Just as Justin proposed to me, a phone call interrupted him.

Standing close by, I clearly heard the voice on the other end of the line.

“Justin, I’m hurt. My leg hurts so much!”

Justin snapped the ring box shut and looked at me.

“Alice is injured. I’ll have to do this another time.”

With those words, he sprinted away, leaving everyone around us staring in astonishment.

I had never met Alice, but her presence lingered in every corner of our lives. 

At meals, Justin would mention her fondness for sweet desserts. 

When I dressed, I came to know her love for soft lavender hues.

I argued, I wept, I lashed out, but Justin always countered with the same line. “You’re so jealous. Everyone has their first love. She’s my past, but you’re my future.”

So, I turned to a man who had once called me his first love—Quentin—and made a bold proposition.

“Let’s get married.”

Quentin Langley flew to my side that very night.

“Did you really agree? You’re not teasing me, are you? When I first proposed the union of the Smiths and Langleys, you immediately ran off to Marina Sands, and the matter was left unresolved.”

Looking at the man before me, whose cheeks were flushed with nervous excitement, I gently patted his hand and smiled faintly.

“That one is an important matter. Prepare well for it. Once I’ve finished dealing with things in Marina Sands, I’ll return to Arcania to reunite with you.”

“Thank you for giving me another chance. I thought you wouldn’t come back after leaving.”

His eyes glistened, like those of a stray puppy longing for a home.

After parting with Quentin, I immediately called a moving company to pack my belongings.

Halfway through packing, Justin Nolan returned.

He walked into the chaotic apartment, his voice low and angry. “What are you doing, Viola?”

I set down the suitcase in my hands and gazed at the face that had captivated me for three years.

“I’ve decided to return to Arcania,” I said.

As though hearing the most absurd joke, Justin sneered dismissively.

“Is this because I interrupted the proposal? Do you even realize Alice fell down the stairs in her rush to reach my proposal? She’s a dancer! Her legs mean everything to her.”

“How is her injury?” I asked calmly.

“She’s got a large bruise. She has a performance in a few days, and I hope it won’t affect her. This is all because of my proposal to you.”

I laughed.

“She called you away from your own proposal over a bruise? Is she some princess from a land far, far away?”

Justin became furious at my words.

“It was only a proposal. She might lose out on a flawless performance! She’s not like you—she’s a privileged heiress, an esteemed dancer. Stop making a scene and just wait obediently for the next proposal!”

Wait obediently? Was I his pet?

“There’s no need for another proposal right now. I want to go to Arcania and clear my head!”

With that, I dragged my suitcase and headed straight for the door but Justin grabbed my hand firmly.

“You’re not going back this time. You must accompany me to Alice’s performance.”

“I’m not going.”

“If you don’t, don’t expect to see your cats and dogs again.”

After graduation, I had planned to open a veterinary clinic and had taken in many stray cats and dogs.

To show his support, Justin had contributed half the investment.

I didn’t need that half, but I didn’t want to reject his goodwill at the time.

Who would’ve thought that what once symbolized love had become a tool to threaten me?

Fearing he might give away my rescues, I reluctantly agreed.

It was just a few more days, surely I could endure it for a little longer.

Alice Hunt’s performance was flawless.

With her elegant grace, Alice resembled a white swan, and Justin’s gaze never left her.

Quentin sent me a message: [Bring your little babies back to Arcania too. I’ll help you take care of them.]

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I hadn’t shed a tear even when Justin had called off his proposal.

How wonderful it felt to be truly loved.

After the performance came another celebration.

By the third round of drinks, Collin Campbell, a mutual friend of Justin and myself, sighed quietly.

“Even though Justin left to find his first love on the day of his proposal, I’m sure it was just a moment of confusion. He loves you, Viola. You should wait for him.”

I slammed my glass down and fixed Justin with a sharp glare.

“Even a meal can’t shut you up, can it? I’m done waiting.”

As I watched Justin and Alice whispering sweetly in the distance, a bittersweet realization settled over me.

How had I missed his true feelings during our three years together?

Love couldn’t be hidden. He loved Alice.

“I’m so sorry about what happened last time, Viola. I never intended to trouble Justin,” Alice said as she approached me.

Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, and her lavender dress accentuated her ethereal appearance.

She looked every bit like the quintessential first love of a romance trope.

