Chapter 1

At the homecoming gala for his first love, Silas Thorne, the golden boy of the New York elite, forced me to drink a full glass of whiskey just to make her smile.

I was pregnant and in agonizing pain. My white dress was slowly being stained with blood.

Silas didn't care. He was too busy feeding his first love expensive delicacies while his friends cheered them on.

As I drifted into unconsciousness, I heard him let out a disdainful sneer.

"Don't worry about her. She's just a pet I keep in a gilded cage. She wouldn't know how to survive a single day without me."

When I finally woke up in the hospital, I touched my now-flat stomach. I wanted to send him a photo of my medical report showing the loss of our baby.

But I realized he had already changed his profile picture to a silhouette of her. To make matters worse, he had blocked me for the ninety-ninth time.

This time, I didn't beg for his forgiveness or act spoiled.

Instead, I booked a one-way ticket out of the country for three days later.

1

The second I stepped through the front door, I heard a loud crash.

Selina stood among a pile of porcelain shards. The moment she saw me, her eyes turned red.

She threw herself into Silas's arms, sobbing.

"I didn't mean to break it. But Sonya looked at me so meanly, like a wicked witch..."

"She really scared me, Silas."

The item she had shattered was the first gift Silas ever gave me.

It was a porcelain doll that the high-and-mighty Silas Thorne had crafted with his own hands.

Silas stroked Selina's hair with such tenderness. I could still see the ghost of how he used to cherish me in his eyes.

"Don't be scared. It's just a toy. I'll help you break the rest if it makes you feel better."

He leaned down, picked up the doll's head, and smashed it against the floor.

The porcelain disintegrated into tiny pieces. It was beyond repair.

Selina started laughing and clapping her hands like a happy child.

My hand trembled as I gripped my purse.

I remembered years ago when Silas had playfully pinched my cheek, his eyes full of fire.

"This is the first time I've ever made something like this for a woman."

"If you ever dare to break this doll, I'll stop taking care of you for real!"

But now, he was the one who broke it.

It made sense. To make Selina happy, he was even willing to throw away our unborn child.

I gave a self-deprecating smile and grabbed a broom to clean up the mess.

Suddenly, Selina let out a small cough.

Silas looked panicked. "Are you okay? Did you hurt your throat from crying?"

"Sonya, this is all your fault! Go make her favorite mango juice right now."

I froze, looking at him in disbelief.

"Did you forget? I'm deathly allergic to mangoes."

Silas's face stiffened for a second, but he avoided my gaze.

He went right back to flirting with the beauty in his arms.

I swept up the shards and threw them into the trash. Along with them, I tossed the very last bit of love I had left for him.

Selina's voice rang out again, sweet and clingy.

"I'm leaving now, Silas. Meet me at the hotel tomorrow. Same one as last night~"

Silas instinctively glanced at me.

His expression was awkward as he tried to explain.

"Selina and I are old friends. We were just catching up. Don't overthink it."

I didn't bother calling out his lie.

I simply pretended not to see the dark hickey on his neck.

As Selina waved goodbye, I noticed the charm on her wrist.

Three years ago, Silas was in a coma after a car accident while trying to protect me.

I had crawled to the temple on my knees, bowing every five steps until my forehead was bruised, just to pray for that charm.

When Silas woke up, his eyes turned red with guilt. He held me so tight.

"I'll wear this charm forever. We will never be apart in this life or the next!"

Now, he had personally given that charm to someone else.

I stopped watching their sweet farewell. I turned around and went to the master bedroom to pack for my trip.

When I opened the door, the large couple's portrait on the wall was gone.

In its place was a piece of Selina's calligraphy.

The font Silas used on his phone was an exact match for her handwriting.

It turned out that during all the years Selina was abroad, Silas never truly let her go.

But that was none of my business anymore.

I opened my phone and set a countdown for my flight in three days.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on my screen.

"Prince of New York makes a high-profile appearance on a dating show; engagement with the Vance heiress is imminent."

In the video, Silas and Selina were kissing passionately. The chemistry was undeniable.

No wonder he never asked about me while I was in the hospital.

He was too busy showing off his love for Selina to the world.

I remembered last year when a paparazzo caught us on vacation.

To avoid the scandal, he blocked me and gave me the cold shoulder for a month.

I never thought such a private person would go on a reality show for her.

Silas pushed the door open, interrupting my thoughts.

His first words were a lecture.

"You're so dramatic, Sonya."

"A mango allergy won't kill you. Selina just got back. Why do you have to be so difficult?"