Chapter 2

My mind went blank, as if the sky had collapsed.

I wanted to tell Dad, but reason held me back.

On the surface, Dad treated everyone equally, but in reality, he always sided with my sister.

For my sister's birthday, Dad invited friends and business partners to celebrate, but when it came to my birthday, he was too busy with work and only had the nanny buy me a cake.

When I was younger, I had an argument with Rosemary. My stepmother saw it and immediately pushed me aside. My forehead hit the corner of a table, and I bled a lot.

Now, there was still a faint scar on my forehead.

They never let me lack food or clothes. They just naturally neglected me in certain aspects.

I decided to call Jasper.

We had been in a relationship for seven years, our affection gradually deepening over time.

Why did they treat me this way? I wanted to get it clear!

I made dozens of calls, but he never answered.

When we got engaged, he mentioned he was busy with a major project, for which he was the lead.

He often ignored my calls and messages before, and as a "generous" girlfriend, I always understood and never made a fuss.

Now, as I listened to the unanswered calls, my heart sank little by little.

I held my head, curling up on the sofa, crying.

Rosemary and I attended the same university, inseparable as best friends.

At the university's welcome party, Jasper sang "You Are Beautiful," captivating all the girls.

I was one of them.

Later, I performed a classical dance that caught his attention.

He began to frequently appear in my life, fetching lunch for me at the cafeteria, saving seats, and walking me to my dorm.

On Valentine's Day, he stood under my dorm with a large bouquet of flowers and gently said, "Mallory, since the welcome party, I've fallen for you. These days, I've wanted you to be my girlfriend every day. Today, on this special day, I've gathered the courage to ask you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Say yes!"

Classmates teased as I blushed and nodded without resistance.

We started dating.

That day, unable to contain my joy, I called Rosemary down.

She was busy with a training camp, and when she returned, she was disheveled in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, unwashed and uncombed.

I quickly introduced her to Jasper, "This is my half-sister and good friend, Rosemary."

Rosemary looked uneasy, forcing a smile. "You should treat me to a meal."

Jasper agreed cheerfully.

During the meal, they clashed.

Rosemary said Jasper didn't deserve me. Jasper retorted that she wasn't ladylike.

Caught between them, I was troubled. Later, to avoid neglecting one or the other, the three of us started hanging out together, eating, shopping, and visiting amusement parks.

I was like a fool, not knowing they had long moved past their initial hostile relations.

Snapping out of my memories, I impulsively dialed Rosemary's number.

No one answered her phone either.

My heart was even more chaotic, my mood even more irritable.

Thinking back to the engagement night, they left me on the sofa, lost in a deep kiss, probably oblivious to my presence.

Thinking of this sofa they touched, the bed they used, I felt sick to my stomach.

As I pondered wildly, the company's vice manager, Violet, asked me to come to the office, saying it was important.