Chapter 3

But why?

Why was I punished just because I talked back, but Chloe could humiliate me without a care?

Even though I could not feel pain, pain still shot through my chest. I struggled to breathe.

I refused to back down. I straightened my back and silently stared at Julian.

After a long while, I could taste blood in my mouth. My head felt heavy. My vision blurred. Julian sighed.

He wrapped his coat around my body. Ignoring the dirty river water dripping from my body, he carried me in his arms and put me into the car.

The car felt really warm. Tears prickled my eyes when I saw the lipstick stains left by Chloe in the front passenger seat.

Julian sent me to his private apartment. The entire drive, he remained silent.

He had given me this apartment and allowed me to call it our home.

Since Chloe returned to the country, he had not been there once.

When he was about to leave, I suddenly grabbed his hand.

My voice was trembling.

“What am I to you?”

I despised myself for being so weak, but I really needed a clear answer.

Julian did not answer my question. Instead, he said, “Chloe has just returned to the country, so she’d have conflicting values with you. You shouldn’t see each other so much.”

Some things were better left unsaid in the adult world.

I lowered my head as my heart sank.

Julian seemed to sense my emotions as he kissed my forehead to comfort me.

“You caught a cold today. You should rest. I’ll give you three days off.”

Julian left.

I dragged myself into the bathtub. I submerged myself in the warm water, but I still felt extremely cold.

In the misty bathroom, my thoughts cleared.

I loved Julian.

However, it did not mean that I should unconditionally cling to Julian at my own expense after Chloe appeared.

I spent a day getting rid of everything related to Julian.

I only kept the ruby necklace around my neck.

I could not harbor any remaining connections with Julian.

I arrived at Julian’s manor in a daze, so I did not realize anything strange around me.

When I opened the door, I was stunned by the scene before me.

Someone recognized me and immediately started provoking me.

“Isn’t she Mr. Sterling’s bodyguard? Is she planning to make a scene?”

I returned to my senses and looked up in shock.

It was Julian’s engagement party.

Julian frowned. He sounded unhappy.

“Didn’t I give you time off? Why are you here?”

I smiled mockingly.

If I had not accidentally run into this event, would Julian still keep me as a mistress and hide the truth from me?

Chloe walked toward me domineeringly.

She smiled and said, “Julian’s always been very kind. He won’t mistreat his employees. It’s just an engagement party. Come on in.

“Julian would’ve even saved a starving stray dog.”

The humiliation was blatant, but Julian did not say a single word.

“Oh right, this employee has congenital insensitivity to pain, so she can’t feel any pain! Julian, let’s get her to perform something, please?”

Chloe let go of her champagne glass and let it smash on the floor.

She stared at me arrogantly.

“I want you to kneel on the broken glass and crawl over!”