He Gave My Heirloom To His First Love

He went rigid, taking a half-step back from Tessa Guzman. “Alora…”

“Rafael, I earned the role of the Deep Sea Siren on my own talent. How could you just hand it to Tessa?”

“How could I?”

Alora had been fighting to keep her emotions in check, but seeing Rafael with Tessa? That shattered her control. Then her gaze snagged on the locket around Tessa’s neck—the keepsake her parents had left her—and helpless fury flooded her eyes.

“And this locket…”

“My parents left this to me. What gives you the right to give it to Tessa, Rafael? By what right?”

“Alora!”

As Tessa’s eyes filled with tears and her body swayed like she might collapse, Rafael looked at Alora with unmistakable disapproval.

“Can’t you be reasonable?”

“Voicing the Deep Sea Siren has been Tessa’s lifelong dream. She only has six months left. Why do you have to compete with her over everything?”

There it was again. The ‘unreasonable’ label.

A bitter laugh tore from Alora’s throat. Her eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears.

“Rafael, voicing the Deep Sea Siren was my dream too!”

If she’d gotten this opportunity through some backdoor deal and Rafael had handed it to Tessa, maybe she wouldn’t be this angry. But she’d earned it with her own skill. He had no right to hand it over.

“Alora, you’ll have other chances. Tessa doesn’t have much time…”

Alora cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Tessa doesn’t have much time left…”

“So because she’s sick, it’s okay for her to wear the dress I sewed by hand?”

“Because she’s ill, it’s fine to give her the keepsakes my parents left me?”

“Just because she’s sick, everything I own should rightfully become hers?”

“Tessa’s life matters, but mine counts for nothing?”

“Is the world supposed to revolve around her just because she’s sick?”

“Rafael, if you’re so fixated on Tessa and want to take care of her, that’s your business. But you have no right to use my things to please her—or to mess with my life!”

Rafael’s pupils contracted sharply, catching the anger flickering in Alora’s eyes.

He never imagined Alora would look at him with such hostility—as if all the love she’d once had for him was fading, as if she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Panic and unease welled up inside him.

“Alora…”

A dull ache spread through his chest. Just as he was about to speak softly to Alora, Tessa’s hoarse, pained voice cut in. “Alora, I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t know I’d end up taking your role. I only wanted so badly to voice the Deep Sea Siren. It’s my last wish…”

“I’m sorry…”

Tessa lifted her chin, eyes closed defiantly as if holding back tears. Two silent streams slipped down her face. She looked noble, proud—a tear-streaked rose that made people want to do anything just to see her smile again.

Then she coughed, frail and delicate, and a trace of bright red appeared at the corner of her lips.

“Tessa!”

Seeing her not only crying but showing signs of distress, Rafael forgot all about placating Alora. He turned, anxiously steadying Tessa’s wavering form.

“Are you in pain? Let’s get you back to the hospital!”

“I don’t want to go back.”

Tessa weakly clasped his hand, her enchanting eyes filled with a chilly brokenness and hope. “I want to sign the contract…”

“I can’t miss the Deep Sea Siren. It’s been my dream all along…”

“Okay, we’ll sign the contract first.”

Worried she might fall, he carefully picked her up in his arms. Even when met with Alora’s cold, disdainful eyes, Rafael felt deeply uncomfortable.

But he knew Alora was only looking at him like that because she was angry. She was easy to please. Give her a little attention, and she’d throw herself into his arms willingly. Often, he didn’t even need to do anything—she’d console herself, eyes full of him once more.

No one could ever love him more than Alora did.

Alora would never leave him. But Tessa truly had limited time. He didn’t want her last moments to be unhappy.

As Tessa continued to cry silently, he couldn’t help but frown and chastise Alora. “Alora, you went too far today!”

“I’m the one who gave the role to Tessa. This has nothing to do with her.”

“Move back in tonight!”

“And stop constantly targeting Tessa, let alone mentioning breaking up!”

Rafael’s words clearly showed he didn’t agree with breaking up with Alora. Hearing the implication, Tessa quietly clenched her fists.

But she was adept at managing her expressions. No matter how much she wanted to tear Alora apart inside, she still looked at Alora with sincerity and kindness.

“Alora, please don’t fight with Rafael anymore.”

“I know you misunderstand me a lot, but my relationship with Rafael is truly innocent.”

“I never wanted to take anything from you, and I don’t want to destroy what you and Rafael have. I hope you both can be happy.”

She claimed she never wanted to take anything…

Alora knew Tessa was exceptionally skilled at lying through her teeth.

She claimed she didn’t want to take anything, yet she hijacked the wedding Alora had planned and even insisted on wearing the dress Alora had sewn herself.

She claimed she didn’t want to take anything, yet she shamelessly took Alora’s parents’ keepsakes.

But with Tessa’s shamelessness and Rafael’s immense bias, arguing was pointless.

She no longer argued angrily. She only offered a sarcastic smile. “Yes, you and Rafael are very innocent.”

“Innocently kissed. Innocently got married.”

“Why not innocently go to bed too?”

After saying this, Alora didn’t linger. She abruptly turned and walked toward the exit of the hall.

“Alora!”

Rafael’s face turned stormy, the cold aura around him chilling to the bone.

He never intended to sleep with Tessa.

Her accusations and jealousy were outrageous!

“Rafael, my stomach hurts…”

Hearing Tessa’s plaintive voice, he ignored Alora.

Holding her tighter, his voice full of concern, “Tessa, let’s go upstairs and sign the contract now, then head straight back to the hospital.”

“No need for the hospital. It’s just a stitch in my side. A little massage from you will make it all better.”

Tessa’s voice grew softer and more suggestive. “Come on, just give me a little rub, won’t you?”

“Alright.”

From a distance, Alora heard Tessa’s playful voice.

She wanted Rafael to massage her stomach.

With that kind of intimacy between them, could it really be just a simple massage?

She imagined Rafael and Tessa entangled in a heated embrace, and it felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

She didn’t hate the way she felt, even though it cut her to the bone.

Because she knew that stopping loving Rafael was like carving infected flesh from her body.

Even after it was cut away, the wound would still ache.

But as long as she kept moving forward and didn’t look back, that pain would eventually lessen.

In time, she would be reborn.

---

Even though Alora missed out on voicing the Deep Sea Siren, she didn’t wallow in self-pity or despair.

She went to several auditions afterward.

It was like some personal challenge—every time she secured a notable role, she’d be told before signing that she was being replaced.

Without exception, it was always Tessa who replaced her.

Still, during this period, she did land some work.

Even if they were only minor roles, she tackled them with enthusiasm and dedication.

Tessa tried to undermine her at every turn, hoping she would sink into disgrace and despair. But Alora was determined to rise above it.

The hotel she was staying at offered a buffet breakfast.

After washing up in the morning, Alora headed downstairs to the hotel dining area—only to find Rafael’s cousin, Isla Lane, standing right there at the door!