Chapter 1When attending a family dinner with Edward Smith, I took the initiative to mention that I wanted to get married and have a family soon.
He immediately thought that I was coveting his family's property and that marrying him was only for money. So he slapped me more than a dozen times in front of everyone.
Then he turned around to chase after his jealous childhood sweetheart.
I grabbed his hand and begged him not to leave, but he angrily pushed me down the stairs, which resulted in a fracture in both my legs and a cracked skull.
I stayed in the ICU for a month before regaining consciousness.
This time, I didn't act unreasonably.
Instead, I took the initiative to contact my mother who was overseas.
"Mom, about the inheritance you mentioned last time, I agree to it."
---
After checking out of the hospital alone, I took a taxi to his company.
Standing downstairs of the company, I suddenly felt unfamiliar with this place where I had worked for nine years.
It had only been a month since I left, but my information had been completely deleted from the system, and the security guards stopped me from entering.
Helpless, I had to take out my phone and call Lu Huai, but no one answered.
Instead, Bella Green called me via video.
On the other end of the video, she raised the corner of her mouth and said with a hint of embarrassment,
"I didn't expect you to be discharged so soon, Diana sis. Edward is worried about my personal safety, so the company doesn't let strangers in now. Don't worry, I'll ask the security guards to let you in right away."
The originally closed door opened to me at her instruction.
I stood there in a daze for a few seconds before walking in slowly.
The door to his office was open. When I pushed it further, Bella was sitting on the sofa in a skimpy camisole and smiled at me.
Edward beside her was shirtless, and the atmosphere between them was particularly ambiguous.
I took a glance, then looked away, and without hesitation, placed my resignation report on the desk.
Seeing that I ignored them, he frowned, stopped in front of me, and explained,
"She just returned to the US not long ago. You know that our two families have a good relationship, and our parents also asked me to spend more time with her to build a connection. Besides, she is more qualified for this position than you."
"But that's not the only reason. Diana sis, didn't you know? Edward and I are getting engaged."
She interrupted Edward, then raised her hand to show me the diamond ring on her finger. He was wearing an identical one.
Edward didn't explain much about the engagement; he just looked at me calmly.
I looked up at him and nodded slightly.
"Okay."
I didn't question or ask for an explanation. Instead, I pointed to the document on the desk.
"I've submitted the resignation report, and it's going through the procedures. I've also handed over my work."
Edward obviously didn't expect me to say that, and his eyes widened slightly.
I turned around and left, completely ignoring the surprised looks from the two behind me.
The pain in my legs clearly spread to every nerve in my body.
Even now, I can still recall the scene at the family dinner when Edward pushed me down the stairs to chase after the jealous Bella.
My love for him had long vanished during the month I struggled to survive in the ICU.
Edward chased after me at some point and stood behind me.
He hugged me, buried his head in the crook of my neck, and gently rubbed his cheek against my neck.
"Bella and I are childhood sweethearts. She would be jealous if she knew I was getting married. Don't take the engagement too seriously. The Smith family and the Green family are well-matched in social status..."
"I don't care."
I directly interrupted Edward before he finished speaking and pulled away from him.
We had been together for nine years, and I had done more intimate things with him.
But now, facing his closeness, I felt a sense of resistance.
Edward's face turned ugly for a moment, and he stood there stubbornly without moving.
As if confirming my attitude, he stared straight at me.
"You two are childhood sweethearts, and you've been together longer than me. The engagement is also the elders' wish, and I won't interfere."
"Don't worry, I really want to resign. I'm not jealous or being petty."
Edward still wanted to say something.
But Bella stuck her head out, and her voice came from the office,
"Honey, where did you put my underwear? The lace one..."
She met my gaze, then reacted as if innocent and said,
"Sorry, I didn't know you were still here. We have been together for so long that I forgot you're still his girlfriend for a moment."
I replied casually and left the company.
Early the next morning, my mother called me as soon as she found out I had been discharged from the hospital.
"Dear, how's your health? I'm getting old, and I just want you to come back and stay with me. All these years, you've been following Edward around, with no status, and even being laughed at by his family."
