"Sarah, apologize to her right now."

"Henry..."

"Shut up and apologize immediately!"

Charlotte trembled in his arms, tears falling silently down her face, looking utterly helpless.

My arm was already turning a mottled purple and blue, with bruising visibly spreading beneath the skin.

Those shocking marks didn't even catch Henry's eye - he just looked at me as if I were some unforgivable criminal.

I gave a bitter smile, unwilling to say another word. "I'm sorry."

Henry seemed taken aback for a moment, but his eyes quickly grew even harder. "Not sincere enough."

I straightened my back and bowed deeply. "Is this better?"

Charlotte watched me, her lips curling slightly upward before quickly shifting to sobs as she turned to Henry. "Let it go, Henry."

"How could I accept such an apology?" Henry's expression instantly softened. "Sarah, I've told you before, Charlotte is different from others. Bullying her like this only makes me despise you more - and makes me love her even more."

He turned and left with Charlotte in his arms.

I stood there alone for I don't know how long, the pain in my arm unbearable, like being stabbed with needles. Yet my heart was surprisingly calm. I finally understood - in that moment, all those years of foolish young love turned to nothing, vanishing like smoke.

That night, Henry posted several times on social media. People in our circle immediately sent me screenshots, specifically highlighting his captions. I understood their intentions perfectly.

In the past, at times like this, I would have impulsively confronted Henry with a big scene. Though he was always impatient, he would eventually give in. That made me mistakenly believe he cared about me, and made me increasingly unable to know when to stop.

This time, I chose silence. Instead, I dialed back that missed call from a week ago.

"Mr. Barnes, this is Sarah. About what you proposed last time, I've made my decision."

When I was thirteen, my parents died in an accident. Because the Crawfords were old family friends and lived nearby, I moved in with them. Until Rachel called.

Rachel was my mother's closest friend in her youth, but she had moved far away for love and lost touch. By the time she settled in Verdancliff, my parents had already passed away.

Rachel wanted me to come live in Verdancliff. She also wanted to fulfill a childhood promise with my mother by having me marry her son and become the Barnes' daughter-in-law.

A week ago, I couldn't bring myself to agree immediately, but I couldn't refuse either, only saying I needed time to think.

Yet tonight, I suddenly saw clearly how blind I'd been all these years. My one-sided love was truly laughable. I didn't want to be other people's gossip anymore.

Six months ago, Henry wanted to break off our engagement. I had refused desperately at the time, causing several scenes. But he never changed his mind.

Looking back now, maybe this was for the best. Perhaps it was all meant to be.

On the other end of the phone, Rachel happily said, "Sarah, William has been waiting for your answer. He's about to fly to Verdancliff to propose to you."

Holding my phone, I suddenly felt my cheeks flush. The laughter in my ear made me feel strangely lost. The person I had loved unrequitedly for ten years - who knew it would only take seven short days to truly let go?

Henry and Charlotte chose to get engaged the day I left for Verdancliff, so nobody came to see me off. After landing, I turned on my phone. Message notifications kept coming in, most about Henry and Charlotte's engagement. I smiled and blocked them all.

Before coming to Verdancliff, I had met William. I didn't want to make a big deal of it or cause gossip. William completely understood my feelings. He proposed, we exchanged rings - we got engaged just that simply. A simple diamond ring added to my finger.

Just as I was about to get into the Barnes' car, my phone suddenly rang. It was Henry's cousin Emily.

"Sarah, the engagement ceremony is about to start, where are you?"

"Just arrived in Silverbrook Haven."

"Come back quickly, there's still time!"

"Come back for what?" My voice was calm.

Emily was speechless for a moment. "Are you not thinking straight? If you don't come back and make a scene now, Henry will really become someone else's."

"Isn't this Henry's big life event? Why would I go make a scene?"

"Sarah?" Emily's voice suddenly rose. "Have you gone mad?"

I was about to hang up when Charlotte's voice came through the phone.

"Sarah, will you attend Henry's and my engagement ceremony?" Charlotte's voice was gentle. "Though you were Henry's former fiancée, he's always considered you like a sister. As your future sister-in-law, I truly hope to have your blessing."

I lifted my gaze to the figure in the distance. There he was, leaning casually against the luxury car, his eyes filled with gentleness. In that moment, my heart found its peace.

"Of course. I sincerely wish you both endless happiness together."

Meanwhile, Henry stood drinking with friends on the terrace, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Emily's group.

He understood their habits all too well. That group had always been Sarah's informants, without fail reporting back to her.

Just like clockwork, whenever a woman appeared in his life, they would immediately alert Sarah, who would then arrive to create a scene. It was this endless cycle that he despised most. Over time, he had gradually distanced himself from female companions.

He expected this time to be no different. That's why he had deliberately scheduled it for the day Sarah left for Silverbrook Haven.

Though the timing wasn't perfect - the engagement ceremony wasn't until seven in the evening. Henry could feel a headache building. After all, once Sarah heard the news, she would likely catch the first flight back - arriving just as the engagement ceremony began.

