Chapter 7
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The next morning at 9:30, Desmond finally returned.
The housekeeper said, “Sir, Ma’am Avy left you a wedding anniversary gift. It’s in the study safe.”
Desmond froze. ‘Is today our wedding anniversary?‘
In previous years, it had always been Lavender insisting on celebrating, and he had never taken it seriously.
Remembering how she looked during her hospital stay, a strange heaviness settled in his chest. As if driven by some unseen force, he walked into the study.
Opening the safe, the first thing he saw was a notebook.
Lines of letters leapt out at him.
[Desmond, I loved you for seven years. Back then, I was just the maid’s daughter and thought I wasn’t good enough for you. Then I became the Winslets‘ heiress, but you still didn’t like me.
[When I was just the maid’s daughter, Cyanne would bully me constantly. Every time I was punished and made to kneel, it was you who spoke up for me. You were always there when I needed help. That’s when I fell in love with you.
[But after I returned as the Winslets’s rightful daughter, you began to hate me. You believed I stole Cyanne’s place. But the Winslets are my family. They’re home. I was just coming home–was that a crime?
[I knew you liked Cyanne. I once thought I had no chance. But then she gave up on you, and you chose me. I believed that if I tried hard enough, you’d come to love me too. But I
was wrong…
[So I made a promise to myself. If you hurt me 99 times, I would leave you for good.]
Desmond’s hands trembled as he turned the pages, emotions rolling in his chest.
Each entry chronicled how he had hurt her–all the way to the 99th.
By the time he reached the final one, his eyes were red.
So… she had known all along. She had been putting on a show with him while quietly preparing her exit every day.
Beneath the notebook lay three documents.
The divorce agreement.
The resignation letter.
The miscarriage report…
At that moment, Desmond broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably.
He had signed both of those agreements himself.
And the baby… they had a baby?
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A breeze from the window flipped the notebook open to the final page.
In Lavender’s delicate handwriting, the words stared up at him.
[100th disappointment: My baby’s gone.]
[It’s time I leave too.]
[Desmond, let’s never see each other again.]
Desmond’s hand trembled, and everything he was holding crashed to the floor.
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He kept mumbling to himself, “Impossible… She loved me so much… Why would she leave?”
Like a man possessed, he tore through every corner of the villa, searching–desperately, hopelessly–but she was nowhere to be found.
The wardrobe.
Her makeup table.
Even the lilies she always adored.
Gone.
Every trace of her had vanished, clean and complete.
The servants watched him spiral, wide–eyed and shaken, before one of them cautiously stepped forward. “Sir… Is there something you’re looking for?”
Desmond didn’t respond. He was completely lost in his own world.
“I lost her…” he mumbled to himself, “I lost Lavender…”
The servants didn’t know what had happened between them, but one of them offered gently, “Sir… Maybe try giving Ma’am Avy a call?”
That snapped Desmond out of his trance. He quickly dialed Lavender’s number–only to be met with the cold, mechanical voice of an automated message.
“The number you have dialed is no longer in service.”
He froze.
He hadn’t expected her to cut things off this thoroughly.
He had the servants try several other numbers, but the result was always the same: disconnected.
Desmond rimmed his eyes. His throat was dry. He couldn’t speak.
Wasn’t this what he’d wanted all along–for her to leave?
So why did it feel like his heart was being ripped in two?
Lavender had no friends in North Carolina. If she left, the only place she could go was
back to the Winslets.
Desmond shot to his feet, shoved his emotions down, and raced toward the Winslets‘ place.
In Ralstons‘ family estate, Red carried Lavender’s luggage and gently took her hand as they
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entered.
Sure, the Hacketts were wealthy–but the Ralstons stood at the top of the elite.
Even Lavender’s father would lower his head and scrape in front of Red.
“The master bedroom used to be mine,” Red said, leading Lavender in. “It was pretty basic before, but I had the whole thing redone these past few days. I think it matches your taste
now.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll get you another place. We can decorate it exactly how you want.
“I’ve moved into the room next door. If you need anything at night, just call me.”
Lavender’s nose tingled, her eyes growing misty.
She had grown up sleeping in the servants‘ storage room.
Her dream had always been to have a princess room of her own.
But neither the Winslets nor the Hacketts ever made that dream come true.
But now… without her saying a word, Red had already prepared everything.
‘So this… this is what it feels like to be truly loved, she realized mentally.
Red noticed the glisten in her eyes and panicked, thinking he’d done something wrong. “What’s wrong? You don’t like it? If you don’t, I’ll have it torn down.”
He turned sharply. “Someone-”
Lavender let out a chuckle and stopped him. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I’m just… touched. Take me upstairs, will you?”
Red obviously relaxed, a smile tugging at his lips as he led her upstairs.
The bedroom walls were a soft blush pink. The cabinet beside the bed was filled with rare, limited–edition dolls from around the world.
A vase of lilies–her favorite–sat delicately on the vanity.
Every detail reflected her tastes.
Even she couldn’t have designed it better herself.
Seeing the emotion on her face, Red smiled gently. “If you had chosen me back then, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much…”
He hadn’t finished the sentence when Lavender suddenly threw her arms around him.
Red froze, arms awkwardly hovering in the air.
“Thank you, Red,” she whispered. “Thank you for loving me all these years. From now on, I’ll make it up to you.”
Hearing that, Red’s lips curved into a soft smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Lavender, you said that yourself. In half a month, we’re registering our marriage.”
Lavender nodded. “Alright. But before that, I have one condition… Let’s not make our relationship public just yet.”