"As for the property, it's best that you've come around to the idea. Although your stepfather's property isn't extremely large, it's enough to keep you well-fed and clothed for the rest of your life. You'll no longer have to live every day in fear."
In the past, when I heard my mother say such things, I had to argue a little.
I used to think that being with the person I loved was enough.
Money didn't matter at all.
But now, I couldn't say a word.
In these nine years at the Smith family, I never had a place of my own from start to finish.
"When do you plan to come back? I'll make preparations in advance."
I glanced at the calendar on the wall, and a red circle was particularly eye-catching.
In ten days, it would be the tenth anniversary of my relationship with Edward.
"Give me ten more days. I'll finish handling things here, and then I'll come over."
After I hung up the phone, I realized that Edward had been standing behind me without my noticing.
He frowned slightly, as if wanting to see the contact name on my phone.
"What ten days? Who were you talking to?"
Chapter 2
I placed my phone face down on the table and casually brushed him off with a few words.
"A friend introduced me to a new job."
"There's still a place for you in the company. You don't need to rush to leave. Even if your position has been taken over by Bella, there are other positions available."
Edward pursed his lips, looking confused as to why I was so determined to resign.
"I don't need it."
Seeing my attitude, he also looked a little annoyed, but before he could speak.
Bella from downstairs started urging,
"Honey, we're going back to the old mansion for dinner today. Don't keep uncle and aunt waiting."
Upon hearing this, my hanging fingertips trembled slightly.
When Edward and I first started dating, his parents looked down on me.
They thought I was just a country girl from a poor place, and I was no match for Edward's wealthy background.
But every time we went back to the old mansion, Edward would definitely take me with him. He would stand up for me without hesitation and argue with his parents.
He also promised me.
As long as he was around, there would always be a place for me in his family.
But this time, Edward avoided my gaze, and his tone of voice was a little unnatural.
"After what happened last time, you know my parents aren't in the best of health. If they see you, they'll get angry again."
"Don't misunderstand. I'll talk to my parents again about the engagement. After all, Bella was raised under their eyes, so they naturally feel closer to her. Once this passes... my parents won't hold it against you."
Every word Edward said showed favoritism towards Bella.
It wasn't that he had forgotten his promise to me. It was just that in his eyes, there was someone more worthy of his devotion.
I raised a smile, just like I usually did.
No arguments, no fuss.
Bella continued to urge, and Edward's patience with me was completely worn out.
He left without looking back, and as he left, he said lightly,
"Diana, I get tired of explaining to you every day. Can you try to understand me a little?"
Every time there was a quarrel between Edward and me, he would say this with a tired look on his face.
I would feel sorry for him and start to reflect on myself, wondering if I was being too willful.
After adjusting my mood, I would continue to indulge in this relationship that had no value at all.
Edward was wearing an expensive suit, and Bella was in a high-end custom dress.
They looked really well-matched as they left side by side.
Watching their backs as they walked farther and farther away.
I also calmed down and started packing my things.
In these nine years, Edward and I had countless memories.
I used to always think that he loved me.
The decoration of the villa was all according to my preferences.
He liked balconies without enclosed windows, wanting to sit in the sun with our children in the future.
But we didn't even have children, and he already didn't love me anymore.
Back then, there were no housekeepers or nannies in the villa.
Knowing that my stomach was weak, Edward would cook nutritious meals for me every day with his own hands.
But now, all of that was blurred in my memories.
Once, he was afraid I would be cold on my way to work, so he secretly knitted a scarf for me. His skills were clumsy, but it was full of love.
"You should have everything others have."
When he tied the scarf around me, he also planted a kiss on my cheek.
He ruffled my hair, acting like a big cat as he nuzzled my neck and cooed,
"Come home early after work, or your boyfriend will worry."
I don't know when it started, but Edward grew tired of our relationship.
The first time I proposed to him, Edward said we were still too young. Getting married too early would make us sick of each other, just like other couples.
The second time I proposed, I had prepared a surprise, but accidentally heard his conversation with his friend.
"The novelty of Diana has worn off. It's so boring. But she's good to me, and I don't want to break up."
"The girl is proposing to the guy, but the guy is indifferent. Can't she see that I don't love her anymore?"
The last time...
I gave my all and proposed to Edward in front of his parents, even saying I could forgo the betrothal gift.
