005 When Pigs Fly, I’ll Forgive Him

Emily had been waiting for ages without seeing Damian and Vivian enter, so she decided to call Vivian. “Darling Vivian, why haven’t you come in yet?”

Vivian replied, “Amelia just arrived with her male companion.”

Emily gulped down a mouthful of juice. “She dares to show up? I’ll shove her face in the jam, and then—”

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a quiet commotion at the door, as if everyone was trying to suppress their excitement. She looked up, and to her shock, it was Amelia!

Emily immediately hung up the phone, seething with anger as she strode over, shouting, “Amelia, you little bitch, how dare you come here looking for trouble?”

“Really?” A deep male voice echoed, and the man looked to be about 6'3" (190 cm) tall. He towered over Emily, who stood at only 5'5" (165 cm), creating an intimidating presence.

Emily shivered, her capillaries tightening. She stammered, “Y-you’re that—”

Axel’s expression was cold and polite, as if discussing something trivial. “Yes, I’m the kind soul who helped you with the cleaning that day. May I ask, do you still have bad breath today?”

“No, I don’t,” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Defeated, she slinked back to her seat, where Vivian was already sitting with Damian.

Vivian leaned in and whispered, “What were you just talking about? Why did your face turn red after he spoke? Did his charm get to you? Have you fallen for him?”

“How could I possibly like such a rude man? He actually—” Emily stopped abruptly, biting her tongue.

This incident would become her lifelong embarrassment, and she vowed never to tell anyone.

Vivian wanted to ask Emily more, but Emily shrugged and said, “Darling, don’t press it. Just know that I absolutely despise that man.”

Vivian’s eyes sparkled with a new thought. It seemed likely that Emily had already had a run-in with this man.

She leaned in, whispering, “Did you happen to tell the gentleman that the woman next to him is a married lady? Amelia is so stunning; perhaps he was blinded by her beauty.”

Emily suppressed her anger. “I didn’t have the chance to say anything.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, our charity auction will begin shortly. Please take your seats,” came the announcement over the loudspeaker. The business moguls and socialites began to move toward their designated places.

I flipped through the artworks and jewelry available at today’s auction, hardly paying any mind to Vivian and Emily.

Axel asked, “Is there anything you like? We can buy it.”

I pointed to a painting. “I like this one.”

Axel studied the piece with a puzzled expression. “The girl in this painting looks a bit like you.”

He checked the auctioneer's information. “The auctioneer is Vivian Yu. Could it be that she painted herself? I looked into her background; before her family went bankrupt, she had a privileged upbringing and studied dance, painting, and equestrian skills. If it is a self-portrait, that would make sense.”

I shook my head. “This painting isn’t hers.”

“Why not?”

“Look, the base material of this oil painting is a fabric called Elysian Weave. This fabric was very popular thirty years ago, but later, it was claimed to harm the environment, leading to its discontinuation. After that, the remaining stock skyrocketed in price. However, this auction piece isn’t priced above the value of Elysian Weave.”

Axel pondered for a moment. “Maybe she doesn’t know how valuable it is? After all, you mentioned it was popular thirty years ago, and she’s only 24—it's understandable if she’s unaware.”

I explained, “If she didn’t know the value of Elysian Weave, she wouldn’t have preserved it so well. By the time Vivian reached such a high level of painting skill, she wouldn’t choose Elysian Weave. It’s likely that after her family’s bankruptcy, she simply discarded it.”

Axel analyzed, “You make a good point. The painting appears to depict a girl in her teenage years—at least 16. It can’t be something Vivian painted as a child; if she had such skill back then, she should have become a world-class artist by now.”

I nodded. “So I’m convinced this painting holds a secret. I even think it’s related to me.”

“Then let’s buy it later.”

Axel flipped through the catalog. “Is this the only piece you want? How about that Heart of the Ocean necklace? Do you like it?”

He glanced at the "Seraph's Tear" necklace around my neck. “Amelia, you’ve taken off Damian’s necklace; you’re about to get a divorce. Why are you still wearing his jewelry?”

“It was a gift from his grandmother,” I sighed. “She’s a lovely person and has shown me a lot of kindness.”

Axel replied, “As long as you don’t fall back in love with Damian, that’s what matters.”

“Of course not. Even if he begged me on his knees, I wouldn’t forgive him—unless he were to die for me.”

Axel nodded in agreement. “If he could do that, I’d forgive him too.”

I burst into laughter. “Alright, Axel, when pigs fly, your wish will come true!”