Nolan was the heir to a wealthy family, and I was the daughter of his family's housekeeper.

We were worlds apart, him in the skies and me on the ground; by all accounts, we shouldn't have crossed paths.

Yet, the impossible happened.

We attended the same school but not the same class. I was a top student, excelling in my studies, while he was known for smoking, skipping classes, and getting into fights.

We should have never interacted, but then he had a seizure while alone, and I happened upon his secret.

In the sports equipment room, he lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Fearing he might bite his tongue, I reached into his mouth only to be bitten so severely that I still bear the scars.

After that incident, Nolan clung to me, fearing I would reveal his secret.

On the way to school, he'd block my path with his motorcycle, insisting on giving me a ride.

After school, he'd wait outside my classroom and snatch my backpack to carry it on his shoulder.

When I fainted during morning exercises, he rushed me to the school clinic.

For me, he quit smoking, stopped skipping classes, and no longer fought.

The day we went to the mountain to watch the sunset, he confessed his feelings.

Yelling into the valley, he shouted, "Scarlett Haven, I like you!"

Eventually, his parents found out about us and vehemently opposed our relationship.

He was locked up, and my mother was fired under the false accusation of stealing Aria's necklace.

Unable to bear the injustice, my mother jumped off the rooftop.

In the pouring rain, I held my mother's body and cried until I passed out; Nolan sneaked out to help me handle her funeral.

Outside the funeral home, I overheard Nolan arguing with his parents, threatening to sever ties.

At that moment, I resolved to love him for a lifetime.

Later, as an exchange student, I went abroad to study, and Nolan, abandoning everything, came with me.

He found a job there, and the wealthy heir became a laborer in a foreign land.

Seeing his struggles, I secretly took a part-time job to help out, balancing work and study.

Life was tough, but being together with the one you love is the greatest happiness.

I thought we would be happy forever until that incident made Nolan decide to return home.

But after returning, everything changed.

For Aiden's sake, Nolan and I went to the city hall.

We filled out forms, and just as we were about to sign, Aria called, crying that her cat was dying.

Nolan's heart went into a frenzy, and in his haste, he left me once again to go to her, entirely forgetting his promises to me.

The staff looked at me with sympathy, but I actually breathed a sigh of relief.

It felt like escaping from hell.

"Miss, do you still want to take this license?"

I tore the paperwork into shreds and tossed it in the trash can, smiling as I replied, "No, and I won't in the future either."

I wanted to free myself!

Just as I got home, I received a photo from Aria.

Nolan was holding her, her red lips pressed against his white shirt.

[Nolan is mine, and I will never let you take him away from me!] her message read. It was a blatant provocation.

I had always known that Aria's feelings for Nolan were more than platonic, but her status meant she could never be with him.

What she couldn't have, she wouldn't let me have either.

She did provocations, favoritism, and all sorts of schemes to drive a wedge between us.

I didn't believe Nolan couldn't see it; he just chose to indulge her.

After dinner, Nolan sent a message saying he wouldn't be coming home tonight.

The cat had died, and Aria was in a bad mood. He was afraid she might do something rash alone.

I didn't reply, calmly watching TV shows.

As I was about to sleep, Aria sent another message. It was a photo of Nolan holding her as they slept.

The young man and woman were in thin pajamas, their bodies nearly touching.

It used to upset me, but now my heart is still.

When love was gone, nothing mattered anymore.

During my stay with the Birch family, it was always like this. Aria would often climb into our bed in the dead of night, push me aside, and cuddle up to Nolan.

She even shamelessly helped him scrub his back while he showered, proudly claiming it was a practice they had grown up with.

Laughably, Nolan even defended her, accusing me of making a big deal out of nothing.

Later, when he saw I was furious, he promised to keep his distance from Aria in the future.

But his promises were worthless.

Nolan didn't return until noon the next day.

After lunch, I drove alone to the cemetery.

It was the anniversary of my mother's death.

Having gotten used to solitude since returning to the country four years ago, Nolan had never once accompanied me here.

He was always with Aria.

Once, when I insisted, he turned cold and accused me, "Your mother has been dead for four years, yet you dredge it up daily. Do you expect me to die with her?"

After that, I stopped asking.

The Nolan who once sneaked out to help me deal with my mother's affairs seems like a distant memory now.

I talked to my mom but didn't mention Nolan.

From afar, two figures approached.

"Nolan, my cat is so pitiful, we must bury it properly."

"Sure, I've arranged the best plot for it."

It was Nolan and Aria.

Aria held a small urn, her eyes red, while Nolan wrapped his arms around her, her pillar of support.

He saw me, paused, and then grabbed my wrist in frustration. "Scarlett, knowing the cat is being buried today, you planned to cause trouble, didn't you?"

His fingers pressed too hard, digging into my flesh.

He was so concerned over a cat's death, yet he'd wholly forgotten my mom's anniversary.

Indeed, human affection was biased.

I clenched my teeth and pried his fingers off one by one, my gaze icy. "Do you even remember what today is?"

He couldn't recall.

Of course, his heart was with Aria.

"It's my mom's death anniversary."

His startled eyes swept over the fresh flowers in front of the tombstone, finally resting on my mom's name.

Guilt crept into his eyes. "Aria's cat died, and I came to bury it with her. I forgot, but next year, I'll definitely come with you."

I couldn't help but scoff. He said that every year, he consistently failed to show up.

After hearing so many lies, I had naturally become immune

I didn't want to pay him any attention and continued clearing the weeds.

Nolan hadn't planned to bury the cat here, but Aria looked at my mom's tombstone, a malicious glint flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, she pointed to the space beside it.

And she said, "Nolan, let's bury the cat here. The view here is good; it will help Kitty be an angel soon."