Paulette Davenport went to her stepfather Nelson Chapman's birthday party with her gift.

Just as she reached the door, she heard a voice from inside. It was Matthew McKenzie, Nelson's friend. "Nelson, now that Patricia's back, you're gonna marry her soon, right? What about Paulette? Everyone knows she has feelings for you."

The dim light and the frosted glass made Nelson's expression vague.

Then his cold voice sounded inside. "She's too young to understand what love is. Why take her words seriously?"

"She may be young, but she's had a crush on you for years. You really don't feel anything for her?" Matthew wondered.

Paulette held her breath-she wanted to know the answer more than anyone.

Lounging on the sofa, Nelson exuded the charm of a mature man.

After a slight pause, he said, his voice deep and icy, "Again, she's too young. She doesn't know what she's doing. Don't joke about this again. For me, she's just my stepdaughter. I'll never have feelings for her."

His last sentence shattered Paulette's heart like a blade.

Oblivious to her presence, Matthew said half-jokingly, "Yeah, yeah. We know. Patricia means the world to you. After all, she's your first love. Paulette is nothing compared to her."

Nelson nodded. "Don't bring up Paulette after Patricia gets here. I don't want her to get the wrong idea."

"We don't have to, OK?"

Matthew sighed meaningfully, "You know Patricia. She can't stand seeing you close to another woman."

"Yeah," one of their friends chimed in with a grin. "Nelson, she's what, twenty now? She's like the younger version of her mom. Why bother being with another woman? She's so into you, and I bet being your bride would be a dream come true for her..."

Nelson silenced him with a cold stare.

"Stop disgusting me. I'm her stepfather, and I always will be."

The room fell silent.

Paulette's grip on the doorknob tightened, her lungs suddenly struggling for air.

She had never imagined that her feelings actually disgusted him...

For a second, she wanted to barge in. But now, her strength seemed to have drained away, and she couldn't manage to say a word.

Lowering her head, she forced back her tears and turned away.

After taking a deep breath, she took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Jeremiah? I agree with your suggestion. Let's get married."

Jeremiah Swanson, five years older, was her childhood neighbor and friend. Later, he had gone abroad after high school and only returned recently.

He now settled in Crireton and only made time to visit Paulette once. While chatting with her, he kept complaining about his family hounding him to marry.

"Paulette, I bet we'll both end up being forced into an arranged marriage. Our families don't care if we're happy-just that we're settled.

"Since marriage is a must, why not choose someone we're comfortable with? Hey, you know what? You should just marry me."

Paulette had burst out laughing, finding it ridiculous.

But now, it seemed like a great idea.

She turned and gazed back at the building where neon lights cast colorful glows, as fiery as her feelings for Nelson.

She added, "We grew up together and know each other well. It's better than marrying some stranger, right? If your parents are pressuring you, we can ... do it soon."

Surprised by her words, Jeremiah paused for a few seconds. Then he said, his voice hoarse, "Alright. When do you want me to pick you up?"

Paulette lowered her head, and her gaze happened to fall upon the gift bag on the ground. "Soon. After I sort out my internship."

Now that she had decided to marry Jeremiah, there was no need for her to intern in Fromond.

After hanging up, she walked for a long time before finally hailing a cab and going back to Emberglade Villa.

It was located in downtown Fromond, a prime spot less than five kilometers from her original home, though nothing remained there now.

When she was nine, her mother Dayana Murphy killed herself. Nelson, Dayana's second husband- Paulette's stepfather-took her in.

He was only twenty back then. Looking into her eyes, he said to her firmly, "I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."

As it turned out, he was a man of his word. He gave her the best life possible, doting on her and looking after her meticulously over the years.

Though he was her stepfather, she had never called him Dad.

To her, things between them had always been special.

As soon as she turned eighteen, she confessed her feelings to him.

Yet, he had scolded her, calling her delusional and saying he'd only be her stepdad because of their great age gap.

And yet, he wouldn't let any man near her.

She had thought it was out of jealousy, and perhaps he just turned her down because she was too immature.

She had thought all she needed was to wait...

As she gazed at the scenery outside the window, memories came flooding back to her, and her eyes turned red before she realized it.

She thought, "I was so wrong. No matter how long I wait, it won't change anything.

"My feelings are just a burden for him.

"Since that's the case, Nelson, I'll get out of your sight."

Back at the villa, she wiped her tears away. After pulling herself together, she went upstairs, took a shower, and went to bed.

She had thought she would lose sleep, but she fell into a deep slumber. The next morning, a clattering from downstairs woke her.

As she got dressed and came downstairs, the noise grew louder-it was from the kitchen.

Assuming it was Nancy Morrison, the maid, she walked over with a yawn. "Nancy, it's so early..."

Recognizing who it actually was, she froze.

