Chapter 3

Brenden kept sending me messages non-stop.

I didn't reply to any of them, nor did I block him.

"I went to your house, but no one was home." "Where are you? Do you think I'll really call the cops?" I bet he would never call the police.

He wouldn't want to make a scene and let others know about our relationship.

To him, his ego was bigger than the world.

Sure enough, he didn't call the police. He just kept threatening me in a fit of rage.

"Malinda, are you deliberately playing games with me?" "Stop it. I'm running out of patience." "If you don't reply by midnight, I'll break up with you and block you." 12:01 AM. He sent another message: "Alright, you win. You think my words mean nothing, huh!" "We haven't broken up yet. You can't just give me the emotional cold shoulder!" "I almost twisted my right ankle today while filming a fight scene. Doesn't it hurt you?" I scrolled through these messages expressionlessly.

Shane, sitting next to me, asked gently, "What's wrong? You look a bit upset. " I looked up at him. "It's nothing. Someone keeps messaging me, but I don't seem to know him."

At that moment, I was on a flight to Agriele with Shane.

He kept his promise to take me for the most advanced scar removal treatment.

Rationally, I knew I should stay away from him. After all, he was Jennifer's fiancé and had intricate ties with Brenden.

But in reality, I couldn't escape his seemingly gentle yet forceful arrangements.

I had no strength to run away.

My life had lost all its anchors, like a rootless water lily.

My biological parents heavily favored boys over girls, suppressing me from a young age and pushing me to drop out of school early to work and earn tuition for my brother. After breaking free from my family, I followed Brenden without hesitation, thinking he would be my lifelong love. But in the end, he let me down.

The first half of my life was too tumultuous, and I no longer wanted to recall it.

My mind was a blank, shrouded in fog, as if I had completely forgotten the past.

After the scar removal surgery in Agriele, Shane took me for a psychological evaluation.

The doctor said I might have stress-induced amnesia.

It hadn't reached the level of physiological changes, but my brain, as a self-protection mechanism, had blocked out the painful memories.

That was fine with me.

I no longer wasted energy on internal struggles and continued doing what I loved—drawing comics.

I had thousands of followers online and often received commissions for comic work.

Currently, I was drawing a story about a sad capybara. Sometimes, when I was too focused, I would look up and meet Shane's gentle smile.

"Your drawings are so cute. Kaylyn will definitely love them." Kaylyn really loved them. She hugged my drawing, kissing it over and over, and twirled around with it. "Sis! I want to always be the first to read your comics! Why don't you stay here and draw for me?" Shane also persuaded me to stay.

"Kaylyn used to be a bit depressed. She's much happier with you here. I hope you can stay. Maybe in a while, I can find someone to help you publish your comics." His last sentence moved me.

After all, I was human too, and I had a desire for fame and fortune.

I agreed to stay at the Dixon Family villa. Coincidentally, my former landlord sent me a message: "Are you still renting the house? A big man has been coming every night, just squatting at the door. It's quite scary." The landlord sent a surveillance screenshot.

I immediately recognized the man squatting at the door as Brenden.

He wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask, covering himself tightly. The strands of hair falling on his forehead revealed a hint of vulnerability.

I opened our chat and saw he had sent me hundreds of new messages.

"Why aren't you replying? Are you dead?" "I'm waiting at your door. I don't believe you won't show up." "You never treated me like this before. You've changed." He was terrifying. I didn't want to see him again.

I told the landlord, "I'm not renting the house anymore. Throw away everything inside. You don't need to refund the deposit." I had no other options and could only stay at the Dixon Family villa in peace.

It was quiet here. I spent my days healing, drawing, and chatting with Shane. Life went on quietly. Until one day, Shane said to me, "My fiancée is coming."