After applying the ointment, Finley left in a hurry due to a phone call.
I touched the wedding ring on my ring finger, feeling a warmth in my heart.
It seemed that marrying him wasn't so bad after all.
That summer dragged on, its tail lingering long past its welcome.
The news agency transferred me from the entertainment section to the finance section, where I continued working as a writer.
On the same day, Luke suddenly arrived at the company and became my direct superior.
Lila became his personal secretary.
That day, I heard Lila's voice outside the restroom.
Hesitant, aggrieved, and melodious tones.
"How cheap, Lila?"
Luke's voice carried a fury.
They must have had another argument.
Lila didn't back down. "I'm cheap, go find that stutterer… Mr. Hebert can't enjoy delicacies, he likes leftover food."
"Yes, leftover food is better than you."
Luke was relentless, making Lila cry.
I just felt unlucky.
As it turned out, Luke, who had been out of touch for a long time, showed up that day.
"Stutterer, where have you been for a month?"
He pushed me against the entrance, his voice laughing, but his eyes cold.
I avoided his touch coldly. "We broke up."
A dark shade flashed in Luke's eyes as he gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"Why aren't you stuttering now?"
"Get lost!"
I had weekly speech therapy sessions.
I couldn't form complex long sentences.
But cursing was no problem.
Perhaps due to his argument with Lila, Luke was brimming with a stubborn intensity.
He ignored my struggles and forcibly pulled me into his car.
"I'm calling the police!"
Luke ignored my struggles, tossed my bag into the backseat, and locked the doors swiftly.
"What police? Didn't you want to meet my family?"
"Today is a family dinner. My grandfather and my brother are here. I'll introduce you to them."
My heart sank. "Luke, I'm married."
Luke punched the steering wheel.
The car beeped briefly.
"Who was blind enough to fall for you?"
The anger in his eyes dissipated when he saw my ring.
"I said… how could it be possible."
He sneered. "Don't lie to me. This cheap ring doesn't even have a diamond. The person who married you must be poor."
I picked out this ring.
It was the cheapest one in the wedding ring store.
Because I didn't want to draw too much attention.
Finley's was even simpler, hardly noticeable.
But he still wore it.
Seeing me staring at him warily, Luke was in high spirits.
"In this world, there's no one brave enough to snatch someone from me."
"If you're capable, have your husband try to snatch someone from the Hebert family."
Luke drove at breakneck speed, taking me to the Hebert family's family dinner.
My phone rang the whole way, under the seat in the back.
When I got out of the car, I held back my nausea and took a moment to recover.
Then Luke pulled me inside.
I met Finley's gaze, who was on the phone by the villa's window.
He still had a nearly burnt-out cigarette between his fingers.
His brows and eyes were cold.
It seemed he was dealing with some troublesome matter.
Seeing me, Finley slowly put down his phone, his gaze falling on where Luke was holding my wrist.
It was strangely chilling.
Could he have been the one who called me just now?
I tried to pull my hand away, but Luke wouldn't let me.
Instead, in front of everyone, he directly pulled me in front of his grandfather.
"This is my girlfriend."
"I'm not—" I hurriedly defended myself.
The grandfather spoke decisively.
"I know you're a child the Hebert family has supported. You're a good child. Family background isn't an issue. As long as you're a good person and loyal to your feelings, I approve."
Luke's gaze swept over the corner.
Only then did I see that Lila was there, sitting there dejectedly.
Alone.
Her lips were bitten pale.
Was it to upset Lila again?
But I was already tired of all this.
I firmly pushed Luke's hand away. "Mr. Hebert, I'm married."
Grandfather Hebert was taken aback. "Such a big event, why didn't you tell us?"
"Not with Luke, but with someone else."
When Finley heard "someone else," a slight displeasure appeared in his eyes.
He held his wine glass and turned to go elsewhere.
I didn't realize, and continued. "I'm afraid Mr. Hebert's most desired bride now is Miss Berg."
"While we hadn't broken up, he took Miss Berg to a hotel. He didn't respond to my messages for a month. I already considered us broken up. Now that I'm married, he still wants to interfere with my family. Isn't that going too far?"
Those who were originally waiting to congratulate us suddenly fell silent, pricking their ears to listen to the gossip.
Some even laughed and teased, "Oh, the young master is cheating and being the third wheel. Quite the player, aren't you?"
That was harsh.
But it felt good.
Luke didn't expect me to be so bold. "Who taught you to say that!"
"Wait, when did you become so smooth-talking—"
The grandfather struck Luke's leg with his cane.
"What is Lila? How dare you marry her!"
Luke grunted in pain, and Lila suddenly rushed over from the corner.
"Grandfather, don't hit Luke! If you want to hit someone, hit me!"
The scene turned into chaos.
I quietly backed out, about to leave.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me forcefully.
I stumbled into a dark room.
With a faint click,
the door was locked.
Then, a low voice sounded in my ear.
"Elise, am I 'someone else'?"