In the kitchen stood a woman in a pristine white dress, a matching apron cinched at her slender waist, her hair tied up neatly in a bun.

It was Patricia Carver, Nelson's first love!

"Morning, Paulette." Patricia turned around with a smile. "I was going to wake you after breakfast was ready. Didn't expect you'd be up so early."

Paulette thought, "With all the racket you're making, I'd have to be deaf not to wake up."

She slowly exhaled and then forced a smile. "What are you doing here?"

Patricia bit her lip, seeming a bit sheepish. "Nelson got drunk last night, so I took him back to take a shower and get changed. Since you're here, I figured I might as well fix some breakfast for all of us."

In other words, they had spent the night together.

Paulette could barely keep that smile on her face. "I don't need you to make me breakfast," she snapped, her voice icy.

The next second, a cold male voice rang out behind her. "Is that how I raised you, Paulette? Apologize!"

Paulette's whole body stiffened. After quite a while, she slowly turned around.

Having just come out of a shower, Nelson was in dark gray loungewear. Though his damp hair was still dripping, he was still stunning and attractive as ever. If it weren't for that stern expression on his face, he might effortlessly become every woman's Prince Charming.

Paulette pursed her lips and looked away in silence.

Patricia's gaze swept between them. Pretending to be angry, she glared at Nelson and then walked over to link arms with him. "Why are you so mean?

"Paula has just got out of bed. It's perfectly understandable that she gets a bit grumpy. You aren't exactly good-tempered yourself, OK?"

Though it sounded like she was scolding him, her playful tone turned it into coquetry.

Paulette's face turned pale as she couldn't help but wonder if she was an intruder.

Nelson's expression remained grim, though the air around him had become less oppressive. He patted Patricia's shoulder a few times reassuringly before turning to Paulette and saying in a deep voice, "Come with me to the study."

Paulette bit her lip and followed him in silence.

Behind them, Patricia said with worry, "Nelson, I know you're Paula's stepdad, but you don't have to always be so strict with her. Be nice."

Paulette sneered deep down, thinking, "If I didn't know better, I would have thought she was his wife already."

Since she was walking with her head down, she didn't notice that Nelson had stopped. In the next second, she slammed into his broad, solid back, and her nose ached.

"What the heck are you thinking?"

As Nelson's deep voice reached her ears, she looked up, only to meet his icy gaze.

Somehow, she blurted out, "You don't know?"

Maybe she said this because a small part of her still refused to give up.

Or maybe she wanted to see his reaction after he heard this.

Nelson furrowed his brows more tightly as he stared at her for a while. Then he said, "Paulette, I've made it very clear to you already. Some lines aren't meant to be crossed. Since you're about to graduate, I'll find you someone suitable, but that someone won't be me.

"I'm your stepfather, and Patricia is going to be your stepmother. You must respect her the way you respect me. Do you understand?"

Paulette had never heard that before.

She thought, "Rejecting me clearly wasn't enough for him. Now he's setting me up.

"Jeremiah's right. We're both gonna be forced to get married.

"What exactly am I still hoping for?

"I've made up my mind, haven't I?"

Taking a deep breath, she suddenly felt that giving up on someone wasn't as hard as she had thought.

She nodded obediently. "Yes, Dad."

Nelson paused slightly.

He arched an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction.

In the past, she had only called him "Dad" when she messed up and wanted forgiveness. For conversations like this, she'd only talk back.

Figuring she had realized her mistake, he said, his expression softening a bit, "Tricia is so nice to you, fixing breakfast for you and all. Don't be so hostile toward her, alright?"

Paulette thought, "Even if she hadn't, you would have fixed it for me anyway.

"Besides, I never asked her to do that in the first place."

But she didn't argue. She just nodded and said, "I see. I'll try to get along with her."

Nelson felt something was off as he saw her like this. He gazed at her face, his eyes deep, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Why didn't you come last night?"

Yesterday was his twenty-eighth birthday.

Paulette did come.

It was just that no one cared.

She said softly, "I stayed at school for a late meeting. Then I came straight home because I was so tired. Dad, happy birthday."

She just wanted to deal with everything and then leave him as soon as possible. So, she didn't think explaining was necessary.

Nelson nodded. After hesitating for a while, he still reached out and stroked her head. "If anything happens, tell me. Don't keep it all inside. OK? Now let's go downstairs for breakfast."

Paulette never expected that one day, she'd have breakfast prepared by her "rival in love" with the man she loved.

She wanted to find some excuse to leave at first. Yet, on second thought, now that she had decided to leave Nelson, she ought to accept such a reality.

She wouldn't have to endure it much longer anyway.

After breakfast, Nelson went upstairs to change.

Paulette was about to go back to her room, too. She had to go to school today to talk to her professor about her internship in Crireton.

