Chapter 6

Before Frost could say anything, the car rolled forward and disappeared down the road. She stood there under the burning sun, staring after it for a long time. She remembered that car clearly. It was the birthday gift she'd given Peter in their first year of marriage. Back then, she'd been full of excitement, hoping to see the surprise and joy on his face. However, he had merely glanced at it and never once driven it. Today was the first time. After five years of waiting, she'd finally seen him drive the car, but he was driving it to leave her behind, going off with another woman by his side. "Forget it, Peter. I won't be waiting for you forever, nor do I have to," she thought. … After lunch, Frost called for a car and took her bodyguards to the seaside alone. The itinerary and hotel had long been booked, and she wasn't about to let it go to waste. Peter called her three times throughout the day. Three times. It was a rare occurrence for him. Despite that, she didn't answer once. That first day, she played with what she wanted, went wherever she wanted, and felt quite happy. The next afternoon, while walking along the beach, she ran into Melanie. Peter stood beside her, carrying bags of snacks, gently wiping the corner of her mouth with a tissue. When he saw Frost, his hand froze. "When did you get here? Why didn't you leave a message? Melanie and I looked everywhere for you yesterday. She's still recovering from her miscarriage and sprained her ankle. It's been exhausting for her…" Resentful thoughts immediately filled Frost's mind. What about her? She sat in the car for five hours yesterday because of her. Wasn't she exhausted, too? Regardless, she pushed down those pointless thoughts rising inside her, turned expressionlessly, and walked straight toward the ocean. Melanie caught up in a half-jog, her tone low but brimming with smugness. "Ms. Quinn, you really don't get it, do you? No matter how long you cling to Pete, his heart will always belong to me." Frost laughed. "Only to you? You've been with him this long, yet you haven't realized something. You're just a stand-in." The color drained from Melanie's face, but the sight didn't bring Frost any satisfaction. She kicked at the water idly, and then a sudden force yanked her forward. Her feet slipped from under her, and the world dropped away. Below was a sharp underwater cliff, plunging into blackness. Behind her, Melanie's voice rang out, laced with malice, "Ms. Quinn, you really are insufferable on that high horse. Pete said you can't swim well. Let's see if you learned your lesson this time." Then, she let go and swam off effortlessly. The water was icy cold. Frost wasn't a strong swimmer and immediately panicked. She choked on mouthfuls of seawater, thrashing toward shore, but the current dragged her further out. Then she heard a frantic cry for help coming from the side. The same undertow had also caught Melanie, but she was stronger, so she could still breathe. Through the crashing waves, Frost caught sight of Peter. He was swimming toward them at high speed. She instinctively reached out to grab his arm, lifting her face from the water for air. However, he jerked her hand off and shoved her away. Before she could gasp for air, she was swallowed again by the sea. The suffocating burn spread through her entire body. This time, she didn't even have the strength to struggle. Through the blur of water and light, she saw Peter holding Melanie tightly, swimming safely toward another side. Darkness crept in. Frost sank, slowly, into the deep. … "Ms. Quinn? Ms. Quinn, can you hear me?" She coughed up seawater, her eyes fluttering open. Two drenched bodyguards crouched beside her on the beach. Frost gripped Devon's hand tightly, unmoving, staring up at the wide, cloudless blue sky. Her throat ached, and her eyes stung. A single tear slid down her cheek. "Frost!" Peter burst through the crowd. Seeing she was alive, he exhaled in relief. "Just now—" She didn't want to hear it, nor did she want to see him. She told the bodyguards, "Help me up. I don't have any strength." Peter squatted beside her, reaching for her waist. "I'll take you." Frost pushed him away, but his arm was like iron. She chuckled. "Fine. Melanie intentionally pushed me into the sea. I suspect she's trying to get me killed. If you have her arrested, I'll let you carry me." He shut it down immediately. "She didn't mean it. She saw you were upset and just wanted to splash around with you. She didn't know there was an underwater cliff there. You misunderstood her." It was exactly the reply she had expected. Frost's voice turned cold. "Then stay away from me." Her glare was sharp enough to draw blood. For a moment, Peter's strength drained away. "Pete…" Melanie's tearful voice came from behind him. He turned instinctively, and when he looked back, Frost was already walking away, supported by her guards. That thin, unsteady figure stabbed into his heart like a needle. … That evening, Melanie knocked on Frost's door. "Who's Tara? When he saved me this afternoon, he kept calling me that." Frost froze. Her fingers brushed the dark bruise on her arm that was left by his hand when he shoved her away. "His first love," she answered. "She jumped into the sea and killed herself." "So, I'm her replacement? No wonder he…" Melanie's face went blank for a moment before she narrowed her eyes. "So what if I am? The dead can't compete with the living. At least I have the face to win with. You, on the other hand, have nothing. You should've stepped aside long ago."