Chapter 1

The tenth year of competing alongside Seraphina

She's getting married.

I provoked her fiancé at a chess tournament.

After she found out, she revoked all my competition qualifications.

I didn't cry or make a fuss.

But she went crazy, pinning me against the wall and kissing me: "Why aren't you making a scene this time?"

I won't say. Because, you see, I'm dying.

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1

At the chess championship I attended with my mentor Seraphina, I saw her fiancé Brent.

He was handsome and composed, a good match for Seraphina.

A friend told me that Brent and Seraphina's marriage was an alliance between two chess dynasties - the Frost family and the Shaw family.

Seraphina was particularly attentive to Brent. It seemed she had genuine feelings for him.

This made me feel I didn't need to play as ruthlessly as before. I could save face for my future brother-in-law.

I had initially taken this advice to heart.

But as I sat at the chess board,

Brent said, "So you're the apprentice Seraphina has been coddling for ten years?"

"You don't think Seraphina's doting on you means you can be the homewrecker between us, do you?"

That one word - homewrecker - shattered all my restraint.

I forgot my friend's words and disregarded Seraphina's earlier instructions to me.

She had said, "Melody, Brent hasn't faced much adversity in his life."

"I know you can win, but don't use your usual tactics on Brent."

What's wrong with using them? Not only will I use them,I want to beat Brent so badly that he'll remember me for the rest of his life.

Ten minutes later, Brent suffered a crushing defeat.

My friend said from the sidelines, "Brent's in for it now. Even if you're Seraphina's favorite student, you can't treat your teacher's fiancé like that."

"You don't know how much Seraphina dotes on this student. If someone beats Brent, she'll want to settle the score."

I guess Brent must have overheard my friend's words.

He walked over and handed me a bottle of water, saying in an unfriendly tone, "Melody, you won the match. But when it comes to women, you can't beat me."

"She specifically comforted me before the match, saying her student doesn't know what's important. She told me not to let her student affect our relationship because I'm much more important to her than her student."

Brent finished speaking with a smirk on his face.

I thought about it, and it was indeed true.

I initially thought Seraphina's relationship with Brent was just an arranged marriage between wealthy families, without any real feelings.

After all, Seraphina had flirted with quite a few men before to make me jealous and envious.

But after I comforted her crying a few times, Seraphina kicked those men to the curb.

However, Brent...She won't even let me see this man.

In the past, she would always accompany me for meals and movies.

To avoid making Brent uncomfortable, she doesn't even go shopping with me anymore.

I begged her to come with me.

But when Brent caught us, she instinctively let go of my hand.

From that moment on, I knew Brent meant something truly special to Seraphina.

So now, facing this man challenging me across the chessboard, I can't muster much anger.

I just look at the smiling man opposite me and say gently:

"Then you can keep this woman. I'm different. I'm going to be competing for Chess Grandmaster in the future."

Provoked by me, he furiously tries to come over and hit me, even starting to shout: "A homewrecker like you thinks you can be a Chess Grandmaster? Have you looked in the mirror?"

The word "homewrecker" cuts deep into me.

I've lived with Seraphina for ten years.

We got together after I became an adult.

I've long since loved her to the bone.

We fell in love much earlier than that.

But now Seraphina... has made me into the other woman.Brent continued to curse, "Brent, you're just taking advantage of being a few years younger than me. After I got engaged to Seraphina, you should have left on your own accord."

Brent was right.

I should have left long ago.

But I couldn't bear to.

I was seriously ill. My body was in constant pain.

Whenever the pain struck, I couldn't help but want to find Seraphina.

Brent, speaking until he was furious, slapped me across the face.

My fans couldn't stand by and watch.

They pushed Brent to the ground.

Brent's knee hit a obstacle on the path. A large red mark immediately appeared.

When his hand pressed against the ground, it caught on a hair clip dropped by a fan. A gash opened on his hand, red blood flowing out. The fan was too scared to look at Brent.

As Brent was about to reach out, I blocked the fan behind me.

Seraphina was standing in the distance, communicating with the judge.

Seeing Brent fall to the ground with his palm cut, she rushed over.

Everyone was watching her.