Chapter 3

Regina gently tugged at Colton's sleeve. "Colton, please calm down. This lady didn't mean any harm."

Her words only fueled Colton's anger. He snapped, "She didn't mean any harm? Then why did she say that?"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding, sir," I said slowly. "I was merely suggesting that when a woman makes such a drastic decision, it indicates she's deeply hurt."

I paused, locking eyes with Colton. "The only one who could hurt her so deeply... must have been the person she trusted and depended on most."

Colton's face grew increasingly pale.

"For instance," I went on, "her fiancé."

A palpable tension instantly gripped the conference room.

Colton fixed his gaze on me, as if trying to see right through me. He demanded, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

I rose to my feet, gathering the documents from the table. "What I want to say is that, though Quiana may be gone, her kindness will live on. Our charity will honor her memory by ensuring this donation transforms the lives of those in need."

With that, I nodded to everyone. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

As I was about to step out of the doorway, I heard Colton call after me from behind, "Wait."

I turned back. "Anything else?"

He stepped closer, studying my face intently. "You really remind me of someone."

I smiled. "Really? I hope she's a beauty."

"She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Colton murmured, his voice barely a whisper, as if speaking to himself. "And the one I regret hurting the most in my life."

My heart twisted painfully at those words.

But I kept my smile intact. "That's sad."

He looked into my eyes and said, "If I could just start over, I'd never make the same mistake again."

I gave him one last look before turning and walking away.

Stepping out of the law firm, I was met with dazzling sunlight.

I took off my sunglasses and gazed up at the sky.

It was a bit too late for those words, Colton.

I didn't expect to bump into Regina, of all people, at the gym.

I was pushing myself hard on the treadmill when a familiar figure suddenly caught my eye. Regina was in pink activewear, chatting with her trainer and beaming.

Three months had changed her. Her complexion had brightened, her figure had become more toned, and she carried that radiant glow unique to women in love.

Colton must've been treating her well.

I cranked up the treadmill's speed, trying to sweat out my frustration. But of course, Regina had to pick the treadmill right next to mine.

"Hi there," Regina greeted me warmly, tilting her head slightly. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"

I pretended not to hear and kept running.

"Oh! I remember now," Regina suddenly exclaimed, her voice bright with recognition. "You're Winona Sanders from the charity."

I had no choice but to respond. I hit the pause button on the treadmill, panting as I turned to Regina. "Yeah, that's me."

"Wow, what a coincidence!" Regina's smile looked genuine. "I'm Regina. We met at the law firm that day, remember?"

"Mm, I remember," I said, wiping sweat with my towel. "You work out here too?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend got us a couple's membership," Regina said, her cheeks flushing pink at the mention of Colton. "He says working out is good for our health."

Another sharp pang stabbed through my heart.

A couple's membership? I asked Colton for ages to work out with me, but he always said he was too busy.

"Your boyfriend treats you so well," I managed to say, struggling to keep my tone even.

"Yeah, he's so sweet and attentive," Regina gushed enthusiastically. "He texts me good morning every day, picks me up after work, and even takes me shopping on weekends..."

Every word she said pierced my heart like a knife.

Colton never did any of those things for me. No. If I were being honest, I never even asked him to because I always thought he was too busy with work, and I didn't want to bother him.

Looking back now, I realized how ridiculous I was for being this considerate.

"You two sound really happy together," I said.

Regina's eyes gleamed. "Yeah! Even though we only got together because of... complicated reasons, we're so incredibly in love now."

Complicated reasons?

Putting on a curious face, I asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Regina's expression suddenly dimmed. "His ex-fiancée passed away."

"Oh..." I feigned sympathy, saying, "How tragic."

Regina sighed. "Yes, her name was Quiana Whites. She was such a tragic girl. She loved Colton so desperately that when she found out about us, she just..."

Regina mimed jumping into the sea.

Looking at her expression, I suddenly felt like throwing up.

A tragic girl? Did she really just call Quiana a "tragic" girl?

"Did she really love your boyfriend that much?" I asked.

Regina nodded. "She was pathologically obsessed with him. I heard she'd been clinging to him since childhood, shamelessly pushing for their engagement. Truth is, Colton never liked her, but with business ties between their families, he couldn't say no."

Her face lit up with that sweet smile again. "Then I came along, and that's when he finally understood what real love truly was. It was love at first sight. We simply couldn't fight our feelings for each other."

Love at first sight, my ass.

I remembered it crystal clear. Regina had been chasing after Colton for a whole damn year before he finally gave in. And back then, he was still my fiancé.

"Did his ex-fiancée know about you two?" I pressed.

Regina didn't hesitate to reply, "Of course she knew! We never even tried to hide it. True love just can't be contained."

"How did she take it?" I asked.

"She totally lost it—crying, screaming, making a huge scene." Regina shook her head. "She even threatened to die. Honestly, we all thought she was just bluffing. None of us ever imagined she'd actually go through with it..."

She paused, putting on a show of remorse. "If we'd known she'd go to such extremes, we would have handled things more carefully."

I almost wanted to laugh.

More carefully? As in, more carefully while cheating on me?

"Well, it's not all bad." Regina's tone suddenly shifted, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "This way, Colton is finally free. He's been so happy every day. He says I've given him a whole new lease on life."

My fist clenched around the towel.

"Don't you think it's rather inappropriate for you to speak about the dead like that?" I said, carefully measuring my tone.

Regina paused briefly, then smirked. "Are you actually feeling sorry for her?"

I said, "I just believe we should respect the dead."

"You're right." Regina nodded, though there was little real remorse on her face. "But honestly, Quiana's death was a relief for everyone. When Quiana was alive, Colton suffered every single day, pretending to love her when he didn't. Now he can finally be with the person he truly loves."

Regina checked her watch, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Oh dear, it's getting late. I need to pick Colton up from work. Today's our three-month anniversary, and we're celebrating at a restaurant!"

With that, she waved cheerfully. "Bye! Let's catch up soon."