This feeling, he would have plenty of time to slowly taste it.But Eleanor wouldn't tell him the truth.If Sarah said not to tell, she absolutely wouldn't.She wasn't foolish enough to let Henry know the truth and let him go disrupt things in Silverbrook Haven.This was her best friend's most important day in life.She would never let this selfish man ruin it."You heard wrong.""I am going to Silverbrook Haven for a wedding.""Sarah will be there too.""But it's our university classmate who's getting married."Henry narrowed his eyes, "Sarah doesn't have any close classmates in Silverbrook Haven."Eleanor sneered, "Henry, did you ever really understand Sarah?""When did you ever truly care about her feelings? When did you ever think of her?""You never did.""You don't understand how precious Sarah is.""You'll never deserve the sincere love she gave you all these years."After saying this, Eleanor turned and left.Henry watched her leave, suddenly feeling a dull pain
Indeed it was the wedding of Barnes Global Enterprises' CEO William.And this mysterious, low-profile brideWhom even paparazzi couldn't photographWas me.They were both happy and heartbroken for me.Especially Henry's mother - Samantha.She held my hands tightly, tears flowing endlessly."Sarah, I shouldn't cry on your happy day, but I truly regret.""It's my fault for not raising Henry well.""Letting him make mistake after mistake..."Henry wanted to break up with Charlotte.But Charlotte absolutely refused.The Reynolds family even came to the Crawfords' villa.Vowing to stay and not leave.Just as both families were in heated conflict,Charlotte suddenly discovered she was pregnant.The Crawfords couldn't let Charlotte terminate the pregnancy.This marriage, it seems, was set in stone.I leaned into Samantha's embrace, my eyes also reddening.Remembering the nights at the Crawfords when I missed my parents.Remembering Samantha holding me, softly comforting me
The day after our wedding, I slept until late morning.While William had already completed his morning exercise, newspaper reading, breakfast, and other daily routines.In the days after the wedding,The house servants told me with smiles,"Madam, you should have seen how happy Mr. Barnes was that day.""Indeed, in all my years at the Barnes', I've never seen the master so talkative.""He greeted everyone, even the delivery boy at the gate.""I think he wanted to tell the whole world immediately that he'd married his beloved bride."Both embarrassed and amused, I quickly made excuses to hide in the backyard.From afar, I saw William's car pull in.He got out,Handed his briefcase and coat to the butler,And immediately looked in my direction."William."I stood in the garden, bouncing as I waved to him.Seeing my smile, William's lips curved up involuntarily.He walked through the lush garden toward me,While I was already running eagerly to him.He stopped, shaking h
And he secretly delighted in it.He actually loved seeing Sarah jealous.Loved seeing her cry when other women appeared around him.So cute and heartbreaking.But she was always easy to comfort.Just a few sweet words, a few small gifts,Taking her shopping, to movies, for desserts.She would immediately smile through her tears.He thought she would forgive him this time too.But Charlotte was pregnant.Though his parents felt sorry for me, they were powerless to change anything.He was determined to end this ill-fated relationship.In his eyes, Charlotte was just a calculating woman.From their first meeting, she had been scheming.The chance encounter rescue,Recreating his parents' romance,All carefully designed deceptions.Charlotte was just a gold digger trying to climb the social ladder.He tried forcing Charlotte to go to the hospital, but she absolutely refused.Seeing he wouldn't budge,Charlotte even called her family to make trouble.Henry had never see
I still can't shake the memory of that humiliating moment when Henry Crawford abandoned me at our own engagement party.The banquet hall was crowded, yet eerily silent. The atmosphere was so tense you could hear every breath in the room. The silence stretched on until Charlotte Reynolds, her hand firmly clasped in Henry's, finally broke it with a gentle plea:"Henry, please don't... Sarah's still so young...""Young?" A scornful whisper drifted from the corner. "Isn't she pushing twenty-six?"The growing murmurs only made the tension more unbearable. I desperately clung to the edge of Henry's jacket, refusing to accept what was happening. When I finally looked up at him, I couldn't hold back my tears."Sarah, don't force me to be cruel," Henry said, carefully setting down his champagne glass as he rose from his seat. "How many times must I repeat myself? We're nothing more than the product of our families' arrangement. I don't love you—I never have and never will."Fighting b
"Sarah, apologize to her right now.""Henry...""Shut up and apologize immediately!"Charlotte trembled in his arms, tears falling silently down her face, looking utterly helpless. My arm was already turning a mottled purple and blue, with bruising visibly spreading beneath the skin. Those shocking marks didn't even catch Henry's eye - he just looked at me as if I were some unforgivable criminal.I gave a bitter smile, unwilling to say another word. "I'm sorry."Henry seemed taken aback for a moment, but his eyes quickly grew even harder. "Not sincere enough."I straightened my back and bowed deeply. "Is this better?"Charlotte watched me, her lips curling slightly upward before quickly shifting to sobs as she turned to Henry. "Let it go, Henry.""How could I accept such an apology?" Henry's expression instantly softened. "Sarah, I've told you before, Charlotte is different from others. Bullying her like this only makes me despise you more - and makes me love her even more.
