1 Two days before our planned wedding, Victoria left me stranded on a winding mountain road to pick up Blake, her male assistant, for a celebration dinner. When my car plummeted off the cliff during the crash, she was busy having a heated tryst with Blake in her own car. My desperate calls for help, dozens of them, met with a busy signal, drowned out by their ecstatic cries. When I was rushed to the ER, I begged the nurse to inform her. But on the other end of the line, Victoria raged, "Tell him to call me when he's dead! If he's not dead, leave me alone! Always causing trouble, day in and day out!" The moment I closed my eyes, my heart turned to ash. The first thing I did after waking from surgery was cancel our wedding registration. "Alex, where the hell are you?! I've been waiting at City Hall for ten minutes!" Victoria's voice, blazing with fury, screamed through the phone. "I was in a car accident. I'm at the hospital." "Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I canceled our wedding." Every breath tasted of antiseptic, and my entire body ached as if it had been put through a meat grinder. A long silence hung on the other end. "Well, then, let's not register for now." Her casual tone, delivering the most cutting words, instantly froze me. "Good timing, actually. I'm taking the staff on a trip this long weekend." She hung up before I could even respond. I stared at the disconnected call, a chill spreading through me. Not a single word of concern, not a single apology. As if I were just some ordinary stranger. Ten years of devotion, poured down the drain. I had loved the wrong person. I was hospitalized for seven days. Seven days during which Victoria never once appeared, never even made a single call. Scrolling through Blake's social media, I discovered that Victoria's "employee trip" was just a solo vacation to Hawaii with him. Hawaii, the very place I had always dreamed of for our honeymoon. Now she was there with another man. Blake's photo showed him in swim trunks by the glassy ocean, a matching ring gleaming on his hand. In the background, in a blurry corner, Victoria's silhouette was unmistakable. 【Business perk from the boss lady!】 I'd seen those very rings in Victoria's pocket once. I’d thought they were a surprise for our wedding registration. I even had a diamond ring, her favorite, ready for her. Just my foolish self-delusion, again. I scoffed and "liked" the post. Unexpectedly, my phone rang the very next second. It was Victoria. "Alex, are you looking for trouble?! What's with the passive-aggressive 'like'?! Blake's threatening to come back now, you think round-trip tickets are free?!" Her accusatory tone sent a hot flush to my throat. "Apologize to Blake immediately! He just helped me close a massive contract last month. If he quits, I swear, I'm not done with you!" Faced with Victoria's accusations, I couldn't even be bothered to expose her lies. Rings worth hundreds of thousands for an employee at a celebration dinner, even matching couple's rings, and then a private Hawaiian getaway with him? It was their wedding and honeymoon, practically. I hung up, unliking the post. Staring at the last number on my recent calls, I finally dialed. "Amelia, I want to come back to you. Do you still want me?" Her voice, laced with endless affection, came through the line. "I told you, my side is always open for you, no matter what." At that moment, tears streamed down my face. "Then I'll wait for you to come home." Amelia, my stepsister, was an exceptional computer engineer who had moved abroad after graduating college. She had always taken great care of me, but after I insisted on being with Victoria, she had ruthlessly cut off contact. I hung up the phone, a bitter tide instantly surged through me. My last ten years had been wasted on a total scumbag. The day I was discharged from the hospital, Victoria returned too. It was late at night when she got home. I had just finished washing the accumulated laundry and was standing on the balcony, lost in thought. In my hand was a condom I’d found in her pocket. Victoria and Blake appeared downstairs, locked in an inseparable embrace. The sight was like a needle piercing my heart, so painful I couldn’t breathe. There was a time, not so long ago, when Victoria and I were like that, too. She was my senior in college. By my sophomore year, she was already starting her own business. Every time I returned to campus, she’d cling to me, kissing and hugging, begging me to stay just a little longer. I truly believed such intense affection would lead to a perfect ending, which was why I rejected Amelia's plans to move abroad and chose to stay in the country, supporting Victoria's startup. And yet, this was the devastating conclusion. The sound of a door opening echoed from behind me, followed by Victoria's scolding. "What's going on? Why is the house such a mess!" Victoria frowned the moment she walked in, surveying the room. She was a germaphobe. I always did the cleaning myself, meticulous about every corner, terrified she'd be uncomfortable