Everest proposing to me. To maintain appearances, I wore a long-sleeved gown and a veil over half my face, even in the summer heat.
Jasper held a diamond ring in his hand. It was then I realized all his hard work had been for this moment. Everest stood by my side, making Jasper's run towards me seem absurd. The same Jasper who hadn't shed a tear at his father's funeral now asked me with tears streaming down his face:
"Why?"
I replied, "Jasper, look at your ring, then look at mine. I, Sadie Freeman, was born to be noble. Do you really think you're worthy?"
Jasper's hand tightened around the ring, blood dripping from his grip. I thought he would walk away, but instead, in a pleading voice, he asked:
"Sadie, I'm not your servant, waiting on your every whim, right? Leave with me now, and let's pretend none of this ever happened, okay?"
Such vulnerability tugged at my heart, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if my decision was right until I touched my amputated leg and heard myself say:
"Aren't you just my lapdog? You've always been my sycophant! I never loved you."
