When Forever Lasted Only Three Years

I met Westley when I was fourteen and fell in love with him at eighteen.

Ten years of deep affection, yet it couldn't withstand a few words of manipulation from his new secretary:

Tell me, if you and I both fell down the stairs at the same time, who would Mr. Ford save first?

He indeed saved her first.

He believed her self staged setup. He locked me in the freezer I feared most as punishment, where rats crawled all over me.

My heart died, and I fled.

But he chased me to Paris, and when he saw another man embracing me, he begged.

"Celine, do you really not love me anymore?"

Celine POV

My friends all envied my relationship with Westley Ford.

As the CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation, Westley was incredibly busy, always on the go.

But during my three years studying in Paris, whenever I sent him a message or called, even if he was in an important company meeting, he would respond immediately.

Knowing I was sensitive to cold, he would remind me over and over on video calls to bundle up.

Hearing that I was losing sleep from thesis stress, he would sit in his office and talk to me on the phone for hours, even overseas, just to read me the fairy tales I loved as a child to help me fall asleep.

When he learned I had a high fever, he abandoned billion-dollar contract negotiations and flew specifically to Paris to personally take care of me.

Friends often teased him for being completely devoted to love.

Westley would just smile indulgently.

"My Celine is so outstanding. If I don't treat her well, what if she falls for someone else and doesn't want me anymore?"

Hearing these words, I couldn't help but smile, my heart filled with happiness.

So I pulled several all-nighters, working hard to finish my defense early before his birthday this year, completing my studies.

When I flew back filled with excitement, wanting to give him a birthday surprise, I overheard his conversation with friends outside a private room at a club.

The door was ajar, and his friend's voice carried notes of intoxication and envy.

"Westley, when Celine Sterling finishes her studies and comes back, shouldn't your wedding be put on the schedule?"

After a brief silence, Westley's voice rang out with obvious hesitation.

"The wedding... let's wait a bit longer."

The private room instantly fell somewhat quiet, everyone exchanging glances.

Someone broke the silence.

"Westley, are you drunk? Didn't you used to be afraid she would run off with someone else, always saying that once she returned home, you'd propose to her immediately?"

"I was indeed looking forward to it before, hoping she could graduate and return home to get married as soon as possible."

Westley seemed to laugh.

"But separated by countries for three years, over a thousand days and nights. Somehow, that anticipation doesn't seem as intense as it was in the beginning."

Immediately, everyone's voices fell silent.

Someone else cautiously probed.

"You... don't love Celine anymore?"

Westley's slender fingers gripped a glass wine goblet as he lowered his eyes and said softly,

"Of course I still love her. It's just that, somehow, I no longer feel that urgent desire for her to return as I did before."

Outside the private room door, my fingertips turned ice-cold, clutching tightly the birthday gift I had carefully prepared for him.

The velvet box pressed deep into my palm, yet it couldn't match one ten-thousandth of the dull pain in my heart.

I had rushed back on his birthday with such joy, wanting to surprise him.

Instead, I never expected to hear him say he was no longer so eager for my return.

What did that make me, standing here? A self-deluded joke?

The extreme embarrassment made my chest feel so tight I couldn't breathe, my eyes stubbornly stinging with tears.

I forced back the moisture welling in my eyes and was about to turn and leave when suddenly I saw a girl in a pale yellow dress approaching.

I instinctively retreated into the shadows of a corridor corner.

The girl in her early twenties walked into the private room and handed a glass of water to Westley.

"Mr. Ford, drinking harms your health. Please drink less."

Westley reached out to take it, naturally brushing the loose strands of hair from her forehead.

"Didn't I tell you to clock out? You didn't need to make a special trip to bring this."

The girl's expression was sweet and tender.

"Today is your birthday. I was worried you'd drink too much and have another headache attack."

"In that case, stay here and help me deal with them."

Westley's lips curved slightly, the corners of his eyes and brows rippling with a smile as he pulled the girl to sit beside him.

Whether intentionally or not, the girl's foot twisted and she fell into his embrace.

Westley instinctively reached out to steady her waist, catching her firmly.

