I let out a bitter laugh.

Fabian even knew how much I loved him.

So did he really have to crush my feelings like this?

"Don't worry. I won't cling to you anymore, and I won't bother you. You can do whatever you want."

Fabian seemed a little stunned that I agreed so quickly.

I turned away and kept walking toward the gates. He reached out instinctively, but before he could say anything, a girl came flying at me like a firecracker.

The impact knocked me straight to the ground. My knee smashed against the doorway, and a sharp wave of pain shot through me.

Viola's expression shifted, and she quickly bent down, acting pitiful as she tried to help me up.

"I'm so sorry, Sonia. Please don't be mad. I didn't mean to bump into you."

Before I could speak, my grandmother's furious voice filled my mind.

"In every life, that girl either frames Sonia or pretends to cry and blames her. These dirty little tricks are all she's got. Only that idiot, Fabian, would believe her and even scold Sonia. She makes me so mad!"

As expected, the moment Fabian saw Viola's tears, he felt bad for her.

"Viola, it's alright, it was just a little accident. With me here, no one's going to blame you."

He gently helped Viola up, then turned to me with a hint of warning in his voice. "It was just a bump. You're not going to blame her, right?"

Blood trickled down my leg from the cut on my knee. I pushed through the pain and stood up.

Viola's eyes were filled with tears, her voice shaking. "Sonia, I'm really sorry. It was all my fault. I'll slap myself if that makes you feel better."

She actually raised her hand and swung hard toward her own face.

Fabian quickly grabbed her wrist and shot me a furious glare.

"Sonia, what the hell is wrong with you? Viola said she didn't do it on purpose. Why are you bullying her?"

My grandmother grew even angrier.

"What's wrong with him? Is he deaf or just plain stupid? Sonia didn't say a word. How is she bullying anyone?

"Gosh, I would've gotten a heart attack if I weren't dead already. I hope Sonia will show them what bullying really looks like and give the both of them two hard slaps!"

The moment she finished speaking, I raised my hand and delivered two loud, sharp slaps across Viola's face.

Then I looked straight at Fabian.

"See that? That's what bullying actually looks like."

Viola stood there, stunned and silent.

Fabian was just as shocked. "Sonia, you're going too far—"

I lifted my hand again and slapped him hard.

Then, remembering my grandmother's words, I followed immediately with another slap before he even recovered.

"That's what too far looks like."

Fabian stared at me, completely dumbfounded.

I had followed him around since childhood, always agreeing with everything he said. I had never even talked back to him, let alone hit him.

It took him a long moment to react. Then he glared at me, furious.

"Wow. You actually hit me! You'll regret this later. Viola, let's go to the clinic."

My grandmother snorted.

"Is he really trying to scare Sonia with that lame threat? What a joke. Oh, my poor baby. That fall must've hurt like hell!"

I lowered my eyes, looking at the blood seeping from my knee.

All the pain and all the buried frustration finally surged to the surface.

When we were little, if Fabian saw me hurt, he would cry from how much it broke his heart and take great care of me.

Now, Fabian could ignore me being hurt and even warn me not to make things difficult for the woman he loved.

How could someone change so completely? How could I trust my whole life to someone like that?

If I were to marry him, I would only repeat the same tragedy.

I wiped my tears and went to the clinic to have a doctor treat the cut on my leg.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw Viola and Fabian on the other side of the hall, standing close together and acting all affectionate.

I heard her syrupy voice.

"If Sonia finds out you faked memory loss just so you could be with me openly, do you think she'll lose her mind?"

Fabian ruffled her hair fondly.

"Even if she does, it won't matter. Everyone knows she loves me to the core. Even if I forget her, she'll still run right to me, begging me to marry her."

My grandmother scoffed. "Keep bragging, punk. Just wait until the engagement banquet in two days. You'll cry so hard that you suffocate!"

I forced a stiff smile and sat down to get bandaged.

Suddenly, someone shouted in panic, "Run! Someone's attacking people with a knife!"

The whole place erupted in chaos.

I tried to run with the crowd, but because of my injury, I fell behind, and the crazed patient grabbed me. His knife swung upward, ready to strike.

I was just a woman, and I was nowhere near strong enough to fight him off.

In the chaos, I saw Fabian look over, startled by the commotion. I didn't care about anything else and shouted for help.

"Fabian, save me!"

Fabian instinctively started running toward me, but Viola clung desperately to his sleeve.

"Fabian, I'm scared. Please don't leave me."

