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.

"Oops. Sorry for accidentally stepping on your gown." The woman sounded gleeful.

The hem of Giselle's gown fell to her ankles. When tugged on, it tore at the thigh, vaguely revealing her flawless skin.

She turned to see a familiar face—Jonathan's sister, Vivian Lawson. Vivian had picked on Giselle countless times in the past, but Giselle had chosen to grin and bear it for Jonathan's sake.

Now, however… Who did Vivian think she was?

Everyone waited to see Giselle make a fool of herself.

Vivian gave her a challenging look, but a bad feeling arose inside her when she saw Giselle grabbing a drink from the table. Then, Giselle poured it on her, making her scream. Her expensive gown was immediately ruined.

"Oops. Sorry about that. My hand slipped." Giselle raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Her bold action made the spectators gasp. Vivian screamed, "Are you insane, Giselle?"

It was Richard's birthday celebration, so Giselle didn't want things to get too nasty. She looked at Vivian and said matter-of-factly, "It really was an accident."

Vivian almost exploded at that. Giselle had to have done it on purpose!

She charged at Giselle, but Jonathan appeared and caught her. He frowned and growled, "That's enough, Vivi! It's Grandpa's birthday today—you'll get an earful from Mom if she sees you like this!"

Vivian's eyes reddened with grievance. "You saw her, Jon! She poured that drink on me on purpose! Make her apologize!"

The situation ended up in a stalemate.

Charlotte stood beside her parents, Harold Grant and Linda, and watched things play out. The earlier jealousy and resentment she'd felt dissipated.

When she looked around and noticed all the Lawsons focusing on the scene, she knew this was a great chance for her to leave them with a good impression. With that thought in mind, she told Harold and Linda to wait there for her. Then, she headed over to Giselle and the others.

"Say something, Jon! Make Giselle apologize to me!" Vivian whined when Jonathan didn't say anything.

Charlotte stepped forward to help. "Vivi's only a child, Giselle. She couldn't have meant anything bad by it, so you're at fault here. We're at Mr. Lawson Senior's birthday celebration—don't cause trouble."

From an outsider's perspective, there wasn't anything wrong with her words. Vivian was only 17, so she was indeed still young. Meanwhile, Giselle was 25. It was rather narrow-minded of her to be so petty.

Instantly, reproachful gazes landed on Giselle. Jonathan also looked at her and said, "We can sweep this under the rug once you apologize to Vivi."

Vivian smiled smugly at Giselle now that someone was backing her up. In the past, Giselle probably would've been saddened by this. Now, she only found it laughable.

She stood up straight, her expression serene as she smirked. "I already did, didn't I? Sorry for the slip of the hand."

Her tone was lazy and languid. There wasn't anything apologetic about it.

Charlotte reached out to tug on Giselle, but the latter looked at her like she was trash, making her stop. Her hand hovered awkwardly in midair. However, she soon regained her composure and said, "Mom and Dad can't help you if you continue like this, Giselle."

"Have they ever helped me with anything?" Giselle looked like she'd heard a joke. Her gaze turned contemptuous, and she bristled.

The situation turned into a stalemate again. Giselle didn't want to waste any more time on them. Vivian, no matter how brainless, was still a member of the Lawson family. Though Richard was partial to Giselle, she didn't want to put him in a tough spot.

Everyone watched as she tore her gown at the spot it had ripped. The long gown instantly became a short one, revealing her long legs.

Jonathan's expression turned hideous. "Giselle!"

She ignored him and headed to Richard. He looked at her. "Gigi…"

"I have to leave to attend to something urgent, Grandpa. I'm sorry about this." She first expressed her regret before handing him the present she'd prepared.

He saw through her but didn't stop her. All he said was, "I'll have Jonathan drop you home."

Leaving alone and being sent home by the Lawson heir were two different situations. Though Richard didn't mention anything about the incident, his actions made it clear that he was on Giselle's side.

Charlotte gritted her teeth. What right did Giselle have to receive such treatment when she'd stolen her life? Richard was turning senile in his old age!

She resented that. When she saw that Jonathan and Giselle were already at the entrance, she hurried after them.

…

Giselle stopped outside the villa. "I'll give you three days to break the news to your grandfather, Jonathan. I'll do it if you can't."

Jonathan still looked furious. His gaze darkened when he looked at the hem of her ripped gown. "Are you that desperate to sever ties with me?"

She stared at him before smirking. "We don't have to go that far. All you need to do is end things with Charlotte."

He fell silent. His first reaction was objection and refusal. Just as he was about to speak, Giselle said, "I know you're going to say you're just friends, but tell me—what sort of friends end up in bed together?"

Jonathan's feelings toward her had gradually diminished over the past seven years. Perhaps he didn't realize this, but Charlotte had become his priority since she'd appeared in his life.

He kept claiming they were friends, but they were just using that as an excuse to flirt and be amorous. Jonathan had to admit that he enjoyed the process. He could experience the thrill of being with someone new without taking responsibility for her.

At the same time, he had a loyal fiancée waiting to marry him. It was too bad she'd woken up now. This made him feel like things had spiraled out of his control, so he'd reacted the way he had when Giselle had asked to call off their engagement.

Jonathan scowled. He'd just parted his lips to speak when Charlotte joined them. She walked over and stopped beside him, her stance natural and practiced. "Jonathan."

Her tone was familiar and affectionate—it clearly showed there was something between them.

From Giselle's perspective, Charlotte was issuing her a challenge. However, she merely lowered her head to call an Uber. She had no intention of playing Charlotte's game.

Charlotte said, "Should I have the Grant family's driver take you home? He's still the same guy. You should know him."

She sounded earnest. It was almost as if she genuinely cared about Giselle.

Giselle sneered. "Nah. You can keep those disgusting things for your own use."

There was an undercurrent to her words, which pissed Jonathan off. His temples throbbed in anger, and he wrapped an arm around Charlotte's shoulders. The sudden action surprised her before filling her with joy.

Jonathan watched Giselle closely. "I'll tell Grandpa about us calling off the engagement. You'd better not regret this."

Giselle smiled. "I won't."

Her gaze was calm. Despite seeing him with his arm around Charlotte, she didn't show any jealousy. All Jonathan saw in her eyes was dislike and disgust.

They remained like that for a few minutes until an expensive car approached. When they turned to look at it, they saw Chester Fordham get out.

He was handsome, and his black coat made him look even more so. His eyes glinted behind his gold-rimmed glasses, and his demeanor was composed and sure. He oozed regality. His gaze was dark and unfathomable as he looked at Jonathan.

Jonathan released Charlotte and said coolly, "Uncle Chester."

In truth, Chester was only four years older than him. Moreover, whether in terms of capabilities or status, Jonathan was constantly in Chester's shadow.

Chester nodded in response. Jonathan glanced behind him. "Where's Mom? Hasn't she returned?"

She'd told him over the phone that morning that she was at the airport. She should've already landed but was nowhere in sight.

"There was an emergency, so she couldn't come back." Chester turned to look at Giselle. "Why aren't you inside?"

"I need to head home to attend to something urgent. I'll visit some other time," she said. Her answer was infallible.

"Are you waiting for an Uber?"

She nodded after a brief hesitation.

"I'll send you home, then."