Chapter 2
When she heard his voice, she closed the laptop and looked over at him.
Lynne walked up to her and shoved the roses into her arms, pulling her close and kissing her on the lips. “What’s wrong? Miss me?”
Tina pressed her lips together, remaining silent, her eyes downcast as she sniffed the roses.
Lynne, in a dramatic flourish, pulled a long box out from inside the wrapping paper.
His eyes eyes that could make anyone fall for him – looked at her intently, deeply, making her heart flutter.
Tina looked at the box and saw the diamond necklace she had admired just days ago in a store. It was worth over
three million.
She had only looked at it for a moment in the store. She didn’t expect him to have bought it.
Seeing Tina in awe, Lynne leaned in and kissed her cheek. “What? Are you a little fool, happy with the gift? Let me
put it on for you.”
Tina gently stroked the necklace with her long, fair fingers and said lightly, “Another bouquet of roses, another diamond. I thought you were proposing.”
Lynne stopped his movements, casting her a cold look. His voice cooled. “When I propose, there’ll be something
better.”
Tina smiled mockingly. “How long will I have to wait?”
Lynne’s smile faded, and a coldness entered his dark eyes.
Tina turned away, reaching for the necklace.
Lynne grabbed her hand and kissed her lips, pushing her back against the couch.
Her body tensed instantly, and she turned her head, avoiding his lips, pushing his hand away. “I… I’m not feeling
well.”
Lynne’s voice turned domineering and cold, “Don’t play hard to get. Your relatives just left.”
With that, he grabbed her hand again.
At that moment, Lynne’s phone rang.
Tina quickly pushed him away. “It’s a call, answer it.”
Lynne let out an irritated sigh, pulling his phone from his pocket.
Tina, lying under him, could see the screen perfectly.
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Chapter 2
The caller ID showed “Chilly.”
Lynne Frank quickly placed his phone down on the sofa, gave her a brief, indifferent glance, and stood up. “I need to take a call,” he said.
Then, he adjusted his pants, grabbed his phone, and went upstairs.
A while later, he returned dressed in a tailored suit. “A friend of mine ran into some trouble. I need to go help him
out. You can go to sleep,” he said.
Throughout this, he never noticed how much the villa had changed how empty it felt, with so many little things
missing.
Lynne had been gone for three days.
He’d called and said he was busy with work.
Tina Susan remained calm.
But still, she couldn’t help but check out Chilly Brown’s social media account.
She updated it every day.
On the first day, there was a photo of two hands clinking wine glasses, with the caption: Some friendships are like wine, the older they are, the stronger they get.
One of those hands belonged to a man.
Tina Susan recognized that slender, almost jade–like hand, and the ring on the ring finger. It was a designer couple’s ring, the same as the one on her own finger.
She took the ring off, smiling bitterly. “I got so used to wearing it, I forgot to sell it.”
On the second day, there was a photo of the sunset by the sea. The caption read: I wish I could grow old here.
Tina Susan recognized the two palm trees leaning against each other in the picture.
Those were the very trees she and Lynne had planted together by the beach of his seaside villa. She had even made a Chinese knot and hung it on one of them.
On the third day, there was a photo taken at the airport, a bustling crowd with Lynne’s tall and imposing figure in the background.
Chilly Brown’s fans were going wild, asking if she was in a relationship.
Her reply was simple: No, just back to a familiar place, and felt a little nostalgic.
Tina Susan suppressed the sourness that rose in her chest.
She methodically packaged the items she had sold and mailed them to the buyers, donating the money to a celebrity
Dan
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Chapter 2
charity foundation.
Some of the more expensive jewelry was hard to sell online, so she had taken them to an auction house.
She even went to the university to handle her graduate school withdrawal procedures. Then, she went to the immigration office, took photos, and got her fingerprints recorded.
She canceled all her less–used social and online shopping accounts, keeping only the two she used frequently – she planned to delete them before getting on the plane.
Today was her birthday.
As soon as the clock struck midnight, her phone and messages flooded with birthday wishes.
Her parents, her siblings, friends, classmates, professors…