The moment their eyes met, an alluring blush crept across the girl's fair cheeks, and Westley didn't immediately push her away, saying something to her with helpless indulgence.

That kind of look and manner had only appeared when we were passionately in love.

The intimate, ambiguous scene in the private room was like a sharp, pointed needle stabbing straight into my vision.

My aching heart suddenly felt like a shattered glass bottle.

I stood frozen, feeling cold from head to toe.

Celine POV

I recognized that girl. Her name was Sophie Evans.

She was an intern secretary in the CEO's office at Ford Corporation.

Initially, when Westley mentioned Sophie Evans to me over video calls, his tone was so bland it bordered on displeased.

"The new intern spills half the coffee on documents. I don't know how the HR department hired her."

At the time, I didn't think much of it and always advised him to be more tolerant.

Later, Westley mentioned Sophie Evans more and more frequently.

"This intern may be clumsy, but she's quite hardworking. She works overtime until late every night. Even when I leave at dawn, I can still see her organizing materials at her desk."

"Sophie is actually pretty good. She even noticed that I get headaches when I drink, and every time I finish entertaining clients, she prepares water for me."

"The coffee Sophie makes lately suits my taste more and more. She really takes this job seriously, and she has quite a lively, interesting personality."

His perception of Sophie Evans gradually changed, and her title went from "the intern" to "Sophie."

Actually, all the signs were there.

I just trusted him too much, never imagining that Westley, who loved me so much, would eventually change.

I can't remember how I left the club.

I walked aimlessly and dazedly along the sidewalk until my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.

Looking at the caller ID on the screen, I didn't answer until the call was about to automatically disconnect.

"Celine?"

Westley's voice on the phone sounded somewhat nervous and urgent.

"I just saw your message about returning home early. Where are you now? Have you already arrived at the club?"

In the past, hearing his familiar voice would have made me feel sweet inside.

But now, recalling the scenes in that private room.

A suffocating coldness spread through my heart, painful as a knife twisting in my gut.

My nose tingled as my throat choked up for a long time. All the questions I wanted to ask him finally coalesced into one sentence:

"I just got off the plane..."

Hearing this, Westley breathed a sigh of relief.

His tension and unease dissipated, and his tone softened a bit.

"Then wait for me at the airport. I'll come pick you up."

I forced down my sob.

"No need. I'm feeling a bit airsick and uncomfortable. I'll just take a cab home."

"Okay."

Westley didn't think much of it.

"Then I'll see you at home."

I hummed in agreement, then paused and added,

"Happy birthday."

Westley's tone became even softer.

"Why didn't you wait for me to get home to wish me happy birthday in person?"

I didn't want to have an unpleasant scene with him on his birthday, so I forced a light smile.

"I was afraid your party would end too late, and if I waited until after midnight to wish you well, it wouldn't mean as much."

"It won't end too late. No one is more important to me than you."

Westley's voice was as tenderly indulgent as always.

"I'll be home soon. Wait for me at our new wedding villa, okay?"

No one was more important to him than me...

If I hadn't heard those words in the private room with my own ears, if I hadn't seen with my own eyes that he didn't push away Sophie Evans when she deliberately fell into his arms, I might have believed him.

When the call ended, I stood by the roadside under the dim streetlights, pulling my suitcase.

I looked up, about to hail a passing taxi, when I inadvertently glimpsed a black sedan speeding past.

In just under three seconds, through the half-lowered window, I still clearly saw Westley's handsome profile in the back seat, and beside him, a smiling Sophie Evans.

My heart trembled violently, as if something had torn it apart viciously.

I suddenly remembered three years ago when I was leaving, Westley held me tightly at the airport and said reluctantly,

"When you come back, we'll never be apart again."

Now I had returned, but our relationship could never go back to what it was.

After only three short years of separation, that passionate, profound love had already changed.

He no longer anticipated my return, and he even let another woman fall into his arms.

I forcefully pushed back the tears in my eyes.

Then I took out my phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is it still possible for me to accept your company's job offer now?"

"Of course it is."

