Chapter 3

Orlando asked me to visit their wedding venue and give my opinions on the decorations.

I wanted to turn down the offer, but he took out a photograph.

“I sponsor the disabled children from the choir.”

Sophia and I had taught the children in the photo during summer volunteer programs years ago.

Something inside me stirred.

I nodded.

Inside the car, Sophia sat in the passenger seat. She wound down the window.

A faint, sweet fragrance drifted toward me. It was the scent of citrus, like orange soda on a summer afternoon.

Soda was her favorite drink. Back then, I always collected bottles and cans in the summer to trade them for pocket money just so I could buy drinks for her.

Bathed in the sweet scent of citrus, she had once leaned close and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

“Benjamin, you’re always so good to me! Do you like me or something?”

Whether it was because of the lingering warmth of the sunset or the restless evening breeze, both of us blushed.

Those memories surged through my mind. All that remained in the present was the bitterness of a love that never had the chance to fully bloom.

“Honey, doesn’t it smell of poverty?”

Sophia took out a bottle of perfume from her handbag and sprayed heavy bursts into the air.

I instantly snapped back to the present. Those words felt like a slap across my face. A metallic sweetness rose in my throat.

When Sophia saw me struggle to suppress the urge to vomit, she covered her nose in disgust.

“Don’t you dare throw up in the car! This is a limited-edition model. One of the carpets costs more than what you can afford in a lifetime!”

Orlando smiled indulgently and turned on some music to soothe her.

His gaze stopped on my dejected reflection in the rearview mirror.

“I just love how protective she is. She’s like a kitten and is always ready to bare her claws. It’s adorable.”

I looked away and pretended to admire the scenery outside.

All the while, I fought against the sharp pain in my chest.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Along the way, Sophia spotted a bridal boutique.

She suddenly remembered that her bridesmaid dresses were ready for pickup.

She tried one of them and walked out of the fitting room.

The excitement on her face left me momentarily dazed.

The day we decided to get married, she had put on a white dress too.

She had spun in circles and asked me if she looked pretty.

I never once grew tired of saying that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

A faint smile rose to my lips as I was about to respond to her.

Just then, Orlando’s voice rang out from behind. “My wife, you look beautiful in everything!”

Sophia was so happy that she threw herself into his arms. The two laughed and kissed right in front of me.

I lowered my head in silence.

Later, we arrived at the wedding venue.

I stood at the hotel entrance. When the doorman asked for my VIP pass, I had nothing to show him.

I waited in the biting wind for almost two hours.

The couple finally returned from parking the car.

Orlando was carrying Sophia in his arms. He said apologetically, “We got a little carried away. Sorry about that.”

Sophia was wrapped in his oversized coat. With just a slight glance upward, I could see her thigh revealed through the ripped pantyhose.

“She was wearing a white dress the first time we slept together…”

He gave me a knowing wink.

My entire body felt numb as I forced myself to keep walking beside them.

I no longer had the strength to get angry over the past.

Every surge of emotion only accelerated the spread of the poison in my blood.

I did not want to collapse at the wedding venue, and I did not want to ruin her memories for another wedding.

We skirted around towering columns at the center of the fountain garden.

There stood rows of children rehearsing for the choir.

Back then, these children from the remote mountain village could barely afford enough food to eat. Today, they studied in the city thanks to the sponsorship.

The sight brought me a small measure of comfort.

Sophia changed into a different outfit. She pushed open the glass door entwined with climbing roses.

Orlando entered through the door. I followed behind him.

The moment he let go of the door, it swung back and slammed into my face.

I tumbled into the fountain.

Sophia turned around with a cold expression on her face.

“Benjamin, I spent a lot of effort putting this venue together. If you want a bath, you can find somewhere else to do it.”

Her mocking words reached my ears like distant echoes beneath the water.

Freezing water rushed into my nose. It sent a burning pain through my sinuses.

After my undercover operation was compromised, the drug lord had interrogated and tortured me for information about Sophia’s whereabouts.

It was a form of water torture. They locked me inside a bamboo cage and lowered me into a deep river over and over again.

Ever since, the sight of deep water had triggered involuntary convulsions.

I fought the cramps and seized my legs. I struggled to keep my head above the surface and called for help.

Sophia brushed the water droplets from her clothes and immediately stepped back.

“Why are you acting so pathetic? The water’s only three feet deep!

“Benjamin, you were a swimmer in school! Don’t tell me you can’t even stand up!”