Chapter 4
I had never seen Howard this angry before. His veins bulged, and his eyes were as red as a trapped beast's. "Apologize," he demanded. "I said, apologize to her!"
I reached behind me, and my hand came away wet. I was bleeding; I had hit my back so hard.
"I didn't—"
But Howard cut me off. He didn't even glance at my injury; he just kept pressing me to apologize. Behind him, Crystal flashed a devious smile.
All the strength drained from my body, leaving nothing but a hollow shell. Numb and feeling ridiculous, I obeyed. "Crystal, I'm sorry."
Howard snorted coldly, then walked away with Crystal in his arms.
My gaze fell on the handmade photo album on the table. If Howard had just glanced in its direction, he wouldn't have missed it. I didn't need it anymore.
I tossed the album and the USB drive—filled with all our memories—straight into the trash.
Late that night, Howard came over, looking exhausted. "Crystal will be sleeping in the guest room on the second floor. She won't bother you, so don't bother her either."
His words were cruel and laughable. Had he ever listened to a word I said? Had he ever asked what actually happened? He had just sentenced me without a trial.
I forced out a hum of acknowledgement.
Howard's expression softened, and he patted my hand helplessly. "Stop overthinking. It's fine as long as you change. Get some rest."
He said he'd be working late, that he would sleep in the guest room that night, and that I shouldn't wait up for him.
But I waited. I waited until he and Crystal were lost in each other, their bodies tangled, indulging themselves without restraint. Then I walked out without looking back.
I found a random hotel and slept until morning. When I woke up, a text message from an unknown number was waiting for me.
It was from Joshua Zimmerman, the second son and future heir of the Zimmerman family—my arranged marriage partner.
He invited me to choose our wedding rings. I agreed.
When I arrived at the store, Joshua wasn't there yet, so I went in alone.
The store specialized in custom luxury wedding rings, and it was filled with sweet, soon-to-be-wed couples. I was the only one wandering around alone.
Curious glances landed on me from all directions. But I didn't care. After what happened with Howard and Crystal, not even the sky falling could shake me.
Joshua and I were getting married for business purposes. There were no feelings involved. We hadn't even met. Why should I expect him to dote on me?
My heart had already crumbled to ashes. Asking for more would be unfair.
Finally, in the last display section, I found a ring I liked. I waved to the salesclerk. "Hi. Can I take a look at this ring?"
"Wow! Howie, this ring is so pretty!"
Crystal's voice overlapped with mine. Howard stood behind her, his expression instantly darkening. He grabbed my wrist. "Celine, what are you doing here?"
I yanked my hand free. "Shopping for wedding rings, of course. What are you here for? Dinner?"
Several salesclerks snickered when they heard my snide remark. Embarrassed, Howard's face flushed with anger. "I mean, why are you in a wedding ring shop?"
I folded my arms and stared at him coldly. "You're here too. Why can't I be?"
I turned back to the salesclerk. "Please show me this ring."
"We were here first," Crystal said, stepping forward to block me. "So they should show it to me first. Right, Howie?"
Crystal was too young and impatient. As expected, Howard ignored her; his eyes locked onto mine. "You're picking rings for our wedding, right, Celine?"
I didn't answer, simply examining the ring in my hand.
The salesclerk tried to diffuse the tension. "There's no need to argue. We have ten new designs arriving soon, all handmade by renowned jewelers from overseas…"
Another salesclerk nudged her. "Don't talk nonsense. Those are for our VIP clients. We can't sell those!"
I paid them no mind. I let out a soft laugh, met Howard's stubborn gaze, and said calmly, "Yes, this is for a wedding. But not with you."
"What did you say? If you're not marrying me, then who—"
"Me."
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