On New Year's Eve, Mitchel threw Livia into the pool and she stayed there the whole night.
He questioned her, asking why she didn't climb out by herself when she had hands and feet. But he forgot that it was him who made her wear a mermaid tail, so she couldn't climb out of the pool at all.
"If it weren't for Malva kindly urging me, I wouldn't have come to see you! All you do is act jealous all the time. I don’t think you're ready to be the daughter in law of the West Family!"
Looking at his cold expression, Livia suddenly remembered the last time when she had endless arguments with Malva.
She was hysterical and Mitchel slapped her.
"Can't you stand it? Then break off the engagement!"
Livia bit my lip. "Fine, I'll break off the engagement."
Mitchel furrowed his brows, his face stern as he asked, "Are you really willing to?"
Later, his tone softened a little. "Actually, everything I said that day was out of anger. You don’t need to take it seriously..."
"I'm serious."
"You're throwing a tantrum again!"
Livia tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing out a bitter smile.
He didn't know that just now, she had sold her soul to stay alive.
Ten days later, she would forever be bound to another man’s side.
——
When someone pulled her out of the water, Livia’s body was frozen stiff.
Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were purple from the cold and her teeth chattered uncontrollably, making a clattering sound.
The staff hurriedly wrapped a blanket around her.
Malva, holding a glass of red wine, walked up with a calm demeanor, covering her mouth as she lightly laughed.
"Livia, you're so beautiful with such a good figure. No wonder the staff are so protective of you..."
Mitchel’s face turned cold as he ripped the blanket off her, sneering. "Livia, don't you have hands and feet? Can't you climb out by yourself? Do you know that everyone is waiting for you? You've ruined the entire New Year's Eve gathering with your antics..."
Before he could finish his words, he grabbed Livia’s hand, but when he felt the unusual coldness of her palm, his angry expression suddenly changed and his tone quivered slightly. "Are you... okay?"
"Livia's fine," Malva said, stepping in between them, looking up at Mitchel with a gentle gaze. "Mitchel, have you forgotten? A month ago, Livia took me to the island to swim. Mitchel, please don't be angry. After all, Livia didn't mean to leave me stranded on that deserted island..."
"It's just that it rained heavily that day and I had nowhere to take shelter, which is why I ended up sick for a month. It's really not Livia's fault..."
For a moment, there was complete silence by the poolside.
The atmosphere froze for several seconds before Mitchel released her hand, his voice cold to the extreme, filled with unspoken hatred. "Using the same old tricks again! I finally see through you! Livia, how could I be engaged to someone like you?"
Hearing the word "engagement," Livia seemed to snap out of her daze.
Her wet eyes looked at him, filled with confusion.
Mitchel's heart softened. Furrowing his brows, he took off his jacket and draped it over her.
The woody fragrance wafted into her nose and only then did Livia realize that she hadn't died.
She was the daughter of the prestigious Mayer Family in Holida City and since childhood, she had been betrothed to Mitchel, a marriage arranged between families of equal standing.
Her mother died during childbirth and she grew up under the care of Mitchel’s mother, Hailey, becoming childhood friends with Mitchel.
Hailey treated her as her own daughter and gave her whatever she wanted.
Although Mitchel appeared cold on the outside, he was especially attentive to her. Every birthday, he would give her a custom-made piece of jewelry. At gatherings, he would even serve her tea and pour her water in front of everyone, treating her like the little princess of their circle.