But his childhood sweetheart, Bella, was also there. When she found out about this, she got angry and jealous.
Edward also completely panicked. He forgot the love he once had for me—the love that couldn't tolerate others hurting me—and yet he personally pushed me down the stairs.
After hitting a wall again and again in my attempts to show love, I finally realized who Edward had been waiting for all along.
Tears suddenly slid from the corners of my eyes and dropped onto that worn-out scarf.
I wiped my face, took a deep breath, and started erasing him from my life.
The balcony got sealed.
Nine years of diaries went into the shredder.
That old scarf? Went up in flames.
Chapter 3
Edward didn't send me a single message for a whole week.
I'd already moved my luggage out of his villa early on.
He still thought I was throwing a tantrum and didn't bother with me.
But as time went on, he seemed to remember my existence.
Three days before I was to go abroad, it marked the tenth year of our relationship.
Edward called me, which was rare.
"Diana, our 10th anniversary is coming up. I've booked a restaurant. Let's have a good talk."
As he finished speaking, I received a text message with an address he'd sent.
That restaurant was also where Edward and I had confirmed our relationship.
As always, I'd prepared a gift for Edward for every anniversary.
This year would be the last time.
I sat in the restaurant, watching the minutes tick by.
It was already more than half an hour past the agreed time, and Edward still hadn't shown up.
Just as I was about to call him, fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky outside the restaurant.
The fireworks formed the words,
[Happy Birthday, Bella.]
Everyone was drawn to the scene.
I finally found Edward, who had been missing all this time.
He was in a suit, holding a bouquet of roses, and kneeling on one knee to propose to Bella.
On a building screen not far away, engagement posters of Edward and Bella began to scroll.
"Mr. Smith is really generous. He's renting that big screen that costs a million per minute."
"But I remember his girlfriend doesn't look like this, does she?"
"What girlfriend? Rich people play around. She's just a lover, got it? This one here is the real deal—childhood sweethearts, getting married soon."
Their comments reached my ears, and every word felt ironic.
So it wasn't the 10th anniversary at all. It was Bella's birthday and a proposal party.
I let out a soft sigh, threw the prepared gift into the trash can, and planned to leave.
Bella, the star of the show, appeared in front of me before I knew it.
Gone was the gentle and innocent look she wore around Edward. She smiled at me provocatively.
"I heard today is also your 10th anniversary with him? Let me tell you, he doesn't even remember. It's just because it's my birthday that he remembered there's someone like you."
In the past, I might have already started a fight with her.
"Is that so? Then I wish you happiness—may you have eight babies in one birth."
I curved my lips, then pushed past her to leave.
But Bella suddenly slipped, plopped down onto the floor, and all the champagne on the table spilled over her.
Before I could react, Edward, who had rushed over, saw the scene.
"Diana! Haven't you made enough of a scene?"
Without a word, he grabbed my collar and roughly pushed me against the corner of a table.
Shards of glass pierced my palm, and blood gushed out instantly.
"I told you I'd handle the engagement. Why do you have to hurt Bella!"
The glass shards were still stuck in my palm, and the stinging pain spread all over my body.
Before I could open my mouth to explain, Bella, who was unharmed, suddenly clutched her chest and gasped for air.
Edward completely panicked. His hands trembled as he called the driver, and his eyes even turned red.
"Don't you know Bella has asthma? She's delicate, not like you!"
He roared at me, venting all his dissatisfaction on me.
"If you want to get married so badly, go marry someone else! I'll never marry you! Get lost, and don't show up in front of me again."
Everyone around was laughing at me, and the pain in my palm gradually went numb.
I watched their figures walk away.
My heart still ached involuntarily.
I took a deep breath and said softly,
"Edward, let's break up. On this 10th year."
I didn't know if Edward heard my last words. All I got in response was the dust kicked up by the wheels of their car.
I booked the earliest flight to leave.
I left this place full of troubles.
Just as I was about to board the plane, Edward's video calls kept ringing.
I'd deleted his contact information, so he sent message after message from a stranger's phone.
[Where are you? Can't you stop being ridiculous?]
Even after I threw my phone into the trash can, the messages never stopped.
