Chapter 3

That night, I didn't go home. I went to Monica's place.

I gazed at the memorial photo of Monica hanging on the wall.

I ran my fingers over her face in the picture, and suddenly, I burst into tears.

Monica really was the perfect woman.

Even after she was paralyzed, she still kept her elegance.

Monica taught me how to paint.

She was the one who made me feel the kind of motherly love I had never experienced before.

Monica was the one who held my hand and asked if Adam was truly the only one for me.

When I nodded with tears in my eyes, she convinced Adam to marry me out of family obligation.

Thinking about how good Monica was to me made my chest hurt so much that I could hardly breathe.

Eventually, I ended up hugging Monica's photo, crying until I fell asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, my nose felt congested, and my head was a bit dizzy. It was obvious I was coming down with a cold.

I hadn't come home all night, and Adam didn't even bother to call or check on me.

Meanwhile, the college group chat had blown up with nearly 5,890 messages.

Adam had flooded the chat with digital gift cards.

There were also countless photos of him and Serena—some of them sharing a wedding toast, others singing together.

Besides the photos, the chat was packed with well-wishes.

Everyone was blessing Adam and Serena, wishing them a lifetime of happiness and lots of children.

The last thing in the group chat was actually a video.

It was Adam and Serena, locked in a heated kiss with everyone watching.

Seeing all those messages overflowing with love, my heart was a mess—anxious, confused, and aching. My hands shook, and for a split second, I wanted to throw our marriage certificate into the group chat for everyone to see.

But when my gaze fell on the photo of Monica, still lying on the floor where I had left it, any courage I had disappeared in an instant.

After all, the last thing Monica said to me before she passed away was, "Serena, you're a good girl. Promise me, even if things don't work out between you two, you'll leave each other peacefully, okay?

"You and Adam are both my good kids. I don't ever want to see you two become enemies."

Just remembering that gut-wrenching moment made my heart clench painfully.

I stayed at Monica's house all morning and didn't walk out the door until one in the afternoon.

After crying all night, barely getting any sleep, and now catching a cold, my head was spinning like crazy. By the time I finally made it home after the ride, my legs felt like jelly.

As I was about to push the door open, May Geller, the housekeeper, rushed over and stopped me.

"Mrs. Sinclair, wait; don't go in yet. Mr. Sinclair has someone over," May said.

The moment May finished speaking, someone exclaimed in surprise from the upstairs balcony. "Wow, Adam, you even planted my favorite yellow roses in the garden!"

Hearing that playful voice from upstairs, my face went ghostly pale as I stared at the yellow roses swaying in the garden.

Adam bought this villa three years ago.

Back then, the only part of the renovation Adam ever got involved with was the garden.

For the past three years, he had spent an hour every night out there, tools in hand, fussing over the garden.

I always thought Adam was planting flowers to relax.

But I never realized that all this time, the whole garden was actually for Serena.

The pain in my chest was so overwhelming that I could barely breathe, and before I knew it, tears started falling.

May saw the look on my face and pulled a handkerchief out of her apron, handing it to me.

She said, "Mrs. Sinclair, here, wipe your tears. When Adam's mom passed away, she told me to keep an eye on you and Mr. Sinclair.

"I've watched you two all these years. Honestly, you and Mr. Sinclair aren't a good match. You can't force love; it never works out. Maybe it's time to set yourself free."

It felt like someone jabbed a needle right into my heart.

So many people had told me Adam and I weren't a good match.

I never really paid any attention to what they said.

Maybe it was the sickness, maybe the cold, but for the first time, I felt myself breaking down, suddenly so fragile.

For once, I actually took their advice to heart.

Suddenly, it hit me. I didn't want Adam anymore.

Honestly, loving Adam was so damn tiring.