"Paulette." Just then, Patricia's voice rang out behind her.

She turned around and saw Patricia standing at the kitchen door in cleaning gloves, her casual elegance making her no different from the hostess.

Though Paulette was deeply upset, she maintained expressionless and responded, "Yeah?"

"Nothing important, really. I just want a quick word with you."

The smile on Patricia's face was gentle, though her eyes were devoid of any emotion. "Nelson told me you've been a straight-A student all these years, and you even skipped grades a few times. You're about to graduate, right? Have you figured out where to intern?"

She pretended to care, but Paulette knew she was probing.

Paulette smiled, "I don't think it's got anything to do with you, Patricia."

Nelson had said she could intern at the Chapman Group, which made her thrilled, thinking she could finally stand by his side and thrive together.

But not anymore.

She no longer wanted that.

Patricia's expression froze for a second before she forced a smile. "I'm just trying to express my concern. After all, Nelson is a man. There's stuff that can be hard for fathers to talk about with their daughters."

Paulette wanted to say that was so not true. She had always shared everything with Nelson over the years.

But she was looking at his first love, his beloved.

So, she didn't retort.

She just said, "I see."

Her reaction surprised Patricia, whose eyes flickered. After a few seconds, Patricia said tentatively, "You're twenty years old, right? I presume things are getting awkward living together with Nelson. Hey, why don't you move in with me? I'll be so happy to have company."

Paulette had seen enough tangled affections in dramas.

She had always thought those plots were exaggerated. Yet now, she realized reality was just as dramatic.

Patricia just wanted her to stay away from Nelson.

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the irritation that was really getting to her.

But in the end, she chose not to hold back anymore. She stepped forward, looked Patricia in the eye, and said, "Shall I thank you for caring about me so much?"

At this precise moment, Patricia almost mistook Paulette for Nelson-their presence was equally intimidating. She instinctively stepped back a few times and stuttered, "N-No."

Suddenly, her gaze shifted to a certain point behind Paulette as she said gently, "Paula, you never have to worry about me taking Nelson away from you. You'll always be the one he cares about. I..."

Before she could finish, she tripped over the sliding door track and fell backward hard.

Paulette wanted to help her, only to be yanked by her with great force and shoved against the table.

Nelson looked at her with nothing but disappointment and coldness in his eyes. "Paulette, you let me down. The older you get, the viler you become."

Nelson's gaze was chilling to the bone, and Paulette couldn't utter a word.

Her side slammed into the dining table, and the sharp pain was killing her. Yet, all Nelson did was pick up Patricia carefully and then stride out with her in his arms.

Tears streamed down Paulette's face uncontrollably. She sniffed, not being able to move at all.

A few minutes later, someone opened the door.

It was Nancy.

Humming, she walked briskly to the dining room. Upon seeing Paulette, she exclaimed and said with astonishment and distress, "Ms. Davenport? What happened? Why are you crying so hard?"

Paulette couldn't hold back any longer. She said, her voice trembling, "Help me, Nancy... Please... It hurts so much."

Nancy called the property management for a car and took Paulette to the nearest hospital.

The doctor gave her a check-up. Luckily, there was no serious damage.

"Be careful these days. Avoid any pressure on your waist and remember to apply the spray regularly," the doctor reminded her after filling out the prescription. Then she comforted Paulette while looking at Paulette's pretty face, "The bruises may seem a bit terrifying, but they'll go away. Don't worry."

Paulette thanked her and then left the hospital with Nancy.

"Ms. Davenport, would you like me to call Mr. Chapman?" Nancy asked.

"No."

Patricia knew Nelson's attention was all on taking care of Patricia right now. Why would he give a damn about her?

She curved her lips self-mockingly and tried to move her waist slightly. It didn't hurt that much anymore, so she stuffed the spray into Nancy's hand and said, "You may go back. I'm going to school now."

Nancy was a bit worried. "Can you manage?"

"The doctor said it was just some bruises, right? I'm fine, Nancy."

It took Paulette a few minutes before reassuring Nancy, who finally left reluctantly.

As Paulette sat in the car, she couldn't help but sigh, overwhelmed by mixed emotions. It seemed she had been protected well since living together with Nelson at eight, but when she was really hurt, only Nancy was with her.

But she didn't feel bitter about it.

People always parted eventually.

Things between her and Nelson just ended sooner than she expected.

After submitting several documents, she told her professor about her internship in Crireton.

Her professor was very surprised. "Crireton? Don't you think it's a bit too far? You said you couldn't bear to leave Mr. Chapman, so you'd intern at his company, right? Besides, he's gonna be so worried."

She didn't know how to explain the tangled web between her and Nelson. Pondering for a while, she said, "We aren't related by blood. Besides, I'm already twenty. I don't want him to worry about me anymore, and it's time for me to be independent. I'm sure he'll be all for it."

