Chapter 1

My father's heart condition flared up, and we needed to get him to a specialist abroad immediately.

Silas was piloting the private helicopter to pick us up. He looked at me and said, "Don't worry. I'll make sure your father gets to the hospital in time."

But while we were mid-air, he landed the helicopter for the sake of his first love, Sienna.

I wept, begging him to get my father to the hospital first, but he remained cold and indifferent to my pleas.

"Sienna has terrible cramps and she's not feeling well," he said. "I need to go buy her some heat patches."

Two hours after he walked away with his arms around Sienna, my father's heart stopped beating.

Later, he would crawl back to me, sobbing and begging for another chance. I didn't even bother to look at him.

1.

When the hospital officially declared the time of death, Silas was walking toward the ward carrying a bowl of warm brown sugar tea.

The moment he saw me, his brow furrowed with irritation. He questioned me with a freezing tone.

"How much longer are you going to stalk me? Didn't I tell you to wait where you were?"

Facing his mockery and impatience, I didn't even have the strength to scream or cry.

Ever since Sienna returned to the country, every accidental encounter was labeled as me being a pathetic stalker.

I leaned against the hospital wall, my voice flat and numb. "This is the second day since you left us."

For Sienna's sake, he had abandoned me and my dying father for two whole days.

By the time I managed to contact a rescue center and get my father to the hospital, he had no signs of life.

I was the one who refused to give up, crying and begging the doctors to try one more time, forcing them to keep him on life support for two agonizing days.

Today, his heart finally stopped. The doctor shook his head at me in a gesture of helpless defeat.

And my husband? He was busy making warm tea for another woman, accusing me of stalking him.

Silas's eyes shifted slightly, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "Oh, really? Sienna was feeling so bad that I stayed by her side. I lost track of time."

I let out a bitter, hollow laugh. I nodded like a stiff wooden doll.

Perhaps my cold reaction felt strange to him.

Silas studied me for a moment, set the tea down, and stepped forward to hold my arm. His voice softened.

"It's okay, Riley. Your dad's condition isn't that serious. Once Sienna feels better in a few days, I'll take you both to see that specialist."

He didn't even know. He had no idea my father was dead because he had discarded us like trash.

Hearing him say he would wait until Sienna was better... I had heard it a thousand times, but it never hurt as much as it did right then.

I looked at that bowl of tea and felt the sheer irony of it all.

I never imagined that such a pathetic, flimsy excuse would be the reason my father lost his life.

"Sure. Whatever you say."

I didn't have the energy to argue anymore. I pulled my lips into a smile that tasted like pure bitterness.

Silas saw me staring at the tea, and his expression became complicated. After a moment, he smiled gently, trying to coax me.

"Do you want some too? Sienna insisted I make this for her myself. How about I order some takeout for you later?"

Years ago, when I was hospitalized, I accidentally took a sip of some brown sugar water he had made for Sienna.

He had smashed the bowl in a rage, calling me disgusting and accusing me of having no manners.

It was just a drink, but because it was meant for Sienna, he treated me like I was worthless.

I never wanted to remember the look of pure hatred on his face that day.

I shook my head, my smile fading into something brittle. "No, I don't want any. Hurry up and take it to your precious Sienna."

When he heard that name, Silas's eyes flashed with anger. His face darkened as he stared at me, his voice like ice.

"Riley Vance, are you throwing a tantrum again? I dropped everything at the office just to get your father to a doctor. How can you be so ungrateful!"

I stared at him for a long time before letting out a sharp, mocking laugh.

He claimed he was taking my father to the doctor, yet he abandoned him on the side of the road for Sienna.

He let my father die right in front of my eyes.

I suddenly felt how pathetic and tragic my life had become. I shook my head in silence, laughing weakly.

"I'm not throwing a tantrum. I don't blame you."

I used the doorframe to pull myself up, forcing my legs to move toward the billing department.

I didn't make it two steps before the world started spinning. I fell backward into the darkness.

Before I lost consciousness, I felt a pair of hands catch me. Silas was calling my name, his voice frantic as he scooped me up.

Seeing his panicked face, tears finally spilled over. I suddenly wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to tell him Dad was gone.

I parted my lips, my voice barely a whisper. "Silas... Dad is..."

My confession was cut short by Sienna's voice screaming from the hospital bed nearby.

"Silas! My stomach hurts so much! Come in and help me!"

Silas hesitated for a split second. He sighed, set me down on a chair, and whispered.

"Wait here for a second, Riley. I'll go check on Sienna and come right back."

Then he rushed into her room.

I never saw him again. At least, not in the five minutes before I completely blacked out.

A moment later, Sienna's giggles drifted out from the room. She was loud, as if she wanted me to hear every word.

"Silas, go back to her. What if she dies out there?"

Silas's voice wasn't loud, but it hit me with the force of a physical blow.

"It's fine. Her life isn't as important as your health."