Giselle Stone has been with Jonathan Lawson for seven years, but that means nothing to him compared to the excitement and novelty of being with someone new.

She's always considered herself someone who could protect other people's relationships, but Jonathan's heart is one that she can't keep.

When she realizes it's over between them, she tells him she wants to call off the engagement.

Jonathan's gaze is cold as he confidently says, "You'll regret this, Giselle."

Everyone is waiting to see her make a fool of herself, but the man behind her wraps an arm around her waist. He rests his jaw on her shoulder as his warm breath fans over her.

"Do you know what's the most vindicative thing to do when getting revenge on your ex? Marry me, Gigi. That way, you'll be Jonathan's aunt."

After being with Jonathan Lawson for seven years, Giselle Stone asked for their engagement to be called off. She texted him about it, only receiving a reply two hours later.

He wrote, "I'm okay with that, but we have to discuss this in person."

Giselle sent him her location. It was chilly inside the café; the sun slowly set outside, and the sky gradually darkened.

She sat there, her face pale. The moment she shut her eyes, the image of Jonathan and Charlotte Grant entangled with each other would appear in her mind. One was her fiancé, and the other was the biological daughter Giselle's adoptive parents had just found.

She had been at the hospital for an IV drip because of severe menstrual cramps. Unexpectedly, she'd stumbled upon the scene of Jonathan holding Charlotte in his arms.

Who was Jonathan? He was the heir of one of Seaworth City's most affluent families and the CEO of Lawson Group.

With company matters awaiting his decision, every second of his day was as precious as gold. Giselle usually had to schedule an appointment with him days before the date if she wanted to see him. And yet, there he was, casting everything aside during office hours to accompany someone to the hospital.

Funnily enough, she'd asked him that morning whether he had time in the afternoon, to which he'd said no. Now, it was clear that it wasn't that he hadn't had time. He just hadn't had time for her.

Giselle smiled self-deprecatingly, unable to hide the bitterness in her eyes.

Time passed particularly slowly when one waited for something. Giselle kept a hand on her belly, which was still vaguely hurting. While waiting, she scrolled through Instagram. She tensed and clenched a fist when she came across her mother's account.

Three minutes ago, Linda Tanner had posted a photo and captioned it with three thumbs-ups. Giselle zoomed in on the picture to see Charlotte looking weak while lying on the bed. To her right, a man leaned close to her. They looked intimate and affectionate.

The image only showed the man's back, but Giselle immediately recognized him as Jonathan. They'd been together for seven years, after all. He was still at the hospital with Charlotte.

This made Giselle's heart twist. It hurt so much that she almost couldn't breathe.

…

The sky had gone dark. The customers in the café left one after another; Giselle numbly texted Jonathan a few times. He read them but didn't reply.

She couldn't help scrolling upward to go through their conversation. She didn't know when things had changed, but Jonathan's replies had grown more curt and cold over time. Eventually, it had become a one-sided conversation on her end.

Could someone be busy enough that they couldn't even check their phones throughout the day? Giselle didn't know the answer, but she knew the man who'd replied to her messages immediately despite being in the shower had disappeared.

Jonathan finally arrived five minutes before the café closed for the night. He was tall and toned, his collarbones peeking from underneath his shirt, which had the top two buttons undone. His deep-set eyes carried a hint of fatigue. He approached Giselle and sat across from her.

"Why do you want to call off the engagement?"

"Why are you so late?"

They spoke simultaneously.

Jonathan was taken aback. Then, he massaged his temples and said, "Work's been busy lately. I was working overtime."

He was lying through his teeth. Giselle probably would've believed him if she hadn't caught him at the hospital with Charlotte.

She sneered. She was pretty, and her features were delicate and cool. Her appearance wasn't aggressive, but now, she was as prickly as a porcupine.

Jonathan couldn't help finding her unfamiliar. He suppressed his irritation and said, "I'm going to be busy over the next few days, Gigi. Can we discuss this when I've taken care of work?"

