Chapter 4

Aurora POV

At dinner, I looked at the table full of seafood and immediately understood.

Mark had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare it for Fiona.

Fiona loved seafood.

Mark remembered Fiona's preferences, her eating habits, and even arranged everything in advance.

His thoughtfulness, it turned out, was never exclusively for me.

I had misunderstood him for so many years.

Fortunately, today I finally understood completely. I wouldn't misunderstand him again.

At the dinner table, Fiona was poised and articulate, chatting happily with my adopted parents.

Mark sat beside Fiona, occasionally serving her food, his demeanor natural and intimate.

I quietly ate my dinner, barely speaking throughout the meal.

After dinner, Fiona stayed for a little while longer before getting up to leave.

Mark picked up his car keys. "I'll drive you."

Before leaving, Fiona added my contact details, smiling. "I'll be coming over often from now on. Let's keep in touch."

I nodded distractedly.

After seeing them off, I returned to my room.

My hand involuntarily clicked on Fiona's Ins profile.

Her earliest posts dated back to college.

It turned out they had been together during their university years.

Back then, they were inseparable, attending classes, going to the library, and traveling together every day.

Their classmates called them the happiest couple.

The Mark in the photos was a few years younger than he was now, but the smile in his eyes was more vibrant and alive than I had ever seen.

For Fiona's birthday, Mark rented an entire yacht and filled every corner with flowers.

The caption read:

The most romantic proposal rehearsal in the world. Someone said this was just a rehearsal, the real one would come later.

I thought of the gifts I received on my birthdays.

They were valuable, but they were always just bought and handed to me directly.

He had never done anything so elaborate and romantic for me.

On Valentine's Day, Mark said he had a business trip and couldn't be with me.

It turned out he had taken Fiona to Iceland to see the aurora borealis.

Mark had waited for several days with her until the most spectacular aurora appeared.

The caption read:

He said he would show me the most beautiful light in the world, and he did.

On Fiona's graduation day, Mark held a large bouquet of flowers and embraced her.

All the comments below were well wishes, calling them a couple blessed by God.

Mark had also come to my university graduation ceremony.

But he sat in the parents' section, his identity as my uncle.

After graduation, Fiona returned to her family's company to work.

Later, the Caldwell family expanded into overseas markets, and Fiona had to go abroad to manage their overseas expansion.

Mark couldn't convince her to stay, and they had a big argument, eventually breaking up.

And the time they broke up was right before my eighteenth birthday.

So, I really was just Mark's replacement.

I felt a coldness on my face; tears had streamed down at some point.

I was about to close Fiona's Ins when one post caught my eye.

It was last Christmas. Fiona had posted a limited-edition handbag.

The caption read:

Considering someone flew halfway across the world to bring it, I'll reluctantly accept it.

I recognized that bag.

It was a global limited edition, only one piece.

I had also wanted it at the time, and Mark had flown to France overnight to get it for me.

That bag had been sitting in my walk-in closet, and I had just had the butler take it to be sold this afternoon.

How could a globally limited-edition bag appear on Fiona's Ins?

A knock sounded at the door.

The butler came in to report, "Miss, all the jewelry and bags you asked me to handle this afternoon have been taken care of, but..."

The butler paused, saying cautiously, "One of the bags was identified as a replica."

My heart jolted. "Which one?"

My voice trembled slightly.

The butler handed over the replica bag.

I didn't take it.

I turned my head, averting my gaze. "Since it's fake, just throw it away."

The butler quietly exited.

The room fell silent again.

The single, globally limited-edition authentic bag, Mark had given to Fiona.

The one he gave me was fake.

For so many years, I had lived under Mark's protection, in a fairy tale.

Now that the truth was revealed, I found how rotten the inside of this happy facade was.

Mark had certainly been good to me, but today I finally understood that his kindness came with a condition.

That was, it had to be in situations that didn't conflict with Fiona.

My place and Fiona's place in Mark's heart had always been clear.

That night, Mark didn't come home.

This was the first time he had spent a night away without a reason since we'd been together.

In the past, no matter how busy he was or how late his business engagements ran, as long as he wasn't on a business trip, he would always come back to me.

He used to say, "Aurora is afraid of the dark, afraid of being alone. You'll be scared if I'm not home."

But with Fiona back, he had forgotten all of it.

I turned off the lights, lying in the dark with my eyes open, not sleeping all night.

The next day was the anniversary of Richard adopting me, which we designated as my birthday.

From the age of eight, every year on my birthday, Mark would personally organize it.

He'd prepare gifts in advance, invite many guests, and throw a grand celebration.

But this year, Mark forgot.