The male voice on the other end paused, then asked in confusion,

"But Miss Sterling, didn't you say before that you wanted to return home to get married and focus your career domestically to be with your husband?"

I smiled bitterly.

"He doesn't need me by his side, and this wedding can't happen anymore."

The other party was silent for a few seconds.

"Alright, can you start in half a month?"

"Yes."

"Miss Sterling, then we'll see you in half a month."

Celine POV

I returned to the villa at Crescent Bay and handed the birthday gift watch to a servant.

"When Westley comes back, please give this to him for me."

"Yes, Miss Sterling."

I lay in the bedroom bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Until I heard the sound of a car outside the villa.

I picked up my phone to check the time. The person who said he'd be back soon had actually taken over three hours.

Then I saw that Sophie Evans had posted a new update on Instagram.

"On his birthday, I said I wanted to see the stars, and without a word he left his friends to take me to the observatory. I even saw the legendary Orion constellation. These stars all over the sky are so romantic!"

The accompanying images showed a man with his back to the camera, standing before an astronomical telescope, in a nine-grid layout.

I curved my lips mockingly and gave her a like.

Footsteps came from downstairs, and soon the bedroom door was pushed open.

One side of the bed sank down as a pair of strong, powerful arms pulled me into an embrace.

"Celine... are you asleep?"

Up close, I could smell an unfamiliar perfume on him.

A wave of discomfort rose in my chest as I pretended to be half-asleep and murmured.

"Honey, I'm really glad you could make it back today."

Westley's hand roamed over my body, and when he touched a sensitive area, I pressed both hands against his chest, stopping his next move.

I frowned.

"I haven't adjusted to the time difference yet. My head is still dizzy and I'm not feeling well."

It was supposed to be a passionate reunion, like newlyweds. He hadn't expected me to refuse.

Westley paused.

"We haven't had sex in so long. Don't you want to?"

"I really don't feel well today. Next time."

As my words fell, he was silent for a long while.

Finally, he seemed to sigh helplessly and kissed my eyes.

"Alright, I won't touch you. Rest well tonight."

Westley showered and changed into pajamas, and when he lay back in bed, he just held me in his arms.

In all our years together, apart from playful little spats, Westley and I had never had a real argument.

However, I never imagined that our first real fight would happen at the welcome-home party Westley threw for me.

And it would be because of Sophie Evans.

At the party, friends were playing truth or dare. Westley lost and drew a penalty: kiss the person of the opposite sex to his left for five minutes.

And the person to his left was Sophie Evans.

Everyone looked at Westley, then at me. The air suddenly felt awkward.

Sophie said softly and weakly,

"Maybe... we should just skip it. Miss Sterling doesn't seem like someone who can handle this kind of game."

Westley gently patted the back of my hand, as if explaining.

"Celine, this is just a penalty, nothing more. Don't worry, at most our lips will just touch. I won't really kiss her."

I hadn't said a word yet when he turned to look at Sophie Evans.

Under Sophie Evans's nervous yet expectant gaze, he leaned closer and lowered his head to kiss her lips.

The others erupted in teasing cheers.

Sophie Evans's expression became increasingly enjoyable and engaged. She even closed her eyes, her cheeks flushed, slightly opening her mouth to respond to his kiss.

Westley felt her response, and his dark, bottomless eyes deepened.

An ambiguous atmosphere flowed between them, and the scene looked as if they were the deeply loving couple.

My eyes stung painfully, a pent-up frustration blocking my chest. I couldn't help but set down my wine glass heavily.

"You all have fun. I really can't handle this kind of game!"

With those words, I stood up and strode away.

In the hallway, Westley chased after me and grabbed my wrist.

"It's just a game. Do you really need to be this angry?"

I found it laughable.

"Just a game?"

Westley's handsome face was tense.

"A bet is a bet. Everyone who lost did their penalty. I can't be the only one lacking sportsmanship and refusing to accept the penalty."

"Westley, do you think I'm blind? She was using her tongue!"

Westley's expression changed slightly.

"She just got carried away..."

"Carried away?"

What a nice excuse.

