Chapter 1

My husband locked me in the basement for the sake of pure love.

While I was shivering in the cold, damp basement, my husband was knitting a scarf by hand for pure love.

I thought he didn't love me, so I divorced him and walked away.

But later, that proud and self-possessed man went crazy searching for me all over the world.

————————

"Faye, have you reflected enough?"

Alec's cold voice echoed through the basement.

I raised my head, trembling, and looked at him without saying a word.

New York City's winters are truly frigid.

Especially in a basement without heating.

Seeing me shiver from the cold, Alec stepped forward and picked me up in a princess carry, then wrapped me in his coat, sighing:

"You shouldn't have made a scene at Isadora's birthday party."

The long-missed warmth stopped my shivering, but a familiar scent of perfume wafted to my nose.

It was the gardenia perfume Isadora always wore.

In the past, I would have angrily demanded to know why he smelled like that.

But after being locked in the basement, I no longer had the energy to question, nor did I want to.

A week ago was Isadora's birthday, which was also her first day back in the country.

Alec personally went to the airport to pick her up and rented out a Michelin-starred restaurant to celebrate her birthday.

Alec, worried I might overthink and feel bothered, didn't let me attend.

But I went anyway.

When I arrived, I happened to see Alec down on one knee, presenting Isadora with an exquisite and beautiful bouquet of roses.

The crowd around them cheered, praising Alec for being generous and thoughtful.If I remember correctly, Alec's knees aren't in good shape, so he can't kneel.

When he proposed to me, he didn't get down on one knee, citing his bad knees as the reason.

Later, I realized that his knee problem was real, but so was his preference for Isadora.

He could kneel for Isadora, but not for me.

In the midst of the commotion, Alec caught sight of me from the corner of his eye, a hint of guilt flickering across his face.

"What are you doing here?"

Isadora flashed a radiant smile when she saw me.

She placed the roses on the table and enthusiastically came forward to take my hand.

As she leaned in close to my ear, her smile instantly vanished.

"Now that I'm back, you don't stand a chance."

Her blatant provocation ignited a fire of anger within me, and I instinctively pushed her away.

Though my movement was gentle, she dramatically fell to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, sister. I didn't mean for Alec to throw me a welcome home party. I just..."

She wept, looking on the verge of collapse. Alec immediately crouched down and pulled her into his arms, furiously scolding me:

"What do you think you're doing?"

Alec's protective stance towards her sent a sharp pain through my heart.

At that moment, Isadora, nestled in Alec's embrace, lifted her chin and looked at me, asserting her claim.The laughter and mockery from those around me began to rise.

Memories of everything I had seen on Isadora's social media flashed through my mind.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I stormed forward, snatched up the bouquet of roses from the table, and violently hurled it to the ground.

The once-exquisite rose petals instantly "shattered" across the floor.

Alec's expression immediately turned cold. "Faye, I was just welcoming Isadora with a gift. What on earth are you making such a fuss about?"

A gift?

He had never given me flowers.

Feeling hurt, my eyes gradually welled up with tears.

At that moment, Isadora suddenly burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry,sisterw. I shouldn't have let Alec give me flowers and make you upset. I'm sorry..."

She cried so heartbreakingly that Alec's attention shifted to her.

Nearby, someone whispered:

"So the Carlisle family's wife has such a fiery temper."

"This is so unbecoming, isn't it?"

Because of everyone's mockery of me, Alec lost face, and on top of that, I had made Isadora cry herself into a fain