On the day I was discharged from the hospital, no one came to pick me up.I took a taxi alone and returned to the cozy little home that Miles Graham and I once shared. It was a place just for the two of us outside the Graham residence.As I pushed the door open, I could hear the sounds of laughter echoing inside. I was stunned for a second but still walked in calmly.Just then, Miles glanced up at me. His expression was cold as he snapped, "I only warned you not to touch Nora's things. It wasn't like I was asking you to strip on the spot."The zipper broke, but the dress didn't even fall off. Did you really need to fake an episode? You embarrassed me in front of my family."Nora Spencer clung to Miles' arm, covering her nose as she said mockingly, "Leilani's convulsions were so convincing! If she joined the entertainment industry, she'd definitely be Oscar material."Miles let out a derisive laugh. "Her? She wouldn't even dare to show skin."Nora laughed so hard at Miles' statem
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead. Loud noises echoed outside the door as Miles seemed to be smashing things again. At some point, he had developed this habit of expressing his dissatisfaction with me through this method.The first time it happened, he broke our matching mugs. Then, he shattered the ceramic figurines we had made together. The final straw was when he threw our engagement rings straight out the window……Countless waves of sadness crashed over me. It was like I was being suffocated. I suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.I lowered my gaze to my wrist, where the bruises had left purple scars that looked like a circular blade. It was slicing through my heart and slowly cutting away the decayed parts of my soul.Then, the doorbell rang, and the living room abruptly fell silent. I stood and walked out. The place was a complete mess by now, and it was utterly unrecognizable.Pieces of our photos lay shredded across the floor in the living room, glarin
Before I could reply, Nora retracted the message. I had grown tiresome of this little game of hers. Ever since she returned, she had been sending me photos of her and Miles in intimate moments.I remembered the first time I confronted Miles about it. He glanced at me briefly, then smiled indulgently. "Nora? She's just trying to tease you. Even after all these years, she's still so mischievous.""Miles, what are you saying?" I stared at him in disbelief.His smile faded, and he let out a faint scoff. "Don't come to me with this nonsense again. If Nora and I wanted to be together, we would've done so long ago."This time, I quietly blocked Nora.I casually opened another chat and, after some thought, sent a message to him. "I'm planning to join a water conservation project in Affenheim. Maybe I'll spend the rest of my life there."…After graduation, I gave up staying at the university to become Miles' secretary. Then, Miles arranged for Nora to join the company when she returne
I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. My nails were ordinary, but Miles had a fixation on hands—he adored women with perfectly manicured, long fingers. I had searched high and low for a nail artist who could meet his standards but never found one. In the end, I learned to do it myself. I had meticulously shaped and maintained my nails, and spent an absurd amount of time and effort on them. Looking back, it felt like such a waste of my precious time."I'm not some nail salon girl," I said coldly.Miles' expression darkened. He knew how absurd the request was, but he had promised Nora and probably didn't want to turn her down. Caught in a bind, he chose to put me in an uncomfortable position instead.We remained at an impasse, and whispers began to ripple through the people around us. I grew impatient and said, "Fine."Relief spread across Miles' face as he turned to walk off. "I already had someone bring over your tools."I simply followed him, feeling utterly helpless.As we
When I got off the plane, my mentor stood there holding a sign with my name and greeted me with a radiant smile."Ms. Gardner, I've missed you so much," I said as my nose tingled with emotion.Having lost my parents at a young age, I had faced everything in life alone. Seeing Ayla Gardner—my mentor, friend, and almost a mother figure—I couldn't help but feel a deep pang of sadness.She stood before me. There was worry and gentle reproach in her voice as she said, "Gosh, I should've forced you to come here two years ago. It would have spared you from all that drama and wasted time back there."I nodded in agreement while looking at her closely. Her once smooth and supple skin had grown rougher. Her lean, upright figure now resembled a pine tree weathered by harsh winds, radiating a serene, steadfast aura.Ms. Gardner had long earned the title of lifetime achievement professor at her university. She could have spent her days teaching students, doing research, and living a peaceful l
