Marcus woke up early the next morning. His throat was parched after drinking heavily the night before. As soon as he opened his eyes, he reached for the bedside table, expecting to find a cup of tea as usual, but it wasn't there.

The sheets beside him had already gone cold as well.

He wondered where Yvonne was. Something felt off, but before he could think much of it, he got a call from his sister, Quinn Cunningham. She told him she was bringing a friend over for a visit.

Meanwhile, Yvonne, who had spent the entire night on the app until her eyes were red and swollen, had finally fallen asleep in the adjacent room at dawn.

She woke up to a commotion downstairs.

The housekeeper, Maria Shaw, informed her, "Ms. Cunningham asked you to change and join them when you wake up."

At the pool, Yvonne felt out of place in her overly revealing swimsuit. As soon as she appeared, a wave of teasing and lewd remarks crashed over her.

"Damn, Marcus, your fiancée is quite the looker."

"Yeah, isn't she? He doesn't know how to appreciate her."

In the past, Yvonne would've been happy to hear such comments, thinking she finally had something that made her worthy of being with Marcus. But now, she knew better. Their words were nothing more than veiled ridicule.

Marcus remained expressionless at the teasing. Yvonne couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she saw him glancing at the door every so often.

One of his friends spoke up in her defense. "Hey, don't ridicule Yvonne to her face."

Quinn said smugly, "It's okay. I checked earlier—she's not wearing her hearing aids."

The group erupted in laughter at her words.

Quinn had never liked Yvonne, and her animosity had only increased since the engagement. Back in college, Quinn had led others in bullying her—adding salt to her coffee, cutting her hair while she slept. Those were just some of the things Quinn had done.

Yvonne forced a smile and pretended like she hadn't heard them.

Rachel was, naturally, the center of attention as soon as she appeared. Quinn ran to her side eagerly. "Rachel! I heard you've been back for some time. Why didn't you call me?"

The others also went up to her, greeting her warmly. After all, they belonged to the same social circle. Yvonne was only there because of her relationship with Marcus.

She suddenly recalled the countless sketches of Rachel that she had seen in Marcus' study. He had drawn them all himself. Behind every drawing, he had written, "All I wish for is to grow old with you."

It was Yvonne's first time meeting Rachel in person. She was gorgeous, her long, curly hair cascading down her back while her perfectly fitted swimsuit accentuated her figure. The gentle smile on her face exuded an effortless charm.

It wasn't hard to see why Marcus was so infatuated with her.

Feeling bored, Yvonne decided to return to her room and continue practicing her second language. However, the sudden sound of commotion made her turn.

Through the crowd, she saw Marcus draping a towel tightly around Rachel, whose swimsuit was just as revealing as Yvonne's. He berated her for not taking care of herself.

Rachel took the opportunity to nestle into his embrace.

Yvonne couldn't blame him. No man would want his beloved to expose her body in public. It was only natural that he would want Rachel to cover up.

Back in her room, Yvonne texted her agent to ask about the progress of her visa application. She was an orphan, and this city had nothing left for her.

However, she needed a lot of money to move to Anderland. Even though Marcus hadn't deprived her financially over the last few years, she still wanted to save up some cash. Besides, she had heard that it wasn't easy for foreign students to graduate in Anderland.

Therefore, she turned her mind to the jewelry Marcus had given her over the years.

She wasn't indifferent enough to leave with nothing, but she wouldn't take anything that didn't belong to her. She just wanted to resume her studies, which she had put on hold for Marcus.

Just then, Quinn's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Yvonne, where's the tea?"

Her imperious tone was nothing new.

Yvonne froze for a moment. She hadn't made tea in days.

Marcus never told her when he was returning to their villa in Waterfront Bay, so in the past, she made a fresh batch of tea every day so that he could have freshly brewed tea whenever he came home.

It wasn't just tea. She had also painstakingly learned to cook so he could have healthy meals every day. The thick cookbooks in the kitchen were a testament to her efforts. Even if Marcus only ever tasted a few of her dishes, it still made her happy.

