As soon as Sophie left, he returned to his usual indifference.

Even after four years of enduring this suffocating feeling, I still couldn’t stop the wave of disappointment that washed over me. I gave a self-mocking smile and spoke calmly.

“Rowan, I’m really curious—what kind of bet makes you confess to Sophie at the graduation party? Who was that oversized bracelet really for? You promised we’d take a trip tonight. If you couldn’t make it, why not just say so? Why lie and tell me your friends dragged you out for drinks?”

The air inside the car felt stifling. It was like all the oxygen had been sucked out.

Rowan rolled down the window with an impatient flick and lit a cigarette, his movements smooth, practiced. He exhaled slowly before replying in a tightly controlled voice.

“The bet was made by those childhood friends before Sophie went abroad to study. She and I were childhood sweethearts—I couldn’t let her lose face in front of them. The bracelet is the style you like. Didn’t I promise I’d replace your old one with a diamond bracelet? Sophie only borrowed it because it looked nice. That’s all. She’s never missed a graduation with us since high school. She came back early just to be part of our big moment. I didn’t want to ruin that for her.”

“So it’s my fault?” My composure cracked. “Rowan, if you love her so much, why didn’t you just stay with her in the first place? Why come after me?”

The moment I said it, his expression darkened. “Madison, you’re acting like a damn shrew!”

He slammed the car door and stepped out, glaring at me through the window. “You think I’ve wronged you? That I’ve been unfair? If you really can’t get over this, call off the engagement!”

His anger, instead of inflaming me, had the opposite effect. It steadied me. He always did this whenever it involved Sophie—he would protect her at all costs. Then he’d turn around and use my vulnerabilities like weapons.

My chest ached, but I didn’t want to back down like before. This time, I met his gaze head-on.

“Let’s break it off,” I said. “Rowan, let’s break up.”

His jaw clenched as he gritted out, “Madison, do you think this is some kind of joke? You think upsetting me will get you what you want? You’re the one who can’t live without me. You’re an orphan. Without me, where would you even go?”

I let out a low, humorless laugh but said nothing. Instead, I reached for the cigarette pack in my pocket.

Seeing my silence, Rowan assumed I’d backed down. His tone softened. “Alright, let’s just forget this happened. The engagement party will go on. Can we go home now?”

My nose stung as tears threatened to fall. I quickly shut my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing the emotion down. When I opened them again, everything was clear.

I lit the cigarette and took a long drag. As I exhaled, it felt like the last trace of sadness left with the smoke.

Rowan didn’t notice anything was wrong. He just frowned and reached for my cigarette. “Who was it that told me to quit smoking and get ready for a baby? What’s the point of this now? Give it to me. Don’t you want the baby anymore?”

I leaned away and blew a smoke ring into his face.

“No. Rowan, I don’t want the baby anymore. I don’t want you anymore either.”

I grew up in an orphanage. Growing up without a family, I craved warmth, happiness, and a home more than anything.

When Rowan first confessed to me, I told him clearly, “I don’t fool around. If I commit, it’s forever. Rowan, if you can’t do the same, don’t start.”

But he had stayed. He’d been so kind, so attentive. He fulfilled every little request. The day we got together, he promised me solemnly, “Madison, we’ll build a home together. We’ll have a warm, happy life.”

And I believed him. I gave him everything without hesitation. For four years, we were the perfect couple—except when it came to Sophie.

She was the one shadow that never went away. Around her, I could never feel secure.

With Rowan insisting that Sophie was just a friend, I chose to dismiss their occasional ambiguous gestures as the kind of excessive familiarity that ignored boundaries. All the unease faded once Sophie found a boyfriend abroad and fell deeply in love.

As our engagement party approached, I thought happiness was finally within reach.

However, when Sophie broke up with her boyfriend and returned, all my hopes were shattered. It hit me then—Rowan had only ever loved Sophie.

Rowan looked at me darkly, as if he couldn’t understand why I’d suddenly changed. After a long silence, he finally compromised. “It’s my fault tonight. I promise I’ll go on that graduation trip with you right after I finish all this work. Let’s not fight anymore, okay?”

When he reached out to pinch my cheek, I coldly slapped his hand away and pushed open the car door. While he sat there stunned, I pulled off the bracelet and forced it into his hand. “Since you bought it according to Sophie’s wrist size, it was never mine. Give it back to her.”

“Madison, that’s enough!” Rowan gripped the bracelet tightly, confronting me.

I had no intention of arguing and cut him off. “I don’t want to say more hurtful words. Just stop pretending to be the perfect boyfriend. It all ends here.”

I walked away from him in the other direction. Rowan didn’t follow. Instead, his voice rang out behind me, harsh and threatening. “Madison, if you come back now, I’ll let this go, but if you don’t, don’t expect forgiveness, even if you end up crying at my feet!”

Only the night breeze and the sound of my quickening steps responded to him.

I found a random hotel and spent the night. I then blocked Rowan and everyone close to him. I erased all traces of him from my phone.

When I woke up, it was already the next afternoon. Feeling refreshed, I decided to return to Rowan’s place to collect my things. I assumed he’d be too busy celebrating with Sophie to care, but the moment I opened the door, someone grabbed my wrist. Startled, I looked up—only to meet Rowan’s gaze, calm and unreadable, as if he’d been expecting me.

