Chapter 7

When Nester was hospitalized, Sabrina never visited at all. Instead, she stayed home alone and did what she should—reading, watching movies, and sorting through her suitcase. That was until one night, the butler, George Hanson, suddenly called. "Mrs. Blackwell, could you come to the hospital and check on Mr. Blackwell? His stomach condition has flared up again, and he's in a lot of pain. "The medication the doctor prescribed isn't helping much, so he's sweating from the pain and won't let the nurses near him. "In the past, only your massage could help him feel better. There's nothing else we can do, so could you…" Sabrine walked to the window, looking out at the city completely swallowed by the heavy rain. Raindrops hammered against the glass, as if trying to drown the entire world. She waited for him to finish before calmly saying, "It's raining too hard, so no thanks." There was stunned silence on the other end of the line as if George couldn't believe what he had just heard. He began stammering, "M-Mrs. Blackwell, what did you just say?" "I said the rain's too heavy, so I'm not going over tonight." "But Mr. Blackwell—" "I'm going to sleep," Sabrina said, cutting him off. "Good night." After hanging up, she powered off her phone, got into bed, and completely shut out the world. … The next day, Nester checked himself out of the hospital early and returned to the villa. He still looked pale. When he spotted Sabrina sitting on the couch reading a book, he faltered slightly before walking over. Stopping before her, he fixed his heavy gaze on her and asked in a low, deep voice, "Did George call you last night?" "He did," she said, turning a page without looking up. "Why didn't you come?" he asked, suppressing emotions in his tone. "In the past, you'd immediately rush over if I casually mentioned feeling unwell, no matter how bad the weather was." Sabrina's hand, turning the page, stilled. Her gaze remained calm and emotionless when she finally looked up at him. "You said it yourself—that was in the past. People change, Nester." Her voice was light, but it landed like a small hammer tapping against his heart. Nester opened his mouth to speak, but he realized he had no words. It was true that people changed, and the same went for Sabrina. But he had no idea why or when it happened. The realization unsettled him in a way he had never felt before. He naturally assumed she was mad at him for saving Della and getting injured, so she was giving him the cold shoulder. As if trying to ease the tension and prove something, he began saying, "Our wedding anniversary is a few days from now. You've always said you wanted to do something special, haven't you? "This year, I'll throw a party for you. We'll invite everyone and make it a real celebration; what do you say?" As he spoke, he carefully observed Sabrina's reaction, only to see her looking at him with a steady expression. "Whatever." It was that word again. Nester's irritation flared once more, but he went all out preparing for the party. He booked the most expensive hotel, hired the best event planners, ordered the most costly gown for Sabrina, and purchased the most expensive jewelry. On the night of the party, she wore the gown he had chosen, adorned with a priceless diamond set, and had her arm looped through his as they entered the ballroom. Envious eyes followed her everywhere. "Mrs. Blackwell is really lucky." "Mr. Blackwell treats her so well." "I heard that jewelry set was auctioned off for ten of millions of dollars." Listening to the murmurs, Sabrina wore a flawless smile on her face and felt nothing inside. Halfway through the party, she stepped out onto the balcony for some air and hadn't stayed for long when footsteps sounded behind her. It was Della. "What are you doing here?" Sabrina turned to look at her. "Nester invited me here," Della said, walking over to lean against the railing. "He said today's your wedding anniversary and told me to witness your happiness." Smiling, she added, "Sabrina, are you happy?" When Sabrina didn't answer, Della leaned closer and continued, "I know you're not. Nester only loves me, while you're just a pitiful, laughable stand-in. Last night, he—" "Della." Sabrina finally decided to cut her off. Her voice was frighteningly calm as she continued, "Do you know? You're really loud and pitiful, like a child throwing a tantrum just because she didn't get candy. "What happens between Nester and me is our business, and as for you… "You're just a loser who lives forever in the past and feels the need to provoke others just to prove that you still matter. You're not worth a single ounce of my emotion."