Chapter 2

But Alexander showed no signs of leaving.

I was a bit confused. After thinking for a moment, I pushed the fries toward him:

"Are you hungry, Mr. Alexander? If you don't mind, have some."

Alexander's gaze wandered, passing over the grease in my nail beds that wouldn't wash clean, then sweeping over my burger and fries.

When he spoke again, his voice was a bit hoarse:

"That's all fast food, unhealthy... you didn't used to eat that."

In his memory, I was picky, had a selective diet, loved Japanese and French cuisine.

If food was even slightly off, it could have me hugging the toilet and vomiting until I was dizzy.

I smiled:

"In prison, I wanted to eat this stuff but couldn't. Now I do physical labor all day—it cured all my fussy habits."

"The fries here are really good. Try some, Mr. Alexander."

"Oh, they even gave an extra ketchup packet today! Score!"

I happily pulled out the ketchup packet and tossed it into the storage box behind me.

Inside were already quite a few complimentary condiment packets—buy one pack of bread and I could make do for a meal.

Alexander suddenly stood up, his voice thick with emotion:

"Enough!" I was startled.

The next second, he threw a black card at me.

"This is my secondary card. Take it."

His movement was too abrupt—he not only knocked over the little stool but almost spilled my takeout.

Fortunately, my reflexes were quick. I dodged to the side, barely protecting my burger.

"Mr. Alexander," I said somewhat helplessly, "if you're not going to eat, I'll start..."

"Scarlett!" Alexander couldn't take it anymore and roared in a low voice. "I'm serious!"

"This secondary card is linked to one of my platinum cards. Five million dollar limit. Spend whatever you want."

"Buy a better storefront, do some proper business, be your own boss. Don't stay cooped up in this kind of place being a dirty, exhausting auto mechanic anymore!"

"You used to be a well-off ski athlete. Have you forgotten?!"

His roar was deafening, immediately dragging me into memories.

My birth family was indeed well-off—one of Utah's largest investment firms.

I was an only child in a wealthy family until age seven, when my mom became pregnant with twin sisters.

But just as we were joyfully anticipating their arrival, Dad's affair arrived right on schedule.

He fell for a mixed-race starlet, loved her with earth-shattering passion.

So much so that the mistress came right to my mother's face and forced her to divorce.

My mother was a fierce woman. She quickly got into an argument with the mistress.

In the chaos, I watched with my own eyes as that woman extended her long red nails, grabbed my mother's neck, and pushed her down the stairs.

Three lives lost in one fall. She died with her eyes open.

Afterward, to force me to change my testimony, my dad strung me up and beat me for a full day and night, finally securing the mistress's release.

They got married. The mistress even brought her daughter from her previous marriage—my stepsister, Rose.

My nightmare began then.

Beatings, verbal abuse, false accusations, constant bullying.

To survive, I had to escape to Switzerland. I practiced desperately and became a ski athlete who made a splash.

At that time, Alexander was at a business school in Switzerland.

A fleeting glimpse during a race broadcast, and he became my passionate fan.

Every time I reached the finish line in a competition, he'd be holding up a sign with my name, shouting with all his might.

When a corrupt referee deliberately misjudged me, he led all his classmates to the streets of Switzerland just to get me justice.

He stayed with me through injuries, encouraged me through my low points.

Finally, when I steadily crossed the finish line in first place, I took off my skis and rushed toward him in the stands.

In the fluttering confetti and audience cheers, I embraced him tightly before countless witnesses.

The abnormal relationship between idol and fan ended there. He became my public boyfriend.

But I never imagined that on the night of my championship, as we strolled through the streets of Switzerland, two armed thugs rushed at us!

They wanted to rob us. Alexander immediately fought them to protect me.

I was terrified he'd get hurt. I rushed up to help him without thinking.

In my panicked rush forward, a bullet hit my chest.

This shot didn't kill me, but it punctured my lung and grazed my heart.

From then on, I could never do strenuous exercise again. Like skiing.

But I never regretted it.

Alexander was the love of my life. His importance far exceeded any competition.

I might win a hundred championships, but I only had one Alexander.

As I lay in the hospital bed, weakly holding Alexander's hand and telling him all this, he cried and threw himself into my arms.

"Scarlett, let's go home. My family has connections in both politics and business. Whatever you want to do, I'll support you all the way!"

That's the kind of person Alexander was. He wasn't good at sweet talk—he just did concrete things.

I returned home with him, full of joy.

At the airport, we saw Rose who'd come to pick us up.

When she saw the heir to Alexander's family standing beside me, her pupils dilated in shock. But she quickly smiled brilliantly.

I thought of her mistress mother. When she stood beside my father, her smile had the exact same curve.

And this ominous premonition soon became reality.

I don't know when it started, but Alexander began mentioning Rose frequently.

At first, he said she was cute and sweet. Then he said she was pitiful living under someone else's roof. Later still, he said, "Scarlett, stop bullying Rose all the time."

I wanted to have a good talk with Alexander, but it happened to be the anniversary of my mother and sisters' deaths. I had to visit the cemetery first.

When I came home after laying flowers, I witnessed a scene I'd never forget.

Alexander and Rose, that pair of dogs, were lying naked on the white sheets.

"Alexander, why didn't you go pay respects to your future mother-in-law today?" Rose asked.

"How could her mother be my mother-in-law... if I had to choose a mother-in-law, it'd be your mother..."

My ears rang. I completely lost my mind, rushed into the room like a madwoman, and struck with my knife.

The blade sliced across Rose's beautiful face. Her scream—I still remember it. So satisfying.

Afterward, the judge considered that I was the victim in the marriage and wanted to give a light sentence with probation.

It was Alexander who hired the best legal team, even bribed witnesses to give false testimony, and finally got me sentenced to three years in prison.

I let out a breath and quietly studied Alexander standing before me.

Money is wonderful. Time hadn't left a single trace on this handsome man.

But it had given me cracked hands, hair cut short to my ears for convenience, and nail beds that would never be clean.

I gently pushed the secondary card back.

"Not necessary, Mr. Alexander. I'm living pretty well now."

"Food and clothing aren't worries. I'm free and easy, don't steal or rob, earn money with my own hands."