if the cleaning lady missed something. Each time she broke out in a rash, I’d blame myself for not cleaning thoroughly enough. Now, I realize all my efforts had become her expectation, a reason to be taken for granted. Victoria's phone vibrated incessantly in her hand, and she glanced down, smiling as she replied to messages. She nudged the suitcase at her feet with a kick, not even looking up. "Since you're doing laundry anyway, wash the clothes in this suitcase. I can't stay in this mess. I'm going to a hotel. Call me when you've cleaned everything." Victoria put her phone away, a dismissive instruction, and turned to leave. Watching her back, I called out to stop her. "Wait." I limped after her. Her eyes fell on my knee. "Were you actually hurt?" A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, and she frowned. "I thought you were just making it up..." I didn't explain. I simply pressed the condom into her hand. "Take this. You'll need it." Victoria and I hadn't used those in a long time. She knew exactly who would need it. 2 Victoria stared at the item in her hand, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes, immediately replaced by a blaze of fury. "This was for us, from ages ago! I just put it aside for when we started trying for a baby. I don't know what you're being so paranoid about!" "If you kept the house spotless, why would I need to stay in a hotel?" Victoria's face turned crimson, her features contorted. Her furious tirade, loud and direct, was laced with an undeniable undercurrent of guilt. Before I could even say a word, she hurled the condom at me. A sharp corner of the box sliced open my forehead. I stumbled, grabbing the edge of the dining table to steady myself. "I'm not being paranoid. I just thought, if this was in your pocket, then giving it back to you..." "Enough! Don't try to argue!" she shrieked. "You're in your thirties! Still acting like some jealous high-school kid? So, I guess I should just hire all women from now on, and put a 'No Men Allowed' sign on the office door!" "I'm truly sick of you!" Victoria kicked over her suitcase, slammed the door shut, and vanished. Among the scattered luggage, I noticed a pair of black boxer briefs, not the brand I usually bought, VK. I crouched down, picking up the boxers. My heart felt like it was being torn apart. When I proposed to Victoria, I spent every penny I had on the ring. But now, that ring was long gone. Replaced by a new pair of matching rings. I'd told her back then that I dreamed of a Hawaiian honeymoon, and she went to Hawaii. Replaced by a new man. I meticulously cleaned the house, again and again. When I was exhausted, I sat down, fighting back the tears. I didn't stop until my hands were raw and waterlogged, almost translucent. I took a paper bag and gathered all of Blake's belongings I found from Victoria's pockets: two pairs of boxers, a lighter, and three condoms. The next day, I brought them to Blake's desk at work. Blake opened the bag, a smirk playing on his lips. "Alex, my bad, my memory's terrible. I'm always misplacing things..." I forced myself to ignore the blatant provocation in his eyes. "No worries," I said. Victoria's company had a partner, Chloe. Chloe's husband, David, and I handled the company's finances. I had just settled into my desk when I saw Blake saunter into Victoria's office. A few minutes later, he came out chuckling. Victoria must have smoothed things over again. Closer to noon, Victoria came over to ask me about a financial matter, all the while subtly studying my expression. Seeing I showed no reaction, Victoria slammed a box onto my desk. "This is a gift I brought back from Hawaii for you. I forgot to give it to you yesterday when you were throwing a tantrum." "And for our registration, I had Blake rebook the appointment for us." My hand, on the mouse, faltered slightly. Blake booked it. Last time, he made a spectacle of our appointment, openly provoking me. What would the next one bring? I found myself strangely anticipating it. It was a Chanel box, but the ribbon was missing. I opened it to find a pair of cufflinks, but a few of the diamonds were missing. In the past, Victoria always brought me gifts from her business trips, whether exquisite or designer. But after Blake, I only received used, cheap things that he didn't want. "Thanks," I mumbled, not even bothering to look up. I closed the box and tossed it into the trash can. "What do you mean by that?!" Victoria's patience was wearing thin. I met her gaze directly. "Victoria, I'm not so desperate that I need to use someone else's discarded hand-me-downs." 