I ran my fingers over the phone screen for a long time but didn't reply. After falling into a groggy sleep, I suddenly dreamed of the time I was nearly assaulted. I had somehow blurred the memory of it due to severe trauma in the past. Perhaps because my mind was at peace tonight, but the events came rushing back to me in vivid detail.Back then, I was attending a gala hosted by the Grahams as a scholarship recipient under their sponsorship program.Most of the guests at the event judged people by their appearance. I stood awkwardly in a faded cotton dress that had been washed to near white, feeling utterly out of place.Miles had walked past me, his eyes briefly lighting up with surprise before that fleeting admiration turned to mild disdain when he noticed my dress. He then gave a faint, amused smile and walked away, leaving me even more embarrassed.It was Carter who approached me with a warm smile. He extended his hand and asked, "Miss, may I have this dance?"That night, I
I instinctively stepped back. Miles seemed hurt by my reaction, and his emotions erupted. He stammered while grabbing my arm, "How could you come to this godforsaken place without telling me? Are you really planning to stay here forever?"I've told you countless times, Nora doesn't threaten your position! Come back home with me, please? We can get our marriage license right away and have a grand wedding! I'll give you everything I have!"I gave him a brief, cold glance and let out a faint laugh. My reaction left him utterly confused. It was as if his confidence had been drained."Is there anything else?" I asked calmly.It was as if Miles' pride was wounded. He quickly grew angry, revealing his true nature. "You don't love me anymore, do you? Did Carter send you to Affenheim first? That brat's been moving assets here lately. Are you two planning to elope behind my back?"Hearing him bring up Carter, I felt my own anger ignite. "We've been over for a long time. If you want to thr
In the end, Miles returned to our home country with Nora. Before leaving, he stood outside my window and said, "Lani, I've already wronged you. I can't wrong Nora too."Even with my hands over my ears, I still managed to hear his words. He was truly nauseating. Did he really see himself as some great romantic hero?Even after Miles left, Carter stayed behind. He bought a house nearby and started visiting us daily.Surprisingly, Ms. Gardner didn't tease me about him. It was likely because Carter kept providing her with updated equipment and resources to support her financially strained projects.I complained to Ms. Gardner, "You can't just sell me off like this!"She hesitated for a moment before replying, "If Carter were a bad person, I wouldn't accept anything from him. But he's a good young man. I trust him."Frustrated, I said, "There's nothing between us! Besides, his career is based back home. Aren't you worried that if we got involved, it would disrupt my work here?"Ms. G
I instinctively stepped back. Miles seemed hurt by my reaction, and his emotions erupted. He stammered while grabbing my arm, "How could you come to this godforsaken place without telling me? Are you really planning to stay here forever?"I've told you countless times, Nora doesn't threaten your position! Come back home with me, please? We can get our marriage license right away and have a grand wedding! I'll give you everything I have!"I gave him a brief, cold glance and let out a faint laugh. My reaction left him utterly confused. It was as if his confidence had been drained."Is there anything else?" I asked calmly.It was as if Miles' pride was wounded. He quickly grew angry, revealing his true nature. "You don't love me anymore, do you? Did Carter send you to Affenheim first? That brat's been moving assets here lately. Are you two planning to elope behind my back?"Hearing him bring up Carter, I felt my own anger ignite. "We've been over for a long time. If you want to thr
I ran my fingers over the phone screen for a long time but didn't reply. After falling into a groggy sleep, I suddenly dreamed of the time I was nearly assaulted. I had somehow blurred the memory of it due to severe trauma in the past. Perhaps because my mind was at peace tonight, but the events came rushing back to me in vivid detail.Back then, I was attending a gala hosted by the Grahams as a scholarship recipient under their sponsorship program.Most of the guests at the event judged people by their appearance. I stood awkwardly in a faded cotton dress that had been washed to near white, feeling utterly out of place.Miles had walked past me, his eyes briefly lighting up with surprise before that fleeting admiration turned to mild disdain when he noticed my dress. He then gave a faint, amused smile and walked away, leaving me even more embarrassed.It was Carter who approached me with a warm smile. He extended his hand and asked, "Miss, may I have this dance?"That night, I
