He excused himself weakly, but Brad’s eyes fell on his hand, and his expression shifted instantly. It was then I realized I was clutching the photo album tightly. Before I could explain, he yanked it away, his grip so forceful that I lost my balance and fell beside the sofa.

Brad didn’t even glance at me. Instead, he frantically flipped through the album, letting out a relieved sigh when he found the ring intact.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things? If this ring had been damaged, you’d have hell to pay!"

My forearm scraped against the corner of the table when I fell, leaving a deep scratch that dripped blood. Pale and trembling, I tried to explain, but his gaze was cold and disdainful, as though he were looking at something filthy.

"Keep your dirty hands away from my photo album," he snapped.

I froze where I stood. The pain in my arm, no matter how severe, couldn’t compare to the pain that stabbed through my chest.

Edgar, who had been silently watching, couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped forward, raised his fist, and punched Brad squarely in the face. His voice thundered with fury.

"Are you blind? She’s bleeding, and this is how you treat her?"

He turned on Brad with a glare that could cut glass. "I didn’t think you’d stoop so low. Brad, you’re nothing but a coward who bullies women!"

Brad, now furious after the punch, staggered to his feet. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he cursed loudly and rushed forward again.

Without thinking, I jumped in between them and grabbed his arm tightly.

"I’ll leave. Don’t fight," I pleaded, my tear-filled eyes meeting his for the last time.

I couldn’t let someone who stood up for me get hurt because of Brad.

Brad exhaled sharply, unclenching his fist with an irritated snort, his face dark with displeasure. His whole body remained tense and rigid.

I picked up my luggage and stood silently at the entrance, my heart heavy. For a brief moment, I hesitated, but then I turned away.

Without looking back, I stepped out of the door and hurried away, leaving behind the five years I had given to him.

This city, so large and sprawling, suddenly felt like it had no place for me anymore.

For Brad, I had given up a promising job offer from the city administration next door. I stayed behind, sacrificing my dreams for a future I thought we’d share.

But now, that future had completely unraveled.

Using the money I had saved over the years, along with the “compensation” Brad had thrown at me, I rented a small apartment to live in temporarily.

I also rented a shop and decided to start my own photography studio.

Photography had always been my passion and my major. I’d worked with magazines and influencers before. Returning to my old career felt right—it wouldn’t be difficult to start over.

I didn’t expect that when my studio opened, Edgar would stop by and even share my discount promotions to help spread the word.

Gratefully, I accepted his help and used his connections to promote the studio on platforms like Red and TikTok.

By the third day, I landed my first booking for a photoshoot. Excited, I grabbed my camera and headed to the venue.

When I arrived, I was stunned to see Jennifer standing there in a white dress, smiling smugly.

She barely reacted to my presence.

"What’s wrong? Do you only choose certain clients?" she said mockingly.

I swallowed my frustration. Thinking of the hefty price tag on my most expensive package, I decided to bear with it.

It’s just one day, I thought. I could manage to deal with her for that long.

But Jennifer wasn’t making it easy. She nitpicked endlessly—complaining about the venue, criticizing the lighting, and finding fault in everything.

"These days, any random cat or dog can open a studio," she sneered, her words dripping with sarcasm.

When she finally claimed to be tired, she pulled out her phone and started talking sweetly to Brad, her voice dripping with affection.

Suppressing my nausea, I packed up my camera, desperate to leave. I couldn’t stand another second in her presence.

Just as I was about to walk away, she grabbed my sleeve, holding me in place.

"Aren’t you curious why I came to find you?"

Her voice was slow and deliberate, her triumphant expression brimming with arrogance.

"I heard all about you while I was abroad. A pathetic little follower of Brad, imitating me at every turn, even trying to crawl into his bed and beg for a status."

"But you’re just a substitute, something inferior to Liu. How could you ever surpass me or deserve to stay by his side?"

I bit my lower lip, struggling to remain calm, determined not to let her words provoke me.

But Jennifer only pushed further.

"You know, he still clings to me in his sleep, begging me not to leave. When I asked him about you, he said you’re just a dog—insignificant and predictable."

That was it. I couldn’t take any more.

"Enough! Stop talking!" I shouted, raising my hands to cover my ears.

Jennifer’s expression shifted dramatically. She stumbled backward and fell weakly to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Brad rushed in like a whirlwind, kneeling beside her.

I had never seen him so concerned about anyone else before.

"Faith, you deliberately hurt Jennifer. I can’t believe you’ve stooped to this level," he spat, his words cutting through me like a blade.

I stared at him, dumbfounded, my heart already shattered and bleeding. No matter what I said, he would always side with her.

Jennifer smirked as Brad turned back to me, adding venomously, "What can you do? Should I remind her of the things you whispered in bed?"

Brad’s face drained of color. He looked at Jennifer nervously, clearly afraid she might take my words seriously. In a panic, he quickly scooped her up and hurried away.

As I watched their retreating figures, my legs gave out beneath me. I collapsed onto the ground, hands numb, unable to move or think clearly for a long time.

Because, in truth, I lied.

