Chapter 3

Alyssa clutched her chest tightly with her right hand. The pain overwhelmed her to the point where she could barely catch her breath. "Lyssa?" When Stefan finally noticed something was wrong, he rushed to her side. "What's wrong?" The concern in his eyes seemed genuine, his expression that of a man who would crumble if anything happened to her. Yet, this very man who loved her so deeply had kept so many things secret from her. She tried her best to control her emotions. "It's nothing… just a stitch in my side." Stefan immediately pressed his hand gently against her chest, ensuring she was okay. After confirming several times that she was fine, he insisted on taking her back to rest. On the way home, he talked about various funny anecdotes, desperately trying to make her smile. No matter how hard he tried, though, her mood remained heavy. Alyssa leaned against the car window, silently watching the scenery retreating outside. Her expression was unreadable. "Lyssa, did I do something wrong?" Stefan asked cautiously, testing the waters. "No," Alyssa finally said. "I was just thinking about a show I watched today." Relieved, Stefan smiled and quickly followed up. "What was it about?" At that, Alyssa slowly turned her head to face him, her eyes locking onto his. "The male lead used to love the female lead deeply, but when he fell for someone else, he kept it from her…" She watched his face intently, catching every subtle shift in his expression. Then, in a calm voice, she added, "Stefan, if you ever fell out of love—" "Never!" Stefan cut her off urgently, as if he couldn't even tolerate the thought. "Lyssa, you're the love of my life. Even if every man in the world betrayed their partner, I would never do that. I can't live without you." Alyssa only felt a sharp pain in her heart. Stefan couldn't live without her, and yet, he had still gone out to taste the forbidden fruit. She was about to respond when Stefan's phone suddenly rang. He hesitated for a moment, clearly considering whether to answer. Alyssa pushed his hand gently. "Go ahead and take it." Reluctantly, Stefan obeyed and picked up the call. Whatever the person on the other end said, his expression shifted from calm to a slight narrowing of his eyes. Gradually, his demeanor became unnatural, almost strained. Stefan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he hung up the call and turned to Alyssa. "Lyssa, there's an emergency at work. I need to go now. Let me call a car to take you home, okay?" Alyssa quietly nodded and stepped out of the car. Watching Stefan's Maybach disappear down the road, she hailed a cab and climbed in. Instead of going back to the villa, she instructed the driver, "Please follow that car in front," The cab driver asked no questions as she started the engine and trailed the Maybach at a steady distance. Eventually, the car came to a stop in front of a villa. From a distance, Alyssa saw a young woman dressed in a bunny outfit opened the door. When a man stepped out of the car, she immediately threw herself into his arms with a bright smile. The woman was Juliette; the man was Stefan. They had barely embraced before they began to kiss, passionately and without restraint. After what felt like an eternity, Juliette pulled away, her breath uneven. She playfully tugged at Stefan's tie. "Master," she teased with a coy smile, "your little bunny has an even bigger surprise prepared for you. Want to see it?" Her finger lightly tapped against his Adam's apple as she spoke. Stefan's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his grip tightening around her hand, his eyes dark with desire. "It took me 15 minutes to cover a 30-minute drive, darling. What do you think?" Juliette giggled, curling her slender fingers around his as she led him back toward the car. "Come. It's in the car." The two climbed back inside, and soon, the vehicle began to rock gently. The rocking grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. No one could have known that Alyssa was sitting in a car nearby, watching everything unfold. Even though she had long since let go of any hope for him, the scene still hurt her deeply. It felt like a sharp hook had pierced her heart, tearing it apart. Clutching her chest tightly, she gasped for air as tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. When they were still in love, Stefan had cherished her deeply. Even in moments of passion, he restrained himself, not wanting to take things too far. He had told her that the first time was special, and things would only be perfect if they waited until their wedding night. He pursued her for three years and dated her for three more. Finally, they reached their wedding night. That evening, the usually composed and powerful Stefan was a bundle of nerves. When he removed her clothing, the tips of his ears turned bright red. He had valued her so much, paying careful attention to her every feeling. The moment he claimed her as his, he had been so overcome with emotion that he wept. Over and over, he had whispered into her ear, "Lyssa, you're finally mine. I love you. I'll love you forever." At that moment, she truly felt cherished. She thought that perhaps no one in this lifetime would ever love her more than Stefan did. Stefan only loved Alyssa. That was what he had promised her himself. But now, he was the one who broke that promise. The female driver in front noticed Alyssa crying her heart out. She let out a deep sigh, handing Alyssa a tissue. "That's how men are; every single one of them cheats. Even my husband cheated. But with a child, I can't even think about leaving…" As she talked about her own painful story, she choked several times before she continued, "Young lady, don't be too upset. You're already married. Just endure it. Forgive him this once. Pretend you didn't see anything." Clutching the tissue in her hand, Alyssa replied in a hoarse yet resolute voice, "No, I will not forgive him." She quietly swore, "Stefan, I will never forgive you." When she got home, she started rummaging through her belongings, gathering everything Stefan had ever gifted her. That included the priceless "Love, Lys". She made a phone call. "Is this the property agency? I'd like to sell all these items and donate the proceeds to the Women's Foundation. I would like to help women who want to divorce but can't because of children or financial constraints." In just an hour, she sent everything away. Then, she began packing her luggage. Halfway through, Stefan suddenly returned. He burst through the door amidst the wind and rain, not even bothering to use an umbrella. His whole body was soaked, the chill of damp air clinging to him. Without even changing clothes, he rushed to Alyssa. His voice trembled as he asked, "Lyssa, why did you sell 'Love, Lys'?"