Chapter 3
After seeing his mother off, Matthew came back with Lydia.
He had the best dentist fix my teeth to make up for what happened.
On the way back, Lydia sat in the passenger seat, talking excitedly about all the new things she'd experienced abroad.
The two of them were reminiscing about all the sweet memories they shared.
Seeing the gentle, doting look on Matthew's face, my chest tightened with a sour ache.
If things hadn't gone wrong, maybe I could've had moments like this too.
Tears filled my eyes, and I lowered my head, trying to hold back my sobs.
Suddenly, Lydia gave me a sly, teasing glance.
"Oh, did I make you sad, sweetie? You're so attached to Matthew. Why not just stay here as a maid? With your background, it fits perfectly. You can take care of him, and whenever you miss him, just sneak a peek to cure your lovesickness.
"Right, Matthew?" she said, turning to him with a smirk.
Matthew caught my eye in the rearview mirror, then hit the brakes at the red light, cupped Lydia's face, and kissed her.
They lingered in their embrace until the car behind them started honking, finally pulling apart with obvious reluctance.
"You don't have to test me. You're the only one I love.
"But if you want a perfect housekeeper, you can keep her around. She can do anything, and she can look after you, so I won't have to worry," he added, half-joking.
They flirted and bantered the whole way, so sweet it made me sick.
As soon as they opened the door, they rushed straight into the bedroom, all over each other.
I headed back to my room to gather my stuff.
The noises from their room got more and more outrageous, almost like they wanted to rub it in.
Even with my headphones on, I couldn't block it out.
After a long while, the door swung open, and Matthew threw the filthy sheets at me.
"Hand-wash the sheets and make her some nourishing soup. I've got wedding preparations to take care of. To keep my family from getting suspicious, you'll be packing up your things while also looking after her these next few days.
"After the wedding goes smoothly, you can leave," he added.
I opened my mouth, about to say something.
But then, a startled cry came from the room next door.
Lydia came running in, wearing her pajamas, her movements shaky and her cheeks flushed.
She was holding a handmade necklace—roughly put together, but the materials were seriously high-end.
"Matthew, I got a little sore just now, and I couldn't help it. I accidentally snapped it. It's okay, right?" Lydia pouted, sounding innocent.
It was a gift Matthew had splurged on for me at an auction last Chinese Valentine's Day.
He just thought I had tacky taste and liked these gaudy things.
But what he didn't know was that this necklace was something my ex-husband left behind before faking his death, meant to confuse his enemies.
It was also the keepsake that sealed our promise back then.
I searched everywhere for it, and finally tracked it down at an auction.
Seeing the necklace broken in half, my eyes went red with tears. I rushed over and shoved her away.
"You did that on purpose! I put it in the drawer! Who said you could touch my things?" I shouted.
She went sprawling to the floor from my push.
Beneath her slipping camisole, her skin was covered in hickeys and red marks.
She looked so pathetic.
"I didn't mean to, I'm sorry," Lydia whimpered, her voice trembling.
Matthew's face flushed with anger, and he slapped me hard across the face.
"Charlotte! This is my house! How dare you lay a hand on her? Is that what you think, that I let you get away with too much?
"Apologize to her!" he demanded.
The cut in my mouth reopened, and blood started dripping from the corner of my lips.
I shakily gathered up the shattered pieces of the necklace.
"Why... can't you even let me keep just a tiny bit of hope?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
Matthew paused, stunned.
He thought I just couldn't bear to let go of something he'd given me.
His tone softened a bit, but there was still an edge to it.
"It's just a necklace. If you want, I'll buy you a hundred more," he said.
He swept Lydia off her feet and carried her away.
"This is the first and last time. If you ever lay a finger on her again, you know exactly what I'll do," Matthew warned, his voice cold as ice.
Watching them get all cozy, I forced myself not to show how much it hurt.
Suddenly, my headphones pinged with a new message.
An anonymous text popped up.
[Wait for me at the wedding.]
Seeing those familiar words, my numb heart finally came back to life.
Everything was finally coming to an end.