Chapter 1

Three years ago, I clutched my positive cancer diagnosis report tightly in my hands as I consoled a weeping Anderson Graham with a smile. "It's just cancer, okay? I'm sure I'll beat this." Regardless, he was still crying as if his world had ended. He hugged me so tightly that my bones creaked. "Yvonne, promise that you'll fight this, okay? I'll wait for you to come back healthy, and then I'll marry you." In order to keep myself alive, I had to have almost my entire stomach cut away. My days were filled with endless doses of medicine and seemingly infinite rounds of chemotherapy. Three years later, I was finally fully recovered and returned to Anderson's side once more. During my return party, his female best friend raised her glass with a smile. "While you were overseas, Andy stayed celibate like a priest. I was practically guarding his bed every night to make sure he didn't bring anyone else home! I might as well have tattooed 'Do Not Touch' on him!" The noisy room suddenly fell completely silent. I did my best to ignore the prickling ache coming from my chest and raised my glass with an equally wide smile. "Do you want a prize for keeping his bed occupied?" … Sophie's expression froze in place. Then, she tossed her glass on the table angrily. "What the hell do you mean by that? Do you think you can talk to me that way just because you beat cancer? It was just a joke. Don't be so sensitive." I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Since when had Anderson's "girl best friend" gotten the guts to insult me? I stared at her silently. It seemed like Anderson had treated her well over the past three years. The crowd froze momentarily before trying to smooth things over. "Yvonne, don't take Sophie seriously. She's just another one of the boys to us." "Yeah, Yvonne. She just likes cracking jokes. Nothing is going on between her and Anderson. We can prove it." "Sophie, hurry up and apologize to Yvonne. If you piss her off, she won't give you an easy time." Sophie turned away stubbornly. "I didn't say anything wrong. Why should I apologize?" In the blink of an eye, everyone started speaking up for Sophie. They acted as if I were a ferocious monster. After three years, I was no longer that short-tempered, easily angered heiress from before. However, she still couldn't afford to get on my bad side. After all, I was still the heiress of the Sherman family. I didn't care about what a random woman had to say about me. I also didn't care who Anderson could have been with during the three years that I was gone. However, I cared about… I turned to look at Anderson. Three years ago, he would have already jumped up to defend me. However, he was still completely silent. When our gazes met, his eyes widened slightly in panic. It was as if he had only just come to his senses. He immediately leaped up and said with a frown, "Sophie, apologize to Yvonne right now!" He sounded as if he was defending me, but his body had already ducked in front of Sophie, so I could no longer glare at her. He gently held my hand and patted it softly as he said, "She's just a kid who likes to play around. Don't take it personally. I—" I shot to my feet. I didn't want to hear what else he had to say. "I'll give you three days to settle this." After a pause, I stared at him and said, "Don't force my hand." I didn't know what I was trying to run away from, but I felt a wave of humiliation wash over me. Perhaps it was how Anderson hadn't immediately defended me like he would have before, or perhaps it was the "female best friend" that he had subtly protected from me. I was just about to walk out when the voices coming from behind me made me stop in my tracks. "Anderson, Yvonne has always been pretty ruthless. Sophie—" Anderson's voice was deep as he said, "It's okay. I'll protect her. After all, after Yvonne's parents died in that accident last year, she lost the only form of support she had to go against my family." Before I knew it, my nails had already dug deep into my palms. However, the stinging coming from my hands was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. It had only been three years, and yet I was already a stranger to him. As long as I wanted something, I made sure I would get it. Even if I had to force it, I would make sure I got my hands on it. He waited for me for three years, so I was willing to give him three days as a second chance. It was a good deal. Besides, the Sherman family's success never relied on my parents. The butler had already sent my bags to Anderson's mansion. After some thought, I decided it'd be best to personally go take my bags back. However, the moment I opened the door, I was frozen in place.