Chapter 2

The next second, Tessa's phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was Edison Lockmere. "Tessa, have you finally come to your senses? You gave up your research and stayed in the country for a man. What changed your mind all of a sudden?" Edison was two years ahead of her in college and came from a wealthy family, too. He'd confessed to her once back then, but she had turned him down. Thinking about it now, Tessa felt a bit awkward. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I was just blinded by love and totally lost in it back then. I've figured things out now. Men don't matter to me. Career does." He stayed quiet for a while before speaking again. "So... you and him…" She replied, "Yeah. We're divorced." His voice instantly perked up. "Divorced? That's great news. "But don't lose hope. Guys like me still exist, you know." She laughed. "Right, right. You're one of the good ones." His voice dropped slightly as he asked, "How about giving me another shot?" She brushed him off with a few casual words, but after hanging up, she realized her heart was racing. Edison was so straightforward that it actually made her blush. When she got back to the villa, she casually tossed the wedding ring she'd worn for years into the toilet. And just like that, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. It wasn't until early the next morning that Benedict finally came home. Tessa caught the familiar scent on him and instinctively turned away in disgust. He beamed as he held out a box like it was some prize. "Tessa, I stood in line all afternoon on the east side just to get your favorite brownie." Without even looking up, she said flatly, "I don't like it anymore." He froze. "Why not? You used to love it." "I got tired of it," she replied calmly. He tried to coax her and asked, "Then what do you feel like eating now? I'll go get it—" Then, he suddenly grabbed her hand. "Where's your ring? Why aren't you wearing it?" She pulled her hand away. "It broke, so I tossed it." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll get you a new one. That old ring was outdated anyway. It's time for a change." Right after he said that, she let out a bitter laugh. "Exactly. Out with the old, in with the new. That's just human nature." Just like how he'd replaced her with Tracy. He didn't think much of it and went on. "Tessa, there are cockroaches at Tracy's place. She needs to stay here for a few days." Before Tessa could say no, Tracy came prancing in behind him. "Tessa, you're not gonna say no to me, are you?" Tessa didn't feel anything anymore, or maybe she was just numb. "Of course not. You're welcome here." Tracy dragged her suitcase around the house, checking things out. The next second, Tessa heard something shatter. Still putting on the innocent act, Tracy said, "That little clay doll was ugly anyway. I just wanted to pick it up, but I dropped it by accident. "Benedict, it scared me to death." Benedict rushed over to check her hand. Once he saw she was fine, he sighed in relief. "As long as you're okay. It wasn't worth much anyway." But Tessa couldn't take her eyes off the broken pieces. Benedict had made that clay doll himself when he confessed his feelings to her. She still remembered how the breeze lifted his hair, and how red his ears were that night. "Tessa, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" That young man she loved had probably long forgotten that moment. She couldn't help but say, "Benedict, say that again!" His tone got sharp. "Tessa, it's just a clay doll. Why are you so upset? When did you get so petty?" Tracy peeked out from behind him and stuck out her tongue playfully. Tessa fell silent. Maybe her relationship with Benedict was just like that clay doll. Once broken, it could never be fixed. He turned to Tracy again. "You're only staying here for a little while, but if you need anything, just let me know. "You're the princess of the Green family. Tessa and I won't mind at all."