"Sarah, will you attend Henry's and my engagement ceremony?" Charlotte's voice was gentle. "Though you were Henry's former fiancée, he's always considered you like a sister. As your future sister-in-law, I truly hope to have your blessing."I lifted my gaze to the figure in the distance. There he was, leaning casually against the luxury car, his eyes filled with gentleness. In that moment, my heart found its peace."Of course. I sincerely wish you both endless happiness together."Meanwhile, Henry stood drinking with friends on the terrace, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Emily's group. He understood their habits all too well. That group had always been Sarah's informants, without fail reporting back to her. Just like clockwork, whenever a woman appeared in his life, they would immediately alert Sarah, who would then arrive to create a scene. It was this endless cycle that he despised most. Over time, he had gradually distanced himself from female companions.He expected
She was completely different from Sarah's willful boldness. Charlotte's humble background had made her somewhat timid, always choosing her words with care. During his most frustrating times, when Sarah's persistence had worn him thin, Charlotte's gentle nature had easily touched his heart. Unlike his previous relationships where women actively pursued him, he had met Charlotte by rescuing her from a difficult situation. Men's hero complex being what it is, his feelings for Charlotte were entirely different from his past casual relationships."I heard Sarah's back..." Charlotte's eyes reddened before she could finish. "I'm worried." She bit her lip, lowering her head. "Henry, will we be able to have our engagement ceremony today?""Don't overthink it." Henry gripped her shoulders gently, trying to comfort her. "I'll handle it now."But Charlotte caught his sleeve. "Henry, I'm scared." Her tears began falling rapidly. "I'm afraid you'll regret breaking off your engagement with
And he secretly delighted in it.He actually loved seeing Sarah jealous.Loved seeing her cry when other women appeared around him.So cute and heartbreaking.But she was always easy to comfort.Just a few sweet words, a few small gifts,Taking her shopping, to movies, for desserts.She would immediately smile through her tears.He thought she would forgive him this time too.But Charlotte was pregnant.Though his parents felt sorry for me, they were powerless to change anything.He was determined to end this ill-fated relationship.In his eyes, Charlotte was just a calculating woman.From their first meeting, she had been scheming.The chance encounter rescue,Recreating his parents' romance,All carefully designed deceptions.Charlotte was just a gold digger trying to climb the social ladder.He tried forcing Charlotte to go to the hospital, but she absolutely refused.Seeing he wouldn't budge,Charlotte even called her family to make trouble.Henry had never see
The day after our wedding, I slept until late morning.While William had already completed his morning exercise, newspaper reading, breakfast, and other daily routines.In the days after the wedding,The house servants told me with smiles,"Madam, you should have seen how happy Mr. Barnes was that day.""Indeed, in all my years at the Barnes', I've never seen the master so talkative.""He greeted everyone, even the delivery boy at the gate.""I think he wanted to tell the whole world immediately that he'd married his beloved bride."Both embarrassed and amused, I quickly made excuses to hide in the backyard.From afar, I saw William's car pull in.He got out,Handed his briefcase and coat to the butler,And immediately looked in my direction."William."I stood in the garden, bouncing as I waved to him.Seeing my smile, William's lips curved up involuntarily.He walked through the lush garden toward me,While I was already running eagerly to him.He stopped, shaking h
Indeed it was the wedding of Barnes Global Enterprises' CEO William.And this mysterious, low-profile brideWhom even paparazzi couldn't photographWas me.They were both happy and heartbroken for me.Especially Henry's mother - Samantha.She held my hands tightly, tears flowing endlessly."Sarah, I shouldn't cry on your happy day, but I truly regret.""It's my fault for not raising Henry well.""Letting him make mistake after mistake..."Henry wanted to break up with Charlotte.But Charlotte absolutely refused.The Reynolds family even came to the Crawfords' villa.Vowing to stay and not leave.Just as both families were in heated conflict,Charlotte suddenly discovered she was pregnant.The Crawfords couldn't let Charlotte terminate the pregnancy.This marriage, it seems, was set in stone.I leaned into Samantha's embrace, my eyes also reddening.Remembering the nights at the Crawfords when I missed my parents.Remembering Samantha holding me, softly comforting me
This feeling, he would have plenty of time to slowly taste it.But Eleanor wouldn't tell him the truth.If Sarah said not to tell, she absolutely wouldn't.She wasn't foolish enough to let Henry know the truth and let him go disrupt things in Silverbrook Haven.This was her best friend's most important day in life.She would never let this selfish man ruin it."You heard wrong.""I am going to Silverbrook Haven for a wedding.""Sarah will be there too.""But it's our university classmate who's getting married."Henry narrowed his eyes, "Sarah doesn't have any close classmates in Silverbrook Haven."Eleanor sneered, "Henry, did you ever really understand Sarah?""When did you ever truly care about her feelings? When did you ever think of her?""You never did.""You don't understand how precious Sarah is.""You'll never deserve the sincere love she gave you all these years."After saying this, Eleanor turned and left.Henry watched her leave, suddenly feeling a dull pain
