Done Competing for Her

"I promise I'll buy you every expensive watch in the world," Vivian said.

Back then, I thought happiness was within reach.

It wasn't until a year later that I found out she was the long-lost heiress of the Grayson family. She said she was going to take back everything she had lost. I didn't say a word and stayed by her side.

Abductions, setups, poisonings, accidents—I went through every kind of ordeal.

She fought hard and clawed her way to the top, becoming the rightful heiress of the Grayson family. But after that, everything changed.

She spoke in an unhurried tone, "If you want something, you have to fight for it yourself. Since you didn't get the highest score, that means this watch isn't yours, right?"

Perhaps she noticed I had spaced out, so she added, "Of course, it's rare for you to be this well-behaved today. You should get something for that."

She gave a small nod, and a server walked over carrying a watch on a tray. With just one glance, I recognized it as the complimentary piece that came with the watch now on Jason's wrist.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Instead of taking it, I took off the watch I had worn for seven years and set it down on the tray.

"I'll pass. Jason might become the Grayson family's son-in-law one day, so it's better to give him more watches instead," I said.

After taking the watch off, I instinctively rubbed the ugly scar on my wrist. I got it while protecting Vivian during a staged car accident.

The watch dropped onto the tray, and the sharp sound made the room fall silent. Even though the watch was old, it was the most famous watch in all of Ravenport.

Back when Vivian was still fighting for control of the Grayson family, one of their spoiled sons came after me and smashed the watch in front of everyone. After that, he never had the chance to wear a watch again.

It was the first time Vivian had ever spoken so fiercely in front of everyone. "Before you lay a hand on Noah, think carefully about whether you can still keep those hands of yours."

…

Vivian's voice turned cold. "I thought you had finally come around. I didn't expect you'd have the nerve to give away something I gave you."

So, she still remembered it was a gift from her. I had assumed she'd forgotten the watch along with the promise she made.

I laughed at myself and said, "The third time you scored us, you gave another man the highest score because he knew how to share—unlike me, who only wanted to keep you to myself.

"Well, I get it now. I'm not holding onto you anymore. Isn't that what you wanted?"

A flicker of panic crossed Vivian's eyes, but it quickly vanished. "You'd better mean that. If anything happens to Jason again, I won't be giving you another chance."

I did come around, but I no longer wanted Vivian anymore.

I pointed at my sleeve and walked straight out. "I'm going to clean up."

I got home and looked at my familiar room, countless thoughts running through my mind.

Back then, I had come back to Brightvale to honor my ancestors and only planned to stay a few days. I never expected to end up staying all these years for Vivian's sake. I had even come close to cutting ties with my parents entirely.

I stopped hesitating, took a deep breath, and started packing. To my surprise, after packing for a while, I hadn't even filled a single suitcase.

At first, I had a huge fight with my family over staying in Brightvale, and they cut off my allowance. Supporting Vivian through work alone was already a stretch, followed by years of helping her fight for power. I hardly bought anything during that period, let alone afterward.

I finished packing quickly, but the pendant Grandma had left me on her deathbed was nowhere to be found.