Chapter 3 Under The Sun

• Marius opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.
• I took a deep breath and said as calmly as I could, "I'll give you one last chance to explain everything clearly, and I can believe you."
• But he didn’t say a word. He didn’t even try to explain about that woman.
• The woman who had just walked away returned alone, standing beside him. She leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, I just handed Zaza over to the security guard over there."
• Marius nodded with a faint smile. “Good.”
• Looking at the smile on his face, I understood his thoughts and didn't want to know what the relationship between him and Rosalind was.
• My tone turned cold. “Give me what belongs to me.”
• He looked startled for a moment, then sneered. "Dream on! What property do you have?!"
• I fought to keep my anger down. "Even if you claim not to know me, my father’s company is still in your hands. Don’t act clueless.”
• "We've been together for years, what's yours is mine. Besides, I've done so much for you, shouldn't you give me what's mine?!"
• If the woman standing next to him wasn’t me, then what should have been mine, I would take back.
• Marius, in his suit and tie, crossed his arms, smirked, and contemptuously said, "Daydreaming."
• "Your father's company would have been gone long ago without my help! As for what you said..."
• Rosalind, at his side, raised her hand and linked arms with him, cutting him off.
• Her eyes, full of disdain, told me without a word that she knew exactly who I was.
• With a mocking smile, she said, "Take a good look at yourself, a former prisoner, you're not even worthy of Mari's shine."
• “Stop dreaming about what isn’t yours. Otherwise, you’re no different from the beggars on the street.”
• I scanned her from head to toe. She was wearing a Chanel suit, had exquisite makeup on her face, exuding a subtle fragrance of perfume, definitely a brand name.
• If things hadn’t gone wrong, everything she had now should have been mine.
• Instead, I had nothing and had to endure her humiliation under Marius’s protection.
• He was supposed to be my husband, yet he didn’t say a single word to defend me.
• My body trembled, a mix of anger and disappointment, but I still asked, "Marius, do you feel the same? Were all the things you said just lies?"
• His eyes were cold, as if I were a complete stranger.
• The next moment, he waved his hand impatiently at the distant security guards, signaling them to come.
• Afraid that I might run away, they grabbed me and their strong arms tightly held onto my arms.
• When they didn’t move fast enough, Marius snapped, “What are you standing there for? Throw this person out! Can anyone just walk into this villa area?!”
• The guards exchanged a quick glance before dragging me away without mercy.
• I was thrown hard onto the cold ground outside.
• The sun had set. The quiet was broken only by the sharp wind cutting against my cheeks.
• I sat there trembling, tears streaming down my face, Marius’s cold eyes burned into my mind.
• The happy life I had hoped for turned out to be a mirage, now shattered into pieces.
• "Why, why, why did it have to turn out like this?!" I screamed inside.
• I had given everything for Marius, even sacrificed my freedom. I thought it would lead to happiness, but all I got was betrayal and abandonment.
• I lowered my gaze toward the distant streetlights, memories of the prison rushing back, those who had bullied me, those I had endured.
• This darkness did not belong to me. I couldn’t stay in it forever. I had to return to the sunlight that was mine.
• I told myself I could not be defeated. I would live well, and I would make those who hurt me pay.
• I stood up, brushed off the dust, and straightened my back.
• Staring into the distance, I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms, but I felt no pain.
• “I won’t be weak anymore. I’ll take back everything that belongs to me.”
• I began to think calmly about what to do next. With nothing in my hands, facing the current Marius would take careful planning.
• At that moment, I thought of Lyra, my best friend.
• Since my imprisonment, she had been taking care of my old house.
• I borrowed a phone from someone on the street and called Lyra.
• When she answered, I tentatively said, "Lyra."
• Lyra heard my voice, stared at her phone in disbelief, then quickly pressed it to her ear.
• “Is… is that you, Essie?”
• "Yeah, it's me."
• For a moment, she was silent, then her voice broke with excitement. "Essie, you're finally coming back! I've missed you so much!"
• I glanced at the owner of the phone waiting beside me, smiled apologetically, and covered the phone. "Lyra, calm down for a moment and listen to me first."
• Sniffling, she said, “Okay, tell me.”
• "I borrowed a stranger's phone to call you, so I’ll keep it short." Then I asked her, "You still have the keys to the old mansion my parents left me, right?"
• "Yes, I do! I've been taking good care of it for you. Do you need it now?”
• "No, I don't." After hesitating for a few seconds, I continued, "Tomorrow, help me put that old mansion up for sale."
• Lyra was shocked by my decision. "Sell it?! Why would you sell it? Where will you live after selling it?"
• "I'll rent a place. I can get used to living anywhere," I said casually.
• No place could be worse than prison.
• Whether it was the location of the house or just my luck, Lyra listed the house for sale, and it was sold in less than a day, with the buyer paying in full upfront.
• Maybe I had been miserable for too long, perhaps even heaven couldn’t bear to watch.
• With the money from the sale, I worked with my agent to find a rental and soon signed the lease.
• Coincidentally, the new place was in a neighborhood I knew well.
• My manager and I got two sets of keys, then each took a taxi to the residential area.
• There was a jade green Bugatti Veyron parked downstairs, its lights on.
• As I passed by, I glanced at it. The dim surroundings made it hard to see, but I could make out a figure in the driver’s seat.