In the seventh year of being with Garrison, his pure love who had been dead for years suddenly "resurrected".

He regained what was once lost, now by her side every day.

The arrogant and unruly Garrison would bend down to tie her shoelaces when no one was around, and his eyes would turn red with concern when she got pricked by a needle.

At that moment, I knew my relationship with Garrison had come to an end.

I boarded a plane to leave, but that flight crashed that very night, with none of the hundred-plus passengers surviving.

When Garrison heard the news, he went completely mad, holding my clothes and weeping day and night with regret.

But what he didn't know was that I never got on that plane at all.

------

I just received a text from Garrison's good buddy right after I finished showering.

"Sis-in-law, Garrison's had a bit too much to drink. Could you come pick him up?"

The location was a bar they frequently visited. Garrison had taken me there before, but I didn't like such noisy environments, so more often than not, I'd just go to pick up a drunk Garrison.

I replied, "Sure thing, be right there."

I quickly changed and headed out the door.

When I arrived at the bar, someone escorted me to the VIP room on the top floor.

The decor was luxurious, and only the wealthy or influential could access the top floor.

The door to the room was slightly ajar, but instead of the expected noise, it was eerily quiet inside.

Suspicious, I pushed the door open. Suddenly, confetti rained down from above. A melodious song began to play, and the floor was covered with heart-shaped candles.

I looked up to see Garrison standing a short distance away, holding red roses and gazing at me lovingly.

"Melody, will you marry me?"

He walked towards me, one determined step at a time, then knelt on one knee. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and held it up to me.

Our friends in the room started to cheer, chanting in unison, "Marry him! Marry him!" My eyes grew misty as I witnessed a scene I had imagined countless times before.

He approached me in a sleek suit, clutching a bouquet of roses. Surrounded by the well-wishes of our friends, he was about to propose.

We had journeyed together for a full seven years to reach this moment.

"I will..."

Before I could utter "I do," the romantic atmosphere was shattered by the jarring crash of a breaking bottle.

The room was dim, unlit, and in the darkness, we heard a server's flustered apology.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

"What kind of clumsy waiter did they hire? Just fire her already," someone grumbled, terrifying the server who immediately dropped to their knees.

"Please don't fire me. I'm sorry. How much was the wine? I'll pay for it. Please don't report me to the manager."

Not wanting to be too hard on the server, I quickly spoke up, "It's fine. You don't need to pay. You can go."

But she didn't move, just kept kneeling and crying. As the crying went on, I started to feel annoyed.

The commotion in the private room quickly reached the manager's ears. He didn't dare delay and came running. The top floor rooms were filled with guests he couldn't afford to offend.

"I'm terribly sorry, gentlemen. This was our mistake. Today's bill for the room is on the house."

The manager's attitude was impeccable, bowing deeply in apology as soon as he entered. We're all reasonable folks here. Nobody's hurting for cash, and a few bottles of booze shouldn't cause such utter confusion.

It's just that Garrison's buddies like to have a good time. They popped open a beer and set it on the table, flashing a mischievous grin at the server.

"Finish this bottle, and we'll let it slide. Hell, I'll even throw in a grand as a bonus, sweetheart."

The server was about to refuse when the manager snapped at her, "Meadow, drink up and apologize to these gentlemen."

"What did you say her name was?"

Garrison, who had been silent until now, spoke up coldly the moment he heard the server's name. His voice carried a slight tremor.

Someone flicked on the lights, and in that instant, everyone gasped.

Because the waitress's face was an exact match to Garrison's long-"deceased" pure love.

"Meadow? Is that you, Meadow? Are you human or ghost?"

Someone who knew Meadow cried out in surprise.

I didn't know Meadow, but I'd heard bits and pieces about her story with Garrison.

Just as everyone was questioning whether this Meadow was real or fake, Garrison suddenly shoved me aside from behind and rushed forward.

It happened so abruptly that I lost my balance and fell straight to the ground, my palm landing directly on broken glass, instantly causing blood to flow.

"Are you Meadow? Why are you here?"

Garrison's eyes were red-rimmed as he held Meadow tightly in his arms, completely disregarding me lying injured nearby.

Compared to the pain in my hand, the ache in my heart was far more lethal.

"Garrison, your wife's right here."

The guy who had been joking earlier reminded him in a low voice.

Unexpectedly, Garrison immediately grabbed the beer bottle from the table and smashed it over the guy's head without hesitation.

"Get your medical bills from the Garrison. As for our previous business talks, they're all off the table."

His eyes were filled with cold fury. Though he didn't spell it out, everyone present could hear the warning in his tone. Because the man had given Meadow a hard time earlier, Garrison was making an example of him. It also showed that even after seven years, Meadow's place in his heart remained unshakeable.

No one in the room dared to make a sound, or even come to help me up.

