Chapter 3

I still didn't reply to Chloe.

I went home to my parents.

The second my mom saw my red, swollen eyes, her own eyes welled up. She kept asking me what happened.

There was no hiding it.

I told her everything.

She was so furious she started cursing on the spot. "Has Adrian Black lost his mind? He actually called the police and reported you for harassment? You're his fiancée!"

My dad's face went dark with rage.

"What's the point of this wedding? She's not marrying him. End of discussion."

They backed me completely.

First thing the next morning, my parents showed up with a lawyer and returned everything the Black family had sent over. The engagement ring, the prenuptial trust documents, the bride price. All of it.

Shortly after, Adrian called me. For the first time in recent memory.

"Emma, what are you throwing a fit about now?"

His voice was the same as always. Flat. Not a trace of emotion.

As if the person on the other end wasn't his fiancée, but a stranger.

I gripped my phone tight and said quietly, "Adrian, let's call off the wedding. I..."

Before I could finish, Chloe's voice cut in from the background.

"Boss, is Miss Hayes upset because you reported her for harassment? I should've never suggested that idea."

Then Adrian's voice.

"It was a good idea, actually. At least she was quiet last night. Didn't bother me."

His tone shifted.

It was a warmth I had never heard before.

"Don't overthink it. She's just too loud. It has nothing to do with you."

His words slammed into my chest, and the pain spread fast.

He kept murmuring reassurances to Chloe, completely oblivious to the fact that the call was still connected.

Or maybe he'd simply never considered me worth noticing.

I swallowed the sting rising behind my eyes and said softly, "Adrian, we're done. I'll never bother you again..."

The line went dead before I finished.

I thought he'd accepted my decision.

A second later, Chloe messaged me.

"Miss Hayes, Boss just went into a meeting. He's going to be really busy after this. If there's anything you need, you can tell me and I'll pass it along."

"Also, the new place was decorated with me and Boss overseeing the whole process, so the style might not be your taste. Take a look. If you don't like it, I'll have Boss get someone to redo it."

She sent a flood of photos.

Every corner of the new home, captured in perfect detail.

The first thing I noticed was a half-eaten bag of chips sitting on the couch.

Adrian was a germophobe.

He never let me eat snacks in the apartment.

Once, I couldn't resist and bought a small bag of chips. When he found out, his eyes went ice-cold. He grabbed the bag and snapped, "Emma Hayes, can you seriously not control yourself? If you want to eat that, go back to your own house. Don't make a mess here."

But in these photos, an open bag of snacks had been tossed casually on the sofa, crumbs still visible beside it.

My fingertip trembled and accidentally swiped to the next photo.

On the clean bathroom floor, there were several long strands of hair tangled together.

In a daze, I remembered when we first moved in together and I forgot to clean up my hair in the bathroom.

Adrian's face had been stone cold. "Emma, look at that. Doesn't it disgust you?"

I didn't reply.

Chloe sent another message.

"Miss Hayes, I forgot to take photos earlier. When I stayed over at Boss's place last night, I suddenly thought I should show you the new house and forgot to tidy up first. Don't mind the mess."

In that moment, I finally understood.

Every privilege belongs only to the person who is loved.

Adrian liked her, so he responded to everything she said.

Because he liked her, there was no limit to what he'd tolerate.

Even years of obsessive cleanliness could be cured.

I stopped looking for Adrian. He stopped appearing in my dreams.

I started telling my mom about all the funny things I came across during the day.

As if there had never been a person named Adrian Black in my life.

Until the day before the wedding.

That day was also my birthday.

My parents threw a small birthday party at a hotel to celebrate. They wanted me to forget all the unhappy things and invited quite a few friends.

Adrian and I had known each other since childhood, so most of our friends overlapped.

The moment Mia spotted me, she handed her kid off to her husband and came running.

"Emma, today isn't just your birthday, it's your last single-girl party. A day this important, and it's just you and your parents? Where's Adrian?"

I'd forgotten to tell her that Adrian and I had already called off the engagement.

I opened my mouth to explain, but a burst of excited chatter rose up nearby.

"Wow, since when is Adrian this romantic? He actually got a heart-shaped cake?"

"I guess love really does change people. Even a cold-blooded robot like Adrian knows how to pull off a surprise now."

Hearing the laughter, I turned around instinctively.

And saw Adrian walking toward us, carrying an elegant cake.

Mia's eyes lit up. She leaned in close, nudging me with a grin.

"Your Adrian finally figured it out. On your past birthdays, I never even saw a card from him. And now he's giving you a surprise in front of everyone."

Watching him come closer, step by step, my heart clenched in spite of itself.

Even now, faintly, I still caught myself hoping.

Mia saw me frozen in place and laughed, pushing me forward. "Look how carefully he's carrying it. Go take it!"

But amid all the cheering, Adrian didn't stop.

He walked right past me.

Straight to the person standing behind me.

Only then did I realize Chloe had been there the whole time.

"Boss, I only mentioned once that I liked heart-shaped birthday cakes, and you actually got one. Thank you."

Chloe's eyes glistened with emotion, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Adrian gave a faint smile. "Happy birthday. Glad you like it."