“No need, I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll find a place myself,” Emery declined. As they were speaking, Emery’s phone rang. It was an unknown number. She answered the call, and a deep male voice came from the other end. “Ms. Langford, our boss would like to meet with you. He has some information about your experiences in prison that he wants to share with you.” Emery furrowed her brows. “Who’s your boss?” The other party, however, simply mentioned a time and place before hanging up the phone. Emery was staring at her phone, a puzzled look in her eyes. Opposite her, Annie asked, “What’s wrong?” Emery relayed the situation, causing Annie to express some concern. “Could it be dangerous? Maybe you shouldn’t go.” After a moment of contemplation, Emery declared, “No, I have to go. I must uncover who it was who plotted against me in prison!” “All right then, Emery, I’ll go with you tonight.” “Let’s not think about it now and go shopping first. I need to buy some clothes as the ones I used to wear don’t fit anymore…” As she spoke, Emery took Annie’s hand, and the two of them headed straight for Silver Crest Plaza. Previously, Emery’s wardrobe was almost entirely composed of high-end luxury and custom-made pieces. However, now, she dared not venture to the luxury section on the fifth floor anymore. Leading Annie, the two of them headed straight for the general brands area upstairs. “Emery, you never used to wear stuff like this! If you’re short on cash, you can borrow mine. My dad gives me two hundred thousand each month, so I’ve got some savings!” Annie called out as she followed behind Emery. “There’s no need for that, Annie. I have money, but I don’t want to waste it. What I wear doesn’t make a difference!” Emery picked out a few sets of underwear and a couple of pajamas, then purchased two dresses along with a trench coat and some pants. All that in total only cost her 3000… It wasn’t even as much as a hairpin she had purchased in the past. The pair, laden with bags of clothes, chatted and laughed as they planned to find a restaurant for a meal. Just as they reached the lobby on the first floor, they unexpectedly ran into Winona and her entourage. Winona was clad in a light blue, high-end designer dress. Her hair was elegantly coiled up, revealing her fair and slender neck. With her face adorned with refined makeup, she was particularly eye-catching. She was linking arms with none other than Howard. The man was clad in a black suit, his golden-rimmed glasses resting on his nose. Behind the lenses, his eyes were deep and spirited, radiating an aura of nobility and intellect. Following behind were Winona’s two best friends, Niamh Turner and Mila Manning. “Well, well… if it isn’t Ms. Emery. Out for some shopping, are we?” Niamh approached with a sarcastic undertone. She stared at the bags in Emery’s hand before suddenly bursting into laughter. “Who would’ve thought that you’d now be buying these no-name brands? I bet the whole lot didn’t even cost you a thousand, did it?” Upon hearing these words, Annie was instantly filled with rage, swiftly stepping forward to shield Emery. With eyes wide open in a glare, she scolded, “Who let this disruptive mutt in here? If it wants to bark, it can go do it elsewhere! Stop causing a nuisance here!” “You… You must be out of your mind! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?” Niamh was immediately so furious that her face turned red. At that moment, Howard suddenly spoke. He was looking at Emery with a gentle gaze. “Emery, tell me what you want, and I’ll buy it for you!” Emery’s expression remained calm, not a ripple of disturbance showed on her face. She was just about to respond when she heard Annie’s voice ring out again. “Oh, so you’re Emery’s fiancé! What’s this? Blatantly strolling around with another woman, are we?” The color drained from Howard’s face instantly, a brief flicker of panic and unease flashing in his eyes. “Emery,” Winona said softly, “Howard was worried you couldn’t handle the news of your annulment right after getting out of jail, so he hasn’t had the chance to tell you yet! Actually… two years ago, the Xenakis family already announced your separation to the public.” Emery arched an eyebrow. “Oh, it was my engagement being called off, yet nobody thought to inform me? Fine, it’s actually quite nice that it’s over!” After saying that, her face suddenly turned somber. “Emery, have you even taken a look at yourself lately? How could Howard ever fall for someone like you? You should hurry home and take a good look in the mirror!” A mocking smile played at the corners of Mila’s mouth. Howard broke away from Winona and strode over to Emery, seizing her hand. “Emery, the idea to call off the engagement came from Grandpa, not me! Please don’t misunderstand!” With a cold laugh, Emery shook off Howard’s hand. “Fine, I get it! There won’t be any misunderstandings!” Having said that, she took Annie’s hand and turned to leave immediately. Ever since they were childhood friends in the past, Emery always thought Howard had a wonderful personality, and he treated her exceptionally well. She had believed their relationship had been progressing smoothly. Ironically, Howard was incredibly handsome and gentle, perfectly matching all her fantasies about a boyfriend. Looking back now, his gentleness wasn’t solely reserved for her, as he was like that with everyone. Even if breaking off the engagement wasn’t his intention, did he ever resist? Just like two years ago, did he ever utter a single word in her defense? The irony of it all was truly thought-provoking. She was better off not having such a fiancé at all. Emery pulled Annie along, and the two found a nearby barbecue restaurant to settle down in. It had been two years, and Emery was dying to have some barbecued meat. Before long, the grill, vegetables, and meat were brought to their table. Emery prepared a bowl brimming with sauce, then began placing meat and vegetables onto the grill. “Emery… Are you truly over Howard?” Annie asked while waiting for the meat to cook. “Yup! He never visited me even once in the two years I was in prison. He didn’t even utter a single word in my defense two years ago, despite knowing I was wrongfully accused! Why should I still harbor illusions about such a person? I would be crazy to.” Emery picked up a piece of meat, dipped it into the sauce, and popped it into her mouth. “Ah, barbecued meat is the best! Who cares about a fiancé!” Annie shot her a thumbs-up. “Emery, it’s great that you’ve managed to forget him! There are plenty of good men out there in the world!” Emery tossed a few prawns onto the grill. She was genuinely famished as she had barely eaten anything for breakfast and had even almost choked. If she could, she truly didn’t want to spend even a single day in the Langford residence. They would relentlessly criticize her even during meals, as if she were an unforgivable criminal or their verbal punching bag. It seemed as if belittling her was a prerequisite for them to even be able to eat. “Annie, could you help me keep an eye out for a suitable house? I plan to move out of the Langford residence soon.” After eating for a while, Emery was unbearably hot, so she rolled up her shirt sleeves. She was so engrossed in savoring the meat and large prawns that she completely forgot about the scars on her arms. Annie turned pale with shock and immediately stood up. “Emery, your arms…” Emery hurriedly yanked her sleeves back down. “It’s nothing… just minor injuries!” Tears suddenly welled up in Annie’s eyes. “Emery, you’ve truly suffered…” Emery handed her a few tissues. “Stop crying; it’s all in the past now! I’ll buy some scar cream tomorrow. They’ll fade in a few days.” Annie put down her cutlery, unable to eat any more. Emery tossed the rest of the meat onto the grill, eating at a steady pace. “Annie, everything will be all right. I won’t give them another chance to hurt me!” Annie wiped her tears. “Emery, you must take good care of yourself!”