He and Giselle had been together for seven years. Other friends their age had already married and had kids, but they were still stuck in the engagement stage.

It wasn't that he didn't want to take things a step further. But whenever the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but feel suffocated at the thought of their dull and unchangeable life in the future.

After being together for seven years, he'd lost interest in his relationship with Giselle.

"You're busy, huh? Busy being lovey-dovey with Charlotte at the hospital?" Giselle showed Jonathan the photo Linda had posted.

It was a slap to Jonathan's face. His expression immediately darkened. "If I've told you this once, I've told you this countless times—she and I are just friends, Giselle! Stop being so paranoid!"

The old Jonathan would look at her with a love-filled gaze. He would never have taken such a tone with her. Now, however…

Giselle curled her lip. "If you really were just friends, why would you feel the need to lie to me and say you were working late?"

She didn't know how many lies he'd fed her. Could he have been with Charlotte each time he'd brushed her off in the past? Perhaps that was the case, but it didn't matter anymore.

"I know you don't like her. I didn't want you to think there was anything between us," Jonathan said.

Despite knowing Giselle didn't like Charlotte, he still insisted on being friends with the latter—friends who didn't keep an appropriate distance from each other. He was even willing to lie to Giselle to be with Charlotte.

Ha! Good riddance.

Giselle blinked and willed her tears away. "I've always been curious about something, Jonathan. Why did you sponsor her back then?"

Charlotte had attended the same college as them. At the time, she'd still been a poor student whose path likely wouldn't have crossed Jonathan's. However, after Giselle returned from a student exchange program abroad, Jonathan told her he wanted to sponsor Charlotte in the Lawson family's name.

Later, after Charlotte graduated from college, the Grant family found her and brought her home. Meanwhile, Giselle had gone from the heiress whom everyone envied to a fake heiress who'd stolen Charlotte's life. Everyone had waited for her to make a fool of herself.

Jonathan didn't answer Giselle's question. Instead, he kept insisting he and Charlotte were just friends. In truth, he couldn't tell what exactly he felt for Charlotte. All he knew was that the feelings she incited in him differed from how Giselle made him feel.

If Giselle wanted him to give up on Charlotte… he couldn't bear to do it.

Giselle found this whole conversation a waste of time. She said, "I'm being serious, Jonathan. Let's end things."

They were back at square one. Silence descended upon them both. Jonathan looked at Giselle, his gaze dark. After a beat, he clenched his fists and said, "You should know where to draw the line even if you want to kick up a fuss."

She shook her head. "I'm not kicking up a fuss. I mean this."

She'd been on the fence before this, but she had suddenly made her decision after Jonathan's arrival. She knew what he was like when he was madly in love with her—now that he no longer was, the contrast was stark. She couldn't lie to herself any longer.

"The Grant family won't let go of this alliance with the Lawson family so easily," Jonathan said. In other words, the engagement couldn't be called off.

"I'm not a Grant," Giselle replied. "Besides, they've wanted me to end things with you for ages."

In the past, she'd endured the pressure from the Grants because her love for Jonathan had kept her going. Now, she was tired. If he genuinely loved her, he should've married her after their graduation instead of delaying things, leaving her hanging at the age of 25.

"I'll ask you once more, Giselle—are you serious about calling off our engagement?" His eyes glinted ruthlessly, his tone icy.

She lowered her head and removed the ring on her finger. It was one Jonathan had gotten custom-made from a renowned designer when they'd gotten engaged. Their initials were carved on the inner side of the ring.

For some reason, this sight made Jonathan feel a little uneasy. Giselle dropped the ring into her cold coffee before he could stop her.

"Giselle!"

She looked at him, her gaze determined in the face of his rage. "We're over."

Giselle's words mingled with the pattering of the rain, souring Jonathan's mood. He gnashed his teeth and sneered as he watched her leave without hesitation. "Fine, then. Don't regret this, Giselle!"

