Chapter 3

I returned home to pack my things.

The moment I pushed open the bedroom door, I saw our bed still tangled with the aftermath of sex.

When my eyes landed on the wedding portrait hanging above the headboard, it felt as though shattered glass was grinding through my heart. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

I forced myself to hold it together and finished packing my belongings.

Just as I zipped up the bag, Kieran walked in with Aurora wrapped in his arms.

Kieran stepped forward and snatched the bag from my hand. He unzipped it and dumped everything inside onto the floor.

"Aurora told you to leave empty-handed. Did you not understand?

"The fact that she didn’t make you strip off the clothes you’re wearing is already kindness. And you still think you can take things from this house? Believe it or not, I can call the police right now and have you arrested!"

Faced with his humiliation, I clenched my fists.

Aurora immediately looped her arm around Kieran’s and let out a coy laugh. "Kieran, you really get me. I didn’t even say a word, and you already knew how to discipline my dog for me. As a reward, tonight I’ll satisfy all your requests. Any position you want."

As she said it, her gaze fell straight on my face, as if waiting for me to react the way I used to—jealous and furious.

I bent down and calmly picked up the scattered belongings from the floor.

"Who you sleep with, and what positions you prefer, has nothing to do with me anymore. And these are all mine. If you have the nerve, call the police. I’d like to see who ends up getting arrested."

Just as I picked up the final item, Kieran suddenly rushed forward. He snatched the box from my hands and took out the heirloom bracelet inside.

"And you still say you’re not a thief? A bracelet made of sapphires like this… Is that something a poor loser like you could afford?"

Then he turned to Aurora with a spoiled tone. "Aurora, I like this bracelet. Will you give it to me?"

Without even waiting for her answer, he slipped it onto his wrist.

Seeing the only relic my mother left behind about to be tainted by this man, I rushed forward.

"Let go! That’s something my mother left me. Give it back!"

Amidst the struggle…

Clink.

The bracelet fell heavily to the floor and shattered instantly into several pieces.

I knelt and gathered the fragments, gripping them tightly in my palm. Bright red blood dripped between my fingers as I lifted my head, my eyes burning.

Kieran instinctively took a step back.

"You broke it yourself. Don’t tell me you’re going to blame that on me. Aurora, look at him. He’s the one who messed up, and now he wants to pin it on me. Is he trying to run some kind of scam?"

My whole body trembled with rage. I raised my fist and swung it straight toward his face.

Just as my punch was about to land, a dull, crushing pain exploded at the back of my head.

I turned around.

Aurora was standing there holding a steel pipe, glaring at me viciously. "Rowan! As long as I’m around, don't you dare bully Kieran!"

Blood streamed down the back of my head as I staggered backward.

Kieran seized the chance to grab the steel pipe from her hands. Again and again, he slammed it down onto my body.

The sound of bones cracking exploded in my ears.

Aurora stood nearby the entire time, watching coldly without saying a single word.

After Kieran finished venting his anger, he spat directly onto my face. "Trash belongs in the trash heap. Stop coming out here and embarrassing yourself."

Then he wrapped an arm around Aurora, and the two of them walked away laughing.

I lay on the floor like a broken punching bag. My heart had gone completely cold.