Chapter 3

I looked into Yarden’s bloodshot eyes and could not help but find the whole thing absurd.

Four years ago, the system had given me a chance to go back to my home world.

I had just gotten a promotion in my original world. My family was well-off, and my parents were both healthy. I chose to go back.

After that, my body began to grow weaker and weaker. The doctors ran every test they could, but they could not figure out what was wrong.

The man who could command the business world begged renowned specialists from all over the world to save me.

Every night, he held my frail hand and cried.

He could not even sleep. Whenever he woke up, the first thing he did was press his ear against my chest to make sure my heart was still beating.

I was torn. Over the years, I had truly fallen in love with Yarden.

But my family in my original world mattered just as much to me.

Then, when he had nowhere else to turn, he went to a remote mountain chapel that was famous for its miracles.

He drove through the night and spent hours on his knees inside the chapel to pray for me.

He lit candles one after another and begged God to spare my life. He stayed there until dawn. He refused to leave even when his knees were sore, and his voice had gone hoarse.

Before he left, an old priest gave him a simple beaded bracelet that had been blessed at the chapel. He brought it home and slipped it onto my wrist.

“Lily, please wake up. Please get better…”

My heart softened. I asked the system if I could postpone my return, and the system had agreed.

As I looked at the beads that were stained with his tears, I found the whole thing ironic.

All those years, I had tormented myself for abandoning my family in the original world.

Yet less than a year after I chose to stay, Yarden cheated on me.

That was why I had broken down and had acted paranoid. I thought my choice had been a complete joke.

I looked at Yarden and said hoarsely, “You gave it to me, so it’s mine. I can do whatever I want with it, can’t I?”

Yarden froze. His face immediately darkened.

I held the beaded bracelet out to Quiana again. “Don’t you like my things? Go ahead. Take it.”

Quiana glanced at Yarden’s thunderous expression and shrank back. “Forget it… How could I take something that means so much to both of you?”

I laughed. There was a mocking edge to my voice.

“Once the love’s gone, meaningful things just end up becoming worthless objects.”

Yarden finally lost his patience. He snatched the bracelet from my hand and gave it a hard yank.

The cord snapped, and the rosewood beads scattered across the floor.

He stared at me coldly. “If you don’t care about it anymore, then you shouldn’t get to keep it.”

He grabbed Quiana and stormed out, then slammed the door behind them.

It felt as if someone had carved a hole straight through my heart. I crouched down and picked up the beads. Tears streamed down my face.

I picked up every bead that had tears on it and carefully put them back into the box. Then, I took the farewell letter I had just written and tucked it inside.

I found the butler, Martin Tyler, and said softly, “Give this to him in seven days.”

Once I had done all that, exhaustion overpowered me.

I collapsed onto the bed. I drifted in and out of sleep when the bedroom door opened. Someone sat down beside me.

I thought I was dreaming. Out of habit, I reached for the familiar arm and held on to it. Half asleep, I said, “You’re home so late…”

I moved closer to him. “Yarden, I don’t feel very well…”

The next second, he violently yanked his arm away. Yarden snorted and said, “Why are you pretending to be so weak?!”

I woke up to find his furious face right in front of me.

“Lily, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Just because Quiana wore your wedding dress, you started imagining things again. Now, you think I’m cheating on you and having an affair with her!

“You paid people to harass her online. You called her a homewrecker. You even paid thugs to drag her into an alley! What more do you want?!”

He leaned closer to me, and his voice trembled in rage.

“When I got there, she was barely dressed. If I hadn’t stopped them in time, who knows what you would’ve done? Can’t you even tolerate your own daughter?!

“Lily, do you have any idea how far you’ve gone this time?”