Where Meadow knelt, there was also broken glass, and now her knees were seeping blood.

Without a word, Garrison took off his jacket and draped it over Meadow's shoulders. Then, under everyone's watchful gaze, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her up.

Meadow curled into his embrace, her slender frame shaking with sobs, evoking sympathy from those around.

This intimate scene stabbed at my eyes.

He left in a hurry, only giving me a calm glance as he coolly said, "Meadow's hurt. You should head home on your own."

After getting bandaged up at the hospital and returning home, I sat on the couch until three in the morning waiting for Garrison. When he finally arrived, Meadow was with him.

He carried Meadow straight upstairs, completely ignoring my presence on the couch.

"Garrison, put me down. Your darling is still here," Meadow whispered a reminder, and only then did Garrison pause and look over. "You just had your knee bandaged. Don't move around too much", Garrison patiently coaxed Meadow, and fearing she might be upset, he quickly added, "I'm not married to her yet. She's not my darling."

He distanced himself completely, with an indifferent expression as if he had never known me. Yesterday's passionate proposal scene now felt like a dream I had.

I looked up at the two of them. They seemed as loving as a married couple, while I felt like an intruder, completely out of place.

Fighting back the pain in my heart, I softly chuckled, "Garrison, I accepted your proposal yesterday."

Garrison's body stiffened, his face showing discomfort. Before, he was afraid I wouldn't accept his proposal. Now, he feared that I had.

He didn't answer me immediately. Instead, he lowered his gaze and gently comforted Meadow in his arms, "It's okay, sweetheart. Let me take you to your room to rest. I'll sort things out here."

Throughout all of this, he never once looked at me. I couldn't tell if it was out of guilt or disgust.

I think he must have been disgusted by me. Garrison isn't capable of feeling guilty. He'd only blame my existence for interfering with his freedom with Meadow.

After quite a while, Garrison finally came down from upstairs and sat across from me. We shared countless moments of intimate closeness, but now it felt like an entire galaxy separated us.

"What's going on with Meadow?" I asked.

"Melody, let's not rush into our wedding just yet," he said softly.

I knew exactly why. "Because of her? Are you planning to marry her instead?"

"Meadow's not in a good place emotionally. I'm worried about upsetting her. She's been through so much these past few years. I want to make it up to her."

Even though I already knew the answer in my heart, when I heard Garrison say it out loud, my heart still clenched painfully. Tears started streaming down my face uncontrollably.

I'm not the cool, collected heroine found in novels. I'm just an ordinary person who gets heartbroken and cries hysterically when faced with betrayal from the one I love.

"Garrison, how could you do this to me? You feel sorry for her, but do you feel sorry for me at all? We've been together for seven years! The wedding invitations have already been sent out, and now you want to postpone our marriage for her? Should I just step aside and let her take my place as the bride?"

"Melody! Keep your voice down. Meadow's still sleeping. This has nothing to do with her! It's my decision to make things right with her!"

Garrison pinched the bridge of his nose, his face full of impatience. I raised my hand, emotionally shattered, ready to slap Garrison across the face.

But before my palm could connect, a small, slender figure rushed in front of Garrison.

I couldn't stop my hand in time, and that slap landed squarely on Meadow's cheek.

That slap, delivered with all my might, brought tears to Meadow's eyes and shattered the years of feelings between Garrison and me.

Almost instantly, Garrison raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

The taste of blood spread through my mouth, and the ringing in my ears momentarily drowned out Garrison's curses. I could only see him protectively shielding Meadow behind him.

"Melody, have you lost your mind? What's happened to you? You're acting like a shrew!"

I heard that last part crystal clear. I stood there, stunned, holding my cheek and staring at the man before me.

This man, who once cradled me in his hands and wouldn't dare harm a hair on my head, had just hit me because of Meadow.

He drove me to madness, silently watched me lose it, and now stood on his high horse calling me a shrew.

But he forgot that it was my innocence and purity that had once attracted him.

"It's my fault. It's my presence that's caused this rift between you. Miss Carlisle, if you have any grievances, take them out on me. This has nothing to do with Garrison. He's a good person. I shouldn't have come into the picture."

Meadow wept in Garrison's arms, her face streaked with tears as she repeatedly apologized to me.

She had always been naturally innocent-looking, and even after all these years, her tears still made her look pitiful and heart-wrenching. "Don't cry, Meadow. It has nothing to do with you."

Garrison gently kissed the tears at the corner of her eyes, patiently comforting her.

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have survived, Garrison. I wish I had died seven years ago."

The events from seven years ago had always been a source of pain for Garrison. He shook his head and held Meadow tightly in his arms.

"Melody, you should leave for now. Meadow can't handle any more stress."