"She got carried away, but what about you? What's your excuse?"

My lips trembled slightly as my nails dug into my palms.

"Were you also carried away, or was it sportsmanship that made you not push her away even though you knew she was using her tongue?!"

Celine POV

After speaking, I looked into Westley's dark eyes.

In his eyes was a cold, detached clarity I had never seen before.

"Today is your party. Do you really have to make such a big deal over a game penalty?"

My heart felt scorched by flames, yet I laughed instead.

"Fine, let's not talk about the penalty. Then let me ask you why is Sophie Evans at my party?"

Westley's brow furrowed tightly.

"She's my secretary. This party was arranged and organized by her. Why shouldn't she be here?"

I was utterly astonished.

"A secretary can actually sit together with her boss and his friends, playing games with no sense of professional boundaries or hierarchy?"

"Secretaries are employees, not slaves without human rights. What boundaries or hierarchy?"

Westley's expression was clearly displeased.

"Besides, it's not working hours now. Letting her sit and play with us. Is that really so hard for you to accept?"

But what proper secretary would deliberately fall into her boss's arms?

What proper secretary would have her boss take her to see stars?

Would a proper secretary get "carried away" and use her tongue during a penalty game?

Why didn't any of his previous secretaries behave like Sophie Evans?

Before I could ask any of these questions, Westley's cold, hard voice sounded again.

"We've been separated for three years, rarely together. We finally ended our long-distance relationship. You came back and were cold to me, wouldn't let me touch you. I respected that."

"But you shouldn't use dirty thoughts to misunderstand my relationship with Sophie as something inappropriate."

Was I the one with dirty thoughts, misunderstanding them?

As I stood frozen, Westley's thin lips pressed together.

He spoke coolly and distantly.

"You know how much I love you. Sophie is a good girl. Hardworking, serious, and responsible. She's not what you think she is."

"Celine, I'm human too. I get tired. Do you know how exhausting it is when you question me over these little things?"

I couldn't describe what I felt at that moment.

I only felt his words were like blades slicing through my flesh, leaving me unable to breathe from the pain.

In his eyes, all the inappropriate, boundary-crossing ambiguous behavior between him and Sophie Evans was just trivial.

My concern and questioning had somehow become my fault, making him feel tired.

I remained silent. Westley realized his words had been too harsh.

He had never spoken to me like this before.

He said irritably,

"Let's both cool down. I'll stay at the company tonight. You should think about whether you're being unreasonable."

With that, Westley turned and went back into the private room, not caring about me anymore.

Tears slid down my face and into the corners of my mouth. I tasted their salty, bitter flavor.

After an unknown amount of time, I took a deep breath.

Finally, I left the party alone.

Returning to the villa, passing by the entrance, my red, swollen eyes caught sight of the watch in the trash can.

It was the birthday gift I had carefully selected and brought back from abroad for him.

And now it had been discarded in the trash.

I suddenly remembered how when I was abroad, I made no friends, had no social activities, and spent day and night in the library studying.

All because he said he looked forward to me returning home early to marry him.

Only three years. I thought in those short three years, his feelings for me had never changed.

But the truth was, I was the only one still hoping to return home and get married.

As for him, not only did he no longer anticipate it, he didn't even want the birthday gift I gave him...

My fingers trembled as I picked up the watch.

But just as I lifted it, after thinking for a moment, I threw it back into the trash.

Since Westley didn't care anymore, why should I be reluctant to let go?

A relationship that was no longer pure. Even if it tore my heart to pieces, I would rather discard it than keep it.

During the two days Westley didn't come home, through Sophie Evans's frequent Instagram updates, I learned he was indeed staying at the company.

Sophie Evans's first post:

"He drank too much and had a headache. I massaged it for him and he praised my pressure as just right. So happy."

The accompanying image showed Westley sitting behind his desk, rubbing his temples in pain.

I smiled coldly and gave her a like.

The second post:

"Today I accidentally broke his favorite cup. I thought he'd be furious, but instead he patted my head and said it was okay."

The accompanying image showed a ceramic cup shattered into countless pieces.

