Chapter 3

Selena's POV

Tristan began openly bringing Summer Lynn around.

He didn't avoid anyone, including me.

Rumors about me spread like wildfire through the company.

"Did you hear? Selena's fallen out of favor."

"She should have fallen out of favor ages ago. Always putting on that cold face, acting all high and mighty. Compared to Summer, she's like a weathered old woman."

"Mr. Vale only kept her around because she's useful. Did she really think she could marry him?"

I stood outside the break room door holding coffee, hearing every word clearly.

If this were before, I definitely would have stormed in and thrown hot coffee in their faces.

But now, I didn't even have the energy to be angry.

I turned and went back to my office, continuing to process the mountain of documents on my desk.

At 3 PM, Tristan's intercom rang.

"Bring up the materials for the Starlight Bay project."

I carried the materials upstairs and pushed open the CEO's office door.

Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Tristan sat on the sofa with a cello resting on his lap.

Summer Lynn sat beside him, awkwardly fumbling with the strings.

"No, don't be so stiff with your fingers. Relax them."

Tristan embraced Summer from behind, holding her hands, teaching her bit by bit how to pluck the strings.

They were extremely close, their posture intimately entwined.

My footsteps froze in place, all the blood in my body flowing backward in an instant.

That cello...

The body had extremely rare flame patterns, the scroll carved with a delicate iris flower.

That was the cello Tristan had spent a fortune bidding on from overseas for my nineteenth birthday!

That was MY cello!

"Tristan..."

My voice trembled.

The two on the sofa looked over simultaneously.

Summer jumped in fright, quickly pulling away from Tristan's embrace, her cheeks flushing red.

"Ms... Ms. Hart..."

Tristan's expression darkened.

"Don't you know to knock before entering? Where did all your manners go?"

I stared fixedly at that cello.

"You gave my cello to her?"

Tristan frowned, his tone matter-of-fact.

"It's just a cello that was collecting dust anyway. Summer happens to need a good cello for a competition, so I lent it to her for practice."

Just a cello.

He knew perfectly well what that cello meant to me.

That was my last shred of dignity, proof that I once had everything.

Five years ago, while protecting him from a car sent by his enemies, my right hand was crushed in a comminuted fracture.

The doctor said I'd never be able to play the cello again in this lifetime.

That cello became an untouchable scar in my heart.

And now, he personally tore open that scar and even stomped on it twice.

"Give it back to me."

I walked forward step by step, trembling all over.

"Give the cello back to me!"

I reached out to grab it.

Summer screamed and backed away repeatedly.

Tristan shot up, shoving me away hard.

"Selena, what are you going crazy about!"

I was pushed off guard, my entire body slamming heavily into the coffee table.

A sharp pain shot through my waist. A glass shattered, shards embedding themselves in my palm.

Blood immediately gushed out.

I gasped in pain and looked up at him.

Tristan looked down at me, not a trace of concern in his eyes, only coldness and warning.

"How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I said Summer needs it for a competition. She's borrowing the cello for a few days. What's the problem? What use is such a fine cello to a cripple who can't even hold a bow?"

Cripple.

That word, like a poisoned blade, stabbed viciously into my heart.

I looked at my blood-soaked right hand.

Whose fault was it that this hand became crippled?!

Summer looked at the blood on the floor, her eyes reddening.

"Mr. Vale, don't blame Selena. It's my fault. I shouldn't have wanted this cello... I'll give it back to her."

She bit her lip grievously, tears streaming down her face.

Tristan immediately softened, pulling her into his arms and coaxing her gently.

"It's not your fault. She's just being unreasonable."

"I said I'm giving you this cello, and it's yours. No one can take it away."

He turned his head, looking at me coldly.

"Get out. Stop being an eyesore here."

I looked at the couple before me. I suddenly felt disgusted. Really, sick to my stomach.

I braced myself against the coffee table and shakily stood up.

Blood dripped from my hand onto the carpet, blooming into alarmingly red flowers.

I didn't make a scene anymore, didn't say another word.

Just turned around and walked out of the office step by step.

Back at my desk, my phone rang.

It was my father calling.

"Selena, my luck's been bad lately. Lost a bit more... transfer me another five million."

I closed my eyes, my voice so calm it scared even me.

"I have no money."

"No money? How could you have no money! Tristan's loaded. You've been with him for years and he won't even give you five million? If you don't give it to me, I'll go to the hospital and pull your brother's life support myself!"

I hung up the phone.

Blocked his number.

Looking at the dried blood on my palm, I suddenly started laughing.

Laughing until tears streamed down uncontrollably.

Selena, you're truly pathetic.

Seven years. You gave up everything, and in the end all you got was being called a "cripple."

Enough.

Really, enough.