Chapter 7

She declined my first call, and the second, and so on...

With reddened eyes, I dialed again and again, and only on at least the 12th call did Zoey finally answer, unhurriedly.

“Is something wrong?”

Hearing Zoey’s cold voice made my heart tremble, and I suddenly remembered that back in high school, when I had just begun studying jewelry design, someone had also accused me of plagiarism, and I had panicked and called her.

That time, she had answered in seconds, and had only said one thing to me. “Don’t panic, I’ll always be there to support you.”

But now, our relationship had already fallen into hell.

After a long silence, I finally asked her in a trembling voice, “Why was my draft in Cameron’s hands?”

Zoey was much more composed than I had expected.

“I was the one who gave it to him.”

“Why?”

I could not accept her casually spoken words; my heart felt crushed and then set aflame.

“You clearly knew the truth—why!”

This was the first time I had ever questioned Zoey.

After a moment of silence, she finally said, “Because I knew the meaning of that necklace, and you know too. It should never have been created, and it absolutely shouldn’t bear your name.”

At that moment, I understood everything and let out a bitter laugh.

So it was still my fault.

It was I who had made her so sensitive; even if it meant my complete ruin, she still wanted to strangle this last lingering thought.

I closed my eyes in despair, my voice already hoarse.

“But do you know that the one who plagiarized wasn’t me—it was Cameron. This stain is fatal to a designer. After this, I would no longer be able to gain a foothold in the jewelry industry. You personally shattered my future!”

“So what? Cameron only made a mistake by accident; he didn’t mean it. What’s the harm in you taking the blame for him once? When I supported you in studying jewelry design, it was only so you’d have a hobby. I never expected you to achieve anything great. You don’t need to worry about your future—I'll support you for the rest of your life as compensation.”

With that said, Zoey hung up.

I stood there in a daze, the phone slipping from my hand and hitting the floor without me noticing.

The room was brightly lit, reflecting my haggard figure standing before the window—hair messy, face exhausted, eyes bloodshot.

Looking at myself, I felt momentarily disoriented.

Was this still me?

I no longer recognized myself—where had that once spirited young man gone?

And the sister-in-law who had always stayed beside him, protected him, and sworn never to abandon him—where had she gone?

I realized that I could no longer find the Zoey of the past.

After the plagiarism incident, my exhibition ended in dismal failure, but I became even more determined to cut ties with Zoey completely, leaving not a single debt between us.

Fortunately, a few friends around me were still willing to believe me and introduced me to several design tasks from their own families, but it was still not enough.

To repay the money, I began earning however I could, regardless of status or dignity—I had worked as a janitor for wealthy families and as a waiter in high-end venues.

In the last three days before going abroad, I finally managed to gather 16 million.

Today was my last day as a waiter. Near the end of my shift, I pulled myself together, pushed open the private room door, and walked in—this was my final shift.

I had not expected to run into her here.

A crowd of men and women were gathered around Zoey and Cameron, playing games.

When I walked in, Zoey had just lost that round.

She drew her own punishment.

“Choose someone of the opposite sex you like and feed him red wine mouth-to-mouth.”

The room instantly erupted into cheers and teasing.

Cameron pressed his lips nervously, readying himself.

But in the next second, Zoey pushed through the crowd and saw me. She picked up a wine glass and walked toward me.

Everyone’s eyes followed her steps to me; the room fell silent, shock written on every face.

While everyone was still stunned, Zoey simply placed the wine glass before me and said softly, “Fill it to the brim. Don’t leave. You’ll need to refill it later.”

I suddenly realized what she intended to do, and my mind went blank with a dull boom.

I knew what she wanted me to witness what she was about to do, yet perhaps because I had already begun to let go, my heart felt no pain—only numbness.

“Alright.”

A moment later, I met Zoey’s gaze, gave a slight smile, and filled her glass to the brim.

She turned without hesitation, returned to Cameron’s side, took a big sip of wine, then sat directly on his lap and kissed him fiercely.

The room erupted into cheers, and I saw everything clearly.

The wine in the glass soon ran out, but Cameron grabbed Zoey, stopping her from walking toward me.

He took out a diamond ring, knelt on one knee, and said gently, “Zoey, will you marry me?”

Cameron proposed to Zoey.

The room instantly burst into commotion, everyone urging her to agree quickly.

The private room was too noisy, and I didn’t hear what Zoey said clearly, but I didn’t care.

Looking down at the time, I realized my shift was over.

Handing the wine bottle to a colleague who had just come in, I walked out of the private room without the slightest reluctance and let out a long breath.

Finally, everything was coming to an end.