Chapter 2
I stared at Niel and tightened my grip over the stroller’s handlebars so much that my knuckles turned white.
When my parents were still alive, they had spoken to the Stalner family about my engagement with Niel. The party was supposed to be on July 7th, three years ago.
Later on, my parents passed. But to fulfill their promise, Abraham Stalner, Niel’s father, still threw the engagement party for both of us.
I could tell that Niel was indifferent about it. In fact, there was even indignation in his eyes.
Despite that, I did not dwell on it. I came up with the interior design for the party as I waited eagerly for the day to arrive.
On July 7th, I arrived at the venue feeling bashful and nervous. But when I opened the door, I was stunned.
The pink interior that I ordered had been changed to orange. Even my favorite tulips had been switched out to red roses.
Then, I looked at the screen. When I saw my name and Niel’s, I ran over to demand answers from him.
However, with a devil-may-care attitude, he just dismissed me with a wave.
“Cloud says she prefers this style, so I asked the staff to change it. It’s just an engagement party, not a wedding. I’ll get the staff to go along with whatever you want during the wedding.”
Tears of sadness immediately filled my eyes. “But this is my engagement party…”
Niel frowned in displeasure.
“You’re so annoying. You cry on a whim. Seriously, you’re not sensible like Cloud at all.”
He did not comfort me in the slightest and went off to exchange words with his business partners.
Noticing that I was feeling down, Iris quickly dragged me backstage to touch up my makeup.
“Calm down, Yelena. I’ll teach that brat a lesson. The engagement party will start soon. You won’t look presentable if your eyes are swollen.”
Iris was like a mother to me. When she comforted me, I felt even more aggrieved.
If my parents were still around, would Niel stop mistreating me like this?
Once I touched up my makeup, I held Iris’s arm and returned to the engagement party.
However, after looking around, Iris asked in puzzlement, “Strange. Why isn’t Cloud here yet? I told her to arrive earlier. She seriously just does whatever she wants…”
For some reason, this triggered a violent wave of anxiety within me.
Still, the engagement party began on schedule, and everything went smoothly.
When the emcee asked Niel to put the engagement ring on me, a sad voice suddenly came from the entrance.
“Niel…”
I looked over and saw Cloud wearing the same gown as mine. Even her hairstyle was similar.
Surprised, I turned to Niel, only to find him staring at Cloud with pain and sorrow.
“Niel, I love you, and I know you love me too.
“You even changed the interior of the engagement party for me!”
As Cloud spoke, tears started falling from her eyes.
“Won’t you leave with me? We aren’t related by blood, so we can be together.”
I instinctively held Niel’s hand tightly and looked at him in panic. “Niel, please don’t…”
Yet, his entire world seemed to zero in on Cloud. He did not even look at me.
The guests looked at me like they were listening to some hot gossip. Some looked at me with pity, though.
Abraham, Niel’s father, snapped. “Enough with this nonsense! Drag Cloud out!”
The security guards immediately stepped forward.
However, Cloud suddenly grabbed a utility knife and stared at Niel with teary eyes.
“Niel, if you won’t leave with me, I’ll die right here.”
Abraham glared at the security guards, who stopped moving, and roared, “What are you still waiting for?! Drag her out!”
But Niel said, “Don’t you dare touch her!”
Then, despite all of my pleading, he pried my fingers off of him and rushed toward Cloud.
He grabbed the utility knife from her hands and hugged her tightly.
Cloud cried even louder. “I knew it. You love me.”
“I’ll leave with you.” Completely ignoring my feelings, Niel fled the scene with her.
The guests could no longer sit still and started gossiping about me.
A breeze blew past, and I felt as if I had returned to the day of the engagement party. I started trembling nonstop.