3 Victoria's face darkened considerably. "Fine, whatever, Alex. Just don't come crying and begging me later." She marched straight back into her office. Blake followed her in, not forgetting to give me a smug look before he went. Victoria and I had always kept our relationship a secret. At the company, she was my superior, and I was her subordinate. Over time, it had become an open secret. But now, Victoria and Blake's blatant disregard for professionalism in the office made my past self look utterly ridiculous. She had made me the laughingstock of the entire company. Everyone in the office avoided looking our way, fearing they’d stumble into the awkward tension of a love triangle. Instead, they congregated in the restroom, chattering about gossip. "Oh my God, did you see Blake just went into Victoria's office, and then she went right in after him?" "Alex is so pathetic. My friend from business school told me they were together for ten years! Who gets ten years back?!" "You guys wouldn't believe it, Blake was throwing a tantrum today, I don't know what about. Victoria just directly transferred him half a million to buy that new electric car!" I crouched in the restroom, tears blurring my vision. Buying rings, buying cars, buying houses—Victoria truly intended to build a life with him. I tried hard to ignore the pain in my heart, reminding myself that I had to move on. Returning home alone after work, I started packing my bags. Victoria came home a little tipsy, sitting on the sofa, waiting for me to attend to her like I used to. But this time, I didn't move. "Alex, where's the hangover soup?" In the past, Victoria often came home completely drunk after closing deals. Every time, I'd have a special hangover soup ready, waiting to take care of her. I’d also wash her face, help her change, so she wouldn't be too uncomfortable falling asleep. "No time to make it. There's some hangover medicine in the cupboard. Take one yourself." I didn't even look up, walking directly into the bathroom to pack. She stumbled over, watching my movements, her face falling. "That's enough, Alex. How long are you going to keep this tantrum up?" Victoria slapped my hand away, her eyes bloodshot, concealing endless fury. But I didn't utter a word to stop her as she stormed toward the front door. I clearly saw her silhouette freeze at the entrance. In all our past arguments, I was always the one to apologize and yield. But this time, I was tired. Truly too tired to compromise. The sound of the door closing echoed, and a heavy weight lifted from my heart. I actually felt a flicker of relief. Later that night, unable to sleep, I received Amelia's flight details for her return. "Alex, my flight's the day after tomorrow, afternoon. Arriving in the evening." The next second, I received a video from Blake. In the video, Victoria was completely drunk, and Blake, shirtless, was holding her. 【Alex, just so you don't misunderstand, I specially sent you this video to prove that Victoria and I really aren't what you think. Why don't you come pick her up?】 Misunderstand? They were practically naked, putting on a show for me. I felt both helpless and amused. 【You can take care of her just fine.】 The next morning, I was woken by commotion outside the door. The noisy voices made me frown. I heard Blake's sharp, high-pitched voice. "Boss, Alex isn't still asleep, is he?! Will he be annoyed by us making noise?" I stepped out into the living room, watching Victoria and Blake walk in, laden with food and drinks. Blake casually kicked off his shoes, and Victoria, without a word, bent down to pick them up and place them neatly in the shoe rack. This sight stabbed at my eyes. She was such a germaphobe, yet now she was willing to pick up a man's shoes. But when I was sick, she wouldn't even change my clothes. "Alex, you're awake! The sun's already high, and Victoria and I have been grocery shopping all morning!" I frowned, looking at Victoria. She looked away, a little uncomfortable. "It's Blake's birthday today. He insisted on having your stir-fried blue crab with rice cakes." My hands, clasped behind my back, clenched into fists. Just one more day. Just one more day. I turned and walked into the kitchen to prepare the blue crab. I didn't like the dish, but Victoria did. So it had become my signature dish. I watched them through the glass door, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the sofa, playing It Takes Two on a Switch. I loved that game, but Victoria had never had the patience to play it with me. She always said I was childish and boring, that girls hated video games. Yet now, she was having a blast playing with Blake. I didn't know if it was my imagination, but Victoria kept glancing my way, as if expecting me to react. But I pretended not to notice. With a loud "thump" from the game, Blake seemed to have done something exciting, and he pulled Victoria into a deep kiss. I stood there, holding a large platter of food, watching Victoria being kissed. "Alex, I just got carried away with the game, sorry about that, you don't mind, do you?" Blake asked, his hand remaining firmly on Victoria's shoulder. "Not at all." I shook my head, placed the last dish on the table, and untied my apron. "You two enjoy. I have something to do; I'm heading out." Victoria looked up and asked where I was going, but I ignored her. For some reason, her face was a stormy mess.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "392829", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel