Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Emma hurried to her best friend's house.

During her three years abroad, she balanced treatment with creative work. Her friend Lila George had been her champion, turning her designs into reality.

She returned not only for Nathan Tate but also to build a company with Lila.

The two, reunited after so long, embraced tightly. Lila gasped at Emma's transformation. "My goodness, Emma, you're absolutely stunning now! I barely recognized you!"

Emma smiled, and after chatting for a while, she grew serious. "Lila, I don't want to stay and build a career here. I'll transfer my shares to you."

"Why?" Lila looked puzzled. "Can you really let go of Nathan?"

At the mention of Nathan's name, Emma's smile froze. After a moment's hesitation, she told Lila about seeing him the previous day.

Lila's expression grew complex. "I support your decision."

Emma hugged her. "We can still work together and expand overseas."

She was no longer the insecure Emma of the past. Whatever she set her mind to, she would achieve.

After dinner with Lila, they parted ways. Emma noticed Nathan had called her multiple times.

She meant to ignore him, but a message from him arrived. "If I can't reach you, I'll have to report you missing."

Fearing her identity might be exposed, she called him back. Within minutes, Nathan arrived.

Despite her saying she already ate, he took her to an upscale restaurant and ordered several dishes.

Noticing her distant demeanor, Nathan asked, "Snow, why are you suddenly so cold to me?"

She didn't know how to answer.

As she sat in silence, a woman passed by, glaring with hatred. Suddenly, she stumbled, splashing scalding water toward Emma's face.

"Watch out!" Nathan lunged forward, shielding her with his arm, taking most of the water.

The hot liquid soaked his clothes, but he immediately checked on Emma.

Seeing her forehead slightly red from stray droplets, his anger flared. He grabbed the woman.

Emma recognized her as their high school classmate, Karen Holt, who once wrote Nathan countless love letters.

Back then, Karen bullied Emma for being close to Nathan, giving her cruel nicknames and tossing out her lunch, calling her a pig who didn't deserve to eat.

Insecure, Emma never fought back.

Nathan, aware of it, brushed it off lightly. "She doesn't mean any harm. Just teasing, right?"

But now, Nathan's face burned with rage as he forced Karen to apologize.

Karen refused. Nathan pressed her head down, banging it against the table until her forehead reddened.

"You jerk! Nathan, we were together for years, and now you're with this vixen right after we broke up?"

Her words stunned Emma, making her think hard.

Nathan had been in a years-long relationship with Karen, who tormented her?

As Nathan threw Karen out of the restaurant, Emma felt he was a stranger. Was this really the Nathan she knew for over a decade?

Facing her gaze, Nathan remained calm. "Don't listen to her nonsense. She chased me for years, on and off. We were together for barely half a year total."

Since his clothes were soaked, Emma went with him to his hotel to change.

As soon as they entered, he pinned her against the wall and kissed her lips.

Without hesitation, she pushed him away and slapped him. After calming herself, she opened the door and stepped out. "I'll wait outside."

After Nathan changed, he took her to a mall. "My friend's coming back soon. I want to pick a gift for her. Help me choose."

Was the friend he mentioned her?

With that thought, Emma followed him into a luxury store.

The man who usually spent lavishly picked out a cheap Hello Kitty necklace. "She loves this childish stuff..."

Emma stared at the necklace being wrapped, her eyes welling up.

She adored Hello Kitty. If Nathan saw her phone now, he'd see its wallpaper and profile picture were Hello Kitty.

When she was obese, Nathan said her round face was like Hello Kitty's, and she fell in love with the round-faced cat.

He mocked her to his friends yesterday and told her not to contact him. So why buy her a gift now?

Watching him pay, she asked dazedly, "Is she important to you?"

Nathan dodged the question. "Jealous over a gift for her?"

To hide her reddening eyes, she turned and walked out.

Nathan followed, explaining, "It's just a cheap trinket. I just want her to behave when she's back, not cling to me like before and mess up my dating life."

Emma stayed silent, thinking to herself. "Don't worry. I won't cling to you anymore. After I leave this time, I'm never coming back."