Chapter 2

That night, my birthday party officially began, but neither Ruth nor Jonathan showed up. It wasn't until the party was nearly over—when only close friends and a few businesspeople lingering for networking remained—that they finally arrived. Ruth had changed into a different outfit. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were slightly swollen. Jonathan looked pleased with himself. His shirt was half-unbuttoned, and faint hickeys showed at his collar. Everyone knew exactly what had happened. Their looks turned playful as they kept glancing my way. Only a few of my close friends shook their heads, wanting to speak but holding back. In my previous life, I would've rushed over and slapped Ruth senseless. This time, I simply picked up a glass of wine from the table and took a slow sip. Jonathan stayed alert, positioning himself in front of Ruth, waiting for me to explode. When he saw that I ignored them completely, his brows furrowed, clearly displeased. She tugged him closer and kissed him without a care for anyone watching. He didn't resist and even let her sit on his lap. Of course, I wouldn't stop them if they insisted on degrading themselves in public. However, my best friend, Phoebe Lohart, couldn't take it anymore. She stepped forward and yanked the two of them apart. "Hey, Ruth! Jonathan is practically Harper's fiancé! Don't you have any shame at all?" Ruth didn't even get a chance to reply before Jonathan piped up. "Phoebe Lohart? I remember your family has a few projects with the Zink Group. You think you can open your mouth and lecture me? "Look at what's happening. Harper hasn't said a word, and you're the only one fuming over this. You're in no position to talk at all." "Watch your mouth, Jonathan," I said. I felt protective of Phoebe, who had been nothing but sincere to me. I wasn't going to let him insult her. "Mr. Zink Senior has yet to retire, so how are you so sure that I'd pick you, and that you'd get that 20% stake?" Jonathan paused for a second at that, then burst out laughing. "You're really trying to throw a tantrum at me? Let's not even talk about how everyone in this circle knows you're devoted to me. Look at the rest of the Zink children! "Julia married abroad, Joanna locked herself up all day for her art projects, while Jacob… Well, he's in jail, fiddling with a sewing machine. Are you planning to go there and keep him company?" Then, as if struck by a thought, he added, "No matter what the reason, Harper, I want you to let go of all old grudges in the past. Your mother won't come back from the dead, no matter how much you dwell on it. It's better for everyone if we just move on, right? Ruth, especially, is innocent in all this." Innocent? What a joke. When Mom was pregnant, Ruth's mother had stormed our house, insisting that Dad had forced himself onto her and abandoned her, aggressively accusing Mom of being the other woman. Amid the chaos, she pushed Mom down the stairs—two lives lost in one fall. Later, we discovered that Ruth was never Dad's illegitimate child. She was actually the child of my deceased, reckless uncle. Ruth's mother was nothing more than a bar hostess. Innocent? How innocent were my mother and my unborn sister, then? I sank into this thought, lost in the memory. Jonathan, however, mistook my silence for agreement and grinned. "Oh, right. Since it's your birthday…" He loosened his tie and tossed it to me. "Here, your gift." Ruth jumped in, fidgeting nervously. "Jon, do you think Harper will even like it? She won't be mad at me for taking her gift, right?" She loosened her collar slightly, revealing the necklace around her neck. "Of course not," Jonathan assured her. "She's crazy about the items I've used. And besides, what do you mean by 'her gift'? It's entirely yours now that I've given it to you." Their mocking laughs rang. The tie slammed against my face, like a slap from someone's hand. I suddenly found it all unbearably ironic. In my previous life, I had adored collecting things Jonathan used. The pinky ring he wore when we first met, the tie from our wedding, the watch on his wrist at his succession press conference. I had asked for every single one and kept them in delicate boxes, treating them as proof of our love. He had mocked me for it, saying they were just things he wore once and threw away, worthless junk that only I would treat like treasure. However, objects became precious when feelings were attached to them. He never loved me, so he naturally never understood. I let out a quiet sigh, picked up the tie that had fallen to the ground, and casually tossed it into the nearby trash can. "Right where it belongs." Seeing that, Jonathan exploded. "Fine. Very well, Harper. Just wait until I delay our engagement!"