Chapter 2

It was Edith! Cornelia's phone fell to the ground with a thud, and she stumbled backward in a daze, accidentally knocking over the photos on the table. Her hands trembling, she picked up the photos. After they got married, Parker asked her for a bunch of photos one day, then picked some out and filled the entire study with them. It was precisely this action that made Cornelia believe that Parker was just cold by nature, but that he actually cared about her. But now she finally realized that in every single one of those photos, Edith’s figure was faintly visible! In many of the photos, her face was not fully visible, or the angle was poor, or her eyes were not fully open, but in every single one, Edith was exceptionally beautiful and radiant with a bright smile. Parker would go to the church for a period of time each month, and during those days, he rarely contacted anyone, whether it was his parents or her, who had grown up with him since childhood. But one day, he sent her a letter saying he was lonely in the church. At the time, she thought Parker wanted her to come accompany him. But when she went there full of joy, Parker was very cold, only asking her, “Are you alone?Bring more people with you next time." At the time, she thought Parker was jealous because the church was full of men and he was worried about her safety as a young woman. So the next time, she brought her best friend along, but he still remained cold. Cornelia was completely baffled. It wasn't until the time after that, when Edith insisted on coming along. Edith was her younger sister, but she was the illegitimate daughter of the Gilbert Family. If it weren't for her and her mother's existence, Cornelia's mother wouldn't have died so young. So even though Mr. Gilbert had taken Edith back into the Gilbert Family, she never acknowledged her as her sister and refused to bring her along. But Edith insisted on coming, saying that the church wasn't just Cornelia's and everyone could come. Cornelia had no choice but to leave her behind. But who knew that Parker, upon seeing this, would be so impressed? Cornelia was too naive to notice the signs between them at the time. On their wedding night, Parker was drunk, and that day happened to be Edith’s departure for abroad. It turns out everything was foreshadowed after all! Cornelia smiled bitterly, tears falling like broken pearls, one by one, onto the floor. But she didn't understand—if Parker didn't like her, why did he insist on marrying her? Yeah, that was right,She did like him, but she also had her own pride and self-respect; she would never cling to him. The video on her phone played over and over again, as if mocking Cornelia’s one-sided feelings. After an unknown amount of time, Parker finally returned. Seeing Cornelia sitting on the sofa with red-rimmed eyes, Parker merely glanced at her before casually undoing his tie and preparing to take a shower. But he didn’t expect Cornelia to suddenly throw herself at him and try to kiss him. Parker pushed her away without mercy, his eyes filled with disgust. “Just a few days of peace, and you’re starting again? I said I’m going to abstain from sex!” Cornelia’s eyes were red, and she couldn’t stop crying. “What if Edith were standing in front of you?” He paused for a moment, then his ears turned red. Cornelia clearly knew he had feeling for Edith. At that moment, she found it utterly ridiculous! “Don’t be unreasonable.” Parker left those words behind, then turned and slammed the door shut in anger. The empty house was left with only Cornelia alone.