That was a ceramic piece Westley and I had made together at a pottery studio, our first joint craft project. Westley thought it had great commemorative value and had always carefully preserved it, never letting anyone else touch it.

I tugged at the corner of my lips and gave this post a like too.

The day Westley came home, I was organizing my belongings.

Seeing me pack all my things into cardboard boxes, Westley's expression changed.

He strode over quickly and grabbed my hand.

"Why are you packing these things?"

Celine POV

I pulled my hand from his palm.

"These are all old things I don't need anymore. I want to pack them up and throw them away."

Westley looked at me and nodded.

"You're right. Old things should be thrown away. When I have time, I'll take you shopping for new things to replace them."

Never again. I would never bring any of my belongings here again.

Before Westley came home, I had already donated the precious items he'd given me to charity.

What remained were just some unimportant things.

"Celine, let's stop fighting, okay?"

Westley's chiseled face was warm and gentle.

"I've thought a lot these past two days. I was wrong before. I should have been considerate of your feelings and refused that vulgar game, and I shouldn't have said those things to you."

His apology sounded sincere, but I knew our relationship was like the ceramic cup Sophie Evans had broken with his permission. Shattered beyond repair.

Even if we tried to mend it, we could never return to the past, never restore it to its original wholeness.

I opened my mouth.

"Westley, let's break-"

Before I could finish the sentence, his phone suddenly rang.

Westley took out his phone. I glimpsed that it was Sophie Evans calling.

"What is it?"

Seeing him answer without hesitation, my gaze dimmed.

Without a word, I picked up a cardboard box and turned away.

Outside the villa, I threw the box into the trash, as if discarding our years of relationship along with it.

Westley walked over at that moment and took my hand.

"Before you came back, didn't you keep mentioning that restaurant in the east part of the city? Come on, I've made a reservation."

Thinking we should have a proper ending with some dignity, I didn't refuse.

"Alright. After dinner, I also have something to tell you."

At the restaurant, I wasn't surprised to see Sophie Evans.

I asked nothing, but Westley explained on his own.

"Sophie made the reservation. She doesn't want the incident at the party to cause a misunderstanding between us. She wants to apologize to you in person."

I lowered my eyes mockingly, saying nothing.

The table was filled with dishes I liked. Halfway through the meal, Westley stepped away to take a work call.

Sophie Evans stood nearby, examining me with an appraising look, then suddenly said,

"Looking at you like this, you don't seem particularly special. What exactly does Mr. Ford like about you? Your face?"

I paused in drinking my juice and raised my eyes to meet hers.

"He likes me. Are you jealous?"

"Me, jealous?"

She said contemptuously,

"When you weren't here, I was the one by his side. He's gotten used to having me around and takes me everywhere. What do you have that I should be jealous of?"

Without Westley present, Sophie Evans shed her meek demeanor, becoming haughty and disdainful.

She studied me.

"By the way, I've noticed you've been liking all my recent Instagram posts about him, then acting as if nothing happened. What exactly do you mean by that?"

Sophie Evans posted those updates specifically to make me see how special Westley was to her.

She was deliberately provoking me, yet unexpectedly, I didn't make a scene.

A mocking curve formed at my lips.

"Liking them means I've seen them. Acting unbothered is because no matter what game you're playing, I simply don't care."

Sophie Evans stiffened, her face about to crack.

Suddenly, she laughed coldly with indifference.

"Really? But you probably won't be able to stay this calm much longer."

My brow furrowed slightly. Before I could ask what Sophie Evans had done, I felt an unbearable itching all over my body.

Then my skin broke out in red hives, and my throat tightened uncomfortably.

Realizing something was wrong, I looked sharply at Sophie Evans.

"What did you do?"

"Mr. Ford mentioned you're allergic to mangoes."

Sophie Evans smiled innocently.

"So I added some mango juice to the orange juice you just drank."

My face changed dramatically as I immediately stood up to go to the hospital.

Seeing this, Sophie Evans quickly stepped forward to block my path, grabbing my arms and clinging to me.

