Professor Helen Morrison's worried voice came through the receiver almost immediately.

"Nora, are you sure about this? This position requires you to go abroad. Once you're overseas, you'll barely have any time for your personal life.

"And there are significant risks abroad. Who knows what could happen?"

"Professor, if I've made this decision, it means I've thought it through completely." My voice was calm but filled with absolute conviction.

Professor Morrison reluctantly agreed and said someone would come for me. After hanging up, I returned to the house.

Ray looked surprised to see me walk in from outside. "Nora, where were you? I didn't even see you leave."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek until it felt raw. But of course. His eyes were only for Shannon. When had he ever actually noticed me?

I smiled at him and said with self-mockery, "I jumped out the window. I wanted to test whether I could escape that way if there was an emergency."

Ray didn't even question this ridiculous lie. He waved his hand dismissively, frowning.

"Fine, whatever. I don't care how you got out. Do what you want, just don't interrupt Shannon and me while we're deciding which city to live in."

Seeing his indifferent expression, I took a deep breath to suppress the desolation rising in my chest. I thought I had long since moved past any feelings for him, but that single sentence still managed to stir something painful inside me.

I went back to my room and packed all my translation books into a box to mail to the capital. This time, Ray actually noticed.

Seeing me about to leave with the large box, he rushed over and grabbed my wrist. It was as if he feared I might leave.

Of course, he was worried. Without my funding their plans, their dream of moving south would fall apart.

"Where are you going with all that stuff?"

I frowned. I could feel how nervous he was. His entire body was tense.

"A classmate from school borrowed some books. I'm mailing them over. I also need to check at the post office when my documents arrive."

Hearing my excuse, Ray relaxed visibly. He rifled through the box in my hands, and only after confirming it was all books did he let me go.

His expression returned to that familiar mix of disdain and impatience. He waved toward the door like he was shooing away a beggar.

"Fine, go on then. Just hurry back. Shannon and I are waiting for dinner."

My hands had already clawed through the cardboard bottom of the box. My fingers dug into the box so hard they hurt.

All these years, I had been too accommodating, too concerned with his feelings. So much so that he now felt entitled to order me around like a servant.

I stopped outside the door, about to refuse. But then I overheard him talking with Shannon.

"Shannon, are we really doing the right thing here?"

"What are you worried about? You're willing to marry her, even if it's just on paper. Nora should be thrilled. What's not right about it?"

"You're right. After all, besides me, who else would want a bookworm like her?"

Every word out of their mouths painted me as worthless. In my previous life, I might have burst in and argued with them endlessly. But now I just laughed quietly and headed straight for the post office.

Without thinking, I stepped on a dead branch outside the door. It cracked loudly.

Ray rushed out. Seeing I hadn't gone far, he looked slightly guilty as he probed, "Nora, you didn't hear anything just now, did you?"

I shook my head faintly and kept walking forward. The sky suddenly opened up with light rain. Ray ran back inside and grabbed an umbrella, holding it over my head.

"It's raining. Let me go to the post office with you."

I was frowning, trying to figure out how to refuse him, when Shannon came out at just the right moment and looped her arm through his.

"Ray, I heard there's a circus in town today. Come watch it with me?"

The man who had just offered to accompany me to the post office immediately hesitated. He looked at me with difficulty.

I took the hint and refused for him. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm just mailing something. I can go by myself."

I didn't even take the umbrella Ray held out. I pulled up my collar and rushed out of the courtyard into the rain.

When I came back from the post office, I passed by the town square. I spotted Ray and Shannon watching the circus performance, both looking delighted.

I vaguely remembered inviting him to see a performance in my previous life. He had refused without hesitation. Now here he was with Shannon, looking thoroughly entertained.

At that thought, I let out a long sigh and headed home. Ray seemed to hear me sigh. He turned around and called out my name.

This time, I pretended not to hear and kept walking.

After dinner, I was lying in bed reading translation materials when Ray burst in. His face was full of smiles, and he was holding a hot roasted sweet potato.

He had even thoughtfully peeled it for me.

"Here, Nora. This is your favorite—roasted sweet potato. I had to fight to get this today."

Seeing him act like a completely different person than he had earlier felt absurd. To avoid getting tangled up with him, I took the sweet potato anyway and quietly thanked him.

My distant tone seemed to catch him off guard for a moment. But before he could think too much about it, Shannon called out to him, and he left.

In the brief moment the door was open, I saw Shannon holding a roasted sweet potato in each hand, eating happily.

I laughed bitterly. At least I hadn't foolishly assumed it was just for me. I was probably just an afterthought.

I didn't eat the sweet potato. Instead, I placed it on the nightstand. By the time Ray came back in, the once-steaming sweet potato had gone completely cold.

He looked at me in surprise, raising his voice. "I went through all that trouble to buy you this sweet potato, and you didn't even eat it?

"Do you know how long I waited in line for this? I almost got into a fight with someone over it, and this is how you repay me?"

His tone made it sound like I had committed some unforgivable crime.

I stuck my finger in my ear sarcastically. "Keep your voice down. I'm not deaf."