She faltered before striding off, not even bothering to turn to look at him.

It was raining cats and dogs outside. She kept a hand on her belly while requesting an Uber ride. Half an hour later, she was still waiting for someone to accept her request. She frowned and switched to another app, requesting a more expensive ride. Finally, a driver accepted.

Linda called her five minutes later and asked, "Were you with Jonathan earlier?"

Giselle looked down to conceal the mockery in her eyes. She crouched and rubbed her belly; she was still hurting from the cramps. "Is it any of your business who I'm with?"

She'd moved out to live alone since Charlotte's return to the Grant family. Most of the time, the Grants would only speak to her to urge her to end things with Jonathan. She was nothing but a fake heiress who'd stolen Charlotte's life. Now that Charlotte was back, she had to leave!

The Grants could've just switched Giselle out for Charlotte after discussing things with the Lawsons—it was unnecessary to consult her. Unfortunately, Jonathan's grandfather, Richard Lawson, only wanted Giselle as his granddaughter-in-law. So, the problem had to be resolved at the source.

"What's with that attitude, Giselle? Our family raised you for over two decades! Charlotte wouldn't have had to suffer out there if not for you!" Linda screeched.

Giselle snorted. "Are you saying that I switched myself and Charlotte at birth as a newborn baby?"

Linda was a dab hand at gaslighting others. If Giselle listened to her for too long, she would genuinely think she was at fault even though she was also a victim in this. Besides… the Grants had never treated her well.

"How dare you, Giselle! Remember that you'll always owe Charlotte for this! Hurry up and end things with Jonathan—don't dream about things that don't belong to you!" Linda snapped.

The cab Giselle had requested arrived. As she got in, she said, "I've already thrown the trash into the trashcan—Charlotte can pick up what's left. Don't bother thanking me."

After that, she hung up and blocked Linda's number. The rain pattered against the window, blurring the scenery outside. Giselle leaned against the backseat, feeling tired. Her face was pale.

Everything that had happened that day was enough to make her break down. It was so outrageous that it was surreal. Everyone thought Jonathan and Giselle were bound to marry one day—even Giselle had felt so.

However, a person's heart could change in the blink of an eye, which was what had happened with Jonathan.

She suppressed her emotions while keeping her eyes shut. When she arrived at her condominium, she was already completely calm. Once she entered, she took a painkiller. Then, she started removing all traces of Jonathan in her life.

He rarely spent the night at her condominium—the few times he did, it was due to her persuasion and threat.

Giselle took a man's coat from the wardrobe. As she stuffed it into a bag, two things fell out of the pocket. One was a condom, and the other was a pair of pearl earrings. She'd seen Charlotte wear the earrings before.

Nausea washed over her, and she charged into the bathroom. She leaned over the sink and dry heaved. Her eyes turned red from the action, and her stomach turned.

It was disgusting. She thought her and Jonathan's seven-year relationship had ended on a relatively positive note, but this was only an illusion.

She threw out everything that had to do with him. After ordering something for dinner, she cleaned and sanitized her condominium several times. Only then did she feel better.

…

A week later, Giselle organized a new client's details while at work. The form clearly indicated the client's and her husband's ages, birth dates, horoscopes, and blood types.

As she made the relevant arrangements, her phone screen lit up with a call from an unknown number. She rejected it, but the person on the other end of the line refused to give up.

She frowned and answered it after letting it ring several times. "Hello?"

"How dare you block my number, Giselle!" Jonathan sat in his CEO's office, his expression murderous.

His assistant looked at his phone in Jonathan's hand, afraid that it would be the next one to suffer Jonathan's wrath.

Giselle was calm. "What's wrong with that?"

She'd blocked Jonathan everywhere after calling off the engagement. It had been seven days since then—the fact that he'd only now realized she'd blocked him meant this was his first time trying to contact her. Her expression turned mocking.

