Chapter 3

3

During the time George was away, I completely thought things through. Half out of anger and half out of reckless abandonment, I posted that status on my social media.

But I never expected that Pierce would actually reach out to me. Whether he was joking or being serious, I would never turn back and choose George again. I had already wasted way too much time over these past dozen years.

On the weekend, I dressed up a bit, grabbed a gift, and headed out. Today was my old homeroom teacher Mrs. Jenkins's birthday, and my former classmates had organized a party to celebrate.

By the time I arrived, everyone else was already there. Most of them had seen that post on my feed, and now, seeing me show up alone, they couldn't help but wonder if George and I were really having problems.

But I didn't care about the stares of others. I just walked up and handed the gift to Mrs. Jenkins. She was an English teacher who had always been kind and approachable. Back in high school, she took great care of me. So even now, I deeply cherished this hardworking educator.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Jenkins! I wish you all the best, good health, and a long, happy life!" I rattled off a bunch of well-wishes in one breath, making Mrs. Jenkins laugh so hard her eyes crinkled into little slits.

Just then, the door opened again. It was George.

Following closely behind him was Grace, smiling radiantly. She even had George's jacket draped over her shoulders, and their hands were clasped together. Anyone looking at them would say they were the real couple.

For a moment, everyone's eyes landed on the three of us. Grace seemed completely unfazed by the stares. She smiled and handed her gift to Mrs. Jenkins.

"Hello, Mrs. Jenkins. I am Grace. I'm so sorry, we should have arrived much earlier, but George was waiting for me to pick out a gift, and it took forever."

George. That casual, intimate tone said it all. The rest of the crowd looked even more eager for gossip. Who in this room didn't know that George and I were the actual couple?

Seth had been our old classmate too. Now that he was barely in his grave, his wife was already hooking up with his best friend. For a moment, no one knew what to say.

But as the person actually involved, I couldn't care less. I even pulled out my phone and started texting Pierce. We had been seriously discussing our marriage plans lately.

It was completely different from what I had imagined. This man, whom I once deemed the Evil Capitalist, turned out to be unexpectedly compatible with me. When I was talking with Pierce, all those sad emotions caused by George faded away significantly.

【Evil Capitalist: Should I come pick you up later?】

My fingers paused for a moment, but after a short thought, I replied.

【Sure, sorry for the trouble, boss!】

【Evil Capitalist: We are getting married soon. You can call me Pierce.】

Seeing this, my cheeks somehow felt a little hot.

This exact scene was clearly caught by George, and his face instantly turned ugly. Halfway through the party, I went to the restroom to touch up my makeup, but the moment I walked out, George blocked my path.

"Zoey." His tone was laced with jealousy. "Who were you texting just now?"

"Do I need to report to you about who I chat with?" I looked back at him calmly, showing zero vulnerability. "You can be all lovey-dovey with Grace, but you still want to control who I talk to? Aren't you ridiculous, George?"

I was just about to leave when George silently took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I immediately frowned and dodged away.

"Are you crazy?"

"Who told you to wear something so revealing? Several guys were staring at you just now." He forcefully draped it over me again, refusing to take no for an answer.

I impatiently yanked the jacket off and threw it on the floor.

"I don't want clothes that Grace has worn! Actually, I don't want anything that belongs to you anymore." After saying that, I walked straight back into the private dining room.

A few minutes later, George returned to his seat with a dark, cloudy expression. Mrs. Jenkins's birthday party passed by in a cloud of thick awkwardness. When it finally ended, everyone felt a collective sense of relief. That included George and Grace.

Holding Grace's hand as he walked past me, George said coldly, "I have to take Grace home, so I might not come back tonight. Just take an Uber home yourself."

Grace, on the other hand, playfully swatted George's arm. "How could you do that? Zoey is your fiancée. How can you make her take an Uber just to drive me? Zoey, don't listen to him. Get in the car, I'll have George take you home first."

The way she spoke made it sound like she was the lady of the house. And I was just an outsider.

I swatted away the hand Grace was using to pull me and said indifferently, "No need. My ride is here."

Beep, beep―

A sleek black Maybach slowly pulled up and stopped right in front of me.