"You haven't graduated yet, have you?"

He had forgotten everything.

He'd forgotten the foods I didn't like, forgotten the type of tissues I preferred. Now, he had even forgotten the promises he made to me.

I picked up a piece of meat, forcing myself to chew and swallow it.

"I graduated—"

Before I could finish, his phone, which was sitting on the table, suddenly rang.

The name on the screen flashed: Honey.

A flash of panic crossed his eyes, and he quickly grabbed the phone, lowering the volume. I couldn't hear what was said on the other end, but his reply was quick. "I'll be right back."

He hung up the phone and looked at me.

"My friend ran into some trouble. I need to go. Do you mind eating by yourself for now? I'll make it up to you tomorrow and throw you a welcome-back dinner."

Before I could respond, he grabbed his keys and left.

Watching him walk away, I felt as though a sword had stabbed straight through my chest.

All year long, I had been counting down the days, eagerly waiting to return home, to be with him. But now, everything was gone. His promises to me were as fragile as bubbles, vanishing into thin air.

When I was ten, the River family adopted me.

My father and Rowan's dad, Patrick River, had been good friends. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, he entrusted me to Patrick before he passed.

When I first arrived at the Rivers household, everyone except Patrick was cold to me. Since I was adopted, the maids and even Rowan's mother thought it was unnecessary to show me any respect. I had to tiptoe around, just trying to survive in that house.

I couldn't eat much at meals for fear of being scolded. I had no pocket money for school, and I didn't dare ask for any.

I remember one time, I hadn't eaten all day, and I sneaked into the kitchen late at night to find something to eat. The maid caught me and scolded me, but Rowan came to my rescue.

"How dare you treat my sister this way!"

That was the first time I saw him.

Later, I learned that he was the heir to the River family; he was six years older than me and already in high school.

From then on, he came home every day, and no one dared to bully me as long as he was around.

He always said, "Angela, I'll protect you."

Then, on the day I turned eighteen, he barged into my room, drunk.

He kissed me and said he wanted to marry me.

And so, I kept thinking about marrying him.

As I recalled this, I received a message from Samantha.

[You're back? I have something to tell you—Rowan and I have a child now, and we're getting married next month.]

Normally, she would pretend to be considerate, saying she was taking good care of Rowan for me. But now, she didn't bother to hide anything anymore.

If this had been before, I would have gone straight to Rowan and confronted him.

Because in my heart, I always remembered what he had said to me on my eighteenth birthday.

I thought he had feelings for me.

Every time I threw a tantrum, he would distance himself from the other women around him.

But this time, I didn't want to make a scene. I was just so tired.

I turned off my phone and checked into a hotel.

Then I sent a message to a talent scout who had contacted me before. I told him that I was ready to become a singer.

He had noticed me when I was living abroad and had been inviting me to join his company ever since.

He said I had a natural talent for singing and that I was bound to become famous.

But I had always been preoccupied with Rowan, so I turned him down before.

He replied quickly, [I'm glad you've finally made up your mind. When will you be back?]

I thought about it for a moment. My return had been so sudden.

I had originally planned to surprise Rowan, but now he had already given me a huge surprise of his own.

Now, I wasn't in the mood for anything, but I thought of Patrick.

After all, he had taken care of me for so many years. I decided to go see him.

So I told the talent scout I would be back in three days.

The next day, I prepared to return to the River residence. But Rowan contacted me first.

He said he was holding a welcome-back dinner for me at a clubhouse and would be picking me up soon.

At first, I wanted to cut ties completely and not go.

But I didn't want Patrick to find things out that way, so I decided to keep things peaceful for now.

I gave him the address.

He picked me up soon after and took me to the clubhouse but didn't enter with me.

Instead, he said, "You go in first. I need to pick someone up."

As soon as I stepped into the private room, the lively chatter immediately quieted. Everyone turned to look at me with a mix of surprise and discomfort.

Someone whispered, "Why is she here?"

"Didn't Rowan say this was supposed to look like her welcome-back party but was actually a celebration for his new baby?"

Their voices were hushed, but my hearing had always been sharp. I heard every word.

"Angela, come sit over here!"

A friend of mine waved me over with a smile. He was someone I used to be close with—one of the few connections I shared with Samantha. Yet now, it was clear he knew all about Rowan and Samantha's situation.

Not once in the past year had he mentioned any of this to me, despite our conversations.

Suppressing the turmoil in my chest, I walked over and took a seat.

It wasn't long before Rowan entered, Samantha following closely behind.

The room's atmosphere instantly shifted as people came alive, offering gifts and bouquets to them.

Rowan quickly raised a hand and laughed. "Stop giving things to me—you should be giving them to Angela! She's the guest of honor today!"

His words felt like a cruel performance. I caught Samantha shooting me a sharp glare, her expression laced with hostility.

They were all lying to me. Keeping secrets. Treating me like a fool.

These were people I had once trusted, who had told me over and over that Rowan and I were meant to be together.

The emotions swirling inside me became too much to contain. I stood and headed to the restroom without a word.

I splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm the storm in my heart. When I looked up, Samantha was standing behind me, her reflection glaring back from the mirror.

"You saw my message yesterday, didn't you? Angela, Rowan doesn't love you. Let him go, okay? Please, for the sake of what we used to have, just let us be happy."

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Samantha suddenly pulled out a knife and slashed her wrist in one swift motion.

Blood poured from the wound, staining the tiles beneath us. She dropped the blade to the floor and turned her tear-streaked face toward me.

"Angela, Rowan and I truly love each other. Why are you hurting me?"

Before I could even process what had just happened, Rowan burst into the restroom.

"Angela, are you insane?"

He stormed toward me, shoving me aside to cradle Samantha in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Rowan," Samantha whimpered weakly, her face pale and trembling. "Angela asked if we were together, and I couldn't hold it in. I told her the truth, and she lost control."

Rowan's anger exploded as he glared at me.

"Angela, how could you be so vicious?!" he shouted. "Yes, Samantha and I are together! What does it have to do with you?"

I stared at them in disbelief. One of them was my closest friend. Samantha had promised to take care of Rowan for me before I left. "Don't worry, Angela," she'd said. "I'll look after him for you."

And Rowan… Before I left for school, he'd told me, "Wait until you finish school and come back, then we'll be together."

But now, it was clear they had deceived me. Had they planned this all along, even before I left?

But why? Why did they lie to me? If they truly loved each other, why couldn't they have been honest with me? Why go to such lengths to hurt me?

"Angela, you've always caused trouble, and I let it slide. But now you've gone too far! Apologize to Samantha!" Rowan demanded.

"I didn't cut her," I said firmly, meeting his furious gaze.

This wasn't the Rowan I knew. He had always believed me and trusted me. But now, he hurled accusations as if I were a stranger.

"You're still denying it? I saw it with my own eyes!" he roared.

"Rowan, let it go," Samantha whispered weakly. "I'm fine. Let's just go to the hospital."

"No!" Rowan snapped. "She needs to apologize. I've had enough of pretending this past year. It's time to settle this once and for all."

Their coordinated performance was almost laughable.

These were the two people I had trusted most in the world. Now, they stood united, tearing me apart.

"Fine. I'll apologize," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Turning to Samantha, I forced the words out. "Samantha, I'm sorry."

Rowan's next words cut deeper than I ever thought possible.

"Grovel and apologize properly. Samantha is my fiancée now. I won't let anyone mistreat her."