Deep into the night, Jaylene sat in front of the window, flipping through a thick photo album, which was filled with pictures she had taken with Alexander Preston over the years.
There were pictures of them laughing as they embraced, pictures of him spinning her round, pictures of the two of them poking their heads out from behind trees, pictures of them walking hand in hand on a suspension bridge, and pictures of them looking at their reflections in the water on the Nightingale Bridge.
So many photographs, so many memories. Every single picture carried a piece of their history and a story.
"Jaylene, you are the woman I love the most. I will cherish you in the palm of my hand throughout my life."
"Jaylene, holding your hand, we will grow old together. Today, I've held your hand, and I'm determined to walk by your side for the rest of my life."
"Jaylene, you are water, and I am a fish. Water is a fish's oxygen. Without you, I can't survive."
His once profound vows still echoed in her ears, but now, he had become someone else's groom, spending his life with another woman.
Indeed, vows are like farts. They seem earth-shattering at the moment, but pale into insignificance afterward!
What about the fish that can't live without water? After leaving her, he led an even more comfortable life, living in a mansion and driving luxury cars at such a young age.
And her? She's become a completely stagnant pond, devoid of fish..
..
It was Saturday, a day off. Jaylene intended to sleep till late, but was awakened by a call from Alisha at eight in the morning.
"Jaylene, the weather is great today, let's go to Sun City and distract ourselves," Alisha's exaggerated voice came through the phone.
"I don't need to buy anything," Jaylene replied honestly.
Not to mention that she didn't need to buy anything, even if she did, where would she find the mood to shop now?
"I want to go shopping even if you don't," Alisha shouted over the phone. "Jaylene Ziel, I've always accompanied you whenever you go shopping. Now, you must accompany me to buy my summer clothes."
".."Jaylene remained silent for a while, then, still yawning from being woken up, she asked, "Can I not go?"
"No!" Alisha answered decisively. "In the past, I risked my life to accompany you, now you must accompany me, Alisha!"
".."
..
Half an hour later, Jaylene arrived at Sun City as promised.
She thought she would reach later than Alisha, who was driving, as she took the subway. However, when she arrived and called Alisha, Alisha said she was stuck in traffic.
While Alisha was stuck in traffic and Jaylene was waiting for her at the entrance of Sun City, she hadn't stood there for more than five minutes when a car slowly pulled up. The car door was pushed open, and out came Alexander Preston and Raine Thompson.
Alexander was dressed in a well-tailored gray suit, which made his originally fair face even more stunningly handsome. Raine, clad in a light pink princess dress with delicate makeup, appeared as dazzling as a celebrity in a television show at first glance.
Though seeing Raine holding Alexander's hand was like a knife stabbing into her heart, causing her heart to bleed in pain, Jaylene had to admit, Alexander Preston and Raine Thompson did indeed make a beautiful couple.
She took a deep breath, made a 45° angle towards the sky, and let all the warm tears welling up in her eyes flow back.
She would not blame Alexander; this is what she told herself in her heart.
Raine Thompson is the only daughter of the Clayton CEO, and Clayton Construction is the leader in the construction industry in Bay City. With an estimated worth of tens of billions, how can she compete with such a person?
It's only natural that people strive for higher and water flows downward. What's wrong with Alexander Preston choosing Raine Thompson over her?
Watching the couple walking towards the gate, she instinctively turned to leave. No need for pleasantries now that they've become strangers, lest it would bother Alexander and Raine's peace.
However, no sooner had she stepped outside the door than she bumped into another woman head-on.
"Sorry," she apologized quickly, committing to the principle of apologizing when one bumps into another, even before she had a chance to look at the woman's face.
"You are..." The woman sized her up and asked with a furrowed brow, "Jaylene Ziel?"
Jaylene didn't expect to run into someone who recognized her here. She quickly lifted her head and found herself facing a woman.
The woman seemed to be in her early twenties with perky breasts, long and beautiful legs, a slender waist, and a tall and lithe body—the perfect figure of a mistress.
Unlike Raine's tough femininity, her beauty was coquettish and wild. The short black dress she wore accentuated her pretentious and arrogant demeanor.
Jaylene searched her memory, finally confirming she doesn't know the woman!
"Don't know who I am?"
The woman's tone was haughty and obviously contemptuous, "It doesn't matter. It's enough that I know who you are. I want to give you a warning: 'Don't aspire to possess what doesn't belong to you.' Because that's what you call over-reaching!"
Something tightened within Jaylene. What did the woman mean by 'what doesn't belong to her'?
"Heh, the words may be rough, but the meaning is true, and I assume you've heard it before?"
Seeing Jaylene fall silent, the woman smirked, seemingly more pleased. Lifting her eyebrows, she waved her hand in a dismissive manner and strutted past Jaylene, throwing disdainful words over her shoulder, "Miss Ziel, I would advise you to give up on your wishful thinking. Because the third wheel is as welcome in people's eyes as a street rat!"
What? Third wheel? Who's the third wheel?
Jaylene was so angry that she felt like a balloon about to burst. She called out coldly at the woman who had just strutted past her, "Stop right there!"
Phoebe Smith, who had just stepped onto the stairs, turned around with a disdainful look on her face, "Miss Ziel, are you calling me?"
"Yes, I am telling you to stop!" This woman looked at Jaylene smugly, "I am Raine Thompson's cousin, Phoebe Smith. You may call me Miss Smith."
Jaylene spoke up solemnly and stepped onto the stairs to face her, "I don't care if you're Miss Smith or Miss Wynn, I want to make one thing clear. Even though I'm just an ordinary girl and not some rich damsel, Alexander and I have known each other for ten years. He is an orphan sponsored by my father and even boarded at my home in middle school. We established our relationship three years ago!"
Jaylene's voice choked a bit due to the agitation. She paused for two seconds before continuing, "Though I don't know what transpired between Miss Thompson and Alexander, or how she gained his love, that doesn't matter anymore. They are married now. I admit, I lost. Since Alexander is another woman's husband, I will no longer hold onto him. My feelings for him are entirely gone! And I certainly won't stoop so low as to become his mistress!"
Phoebe Smith gave her a somewhat surprised look before sneering, "You're all talk but no action. If you are really over him, why were you staring at my cousin-in-law just now?"
Cousin-in-law?
It took Jaylene two seconds to realize that Phoebe's cousin-in-law was Alexander Preston. So, this woman was Raine Thompson's cousin.
".."
Jaylene was at a loss for words because she was indeed staring at Alexander just now.
She and Alexander had known each other for ten years and dated for three. Whenever he was around, she couldn't help but look at him. This had become a habit.