His steps slowed.

In that brief hesitation, the knife slashed across my arm, opening a bleeding wound. The pain made me gasp.

My grandmother's voice buzzed in my head like a panicked hornet.

"Oh, no! In Sonia's last life, someone also broke into the clinic to rob people. How did she get caught up in this again?

"That useless Fabian. Sonia risked her life for him so many times, and he's just standing there, watching her get hurt!"

The pain was so sharp that I nearly blacked out. I bit hard on my lip to stay conscious and screamed again toward Fabian.

"Fabian, please save me! I'm going to die!"

But before I even finished, Viola let out a piercing scream.

One of the attackers noticed their fancy clothes and charged at them with a knife. Fabian instantly held Viola's hand and ran out of the clinic.

I watched with my own eyes as he protected the woman he loved and fled, leaving me behind. A crushing wave of despair slammed into me.

After everything I had done for him and after all our years together, I thought that he would at least feel enough pity to save me when my life was on the line, even if he didn't love me.

Just as the knife swung toward me again, the attacker suddenly stumbled and fell to the side.

Chandler had punched the crazed patient and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away.

"Let's go!"

People were screaming, and the whole place was chaos. Thankfully, the patrol guards arrived quickly and brought the attackers under control.

I still hadn't recovered from the shock and crouched by the wall, shaking uncontrollably.

Chandler draped his coat over me and gave me a long, complicated look.

I forced myself to thank him, but I didn't ask him anything.

News of me getting injured spread quickly, and my grandfather found out. Furious, he demanded that Fabian and the Parhams come explain themselves.

The Parhams immediately put Viola under house arrest and sent over expensive tonics to apologize to me.

Fabian's mother was so furious that she nearly fainted, and she ordered Fabian to apologize to me in person.

That night, Fabian arrived with the apology gifts in hand.

He tossed them onto the table carelessly and looked at me with clear irritation.

"I didn't save you today, but that has nothing to do with Viola. Why did you make the Parhams punish her and lock her up? Did you do it on purpose?"

I lifted my arm, wrapped in layers of gauze with fresh blood seeping through.

"Do you see this?"

Fabian pressed his lips together.

"Well, you're still alive, aren't you? Everyone knows you're the Bowens' only girl. If you shout for help, a whole crowd will rush to save you. But Viola only has me to protect her.

"You saw it today. She almost got hurt, too. Can you stop blaming her? Go ask your grandpa to release her from house arrest, or I'll cancel the engagement and won't marry you."

His tone was full of confidence and entitlement, as if he believed I would give in without question.

A cold disappointment washed through me. I shook my head slowly, too tired to respond.

"See Prince Fabian out," I ordered the steward.

The steward motioned for the guards, and they escorted Fabian out of the house.

Fabian was furious but had no choice but to swallow it. As he left, he threw back one last line. "Sonia, you'll be sorry!"

The next day, Fabian didn't come to see me.

My grandfather took my marriage very seriously and hosted a grand banquet at the estate.

Dressed in a gorgeous embroidered gown with pearl and diamond accessories, I slowly entered the great hall.

Fabian stood at the center, with Viola by his side, smiling like a blooming flower.

I lifted my brow slightly. I was surprised that someone under house arrest could show up here.

My grandmother was furious.

"Fabian must've run to the Parhams and used his title to get her punishment lifted! He really does care about Viola. How come he never showed this kind of effort for Sonia in her last life? He's such a jerk!"

Fabian shot me a cold glance before turning away.

Guests whispered among themselves.

"Prince Fabian looks like he wants nothing to do with Ms. Bowen, and he's acting so close to the Parham girl. I heard Prince Chandler also fancies Ms. Bowen. Could someone else be the groom-to-be?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Even if Prince Fabian only loves Ms. Parham after losing his memory, Ms. Bowen only has eyes for Prince Fabian. I'm sure she has chosen him as her fiancé."

Chandler's sharp gaze cut across the group.

They fell silent instantly.

My grandfather, full of energy, held my hand.

"Sonia, today is your engagement banquet. Announce who your fiancé is."

"Alright."

I nodded with a gentle smile, feeling Fabian's stare glued to me.

I met his gaze and smiled ever so slightly.

He clenched his fist unconsciously, his eyes filled with a strange hope.

I turned toward the guests and spoke with a bright smile, "Thank you all for coming to my engagement banquet. Now, I'll announce the name of the person I'm going to marry. My fiancé is…"