She had stopped all of that after her surgery.

"Do you want some?" Yvonne asked.

"Rachel just got out of the pool. She's feeling cold," Quinn replied. "Hurry up and make some tea for her. If she catches a cold, Marcus will be upset!"

Before Quinn could say anything more, Rachel coughed delicately from the couch.

"Okay. I'll ask Maria to make some tea," Yvonne said.

Quinn wasn't happy with that. "No, make it yourself. What, you won't brew tea just because Marcus isn't the one drinking it? Rachel is important to Marcus. If she gets sick, he won't be happy. I thought Grandpa told you to take care of him?"

Yes, Yvonne had been instructed to take care of Marcus, but she wasn't their maid—especially not now, when she had nothing left to lose.

Rachel chimed in, "I've heard from Marcus that you're good at cooking. Would I have the honor of trying your tea?"

Yvonne kept her head low, which made her appear meek. However, her reply was firm. "No."

Rachel was treating her like a maid to assert dominance and show her that she would be the future mistress of the house.

Rachel softened her tone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked for something special meant only for Marcus."

Marcus, who had overheard their conversation from upstairs, was surprised by Yvonne's odd behavior. She was usually compliant and obedient. He went down and said, "It's not a big deal. Yvonne, go and make some tea."

Rachel quickly stopped him. "It's alright, Marcus. I don't think Yvonne likes me much. Maybe next time. Besides, I'm feeling a little lightheaded. Is it okay if I rest here for a while? I hope you don't mind, Yvonne."

Hearing her thinly veiled provocation, Yvonne chuckled inwardly. If Rachel was sick, she should be seeing a doctor. Staying here wouldn't help her get better.

However, she didn't say that. Instead, she replied warmly, "Of course, Ms. Sinclair. Rest well."

She would step out and give her the space.

To coax Yvonne out of her little tantrum, Marcus had his assistant, Peter Russo, buy her a pink diamond and a bouquet of fresh flowers.

He knew how to coax a woman—in the past, whenever Yvonne got upset, the gesture had always worked.

However, this time was different. Yvonne didn't respond to his gifts with her usual softness and concession. Instead, Peter told him that she seemed indifferent about the gifts.

Before he could think much about it, he was rushed to a company meeting.

…

Yvonne submitted her application to the college in Anderland that she wanted to attend. Since she had already gotten most of the needed credits before dropping out, she only needed to complete a thesis to obtain her degree.

Writing the thesis wasn't particularly difficult, as long as she could defend it within the allotted time.

What was truly challenging was having to learn a new language. She couldn't quite master the speaking skills that she needed for the presentation.

Besides, she had been deaf for a few years, which had affected her speech. So, she called her best friend, Suzy Knight, for help.

"Hello? Who's this?" Suzy sounded hesitant when she first answered the phone.

"My number hasn't changed in years," Yvonne replied. "Didn't you save me as a contact?"

"Oh my god!" Suzy exclaimed in surprise. "It's been forever since I got a call from you, Yvonne! You—wait, your hearing is back?"

It was a long story, so they decided to meet at a café to catch up.

While waiting for Suzy, Yvonne got a call from Marcus, who sounded harried. "How much sugar should I put in?"

"What?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yvonne paused. Before she could reply, she heard Maria's voice in the background.

"Take it off the stove, take it off the stove! That's way too much tea leaves. Just let me do it, Mr. Cunningham!"

"No, I'll do it myself. Yvie, how much sugar am I supposed to add? I've tried making tea twice, but it never tastes right," Marcus said. "Rachel has a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. She's unconscious, and none of the medicine is helping…"

From the commotion, Yvonne could imagine just how chaotic it was on the other end of the call. Marcus, usually calm and composed, would only lose his composure when it came to Rachel.

This was the same man who had never stepped into the kitchen and had a notoriously picky palate.

After dropping out of college, Yvonne had managed essentially every aspect of his life. She had even learned how to make healthy meals to tailor to his needs.

