The World Is Her Oyster

Marcus woke up early the next morning. His throat was parched after drinking heavily the night before. As soon as he opened his eyes, he reached for the bedside table, expecting to find a cup of tea as usual, but it wasn't there.

The sheets beside him had already gone cold as well.

He wondered where Yvonne was. Something felt off, but before he could think much of it, he got a call from his sister, Quinn Cunningham. She told him she was bringing a friend over for a visit.

Meanwhile, Yvonne, who had spent the entire night on the app until her eyes were red and swollen, had finally fallen asleep in the adjacent room at dawn.

She woke up to a commotion downstairs.

The housekeeper, Maria Shaw, informed her, "Ms. Cunningham asked you to change and join them when you wake up."

At the pool, Yvonne felt out of place in her overly revealing swimsuit. As soon as she appeared, a wave of teasing and lewd remarks crashed over her.

"Damn, Marcus, your fiancée is quite the looker."

"Yeah, isn't she? He doesn't know how to appreciate her."

In the past, Yvonne would've been happy to hear such comments, thinking she finally had something that made her worthy of being with Marcus. But now, she knew better. Their words were nothing more than veiled ridicule.

Marcus remained expressionless at the teasing. Yvonne couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she saw him glancing at the door every so often.

One of his friends spoke up in her defense. "Hey, don't ridicule Yvonne to her face."

Quinn said smugly, "It's okay. I checked earlier—she's not wearing her hearing aids."

The group erupted in laughter at her words.

Quinn had never liked Yvonne, and her animosity had only increased since the engagement. Back in college, Quinn had led others in bullying her—adding salt to her coffee, cutting her hair while she slept. Those were just some of the things Quinn had done.

Yvonne forced a smile and pretended like she hadn't heard them.

Rachel was, naturally, the center of attention as soon as she appeared. Quinn ran to her side eagerly. "Rachel! I heard you've been back for some time. Why didn't you call me?"

The others also went up to her, greeting her warmly. After all, they belonged to the same social circle. Yvonne was only there because of her relationship with Marcus.

She suddenly recalled the countless sketches of Rachel that she had seen in Marcus' study. He had drawn them all himself. Behind every drawing, he had written, "All I wish for is to grow old with you."

It was Yvonne's first time meeting Rachel in person. She was gorgeous, her long, curly hair cascading down her back while her perfectly fitted swimsuit accentuated her figure. The gentle smile on her face exuded an effortless charm.

It wasn't hard to see why Marcus was so infatuated with her.

Feeling bored, Yvonne decided to return to her room and continue practicing her second language. However, the sudden sound of commotion made her turn.

Through the crowd, she saw Marcus draping a towel tightly around Rachel, whose swimsuit was just as revealing as Yvonne's. He berated her for not taking care of herself.

Rachel took the opportunity to nestle into his embrace.

Yvonne couldn't blame him. No man would want his beloved to expose her body in public. It was only natural that he would want Rachel to cover up.

Back in her room, Yvonne texted her agent to ask about the progress of her visa application. She was an orphan, and this city had nothing left for her.

However, she needed a lot of money to move to Anderland. Even though Marcus hadn't deprived her financially over the last few years, she still wanted to save up some cash. Besides, she had heard that it wasn't easy for foreign students to graduate in Anderland.

Therefore, she turned her mind to the jewelry Marcus had given her over the years.

She wasn't indifferent enough to leave with nothing, but she wouldn't take anything that didn't belong to her. She just wanted to resume her studies, which she had put on hold for Marcus.

Just then, Quinn's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Yvonne, where's the tea?"

Her imperious tone was nothing new.

Yvonne froze for a moment. She hadn't made tea in days.

Marcus never told her when he was returning to their villa in Waterfront Bay, so in the past, she made a fresh batch of tea every day so that he could have freshly brewed tea whenever he came home.

It wasn't just tea. She had also painstakingly learned to cook so he could have healthy meals every day. The thick cookbooks in the kitchen were a testament to her efforts. Even if Marcus only ever tasted a few of her dishes, it still made her happy.

She had stopped all of that after her surgery.

"Do you want some?" Yvonne asked.

"Rachel just got out of the pool. She's feeling cold," Quinn replied. "Hurry up and make some tea for her. If she catches a cold, Marcus will be upset!"

Before Quinn could say anything more, Rachel coughed delicately from the couch.

"Okay. I'll ask Maria to make some tea," Yvonne said.

Quinn wasn't happy with that. "No, make it yourself. What, you won't brew tea just because Marcus isn't the one drinking it? Rachel is important to Marcus. If she gets sick, he won't be happy. I thought Grandpa told you to take care of him?"

Yes, Yvonne had been instructed to take care of Marcus, but she wasn't their maid—especially not now, when she had nothing left to lose.

Rachel chimed in, "I've heard from Marcus that you're good at cooking. Would I have the honor of trying your tea?"

Yvonne kept her head low, which made her appear meek. However, her reply was firm. "No."

Rachel was treating her like a maid to assert dominance and show her that she would be the future mistress of the house.

Rachel softened her tone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked for something special meant only for Marcus."

Marcus, who had overheard their conversation from upstairs, was surprised by Yvonne's odd behavior. She was usually compliant and obedient. He went down and said, "It's not a big deal. Yvonne, go and make some tea."

Rachel quickly stopped him. "It's alright, Marcus. I don't think Yvonne likes me much. Maybe next time. Besides, I'm feeling a little lightheaded. Is it okay if I rest here for a while? I hope you don't mind, Yvonne."

Hearing her thinly veiled provocation, Yvonne chuckled inwardly. If Rachel was sick, she should be seeing a doctor. Staying here wouldn't help her get better.

However, she didn't say that. Instead, she replied warmly, "Of course, Ms. Sinclair. Rest well."

She would step out and give her the space.