“It’s fine. As long as you’re happy,” I replied with a polite smile. After all, it would all be over soon.

My indifferent response caused a subtle crack in Alice’s composed expression.

Her face dimmed momentarily before brightening again.

Finally, she raised her champagne glass to toast me, her slender, pale fingers adorned with none other than my engagement ring.

“You!” I hissed, my chest tightening painfully.

“Oh, this ring?” Alice laughed boldly, her voice filled with pride.

“It’s a gift from Justin to celebrate my perfect performance. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Take it off! I searched high and low for that gemstone in Avani before I found it!”

I had always loved the rich orange-pink hues of a fiery sunset.

That love led me to Avani where I discovered the perfect gem and asked Justin to use it in his proposal.

It symbolized purity and that purity was now ruined.

“Yours? Did you engrave your name on the stone?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Viola,” Justin interjected, his tailored suit immaculate, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Bathed in the opulent glow of the crystal chandelier, he looked like a figure from a dream.

“Alice really likes the ring, so I decided to give it to her. You don’t mind, do you?”

The atmosphere turned cold instantly and the room plunged into silence.

Our friends lowered their gazes, unwilling to meet mine.

“You gave my engagement ring to another woman. How can I not mind it?” I asked, my voice sharp with restrained anger.

“The gemstone isn’t worth that much. Next time, I’ll propose with a three-carat diamond,” he replied dismissively.

“Return the stone to me. I paid for it myself. Then I’m going back to Arcania,” I said firmly.

“Are you serious?” Justin’s tone turned cold as he straightened, the last hint of amusement fading from his face.

“The Nolans are among the most prominent in Marina Sands. Where will you find a man better than me?”

I rewarded him with a dramatic roll of my eyes.

“If you insist on leaving, then I’m pulling my investment,” he said, his voice steely, his gaze condescending.

“Without my money, let’s see how you’ll manage with all those animals you’ve taken in.”

This must be the difference between love and apathy, I thought to myself.

Quentin had made arrangements to care for the cats and dogs I rescued, while Justin used their lives to threaten me.

In Marina Sands, I had lived as an ordinary person.

I had planned to wait for Justin’s proposal before revealing the truth to him.

Losing half of an investment would spell disaster for anyone starting a business.

Justin gently took Alice’s hand, his eyes filled with tenderness.

“A gem this beautiful deserves to adorn the graceful hand of an artist. Look at your hands—short, stubby, and constantly in surgeries.

“Who knows how much blood, waste, and filth they’ve touched? I can hardly stand holding them most of the time.”

Unable to watch any longer, Collin stepped forward to mediate.

“Those are hands that save lives. They’re the most beautiful of hands. Let’s step outside for a smoke, Justin.”

As he left, Justin turned back to look at me.

“Don’t overplay the hard-to-get act, Viola, or it’ll stop being fun.”

Once they had gone, Alice ripped the ring off her finger and flung it to the ground with a loud clink.

I hurriedly bent down to pick it up.

Alice stood over me with an air of superiority.

“You’re just a girl from a working-class family, Viola. In your lifetime, you never would’ve come into contact with people of our class.

“Justin only noticed you because you look like me. Now that I’m giving him back to you, you’d better cherish him.”

I straightened and studied her features carefully.

She wasn’t wrong—we did look somewhat alike.

So Justin’s attraction to me was because of this.

“Let me guess,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

“Your favorite restaurant is The Chuchoter, your go-to walking spot is Coastal Lane, and the jewelry he buys for you is always from Tiffany’s, right?”

Not a single detail was off. A sharp pain ran through my body.

“How… how did you know?” I stuttered.

Though I had already guessed the answer, I needed to hear it confirmed.

“Because those are all the things I like,” Alice replied with a faint, mocking smile.

“He’s only looking for glimpses of me in you.”

“If you two like each other so much, then why aren’t you together?” I asked, bitterness creeping into my tone.

Alice looked at me pitifully, her voice laden with feigned melancholy.

“The Hunts are relocating to Arcania for business. To secure our position, I must marry into a prominent family there. My father has already chosen my match—the Langleys’ heir.”

“Quentin Langley?” I asked.

Alice’s gaze swept over me, cold and disdainful.

“You seem to know a lot. But for someone like you, landing Justin is already a miracle in itself.

“As for Quentin? That’s someone you could only dream of meeting.”