"I'm sorry, Miss Sterling. If my presence has affected your relationship with Mr. Ford, I..."

I was anxious to get to the hospital and had no time for her performance.

"Get out of my way!"

Hearing the commotion, Westley arrived just in time to see me push Sophie Evans to the ground.

His pupils constricted as he strode forward and pushed me aside.

"Celine, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?!"

Celine POV

I staggered back several steps, my waist hitting the sharp edge of the table hard.

Instantly, I gasped in pain, unable to stand straight.

Realizing he'd used too much force and hurt me, Westley guiltily started to come help me up, but then Sophie Evans cried out in pain from the other side.

"My... my foot hurts so much."

Westley stopped in his tracks, his attention drawn to her as he quickly turned and walked to her side. "What's wrong? Where are you hurt?"

"I think I twisted my ankle. I can't move..." Sophie Evans raised her soft, pitiful eyes, crying pitifully with tears streaming down. "Mr. Ford, please don't blame Miss Sterling. She was just too angry so she pushed me. If it weren't for my presence causing her to misunderstand, she wouldn't have done this..."

Westley's emotions were complex and conflicted, his handsome face tense.

"Stop talking. Let me take you to the hospital to check your foot first."

I was in so much pain I couldn't straighten my back, cold sweat pouring down as I tried to call out to him. Looking up, I saw only his back as he carried Sophie Evans away.

Sophie Evans smiled triumphantly at me, showing off her victory.

That scene was like a sharp blade piercing straight through me, stabbing me until I was bloody and riddled with wounds.

Thinking of how he had just apologized to me earlier, saying we wouldn't fight anymore, the moment now felt extremely ironic.

Was I the one throwing tantrums, or had he clearly changed his heart but refused to admit it?

My whole body itched and ached, my skin covered in large red hives. The suffocating feeling of the allergic reaction surged like a tidal wave.

I tried to take out my phone to call emergency services, but just as I unlocked it, everything suddenly went black.

After a spell of dizziness, I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital room, the smell of disinfectant filling my nostrils.

I stared blankly at the ceiling as a nurse's voice came from beside me.

"You're finally awake. Do you know you went into allergic shock? If you'd been brought to the hospital any later, your life would have been in danger."

I was severely allergic to mangoes and normally wouldn't dare eat or drink anything related to them.

After the nurse left the room, without hesitation, I decisively picked up my phone and made a call.

"Hello, I want to report a crime. Someone deliberately tried to murder me."

The person who arrived before the police was Westley.

He stood by the hospital bed, his brow furrowed tightly.

"I received word that you filed a police report, accusing Sophie of trying to harm you?"

I responded with a cold statement.

"That's correct."

Westley's frown deepened.

"I've already notified the police station. The police won't be coming."

His unexpected words reached my ears, and I looked at him in shock.

"What did you say?"

"Sophie would never do something like this."

Westley's expression was dark.

"Besides, you were clearly the one who pushed her, causing her ankle injury. How can you falsely accuse her first?"

I couldn't believe it. My hands gripped the bedsheet tightly as I couldn't control my emotions, accusing him,

"Westley, she deliberately added mango juice to my orange juice. When I tried to go to the hospital, she deliberately blocked me, so I couldn't help but push her!"

His gaze grew darker with displeasure.

"If you didn't want to accept her apology, fine, but why must you slander her like this?"

"I'm slandering her? Then what is this?"

I rolled up my sleeves, exposing the skin on both my arms, covered entirely in unsightly red hives.

Actually, I had hives on my face too, but he seemed to overlook them.

My lips trembled.

"Did I deliberately do this to myself just to slander her? You'll know the truth if you just investigate!"

After seeing the glaring allergic symptoms on my body, Westley froze for a long time.

His face darkened as he actually went to investigate.When Westley came to the hospital room again, his tone and attitude were clearly more apologetic.

"She's admitted to it. This matter is indeed related to her."

I pressed my lips together, not yet reacting.

Westley immediately continued.

"But she didn't do it on purpose."

I laughed. "Not on purpose?"

Celine POV

Westley explained unhurriedly.

