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“You're Leo's girlfriend of eight years?”
“Don't worry, all I wanted was a wedding ceremony. The title of Mrs. Sinclair still belongs to you.”
She said it like she was granting me a favor.
I suddenly laughed, looking at her coldly. “Am I supposed to thank you?”
“Enough! Don't talk to her like that!” Before Lina could respond, Leo jumped in to defend her.
His frown deepened.
“Sylvia, there are a lot of people here. I'm trying to save you some face, not argue with you.”
“Lina and I didn't get a marriage license. You're still going to be Mrs. Sinclair.”
“You should leave now.”
His words felt like daggers twisting in my heart.
Both of them “granted” the title to me.
Did they think after eight years with Leo, all I wanted was an title?
I opened my mouth, but not a single word came out.
Finally, I pulled the ring box from my purse, and hurled it hard at Leo's face.
The box hit his forehead, then fell to the floor and slid a few feet.
The rings inside spilled out, rolling into a crack in the floor. No one paid them any attention.
Without saying anything more, I turned and left.
The moment my back was to them, tears fell like broken strings, nonstop.
I got back to my car, shut the door, and collapsed over the steering wheel, crying uncontrollably.
I couldn't accept that Leo didn't love me anymore.
I couldn't accept that he married someone else on our anniversary behind my back.
And I really couldn't accept… that I was dying. Especially dying without anyone caring about me.
I don't know how long I cried before my phone on the passenger seat buzzed twice.
Through my red, swollen eyes, I read another text from that unknown number.
“That was brave. But I hope you can be brave enough to break free completely.”
“Sylvia, live the rest of your life for yourself.”
I texted back with trembling fingers: “Who is this?”
“Someone you hate.” It responded.
I saw Leo again two days later to deal with the assets he'd put in my name.
“Sylvia, are you really going to make a big deal over something so small?”
The moment he walked in, he started in on me, clearly annoyed.
I placed the documents my lawyer had prepared on the table.
“You put a lot of assets in my name before. I never touched any of them. They're all yours again.”
“But since you cheated first, I'm keeping the apartment we live in now. I don't want anything else.”
“Sign here, and you can have someone come get your things.”
Leo frowned, “Are you really doing this? Sylvia, you have no one else in this world to depend on but me!”
Old memories flashed through my mind.
On the day of my parents' funeral, it was Leo standing by my side, supporting me through the entire process.
When it was all over, he held me and said,
“Sylvia, from today on, I'm your only family.”
“I will always protect you.”
That was the first time I ever saw Leo's eyes redden.
But now, he was ruthlessly tearing open my deepest wound.
My heart ached, but my voice was firm.
“Maybe I never needed to depend on anyone else.”
“Leo, even after all these years, I'm still grateful you supported me in my hardest time. But that doesn't give you the right to hurt me with it.”
“Sign the papers.”
