Chapter 3

His words almost tricked me.

As the daughter of the Harmons, I'd always been cautious and reserved.

I had to consider my parents and the family; I couldn't just give everything up for one person.

We both missed one important possibility.

Whether Conrad was poisoned or drugged, Kelly's intentions were clear from the start.

She had planned to climb her way into his life from the very beginning.

"Enough!" Conrad snapped.

The room fell silent.

Kelly trembled, slowly looking up, her eyes filled with pleading.

The message was clear.

She had ruined my engagement and turned me into a joke in front of everyone—she felt guilty.

If I didn't say anything, she wouldn't stop.

Fine.

Let her keep going.

I raised an eyebrow and continued sipping my wine.

Kelly gritted her teeth, preparing to grovel again.

Conrad suddenly stepped forward, slapping my wine glass out of my hand.

"Shirley, don't go too far!"

"Shirley, is this how the Harmons taught you to behave?"

Conrad's face was cold, and the room fell silent in shock.

He pulled Kelly into his arms, gently cradling her. "Shirley, apologize. If you apologize now, I'll pretend nothing happened."

I almost laughed out loud.

I'd been so naïve back then.

The moment I caught Kelly's lie, I called Conrad, telling him everything I had seen.

I warned him to be cautious of Kelly.

The next day, Kelly was dead. She was really dead.

The media reported that she had jumped because she never got a legitimate place in Conrad's life.

Conrad told me, "I'm glad you warned me. Otherwise, I would've been tricked."

After that, I always believed he had truly forgotten about Kelly.

After all, he hated being deceived.

But the day I died, I realized that when he said he had been tricked, he was talking about me.

"Shirley, are you mute? Kelly didn't do anything. I wanted to break off the engagement. Apologize to her. I won't hold it against you for the humiliation she experienced."

I looked at Conrad, and couldn't help but tug the corner of my lips into a smile.

I must've been blind. I'd always thought he was intelligent.

"Are the elders inside?" I asked a passing waiter.

I then elegantly walked toward the door.

Conrad followed me, asking, "What are you doing? Are you going to tell on me?"

I ignored him.

He continued following me right up to the door. "Shirley, don't think just because you're the Harmons' daughter, you can force me into marriage. I've already promised to marry Kelly. I will never marry you."

I turned to look at him.

As he'd said, he was born into privilege. Everything had come so easily for him. He had no idea what it meant to have a strong wife by his side.

Perhaps my cold gaze stunned him for a moment.

Just as we reached the door, Conrad's grandfather, Jonathan Reese, asked, "Shirley, what's going on here? Are you two that inseparable?"

The entire room of guests watched.

I took a step forward and bowed. "Mr. Jonathan, today is my birthday, and I'd like to make a wish. Conrad and Ms. Dunn are in love, and I admire their relationship. I don't want to tear them apart. Mr. Jonathan, I hope you'll let me break off the engagement with Conrad."

The room fell into silence immediately.