I gently put down the phone, ending the call.When I was fifteen, my heart first awakened to love.From then on, it couldn't be stopped.I stubbornly stopped calling him "brother."Now almost ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.He finally returned to his original position.I don't hate him, don't resent him.After all these years together,I sincerely wish him happiness.I dialed Henry’s father - Mark's number.After asking about him and his wife,I gently brought up the matter of the ring."Mark, I'm very sorry I haven't contacted you.""I've thought about a lot lately, and understood many things.""Since Henry has made his choice,""Let's let the past stay in the past."The other end was silent for a long while."Sarah, you know, all these years, we have treated you like our own daughter.""Henry is too stubborn, we didn't raise him well.""You've suffered."Hearing the familiar voice on the phone, my tears flowed uncontrollably.But I knew this relucta
I had just arrived in Silverbrook Haven and didn't want too much attention. Things with Henry still needed closure. When I left Verdancliff in a hurry, the house servants had packed and shipped almost all my belongings to Silverbrook Haven, including every thoughtful gift he had carefully chosen for me over the years.Among them was a limited-edition gemstone necklace. He had personally put it around my neck on my fifteenth birthday. I once treasured it like a precious jewel. In the past, whenever I felt down, seeing this ring would immediately lift my spirits. Because a ring, being such a personal gift, was always especially meaningful.But now, I finally understood. When someone has never truly liked you, or when their feelings for you aren't pure, even if you're their fiancée, it's all meaningless. Let alone these material possessions.As I sorted through these gifts one by one, my heart was as still as dead water. By the end, the jewelry box was empty, but my heart felt lighter
The timing was indeed tight. But the Barnes put exceptional care into this wedding. They had begun preparations many years ago, so although busy, everything progressed smoothly.Rachel told me that William had been seriously ill as a child. After his recovery, the Barnes specially invited a master to read his fortune. They were told he must marry in June at age twenty-eight. This would ensure a life of peace and success.The Barnes family was very superstitious. When Rachel first called to discuss this marriage, the Barnes had already had our birth charts analyzed. They said William and I were a match made in heaven, destined to be together. So when I agreed to the marriage, the entire Barnes family was overjoyed.I received many precious welcome gifts. The most touching was a hereditary emerald necklace from William's grandmother. When William gave it to me, I felt both moved and guilty. The most appropriate thing I should give him in return was my father's emerald ring that he had
Charlotte had finished all her styling, but Henry was still in the upstairs lounge. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to go check on him.The lounge door was slightly ajar. Voices came from inside. Charlotte tiptoed closer."Henry, is Sarah really not coming?""It's too late even if she comes now.""Henry, I've always wanted to ask you. What are your real feelings for Sarah? You grew up together, she's so beautiful and pure, so devoted to you."Charlotte unconsciously held her breath. The room was silent for a long time before Henry slowly spoke."No feelings whatsoever. Being forced into an engagement since childhood - I've been sick of it."Henry laughed coldly.He was three years older than Sarah. She was only in middle school when their families arranged the marriage. Even after Sarah grew into a graceful young woman... Henry remembered that night at her graduation ceremony. He must have been crazy to kiss her soft lips and accept her ring."But Sarah's really stu
Because of that, I believed he had silently accepted and welcomed my love. These past few years felt like a terrible dream. Now that I've awakened, I just want to settle accounts with the past.I thought Henry would be eager to return the ring like throwing away trash. I never expected him to say such things. Only now did I realize belatedly that youthful impulses would one day come at a price. If this ring didn't carry that special meaning, I wouldn't even ask for it back. But I was about to enter marriage - leaving the ring with Henry would be too unfair to William."Having some trouble?" William suddenly spoke.I looked up, meeting his deep gaze. An indescribable embarrassment welled up inside me. I didn't want to hide anything, but our relationship was still new, and it was difficult to explain."No," I shook my head gently, thinking to myself that I'd get the item back even if I had to ask Mark for help. Having made up my mind, I gradually relaxed."Nothing major, just some s