Chapter 1
Enola Crawford felt a bit dazed as she stood before the familiar front door. She never thought she would have the chance to return after being banished abroad for four years.
She still remembered what Robert Shaw had said to her when he sent her off back then. “You’re not allowed to return without my permission, Enola!”
Her parents died in an accident when she was eight years old. It was Robert, who was her father’s friend, who took her in and raised her.
When Enola turned 18 years old, Robert accidentally discovered her diary. He saw the hidden feelings she had toward him carefully tucked away within its pages, along with all the love she dared not express.
He had always doted on her, but that vanished in an instant. Furious, he held up the diary and reprimanded her for being a ridiculous, immoral woman.
Enola couldn’t understand it. Even if he took her in, they weren’t related by blood. Why wasn’t she allowed to love him?
Even so, he never gave her a chance to explain herself. He immediately shipped her off to Melcian, where she remained for four years. That faraway land was over 7,500 miles away from Bakersville.
He had cast her away without hesitation, and in the end, she had finally let go of her feelings for him. Just as she was about to push open the door, her phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the name “Honey” flashing on the screen, she couldn’t help but smile before pressing the answer button.
“Ennie, the wedding date is set. It’s in a month. Have you decided whether to hold it in Bakersville or Melcian?” Parker Sadler’s warm voice came through the phone, inexplicably putting her at ease.
Enola thought for a moment before replying, “Let’s do it in Melcian.”
“Alright. I’ll start making arrangements.” His voice remained gentle.
After a brief pause, he added, “Make sure to let Robert know this time. He should come to our wedding.”
“Mm,” Enola responded sweetly.
They then chatted a little longer before reluctantly ending the call.
She had been shipped off to Melcian out of nowhere back then, so she struggled to adapt to both the language and lifestyle. The adjustment had been difficult, but then came the multiple shooting incidents and chaos. She had faced danger more than once, nearly losing her life on several occasions.
She had dialed Robert’s number in a panic, desperate for him to take her back home. But call after call went unanswered, and every message she sent disappeared into the void.
If Parker hadn’t shown up in time to save her, she might not have survived those shootings. As they got to know each other, they realized they had been alumni of the same school, and that connection brought them closer.
Later, Enola was finally moved and accepted Parker’s confession after two years of his persistent pursuit. He then wasted no time in proposing after graduation, and she had said yes.
It was only then that Robert contacted her for the first time in years, granting her permission to return home to visit her parents’ graves.
Now, she was back to deliver the wedding invitation and to tell him she was about to get married. She had just entered the passcode when the door suddenly swung open from the inside.
“Ennie, you’re back? It’s been so long! I thought I heard your voice outside just now,” said Chloe Garcia as she opened the door from inside.
She was smiling as she greeted Enola. Then, seeing that Enola remained frozen in place without a reaction, she added, “Don’t you remember me?”
Enola blinked. She stared at the face that felt both unfamiliar and oddly familiar for a long moment before finally snapping back to reality.
A nightmare-like memory resurfaced. The fear she had buried came rushing back, paralyzing her limbs and sending a chill down her spine. Even a sense of shock filled her eyes.
“Why are you here?”
Before she even finished speaking, Robert stepped out as well. Tall and elegant as always, he carried his usual cold and dignified presence.
Seeing her reaction, Robert frowned slightly. Displeasure was evident in his expression, and he said to her in a deep and low voice, “She’s to be my wife.”
His wife?
“Why her? She used to—”
Before she could utter the words “bully me”, Robert cut her off, “Used to what?”
Just like that, memories came flooding back again.
Her early days in Melcian had been unbearably difficult. Lonely and restless, she had refused to give up and tried every possible way to find out news about him.
What she eventually learned was that Robert had gotten himself a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend, but it was one he doted on endlessly, too.
Fireworks filled the sky for her birthday. Thousands of roses were flown in just to make her happy. He had even spent millions at an auction just to amuse her. He had given another woman all the tenderness he once reserved for Enola.
She cried alone in the darkness. She endured the extreme pain, struggling through countless sleepless nights until she finally accepted the truth that he had fallen for someone else.
But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that the woman who replaced her would be Chloe, the very person who had bullied her in school.
Looking at the way he stood protectively by Chloe’s side, Enola opened her mouth. Yet in the end, she only shook her head and murmured, “It’s nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, then come inside. Now that you’re finally back, focus on moving forward. Let go of whatever was on your mind before.
“Your parents’ death anniversary is coming up. I’ll go with you to pay respects when the time comes.
“Also, Chloe is moving in today as well. You can unpack on your own. Try to get along with her from now on.”
With that, he wrapped an arm around Chloe and left the villa with her. Enola could only respond with a bitter smile as she watched their retreating figures.
After a long silence, she finally murmured, “There’s no need for that, Robbie. Once I finish paying my respects to my parents, I will leave this place for good.”
By the time Robert and Chloe returned, it was already evening. They spent the entire night unpacking their bags, only finishing late into the night.
Enola stood outside Robert’s bedroom door, holding her wedding invitation. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for a long time before finally gathering the courage to knock on his door.
The door opened from the inside, but the person standing before her wasn’t Robert.
Chloe looked at her, and there was a malicious smile curling at the corners of her lips. “Well, well. It’s been years. Did you come looking for me to reminisce about the past?”
Enola’s body tensed. A flood of nightmarish memories surged in her mind. She instinctively turned to leave, but Chloe grabbed her wrist before she could escape.
“I’m warning you to keep your mouth shut. Don’t even think about telling Robert anything about the past.” Chloe’s voice was laced with menace.
Meanwhile, Enola forced down the fear rising inside her and snapped back, “Do you think keeping quiet will bury the truth forever? One day, Robbie will see you for who you really are.”
But instead of fear, Chloe looked even more smug. “Then, let’s wait and see, shall we? A few years ago, I could destroy you with ease. Nothing’s changed since then.”
Before Enola could react, Chloe suddenly grabbed the cup of hot milk from the table and flung it over herself.
Her piercing scream echoed through the hallway.
Robert rushed out of his study in a panic the very next second. He quickly pulled Chloe into his arms as she collapsed against his chest, looking utterly pitiful with tears streaming down her face.
“Robert… It wasn’t Ennie’s fault…” she whimpered.
“Enola, I thought sending you abroad for four years would make you let go of those thoughts. That’s the only reason I allowed you to come back. But I see you’re still as stubborn as ever.
“Let me make this clear one last time. There are some things that are impossible. No matter what tricks you try to pull, you will never get what you want.”
His harsh reprimand made everything instantly clear to Enola. Did he truly think she had done this on purpose? That she had splashed Chloe out of jealousy?
She quickly tried to explain. “No, you misunderstood. I came to give you my wedding invi—”
But before she could finish, Robert had already carried Chloe away.
Enola’s eyes were filled with sorrow as she watched his retreating figure.
Then, she completed the sentence that had been left hanging in the air with a self-deprecating laugh, “I came to give you my wedding invitation. I don’t love you anymore, Robbie. I’m getting married.”
