Part 1Life after Goodbye

The day I found out I was pregnant, I accidentally called myself three years in the future.

Clutching my pregnancy test report, I asked excitedly, "Was Adrian happy when he found out he was going to be a dad? Is my baby a boy or a girl?"

The woman on the other end of the phone answered in a hoarse voice, "The baby was never born. After Jane found out you were pregnant, she gave you abortion pills. Adam even signed the papers to have your uterus removed. And Adrian ignored you completely just to comfort that illegitimate daughter."

My mind went blank, and my whole body started shaking. "That's impossible..."

I couldn't believe that my beloved older brother, my best friend of 20 years, and the man I had loved for seven years had all betrayed me.

A muffled sob came from the other end of the phone. "Adrian had already secretly married Sophia. Everyone knew about it, but they all kept it from you!"

I collapsed into my chair. Then my phone received a string of numbers.

"If you don't believe me, go see for yourself."

* * *

By the time I came back to my senses, I had already arrived at the address in the text.

It was a luxurious mansion.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw Sophia Prescott happily leaning against Adrian Harrington as she blew out the candles.

Adrian, who had held me in his arms and soothed me to sleep just last night, was now kissing the corner of her lips. "Happy birthday, Sophia. You'll always be my princess."

I stared at the scene in disbelief.

My best friend, Jane Addyman, slipped a bracelet onto Sophia's wrist.

"Sophia, this is a matching pair. You get one, and I get one. We'll never be apart!"

Tears filled my eyes.

When Jane's stepfather used to beat her, I had risked my life to save her.

Back then, I had gently touched the scars on her wrist and given her a gold charm bracelet.

She had hugged me and cried as she promised, "Audrey, you'll always be my best friend!"

I stood there frozen.

Then a message suddenly popped up on my phone. It was from three years in the future.

"Did you see it? Everyone betrayed you. If you still want to live, take Mom and leave now."

"Three years from now, they gave all the company's shares to Sophia. I couldn't even afford Mom's medical bills. In the end, I had to watch her die right in front of me."

A surge of panic tightened every nerve in my body and stole my breath.

My mother, Isabelle Prescott, was the most important person in my life. I couldn't imagine losing her.

When I looked up, I met Adrian's shocked gaze.

He hurried outside and dragged me under a tree. "What are you doing here?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

I thought he would at least try to explain himself when he saw me. Instead, he was questioning me.

I shouted angrily, "Adrian, you're such a bastard! If I hadn't come here, how would I have known you were sleeping with my dad's illegitimate daughter?"

I tried to slap him, but he grabbed my wrist. "Audrey, don't push me too far!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "I'm pushing you too far? My boyfriend and my best friend are hiding here to celebrate the birthday of the illegitimate daughter who almost killed my mom. Tell me, who's actually gone too far?"

Adrian's brows furrowed as his grip on my wrist tightened. "Stop calling Sophia an illegitimate daughter. She's a good person."

The way he instinctively defended Sophia broke my heart.

I gave a bitter smile and shouted. "Adrian, you know how much I hate her! We've been together for seven years. How could you do this to me?"

"Audrey, love isn't measured by how much time you've spent together."

I stared at him, stunned by how unfamiliar he suddenly seemed.

When I first met Adrian, he was just a broke young man with only a few dollars to his name.

I had used all my savings and connections to help him start his business.

Later, I even drank until I suffered a stomach bleed just to help him secure investors. Back then, he had knelt in front of me and sworn that I was more important to him than anything in the world.

Eventually, he became one of Riverview's rising elites.

At a press conference, he held my hand and promised all the reporters, "Audrey is the only woman I have ever loved. I'll give her the very best."

And now he was telling me that love wasn't measured by time.

"Adrian, I hate you!" I completely lost control.

Crying and screaming, I clawed at his face and slapped him again and again.

But he didn't dodge.

Instead, he looked past me.

I followed his gaze.

And there stood the one person I least wanted to see.