Chapter 3

The crowd erupted in an uproar at my words.

One whispered, "What? This girl is Nathan's fiancée?

"Then who's the girl holding his hand?"

Another replied, "Isn't it obvious? She's his side chick."

Yvonne's face went pale. She desperately wrenched her hand free from Nathan's grip and ran off in tears.

Nathan's face was livid as he glared at me, looking like he wanted to eat me alive.

He snarled, "Jessica, if anything happens to Yvonne, I'll make you pay with your life."

With that, he shoved his way through the crowd and took off after Yvonne.

I watched him go, back stiff with pride, my face blank.

Then I turned and walked to the general store for a notebook and a cheap ballpoint.

Once I got home, I pulled out my cheap ballpoint and the workbook I'd bought, ready to practice my signature.

Suddenly, the door to the maid's room was kicked open from outside.

Nathan stormed in, looking furious. He snatched the ballpoint from my hand and snapped it in two, then sent the workbook flying across the room.

Plastic splinters flew as he snapped the pen, one piece cutting into my calf and drawing blood. The pain made tears spring to my eyes.

When Nathan saw I was hurt, he froze for a second. Then, as if remembering something, he let out another cold sneer.

He said, "First, you go around spreading rumors and ruining Yvonne's reputation, and now you're acting all pitiful in front of me.

"Jessica, I really didn't expect you, just a maid, to be so manipulative."

I fought back tears from the pain and protested, "I didn't spread any rumors, and I never meant to ruin Yvonne's reputation."

Nathan ignored my explanation, his face stone-cold as he grabbed my arm and dragged me outside.

He snapped, "Now everyone out there is calling Yvonne the homewrecker who ruined our engagement.

"She's being driven out of her mind by all this gossip.

"Let's go! You're going to explain to everyone right now that our marriage was arranged, and we called off the engagement a long time ago."

My leg still bleeding, Nathan dragged me straight to the theater, where Yvonne worked.

Yvonne's eyes were already red from crying. The moment she saw Nathan, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Nathan instinctively shoved me aside, and I stumbled backward, falling into a cold embrace.

I stared blankly at the man who caught me.

Back in my previous life, I was dead set on marrying Nathan.

Out of spite, Yvonne ended up marrying Nathan's archrival.

And that archrival was none other than Kevin Lewis, who was standing right in front of me.

The Goodman and Lewis families were pretty much on equal footing.

Nathan and Kevin had been rivals since childhood.

Word was that, after Kevin married Yvonne, he made her life a living hell.

Yvonne just couldn't take it anymore and drowned herself in the river.

I had zero interest in getting mixed up in these rich kids and their tangled love affairs.

I got to my feet, stepped right into the crowd, and stared back at Nathan, refusing to back down from his glare.

I announced, "Nathan and I did have an arranged engagement, but it's been called off.

"Nathan and Yvonne are in a normal relationship. There's no affair or cheating going on.

"And I'm not Nathan's fiancée. I'm just their maid."

With that, I shoved my way through the crowd and rushed straight to the hospital.

Nathan's expression softened a little as he glanced at my bleeding calf, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes.

"Jessica, wait. I'll drive you to the hospital," he called out.

But just then, Yvonne let out a sudden cry and fainted right into Nathan's arms.

Nathan hesitated for a moment, then scooped Yvonne up in his arms.

He turned to me and said, "Wait here. I'll take Yvonne back to her dorm first, then come get you and take you to the hospital."

With that, he hurried off with Yvonne in his arms.

I just watched his back as he left.

'I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for Yvonne,' I thought to myself.

That kind of steadfast, one-sided devotion... I'd never had it, not in this life or the one before.

I didn't stick around. My leg throbbed with every step, but I turned and limped straight to the hospital.

Suddenly, Kevin grabbed my waist.

I gasped in surprise as the next thing I knew, I was swept up off the ground, cradled in his arms.

Kevin's voice came, full of playful sarcasm, right by my ear.

He teased, "Look at you, bleeding all over the place, and you're still trying to act tough?

"With that temper of yours, no wonder you can't win against Yvonne, that sweet little angel act of hers.

"Hop in, I'll drive you to the hospital."