Chapter 3

Under the watchful eyes of many and with cameras and live streams capturing the moment, Zachery kissed Sophia with deep affection.

And Anne? She was nothing but a background figure—unnecessary, almost a joke at that moment.

"See that? Do you still have doubts?" Zachery's face was flushed with anger as he pointed at the fans and paparazzi who had pushed their way into the room.

"Want to hear about our love story? Fine. I'll give you what you want!

"I've loved Sophia since middle school. I confessed to her when I graduated high school, and we've been together for eight years. For all these years, I've been devoted to her and only her. I'll love no one else for the rest of my life!

"I'll give her the wedding of the century. No one else deserves my love but Sophia. No one!"

There was his dramatic confession, witnessed by countless online and offline spectators.

Suddenly, someone clapped. The sound of applause was jarring at that moment, and everyone turned to see who was clapping.

Anne, in her white coat and with short, neatly cut hair, looked elegant and graceful. She was smiling as she clapped. Soon, the fans, paparazzi, and bystanders joined in.

Zachery glanced at her. His gaze wavered with a tinge of guilt.

"Mr. Judd's devotion is truly touching. I wish you both the best," Anne said calmly.

Zachery's expression darkened when he heard her words. "Keep your well-wishes to yourself. We don't need them!"

With that, he wrapped his arm around Sophia and walked out.

Once they were gone, the fans and bystanders followed suit, and the office fell into silence.

Anne sat down, holding her waist, as the spot she had bumped into earlier was still throbbing in sharp pain. She lifted her shirt to check and saw two bruises forming.

Later that afternoon, as she was about to finish for the day, her phone buzzed. She opened Instagram and saw a new follower request.

"It's Harvey Stone," he messaged her.

Harvey Stone?

Anne was confused for a moment before she remembered who that was.

She'd only spoken to Harvey two times over the phone. After all, he was her soon-to-be husband, so having him follow her on Instagram was a formality. At this thought, she accepted his request.

After that, she opened their conversation page and stared at it for a long time, unsure of what to say. Eventually, she closed the app and packed up to leave.

At the end of her day shift, she made a round through the inpatient department before leaving. When she left the hospital, it was already dark. Just as she was about to hail a cab, a black Maybach pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down, and Caesar Lane waved at her with a grin. "Anne, Jul's opening his bar today. He purposely asked me to come pick you up and celebrate with us."

Caesar emphasized the word "purposely", then chuckled.

Caesar and Julius Sommer were Zachery's childhood friends, and she got along with them well enough.

She could make time for Julius' event.

Once inside the car, Caesar handed her a bottle of water.

"I was there for Sophia's birthday, too," he said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

Anne took a few sips of water, thinking about the video she had seen. When Zachery was down on one knee, proposing to Sophia, Caesar had shouted, "Marry him! Marry him!"

"This has always been a regular part of Sophia's birthday routine. I didn't take it seriously, and I bet Zachery didn't, either. Who would've thought Sophia would actually agree? Of course, she had her reasons, but still, this is unfair to you."

"Thanks for saying 'unfair,'" Anne replied.

"Well… Zachery really was just trying to help Sophia," Caesar explained.

"If you had to choose between Sophia and me as a friend, who would you pick?" she asked.

Without hesitation, he replied, "You, of course!"

Anne smiled. "Even if you're lying, I'm happy to hear it."

Caesar shook his head. "I'm not lying. I've known Sophia longer, but I'd rather be friends with you."

"That's why I got in your car when you came to pick me up. But from now on, let's not talk about Zachery. We've broken up."

Caesar stuck out his tongue. "When you're upset, you tend to say things you don't mean."

Anne frowned. So, he thought she was just mad and not really breaking up with Zachery?

…

Julius' new bar was nestled at the end of a narrow alley, inside a quiet courtyard adorned with mosaic art pieces on the walls. There was a small pond in the yard, and hanging lights illuminated the corridors, creating a peaceful ambiance.

Caesar pointed to a room at the far east corner, then hurried off to the bathroom.

Anne stood outside the room. Just as she was about to push the door open, she suddenly heard Zachery's angry voice.

"Enough, Julius! She's the one who wants to break up, not me!"

Julius sighed. "You were wrong in this, after all."

"Sophia's in trouble. How could I not help her?"

"But Anne—"

"Anne doesn't matter. How could she compare to Sophia?" Zachery shot back.

"You'll regret this one day!" Julius sounded furious.

"The only one who'll regret this is her. Every time Sophia needs me, Anne threatens to break up. But it's always her who begs for forgiveness in the end. It's the same this time. I'm ignoring her."

"You're only doing this because Anne loves you, but even the most enduring love can run out. I've prepared a bouquet of roses for you. You'd better hold onto it and apologize to Anne."

Anne took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Julius immediately got up to greet her. "Anne, I'm so glad you came!"

Knowing about the bar opening, she had prepared a succulent plant for him.

"Wishing you a prosperous opening," she said as she handed it over.

Julius accepted it with a smile. "Thank you."

He then gave Zachery a pointed look and told Anne, "Take a seat. I need to host some guests out there."

"I'll pass." Anne walked with Julius outside. "I'll come back another time."

"Anne…"

"Thanks for everything." She gave Julius an apologetic smile and turned to leave.

But just as she reached the door, Zachery chased after her. "Have you had enough, Anne?"

Anne ignored him and kept walking.

"I've already explained everything to you. Don't push your luck!" Zachery blocked her path, his impatience clear.

Anne glared at him, coldly sneering. "I heard everything you said in the room. I actually thought I deserved to be with someone like you. I was wrong. But I've been paying for my own mistakes for the past eight years. From now on, I won't make the same mistake again!"

She turned to leave, but Zachery grabbed her wrist. His eyes burned with fury as he stared at her. "Must you do this?"

"Let go of me!"

Zachery tightened his grip, anger flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, he yanked her toward his car.

"I'm not getting in your car, Zachery!" Anne shouted.

"We're going home."

"No!"

"Looks like I did neglect you these days. I can't believe you'd actually ask for a breakup. I'll make it up to you tonight. No, you won't be able to get out of bed these next two days!"