Chapter 1

After the piano competition ended, my boyfriend handed the trophy to his first love, Minnie Hart.

I ignored the agonizing pain in my bloody fingertips and questioned him.

"Why were there razor blades hidden inside the piano keys?"

Minnie started wailing immediately.

"Ria, if you wanted the trophy that badly, I would have given it to you! You don't have to slander me just because you lost."

She ran away sobbing, but as she passed me, she suddenly tripped and fell.

Elias rushed to catch her, shoving me right off the high stage in the process.

My forehead was gashed and bleeding, but he only looked at me with disgust.

He called me a wicked, pathetic woman and threatened to have me banned from all future competitions.

In that moment, I finally saw him for who he was.

I decided to give him a parting gift―the sight of my own death in a car crash.

From that day on, Elias Sterling and I would never meet again.

1

After setting up the fake accident, I went to the hospital to get my wounds cleaned.

I walked past a treatment room and saw Minnie sitting on the bed.

Elias was leaning over, tenderly blowing on a tiny scratch on her ankle.

When he looked up and saw me, his face darkened instantly.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you hurt Minnie enough? Now you're stalking her to the hospital?"

"I never realized you were so malicious. I bet you cut your own hands just to frame her because you couldn't handle losing."

"The judges all agreed Minnie was the best. Do you really think there's some grand conspiracy against you?"

His rapid-fire accusations left me speechless.

I simply pointed to the gash on my head and said, "I'm hurt too."

A flash of guilt crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance.

"Then go find a doctor! Why are you just standing there? I'm not a medic. Do you expect me to bandage you up?"

I didn't say a word. I just stared at him coldly.

He wasn't a doctor, yet there he was, fussing over Minnie's ankle.

As I turned to leave, Minnie called out to me and looked at Elias with puppy-dog eyes.

"It's okay, Elias. Go with Ria. She needs you. My ankle is fine now, I can handle things on my own."

She gave a weak, pathetic little smile.

To my surprise, Elias actually nodded and agreed to go.

Minnie froze for a second, her eyes burning with jealousy as she looked at me.

"No need. I can go by myself," I said, walking away.

Elias grabbed my arm roughly.

"Stop acting like a brat. I'm taking you to a doctor. Look how kind Minnie is, she actually cares about you, unlike you."

He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew what he was thinking.

To him, I was nothing but a villain.

He stayed with me while the doctor stitched me up.

For a moment, it felt like the old days when he would stay by my side whenever I was hurt.

But I knew there was no going back.

The second the bandages were on, he dragged me out of the room.

On our way to the parking lot, we ran into Minnie, who was limping painfully.

Elias dropped my hand immediately and ran to scoop her up in his arms.

He told me to hurry up so he could drive us home.

By the time I reached the garage, his car was already gone.

I ended up taking an Uber back to our place.

Halfway there, my phone rang. It was Elias.

"Ria, move your stuff to the guest room. Minnie needs your bedroom. It has better air circulation, and her leg needs to heal."

"Besides, after what you did to her―"

"Fine," I interrupted him before he could start another lecture.

He went silent on the other end.

I could imagine his shocked expression.

In the past, whenever he brought Minnie over, I would lose my mind.

I used to scream that this was our home and ask why he kept bringing another woman into our private space.

Now, I didn't care if she took my bed.

When I got home, he asked me again, as if he couldn't believe I'd agreed.

I simply opened my door and started moving my things to the guest room.

He finally looked satisfied.

He told me I had changed and that I was much more understanding now.

I watched him walk away and smiled bitterly to myself.

Elias, I'm not the one who changed. You are.