Chapter 3

Three days later. An art salon at a downtown gallery.

A friend said he had collected a painting and wanted me to take a look at it.

I arrived at the gallery early, so I went to the restroom to touch up my makeup first. Just as I was fixing my hair in the mirror, the phone I had placed on the counter suddenly vibrated.

The screen lit up, and a bank transaction notification popped up:

"Your credit card ending in 6080 has a transaction of 28,000 at 15:23 today. Merchant: Cartier Jewelry."

This card was the supplementary card I had given to Sebastian.

Back when he first quit his job to focus on painting, I didn't want him to feel embarrassed about the cost of expensive paints and canvases, so I voluntarily gave him the card, telling him it was to safeguard his "artistic dream."

For seven years, aside from buying canvas and paint, he had never used this card to buy a single personal item, let alone buy a gift for me.

I dialed the bank's customer service number. "Please check for me, what exactly was purchased in that transaction just now?"

The customer service agent's voice was sweet and standard: "Hello Ma'am, the purchase was a pair of 'LOVE' series rings."

Rings. A pair.

I hung up the phone. Less than half an hour later, a social media update popped up right on time.

It was Chloe.

The photo was a close-up of a hand wearing a ring, with Sebastian's blurry profile in the background.

The caption read: "The surprise came too suddenly ❤️ Forever yielding to your favoritism."

I was all too familiar with that ring design.

It was the exact same model I had made Sebastian stop and look at in a shop window three years ago.

I had told him back then, "This design is so beautiful. If we get married, this is the one I want."

And what had Sebastian said at the time?

He had frowned, lecturing me with a look of high-minded superiority: "Vivienne, diamonds are a capitalist scam, and rings are shackles that bind freedom. We need to pursue a spiritual connection, not these vulgar objects."

Turns out, he simply didn't want to put the ring on my hand.

Turns out, the ring wasn't vulgar; I was.

And now, he was using my money to buy the ring I liked most, to put it on another woman's hand.

I looked at myself in the mirror and suddenly felt that the last seven years of my life were utterly nauseating.

As soon as I walked into the gallery hall, I saw Chloe.

The brand-new ring on her hand sparkled under the lights, stinging my eyes.

"Isn't this Vivienne?!" Chloe shouted as soon as she saw me.

Everyone around us looked over.

She deliberately raised the hand wearing the ring to brush her hair—a gesture so exaggerated and deliberate—and then raised her voice.

"Sebastian has been too busy to pay attention to you lately, but you didn't have to chase him all the way here, did you? Everyone is saying you're stalking him and forcing him to marry you. It's so ugly."

Whispers erupted around us.

"That's Sebastian's fiancée? The one who got stood up 99 times?"

"Still trying to force a marriage? Have some shame."

"She's getting old; probably can't hold onto a man's heart anymore."

I couldn't be bothered to waste words on Chloe. I turned to leave.

But Chloe suddenly took two quick steps and subtly stuck out her foot.

I tripped, and my center of gravity shifted instantly—

I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain of impact.

However, the fall never came.

A pair of strong arms steadied my waist.

Arthur pulled me into his embrace.

"Vivienne!"

A roar broke the silence.

Sebastian pushed through the crowd from somewhere, rushing over.

When he saw Arthur intimately holding me, his eyes instantly went bloodshot. The inherent possessiveness of a man was exposed in broad daylight—even if he didn't want me anymore, he wouldn't allow anyone else to touch me.

"What are you doing?! Let go of her!"

He charged up, reaching out to drag me out of Arthur's arms.

Arthur didn't retreat an inch. Instead, he held me tighter, looking at Sebastian like he was watching a clown perform.

In this moment of high tension, Chloe, standing to the side, rolled her eyes.

Acting as if she were trying to break up the fight, she suddenly lunged between us. "Sebastian! Don't be impulsive—Ah!"

Her movements were too fast and exaggerated. Seemingly pushed by me, she careened uncontrollably into a passing waiter.

The red wine glasses on the waiter's tray tipped over. Crimson liquid poured down over Chloe’s white dress, instantly staining it with a massive, shocking dark red blotch.

It all happened too fast.

Chloe immediately clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face instantly. She looked at me with a mix of terror and grievance. "Vivienne... I know you hate me... but I was just trying to stop the fight. Why did you push me..."

The trick wasn't sophisticated, but it was effective enough for Sebastian.

Sebastian immediately took off his jacket and wrapped it around the shivering Chloe with heartbreaking tenderness.

He turned around, staring dead at me, the disappointment in his eyes so thick it couldn't dissolve. "Vivienne, you make me sick."

"You're jealous of her, you target her—it's one thing to make a fuss in private. But this is in public! Why do you have to be so vicious? Do you really have no room for her?"

This is Sebastian.

No matter what happens, he doesn't need even a second to think; he will always stand by Chloe and judge me.

Seeing that I didn't speak, Sebastian took a deep breath. He lowered his voice, switching to a tone of "magnanimous charity."

"Fine. Stop making a scene. I know you're acting out because you're angry. As long as you apologize to Chloe right now, I promise I'll show up on time for the next marriage registration. I guarantee it."

Arthur's arm tightened around me. He was about to speak up for me.

I reached out and stopped him, taking a step forward.

"Sebastian, listen to me."

"First, I didn't pour wine on her."

"Second, I am getting married. But the groom isn't you."

"So, you don't need to go to the next registration. Ever again."