Chapter 3 The Bowl That Broke Everything

Cecilia stood at the front of the crowd, holding a bowl of soup and smiling brightly.

Ignatius helped me sit up with a smile. "Everyone heard you got hurt and wanted to come check on you."

Cecilia deliberately held the bowl out in front of me. "Amanda, you should eat something. Otherwise, you might end up with low blood sugar like me. Then Ignatius would have to take care of both of us. What if he wears himself out?"

Toby immediately grinned. "Cecilia, you're always so thoughtful."

I said nothing, but my eyes were drawn to the bowl in her hands.

Ignatius and I had made that bowl together when we first started dating. Our initials were still engraved on the side.

Holding it in both hands, he had once smiled and told me, "From now on, we'll spend our lives eating from the same bowl."

The first time he used it, he made me a bowl of noodles for my birthday. The egg had been burned beyond recognition, yet I remembered that meal's taste for five years.

Later, he spent more and more time working overtime. The soup in that bowl was often reheated and left to grow cold again while I waited alone.

Now it sat in Cecilia's kitchen.

Apparently, Ignatius' "forever" had lasted only five years.

Even Ignatius frowned when he recognized it. "Why did you take this bowl too?"

Cecilia smiled without the slightest trace of guilt. She looked completely confident that Ignatius would indulge her again.

"What does it matter? Amanda's going to marry you anyway. We'll all be family eventually."

The atmosphere immediately changed.

The looks around the room seemed to accuse me of being petty and unreasonable. As if getting upset over a bowl right before the wedding made me the problem.

I didn't care. I pushed the bowl away. "I'm not eating."

Suddenly, Cecilia stumbled backward as if I had shoved her with tremendous force. The scalding soup splashed everywhere.

The bowl that had survived five years without a single crack—the bowl I had once thought was unbreakable—finally shattered beneath Cecilia's carefully staged performance.

Just like everything else.

Her hand instantly turned red from the burn. Her eyes reddened as well.

Everyone rushed over at once. Ignatius immediately took her hand and gently blew on the burn.

Then, Cecilia crouched down. Facing him, she carefully wiped the soup stains from his suit pants.

"There's an important meeting later. You need to look presentable, or it'll affect the entire team's performance."

The awkward atmosphere vanished.

Everyone suddenly remembered the year-end bonuses they believed I had ruined with my emotional outbursts.

The resentment in their eyes only deepened.

"Ignatius, are you really sure about marrying someone like her?"

"Cecilia burned her hand and she's still thinking about Ignatius. Some people are so selfish they have to make everyone miserable."

Even Ignatius' expression darkened.

The moment he opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off coldly. "I'm not marrying Ignatius."

I looked around the room. "All of you, get out. Stop bothering me."

My indifference stunned everyone.

Cecilia's lips trembled. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. "Ignatius, maybe I should resign. I don't want to ruin your wedding."

Ignatius instantly panicked.

Letting go of Cecilia's hand, he grabbed my shoulders. "Amanda, Cecilia and I are just coworkers. Why won't you ever believe me?"

Gavin snorted. "Because she's jealous. Cecilia's younger and prettier."

"Exactly. Cecilia bought a house and a car all on her own. If she quits, it'll be a huge loss for our team."

So, that was the image she had built for herself.

I couldn't help laughing. "A house she bought herself?"

I looked directly at Cecilia. "Do you know whose money she stole for the down payment?"

The room fell silent.

"Ignatius and I saved three hundred thousand together. One hundred and fifty thousand of that was mine. I want my share back immediately. Otherwise, I'll sue."

A deathly silence settled over the room.

Cecilia's face turned pale. She immediately grabbed Ignatius' arm and shook it desperately, silently begging for help.

How could she possibly pay me back? She was already carrying two hundred thousand in online loan debt herself.