I nodded in understanding.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jared and that woman emerging from a mall across the street, arms wrapped around each other. The two laughed and teased one another like a pair of lovers madly in love.
This time, I finally got a clear look at her face.
Clenching my coffee cup tightly, I let a cold smirk tug at the corners of my mouth.
So, it was her. She really knew how to put on a show.
Jared made a point to come home during lunch, bringing a Tiffany Victoria necklace to "make amends."
"I’m sorry, darling. The art exhibition kept me up until late last night, and I ended up crashing at the office," he said, his voice filled with regret. His eyes were slightly red, as if he’d been up all night agonizing over something.
"I didn’t balance work and life well," he continued, guilt-ridden, while carefully fastening the necklace around my neck. He then took my hand gently, brushing his thumb over the back of it in an apologetic, almost ingratiating manner—the way he always did when he tried to win me back after upsetting me.
Suppressing my disgust, I smiled and reassured him. "It’s okay. The exhibition is your labor of love for the past three years. It’s only right to give it your all."
Lowering my gaze, I cut a piece of steak and held it up to his lips. "Eat something. You must be starving after working through the night. Your lips are so dry, and your eyes are bloodshot."
Perhaps sensing the subtle undertone in my words, his expression froze for a moment. Flustered, he swallowed the steak, then leaned his head against my shoulder, feigning affection.
"My darling always worries about me. Just give me a little more time. Once I’ve proven myself, my family will have no choice but to agree to our marriage. And when that day comes, I’ll give you a wedding that you’ll remember for the rest of your life."
In the past, when he talked about our future wedding, my eyes would tear up, and I would dream about it with him.
Now, I realize how laughably naïve I was.
Jared had taught me the hard way. 'When a man lies, he doesn’t even blink.'
I pushed him away, revolted. No matter how expensive the cologne, it couldn’t mask the stench of betrayal.
Countdown: Day Five
I visited my family home for the first time in three years to retrieve some keepsakes my grandmother left behind.
My stepmother greeted me with her usual snide remarks, muttering to my father, "Look who finally remembered her roots. Did that painter boyfriend of hers dump her?"
My father shot her a warning glance and came over, forcing a smile as he tried to defuse the situation. "It’s been so long since we’ve seen her. Why bring up unpleasant things?"
Back then, Jared had slapped my stepmother across the face while standing up for me, a slight she’d never forgiven.
As I stood there, Molly, my half-sister, suddenly appeared and threw herself into my arms, nuzzling me like a kitten. "Sis, you’re finally back! I missed you so much!"
Molly always acted harmless in front of me, but behind my back, she schemed to take everything I had.
When I gently pushed her away, she made sure to tilt her neck just enough for me to notice the faint hickey on her skin.
No need to guess whose it was—Jared’s.
The photos, the chat logs, and now the pregnancy. She was in a hurry to push me out of the picture, desperate to marry Jared before her belly grew too obvious to hide.
After all, my father was obsessed with his reputation. If he found out she was pregnant out of wedlock, he wouldn’t hesitate to disown her.
For a moment, I actually pitied her.
Even without me in the picture, Jared would never marry her.
Who would accept the daughter of a bar dancer, especially someone from a family like Jared’s?
