Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Knowing that my departure was imminent, I no longer cared how Garrett treated me.

I stopped agonizing over whether he still loved me.

The answer no longer mattered.

He had been staying with Brianna for four days straight.

There were only three days left until our fifth wedding anniversary.

It was also the day I would leave this world behind.

I did not own many possessions, and none of them could be taken with me anyway.

I never bothered to issue the public statement Garrett demanded, leaving the task entirely to the System.

When Garrett left the house days ago, he took the silver necklace he had given me when he first asked me out.

That necklace had been my most cherished treasure.

Back then, he had taken me to a carnival by the pier, pulling the velvet box out beneath a sky full of fireworks.

"Annette, I haven't taken over the family firm yet, so I could only afford this with my allowance."

"Someday, I'll replace it with diamonds, but will you please be my girlfriend?"

"I promise I'll always treat you well, and I will love you more with every passing day."

The boy's eyes had shone with fierce, undeniable love.

That memory had been my sole comfort through years of agonizing betrayal, the only medicine keeping my broken soul alive.

Now, hatred grew like wild weeds, turning those sweet memories into sharp thorns that drew blood.

When he took the necklace off my dresser, I did not utter a single word of protest.

"Brianna likes vintage pieces. You know she doesn't ask for much, so I give her what I can. Besides, this chain is old, and you have far better jewelry."

I nodded slowly, the last spark of light in my eyes fading into darkness.

He smiled, pleased by my silence.

"Now you're being practical. This is the version of you I like best."

All my years of devotion and sacrifice had amounted to nothing more than being praised for being convenient.

He claimed he did not love Brianna, yet his every action proved that his heart had long since drifted.

Did he truly forget what that necklace meant to us?

The System chimed, informing me that the public statement had been handled.

"Did you truly love Garrett? When I first reconnected with you, you showed no desire to leave."

The System's question drew a bitter smile from my lips.

At that time, I truly wanted to stay.

The love between Garrett and me had been real, and every moment we shared had carried genuine warmth.

I had leaned on him for so long that he had become my entire universe.

Having nowhere else to go, I clung desperately to the small sliver of warmth he once provided.

I tried to convince myself that staying was worth it just to hold onto the boy from my youth.

Yet my heart could not endure the slow torture.

I cared far too much, and the betrayal was killing me inside.

If I stayed here for the rest of my life, I would truly lose my mind.

My phone rang again, and Garrett's furious roar exploded through the speaker.

"Annette! I never realized how vile you truly are! You just wait. If anything happens to Brianna, I will make you pay!"

"You really are just like your mother! What good could ever come out of the slums? You crawled out of the exact same gutter!"

"You bitch! I should have seen through your innocent act years ago! You're nothing but a petty, spiteful monster!"

"Your mother sold her body on street corners, scheming and vile, and you are no different!"

My heart seized in sudden agony, my whole frame trembling with shock.

"Garrett!"

"Annette! Mark my words, you will face the consequences for this!"