Chapter 7

A week later, Taryn was finally discharged from the hospital. Her wound had healed well, though she couldn't do any strenuous activity for a while. When the doctor learned what she did for a living, he strongly advised her to stay away from competitions for the time being. However, this international competition meant everything to her. She needed it to build her reputation. Now that Redline Motorsports had been bought out by the Wilder family, she had a feeling she wouldn't be welcome there much longer. Fortunately, Eliot had already submitted her registration. Registration had closed by now, so even if Zane found out, he wouldn't be able to do anything. Just as Taryn stepped out of the hospital, her phone rang. The moment she saw who was calling, her expression froze. Her parents, who hadn't contacted her in ages, were suddenly reaching out. She had a bad feeling. Sure enough, when she got home, Zane was there. Her parents were full of smiles, trying to please him. The second she walked in, her father, Evan Vant, snapped with a straight face, "Mr. Wilder is here to call off the engagement. What did you do?" Maya Ellison, her mother, quickly chimed in, "Mr. Wilder came in person to call off the engagement. If you've done anything wrong, apologize to him now. Then this matter will pass." They spoke one after another. Taryn suddenly laughed. They hadn't even asked what had happened—they simply assumed she was at fault. It was almost funny. She had been in the hospital for days, and neither of her parents had bothered to visit. But they panicked the moment the engagement was at risk. Taryn felt a suffocating ache in her chest. Forcing herself to stay calm, she turned her gaze toward Zane and said, "You tell me. Why are you calling off the engagement?" Zane frowned. He didn't like the way Taryn spoke to him, but he still answered, "I have someone I like. I can't marry you. Since I'm the one calling off the engagement, my family will compensate yours." Evan and Maya froze. They hadn't expected the truth to be like that. Zane pulled out a document. Evan took one look and instantly broke into a grin. Without hesitation, he signed it. Taryn wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold. Her marriage had just been traded away so easily. To her parents, she was nothing more than a product to be cashed in whenever possible. Taryn couldn't bear to look at them anymore, so she turned to leave. At that moment, Zane called out to her, saying, "From today on, our engagement is canceled. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. I hope you don't do anything drastic." Taryn slowly turned around. Her face was blank as she said coldly, "I'm not that desperate. Plenty of men like me. I don't need to pick up trash, and I definitely won't go back to the same person." At those words, Zane's expression changed, and a flash of anger crossed his face. Meanwhile, Evan and Maya began reprimanding Taryn again, but she only let out a mocking laugh. She would never return to this house again. From that moment on, she and Zane were truly done. After stepping outside, she took a cab straight to Redline Motorsports. Even after a week confined to bed, she still cared most about her car. Inside the abandoned warehouse, Taryn found her race car No. 06. It was beyond repair—already nothing more than scrap metal. A pang of sadness struck her. Every car she owned was like a child to her, and the moment she thought about who had destroyed this one, a surge of hatred rose inside her. Taryn stayed in the warehouse for a while, cleaning and repairing her other cars, until a commotion erupted outside. Frowning, she stepped out and found a crowd gathering. The entire racetrack was covered in flowers, with a race car displayed at the center. The instant Taryn saw the car, her eyes widened. It was the custom car she had ordered, the one she had planned to take to the international competition. Wasn't it still at the manufacturer? Why was it here? Taryn felt a wave of unease as the crowd erupted in cheers. Through the crowd, she finally spotted two familiar figures. Zane was on one knee, holding a bouquet. His eyes were fixed on Bernice as he said, "Bernice, I've liked you ever since you saved me seven years ago. I fell for you at first sight back then, and I swore I would be with you someday. You've seen my sincerity over the years, and I'm willing to do anything for you. Will you be mine?" The crowd chanted, "Say yes!" When Bernice heard Zane's words, she felt diffident. After all, she hadn't been the one who saved him. However, when she spotted Taryn in the crowd, she immediately changed her expression and shot Taryn a smug look. Then, she smiled sweetly at Zane and reached out her hand. "Yes, I'll be yours. Is this car your gift?" Zane's face lit up. Encouraged by the cheers, he pulled Bernice into his arms and replied, "It's for you. You've always wanted it." Taryn couldn't listen anymore. She pushed through the crowd and walked straight up to them. Without a word, she slapped Zane across the face. "It's my car. Since when do you get to decide what happens to it?"