Chapter 2 Confrontation

My legs were bleeding from walking too much, yet I trudged on for God knew how long. It was not until dawn had broken through did I manage to flag down a truck that was going into town. The driver gave me a look of disgust, but I could not care less.

I went back to the cold, unwelcoming mansion I used to call home. The gigantic TV in the living room was airing the morning entertainment section.

"According to inside sources, Mr Landton has reserved Christie's premier auction venue for tonight and intends to buy out the entire auction in order to secure Muse's Tears, the rare pink diamond Ms Chaucer has had her eye on. It is believed the diamond will be used for his proposal."

The scene changed, and the screen showed a vague photo of the auction venue. Zack carefully escorted Yvonne into his car, the tenderness on his face something I had never seen before.

A video played next. It was the outdoor dining spot of an upscale restaurant, and the place looked like a starlit sky on earth.

Yvonne was blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, while Zack was staring at her with intense, passionate love in his eyes. A lip-reading expert analysed the footage and revealed the wish he had made. "I hope Yvonne will be beside me for every birthday from now on."

The news anchor smiled enviously. "It seems there's more to it about why Mr. Landton didn't give chase after Ms. Chaucer ran out on him during their wedding. Perhaps he wasn't heartless. Perhaps he was waiting for something. Either way, let us congratulate this couple for their reunion."

I leaned on the icy wall and slowly slid down to the ground. So this was what it felt like to feel your heart die. There was no pain.

I held back all my emotions and mustered all my strength to text him. "Happy birthday, Zack. I'll help you with your wish."

Then I started packing. There was hardly anything that truly belonged to me. Everything here, including my pajamas, was his. I grabbed some old clothes and irrelevant books and tossed them into my suitcase.

When I zipped it up, the door opened. Zack came in. The moment our eyes met, the faint warmth in his expression vanished. "What are you doing?" He sounded displeased.

Before I even answered, he went to the smart display cabinet, typed in the passcode, and took out all the expensive items he got at various auctions. I had once asked him about them. At the time, he had simply told me they were only being stored here temporarily.

"Do you have anything you want to say to me, Zack?" Then I turned the television back on.

Zack's eyes scanned the screen, and they landed on my face, but nothing stirred. The frown remained, yet there was no explanation.

"You proposed to her, didn't you?" I looked at him and tried to smile, but it tasted bitter. "Every month, you went to the monastery to meditate, but you never let me go with you. You were with her, weren't you?"

He did not say no. In fact, he stayed so calm, it felt like he had nothing to do with this.

His tone was flat. "I hope you can understand that she won't get in our way. Unlike you, she's quiet and calm. She doesn't start any fights. And she was supposed to be my fiancee anyway. She's just back to where she's supposed to be."

He paused. "And you will stay with me like you've always done. I'll treat you like I always have."

Something inside me finally cracked. My eyes burned red. "What about me? What about the years I've spent with you?"

I searched his face, but his eyes were bottomless. Cold. Unreadable.

My voice began to shake. "Am I nothing but a placeholder that swooped in during a void? A tool to help you with your addiction? Or am I nothing but a mistress who will never see the day of light, whose name can never be spoken?"

"Ivanna Shaw!" He growled quietly, displeased by my sharp retort and meltdown. He massaged his forehead and took out a gold card from his coat, then he presented it to me. "Calm down. You know I hate seeing you act up. You're smart. You know what's the best choice for you."

It was the most absurd thing I had ever heard. I knocked the card from his hand. "If you choose her, then I'll disappear from your life forever!"