"Henry, what if Sarah returns to disrupt everything?"

"She's your ex-fiancée after all. She'll probably lose it when she learns you're with someone else."

"Although she's been unusually quiet recently."

"You abandoned her for Charlotte at the altar, yet she barely showed any reaction."

"That's strange - in the past, she would have been beside herself by now."

Henry's wine glass froze halfway to his lips, the sip forgotten as his friend's words sank in.

Sarah had indeed been unusually quiet lately - unnaturally so. This wasn't like her at all. Throughout the years, despite his countless rejections, she had never given up, each refusal only strengthening her resolve.

Now that she was older, she seemed to have developed more patience.

A thought suddenly struck Henry, bringing a soft chuckle as he set down his glass. "Just wait and see. She's never been one to remain silent for long."

"Henry, you think Sarah will come back to cause trouble?"

Henry didn't respond, but internally he was certain. She had always been emotional since childhood.

During her teenage years, she had been obsessed with romantic dramas, trying every cliché move on him. He knew her playbook by heart. This period of quiet was surely just another tactic. He would bet anything that by the time the engagement ceremony started, Sarah would make her appearance.

"Increase security," Henry said, checking his watch. "Don't let any uninvited guests in to cause disruption."

Just then, Emily came running up. "Henry, Sarah's here - her car's at the front gate..."

Henry felt an odd stirring inside before his expression darkened. "She never learns, still coming to make trouble!"

"Henry, what should we do? If she creates a scene, the Crawford family name..."

With a grim expression, Henry strode toward the entrance. "Let's see what drama she tries to create this time!"

Everyone followed his lead. As they were leaving the terrace, Charlotte's soft voice called out.

"Henry."

She stood there in a champagne-colored gown, her hair elegantly styled, her makeup subtle and fresh. Though the engagement ceremony was still hours away at seven, Charlotte maintained her composure despite her internal anxiety.

"Why did you come here?"

Henry paused, his gaze falling on Charlotte's face. She was truly beautiful - the kind of beauty that awakened a protective instinct in others.

She was completely different from Sarah's willful boldness.

Charlotte's humble background had made her somewhat timid, always choosing her words with care.

During his most frustrating times, when Sarah's persistence had worn him thin, Charlotte's gentle nature had easily touched his heart.

Unlike his previous relationships where women actively pursued him, he had met Charlotte by rescuing her from a difficult situation.

Men's hero complex being what it is, his feelings for Charlotte were entirely different from his past casual relationships.

"I heard Sarah's back..." Charlotte's eyes reddened before she could finish. "I'm worried." She bit her lip, lowering her head. "Henry, will we be able to have our engagement ceremony today?"

"Don't overthink it." Henry gripped her shoulders gently, trying to comfort her. "I'll handle it now."

But Charlotte caught his sleeve. "Henry, I'm scared." Her tears began falling rapidly. "I'm afraid you'll regret breaking off your engagement with her..." Her small, fragile figure stood there, looking as if she might shatter at any moment.

"Don't worry Charlotte, Henry never had feelings for Sarah," Emily interjected, a smug smile flickering in her eyes. "She's just a spoiled rich girl who throws tantrums. Henry's been sick of her for ages. She won't succeed."

Emily had never hidden her contempt. Ever since Sarah's engagement to Henry, Emily's once-loving parents had placed Sarah on a pedestal.

Though they always claimed she was their future sister-in-law, insisting the Crawfords were just being polite for appearance's sake, Emily couldn't stand her.

All these years, her greatest pleasure had been watching Sarah make a fool of herself. Now that Sarah had been publicly jilted and left Silverbrook Haven alone in shame, Emily couldn't be more delighted.

She'd support anyone marrying Henry except Sarah.

Henry suddenly turned to Emily. "Weren't you always close with her?"

"How could I be close to her? I've been hoping you'd break off the engagement." At this point, Emily didn't bother hiding her true feelings anymore.

Her past friendliness had been just to gain trust, to manipulate Sarah into actions that would annoy others. Now that she didn't need to pretend anymore, what a relief.

Emily, not noticing Henry's darkening expression, continued, "Henry, how about this - you stay with Charlotte, I'll go deal with her. Don't worry, I'll make sure she loses face completely."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Have security throw her out! Her parents must be rolling in their graves..."

Before she could finish, a sharp slap echoed through the hall. Everyone froze, especially Charlotte, who frowned as she watched Henry's eyes grow increasingly dark.

"Henry, why did you hit me!" Emily held her face, crying hysterically.

"She was once my fiancée in name." Henry's expression was terrifying. "You should respect her. She carried the title of my fiancée for all these years. When you humiliate her like this, where does that leave the Crawfords' dignity?"

"Why are you defending her?" Emily sobbed. "Didn't you hate her the most? If you hadn't led us in disliking her, how would we have acted this way?"

He fell silent for a long time. Did he really despise her as they said?