But Brad panicked.

It was clear how important Jennifer was to him.

I returned home weakly, my steps dragging, and from a distance, I noticed Edgar waiting downstairs. The moment he saw me, he rushed over.

"Why did you come back so late? I was worried something happened to you," he said, concern etched on his face.

I forced a stiff smile. "It’s nothing—just my ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend stirring up trouble again."

Edgar looked uncomfortable, lowering his head slightly, guilt flickering in his eyes.

"Sorry... If I had known, I would’ve gone with you."

I shook my head dismissively. It didn’t matter; after all, he wasn’t obligated to help me. He had already done enough—finding a location for my studio and promoting it. For that, I was grateful.

Under the dim streetlamp, Edgar’s face turned crimson. He bit his lower lip, seeming hesitant about something. Then, with a trembling voice, he grabbed my arm and said,

"I know this confession is late, but I’ve liked you for a long time—long before him. Will you let me take care of you?"

I froze, his words sending me into a whirlwind of confusion. Brad’s mocking voice echoed in my mind, and my body trembled instinctively.

Could Edgar be playing a cruel game too?

I had trusted him, believed he wasn’t like Brad. Was I wrong all along?

As doubt clouded my mind, I reflexively tried to push him away, but he held my arm firmly, refusing to let go.

Edgar’s voice steadied as he continued, his words deliberate and unwavering.

"You may not believe what I say next, but it comes from my heart."

"I saved you when you fell into the lake. But after you woke up, Brad took the lead and claimed he acted bravely. The reason was simple—he needed the credit for his postgraduate entrance examination."

My heart skipped a beat, and the nervous look he had that day at the lake came rushing back.

The two figures couldn't help but overlap.

"After getting to know you, I realized I had fallen in love with you, but you’ve always been around Brad and never looked back at me."

He smiled bitterly, shaking his head with self-pity. He then took out an old, damaged diary and placed it into my hands.

"This time, I leave the choice to you. As long as you want, I will always be here, waiting for you."

The diary felt as heavy as a thousand pieces of gold. As Edgar's figure disappeared into the darkness, I gathered my thoughts and returned home, repeatedly considering whether to let go of the diary.

But I was stunned by the words in front of me.

The dense records inside were all his thoughts.

There are photos of me falling into the lake, and there are records of Brad begging him not to tell me.

There are even pictures of him taking care of me when I donated bone marrow to Brad.

At that time, I naïvely thought Brad couldn’t bear to see me suffer and asked a nanny to look after me.

Now I understand everything.

No wonder every time I asked Brad about it, he hesitated and refused to answer.

It turns out he didn’t save me at all!

I gripped the diary tightly, feeling a storm of emotions in my heart.

In the days that followed, he often came to my studio to help me, and it unknowingly brought me closer to Edgar.

It wasn’t until a week before Brad’s wedding that we made our relationship public.

I thought it was a bit sudden, but Edgar insisted he wanted to give me a proper status and even arranged for me to meet his mother to make me feel secure.

“Faith, I will always be on your side.”

Our relationship blossomed quickly, and we became inseparable. I didn’t even notice that today was Brad’s wedding day.

Edgar, afraid that I would be sad, even booked an amusement park pass to help ease my feelings of loss.

But what he doesn’t know is that I’ve had no feelings for Brad for a long time.

Apart from the occasional pain at the site of my surgical wound, there was nothing else.

We walked out of the store one after another and saw a figure rushing toward me from a distance, almost knocking me down.

How could it be him?

Brad, dressed in a perfectly tailored couture suit, gasped and grabbed my arm, asking, "Faith! Why didn’t you tell me? Why?"

I was stunned, not understanding what he was talking about. I struggled, crying out in pain, but Edgar quickly pulled me away.

To my surprise, Brad acted like a madman, his eyes turning red as he yelled, "Why didn’t you tell me you donated the bone marrow? You’ve been deceiving me!"

I froze, trying to process his words.

So that’s what this was about.

Before I could react, he grabbed my arm, pulling me away, "Let’s go, I want to announce to everyone that you’re my wife, that you’re the one I really love!"

Why was he acting like this?

I struggled to break free, but Edgar stepped in, raising his hand and punching Brad in the face.

"Enough! Faith is my girlfriend—don’t touch her!"

Brad stumbled back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked at us, a self-deprecating smile flashing across his face.

"Faith, you're angry with me on purpose, right? How could you like him? You obviously love me so much that you can’t help yourself, and you even donated bone marrow to me..."

After finishing, he seemed to realize something and broke into tears, "I just found out the truth today. I left the wedding to come to you because I want you to come back with me."

It’s too late. It’s too late.

"I told you, but you said Jennifer came back from abroad and donated it, and you asked me not to be shameless and steal her limelight."

There was disbelief in Brad’s eyes, his whole body shaking as he struggled to stay upright.

It’s not that I didn’t tell him, but he never believed me.

I held Edgar’s hand and said, "I have a boyfriend. Don’t get involved."

I turned to leave.

A voice suddenly came from behind, trembling.

"What if... I say, I will die if you leave?"