Yet, Rachel was the only one who could make him cook for her.

Yvonne thought back to the time she had gone skiing with him and ended up with a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. She had been delirious from the high fever. However, Marcus, who hadn't accepted her yet, had dismissed her as being dramatic.

They had been in a foreign country, so Yvonne had limited medical access. Under these circumstances, she had to get through the sickness on her own.

Now, Rachel was only running a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and Marcus was panicking, losing his composure. Such was the power of true love.

Yvonne took a sip of her unsweetened coffee. It wasn't half as bitter as the emotion she was feeling.

Just as she hung up on Marcus, Suzy arrived in a rush.

Once seated, Suzy launched right into a rant. "Do you know how insane Marcus is? He called me in the middle of the night and asked me to get him a set of jewelry made with rare stones. He threw his money around like it's nothing!

"Who does he think he is? Just because he's rich, he thinks he can order us around? Thank goodness I had the right connections and managed to get it done!"

She even showed Yvonne the jewelry that Marcus had asked for.

Yvonne felt grateful for regaining her hearing. Even the noisiness of the world felt beautiful to her. It gave her another way to embrace life.

Once Suzy was done with her ranting, Yvonne told her about her struggles with speaking and her plans for going abroad.

"You've been out of the game too long, babe," Suzy said earnestly. "The world's changing now. All you need to do is throw some cash around, and you can find a handsome man to teach you the language. Maybe he'll warm your bed for you too!"

Then, Yvonne's words sunk in. "Wait, you've really made up your mind to leave? You're going abroad and leaving Marcus?"

Yvonne nodded. "Oh, by the way, I need your expertise in jewelry. Take a look at this. How much do you think this diamond is worth?"

"I'm not really in the diamond market right now, but here, babe. I've got this."

She handed Yvonne an invitation to a jewelry auction. As always, Suzy was reliable, though she didn't deal much with diamonds.

Yvonne also knew diamonds were hard to sell without getting lowballed. There would be plenty of other experts at this auction, so it would help her get some connections and learn how to recognize low-ball offers.

…

A few days later, Yvonne decided to move out of Waterfront Bay.

Out of courtesy, she thought that she would inform Marcus. However, when she called him, Quinn answered instead. "Marcus is busy helping Rachel pick out a dress. You're not even his wife yet. Quit stalking him!"

She hung up right after that. Yvonne scoffed bitterly at herself. It didn't matter, anyway—he wouldn't care whether she moved out or not.

That evening, Yvonne turned up at the auction in a simple dress. She didn't know that it would be a grand event filled with well-dressed people

Knowing that she had plenty of money in her pocket, Yvonne shook off the embarrassment. It wasn't like she couldn't afford any of the items auctioned there, expensive as they were.

Soon, the crowd began gathering around the center of the hall.

On the stage was Marcus, proud and tall under the spotlight. Beside him was Rachel. She was wearing the set of jewelry that Suzy had shown her a few days ago—a set with expensive, rare stones.

It was a thoughtful and heartfelt gift.

Yvonne thought about all the gifts that Marcus had given her in the past. Every single one had been selected by his assistant at the mall, impersonal and perfunctory.

Yvonne had always made excuses for Marcus, but now, she knew that he simply didn't care for her.

"I would like to thank the Cunningham Group for sponsoring tonight's auction. Now, let us begin," the auctioneer announced.

Rachel was hanging off Marcus' arm as they took their seats.

The first item was a gold bracelet carved with intricate patterns. Yvonne watched as Rachel whispered something to Marcus. He raised his paddle, raising the price from 100,000 dollars to a million dollars.

"Such generosity! As expected from Mr. Cunningham!" someone said. "I heard Rachel Sinclair was his first love, the one that got away. Now that she's back, it looks like he's determined to win her back!"

"But I heard Mr. Cunningham was engaged. Wouldn't that make Ms. Sinclair the mistress?" another whispered.

"Oh, stop it. Didn't you hear? She's his first love. She came first! Besides, I know that he only got engaged to his current fiancée because his family pressured him. I heard that she's deaf. How could she possibly be a good match for him?"

