Chapter 2

Holly's POV

Tears streamed down my face as I pressed a hand to my cheek.

Six months ago, Lydia and I joined the International Design Competition. Both of us made it to the finals. However, our final submissions were identical.

Lydia was adamant that I had plagiarized her work. She didn't know I had recorded my entire process, from sketch to final product. As a result, she was disqualified from the competition and criticized by all the netizens.

She suffered a mental breakdown and resorted to slitting her wrists. She even left a final letter behind, naming me as the culprit who pushed her to take her own life.

The doctors managed to save her, but I became burdened with the title of being the one who nearly caused her death.

Oliver's eyes were completely devoid of emotion as he looked at my tear-streaked face. "Lydia just made one mistake. She has already paid a heavy price for what she did. Don't make things any more difficult for her."

Make things difficult for her?

I was the one who had been suffering from nightmares every night for the past six months. I was the one whose pride was repeatedly trampled on. I was also the one being treated as a clown for entertainment. Who was making things difficult for whom?

The last embers of warmth in my heart slowly extinguished. I felt utterly exhausted. I didn't even have the strength to argue with him anymore.

I slowly looked up. My voice was completely calm when I said, "Let's break up, Oliver."

Oliver was briefly stunned before he reflexively reached out for me, wanting to pull me into his arms just like before.

Carrie held him back, saying, "Don't do it. This is her way of fighting Lydia for your affection."

"Holly's just being stubborn," Elias said in a light but firm voice. "For the past six months, she has always talked about wanting to break up with you whenever she starts crying out of fear. But every time, she comes crawling back to reconcile with you not even two days later."

The panic in Oliver's eyes disappeared. His eyes were as cold as ice when he said, "I hate it the most when someone uses a breakup to threaten me, Holly. You can forget about marrying me if you do it again."

I bit my lip, grabbed my phone, and canceled our marriage registration appointment right in front of him. "No need to wait for next time. We won't be getting married."

I turned around and left after I finished speaking, my tears splattering on the floor.

In the past, Oliver couldn't stand to see me cry. He knew I was afraid of heights, so whenever he rented a room, he always picked one on the first floor that nobody else wanted because of the humidity.

If we needed to cross the road with an overhead bridge, he'd take the long way through an underground walkway rather than see me scared. He would also carry me on his back whenever we encountered more than three steps.

When people criticized me for being pretentious, he would defend me without hesitation. He would then cradle my face and say, "It's not your fault that you're afraid of heights. It's the world's fault for not being flat enough. You can always lean on me. I promise I won't let you fall."

Oliver's gentle vows and careful love had left a deep mark on my heart. But in that moment, to make Lydia happy, he was willing to leave me alone over 300 feet in the air.

It was true that someone's so-called genuine feelings could change in the blink of an eye.

…

I walked for four hours before finally making it back home from the suburbs. The skin of my heels had split open, causing fresh blood to stain my socks.

I was utterly exhausted as I pushed the door open. A delicious scent permeated the air.

Mom walked out of the kitchen with a steaming bowl of hot soup. "You're back, sweetheart. I made chicken soup just for you. Come and have some."

My nose stung as my eyes reddened. I silently walked over to the dining table, grabbed a spoon, and fed myself a mouthful of soup.

An overwhelming spiciness filled my mouth in the next second. I coughed violently, bending over to retch. My entire face turned red in an instant.

I looked up in disbelief when I heard a camera shutter go off. Dad was using his phone to snap pictures of my teary face.

He laughed and said, "It's no wonder Lydia laughs for such a long time whenever she watches those videos. Holly looks hilarious with that dumb expression on her face."

Lydia strode out of my room and affectionately locked arms with Dad. "Send the photo to the group chat, Mr. Alden. Let everyone have a good laugh too."

I stared at her, utterly stunned. My throat was still burning painfully. "What is she doing here?" I asked hoarsely.

Mom stifled her laughter and explained, "I told her to stay with us. The doctor said that Lydia can't be left alone because of her illness. Her parents have both passed away. We'll feel more at ease with her staying here."

"If she's staying here, where am I going to stay?" I asked.