It was already past midnight.
Tom sat alone on the cold wooden floor of his bedroom, his back resting against the side of his bed.
An almost empty bottle of whiskey sat beside him.
His eyes were bloodshot.
Dark circles had formed beneath them after several sleepless nights.
His phone rested in his trembling hand.
Without hesitation, he pressed the call button once again.
Calling... Mildred
The ringtone echoed through the silent room.
No answer.
The call ended.
Tom immediately dialed again.
And again.
And again.
He had already lost count of how many times he had called her.
A hundred times...
Maybe more.
He tried every possible way to reach her.
Her mobile number.
Her international number.
Messenger.
Instagram.
Every message remained unread.
Every call went unanswered.
She wasn't online.
She had disappeared completely.
He let out a bitter laugh.
"When did I become this pathetic?"
He whispered the words to himself before taking another burning gulp of whiskey.
The alcohol did nothing to numb the pain.
Instead, it made the silence even louder.
He stared blankly at the ceiling.
His thoughts drifted back to that night.
The engagement.
Chairman Yang's smug smile.
Anna's signature on the contract.
His chest tightened.
"Why... Anna?"
He closed his eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The questions circled endlessly in his mind.
Had she been pretending all along?
Had she really betrayed his trust?
Or had he misunderstood everything?
The uncertainty tormented him.
But every answer he imagined only fueled his anger.
He clenched the whiskey bottle until his knuckles turned white.
"Chairman Yang..."
His voice was low and bitter.
"You planned all of this."
His jaw tightened.
"And I walked right into your trap."
Unable to stop himself, Tom unlocked his phone and called Mildred again.
No answer.
He called once more.
Still nothing.
His breathing became ragged.
Frustration boiled over.
With a furious shout, he hurled the phone across the room.
Crash!
The expensive device slammed into the wall before crashing onto the hardwood floor.
The screen shattered into countless pieces.
Tom stared at the broken phone.
His entire body trembled with rage.
His breathing grew heavier.
Without another thought, he lifted the whiskey bottle and emptied the last of its contents in one long swallow.
Not a single drop remained.
Some of the liquor spilled down his chin, soaking the front of his shirt.
The room slowly began to spin.
His vision blurred.
The alcohol finally took hold.
Struggling to remain conscious, he pushed himself toward the bed.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
He collapsed onto the mattress without bothering to remove his shoes or change his clothes.
Within moments, exhaustion overpowered him.
For the first time in days...
Sleep finally claimed him.
But even in his dreams, peace never came.
The faces of Mildred, Anna, and Chairman Yang continued to haunt him, leaving him trapped between heartbreak, betrayal, and the growing desire for revenge.
The next morning...
It was already past noon when Tom finally opened his eyes.
His head throbbed violently.
The empty whiskey bottle still lay beside the bed, and the room smelled of alcohol.
He slowly turned his head.
Daniel was standing in the doorway, holding a large garbage bag.
He picked up the empty bottle and raised an eyebrow.
"Wow."
He gave Tom a sarcastic smile.
"So... she's still ignoring your calls?"
Without waiting for an answer, Daniel dropped the bottle into the garbage bag.
Tom remained silent, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Aunt Jade called me this morning," Daniel continued while sweeping the shattered pieces of glass from the floor.
"She said you were a complete mess last night."
He bent down and picked up the remains of Tom's broken phone.
"Tsk... tsk..."
"What a waste."
Tom didn't respond.
He simply lay there, emotionless.
Daniel leaned the broom against the wall before sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Hey."
Tom slowly looked at him.
"Come on."
Daniel grabbed his wrist.
"Get up."
"You smell terrible."
"Go take a shower."
Tom didn't resist.
He allowed Daniel to pull him to his feet.
As they walked toward the bathroom, Tom muttered,
"If someone saw us right now, they'd think you were my girlfriend."
Daniel laughed.
"I don't care..."
He smirked.
"...as long as Anna doesn't think that."
The moment Tom heard Anna's name, his expression darkened.
Without another word, he walked into the bathroom and shut the door.
Daniel sighed.
"Oops..."
"My bad."
Cold water poured over Tom's body.
He stood beneath the shower with his eyes closed.
The icy water washed away the smell of alcohol but failed to ease the ache in his heart.
For a few minutes, he simply stood there, letting the water fall over him.
When he came downstairs, Daniel was already in the kitchen.
He had prepared a simple meal.
"Sit."
Daniel placed a plate in front of him.
"Eat."
Tom frowned suspiciously.
"What?"
Daniel laughed.
"Don't look at me like that."
Tom pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Whatever speech you're about to give..."
"It won't work."
Daniel chuckled.
"I didn't come here to lecture you."
"I came because Aunt Janet told me what happened last night."
Tom looked up.
"So..."
"You knew?"
Daniel nodded.
"I've suspected something for a while."
Tom frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel took a bite of his breakfast.
