Chapter 1
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Edward Gibson and I had loved and fought for years.
People whispered that he was obsessed with me–so proud, he would still kneel and beg.
But in our seventh year together, he finally met “the woman he truly loved.”
We had one blow–out fight and we broke up on the spot.
Five years later he came back.
Three days after his return, he stomped into my stall to prove his loyalty to her–smashed my cart, scattered my skewers.
I didn’t hold back either. I slapped her three times across the face. The fight landed Edward and me at the police station.
I refused to reconcile and was locked up.
He paid bail the same day and swaggered away with his girlfriend.
A few days later, the officers asked for my family’s number so someone could pick me up.
I replied coldly, “I have no family left. They’re all dead.”
Then Edward showed up again, with a bunch of friends, just to laugh at
- me.
I lost it, swung the broom in my hand, and ended up earning myself a longer stay in detention.
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A female officer cocked her head at me and asked, “Why are you so short- tempered?”
I didn’t answer–what was the point?
I was dying. I wasn’t going to let anyone push me around anymore.
Besides, Edward’s brother, Julian Gibson, had killed my father.
He deserved another hit.
***
At 3:00 a.m., my food stall had mostly cleared out.
I was packing up the charcoal when a young lady with blonde hair appeared, leaning over to pick skewers from the racks.
Behind her was Edward’s good friend, Jackson Sullivan. He stiffened slightly when he saw me.
“Vivi, maybe we should go somewhere else?” Jackson murmured.
Viviana Clayton shook her head, smiling innocently. “It’s 3:00 in the morning. Where else can we eat? Besides, this one’s clean enough. Let’s stay.”
She looked up at me. “Miss, we’ll take all of these. Make the meat tender and not too spicy. My boyfriend can’t handle much heat.
I muttered a response through my mask.
My hands trembled as I added charcoal–not from nervousness or fear, but from the hatred that crept in at the sight of my enemy.
“Jackson, help me pick something to drink. Edward’s coming soon. Let’s celebrate our return,” Viviana said.
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Jackson’s jaw tightened. He didn’t reply.
He probably knew that as long as I was here, Edward wouldn’t be happy.
She unlocked her phone, and a photo of her and Edward holding hands lit up the screen.
Edward’s left hand stood out–half of his pinky missing–a reminder of my knife.
Of course, he hadn’t exactly lost out–he shoved me against the table, leaving the scar on my forehead.
Viviana went so far as to send a voice message to Edward, her tone syrupy sweet.
“Edward, we’re at the barbecue stall waiting for you. I sent you the location. Hurry up.
After all these years, she was still using the same old tricks. And now she had the nerve to flaunt them in front of me.
I lowered my gaze and sprinkled chili over the lamb skewers. My hand trembled, spilling a little more than intended, so I simply added more.
“Edward, over here!” Viviana suddenly jumped up and shouted while waving at a figure in the distance.
The next moment, she rushed over and flung herself into his arms.
Through the smoke and sparks, my eyes met Edward’s.
He froze.
Viviana noticed and tried to follow his gaze back to me, but he lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips forcefully,
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I looked away and put more chili on the corn. The smoke stung my eyes.
Jackson stepped up, opening his mouth a few times before finally saying, “Please… stop making things difficult for them. It hasn’t been easy for them to get where they are. I…”
The rest of his words were lost in the dense smoke.
I didn’t listen.
I focused on stirring the charcoal, the smoke burning my throat, but my thoughts were piercingly clear.
Just then, a voice I hadn’t heard in ages cut through the night.
“Cook it a bit longer. My girlfriend likes it soft.”
