Janice hailed a cab back to her place and stood under the shower, letting the water cascade over her, washing away the night.

She did not leave the shower until her skin was pruney from the water's embrace.

Stepping into the living room, she found Adrian sprawled on the couch, stinking of booze.

He squinted at her arrival. "My head's throbbing. Get me a lemon soda, will you?"

She used to cater to his drunken whims, nursing him with lemon soda, a warm wash, and fresh pajamas until he was snug in bed.

Not this time. Janice walked past him, heading for her room.

Adrian caught up and wrapped his arms around her, his breath hot on her neck.

"Why the silent treatment? You're not jealous, are you?

"You've met Yvette. She's a sheltered schoolgirl, timid and not as competent as you. When I take her out, I have to pay extra attention to her, right?"

Janice forced a smile, but it did not quite reach her eyes. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth.

Why was it that the shy ones always got a pass, someone to say 'no more' when the drinks came around? Was she just cursed with an iron stomach?

When he had jetted off overseas without so much as a goodbye, she was the one left to juggle the family businesses, toasting and schmoozing until her stomach was raw. Did anyone ever spare a thought for how green she was, fresh out of college?

The weight of all that unfairness and exhaustion hit her hard, and tears welled up in Janice's eyes.

Adrian noticed, and something in him seemed to soften. He wiped her tears away and pulled out a jewelry box with a pair of diamond earrings that sparkled like tiny stars. He tenderly spoke, "Check these out; the latest from your favorite designer. Do you like it?

"Our families' big project is about to kick off. Just nudge your dad to sign off on it, okay? Once we nail this, I've got an even bigger surprise for you!" He was all hopeful eyes, expecting her to light up like she used to.

Back in the day, she would have danced around in joy over a rusty penny if it came from him. However, staring at earrings that were a dead ringer for the wedding band he slipped on Yvette's finger, they might as well have been thorns.

She did not reach for them, just held Adrian's gaze steady. "This isn't just any collection, is it? It's got wedding bands too, right?"

Adrian's face closed off, and he looked away, his voice tinged with annoyance. "You're starting this again. I'm swamped with the company, no time to even think about marriage.

"And hey, we're good, aren't we? Even without the rings and vows. So let's not rock the boat, not now," he said, his frown deepening, his eyes darting away, clearly done with the conversation.

Adrian had popped the question, and they had even set a date. However, he was saying he was not feeling the whole marriage thing?

Janice let out a derisive laugh and shoved the diamond earrings Adrian was trying to give her.

"Forget the wedding, then. Just don't come crying to me later."

The earrings disappeared into the plush carpet.

Adrian's face turned stormy with anger. "Janice, are you kidding me right now?

"All you do is dream up new ways to hassle me about getting hitched. Six years of non-stop nagging, and my ears are practically numb. Can't you just give me a moment's peace?"

The more he ranted, the hotter his anger flared. In a fit of rage, he grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it to the ground.

"I'm swamped with work, trying to keep the company afloat. Don't you see that? Our families' joint venture is stuck in the mud, and you're not lifting a finger to help. Instead, you sulk and play the jealousy card, expecting me to sweet-talk you!

"You've let me down big time!"

The vase exploded on impact, shards flying everywhere. One sliver zipped through the air and sliced a delicate line across Janice's neck.

That vase was a memory, a piece of their history. They had made it together at a pottery shop the morning after their first night. His hands had guided hers through the cool, wet clay, his warmth seeping into her skin, her cheeks flushing with a mix of shyness and excitement.

He had whispered to her, "We'll mold the clay together, intertwine our efforts. It'll be a symbol–you and me, forever entwined."

Then, Janice pressed her hand to her neck, blood welling up between her fingers.

However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart as she watched the fragments of their love scattered across the floor.

Adrian, suddenly aware of what he had done, stepped forward, his anger dissolving into concern.

However, before he could reach her, the doorbell chimed.

Yvette was at the door.

She lingered at the door, looking like she was about to cry. "Adrian, the electricity in my apartment shorted out, and the power strip just blew up. I..."

Before she could get it all out, Adrian was already by her side, concern etched on his face. "Are you burned?"