Jonathan tried to keep his temper in check as he said, "It's Grandpa's birthday celebration tomorrow. You're attending with me."

All of Seaworth City's upper crust had been invited to Richard's birthday celebration. As his grandson, Jonathan couldn't be absent.

Giselle frowned. "Didn't you tell him about our breakup?"

He sneered. "You're heartless, aren't you? Grandpa just had surgery. He can't be agitated."

She fell silent. She wanted nothing to do with Jonathan anymore, but Richard had treated her well. She couldn't be ruthless when it came to him.

After some consideration, she said, "I'll tell Grandpa that I'll be away on an urgent business trip."

Jonathan clenched his fists tightly when he heard that. "What could be urgent about that job of yours? Grandpa isn't senile yet."

Giselle had studied psychology, but her job wasn't exactly related to it. To Jonathan, being a relationship counselor was a job that wasn't worth her time. Once upon a time, he'd asked her to quit and told her he would cover her expenses.

However, she'd turned him down. They'd even had a cold war over it. That was when Giselle had been at her lowest. The double blow from her family and career had depressed her for a long time. Ultimately, she'd caved.

"I'll be at the birthday celebration, but not with you." Giselle hung up after that. She immediately blocked that number to prevent him from calling her again.

Jonathan's assistant ended up with a new phone.

…

That night, a delivery guy brought Giselle two parcels. She'd just finished showering when he knocked on her door.

"Are you sure you've got the right address?" She hadn't bought anything online.

The delivery guy asked, "Are you Ms. Giselle Stone?"

"Yes."

"There's no mistake, then. The one on the left is from a Mr. Lawson; the one on the right is from a Mr. Fordham."

Giselle guessed that the left one was from Jonathan. As for the other…

She didn't want to accept either parcel.

Seemingly seeing through her, the delivery guy pulled out a folded note and handed it to her. "Mr. Fordham said you won't refuse to accept his parcel once you read this."

She opened it. The handwriting was sharp and strong. After reading the note, Giselle crumpled the note in her hand and looked up. "Sorry, but I'm going to reject the parcel from Mr. Lawson."

Seaworth City's upper crust gathered for Richard's birthday celebration the following day. It would start in three hours, but many guests had already arrived.

Everyone arrived in expensive cars; an Uber pulled up, standing out like a sore thumb. The guests were stunned when they saw who got out of the vehicle.

"What's going on? Has Giselle fallen so far that she has to take Ubers now? Didn't Jonathan arrange for a car to pick her up?"

"…Man, she's a mess. The Grant family kicked her out, and she's yet to marry Jonathan despite already being 25. I bet they're not going to walk down the aisle together."

The guests erupted into whispers around Giselle. Their gazes were either excited or pitying. They couldn't wait to see her humiliate herself.

She didn't care, though. She went straight to see Richard. When she arrived outside his door and raised a hand to knock, she heard the conversation inside.

"You're about to be married soon, Jonathan. You need to watch yourself and make sure you act properly when you're in public," Richard said sternly. His warning was clear.

Jonathan stood before him, his head lowered so his emotions were concealed. No one could see though what he was thinking. He said, "Charlotte and I are just friends, Grandpa."

Richard glared at him. "Just friends? Even best friends need to keep appropriate distances from each other! Why don't you tell me what you and Charlotte were doing earlier?"

"I was just tidying her hair because it was a little messy. You know Gigi is the one I have feelings for, Grandpa," Jonathan explained. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his earlier actions.

Richard smacked him with his walking cane, furious at his words. "If you really like Gigi, you should hurry up and marry her! It'll be too late for regret when someone else snaps her up!"

Giselle didn't hear Jonathan's response. She knocked on the door and interrupted the conversation. "Hi, Grandpa."

"You're here, Gigi." Richard's angry scowl immediately turned into a bright smile when he saw her. He beckoned at her to come closer.

Giselle didn't spare Jonathan a glance as she brushed past him.