"She just accidentally mixed up the mango juice and orange juice. She didn't know beforehand that the glass you were drinking was mango juice."

I said incredulously,

"Sophie explained it to you like this, and you believed her?"

"Otherwise, what could the truth be? She has no grudge against you. She's kind-hearted and lively. Why would she deliberately harm you? Celine, don't you think you're being overly aggressive and thinking too badly of her?"

His words, thrown at me one after another, were like knives cutting into my flesh inch by inch.

Westley's tone remained unchanged as he continued.

"However, it was her carelessness that caused your allergic reaction, so I've already punished her for it."

"What punishment did you give her?"

Westley steadied himself.

"I docked three months of her salary."

If he hadn't said it so seriously, I would have almost thought he was joking.

Westley walked over to sit by the bed, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear.

"There. You also pushed her and injured her, and I punished her for you. This matter ends here."

The man who once cared about me with his whole heart, who felt terrible even when I got a small cut on my finger. Now, when I had an allergic reaction so severe I nearly died, he wasn't worried or anxious. Even his punishment for Sophie was brushed aside.

I was exhausted, wrapped in endless fatigue, without even the desire to argue with him anymore.

Westley looked at me with an inscrutable gaze.

"Celine, you'll stay by my side forever, right?"

I couldn't help but curve my lips slightly.

"What do you think?"

Westley didn't detect the mockery in my tone, taking it for granted that after all our years together, I couldn't possibly leave him over these recent unpleasantries.

He spoke softly and indulgently.

"You said earlier that you had something to tell me after dinner. What did you want to say?"

I fell silent for a moment.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore."

I had originally planned to part ways amicably with him, intending to tell him truthfully that I had accepted a job offer from a foreign company and would be leaving soon.

But now, he didn't need to know.

Hearing this, Westley didn't think much of it. He lowered his head to kiss my eyes.

"Rest well. I won't go anywhere these next two days. I'll stay at the hospital with you."

I paid him no mind, lying down and turning my back to him.

Westley hadn't been at the hospital for even two days when Sophie Evans called.

On the phone, I didn't know what Sophie said to him, but his expression grew grave as his eyes hesitantly turned toward me.

After hanging up, he opened his mouth hesitantly.

"Celine, I..."

"It's fine, go ahead."

Before he could finish, I spoke up.

"I don't need you here anymore."

Perhaps the words "don't need you" grated on his ears, or perhaps my recent coldness made him vaguely uneasy.

Westley explained sincerely.

"There's a problem with a project at the company. I have to go handle it."

"Mm, I understand. Go ahead."

Westley hesitated for a moment, but eventually stood up.

"When you're discharged, I'll come pick you up."

Leaving those words, he left the hospital room.

When the room fell quiet, I pulled my phone from under my pillow and checked the date.

Then I opened a ticket booking app and purchased an international flight ticket.

On the day of my discharge, Westley broke his promise after all.

He didn't come pick me up from the hospital. Instead, he sent me a message:

"The project issue isn't resolved yet. Go home first. I'll bring you an apology gift later."

After reading it, I put my phone away expressionlessly and processed my own discharge paperwork.

Returning to the villa at Crescent Bay, I packed my suitcase and gathered my passport, documents, and other items.

Just as I was about to leave with my suitcase, Sophie Evans suddenly appeared at the villa.

"Miss Sterling!"

Sophie rushed over with red-rimmed eyes, grabbing my wrist.

"I'm so glad you're okay! I've felt terrible about mistakenly giving you that juice..."

I coldly shook off her hand.

"What game are you playing now?"

Sophie's expression changed instantly, a cold smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"You'll find out soon enough."

She stepped back several paces and suddenly flipped over the balcony railing, falling into the pool below.

"Help!"

The shrill scream attracted Westley, who had just gotten out of his car.

He looked up to see Sophie fall with a splash from the second floor into the pool below.

"Sophie!!"

And I was standing right at the balcony edge at that moment.

Westley dove into the pool without hesitation.

Celine POV

"Celine! After three years abroad, I never imagined you'd become so vicious, actually capable of pushing someone off a balcony!"