"No, I was just making some coffee when I got startled. My hand shook, and I spilled the boiling water on myself."

Tears welled up in Yvette's eyes as she showed him the red mark the size of a coin on the back of her hand.

Adrian's heart clenched at the sight, and he gently took her hand. "Does it hurt? Come on in, I'll get you some burn cream," he said, making room for Yvette to step inside.

"It's fine, it's not that bad anymore," Yvette insisted, but her eyes darted to Janice, who was standing nearby. She hesitated, as if she wanted to pull her hand back.

"I was just so scared, and I didn't know what to do, so I ran over here to you.

"Adrian, could you find someone to fix it?"

Adrian did not release her hand. Instead, he drew her further inside, his voice resolute, "No way! It's too risky to let you stay there by yourself."

"Here's the plan: I'll look for a new place for you tomorrow. Until then, you can crash here."

Yvette glanced at Janice, a flicker of triumph in her eyes that she could not quite hide.

"Is it okay if I stay? I don't want to be in the way, Janice."

Janice felt a pang in her chest as memories flooded in.

The first time Adrian had come back, that woman had conveniently made a call to whisk him away.

The second time, she did not even wait. She just showed up at the door, ready to move in and keep an eye on things.

Then she had the nerve to ask if she was a disturbance?

Janice just stared at Yvette, her face a mask of calm.

Yvette arched an eyebrow, holding Janice's gaze with a defiant spark in her eyes.

It was like there were invisible fireworks crackling between them.

"Just chill out and get comfy!" Adrian cut in, not waiting for a reply, and nudged Janice. "Stop zoning out. Didn't you see Yvette's hand? It's all red from the burn. Go grab some burn cream, now!"

Caught off balance, Janice tripped and crashed to the floor, landing in a mess of broken porcelain.

Sharp shards dug into her knees, and blood started to flow like a mini river.

Adrian, though, was all focused on Yvette, gently pressing ice against her hand. He never looked Janice's way.

Janice gritted her teeth, pushed herself off the ground, and hobbled to the door.

Adrian's voice trailed after her. "Hey, where are you off to? Going to grab some Band-Aids? Don't forget to pick up a fresh tube of burn cream. The one we've got opened might not work as well."

Janice did not look back, just slammed the door shut, his voice cut off mid-sentence.

"Is she ticked off? Is this going to mess up your plan?"

Yvette peeked up at Adrian, her words tripping over each other. "Adrian, I swear it wasn't on purpose, I..."

Adrian's eyes landed on the bloodied porcelain, his forehead creasing.

He turned to see Yvette's tear-filled eyes and pulled her into a comforting hug, whispering, "Don't sweat it about her. She'll cool off in no time. I'll sweet-talk her later; she'll come around.

"Let's see how your hand's doing. We don't want any scars, do we?"

..

In the sterile white of the hospital room, a nurse gently removed the tiny shards of porcelain from Janice's knee. She looked up, concerned about etching her features. "How did these get so deep? This wound won't heal nicely at all, and it's going to scar."

The sting of antiseptic on her raw skin made Janice suck in a sharp breath.

That was when her phone buzzed to life.

Fishing it out from her bag, Janice saw it was a text from Yvette.

[Janice, Adrian was digging for some burn cream and found this. He said it's useless now, tossed it in the trash!]

A picture followed the message.

It was a clean bedsheet, just a crumpled mess, thrown carelessly on a trash heap littered with fruit peels and leftover soup. The once-hidden, dark spots of blood, shaped like plum blossoms, were barely visible.

Janice's world shattered in an instant, and the tears she had been holding back surged forward like a dam bursting.

That bedsheet was a memory of her first night with Adrian. She had meant to wash it, but Adrian had taken it from her, promising to keep it for a special occasion. "I have you now," he had said, "but I owe you a proper wedding. We'll use it again on our wedding night to make things perfect."

There was, marrying someone else, tossing away their past as easily as throwing out an old pair of shoes.

Janice could not stop the tears; they poured out uncontrollably.

The nurse was flustered. "Did I hurt you? Oh, please don't cry. I'll try to be more gentle, okay?"

