Chapter 4

The last day came sooner than I expected. Alexis unexpectedly reached out to arrange a meeting.

"It was me who kept Kaison away from you," she said with disdain in her eyes. "Three years have passed, and you still endure."

I replied with a calm smile, "Is that why you called me here, Ms. Marshall?"

She seemed a bit taken aback but quickly regained her composure. "I wanted to let you know that this time, Kaison is putting together a jewelry exhibition for me; that's why we returned earlier."

She paused, then added, "Preparing for the exhibition has been utterly draining, so..."

My heart skipped a beat as Alexis looked at me intently. "I thought I’d come cheer you up," she sneered.

Instinctively, I touched my wrist where it had been hurt before. "Last year, you had a bit of an accident during an exhibition, didn’t you?"

Alexis smiled, but her eyes were icy. "I remember it was when you were arranging the displays, a prop fell and injured your wrist."

Memories I had struggled to forget came rushing back like waves. On my birthday last year, Kaison had left me for Alexis. I was drowning in pain, looking through Facebook posts that felt like daggers to my heart.

The next day, dazed and confused, I showed up at the exhibition. While setting up the displays, I was so distracted that I didn’t notice a large decorative prop swaying dangerously above.

With a loud crash, the prop fell, and I couldn’t get out of the way in time. My wrist was struck hard, and I crumpled to the ground as blood oozed from the wound.

Seeing this, those around quickly called for an ambulance.

I remembered Kaison once assuring me that no matter what difficulty I faced, I should contact him immediately. Desperately, I reached for my phone with trembling hands to call him, but he never picked up.

During the surgery, he continued to ignore my calls and never showed up.

It was in that painful moment that I finally realized Kaison's heart had never truly been with me.

Alexis’s syrupy voice abruptly interrupted my thoughts as she thrust her phone in my face. "You know, at that time, Kaison and I were... right there."

The photo showed Alexis in a seductive gown, perched on a hotel bed. Kaison was kneeling beside her, lovingly massaging her feet, his gaze tender and affectionate. Other photos showed them in intimate moments on the bed.

I stared hard at the image of Kaison. He had always acted so entitled with me, expecting me to cater to his every need.

I had never known this deferential side of him.

The sadness mixed with anger surged within me like a storm. I swallowed the bitterness and stood up, saying, "If he truly loved you, he’d find a way to make you a legitimate part of his life, not let you be the other woman."

With that, I turned to leave.

Behind me, Alexis's voice rose sharply, "The one not truly loved is the mistress! Just wait and see which home Kaison returns to tonight!"