After Westley pulled Sophie from the pool, he glared at me furiously, filled with towering rage.

"How exactly did Sophie offend you? Why do you dislike her so much that you'd even try to kill her!"

My nails dug into my palms.

"I didn't push her!"

"I saw it with my own eyes, and you still want to deny it!"

Sophie was soaked through, curled up in Westley's arms like a frightened deer, her slender fingers clutching his shirt tightly.

She seemed traumatized, on the verge of tears, trembling as she said,

"Mr. Ford, don't blame Miss Sterling. I was careless before and caused her allergic reaction. She was angry at me, so she accidentally pushed me. She definitely didn't mean to..."

"She's always had prejudice against you. Whether it was deliberate or not, she knows in her heart!"

Westley said darkly.

"Celine, I've spoiled you too much, indulged you too much, which is why you've become so arrogant and presumptuous!"

Finally, he ordered the servants coldly.

"Lock her in the basement freezer. Let her calm down and reflect!"

Several servants immediately stepped forward, holding my arms on both sides, dragging me toward the basement freezer.

"I didn't push her! This was all Sophie Evans's self-staged act! Westley, what gives you the right to treat me like this?!"

I couldn't believe it, struggling angrily.

The servant sneered coldly.

"What gives Mr. Ford the right to treat you like this? Because during the three years you were gone, the person by his side was Miss Sophie! And you dared to push Miss Sophie off the balcony. That's utterly heinous!"

I was shoved into the basement freezer, stumbling and falling to the ground. My scraped palm immediately oozed blood, the pain making me furrow my brow tightly.

Looking up, I saw those servants carrying a burlap sack, pouring something inside.

My pupils constricted violently.

"What did you put in here?"

"Miss Sophie was afraid you'd be too lonely in the freezer alone, so she had us catch some rats to keep you company!"

The servant finished speaking with a cold laugh and slammed the iron door shut with a bang.

The basement freezer was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

In the vast space, not only did a bone-chilling cold spread, but there were also sounds of rats scurrying and squeaking.

My scalp tingled as I shivered from the cold, hugging my legs tightly as I curled up in a corner.

Rats occasionally crawled onto my body. At first, I would scream uncontrollably and swat them away, but after an unknown amount of time passed, my hands and feet grew so numb from the cold that I no longer had the strength to deal with the rats scurrying all over me.

Before losing consciousness from hypothermia, I hazily remembered.

Westley knew I feared cold the most. During those years abroad when he couldn't be by my side constantly, he would video call me almost daily to confirm I was dressed warmly enough.

But now, for Sophie Evans's sake, he had locked me in the place I feared most.

How laughable. How ironic.

I met him when I was fourteen and fell in love with him at eighteen.

Until now, a full ten years had passed.

Ten years of devotion, yet it was no match for Sophie, who had only been by his side for less than two years.

I don't know how long I was locked in the basement freezer, don't know how I was rescued, and have no idea how long I was unconscious.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital room.

The space around me was empty, not a single person.

I reached for my phone by the bed and opened Instagram. Sophie Evans had posted another update, as expected.

"He knew I was traumatized and upset, so he put aside all company business to specially take me out to cheer me up."

The photo showed them walking hand in hand on a beach at sunset.

They looked exactly like a couple in love. Tender, sweet, loving, and romantic.

My heart grew utterly cold, yet I laughed instead.

Laughed until tears came.

He locked me in the basement freezer without a care, then turned around to take Sophie Evans out for fun.

Ten years, Westley.

So this is all ten years of devotion amounts to.

After being discharged this time, I went directly to close my bank accounts, then took my luggage, visa, and passport.

As I was going through security at the airport, a message from Westley appeared on my phone.

"Do you know what you did wrong?"

Less than two seconds later, he sent another message.

"The custom wedding dress I ordered for you has arrived. I'll be back tomorrow. Let's discuss our wedding date and go try on the dress together."

I stared coldly at the two messages.

This wedding would never happen.

And we would never see each other again.

Soon enough, he would receive the "gift" I left for him.