Snow Fell, I Walked Away: He Came Back Too Late

What mattered most to him... Celine froze where she stood, her chest prickling as if pierced by countless fine needles, a dull, relentless ache spreading through her. So in his heart, Lydia had already become the one who mattered most. Before she could even process it, she saw Adrian remove the jade piece he always wore and gently place it around Lydia's neck. "This is a family heirloom. Keep it close, and no one will ever dare to touch you again." Lydia's eyes turned red with emotion as she threw her arms around him. Standing outside the door, the world spun violently in Celine's head. The Lennox family had a tradition. Any woman who wished to receive that jade had to pass eighteen trials, a ritual symbolizing unwavering loyalty to the family's heir. Back then, she had secretly attempted those trials for Adrian. She had endured every kind of ordeal—pain, humiliation, and punishment—yet she still failed in the end. In the end, she had collapsed and been carried home. When Adrian saw her covered in injuries, his eyes had reddened instantly. He pulled her into his arms, his voice shaking. "Celine, who told you to do something like that? Jade or not, you're my wife. My only wife." Later, he had indeed kept that promise. He gave her a grand wedding and a kind of devotion others envied. He had gone down on one knee and declared before everyone, "Celine, in this life, you're the only one I want." And now, that same pendant rested effortlessly around another woman's neck. It felt like her chest was stuffed with damp cotton, suffocating, leaving her unable to breathe. So his "lifetime" had only ever meant ten years. Celine could not take it anymore. She turned and rushed into the restroom, retching violently. When she finally lifted her head, she realized Lydia had followed her in at some point. The moment she saw her, Lydia sneered. "Followed us all the way here? I'll make this clear. The one Adrian loves now is me. No amount of playing the victim will change that." Celine let out a faint laugh. "I've never seen someone so proud of being the other woman." "Drop the Mrs. Lennox act. You've already signed the divorce papers." Lydia suddenly snapped, her voice rising. "Adrian said you're nothing but work, that you can't even satisfy him. You don't even count as a real woman!" Celine hadn't expected Adrian to share something that intimate. It felt as if her heart had been thrown into a freezing abyss. Lydia smirked, even more smug. "Oh, and one more thing. Adrian already had the reversal surgery. His parents have been dying for a grandchild. If it weren't for you, why would he have gotten that procedure in the first place and let people laugh at him?" "Lydia? Who are you talking to?" Adrian's concerned voice suddenly came from outside. A flicker of panic crossed Lydia's face, but she quickly composed herself. She shot Celine a vicious look and sneered, "Let's see who Adrian believes." With that, she slapped herself hard and screamed, "Don't come any closer! I won't do it again!" "Lydia! What happened?!" Adrian panicked and kicked the door open, rushing inside. Caught off guard, Celine stumbled back from the impact, her lower back slamming into the sharp edge of the sink, pain flaring instantly. But Adrian, holding Lydia, didn't even look up. He didn't spare Celine a single glance. "Lydia, what happened?" Lydia burst into tears at once. "It's all my fault. I made her upset. Please don't blame her…" Only then did Adrian lift his head and notice Celine standing not far away. "You followed me?" Celine laughed scornfully. "Do I need to follow you? Everyone already knows you threw a fit over a woman. It'll probably be on every front page by tomorrow morning." "We'll see who dares," Adrian snapped, cutting her off. The air went tense. He looked at Celine for a long moment, his tone softening again. "Did one of your colleagues say something to you?" He sighed and added, "On paper, Lydia is still my assistant. Taking care of her is part of my responsibility. Don't make a scene." Making a scene? A bitter smile tugged at Celine's lips. In the past, worried that having women around him would make her uneasy, he had insisted his personal assistants be male. And yet later, he had promoted Lydia against all expectations and even fought for her. And now, he was saying she was just making a scene. Even though Celine hadn't actually said anything at all. She was completely, utterly done with him… and with everything they had. She watched Adrian carry Lydia away, watched Lydia glance back at her with that smug look in her eyes. There was nothing left in her but numbness, as if a piece of her heart had been slowly peeled away. And after enough pain, even that stopped mattering.