He looked at me with a half-smile. “You came back after all. Even after you blocked me. Madison, you’ve got guts.”

I frowned and shook off his hand. “Even if I block you, you always find a way, don’t you?”

My eyes drifted past him to Sophie, who was calmly eating fruit in the dining room. “So you’ve got a beauty to keep you company. No wonder Mr. Shelby couldn’t be bothered to look for me, but could you at least stop pretending to be madly in love with me? It’s revolting.”

A voice cut in from behind me, sharp and cold.

“She really knows how to talk, doesn’t she? No wonder she’s the only one whose parents died. That mouth of hers is pure bad luck. If Rowan hadn’t protected her all these years, does she really think she’d still be standing here acting like a victim? She’s so out of her league.”

It was Rachel Shelby.

She stepped forward and placed the bracelet, still glistening from the rinse, into Sophie’s hand. “Here, it’s clean. Put it on. It was Rowan’s gift.”

“Rachel!” Sophie blushed immediately and glanced at Rowan. When he didn’t object, she quietly slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

Rachel and Rowan were cousins. The three of us had gone to the same university, though we studied different majors. When Rowan first brought me into their circle, Rachel made it clear she didn’t like me. No matter how hard I tried, I could never win her over.

Rowan used to reassure me, “Don’t take it to heart. Rachel just seems cold, but she’s actually soft-hearted inside.”

However, the moment Sophie appeared, Rachel lit up with a smile. How could I not see the truth?

Sophie was the only one Rachel had ever accepted.

Rachel now barked at me, “What are you doing just standing there? Come help! You were the one who insisted on raising capital for the company. Now the investors are questioning the proposal. If we lose that funding because of you, you’ll be out of Rowan’s company!”

Rowan was undeniably talented. He’d been pursuing entrepreneurship since his first year in college.

Rachel and I had helped him.

To stay by Rowan’s side at all times, I didn’t care about positioning or prestige. I was content to be the quiet assistant behind the scenes. The pay was less than my scholarship, but I worked harder than anyone else.

Just because I had good grades, I was left to handle all the major partnerships. I always picked up the extra work—efficiently, thoroughly—without needing to be told.

Now, I sneered and said, “Rowan, you and I are about to get engaged. She's openly disrespecting me. Are you really not going to say anything? Besides, writing proposals isn’t even my job. I used to help out of goodwill, but I have every right to stop now. Who does she think she is, ordering me around?”

I said all this on purpose—to test my place in Rowan’s heart.

Sure enough, he didn’t even hesitate before choosing the other side.

“Didn’t you say we’d already broken up? If you won’t do the proposal, then don’t come back to the company.”

Over the past four years, Rowan had stood up for me countless times, but ever since Sophie returned, he didn’t even bother pretending anymore.

I gave a cold smile, nodded, and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll leave right now.”

I walked around them and headed straight for the bedroom. Pulling out my dusty suitcase, I started throwing my things into it.

Rowan followed and stared at me darkly. “Madison, are you done yet?”

Before I could answer, Rachel rushed in and tried to snatch my things. “Do you have no shame, Madison? You barged into a man’s bedroom after breaking up with him? Get out!”

As we struggled, the couple’s mug fell and shattered. My heart clenched as I crouched to pick up the shards.

Rowan watched my bleeding hand without a flicker of concern. “It’s just a broken cup. Madison, your little stunts to get my attention are getting pathetic.”

I laughed bitterly, my voice trembling. “You made that yourself for our first anniversary. Do you really not care that it’s smashed?”

“Haha, Madison, you act like you’ve never seen anything nice. That piece of junk? Rowan told me to buy it just to humor you. Only trash like you would treasure something like that,” Rachel scoffed.

“Rachel, this has nothing to do with you. You don’t get to judge us!” I snapped.

“Apologize to her!” Rowan snapped at me, suddenly playing the knight in shining armor when it was about someone that he truly cared about.

Staring into his indifferent eyes, I felt a wave of exhaustion. I said nothing more and continued silently packing the rest of my things. I just wanted to get out of this suffocating place.

Feeling triumphant, Rachel grabbed at the luggage again. “Rowan bought these. Leave them and get out.”

“Let go!” I screamed.

In the scuffle, she pulled out a photo from one of the compartments. “What’s this junk?”

My heart nearly stopped. I lunged forward desperately. “Give it back!”

Sensing how flustered I was, Rachel smirked and ripped it up, scattering the pieces into the air. “There. No need to act like a mad dog.”

Trembling, I dropped to the floor to pick up the torn pieces. My voice shook as I turned to Rowan, eyes burning. “You knew this photo was the only memento my parents left me. Why didn’t you stop her?”

“So what?” Rowan replied coolly. “I did it on purpose. You needed to learn a lesson. Maybe then you’d stop acting like the world revolves around you.”

Staring at the stranger in front of me, I realized—four years of love had been nothing but a joke.

I said nothing more. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out.

“Madison! This is your last warning! If you walk out that door, we’re done for good!” Rowan roared behind me.

I slammed the door shut, cutting off his voice completely.

They could have that hellhole. I was done.