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.

Even a stranger was kinder to Yvonne than Marcus.

Xavier, the man she'd just met, draped his jacket over her shoulders and helped her up. He offered to take her to the hospital.

He drove swiftly, all the while reassuring her, "Hold on a little longer. We're almost there."

Yvonne was trembling from the pain, huddled up on the seat to avoid staining it with blood.

Noticing her discomfort, Xavier joked, "Maybe you shouldn't have left the house today, Ms. Chapman."

"What?"

"I dabble a little in astrology. Mars is in retrograde lately, so it would affect some people's luck," he explained. "Maybe you're one of them."

Yvonne laughed, amused by the ridiculousness of his statement, and thanked him for trying to lighten the mood.

At the hospital, she insisted on going in alone, so Xavier had no choice but to let her.

At the entrance, Yvonne shuddered as the chilly wind swept over her. She had always dreaded going to the hospital.

She had watched her parents being wheeled into the hospital after a fatal car accident, their bodies drenched in blood. She had still been a child then, and she had knelt on the ground, praying fervently that they would be safe, but all she received in return was their cold, lifeless bodies.

Since then, no matter how unwell she was, she refused to go to a hospital. The last time she had braved a hospital and gotten surgery done was because of Marcus. She just didn't want him to continue being ridiculed just because she was deaf.

She never expected to return so soon. Suppressing her fear, Yvonne stepped through the entrance and made her way slowly to the doctor.

The doctor frowned as he extracted shard after shard of glass from her knee. He told her that her wounds were pretty serious and she would need to have an IV drip with anti-inflammatory medication.

Yvonne didn't want to stay any longer than necessary, but the doctor insisted.

In the ward, she lay on the bed, her pale complexion betrayed her weakness after a day without food. She was also running a slight fever.

While getting her IV drip, Suzy sent her a link to an article. The headline was stark, bolded against the white background. "The Truth Revealed: This Is Marcus Cunningham's Mysterious Fiancée!"

The accompanying photograph showed Marcus rushing through a crowd, holding Rachel in his arms. His worried expression spoke volumes about the nature of their relationship.

The Cunningham Group's official social media account even shared the article.

The blatant show of affection quickly became a hot topic on the Internet. Everyone praised the pair as a perfect match.

"Such a beautiful couple. They should get married soon!"

"No wonder Mr. Cunningham is still single. He's been waiting for her all this time!"

Yvonne stared at the post that the Cunningham Group had reposted. The company wouldn't have acted without Marcus' instruction.

After a while, she finally replied to Suzy's message.

However, the hand she was using to type out her message was trembling uncontrollably, and her phone fell to the floor. Not wanting to jostle the IV, she cautiously bent down to pick it up.

When she looked up, she heard a familiar voice outside.

"You'll have to make do with this small room for now. I've already requested a suite for you—they'll have it ready soon."

"There's no need for all that trouble."

Then, two familiar figures appeared at the door.

Marcus was carefully supporting Rachel, afraid that she might stumble. When Rachel leaned against his shoulder, he pinched her cheek fondly.

Then, he looked up and noticed Yvonne. The three of them stared at each other for a moment. "You're… you're here too?" Marcus asked awkwardly.

Bitterness welled up in Yvonne's heart. She was supposed to be his fiancée, but right now, she felt like the interloper in Rachel and Marcus' relationship.

"Rach was hurt badly, so I brought her here for a checkup," Marcus explained.

Yvonne smiled suddenly, all bitterness dissipating.

What a coincidence.

Without answering, she glanced at her IV bag, which was almost empty, and closed her eyes.

Rachel went up to her and took her hand. "Are you upset, Yvonne? It was my idea for Marcus to accompany me…"

Yvonne pulled her hand away. However, Rachel didn't let go. In the tussle, she fell to the floor.

Marcus immediately panicked. "Yvonne Chapman, watch yourself! She's already hurt. Can't you show a little compassion?"

His voice was so loud that several passersby stopped to stare.

Realizing his outburst, Marcus hesitated, but in the end, he didn't say anything else. He helped Rachel settle into her bed, carefully adjusting her pillows so that she could be comfortable, all the while complaining about the poor conditions of the regular ward.

Yvonne pulled the IV needle out of her arm. She didn't want to continue getting involved in the drama.

She left without looking back, but Marcus ran after her.

"How are you doing?"

Yvonne did not want to talk to him. "I've been seen to," she replied coldly.

When he hesitated, she knew instantly that he had more to say. "You… go and make some soup for Rachel and bring it over. She's badly hurt, so hurry up. I'll wait for you here."

It was late at night by now. The wind, though cold, didn't affect Yvonne—she was numb enough already.

Badly hurt? Yvonne knew very well that Rachel only got a small scratch. How did that translate to being badly hurt?

"You're heartless, Marcus Cunningham," she told him.

Marcus was furious by her defiance. "Rachel just got divorced. You know that! She's emotionally fragile right now. That's why I've been more attentive to her as her friend.

"Stop making such a fuss! I know you made her fall deliberately today. I'm not going to hold that against you, but why are you still throwing a tantrum?"

"I'm throwing a tantrum?"

All he needed to do was check the surveillance cameras to find out what really happened at the refreshment table, yet he chose to believe whatever Rachel told him.

His baseless accusations made Yvonne feel suffocated.

The wounds on her knees, aggravated by her movements, had started bleeding again, darkening the fabric of her dress.

However, Marcus didn't seem to notice. He was too busy instructing a passing nurse to hurry and prepare a private room for Rachel, too worried that she might be inconvenienced by the regular ward.

That was the final straw for Yvonne. All of her grievances and anger vanished in that moment.

All she wanted was to end this farce of an engagement as quickly as possible.