Her professor nodded and sighed, "I guess. But he's so good to you-ask anyone in school, and they'll all agree with me. Even now, he still drives you to and from campus, protecting you from all the boys.

"No matter what, it's always a good thing to want to be independent. Go ahead then. It'll be a great opportunity for your growth. I believe in you-you'll make your mark no matter what you do."

Paulette nodded and left after chatting with her professor for a while.

Though her college years were brief, everyone here knew how much Nelson was concerned about her.

When she was a freshman, he had even bought a condo next to the campus just to better take care of her.

But...

Those days were gone.

Now, he was with the woman he wanted to take care of for the rest of his life, and she was no longer wanted. Maybe he was even annoyed by her existence.

Her departure would be the gift he wanted the most.

She thought he wouldn't come back because he had to look after Patricia.

To her surprise, the moment she stepped inside, she saw him dealing with work on his laptop on the sofa.

Hearing the sound, he turned around to look at her. "Your classes were over?"

She was stunned for a second before realizing he might have heard from Nancy that she had gone to school.

"Yes," she answered while putting the things she had taken back from school in the cabinet. After hesitating for a few seconds, she asked, "Is Patricia alright?"

Nelson frowned and said with displeasure, "Patricia? Where are your manners?"

Knowing he wanted her to address Patricia as "Ms. Carver", she said flatly, "You're about to get married soon, right? What's wrong with me calling her by her first name?"

The disapproval in his eyes was still obvious, but for the first time, he didn't scold her anymore.

Instead, he changed the subject. "I was so worried back then and was a bit too rough. Nancy told me you bumped into the table. Is it serious?"

Paulette clenched her fists on both sides and soon unclenched them. Lowering her head, she said, "No."

But he obviously didn't buy it. He thought, "Nancy told me she was in so much pain that she cried miserably.

"She has barely cried ever since I took her in. It must have hurt a lot for her to cry like that..."

Frowning, he put the laptop aside and walked toward Paulette. "Let me see..."

Seeing him reaching out, Paulette took a big step back instinctively. His hand froze in mid-air as he had never thought she'd avoid his touch.

"Paulette?"

He looked up at her, his gaze obscure.

"I was just really worried about Tricia back then. I'm sorry that I overlooked you. Could you accept my apology?"

"Indeed, you were so worried about Patricia that you didn't notice me at all," Paulette thought.

That familiar dull ache flashed through her chest once again. As she kept her head dropped, Nelson couldn't see the expression on her face. He only heard her say in an utterly flat voice, "I tripped. That was all. It was nothing compared to Patricia's injuries. You should go back and be with her."

"Are you really OK?"

"Yes."

Nelson looked at her skeptically for a few seconds before finally relaxing.

He thought, "It seems she's telling the truth. I know her well-if she was badly hurt, she would have made a scene already."

Just as he was about to say something, his phone on the sofa rang. He walked over and answered it, his gentle voice almost making Paulette feel like he was an entirely different person. "Tricia? What's up?

"What? You should have been more careful. Is it bad?"

He grabbed his jacket from the sofa as he continued, "I'll be there in a second."

As he hurried to the door, he suddenly remembered Paulette was still behind him. He then turned around and said, "Call me if you need anything. And stay home. Alright?"

Paulette watched as he went out, got into his car, and drove off.

As the engine's roar faded into the distance, she exhaled softly, the pain in her waist flaring up again.

Just then, her phone in the bag buzzed. She took it out, and upon seeing Jeremiah's name flashing on the screen, she actually felt the urge to cry.

She answered.

Then she said, her voice carrying grievances that even she wasn't aware of, "Jeremiah, I'm hurt."

Jeremiah had never heard Paulette speak in such a vulnerable tone. As he was stunned, he heard her faint sob.

He said, his voice tightening, "What happened? Did you go to the hospital? Where are you? I'll have my friend take you to the hospital..."

The concern in his voice was undisguised.

Paulette couldn't help but chuckle through tears.

"My waist bumped into the table. It's nothing."

She took a few deep breaths, no longer that frustrated. Then she said as she walked over to the sofa and sat down, "I went to the hospital already. The doctor said there was no serious damage and then prescribed me some medicine."

After saying this, she seemed to hear him breathe a sigh of relief. Then he said, "Can't you at least protect my wife for me when I'm away?"

He addressed her as his wife so naturally.

Somehow, Paulette actually found his voice exceptionally pleasant to the ear. She blushed, scolding, "I'm not your wife."

"Not yet."

Light footsteps came from the end of his line before he said, his tone returning to its usual laziness, "Paulette, I look forward to the day this title becomes official."

Paulette didn't know how to respond.

She and Jeremiah went way back.

She had always thought of him as her friend, and to think he'd be her husband felt more or less weird and ... exciting.