C04
He visibly relaxed and told his secretary to personally escort me downstairs. Before I left, he reminded me about tomorrow night’s banquet at the Sterlings‘ mansion. It was to celebrate Jennie’s return.
After all, as the company’s president, he had to maintain appearances. Publicly, they claimed Jennie had been abroad for further studies. No one ever mentioned her time in prison.
I nodded and assured him I’d behave and not cause a scene at the banquet. Only then did he seem at ease as he sent me on my way.
When I got home, I took down our wedding photo from the wall, carefully shredded it with scissors and tossed the pieces into the trash.
That night, Corey didn’t come home. Instead, Jennie reactivated her social media account and posted for the first time in ages. It was a picture of a romantic candlelit dinner for two.
The man’s face wasn’t shown, but part of his wrist was visible. The tan line where a wedding ring used to sit was faintly noticeable–a stark contrast to the surrounding skin. It was Corey.
Just as she wanted, I liked her post. Then, I turned off my phone and began packing my bags. Early the following day, Corey’s secretary delivered a dress for me to wear to the banquet. I opened the package to take a look–it was last season’s rejected design.
By the time I arrived at the banquet that evening, Sebastian had just finished giving his speech. He announced that Jennie would now oversee all collaborative projects between his and Gail Corporation.
The crowd was filled with admiration and envy, praising Jennie for her incredible luck–two childhood sweethearts, both treating her like a queen. When I walked in, the room fell silent. Everyone stared at me with expressions that said they were expecting a show.
Corey was busy mingling with the guests and had no time to notice me. Jennie, however, played the gracious host on his behalf. She pulled me aside and led me to the rooftop terrace.
The moment we were alone, her facade dropped. Her face twisted with mockery and malice. “Winona, after these years, you’re still as useless as ever. I spent these past three years abroad. Thanks to your husband, I lived the most comfortable life imaginable. Don’t tell me you actually believed Corey married you out of love? Let me set the record straight–if it weren’t for your lawsuit, he wouldn’t have spared you a single glance! Winona, you’re nothing but a joke!”
Anger flared within me and I couldn’t help but slap her across the face. She sneered coldly and took a few deliberate steps back–then tumbled down the stairs. Screams erupted from the banquet hall below.
Corey was the first to rush over, scooping her into his arms. When he looked up at me, his eyes were filled with fury. “Winona, what the hell are you doing? Are you crazy? Jennie was trying to be nice to you. Why did you push her?
4:11 PM
Loving a Liar
Didn’t you promise not to bring up the past again? So what’s this about now?”
I stared at him coldly, my voice devoid of emotion. “I’m causing trouble? Corey, don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened back then?”
He frowned, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. “What explanation? Jennie already spent the last three years making amends for her mistakes. What more do you want? Whatever happened before doesn’t justify you laying hands on her today! Winona, apologize to her right now!”
Before I could speak, Jennie was already shedding tears of grievance in his arms. “Don’t… don’t make things hard for Winona. Everything that happened back then was my fault. I’m the one who wronged her. Let’s just consider today as my way of making it up to her. If she hates me this much, then from now on, we should just stop contacting each other. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”
My fingernails dug into my palms so hard that blood dripped down. As I watched the two of them walk away,
wrapped in each other’s embrace, I knew it was over for us.