After calming Meadow down, Garrison spoke to me seriously. His eyes were filled with countless emotions, but love wasn't one of them.

"Garrison, let's break up," I sighed softly.

I thought Garrison would try to stop me, but after I said those words, he visibly relaxed, his whole demeanor becoming more at ease.

"Do as you please. Don't regret it later."

That same day, I moved out of Garrison's place. It's laughable that after seven years, everything I could take with me fit into a single suitcase.

As compensation, Garrison gave me a mansion in the East Side. I didn't refuse it, but I didn't move in either. Instead, I immediately had someone put it up for sale. That prime real estate didn't stay on the market long. The house attracted plenty of interest as soon as it was listed.

It ultimately sold for over $10 million.

With that money, I rented a small apartment in a quiet, out-of-the-way neighborhood far from downtown.

On my first day there, I installed a hidden security camera by the front door. I had a feeling it would come in handy someday.

Ever since I left Garrison, he and Meadow have been all over the tabloids - caught in passionate midnight kisses or flaunting their love at public events.

Even I got dragged into it as the ex. Some people pitied me for wasting seven years. Others mocked me as a gold-digger. A few envied my supposed massive payout that would set me up for life.

But the gossip flared up and died down just as quickly. None of it really affected me either way.

Garrison tried calling me a few times. I silenced my phone and deliberately ignored him. I never expected he'd show up at my front door.

He pounded on the door so hard I thought it might break. Irritated, I yanked it open to find Garrison glowering at me.

"Well, well, Melody. Aren't you clever - selling the mansion to live in this dump?"

"We're not together anymore. Where I live is none of your business, is it?" These past few days, I've slowly come to accept the fact that I'm not loved. When facing Garrison, although there's still turmoil inside, I've become much calmer outwardly.

"If I hadn't gone to the East Side to find you, I wouldn't have known that you sold the house the very day we broke up! Melody, in all our time together, did I ever let you want for money?"

He specifically came to find me, so it seems there's something important.

"Is there something you need? If not, please leave. This dump is too small to accommodate someone of your stature."

I made a move to close the door, but Garrison blocked it with his hand.

"Next week, I'm planning to hold a press conference to announce my engagement to Meadow. But I want you to be there to make a statement that our breakup was due to irreconcilable differences and had nothing to do with Meadow."

I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, and as I laughed, tears started to flow uncontrollably. He made me feel like I was nothing but a joke.

Asking me to make a statement to benefit the two of them - either his head got caught in a door, or mine did.

"Garrison, I really want to know: in these seven years, did you ever love me at all?"

If there had been even a moment of love, he wouldn't keep stabbing my heart over and over again like this. Garrison fell silent, then after a long moment he looked at me apologetically. "Melody, I've tried, but I can't fall in love with you."

I ultimately didn't go to the press conference. That day, all the major platforms were live-streaming footage from the event.

Garrison appeared on screen in a sharp suit, holding Meadow's hand. In the time since I'd last seen her, Meadow had truly transformed - she looked exquisite and beautiful in a haute couture gown.

A handsome man and a gorgeous woman, plus first pure love - their moving love story touched everyone present.

I turned off the TV and threw on a random jacket, planning to head downstairs for a bite to eat.

Though my place isn't super fancy, there's a street full of food stalls right below - bustling with life and energy.

I took my time heading home after eating my fill. The facilities in my complex are old, and the street lights usually flicker on and off. Today they'd given up entirely and weren't working at all.

I'm pretty afraid of the dark, so I quickened my pace.

Just as I reached the entrance to my building, a shadowy figure blocked my path. I shined my phone flashlight on them - it was Garrison's good friend, the guy who'd gotten his head bashed in at the bar that night.

"I've been waiting for you a long time, Melody," he said.

The wound on his head still hadn't healed, and looked terrifying in the darkness. I stepped back a few paces. "How did you know I was here? What do you want?"

I hardly interacted with the people around Garrison. They were wary of him, so they'd just put on a show of calling me "sis-in-law" when we met.

Only this man would let his gaze linger on me so shamelessly.

He grinned sleazily, approaching me step by step. "Of course someone gave me the address. Sis-in-law, oh no, Melody. I've always liked you. Now that you've broken up with Garrison, why don't you come with me? I don't mind picking up his sloppy seconds."

My stomach churned, and I nearly threw up everything I'd eaten that evening.

"I'm sorry, but you're making me nauseous. Could you please step away from me?"

Instead of backing off, he moved closer, even reaching out to touch my face.

"Garrison, that son of a bitch, bashed my head and ruined my project. Today, I'm going to end you and make him sick to his stomach."

I backed up against the wall as he got closer and closer. I could even smell the foul stench coming from his mouth.

"Help! Help!"

I screamed desperately for help. He covered my mouth with one hand and tried to yank down my pants with the other.