My indifferent tone seemed to infuriate him. Ray stormed out of the bedroom with the sweet potato, fuming. Before leaving, he even threatened me.

"Fine, you won't eat it? Plenty of other people will. Don't expect me to ever buy you anything again, Nora."

Watching him leave without hesitation, I suddenly realized something.

In my previous life, I had always put Ray first. I prioritized him in everything and shortchanged myself constantly. In this household, I had grown accustomed to putting myself last. Even his childhood sweetheart took priority over me.

My eyes fell on a necklace sitting on the vanity.

In our four years together, this was the only gift Ray had ever given me. And even then, it was only because I had shamelessly begged him to buy it for me from a street vendor on my birthday.

I treated it like a treasure, too precious to even wear. I would often carefully dust it with a cloth.

Every time he saw me doing this, he would mock me. He said I was a miser who couldn't even afford decent jewelry, which was why I treated a cheap street vendor necklace like it was priceless.

Yet all these years, I had never been stingy with him. Not once.

Through the half-open door, I could see Shannon showing off multiple bracelets and hair accessories on her hands while Ray laughingly helped her put them on, one by one.

Their cheerful laughter drifted constantly to my ears. At that moment, the necklace in front of me felt like nothing but a cruel joke.

Out of sight, out of mind.

I got up, locked the door, turned off the light, and went to sleep. I didn't know how long I had been asleep when Ray's furious pounding on the door woke me up.

"Nora, why did you lock the door? Are you trying to keep me out?

"We're about to get married, and you're still shutting me out like this? What's that supposed to mean?"

He went on and on, complaining endlessly.

I responded calmly, "I'm not feeling well tonight. Find somewhere else to sleep."

Hearing this, Ray let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Fine. If you won't let me in, there are plenty of others who will. Just don't regret it later."

After that, he stopped knocking. His outburst had killed any chance of sleep. I lay in bed wide awake, so I got up and continued reading.

Ray called me a bookworm, and he wasn't wrong. I had loved reading since I was a child.

I met Ray in high school. Back then, my grades were excellent, but I didn't have many friends. I was often bullied by other students because of my academic success.

Only Ray protected me.

Later, during a fight, he injured a classmate who had been harassing me and got expelled from school. From that moment on, I became dependent on him. I went along with everything he wanted, unwilling to see him hurt because of me.

That was how I ended up being his cash cow for ten years in my previous life.

But I had paid back everything I owed him in that life. In this one, I was living for myself.

Around midnight, I got thirsty from reading. I went out to get a glass of water and ran into Ray coming out of Shannon's room.

His eyes went wide when he saw me, and he looked genuinely panicked. He stammered for a moment before finally speaking.

"Nora, it's not what you think. I just needed to grab a pillow and blanket from Shannon's room."

I nodded faintly, not bothering to argue with him. "It's fine. I understand."

With that, I took my water and went back to my room. Ray stared at me, speechless. He followed me, nearly getting hit in the face when I suddenly closed the door.

After I locked it again, his confused and angry voice came through. "Nora, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you throwing a tantrum now?"

I had to admit, this was the first time I realized just how loud he was. I pulled the blanket over my head to muffle the sound.

The next morning, when I came out to the living room, I immediately noticed the table was covered with breakfast.

The moment they saw me, Ray and Shannon, who had been chatting and laughing, fell silent. The cheerful atmosphere came to an abrupt halt.

Ray glanced at me coldly. "Look who finally decided to show her face. I was starting to think you had a man in there."

Shannon raised an eyebrow and chimed in with a mocking tone. "Really, Nora, this isn't right. You're marrying Ray, and you're still playing the innocent maiden?

"If Ray hadn't protected you back then, who knows how many guys would have had their way with you. Who knows if they even got to you or not. And now you're putting on this act."

In that instant, my eyes burned red. I stared at Ray in disbelief. He knew exactly what would hurt me most.

He had promised never to tell anyone about what happened back then. Yet now, he was using it like a knife to stab me in the heart.

Faced with my silent accusation, Ray lowered his head guiltily, unable to meet my eyes. I bit down so hard on my lip that it bled. Each word came out slowly and deliberately.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

He slammed his fork down defensively. "Say what? I'm telling the truth. I was late that day. For all I know, someone could have gotten to you.

"I've put up with you for years, and last night you still played the innocent and locked me out of the bedroom."

I blinked back the tears and laughed softly, looking at him with cold clarity. Finally, I understood why he had lied to me for ten years in my previous life.

I wiped away tears I hadn't realized were falling and turned back to my room. Ray seemed surprised by my silence. He started to stand up to follow me, but Shannon pulled him back.

I stayed in the bedroom all day, packing my luggage. By evening, the rumble of a car engine sounded outside. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, is Nora Spencer home?"

Ray opened the door, probably thinking it was the post office delivering my documents. Just as he was about to speak, I walked out with my suitcase and pushed past him.

"I'm Nora Spencer. I'm ready to go."

Ray stumbled slightly. He stared at my suitcase, then grabbed my arm tightly. His voice trembled with panic.

"Nora, what do you think you're doing?"