When I got off the plane, my mentor stood there holding a sign with my name and greeted me with a radiant smile."Ms. Gardner, I've missed you so much," I said as my nose tingled with emotion.Having lost my parents at a young age, I had faced everything in life alone. Seeing Ayla Gardner—my mentor, friend, and almost a mother figure—I couldn't help but feel a deep pang of sadness.She stood before me. There was worry and gentle reproach in her voice as she said, "Gosh, I should've forced you to come here two years ago. It would have spared you from all that drama and wasted time back there."I nodded in agreement while looking at her closely. Her once smooth and supple skin had grown rougher. Her lean, upright figure now resembled a pine tree weathered by harsh winds, radiating a serene, steadfast aura.Ms. Gardner had long earned the title of lifetime achievement professor at her university. She could have spent her days teaching students, doing research, and living a peaceful l
I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. My nails were ordinary, but Miles had a fixation on hands—he adored women with perfectly manicured, long fingers. I had searched high and low for a nail artist who could meet his standards but never found one. In the end, I learned to do it myself. I had meticulously shaped and maintained my nails, and spent an absurd amount of time and effort on them. Looking back, it felt like such a waste of my precious time."I'm not some nail salon girl," I said coldly.Miles' expression darkened. He knew how absurd the request was, but he had promised Nora and probably didn't want to turn her down. Caught in a bind, he chose to put me in an uncomfortable position instead.We remained at an impasse, and whispers began to ripple through the people around us. I grew impatient and said, "Fine."Relief spread across Miles' face as he turned to walk off. "I already had someone bring over your tools."I simply followed him, feeling utterly helpless.As we
Before I could reply, Nora retracted the message. I had grown tiresome of this little game of hers. Ever since she returned, she had been sending me photos of her and Miles in intimate moments.I remembered the first time I confronted Miles about it. He glanced at me briefly, then smiled indulgently. "Nora? She's just trying to tease you. Even after all these years, she's still so mischievous.""Miles, what are you saying?" I stared at him in disbelief.His smile faded, and he let out a faint scoff. "Don't come to me with this nonsense again. If Nora and I wanted to be together, we would've done so long ago."This time, I quietly blocked Nora.I casually opened another chat and, after some thought, sent a message to him. "I'm planning to join a water conservation project in Affenheim. Maybe I'll spend the rest of my life there."…After graduation, I gave up staying at the university to become Miles' secretary. Then, Miles arranged for Nora to join the company when she returne
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead. Loud noises echoed outside the door as Miles seemed to be smashing things again. At some point, he had developed this habit of expressing his dissatisfaction with me through this method.The first time it happened, he broke our matching mugs. Then, he shattered the ceramic figurines we had made together. The final straw was when he threw our engagement rings straight out the window……Countless waves of sadness crashed over me. It was like I was being suffocated. I suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.I lowered my gaze to my wrist, where the bruises had left purple scars that looked like a circular blade. It was slicing through my heart and slowly cutting away the decayed parts of my soul.Then, the doorbell rang, and the living room abruptly fell silent. I stood and walked out. The place was a complete mess by now, and it was utterly unrecognizable.Pieces of our photos lay shredded across the floor in the living room, glarin
On the day I was discharged from the hospital, no one came to pick me up.I took a taxi alone and returned to the cozy little home that Miles Graham and I once shared. It was a place just for the two of us outside the Graham residence.As I pushed the door open, I could hear the sounds of laughter echoing inside. I was stunned for a second but still walked in calmly.Just then, Miles glanced up at me. His expression was cold as he snapped, "I only warned you not to touch Nora's things. It wasn't like I was asking you to strip on the spot."The zipper broke, but the dress didn't even fall off. Did you really need to fake an episode? You embarrassed me in front of my family."Nora Spencer clung to Miles' arm, covering her nose as she said mockingly, "Leilani's convulsions were so convincing! If she joined the entertainment industry, she'd definitely be Oscar material."Miles let out a derisive laugh. "Her? She wouldn't even dare to show skin."Nora laughed so hard at Miles' statem