On New Year's Eve, Mitchel threw Livia into the pool and she stayed there the whole night.
He questioned her, asking why she didn't climb out by herself when she had hands and feet. But he forgot that it was him who made her wear a mermaid tail, so she couldn't climb out of the pool at all.
"If it weren't for Malva kindly urging me, I wouldn't have come to see you! All you do is act jealous all the time. I don’t think you're ready to be the daughter in law of the West Family!"
Looking at his cold expression, Livia suddenly remembered the last time when she had endless arguments with Malva.
She was hysterical and Mitchel slapped her.
"Can't you stand it? Then break off the engagement!"
Livia bit my lip. "Fine, I'll break off the engagement."
Mitchel furrowed his brows, his face stern as he asked, "Are you really willing to?"
Later, his tone softened a little. "Actually, everything I said that day was out of anger. You don’t need to take it seriously..."
"I'm serious."
"You're throwing a tantrum again!"
Livia tugged at the corner of her mouth, forcing out a bitter smile.
He didn't know that just now, she had sold her soul to stay alive.
Ten days later, she would forever be bound to another man’s side.
——
When someone pulled her out of the water, Livia’s body was frozen stiff.
Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were purple from the cold and her teeth chattered uncontrollably, making a clattering sound.
The staff hurriedly wrapped a blanket around her.
Malva, holding a glass of red wine, walked up with a calm demeanor, covering her mouth as she lightly laughed.
"Livia, you're so beautiful with such a good figure. No wonder the staff are so protective of you..."
Mitchel’s face turned cold as he ripped the blanket off her, sneering. "Livia, don't you have hands and feet? Can't you climb out by yourself? Do you know that everyone is waiting for you? You've ruined the entire New Year's Eve gathering with your antics..."
Before he could finish his words, he grabbed Livia’s hand, but when he felt the unusual coldness of her palm, his angry expression suddenly changed and his tone quivered slightly. "Are you... okay?"
"Livia's fine," Malva said, stepping in between them, looking up at Mitchel with a gentle gaze. "Mitchel, have you forgotten? A month ago, Livia took me to the island to swim. Mitchel, please don't be angry. After all, Livia didn't mean to leave me stranded on that deserted island..."
"It's just that it rained heavily that day and I had nowhere to take shelter, which is why I ended up sick for a month. It's really not Livia's fault..."
For a moment, there was complete silence by the poolside.
The atmosphere froze for several seconds before Mitchel released her hand, his voice cold to the extreme, filled with unspoken hatred. "Using the same old tricks again! I finally see through you! Livia, how could I be engaged to someone like you?"
Hearing the word "engagement," Livia seemed to snap out of her daze.
Her wet eyes looked at him, filled with confusion.
Mitchel's heart softened. Furrowing his brows, he took off his jacket and draped it over her.
The woody fragrance wafted into her nose and only then did Livia realize that she hadn't died.
She was the daughter of the prestigious Mayer Family in Holida City and since childhood, she had been betrothed to Mitchel, a marriage arranged between families of equal standing.
Her mother died during childbirth and she grew up under the care of Mitchel’s mother, Hailey, becoming childhood friends with Mitchel.
Hailey treated her as her own daughter and gave her whatever she wanted.
Although Mitchel appeared cold on the outside, he was especially attentive to her. Every birthday, he would give her a custom-made piece of jewelry. At gatherings, he would even serve her tea and pour her water in front of everyone, treating her like the little princess of their circle.
From childhood to adulthood, her dream had always been to become Mitchel's bride, so she arrogantly drove away every girl around him.
She only waited for her 23rd birthday to marry him. But no matter how much she tried to guard against it, she couldn’t prevent Malva.
Malva was a poor student sponsored by the West Family. She resembled Mitchel’s late younger sister, which earned her his special affection. Livia, loving everything related to Mitchel, tried to be kind to Malva as well.
When Malva wanted the birthday gift Mitchel was supposed to give her, Livia gave it to her.
When thunder struck and Malva wanted to sleep in Mitchel's arms, Livia endured.
Until one day, after getting drunk, she lay on top of Mitchel, her clothes disheveled, twisting and turning, Livia could no longer hold herself back.
In the midst of their heated argument, she was hysterical and Mitchel slapped her.
"If you can't stand it, then break off the engagement!"
As her thoughts returned to reality, she trembled.
During her near-death struggle, her mind was filled with a vast emptiness, when suddenly, a woman who looked exactly like her appeared.
The woman took her hand and said she would save her, as long as she agreed to marry someone else in her place.
In that life-and-death moment, she agreed.
Seeing her dazed and silent, Mitchel rubbed his forehead, his tone impatient. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes," Livia bit her lip and nodded. "Okay, I agree."
Mitchel was confused. "Agree to what?"
Malva also glanced at Mitchel nervously. "Livia, do you want to go rest for a bit?"
With a subtle shake of her hand, Livia looked up at Mitchel, speaking each word with utmost seriousness. "I agree to break off the engagement."
As soon as she opened her mouth, a metallic taste of blood flowed out. She wiped it with the back of her hand, revealing a hint of seductive red at the corner of her mouth.
Mitchel was momentarily stunned, seemingly not hearing clearly what she had said.
It was only that day, because of Malva’s injury, that he had been so angry and said he would break off the engagement with her.
But now, hearing her agree to it, an inexplicable bitterness rose in his heart.