"The first time Anna and I met..."
"We were in the university canteen."
Tom listened quietly.
"She told me you were her fiancé."
Tom nearly dropped his fork.
"What?"
"I didn't believe her."
Daniel laughed.
"I barely knew her."
"I thought she was joking... or maybe she had a crush on you."
He shrugged.
"But later I found out she knew your family."
"And Chairman Yang treated her differently."
"I realized something strange was going on."
He sighed.
"I even suspected Chairman Yang had a plan."
"But when he approved your engagement to Mildred..."
"I thought I was wrong."
Daniel looked at Tom.
"I'm sorry."
Tom lowered his eyes.
For the first time, he realized Daniel had noticed the signs long before he had.
After a long silence, Daniel asked,
"So..."
"What's your plan?"
Tom's jaw tightened.
"This engagement..."
"It'll never happen."
"Never."
Daniel sighed.
"Fine."
"But please..."
"Don't take it out on Anna."
Tom looked at him sharply.
"I'm sure she didn't have a choice."
"You know Chairman Yang."
Tom slammed his fork onto the table.
"She lied to me."
"I asked her last night."
"She still didn't tell me the truth."
Daniel remained calm.
"When it comes to Anna..."
"I'm on her side."
"She's a victim, too."
Tom stared at him in disbelief.
"A victim?"
"My relationship was destroyed."
"Mildred disappeared."
"And you're telling me she's the victim?"
Daniel raised both hands.
"Relax."
"I'll ask a friend in Paris to help locate Mildred."
"But revenge won't solve anything."
"You and Chairman Yang have always clashed."
"Don't drag Anna into your fight."
Tom shook his head.
"No."
"This isn't just about Chairman Yang anymore."
"It's about trust."
"I trusted Anna."
"And she hid everything from me."
Daniel sighed.
"Only Chairman Yang planned that engagement."
"Anna didn't know it was happening."
Tom looked at him coldly.
"And how are you so sure?"
Daniel hesitated.
He couldn't answer without revealing Anna's confidence.
His silence only frustrated Tom more.
"And now you're protecting her."
Tom scoffed.
"For all we know, maybe she's after our family's money."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Really?"
"You used to treat her like your little sister."
"And now you're calling her a gold digger?"
"She's our family friend."
Tom looked away.
"I don't know her family."
"And honestly..."
"I don't care."
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
"Don't you find it strange?"
"Ever since she met you..."
"She's been avoiding you."
He smiled faintly.
"She's never acted like someone chasing after your wealth."
Tom folded his arms.
"None of that matters."
"I saw the contract."
Daniel froze.
"What contract?"
"I only saw the last page."
"But both of them signed it."
Tom's voice became colder.
"I don't know what the rest of the agreement says."
"But after seeing that..."
"I can't trust her anymore."
He stood and carried his empty plate to the sink.
"I believed her."
"And if she really helped ruin my life..."
He paused.
"I'll make sure she feels the consequences."
Daniel remained seated, quietly sipping his coffee.
Tom looked back.
"What?"
"I know that look."
"Say it."
Daniel sighed.
"Just..."
"Don't be too hard on her."
"She's my friend."
"The only real friend I've made since coming back."
Tom laughed quietly.
"Oh, Daniel..."
"There are plenty of women in the world."
"You don't have to like her."
Daniel smiled.
"I know."
He shrugged.
"It just happened."
Tom rolled his eyes.
"Besides..."
Daniel added with a teasing grin,
"She's technically your fiancée now."
Tom grabbed a napkin and threw it at him.
"Get out."
Daniel laughed as he caught it.
"Fine."
"I'm leaving."
As he reached the doorway, he looked back.
"Just promise me one thing."
"Hear Anna out before you judge her."
Tom didn't answer.
Daniel quietly left the house.
The kitchen fell silent once again.
Tom rubbed his temples.
The hangover still pounded inside his head.
He felt drained.
Without another word, he returned to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.
But even in the silence...
His mind refused to rest.
Meanwhile, Anna walked slowly through the university hallway after leaving her professor's office.
Her shoulders felt heavy.
In her right hand, she held a sheet of paper. She glanced at it one last time before slowly rolling it into a tube.
It was her examination paper.
She had failed.
Although she had expected the result after everything that had happened over the past few days, seeing the failing score still crushed her.
Her professor had been disappointed.
"If you want to remain on the Dean's List, you'll have to earn a perfect score on your final examination," her professor had said.
Those words echoed relentlessly in Anna's mind.
With a weary sigh, she walked into the washroom.
She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water across her face.
After drying herself with a tissue, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
"Smile..."
She forced the corners of her lips upward.
"No one needs to know."
She practiced smiling several times until it almost looked natural.
Only then did she leave the restroom.
When Anna returned to the classroom, she acted as though nothing had happened.
Her friends immediately gathered around her.
"Why did Professor call you?"
"Did something happen?"
