Chapter 2
I called Edward for help.
But over the phone, Edward said coldly, "You're being dramatic. I'm busy playing golf with a client. Call 911 yourself."
So he does know how to care for someone after all.
It's that the one he cares about isn't me.
I turned and walked out of the pet hospital.
At the corner, I stopped by a parcel shop and bought a cardboard box.
Back at the apartment, I started packing up my things.
On the living room wall hung a massive oil painting of the two of them, one Edward had painted himself.
He used to laugh and call it our family heirloom.
Now, all I saw was an eyesore.
I slashed the canvas with a utility knife, rolled it up, and stuffed it into the box.
I also tossed in all those cheap souvenirs he'd grabbed without a second thought.
Then I shipped the whole box back to his family home.
By the time Lily finished packing my last bag, it was already evening.
My phone buzzed several times in a row.
It was a message from Edward on WhatsApp.
Edward: [Did you clear things up? Don't let everyone think I'm the unreasonable one.
[You're too uptight. Saying a few soft words won't kill you.]
I didn't reply. I locked the phone.
On the third day, I went to the law firm.
I was holding a freshly printed agreement to terminate our joint investment.
Edward's law firm has grown to what it is today.
I funded the startup by selling the old villa my grandmother left me.
As soon as I pushed open the glass door, a lively commotion erupted from the office area.
Several young interns were gathered around Lily's desk, their faces full of envy.
"Lily, this Vanessa bracelet is a limited edition. Mr. Rivers is so good to you," one of them exclaimed.
"Seriously, I heard it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Rivers went all out to cheer you up," another chimed in.
Lily touched the diamonds on her wrist, her cheeks flushing.
"Don't make a fuss. Edward saw how upset I was about my dog these past few days and bought it to cheer me up," she said.
Then, Edward came out of the break room with a cup of coffee in hand.
When he saw me standing at the door, his smile vanished in an instant.
His brows furrowed into a sharp line.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
His voice was guarded, like he thought I might cause a scene right there.
I ignored the crowd, all waiting for some drama, and strode right up to him, holding out the agreement.
"Sign it. It's for the best for both of us," I said.
Edward didn't look at it. He swept the papers onto the floor.
The white sheets scattered everywhere.
He dropped his voice, teeth clenched. "Charlotte, are you done causing trouble?
"I postponed the engagement party. Is it worth you showing up here to throw a fit?
"Lily's dog almost died, and you don't have a shred of sympathy. You have to stir up drama and get jealous right now?"
His words grated on my nerves like rusty saws, tearing at me again and again.
Charlotte crouched down, her face expressionless, and picked up the papers one by one.
Seeing this, Lily walked over with a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.
"Charlotte, don't be mad at Edward. It's all my fault," Lily said.
She didn't finish her sentence before she suddenly stumbled. The cup in her hand tilted right toward me.
Most of the scalding tea splashed onto the back of my hand.
Some of it soaked into the important agreement papers.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through me.
Edward shoved me aside and frantically grabbed Lily's hand, inspecting it again and again.
"Are you okay? Did it burn you anywhere?" he asked.
Lily shook her head, her eyes rimmed with tears and her voice trembling.
Only then did Edward turn to me. "What the hell are you trying to do? Are you going to drive Lily over the edge? Is that what you want?
"Take your damn papers and get out."
Red blisters quickly rose on the back of my hand, the pain making my fingertips tremble.
But I didn't shed a single tear.
That girl who used to run to him for a hug over the tiniest kitchen cut. She'd already been crushed by disappointment, over and over again.
I shot him a cold glare and smacked the soaked papers onto the desk.
My voice was as cold as ice, with not a trace of feeling. "Edward, remember what you said today."