Around Yvonne, the patrons gossiped about Marcus and Rachel's love story, as if talking about it would allow them to join in the drama.

Every word stabbed at her heart. Unable to take it any longer, she left the hall and went to the exhibition area.

It was an auction, but some jewelry pieces were displayed for sale at fixed prices in the exhibition area. If anyone fancied an item, they could purchase it directly.

Even though there were a lot of people around, they weren't quite responsive to her. Yvonne kept getting brushed aside, which made her feel disheartened.

She paused in front of a pink diamond ring.

She looked at the price tag for a moment. Marcus had given her a pink diamond brooch that had a better quality stone than this ring. Maybe it could fetch a higher price.

"Miss, are you interested in this ring?" a voice asked suddenly.

Yvonne looked up and quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not."

Hearing this, the man waved over an attendant and indicated he wanted to buy the ring. "I saw you standing here for quite a long time, so I thought you were interested. I didn't want to buy it if you wanted it."

Yvonne's mind raced. "Oh, not at all. You seem generous, sir—would you be interested in taking a look at a pink diamond brooch I have?"

They exchanged numbers and arranged a time for him to inspect the brooch.

Later, Yvonne learned from Suzy that the man was Xavier Linden. He was a well-known jewelry collector.

Knowing that she was dressed too casually for the auction and shouldn't be lingering by the displays, she headed to the refreshment area to rest and scout for her next potential buyer.

Even the refreshment area was lavish, complete with a huge champagne tower.

"Ms. Chapman, even if Marcus doesn't love you, there's no need to dress so poorly. You look like a country bumpkin."

Yvonne turned to find Rachel scrutinizing her.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Ms. Sinclair," she replied.

"No, it's not," Rachel said. "I just wanted to give you a reminder, Ms. Chapman, that the class divide is still very much pertinent in our society. Even if you got lucky and managed to worm your way into the upper class, it doesn't mean that you actually belong in our circle."

Then, abruptly, her tone changed. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming, Yvonne?"

Yvonne knew immediately that Marcus was nearby. Rachel wouldn't have changed her tone otherwise.

She kept quiet, letting Rachel continue her act.

When Yvonne didn't play along, Rachel stepped closer and pretended to stumble into her. The wide hem of her dress caught on a nearby table, sending the plates and the large champagne tower crashing to the ground.

Both women fell, pinned beneath the shattered glasses.

Rachel's white dress was stained with wine, making the damage visible. Meanwhile, Yvonne's dress, being darker in color, looked fine. Underneath her dress, however, Yvonne had shards of glass piercing into her knee.

Rachel only sustained a superficial wound on her elbow.

Marcus saw the fall from a distance and quickly rushed over. He had lost all his usual composure as he scolded the waitstaff, "How could you place something so dangerous in such dim lighting?"

He quickly ran over to Rachel's side and asked in concern, "Are you hurt?"

Tears filling her eyes, Rachel grabbed his sleeve and said pitifully in defense of the poor waitstaff, "I'm fine."

What a show of kindness.

Yvonne laughed bitterly through her pain.

Finally, Marcus turned and saw her also on the floor. "What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning.

Yeah, what was she doing there? This auction was clearly held to please Rachel. Yvonne had no business being there.

Before Yvonne could answer, Rachel began groaning in pain.

Hearing that, Marcus quickly turned back to her and scooped her into his arms. Then, he turned and glanced at Yvonne, pausing only to instruct the waitstaff whom he had just berated, "Send her to the hospital."

He left without a second glance back. Rachel, leaning against his shoulder, flashed Yvonne a triumphant smile behind his back.

Marcus had made his choice without any hesitation. Yvonne's resolve to leave only hardened further.

He had only instructed the waitstaff to send her to the hospital out of courtesy. His true concern was reserved entirely for Rachel.

His love was weighed, and Yvonne was the one with the lighter share, if at all.

Just then, a jacket was draped over Yvonne's shoulders.