Part 3The Battle for Our Vows

In the photo, Blake stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a woman, the entire Milky Way before them.

Location: Iceland.

Caption:

【If someone destroyed your galaxy, I'll give you a sky full of stars.】

My grip on the phone tightened until my hand trembled slightly—

Fine. Very fine.

If Sophia wanted to fight me to the bitter end, then she couldn't blame me for disregarding the ties between the Vance and Reed families.

Sophia returned a week later.

But when she came back to the company, she didn't find me crying and begging for her forgiveness.

Instead, she found a company with more than half its employees gone, and a significant portion of its investors vanished overnight.

What she hadn't anticipated at all was—

I, the husband in this joint family business, had also withdrawn my shares.

When she found me, I was in lively conversation with my blonde, blue-eyed partner, Leah.

When she saw Leah kiss me on the cheek, Sophia suddenly rushed forward and pulled us apart.

I stumbled, almost losing my balance, and shot her a frowning glare.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Sophia's breathing was unsteady. "That's what I should be asking you! What are you doing!"

"Just discussing a project. Haven't you heard of a cheek kiss as a greeting?"

"I!"

Sophia was taken aback.

Of course, she knew about cheek kisses.

But seeing me and my partner exchange them, she just couldn't help herself.

"That..." she changed the subject, "about you withdrawing your shares..."

I sounded impatient. "I didn't want to be partners with you anymore, so I withdrew my shares. What's the problem?"

"So, you can be partners with her then!"

Sophia pointed at Leah across from me.

My expression turned icy in an instant.

"Sophia, who I partner with is my business. If you disrespect my partner again, don't blame me for falling out with you right now!"

"What partner!"

Sophia's breathing quickened.

"The way she looks at you, are you really that blind, or are you pretending not to see? I can see it perfectly clearly, she..."

Leah's face paled.

I interrupted Sophia:

"My relationship with Leah is just like your relationship with Blake! Can you stop assuming the worst of people! You should know when to let things go, don't you understand such a simple principle?"

Sophia froze.

She seemed to realize.

Those words, they were almost exactly what she had once said to me.

Biting her lip, she took two steps back, then turned and strode away.

That evening, I took Leah out to dinner as an apology.

When Leah, a little tipsy, helped me home, I expected the house to be empty as usual, just me.

But this time, as soon as I opened the door, the woman on the sofa looked up.

"Honey..."

Sophia's eyes were a little red.

"Blake has been fired."

Saying this, she handed me a resignation letter.

"I really did dislike him at first. It's just that he shielded me from some falling debris when I was inspecting a project, and his arm got injured. I had to repay him.

"I thought getting him that watch would settle the debt completely, but I didn't expect you to show up..."

She paused, tentatively taking my hand.

"I admit I was being stubborn. When you went after Blake, everyone was laughing, saying you were slapping my face. I got angry and kept opposing you.

"Blake... I don't actually like him."

Her phone buzzed incessantly. She took it out and handed it to me.

Messages from Blake popped up one after another:

【Ms. Reed, did I do something wrong? Just tell me, and I'll change!】

【Or do you think I'm asking for too much? I've returned everything you bought me. As long as you let me stay by your side, I don't want anything...】

【Please, Ms. Reed, I came to this foreign country all alone. You're my only emotional support. If you don't want me, I'll die...】

Sophia tapped on Blake's profile picture and, right in front of me, deleted and blocked him.

Then she took a deep breath and looked at me.

"I'm sorry, honey. I thought being defiant would solve the problems between us, but when I saw you and Leah exchange cheek kisses, I realized I couldn't stand it at all...

"I think all those games I played with Blake out of spite only caused you more pain.

"I'm sorry..."

The door behind her opened.

Gifts filled the entire room.

What surprised me even more was that the ceiling had been remodeled to look like the Milky Way.

The gold watch I had once favored, now retrieved from Blake's wrist, had been redesigned and placed in a box.

"Honey, let's make up. Let's be good to each other from now on..."

"Okay."

A five-year marriage of convenience, with some genuine affection mixed in – my intention was mainly to teach her a lesson.

Since she’d come to her senses, we could still make money together.