Yvette lowered her gaze. “I understand, Sophia. I crossed the line before. From now on, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen. I wish you both happiness.”

Hearing her, the friends around quickly started teasing her.

“What are you talking about? The time you called Henry in the middle of the night and made him come pick you up? Or when you got drunk and said in public that you would only marry him? Or when you went to the Lawson family villa and asked the servants about his type?”

“Yvette, Henry has a family now! If you keep hanging around him like this, it’ll embarrass you and the Wilson family. You need to be sensible. Don’t let your actions ruin the friendship between Yarden and Henry just because of you.”

Each teasing remark felt like salt on Yvette’s wounded heart.

She subconsciously looked at Henry. He stood only a few steps away. His expression was indifferent.

For a moment, she felt as if he had become a completely different person. He was no longer the Henry she remembered. He was not the same person who always cared for her.

When she thought about it, she realized he had always been cold toward other admirers. He never gave them any hope.

It seemed that his past tolerance of her pursuit had only been out of respect for Yarden. He did not want to make things awkward.

Since he was with the one he truly loved, he was drawing a clear line between them.

After all, in his heart, Sophia was more important than anything else.

Thinking this, a sharp, bitter ache washed over Yvette. She nodded slightly and turned to leave.

The birthday banquet had just begun. Yarden arrived late and busied himself greeting the guests. He did not notice Yvette at all.

Henry, on the other hand, wasted no time. He openly introduced Sophia as his wife to everyone.

He held back toasts meant for her, fed her the tastiest treats, straightened her messy dress, and massaged her sore shoulders.

Everyone praised him for how much he spoiled his wife. They said Sophia was lucky to have him and called them a perfect couple.

Yvette watched from a distance. Her mouth tasted bitter. She forced herself to look away.

She sat alone in a corner. Sophia walked over with a glass of wine and broke the silence.

“It’s Yarden’s birthday, and you’re sitting here without saying a word. Are you upset?”

Yvette had not expected her to come. She stepped back a little instinctively.

“I’m not upset, Sophia. I have let go of all my feelings for Henry.”

Sophia paused for a moment. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions.

“But Henry told me that you have been pursuing him for many years. You were determined to be with him.”

“That was before. Once I realized he liked you and had done so for many years, I gave up. I wish you both happiness.”

After that, Yvette stood up to leave. Sophia grabbed her hand.

“You said Henry has liked me for many years? Where did you hear that? Did he tell you that himself?”

Yvette did not want to continue the conversation. “Everyone says so. You can ask him yourself. I don’t know.”

Sophia refused to let her go. She wanted a clear answer.

As they pulled at each other, the chandelier above suddenly came loose and began to fall.

Looking up, Yvette froze as she saw it hurtling toward them.

Before she could react, Henry’s face changed instantly. He rushed forward and dragged Sophia out of the way.

The chandelier, weighing more than 50 pounds, crashed down on Yvette. She crashed to the floor with a loud thud.

She bled profusely. Her limbs and bones felt as if they were breaking, and pain tore through her with every movement.

She lay in a pool of blood. She shook with fear. Screams filled the air around her.

The world grew blurry. Just before she lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was Henry holding Sophia and comforting her.

Yvette did not know how long she had been unconscious. When she opened her eyes, Yarden was by her bed. His eyes were red with concern.

“I’m sorry, Yvette. I should have protected you. This wouldn’t have happened if I had tried to protect you.”

Yvette shook her head. Her voice was weak and hoarse.

“It’s not your fault, Yarden. Everything happened so fast. You were too far away to help me.”

Hearing this, Yarden thought about the accident again and felt even more guilty.

“I couldn’t reach you in time, but Henry was so close. He could have helped! If Sophia hadn’t distracted you, you might have avoided this.”

Yvette shook her head and softly said, “Yarden, he saved the person he cares about most. That was instinct, and he did nothing wrong. I used to be obsessed, but after this, I have truly let go.”

“All right. As long as you have let go, I’ll support any decision you make.”

Yarden held her hand tightly and nodded firmly.

Yvette forced a small smile and slowly calmed herself.

Her condition stabilized. After several days of watching over her without rest, Yarden finally allowed himself to sleep.

The hospital room grew quiet. Yvette took out her phone and booked a flight for ten days later.

The airline called to confirm the reservation. She listened carefully and did not notice the footsteps at the door.

“The earliest flight to Amerika is on the 19th. First class.”

“First class?”

Yvette was startled when she saw Henry at the door.

“It’s nothing.”

She denied it, but Henry sensed something was wrong. He fixed his gaze on her.

“Since when did you start lying? Where are you going with that ticket?”

Under his questioning, Yvette fell silent for a few seconds before speaking in a hoarse voice.

“You’re about to get married. Wherever I go has nothing to do with you, right?”

Henry had some doubts at first. After hearing that, he decided it was just another one of her tricks. His expression turned cold again.

“You’re right. It has nothing to do with me. Sophia was worried about you, so she asked me to come and check on you.”

“I’m fine. Henry, please leave.”

Her distant attitude surprised him.

He was about to speak when a nurse knocked on the door and came in to tell her it was time for a follow-up.

Yvette had injured her leg. She struggled to get out of bed on her own. She almost fell.

Henry reacted quickly and steadied her. She thanked him softly. Then, she pushed the wheelchair and tried to leave by herself.

He saw her covered in injuries and struggling to move. In the end, he could not bring himself to ignore it. He stepped forward and pushed the wheelchair for her.

“Where’s the examination room? I’ll take you there.”

