Chapter 3

My partner asked me to come to his marriage ceremony with another woman. This must be a unique situation.

I declined the invitation, knowing it wasn't a genuine offer anyway.

He set the invitation down and said coldly, "I want the business. I want this residence too. You should gather your belongings and leave soon. I'll provide some financial compensation."

After that, he left without any hesitation.

I touched the invitation on the table and let out a laugh.

Lily of the valley was his preferred flower.

It was my favorite too.

Three years prior, when he proposed to me, the scene was filled with lilies of the valley.

I was told he had found the finest florist and had lilies of the valley delivered from a flower farm early in the morning.

He even had people spend over ten hours preparing the location.

That day, he phoned me, his voice carrying a nervousness I didn't notice then.

"Cindy, are you free tonight?"

At that moment, I was still at work, so I couldn't give him a definite answer.

He was very careful. He really wanted me to come but was also worried I might suspect something.

In the end, I put aside my work and decided to meet him. "Okay, I'll be there on time for sure."

But due to my busy schedule, I still arrived ten minutes late.

At the time, I didn't understand the significance of those ten minutes.

When I finally got to the location, all I saw were destroyed lilies of the valley everywhere. The small white blossoms, resembling tiny bells, were covered in blood.

Ned and Juan hurried over and said they couldn't contact Darren.

And so, we missed each other for another three years.

"Darren, you truly have a heart of stone."

I carefully put the invitation away and entered our bedroom.

Everything here, every piece of decor, was chosen by Darren and me together.

He said this was our love sanctuary.

We were supposed to be two inseparable birds. But now, everything had changed.

I approached the window, trying to gather myself and suppress the overwhelming sorrow.

Then, I noticed a vehicle parked below. A familiar figure stood in front of it, and next to him was the person he now loved most.

It turned out they had just arrived together.

Darren and Vivie stood facing each other without speaking. After a while, Vivie stood on her toes and kissed Darren.

Darren embraced her waist and willingly deepened the kiss.

They now resembled the most passionate lovers from their university days, the kind whose love could withstand any challenge.

I smiled bitterly, unable to look away for a moment.

The next second, I caught Darren's eye as he suddenly looked up.

It was clear that in his gaze, "I" no longer existed.

Darren was resolved to make me return the company to him.

The following day at work, numerous people watched me carefully.

Puzzled, I entered the office, only to find Darren and Vivie already seated at the desk like owners, yet calm and composed.

"You've arrived." Darren raised an eyebrow. "Your things have been packed. Since you didn't transfer Henley Group to your name, I'll give you 400 thousand dollars as a management fee for three years."

He pointed to a box in the room's corner, which held all my office supplies.

Three years ago, when he suddenly had an accident, the entire group was left without leadership.

But fortunately, they all knew I was Darren's partner and since I was also from the Marjorie family, they accepted my unofficial management of Henley Group.

However, during this time, many people were unhappy.

So, as soon as Darren came back, someone immediately told him that three years ago, I had taken over his company.

The fact that Darren could say such things now meant he must have investigated and understood the situation.

But I really wanted to know, had he discovered the hardships I endured for him over the past three years?

I thought about this and asked him.

Darren nodded and admitted, "I truly didn't expect you would go to such lengths for me."

He stood up from the desk and looked at me intently.

"Unfortunately, he's gone. The person I am now is not the same as he was."

Darren had divided himself into two people.

One was his current self and the other was the person who once loved me.

Now, he said that the person who loved me was dead.

It seemed that not only was he determined to reclaim the company, but he was also resolved to cut all ties with me.

"Alright." I looked at him and agreed without argument.

He seemed surprised that I would yield so easily, especially since in his mind, I was the type of person who would dispute everything with him.

But now, I truly couldn't argue anymore. I felt lightheaded, as if I might faint.

As I was moving my things out of the office, Darren was still there watching me.

He said, "Don't forget to attend my wedding."

I stared at him, tears forming in my eyes. Meanwhile, he had already turned around, pulling Vivie close to him.

Vivie looked at me and gave a slight apologetic smile, but I could see that within that apology, there was also a sense of victory.

From the moment we met, everything about her could never measure up to me.

Now, the things she once cast aside, she cherished like precious gems, while she viewed me as nothing more than dust. How could she not be pleased?

But it didn't matter. I no longer cared.

From the moment Darren forgot about me, I stopped caring.