Chapter 2

The birthday party officially kicked off in the evening, but Rosalie and Jeffrey were nowhere to be seen.

It was not until the party was nearly over, with only the younger guests chatting and some business folks networking, that Rosalie and Jeffrey finally arrived.

Rosalie had her outfit changed. Her face was flushed, and her lips were slightly swollen. Jeffrey appeared smug with faint red marks visible through the opening of his shirt. Everyone could immediately tell what had transpired between the two of them. Their mischievous gazes were directed at me. Only a few of my close friends shook their heads but stayed quiet.

If it were in my previous life, I would have hurried over and slapped Rosalie. Now, I just picked up a cup of coffee from the table and sipped it calmly.

Jeffrey cautiously shielded Rosalie behind him, anticipating my reaction. However, he became annoyed when I paid them no attention.

Rosalie pulled Jeffrey over and kissed him as if no one else were around. Jeffrey did not resist and let her sit on his lap. Their behavior was no concern of mine, even though they seemed determined to degrade themselves.

However, my best friend, Julia Lewis, could not bear it any longer. She pulled Jeffrey and Rosalie apart. "Rosalie, Jeffrey is about to become Hannah's fiance. Do you have no shame?"

Before Rosalie could refute, Jeffrey shouted. "Julia? I recall several Lewis family projects receiving investments from the Zachary family. On what grounds do you speak? Let me remind you, Hannah hasn't said anything. Who are you to lecture me?"

"Jeffrey, watch your tone." Julia treated me sincerely. I would never allow Jeffrey to disrespect Julia. "Mr. Zachary Sr. hasn't retired yet. Are you so certain I chose you and you'll get that 20% stake?"

Upon hearing Julia's words, Jeffrey paused briefly before bursting into laughter. "Are you saying this out of spite? Everyone in this circle knows that you're in love with me and won't marry anyone else."

Then, as if remembering something, Jeffrey continued, "Whatever the reason is, Hannah, I hope you can forget the ancient hatreds. No matter how much you care about it, your mother won't come back alive, so everyone should get along. Rosalie is innocent."

'Innocent?' I thought, stifling a laugh.

When my mother was pregnant, Rosalie's mother came over with Rosalie and made a fuss. Rosalie's mother insisted that my father was forced to abandon her and aggressively accused my mother of being the mistress. As they argued, my mother was thrown down the stairs, and two lives were lost. Later, I found out that Rosalie was not my father's illegitimate daughter at all. She was instead the child of my uncle, who died early. Her mother was revealed to be a hostess, not the woman she claimed to be.

'Innocent? My mother and unborn sister are also innocent.' I fell into deep thought as I recalled the past.

Jeffrey thought I agreed with him and cheerfully remarked, "By the way, it's your birthday today."

He untied his tie and tossed it to me, saying, "Here, this is for you."

Rosalie immediately said, "Jeffrey, do you think Hannah will like it? She won't blame me for taking her original gift, will she?" She then adjusted her collar, revealing a necklace around her neck.

Jeffrey reassured her, "Don't worry. Hannah only appreciates items I've handled. And what do you mean by 'original gift'? If I have given it to you, it's yours."

The two of them chuckled mischievously.

The tie hit my face hard—it felt as if I was slapped. I found it meaningless.

In my previous life, I cherished items that Jeffrey had used. The pinky ring he wore when we first met, the tie he wore when we got married, and the watch he wore at the successor press conference. I asked for them one by one and put them in an exquisite box as treasures and evidence of our relationship.

Jeffrey mocked me, saying that these were junk that would be thrown away after being worn once, and I was the only one who treasured them. Things were precious because of the emotions we attached to them. He did not love me, so he did not understand that.

I sighed, picked up the tie that had fallen from me, and threw it into the trash can next to me. "Trash should go in the trash can."

Jeffrey was furious. "Okay, okay, okay. Hannah, just wait for our wedding to be postponed!"