Chapter 3

After that incident, I overheard someone asking Andrew. "Mr. Pierce, don't mess around too much. Emily's an heiress, after all. If you really piss her off, what if she storms out?"

Another socialite nodded in agreement. "Emily's got quite a temper, too. Mr. Pierce, you'd better be careful not to let things get out of hand. Or... are you falling for Rachel?"

My heart skipped a beat at that.

Andrew raised an eyebrow, his tone confident. "Emily and I grew up together. I know her well. She can't leave me."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette, his eyes unreadable. "Besides, she's meant to be my wife. No one else could ever take that place."

Someone asked, "What about Rachel?"

My heart was in my throat.

After a long silence, Andrew said, "She's... an accident."

We grew up side by side. I knew him inside out.

An accident was another way of saying he caught feelings, and now he couldn't let her go.

I let out a bitter laugh, mocking myself. It was all so straightforward, Andrew.

Guess I had to bow out.

With my move to Capital City coming up, I started selling off my properties in Harbor City.

Andrew somehow heard about it and frowned, asking me what was up.

"Short on cash?" he said, making a show of reaching for his checkbook.

I shook my head. "I don't care for them anymore, so I'm selling."

He paused, his eyes searching mine. "I gave you several of those places. Not a single one you like now?"

I smiled. Yeah. And, I stopped liking Andrew a long time ago.

Andrew didn't wait for my answer. He shot off a quick message to his assistant.

He said, "Then I'll buy you a few more places, until you finally like one.

Rachel and I are going to dinner tonight. You're coming with us. She's still inexperienced, so look after her and introduce her to some people. Be good."

I took the check. It was a hefty sum.

Real estate in Capital City cost a fortune. Why put myself through all that trouble?

When Rachel walked out wearing that heirloom jade bracelet, Andrew frowned at her for the first time. "Who told you you could wear that bracelet?"

Rachel trembled, stammering, "It was Ms. Summers."

Faced with Andrew's incredulous gaze, I nodded quietly.

That bracelet was the one Andrew's mother had slipped onto my wrist herself, beaming at me with a gentle smile. "Emily, you're the daughter-in-law I've always hoped for."

But now Andrew's heart belonged to someone else, and I was about to marry another. Guess it was time to let them have their happy ending.

"Rachel really suits it," I said.

Rachel's eyes grew misty with tears. "Andrew, did I mess up? I can take it off right now."

Andrew's voice softened instantly as he gently patted Rachel's head. "Keep it on."

But when his gaze shifted to me, the unease in his eyes only deepened.

At the party, when the socialites saw Rachel and me, they scoffed and whispered among themselves.

"Emily's got some nerve, huh? How can she put up with everything that's going on?"

"You don't get it. With the Pierce family's status, tolerating a few scandals is nothing. She knows exactly what she's doing."

"I heard they're planning a wedding. Who would've thought Emily could be so cunning?"

When I turned around, Rachel's eyes were already rimmed with tears.

"Ms. Sinclair, Andrew already promised me there wouldn't be a wedding. Why did you go ahead and make plans without asking?

"You really want to have a wedding without a groom? Ms. Sinclair, are you that thirsty for a husband? So desperate to get married?" she demanded.

I felt the whole thing was absurd, but Rachel didn't let me get a word in edgewise.

The next second, she went tumbling backward.

The massive champagne tower crashed to the floor, shattering everywhere. Rachel's hands were cut by shards of glass, and she looked utterly miserable.

Before I could react, I was shoved aside by a strong force.

Andrew gently picked Rachel up in his arms, his eyes full of concern and affection.

Rachel's eyes were filled with tears. "Ms. Sinclair, I know I shouldn't have mentioned the wedding.

"I'm really sorry. Please, don't go after my family. My parents are getting old. They can't take any more trouble from you."

A dull pain throbbed in my arm as I gritted my teeth. "What are you talking about?"

No one in Harbor City would ever dare try something so low against me.

Everyone knew Andrew never bothered with the facts. If I said I didn't do it, he'd take my word for it, no questions asked.

Even if I was being reckless or selfish and really messed up, Andrew would always back me up, even if I was totally in the wrong.

The Andrew who once swore to believe me no matter what was gone forever.

Now, his eyes were filled with nothing but open contempt.

A heavy, stabbing pain hit my chest as I heard him speak. "Emily, apologize."

The commotion had all the guests gathering around.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the crowd collectively sucked in a breath.

I bit down so hard on my lip I could taste blood. I could barely breathe. "I didn't do it. You can check the cameras. I'd never—"

"Emily," Andrew cut me off, impatience flashing in his eyes as he tilted his chin toward my mother. "Your mother's right over there. Want me to have her come over and apologize in your place?"

My whole body went stiff. Under his threatening gaze, I shut my eyes in unwilling surrender and slowly grovelled before Andrew.

My nails dug hard into my palms, and hot tears of humiliation slipped down my cheeks, no matter how hard I tried to stop them.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Summers," I choked out.

Shards of glass pierced my legs, blood soaking into my dress, the pain sharp and everywhere, but never had I felt so numb as I did now. "I knew my place now. I'll leave you and Andrew to it."

At that moment, my mom, her eyes red and brimming with tears, pushed through the crowd and gently helped me to my feet, her face full of heartbreak.

"Andrew. The engagement between Emily and you is already off. What more do you want from her?" she shouted.

Andrew went rigid. "What did you say?"