Chapter 6

Diana POV

Hearing this, the knife and fork in my hand suddenly stopped, metal scraping across the porcelain plate with a jarring sound.

"You had someone poison Cotton Ball to death?"

Juliet sipped her wine, her smile dismissive. "You can only blame yourself. I gave you countless hints, yet you still refused to leave Nathan's side."

"That dog was my lesson to you. Occupying a position that doesn't belong to you-this is the consequence."

"Juliet!"

Anger instantly surged to my head. I stood up abruptly and raised my hand to slap this vicious woman.

However, my wrist was seized firmly in mid-air.

Nathan had returned at some point and said angrily in a deep voice, "Diana, what do you think you're doing!"

His grip was extremely strong, crushing my wrist bones painfully, tears nearly falling.

I opened my mouth to explain, but before I could speak, Juliet had already changed her expression.

She bit her lower lip grievously, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't blame Ms. Diana. She's sad and upset about that pet. It's normal for her to take it out on me."

"It's just a dog. Diana, must you resort to violence over an animal?"

It's just a dog. That was the phrase Nathan had repeated most often these past few days. Hearing it from her now was a fresh, grating wound.

Nathan's voice turned stern. "Juliet, as the Lloyd Group heir, has lowered herself to apologize to you personally. Must you keep bullying her?"

Looking at his face full of anger, hearing his words of reproach, I felt utterly absurd.I remember the man's rough hand, Nathan always spoke softly to me from our youth through our marriage. He never even raised his voice.

Whenever I threw a little tantrum before, he was always full of patience, gently and indulgently coaxing me.

He often said, "My Diana is the gentlest, kindest person in this world. If you're unhappy, it must be my fault."

The man who once felt heartache even when I frowned was now accusing me of going too far-all for another woman who killed my pet.

Nathan forcefully pushed me back into my seat.

"Diana, stop making a scene. Don't act like a shrew."

Disappointment completely filled my heart. I chose silence without a word.

Juliet said softly, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Nathan, didn't you say you wanted to make Diana happy and specially prepared a surprise for her?"

Nathan's expression eased slightly as he clapped his hands.

Soon, my favorite renowned violinist appeared in the restaurant.

After a simple greeting, melodious violin music began to play.

Watching Nathan and Juliet listen enraptured, as if they were the perfect couple, I felt no interest whatsoever-even nausea.

Midway through, I got up to go to the restroom.

"Fire! Get out quickly!"

Suddenly, chaos and piercing fire alarm sounds came from outside.

My expression changed drastically as I rushed out of the restroom.

I didn't know where in the restaurant a fire had started. Thick smoke billowed, and everything had descended into chaos.

I was about to go forward to find Nathan when I was knocked to the ground by the panicked crowd.

My forehead accidentally hit hard against a corner of the wall. The pain made me see stars, and then I felt warm, sticky liquid trickling down.

I struggled to open my eyes, blurred by blood. Through the chaotic smoke, I saw Nathan.

His expression was panicked, holding Juliet tightly in his arms, running toward the exit without hesitation.

I lay numbly on the ground.

In a daze, I recalled the car accident that caused us to lose our child years ago.

At that time, Nathan was covered in blood, his own life hanging by a thread.

Yet the first words he said to the medical personnel who came to rescue us were:

"Save my wife first."

Once, he valued me above his own life.

Now, he held another woman and didn't bother to glance back at the table I still occupied.

For so long, I had wrestled with the question: why had he changed?

But now, watching his resolute back, my heart suddenly turned to ash. I felt nothing mattered anymore.

If he no longer loved me, then I owed him no expectations.