Janice did not waste any time. She moved straight back into her parents' home.

The Douglas family had never been fond of Adrian and his carefree life overseas, believing he had just been a two-year detour for their beloved daughter. They had been on Janice's case to dump him for ages.

Because of that, she had had more than her fair share of arguments with them.

The Douglas family was buzzing with excitement. Their daughter Janice had finally seen the light, ditching Adrian and even agreeing to marry into the prestigious Graham family. They were all smiles as they dove into planning the big day.

"How about the Kingsley Hotel for the venue? Their weddings are the talk of Luminous City," suggested Janice's mom, Natalie Yates, as she affectionately ruffled her daughter's soft hair. "You've dreamed of a wedding there since you were a little girl, and now, just like that, my baby girl is all grown up and ready to start her own life."

Janice had always been eager to grow up, especially since Adrian came into her life. She imagined herself in a stunning white gown, walking down the aisle of the city's most opulent hotel, feeling like a princess on her way to meet him.

Yet, she was about to marry someone else in that very hotel, not Adrian.

Her dad, Paul Douglas, could not stop grinning. "Perfect! The Grahams are the cream of the crop in Jubilee City. Only the best for them. That being said, will two hundred seats do?"

Janice shook her head. "Sean and I want to keep it low-key. No need for a big crowd, just family."

Paul paused, then agreed with a nod.

"Marrying into the Grahams is a big deal for us. I didn't expect you to say yes so fast. We haven't even started the PR work. A big to-do doesn't seem right. We'll do it your way."

Natalie was all smiles, tugging Janice along to pick out the perfect flowers for the wedding. She held up a bunch of roses, vibrant and fresh, and waved them in front of Janice. "Baby girl, check out these roses. They scream celebration, don't they?"

Janice was about to respond when her phone buzzed out of the blue. She glanced at the screen, saw a number she did not recognize, and hit 'ignore'.

However, the phone rang again almost immediately.

Janice ignored the call once more and blocked the number without hesitation.

Alas, another call came through, this time from a different number, persistent as ever. Janice sighed and retreated to her room to take the call.

"Janice, isn't it time to stop the silent treatment? If I don't call you, are you just never coming back? You're too old for these runaway stunts!" Adrian's voice came through, laced with irritation. "And you blocked me? Really?" He was clearly annoyed. "All this because Yvette crashed at our place for one night? You're jealous over that? She was terrified, alone at night. Was I supposed to leave her out on the streets?"

Janice cut him off with a frosty, "What do you want?"

Adrian was taken aback. Janice had never been that icy with him before, and it threw him off.

"If there's nothing important, I'm hanging up."

"Wait!" He cleared his throat, trying to sound gentler. "Look, it's been three days. Aren't you over it yet? I've got everything set up for the project, just waiting on your dad's confirmation. You're home now, so maybe you could–you know–charm him into signing off on it sooner?"

He had finally gotten to the point. As usual, it was all about the project.

Janice brushed off his comment and switched gears. "Hey, your mom's meds are probably almost out, and it's about time for her monthly check-up. Make sure you take her, okay? I'll text you her shrink's number later."

Sean's mom, Teresa Harris, had been through the wringer. Marvin Smith, her husband, had been messing around, and it hit Teresa hard. She got slammed with some heavy-duty anxiety, and for a while, she could not even handle day-to-day stuff.

Janice had been her rock, though, spending tons of time making sure Teresa got to her therapy sessions and stayed on top of her meds. Teresa was not exactly up for socializing, but she was a lot more even-keeled those days and could take care of herself.

The last thing Janice wanted was for her drama with Adrian to mess with Teresa's progress. Teresa had been decent to her, and Janice was not about to go cold-hearted on her then.

Adrian's voice was all lazy and nonchalant. "You know the drill with my mom's issues better than I do. You've got this, right?"

That was the last straw for Janice. The guy was about to tie the knot with someone else and still had the nerve to lean on her? She must have been out of her mind to fall for a dude like that!

"I've got my own stuff to deal with!" Janice snapped back and cut the call, no second thoughts.