Anna smiled.
"Oh... nothing important."
She lied effortlessly.
She didn't want them to worry.
She wasn't like this before.
She used to share everything with them.
But lately...
She had been keeping every burden to herself.
As she sat down, her phone vibrated.
She took it out.
Missed Calls (2)
Chairman Yang
Anna frowned in annoyance.
Without returning the calls, she slipped the phone back into her bag and opened her textbook, trying to distract herself with reading.
By the time classes ended, dusk had already settled over the campus.
Their research project had kept everyone much later than usual.
Anna stood outside the university gate, waiting for a ride home.
A black sedan slowly pulled up in front of her.
Her smile immediately faded.
David stepped out from the driver's seat.
"I'm sorry, Miss Anna," he said with an apologetic bow.
Anna sighed.
"What now?"
"Chairman Yang asked me to pick you up."
"He wants to see you after his meeting."
"So you'll have to wait for him."
Anna frowned.
"At my house?"
David hesitated.
"No."
"At the house in Forbes Park."
Anna looked away, clearly irritated.
"And if I refuse?"
David remained silent.
Instead, he quietly opened the rear door.
Anna rubbed her forehead.
She already knew that silence was her answer.
Without another word, she got into the car.
David closed the door gently before driving toward Forbes Park.
After arriving, David handed Anna a key.
"I'll be leaving now."
Anna nodded.
She unlocked the front door and stepped inside.
The house was completely dark.
She switched on the lights before quietly sitting on the living room sofa.
Minutes became hours.
Chairman Yang still hadn't arrived.
Her stomach began to growl.
She glanced toward the kitchen.
She wanted to find something to eat...
But she felt too embarrassed to touch anything inside someone else's house.
So she remained seated.
Eventually, she checked her phone.
No messages.
No calls.
She sighed.
"Maybe I should just go home."
She stood up, picked up her bag, and headed toward the front door.
Just then—
Footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Anna looked up.
Her eyes widened.
Tom.
He was slowly walking downstairs.
Panic flooded her body.
She instinctively stepped backward, hoping to hide before he noticed her.
Her elbow accidentally struck a large porcelain vase resting on a decorative stand.
The vase wobbled.
Anna reached for it.
"No..."
Her fingertips barely brushed the porcelain.
The vase slipped away.
Crash!
The priceless white Qianlong vase shattered across the marble floor.
The sound echoed throughout the house.
"Oh my God!"
Tom rushed toward her.
"Anna?"
"What are you doing here?"
Anna froze.
She looked at the shattered pieces, horrified.
Without thinking, she dropped to her knees and hurriedly began gathering the broken porcelain with her bare hands.
"Stop!"
Tom raised his voice.
"Anna, stop!"
She didn't hear him.
She kept picking up the sharp fragments in a panic.
"I said stop!"
Tom grabbed both of her wrists.
"Don't you hear me?"
Anna looked up at him, frightened.
"T... Tom..."
Her voice trembled.
"I'm... I'm so sorry."
"I didn't know you were here."
She tried to pull her hands away.
Tom didn't let go.
Instead, he noticed something.
Blood.
Several thin cuts had opened across her fingers and palm.
He immediately released her.
"Go clean those wounds."
Anna slowly stood.
Her legs trembled.
Still terrified, she turned toward the front door.
Tom frowned.
"And where do you think you're going?"
She kept walking.
Tom caught up to her and gently grabbed her arm.
He guided her back toward the sofa.
"Sit."
His voice was firm but no longer angry.
He walked into the kitchen and returned moments later carrying a first-aid kit.
Anna looked at him nervously.
"I... I should go."
Tom ignored her.
He sat beside her and opened the kit.
"I can do it."
She forced a weak smile.
"I'm a nursing student, remember?"
Tom prepared the antiseptic without looking up.
When he reached for her hand, Anna instinctively pulled it back.
"I said I can do it."
Tom finally looked at her.
"Don't be stubborn."
His voice softened.
"After this..."
"I won't bother you anymore."
He gently took her hand and carefully cleaned the cuts.
Anna lowered her head.
Those words hurt more than the antiseptic stinging her wounds.
She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I'm sorry."
Tom let out a tired laugh.
"Could you stop apologizing?"
"I don't need your sympathy."
He shook his head.
"I know it isn't genuine."
Anna's heart sank.
He knows...
At least, she thought he did.
Trying to change the subject, she quietly said,
"Chairman Yang asked me to wait here."
"He said he wanted to talk to me."
Tom frowned.
"Here?"
"In my house?"
Anna blinked.
"This is your house?"
Tom nodded.
"I bought this place."
A familiar voice interrupted them.
"With my money."
Both of them turned toward the entrance.
Chairman Yang stood at the open front door, his hands resting on the handle of his cane.
His sharp eyes swept across the room before settling on Tom and Anna sitting together on the sofa.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
It was clear he had overheard their conversation.