5
She was submerged for three hours.
The seawater intensified her pain tenfold, but Celeste gritted her teeth, clinging
to
life until exhaustion finally overcame her.
She managed to clamber onto the deck, gasping for air.
Menu
Clutching the necklace tightly, a flood of memories washed over her.
Xavier had promised her a life of comfort and unwavering devotion when she pawned it, but now it felt like a cruel joke.
She threw her head back and laughed, a bitter, heartbroken sound.
But her laughter turned into tears, her heart shattering into a million pieces.
Celeste came down with a high fever when she got home.
She was weak and could barely get out of bed to get a glass of water. Xavier returned then.
He dragged her out of bed.
Celeste thought he was taking her to the hospital and got into the car without protest.
But halfway there, she realized something was wrong.
“Xavier, this isn’t the way to the hospital. Where are we going?”
“Hospital?”
Xavier scoffed, his voice harsh. “You haven’t even dealt with the mess you created, and you dare mention the hospital?!”
Celeste, still disoriented, didn’t grasp his meaning until they arrived at their destination.
It was all about Vivian again.
Due to the online backlash, Vivian had been subjected to vicious online attacks and had resigned, moving back to her old apartment that night.
She was about to jump from the building.
Xavier brought Celeste to the rooftop. Vivian immediately recoiled.“Don’t come any closer!”
Vivi, don’t do this!”
Xavier’s hands trembled as he pleaded, “I brought her. Celeste said she wants to apologize to you and publicly clear your name online.”
Apologize?! Publicly clear her name?!
Celeste’s senses sharpened!
No way,” she said, her voice strained. “Why should I apologize to her?!”
Vivian and Xavier had been the ones to betray her.
Why should she, the victim, apologize?
Vivian’s face crumpled. “Yes, Ms. Sloane certainly doesn’t need to apologize. My life is worthless. I deserve to be mocked and insulted. I might as well die.”
Xavier gasped, shocked.“Don’t,”
He turned to Celeste, snarling, “Why are you so heartless? Just apologize!”
He kicked her, catching her off guard. She fell to her knees, pain shooting through her knee.
father’s company.”
He continued to threaten from above, “If you don’t apologize and clear her name, I’ll go after your
Celeste remembered her past life’s ordeal. Tears welled up, but she lifted her head.“Xavier, our years of marriage…doesn’t it mean anything compared to Vivian?”
This question was for her past self.
Ten years they’d spent together, sharing hardship and happiness, only to end up with her family destroyed.
Xavier froze, but quickly recovered his cold demeanor.“Are you going to apologize or not?”
Did she have a choice?
A tear rolled down Celeste’s cheek, and she offered a humiliating apology.“Miss Bennett, I’m sorry. I’ll clear this up online right away.”
to
watching her post the clarification, Xavier went to Vivian, gently comforting her.“Vivi, you heard her, come down now.”
braced her.
e’s heart ached as she watched.
she was pulling herself
up, Vivian approached her, taking her hand.“Ms. Sloane, thank you.”
arning away from Xavier, she smirked triumphantly.
ering, she added, “As a woman, don’t you find this pathetic?”
te, enraged, tried to pull away.
ivian held on tighter, pulling Celeste back until they both teetered on the edge of the railing.
Both the two women screamed in unison.
er lunged to catch them, but his fingers only closed around Vivian’s wrist.
ste fell from the rooftop.
he fell, memories of her and Xavier played like a slideshow in her head.
his life or the last, his choice never f*cking changes,” Celeste sneered.