"Jonathan must've picked out this gown for you, right? It fits you perfectly." Richard didn't notice Jonathan's expression darken as he complimented Giselle.

At five feet and five inches, Giselle was considered tall among women. The gown was simple yet luxurious—the off-shoulder design made her neck look long and slender. It also showed off her delicate collarbones. She even had a matching diamond necklace on.

Her long locks were tied back in a bun; a few stray strands framed her face. Her makeup was done exquisitely. She was the same person she'd always been, but something felt different.

Jonathan clenched his fists and suppressed his rage. Giselle told Richard the gown was from a friend before switching the subject, afraid he would probe further.

After chatting for a while, Richard brought the subject back to Jonathan and Giselle's wedding. He said, "You and Jonathan aren't young anymore, Gigi. When do you guys plan on marrying?"

"Jonathan and I have already—"

She wanted to say they'd already broken up, but Jonathan cut her off. "Mom said she's arriving soon, Grandpa. I'll take Gigi to see her."

Giselle wanted to refuse, but he gripped her wrist tightly. She frowned.

Richard watched them fondly. "Go on, then."

Once they left the room, Giselle shook Jonathan off. The corridor was silent—they were alone there. She asked, "Are you going to keep this a secret forever, Jonathan?"

"I told you Grandpa can't be agitated after just having surgery," he said impatiently. His sharp gaze landed on her, and he narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't you wear the gown I sent you?"

The one Giselle had on now looked simple, but the quality and workmanship were top-notch. One would've had to spend at least six figures on it. As far as he knew, she couldn't afford anything like it.

The Grant family couldn't care less about her, and she never used his money. With her salary, she probably couldn't even afford scraps. Someone had to have bought it for her.

Jonathan's face was scarily icy. He and Giselle stood face-to-face, the tension palpable.

She said calmly, "We've already broken up, Jonathan."

Her eyes, which were usually filled with love for him, were now stoic and devoid of emotion. Jonathan's heart ached for a split second, but he suppressed the unfamiliar feeling. He said, "You must be in such a rush to end our relationship because of the asshole who got you this gown."

He sounded so sure of himself that it was as if Giselle had cheated on him.

In the next second, she slapped him hard. Shock and rage overwhelmed him. He glared at her, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Giselle trembled with rage. Her palm was red, and it stung from the slap. Her gaze was filled with fury. "You're the one who betrayed our relationship, Jonathan!"

She thought about the things she'd seen the other night. Her stomach turned again, and she paled. She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "It's Grandpa's birthday celebration today, so I don't want to make things nasty. Don't piss me off."

She'd always been the weaker party in this relationship. Everyone knew she loved him—he thought so, too. Anyone else would leave Jonathan, but not Giselle.

Now, however… reality had given him a slap to the face. The Giselle before him was so unfamiliar that it was as if he'd never known her.

She turned and left without a look back, running into Charlotte when she turned the corner. The latter's outfit and style were almost identical to Giselle's, but their demeanors differed.

Charlotte looked good when she stood alone, but with Giselle by her side, it felt like she'd copied the latter's style.

Charlotte concealed the jealousy in her gaze and was about to speak when Giselle strode past her without sparing her a glance. Her face turned steely with anger.

…

Giselle didn't take the minor event to heart. Soon, the birthday celebration officially commenced. She found a deserted corner to hang out at.

Jonathan went on stage to give a speech as the Lawson family's representative. Then, Richard took the stage. He was still a little weak after recovering from a major illness.

He searched the crowd after a few sentences and soon located his target. "Why are you standing so far away, Gigi? Come to me."

Being called in public made Giselle feel self-conscious for a moment, especially when countless gazes landed on her. The Lawsons had differing opinions of her, but the Grants… Their expressions were hideous.

Giselle straightened the hem of her gown. As soon as she took a step, she felt a force holding her back. Then, she heard the sound of material being torn.