“No need. I can manage.”

Yvette refused, but Henry insisted. He pushed her out of the room.

They reached the ground floor and ran into Sophia.

The moment he saw her, Henry let go of the wheelchair and went up to her.

The path sloped downward. The wheelchair rolled forward before anyone could stop it.

“Ahhh!”

Yvette’s heart raced when she saw herself about to hit the flower bed. She forced herself out of the chair and fell to the ground.

She hit the ground hard. Her hands and knees were scraped, and blood began to seep out of fresh wounds.

She let out a low groan. She covered her wounds, and cold sweat covered her forehead.

Sophia was startled. She stepped forward to check on her.

The wheelchair had fallen apart. Sophia looked at Yvette’s injuries and tugged on Henry’s hand.

“Henry, Yvette is hurt, and the wheelchair is broken. Carry her over so she can get treated.”

Henry’s expression changed slightly.

He looked at Yvette, who was clearly in pain. Then, he looked at Sophia and shook his head.

“No. I’m about to get married. I can’t carry another woman.”

Every word pierced Yvette’s heart. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin and drew blood.

Sophia could not persuade him, so she told him to get a new wheelchair instead.

This time, Henry agreed.

After he left, Sophia handed her a handkerchief.

“Henry is just like that. He only listens to me. Don’t take it to heart. You were hurt that day at the hotel, and I feel somewhat responsible. The baby has had a fever these past two days, so I couldn’t come. I asked him to check on you for me. I didn’t expect another accident. It wasn’t intentional, but we’re still at fault. I’m really sorry.”

Yvette did not know what she was trying to do this time. She endured the pain and stood up on her own.

“Sophia, as I said, I don’t like Henry in that way anymore. It doesn’t matter if you’re acting or really getting married. I don’t care.”

After that, she forced herself forward on unsteady legs and tried to leave.

Sophia refused to let it go. She followed her.

“So you knew Henry and I were just acting…”

She stopped mid-sentence. A loud splash made Yvette turn around.

Sophia had fallen into the pool and was struggling as she called for help. Yvette hesitated for a few seconds, then reached out to help her.

Henry returned at that moment. He rushed over and jumped into the pool. He pulled Sophia out.

Sophia looked pale and weak. She coughed hard. Henry looked at Yvette in anger.

“I was gone for a few minutes, and you pushed Sophia into the water?!”

Yvette had not expected that he would blame her for this.

She saw how furious he was. She tried to explain, but he did not give her a chance.

He held Sophia and stood up. Then, he pushed Yvette into the pool.

“I put up with you before, no matter how you chased after me. Sophia is my limit. If you dare to hurt her again, I won’t show you mercy!”

His cold and harsh voice filled Yvette’s ears along with the freezing water.

Blood from her wounds spread through the water and turned it red.

She could not swim. She struggled with all her strength, but she could not get out.

She gulped for air as it slowly became harder to breathe. Her face began to lose color. Her heartbeat grew weaker.

Wave after wave of dizziness hit her. Her consciousness sank into darkness.

When Yvette opened her eyes, she heard loud arguing outside the door.

“Yvette’s my sister! You watched her grow up! There’s no way she’d push someone into the water! You almost drowned her on purpose! Shouldn’t you apologize to her?”

“Apologize? Fine! But first, make her apologize to Sophia. If she hadn’t acted out of jealousy and hurt Sophia, would I have done anything? You care about your sister, and I care about my wife. If anything happened to Sophia, and even if Yvette died a hundred times, it wouldn’t make up for it!”

Henry’s angry words sent a chill through Yvette. It felt like she had fallen into ice.

He had rejected her many times before, but she had never felt this hopeless.

She thought that even if they could not be together, they would still share a small bond after all these years.

It turned out that once it involved the woman he loved, she meant nothing.

The two people outside did not know she was awake. They kept arguing.

“You have no proof, yet you blame Yvette for everything! You didn’t even give her a chance to explain. Just because she has liked you for years doesn’t give you the right to hurt her!”

“She has bothered me for years. I only spared her a little dignity because of you. Haven’t I been careful enough all this time? You complain that I hurt her feelings. Have you ever thought about how long I had to endure her?”

The anger Yarden had been holding back finally exploded.

He could not take it anymore. He grabbed Henry by the collar and swung his fist.

Henry did not hold back either. They fought fiercely.

The noise shocked Yvette. She forced herself to stand and rushed out to stop them.

She saw their bruised faces and the force behind their punches. She threw herself between them.

The tears she had been holding back poured down her face. She cried out until her voice broke.

“Stop fighting! Please, stop! Yarden, come with me. I’m begging you!”

Seeing her tears, Yarden regained his control.

His nose stung. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let go.

He took Yvette’s hand. They walked back to the hospital room. He looked deflated.

The moment the door closed, the siblings heard Henry’s cold voice.

“Don’t you think I’ll forgive you just because you act pitiful! This is my final warning. Stay away from Sophia.”

Yarden’s anger, which he had just reined in, began to flare again. Yvette hugged him tightly.

She said pleadingly, “Yarden, stop! I’m about to leave. I’ll never appear in Henry’s world again. You don’t need to make things tense with him or your friends because of me.”

The more she tried to calm him, the more he worried about her.

They were silent for a long moment before he finally spoke in a low voice.

“Yvette, this is my fault! Henry’s heart belongs only to Sophia. He even gave up his friends for her. I should have told you the truth the first time I realized you liked him. You wouldn’t have gotten so deeply involved.”