Chapter 2

The engagement party ended abruptly and left me and my family embarrassed. Everyone said that I was the abandoned bride left by Jake at the altar.

My mother stood protectively before me. Even though her eyes were red, she shielded me from the relentless onslaught of reporters. My father hunched his back and apologized to the guests.

They didn't leave until the evening.

Later that evening, the door to our home opened.

Jake entered with Elsie in his arms. She was drenched, and he was coaxing her gently.

It was the first time I got a close look at Elsie. Her skin was delicate, and her eyes were still red. She was indeed much like a timid bunny.

Seeing me standing in the room coldly, Elsie seemed frightened and burrowed further into Jake's embrace.

Jake frowned and said in a slightly displeased tone, "Isabel, mind your expression. You're scaring her."

I ignored them and continued packing my belongings.

My mother walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of chicken soup. She barely glanced at Jake before coming straight to me. "Isabel, have some soup to warm yourself."

I was about to thank my mother when Elsie suddenly began to cry. "Mr. Shaw... I miss my mother too... No one has ever made chicken soup for me."

Jake wiped away the tears from Elsie's eyes tenderly. His gaze towards me was venomous. "Isabel, you know Elsie has no family. Do you think it's appropriate to highlight your close bond with your mother in front of her? Elsie's very naive. She will overthink. Why do you constantly have to make things difficult for her?"

I met Jake's gaze and said calmly, "Whether she has a family or not has nothing to do with me. You think I'm making things difficult for her? I don't have time for that!"

I rarely argued with Jake, much less so aggressively. He was momentarily stunned. And then he grew impatient. "Even if it has nothing to do with you, you can't deny your role in Elsie's situation today. If you hadn't insisted on her leaving back then, she wouldn't have..."

Jake's complaints stopped abruptly.

I glanced at Jake's empty ring finger and felt irony.

He was actually blaming me.

Even though he pretended to be sincere, the truth emerged bloodily when the dream showed a crack.

He knew that I had never forgiven him and that he had never truly forgotten about Elsie.

I suppressed the bitterness in my chest and swallowed the lump in my throat. "So what do you want?"

Jake averted his gaze and no longer met my eyes. "I'll book the best hotel for your parents and let them leave now. Elsie won't be happy when she sees them. Isabel, you'll take care of Elsie for the next few days..."

I looked up at him. "I'm leaving with my parents."

Jake seemed surprised at my words. He paused briefly before he became relieved. "Isabel, you are the most understanding one. I knew it. It's true that too many people aren't good for Elsie's recovery. But don't worry. Once she's better, I'll bring you back."

With that, he stepped forward and intended to hold my hand.

Jake never held my hand initially, but now it seemed that he just wouldn't do it for me.

His long fingers were about to touch mine when Elsie pulled him back. Jake reflexively turned his head and saw Elsie's eyes brimming with tears. "Mr. Shaw, I'm so cold..."

Jake didn't have time to say more and hurried to carry Elsie to the bathroom.

Through the half-open door, I clearly saw Jake bent over before Elsie and gently took off her wet blouse. "Mr. Shaw, I can do it myself..."

He said gently, "Be good. Don't move. The doctor said you couldn't make large movements with your wrists."

Jake's broad back overlapped with that in my memory. My throat ached badly, and I closed my eyes tightly to hold back my tears.

Just as we graduated from college, we were in that tiny rental apartment, where Jake had taken care of me meticulously like that. Back then, a ring from a soda can was enough to signify our love.

But things had changed, and so had Jake. Perhaps I should have realized long ago that he was no longer the young man who made my heart race.

"But Jake, I will never be coming back."

At that moment, I realized how wise it was for me not to get married to Jake. At least we had no shared property to dispute. But even so...

"Ms. Douglas, the property between you and Mr. Shaw is a large sum. And it takes about one week to clear it up."

I nodded.

Since I'd decided to break up with Jake, I wouldn't leave Jake with anything that belonged to me. I have waited for seven years. So I could easily wait for one more week.

When I went to the company, everyone looked at me with curious eyes. I knew they were speculating about what was going on between Jake and Elsie.

Only when I entered the elevator did those probing gazes get shut out, so I could breathe a sigh of relief.

But the next moment, I noticed the elevator buttons were covered with bunny stickers.

Seeing my confusion, my assistant, Noreen Robertson, said hesitantly, "These are... Miss Davies's doing. Mr. Shaw said to let her be if she was happy and didn't have them cleaned up..."

Noreen knew my relationship with Jake was complicated, so she cautiously tried to mediate. "Mr. Shaw is a good guy. He just takes care of Elsie because she's supported and is an orphan. He sees you differently from how he feels about her..."

In fact, I had thought the same way before.

But Jake suddenly stopped loving me.

I said, "We have no relationship."

Noreen didn't understand me. "What did you say?"

I looked at the pink heart on the top floor button and repeated, "Jake and I have no relationship anymore."

As soon as my words fell, the elevator doors opened.

Jake stood there and looked down at me, and Elsie was standing behind him in a pretty dress.