Chapter 4

A flash of panic darted across Elliot's face, but his voice remained cold. "You know Lexie doesn't have parents to rely on. Did you really have to bring that up just to hurt her? She might be optimistic and strong, but that doesn't mean she won't be upset."

I froze in place.

How could she possibly have no one to rely on when the man who should have stood by me was her pillar?

I let out a bitter laugh. "Elliot, we're over."

He looked at my swollen cheek, as if he wanted to say something. He was about to reach out and touch it, only to pull back the moment Lexie swayed slightly.

Without another glance at me, he scooped Lexie up into his arms and headed toward the pharmacy.

I was long used to it. Any minor issue Lexie had was always more important than me.

Ten minutes later, a text from him popped up on my phone.

"I lost my cool just now. Let's talk properly later tonight. Be good and stop overthinking. Once we wrap up the wedding in a few days, I'll take you to the beach to unwind, okay?"

I had nearly drowned as a child, leaving me terrified of deep water.

The one who had always dreamed of visiting the ocean was Lexie.

I didn't bother replying. I just deleted his contact information.

After swiftly completing my resignation at work, I returned to our apartment to pack up the rest of my belongings.

As I was handing the boxes over at the courier station, Elliot stopped me.

Exhaustion clouded his eyes, as if his patience had been completely drained by my unreasonable behavior.

After a long silence, he pulled me into his arms. "That's enough. I know you're just trying to scare me. I can overlook your recent attitude, but you still owe Lexie an apology. Apologize to Lexie today, and we'll hold the wedding tomorrow."

He seemed entirely convinced that I would give in for the sake of his offer.

Lexie walked over and thrust a set of car keys into my hand. "Elliot said it's not good for a woman to take the crowded subway all the time, especially when it's so easy to get hurt, so he insisted on buying this for me. But I don't drive much, so you should take it."

Over the past three years, I had asked him countless times about buying a car for my commute, and he had rejected the idea just as many times.

He would say, "You can't just run from every hardship. It's just a subway ride. Don't be so dramatic."

Now, Elliot casually chimed in, "This car is to give Lexie some status. You're used to taking the subway anyway, so don't try to take it from her. You won't be needing the money your parents gave us as a wedding gift either, so we might as well give it to Lexie."

The 500 thousand dollars in that account was my parents' life savings for retirement, yet he handed it away so easily.

He snatched the keys back from my hand and placed them right back into Lexie's.

Lexie lowered her eyes and smiled softly. "You're going way overboard. A car and a house? All I really want is for you two to make up and get back together."

I stayed silent, stacking the packed boxes onto the cart.

Smiling, Elliot patted her head. His gaze casually swept over me. "Lexie really understands the bigger picture. I hope a certain someone can learn from her and lose the princess attitude after we're married.

"I've booked the venue, and the wedding is set for tomorrow. I just tweaked the menu and decor a little to suit Lexie's taste."

He stared at me, then paused for a moment. "Stop thinking only about yourself, and try to be more considerate of Lexie."

The moment the words left his mouth, a box on top of the stack suddenly wobbled and tumbled off.

Elliot instinctively pulled Lexie into his chest to shield her.

The sharp corner of the cardboard box slammed hard against my shoulder, leaving a bloody gash.

I collapsed onto the floor, and the coin tumbled out of my pocket, rolling across the ground.

Elliot froze when he saw my detached expression. The words slipped out before he could stop himself. "Don't make a scene out of this. I only grabbed Lexie first because I panicked."

Instinctive reactions could reveal a person's true feelings.

I picked up the coin. "Heads or tails. Guess wrong, and the wedding is canceled forever."

Elliot looked at me in utter disbelief. "Stop joking around. How could you ever bring yourself to—"

I stared down at the coin, which had tails on both sides, and spoke in a soft voice. "I guess heads."