Chapter 2
Gretchen went home.
When she got back, she dug out the first aid kit in the living room and did the disinfection, medication, and bandaging by
herself.
The wound tingled with a sharp pain, like a bunch of ants gnawing at it.
Turning around and going upstairs, she accidentally caught sight of the grand piano in the corner of the living room.
That was bought by Howard after he regained his memory, saying he wanted to teach her how to play the piano.
But it’s been so long, the dust has accumulated thickly on the piano cover.
Just like their relationship, it had long been covered in dust.
She turned red eyes, and started to quickly pack her luggage into the room.
She sorted out her clothes, documents, bank cards… one by one, moving very slowly, as if saying goodbye to her past self.
Halfway through tidying up, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Howard stood at the door, suit jacket draped over his arm, tie loose.
He saw her open suitcase and frowned, “What are you doing?”
“Gather your things,” Gretchen calmly replied, continuously bending down to fold clothes.
Howard frowned and approached, with a hint of perfume on him, the one Veronica used today.
He grabbed her wrist so hard that it made her frown in pain.
“Just because I had dinner with Veronica today, you want to run away from home? You hurt someone, Veronica didn’t even argue with you, and you’re the one throwing a tantrum?”
Gretchen looked up at him, the man’s irritation was written all over his face.
“Veronica and I are old friends. She just returned to her home country, and her parents asked me to take care of her more. Can you be more understanding?”
Mature?
The word “stabbed into her heart like a knife,” Gretchen clenched the clothes in her hand, the fabric crumpled in her palm.
She was already mature enough to leave, how much more mature does she need to be?
“Speak up!” Howard suddenly raised his voice.
Gretchen turned around silently and continued packing her bags.
Her silence totally pissed off Howard.
“Fine, let’s see how long you can keep this up.”
After saying that, he slammed the door and it “bang” shut, making her heart tremble.
The next morning, when Gretchen went downstairs, she saw Veronica sitting in the living room, chatting with Howard and smiling.
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She wore a white dress today, with delicate makeup, looking pure and elegant.
Seeing Gretchen coming down, she immediately stood up, smiling sweetly and innocently, “Ms. Belton, you’re awake? My parents insisted that Howard take me to the auction today, don’t think too much about it.”
Gretchen glanced at Howard, the man was busy fixing his cufflinks, didn’t even give her a look.
“I didn’t think much,” she said softly, “Your business has nothing to do with me.”
Howard’s hand paused, his brow furrowing even tighter.
He was about to speak when Veronica cut in, saying, “Why don’t we invite Ms. Belton to come along? Since you don’t have anything else to do anyway.”
Before Gretchen could refuse, Veronica had already affectionately linked her arm.
She was just pulled into the car like that.
The auction was lit up with bright lights, and it was packed with celebrities.
Howard sat in the front row, casually holding up signs with his slender fingers. He snapped up one piece of jewelry and luxury watch after another, then handed them over to Veronica beside him.
Veronica laughed gently, whispering in his ear from time to time, her affectionate gestures were dazzling.
“Howard, should we get some for Ms. Belton too?” she suggested, pretending to be considerate.
Howard said casually, “No, she’s not used to these things.”
Veronica heard that, with a slight smile on her lips, she gave Howard a victorious smile from an angle he couldn’t see.
Gretchen looked down, gently rubbing the auction catalog in her hand, feeling a chill in her heart.
Can’t get used to it, or don’t deserve it?
In his eyes, she was probably always the Cinderella who crawled out of the slums, even though she is standing next to him now deep down she still doesn’t match these luxurious things.
It’s okay, anyway… before long, there won’t be any relationship between them anymore.
Gretchen sat quietly in the corner, watching Howard shower Veronica with money, watching their intimate display as if she was just a bystander.
Until the last item was presented—
A jade bracelet.
Her breath caught in her throat, and her fingers clenched involuntarily.
That was grandma’s keepsake!
Three years ago, Howard went to the construction site to move bricks in order to buy her a birthday gift. In the end, he fell from
the site and almost lost his life.
To raise money for his surgery, she had to sell the bracelet her grandmother left her.
Later, when she had saved enough money to redeem it, the bracelet had already been bought by someone else.
She searched all the antique shops in town, but never saw it again.
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And now, it just appeared in front of her out of the blue.
Gretchen’s heart skipped a beat, and she almost instinctively raised the sign.
“One million.”
Veronica turned around and looked at her in surprise, then chuckled lightly and held up a sign, “Three million.”
“Four million!”
“Five million!”
***
After several rounds of bidding back and forth, Howard frowned and glanced between Gretchen and Veronica.
In the end, he raised his hand slightly and lit the sky lantern.
Bought at the highest price of the whole auction.
The auctioneer sealed the deal with a hammer: “Congratulations, Mr. Wiggins!”
Amidst the uproar, he turned to Veronica and said, “Since you like it, it’s yours.”
The number plate in Gretchen’s hand “plopped” onto the ground.
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