Chapter2

My fingertips, still smeared with blood from my palm, inserted the key into the lock. Pushing the door open, the entryway light was off, only a faint glow from the rainy night outside the living room window seeped in. I didn't turn on the light, walked straight to the sofa and sat down. The phone screen glowed in the darkness, two messages like ice needles, stinging my eyes. The first: "I changed the passcode. I'll have Ming come get your stuff tomorrow." The second: "Evangeline, you know I hate people who make trouble." I stared at the screen for a long time. Suddenly, I laughed out loud. I reached under the sofa, my fingers touching a cold metal box. Inside was a single bullet casing. Back then, the bullet was lodged between his bones. He didn't dare take me to the hospital, so he used the dagger he'd personally chosen for me, digging the bullet out bit by bit under the lamplight. Blood splattered on the back of his hand, but he gripped my hand and said, "Evangeline, bear with it, it'll be over soon." The suitcase he'd returned to me was at my feet. I'd already looked through its contents. The division was clear. Not a single thing related to Peregrine remained, not even half a pack of his cigarettes. Typical of him, of course. But there were two things I hadn't returned. I decided to return them in person. Thursday morning, the rain hadn't stopped. I didn't wear makeup, not even lipstick. He was the one who transformed me from the Evangeline in a white T-shirt and ponytail into what I was now, only to end up marrying a girl who was the spitting image of my former self. Just as I reached the entrance, two men in black suits stopped me. One I recognized, Griffin. When he first joined the gang, I was the one who taught him how to read the account books. He saw me, a flicker of panic in his eyes, his voice trembling slightly. "Sis... how... how did you come?" The other guy was probably new, didn't recognize me, frowned and said, "It's the boss's wedding today. He said not to let you in..." Before he could finish, Griffin kicked him hard, hissed in a low voice, "Shut up! Who told you to speak out of turn?" Griffin turned back to me, his tone softer but still blocking my way. "Sis, don't make this difficult for us. The boss... he's doing this for your own good." I pushed past him. "Step aside. I need to talk to him." Griffin didn't dare stop me again. The other guys behind him all bowed their heads, no one dared step forward. They'd called me "Sis" for five years. They knew how much I'd suffered for Peregrine, knew I'd almost lost my life for him. They couldn't stop me, and they didn't dare. Pushing open the banquet hall doors, the wedding march was playing. All eyes turned towards me. The noisy hall instantly fell silent, leaving only the music, which now sounded particularly harsh. Cordelia, in a pure white wedding dress, holding a bouquet, was walking step by step down the aisle towards Peregrine. Her hair was styled in a gentle updo, a shy smile on her face, her eyes clear like unpolluted spring water. Exactly like me from my university days. Peregrine stood at the end of the red carpet, wearing a sharp black suit, a white boutonniere on his chest. When he saw me, his face darkened instantly, his eyes filled with shock and anger. He immediately strode towards me. "Evangeline, who let you in? Get out of here!" "The groom," I spoke, my voice soft but loud enough for those nearby to hear. "Such a big event, how could you not invite me? After all, we just finished our wedding photos last week." Whispers erupted around us. Cordelia stopped walking, her smile frozen, looking confusedly at Peregrine. Peregrine's face turned even uglier. He reached out to grab my arm, but I dodged. I stared at Cordelia's face, suddenly finding it absurdly funny. "Peregrine, look at her. She looks so much like I used to. Dressed in clean clothes, not a trace of impurity in her eyes, even her smile is the same." I paused, bent down, and pulled the dagger from my boot. The metal sheath gleamed coldly under the lights, the hilt still bearing our fingerprints. "Is this the kind of girl you liked back then?" I raised the dagger, pressing the tip against Peregrine's chest. "The Evangeline in a white T-shirt and ponytail, the one who, even after you dragged her into the mud, still foolishly believed she could spend her life with you?" I took the bullet casing from my pocket and threw it at Peregrine's feet. It landed on the red carpet with a clear, sharp sound, piercing the silent hall. I raised the dagger, the tip lightly tracing a line down his neck. Beads of blood immediately welled up, dripping onto his suit like blooming red plum blossoms. "I'm not here to make trouble," I smiled. "I'm just here to say goodbye." "We're even," I said, still smiling. "Peregrine, happy wedding."