Chapter 2 I Truly Pity You

Stella: Nathaniel, it must have been a rough couple of years for you. Stella: I know you don’t love her. Let’s meet tonight. I really miss you. Cecilia couldn’t return to her senses until the screen went dark. She hailed a cab and headed toward Nathaniel’s company. On the way, she gazed out the window. The pitter-patter of the rain seemed as if it would never cease. Nathaniel didn’t like it when Cecilia visited his office, so every time she came to see him, she would use the service elevator at the back. Nathaniel’s personal assistant, Mason Sanders, saw Cecilia approaching. He simply greeted her with a cool, “Ms. Smith.” No one by Nathaniel’s side acknowledged her as the lady of the Rainsworth family. She was an existence that couldn’t be seen in public. When Nathaniel saw the phone that Cecilia had brought, his brows furrowed slightly. She was always the same. Whether it was a forgotten lunch, a document, a piece of clothing, or an umbrella, she would always bring them to him whenever he left them behind. “Didn’t I mention before, there’s no need for you to go out of your way to deliver things to me.” Cecilia was taken aback. “Sorry, I forgot.” When did my memory become so poor? Perhaps it was the sight of the text message from Stella that had truly frightened her for a moment. She was afraid that Nathaniel would suddenly just vanish. As she was about to leave, she turned to look back at Nathaniel. Despite her efforts to hold back, she finally asked, “Nathaniel, do you still have feelings for Stella?” Nathaniel found Cecilia’s recent behavior quite peculiar. Not only was she forgetful, but she also had a penchant for asking peculiar questions. How could she ever be worthy of being his wife? He replied impatiently, “If you have too much free time, replace something to do.” In the end, Cecilia still didn’t get the answer. She had previously attempted to replace employment, but her efforts were ultimately thwarted by the elders of the Rainsworth family. They claimed that her public appearances were bringing embarrassment to the family. Nathaniel’s mother, Elena Griffiths, had once unabashedly questioned her. “Do you want the whole world to know that Nathaniel married a handicapped wife with a hearing disability?” Upon returning home, Cecilia tried to keep herself as busy as possible. Even though she had already cleaned the house until it was spotless, she still didn’t stop. Only in this way could she uncover her final shred of worth. That afternoon, she did not receive a text message from Nathaniel. Typically, in such a situation, it either meant he was upset, or he was simply too busy. The night was deeply shrouded in darkness. Cecilia struggled to fall asleep. At that moment, her phone on the bedside table rang. She noticed it belatedly and reached for her phone. It was a call from an unknown number. The voice that echoed was sweet, yet it always filled Cecilia with fear. It was Stella. “Ceci, are you there? Nathaniel is drunk. Could you come and pick him up?” At Elite Club, Nathaniel was sitting at the head of the table, drinking absentmindedly. Stella, who was seated next to him, was being egged on by a group of scions. They were insisting that she should sing a song. “Stella, didn’t you return to win back Mr. Rainsworth? Go on, sing and confess your love to him.” Stella’s striking beauty and charm, combined with her likable personality, made her a favorite among high society. Adding to this, her status as Nathaniel’s first love only fueled the eagerness of the scions to play matchmaker for her. Stella didn’t play coy either. She promptly chose to sing a Hestryan song titled Into Your Heart. “I wish for the evening breeze to carry me into the depths of your heart…” Her voice was melodious and captivating, causing everyone to fall silent. When Cecilia arrived at the entrance of the private room, Stella had just finished a song. Inside the private room, the people were advising Nathaniel, with the voice of his close friend, Zachary Sinclair, standing out the most. “Nathaniel, you’ve been waiting for Stella for three years, and now she’s finally back. You should express your feelings. The girl has already confessed her feelings for you first.” Cecilia stood frozen in place, clenching her fists. Just at that moment, the door to the private room was opened by a man, who intended to use the restroom. But when he saw Cecilia, he was surprised. “Ms. Smith.” Everyone at the party turned their gazes toward the entrance. Suddenly, the room fell into an eerie silence. As soon as Cecilia saw Nathaniel seated at the head of the table, she immediately noticed his clear, sober eyes, with no signs of drunkenness. She knew she had been deceived by Stella. Upon seeing Cecilia, Nathaniel narrowed his eyes. Everyone else, including Zachary who had just suggested that Nathaniel should accept Stella’s confession, had an awkward expression on their faces. Cecilia shouldn’t have come to such a place. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Ceci. Zachary was just joking around. Nathaniel and I are just good friends.” It was Stella who first shattered the tranquility. Before Cecilia could even respond, Nathaniel impatiently got up. “You don’t have to explain anything to her.” As soon as he finished speaking, he walked straight up to Cecilia. “What are you doing here?” “I thought you were drunk, so I came to take you home,” Cecilia honestly replied. Nathaniel sneered, “It seems you didn’t remember a single word I said today.” He lowered his voice, posing a counter-question in a tone only the two of them could hear. “Do you think that in the past three years, everyone has forgotten how I, Nathaniel, was deceived? Is that why you came here, to remind them?” Cecilia was stunned for a moment. Nathaniel’s gaze was icy cold. “Don’t try to assert your presence when it’s not needed. You’re only making me despise you more!” Once he finished speaking, he left Cecilia standing there as he turned and walked away. As she watched his tall figure recede, it took a long while for Cecilia to collect her thoughts. That day might have been the day Nathaniel spoke to her the most, but it was also the day he hurt her the most. Inside the private room, the wealthy young men watched as Cecilia was left behind, not a shred of sympathy in their eyes. Zachary was even less restrained. He said to Stella, who was pretending to be upset, “Stella, you’re such a good person. What’s there to explain about this situation? If Cecilia hadn’t tricked Nathaniel into marriage, Nathaniel would have married you. You wouldn’t have had to travel to a foreign country and lead such a difficult life.” A constant hum echoed in Cecilia’s ears, yet she could hear everything crystal clear. She understood better than anyone else. Regardless of whether Nathaniel chose to marry her or not, he would never marry Stella, who had no family background whatsoever. Stella was well aware of this fact, which was why she had resolutely chosen to break up with him and cross the vast ocean. But how did everything become her fault? Cecilia returned to Daltonia Villa. As always, it was shrouded in unbroken darkness and silence. The house appeared unchanged when she returned, just as it had when she left. Nathaniel had not returned. Cecilia, umbrella in hand, stood at the doorway, feeling as though she was enveloped in darkness. Suddenly, she didn’t feel like going inside, a place where she was always alone. Instead, she sat down in the outdoor gazebo, facing the cold wind and watching the rain. After an indeterminable amount of time had passed, a striking figure appeared before her. It was Stella. She was elegantly dressed, wearing a pair of high heels. She walked over and took a seat next to her. “It’s really cold tonight, isn’t it? How does it feel to seek out Nathaniel in the middle of the night, only to be mocked by him?” Upon hearing these words, Cecilia didn’t respond. Stella didn’t seem to mind. She continued, “You know, at first, I was extremely envious of you. You had a wonderful family, a loving father, and a life free of worries. But now, I truly pity you. I pity how you’ve silently harbored feelings for Nathaniel for over a decade, yet he hasn’t shown you a shred of love in return.”