Love, Lies and Legacy

"Get out!"

I stumbled and collapsed to the floor, instinctively biting my lip.

The guilt on Nicholas's face vanished in an instant and was replaced by a surge of anger.

"Get out of here! I don’t ever want to see you again!"

With that, he stormed into his room and slammed the door with a deafening crash.

Pearl, I noticed, had already left at some point.

I stared at the empty room, and for the first time, I gave in to my emotions, letting the torrent of tears fall freely.

An hour later, I dragged my suitcase out.

My neighbor, Molly Price peeked her head out, concern written on her face.

“Beatrix, you and your boyfriend had a fight, didn’t you? Come on, come in and sit for a while, don’t be sad.”

I shook my head.

I handed Molly her sewing kit back.

“I used the black thread to fix the buttons, and I’ve replaced it for you.”

Molly patted my hand and looked at my suitcase with a sigh.

“You’re a thoughtful one. Your boyfriend is so ungrateful.”

I didn’t respond.

I declined Molly’s invitation to stay longer and said my goodbyes to Mr. Klein at the fruit stand, Amy at the breakfast cafe, and Gretta from the kindergarten downstairs.

All the memories I had over the past three years in the neighborhood would now be wiped away one by one.

The small room my new landlord had arranged for me was in Calico City.

Jobs were easier to find in the area, though the rent was a bit high.

With limited savings from the past three years, I left Nicholas ten thousand dollars in cash—enough to cover his rent and living expenses for the next few months.

If he couldn’t find work after that, his living costs would become tight.

I bit my lip at the thought.

At the bottom of my WhatsApp list, I pulled up a blank conversation window.

A familiar profile picture appeared.

He was one of the most sought-after figures in Calico City, involved in industries ranging from real estate to catering, beauty, and logistics.

His wealth was beyond a hundred billion dollars.

And the only connection he and I shared... was a woman.

As I stared at the screen, I realized I had accidentally clicked on his profile picture.

Just then, a new message popped up.

[Beatrix, your mom’s death anniversary is in a few days. Are you still not coming?]

I paused for a long while before typing.

[I’ll be there.]

Trevor Cooper was my mom’s ex-husband’s adopted son.

To put it simply, my mom Bella Pitt, and her ex-husband’s relationship resembled one of those melodramatic plots from a soap opera.

A wealthy family had taken my mom in, but she ended up falling in love with her adoptive brother, Samuel Cooper.

In pursuit of love, my mom left her family, and Samuel gave up his social standing.

They thought they would end up together, but no one expected that childhood love would be no match for fate’s interference.

The two parted ways, and my mom married my dad and had me.

Samuel never remarried and adopted Trevor.

Now that Samuel had become successful in his career, he visited my mom’s grave every day.

He also followed his father’s wishes to look after me.

“Stop it, Beatrix. What you need right now is money, and I have it.”

Trevor’s words echoed in my mind.

Back then, my pride had overshadowed everything.

I refused to contact him, unwilling to let Nicholas misunderstand the relationship I had with Trevor.

Now, I saw it all for what it was—a fleeting illusion.

As I left, I changed into a black suit dress.

I bought a bouquet of sunflowers from the flower shop downstairs.

My mom had always liked its golden, radiant color.

My mood lifted as I looked at them.

Just then, Nicholas's mother called me, crying and begging.

"Beatrix, please come back and see Nicholas! Something happened to him!"

Unable to find me, Nicholas had hurt himself in the rental house.

There was blood all over the floor, and the landlady had called the police out of fear.

People in the neighborhood were saying that Nicholas had lost his mind.

I was stunned, and quickly unlocked my phone.

There were numerous missed calls from Nicholas, and my WhatsApp was filled with his messages.

[What’s wrong with you, Beatrix? Why did you break the lease?

[Are you still mad at me because of that mute girl? I’ve already explained everything to you! Why are you being so aggressive?

[Look, I’ll pay the rent myself. Please come back, okay?

[I’ve been in a coma for three years. I can’t control my emotions. Can you forgive me just once more?

[Stop testing me, Beatrix. I promise I’ll marry you. Is that enough?]