Chapter 4

She held her head high, exuding a sense of pride.

As she moved, I noticed the necklace around her neck. It was my first design, the one I had insisted on using for the wedding when talking to Dashiell.

Scarlett, noticing my gaze on her necklace, gently traced it with her finger, a meaningful smile playing on her face. "I know you designed this yourself and even had a sample made."

"But what can I do? It's not my fault Dashiell still has feelings for me, is it?"

"Melody."

Scarlett looked at me, enunciating each word, "Just three months into your relationship with Dashiell, he gave me access to the app."

So, while I had been with Dashiell for seven years, he had also been with Scarlett for seven years.

The unpleasant afterglow mixed with Scarlett's overpowering perfume, mercilessly assaulting my fragile nerves.

Scarlett advanced towards me step by step, and I retreated inch by inch.

"So what if your Levi won the championship? With me around, Dashiell always has a chance at a comeback."

On both sides, the large screens displayed Levi's victory photos. As the champion of the semi-finals, he wore a badge on his chest.Above it reads two words: Melody.

At this moment, he faces the camera somewhat nervously, but doesn't forget to mention my name.

She looks at me, her face suddenly breaking into a smug smile. Then she violently slaps herself twice across the face and shrieks, "Dashiell!"

Covering her swollen, reddened cheeks, tears quickly well up in her eyes, making her appear utterly pitiful.

Dashiell, dressed in his team uniform, strides over. Before he can even question what's happening, Scarlett speaks up first.

"Dashiell, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have provoked Melody today. I deserved to be hit for making her angry."

She maintains a pathetic demeanor, deliberately exposing her neck to appear even more vulnerable.

Dashiell, seething with anger, shouts at me without a second thought, "Melody, what the hell are you trying to do?"

"You said you didn't want to be my manager, fine. You said you wanted to break up with me, but I didn't agree, so you go and hit Scarlett?"

"Your client Levi is coming to ruin my game, and now even you're trying to hurt me!"

He looks at me with utter disappointment in his eyes. "Melody, you've really let me down!"I clutched my hands tightly, trying hard to control the trembling in my voice: "What if I say I didn't hit her?"

"This is all Scarlett's act—"

"Melody, how can you tell such a lie? Are you saying Scarlett would hit herself just to frame you?" Dashiell slapped me hard across the face, his eyes cold as ice.

"Melody, there's a difference between someone else slapping you and slapping yourself."

"If you're going to make excuses, at least make better ones."

My face stung fiercely. I held my cheek, looking at Dashiell in disbelief.

But he was busy examining Scarlett's face.

He softly asked Scarlett how she felt, then glanced at me with disgust.

That look made me feel like I'd been plunged into an icy pit. Finally, I scanned the surrounding cameras, suddenly remembering something.

"Dashiell, you said you were going to propose to me today."

Dashiell likes to record every important event, from small things like pursuing me to big ones like getting engaged or proposing. He always has someone film it.

I pointed to the hidden cameras and calmly asked him: "Instead of listening to what I say, why don't you see for yourself."

"Who's really the one lying here."Scarlett's face turned pale. She wanted to hold Dashiell back, to stop him from watching, but Dashiell remained resolute.

At first, as he watched the beginning, he seemed composed and in control.

But the moment he saw Scarlett strike him in the video, his face went ghostly white. He instinctively turned to me, his voice barely a whisper: "Melody..."