He furrowed his brows, his face stern as he asked her, "Are you really willing to?"
Livia tugged at the corner of her mouth, but didn’t reply.
Mitchel frowned. "Actually, everything I said that day was out of anger. You don't have to take it seriously..."
"You don't need to comfort me," Livia interrupted him. "I'm not saying this out of anger. I'm serious. I'll break off the engagement and I'll bear all the consequences alone."
What Mitchel didn’t know was that she could no longer marry him. According to the agreement, she had to marry another man.
From now on, Livia and Mitchel would have no more connections. He could be with whoever he wanted and it had nothing to do with her anymore.
"You’re just throwing another tantrum!” Without giving her a chance to protest, Mitchel picked her up and carried her to the infirmary.
By the time the ship's doctor arrived hurriedly from the banquet, she had already developed a high fever.
Before administering the fever-reducing injection, the doctor asked if she was allergic to penicillin. She opened her mouth, but instead of speaking, a gush of blood poured out.
It turned out that, while immersed in the freezing cold water, she had bitten her tongue to stay conscious.
When she was standing, she could still swallow. But now, lying on the bed, the blood in her mouth was nearly suffocating her.
"You... you're so badly hurt, why didn't you say something earlier?" Mitchel seemed frantic with worry.
Livia suddenly let out a mocking laugh, but as she tugged at her mouth, blood spilled over her.
She had wanted to speak, but had anyone ever given her the chance?
Previously, he had always been annoyed by her chatter when she was by his side, yet now, when she said she wanted to break off the engagement, he was suddenly so concerned for her.
Mitchel furrowed his brows, feeling a twinge of regret. He lowered his head and sat by her bed. He took her hand, trying to reassure her.
"Don't worry, I'll have the captain turn the ship around right now. We'll head back immediately and once we reach land, I'll take you to the best hospital!"
After saying that, he instructed the ship's doctor to give her the fever-reducing injection and immediately contacted the captain, commanding him to change course.
This cruise was chartered by him specifically for the New Year's Eve gathering and suddenly turning back in the middle of the event left everyone astonished.
"Mitchel, I feel so dizzy," Malva swayed a little, struggling to stay on her feet.
Mitchel quickly released Livia's hand and rushed to catch Malva, his eyes instantly reddening.
"Malva, are you feeling seasick?"
Malva looked up, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I'm fine, Mitchel. It's just that after having a fever for a month, there are some aftereffects."
Mitchel's eyes dimmed, filled with deep concern. "I told you not to come, but you insisted on coming anyway..."
"But I wanted to spend New Year's Eve with you..." Malva's face grew increasingly flushed. "Mitchel, don’t worry about me. There’s just one fever-reducing injection on this ship. Please give it to Livia first. I’m not important."
Mitchel quickly stopped the ship's doctor. "No, give it to Malva first!"
The doctor explained that Livia’s condition was much more serious than Malva’s. "The patient’s fever is almost 40°C. If we don’t inject now, it could cause brain damage!"
But Mitchel didn’t care. "She’s faking it. She’s always pretended to be sick before just to get my attention! Now, I order you to treat Malva first!"
He yanked Livia off the bed and picked Malva up, placing her on the bed instead.
"Now, treat Malva immediately!"
Livia was thrown onto the floor, her head hitting the edge of the bed with a heavy thud. Just then, the ship swayed and she was sent rolling into the corner of the room.
Photos and oil paintings hanging on the wall crashed down on her and she let out a faint groan, but no one paid her any attention.
Luckily, the captain quickly turned the ship around and an ambulance arrived at the port.
However, when the stretcher carrying Livia was about to be taken, Mitchel stopped them. "Send Malva first!"
The doctors dared not disobey him, especially since this hospital was owned by the West Family.
When it was Livia’s turn, the doctors discovered she had lost consciousness. Her body was covered in wounds and there were signs she had almost suffocated.
They forcibly pried open her mouth, quickly extracting the blood from her oral cavity, then administered the fever-reducing medication.
Using tweezers, they carefully removed the shards of glass embedded in her body, piece by piece.
By morning, she was wheeled out of the emergency room and sent to the inpatient center.
Mitchel stayed by Malva’s side, sleepless through the night. When he saw Livia’s body wrapped in white gauze, a sense of confusion lingered in his heart.
"It’s just a fever. How could it lead to encephalitis? Why is her body all wrapped up like a mummy?”
He glared at the doctor. “What are you doctors even doing? What’s the point of the West Family supporting you all?"
Malva, weak and exhausted, lay on Mitchel’s chest. "Calm down, they all know Livia and whatever she asks them to do, they have to listen. They didn't have a choice..."
Mitchel snorted coldly in anger. "Is this place run by the West Family or the Mayer Family? She’s too full of herself. Does she really think I won’t call off the engagement?"
Malva’s eyes lit up as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Of course, in this family, it’s all about what you say, Mitchel. But when it comes to the wedding, that’s something your parents decide..."
Mitchel’s expression darkened and he fell silent.
His mother had always favored Livia. When he initially opposed the arranged marriage, he went on a hunger strike for three days, but his mother only took Livia shopping, saying Livia’s fate was so prestigious that the West Family wasn’t worthy of her.
He didn’t deny that Livia was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she was too spoiled.
He needed to suppress her and show her who was truly in charge of this family.
