Chapter 3

Heather watched with smug satisfaction as Audrey, once proud, now humbly served her tea and water.

"Ex-girlfriend? So what? I'm the one Duncan's marrying now. Audrey will never be more than a dirty secret," Heather thought triumphantly.

She reached for the glass, but in the next moment—

"Ah! Audrey Lyons, are you trying to scald me to death?" Heather jumped up from her chair, the sudden movement causing hot water to spill onto her hand.

Audrey was splashed too, her brow furrowing slightly.

She knew Heather had done this on purpose.

But Audrey didn't care about Heather's tricks. Her only concern was Duncan.

So she didn't explain or argue. She simply turned to go upstairs.

"Audrey, I can't believe you're so vicious. Are you upset that Duncan and I are together? Don't forget, you were the one who ran off with another man a year ago, abandoning Duncan when his company was struggling," Heather cried, her hand turning red, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I didn't," Audrey stopped, closing her eyes. Her thick lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, fan-like and beautiful.

"You didn't? Then how did a perfectly good glass of water end up on me? You did this on purpose! You're taking revenge because Duncan and I are together!" Heather's tears fell like broken strings of pearls.

"Believe what you want," Audrey shrugged helplessly.

Enraged, Heather reached out to grab Audrey's Chanel blouse, preventing her from leaving. But in the next moment, her Jimmy Choo heels gave way and she fell to the ground.

"Audrey, since scalding me didn't work, are you trying to make me fall to my death now?" She looked up, her face full of grievance as she questioned Audrey.

Audrey smirked, "Miss Leverton, you're wasting your talents. You should be on Broadway."

She hadn't even tried to break free; Heather had let go on her own.

Heather might be the woman Duncan was going to marry, but that didn't mean she could frame and trap Audrey at will.

Familiar footsteps approached—it was Duncan.

The once gentle and refined young man now looked at her with eyes as cold as a New York winter.

Suddenly, Audrey understood. Heather was putting on a show for him.

"Duncan," Heather saw him and cried even more pitifully. She got up from the marble floor, deliberately showing her swollen hands to Duncan. "Duncan, you're finally back. She just threw hot water at me. She said my fiancé is just someone she cast aside. She also said..."

"What else did she say?" Duncan's eyes were cold.

"She said I'm the other woman, that I stole you from her. But it was her who ran away with another man and your money a year ago, before we got together."

Duncan's lips curved into a cold, lonely smile as he walked toward Audrey. "Audrey, don't think that my letting you stay in this penthouse means I still have feelings for you. Let me tell you now, I don't. I just want to watch the person who betrayed me live a life worse than death!"

A life worse than death?

News of his engagement to Heather was all over social media these days. Now it seemed that even with a fiancée, he wouldn't allow her to leave him?

His hatred for her had reached the point of no return.

But she loved him. Dying by his side in this luxurious Manhattan apartment would be her greatest happiness.

Duncan's eyes narrowed as he watched Audrey. He couldn't believe she showed no remorse, even smiling at a time like this.

His hand suddenly let go, his gaze falling on Heather's swollen hands. "Apologize to her."

Heather smiled triumphantly.

"But it wasn't me; it was her—"

"I said apologize to Heather! Are you deaf?!"