She Lived An Happy Life after Breaking up with Her fiancé

Cecily Warren had accepted an unusual private commission.

The client had a special request: a portrait capturing only the back of her lover.

Three days later, the painting she had sent out appeared in her living room.

Chris Lambert, her fiancé, stood in front of the painting and was mesmerized by it. "Cecily, you're awake? Come and have a look. This is a gift from one of my students," he said.

Cecily was stunned.

She remembered what her client said to her clearly. "He and I have been in love for two years, but we can't go public because of his special identity. It is his birthday next Wednesday, and I want to surprise him."

At the time, Cecily had thought it was a coincidence that her fan's boyfriend's birthday was the same day as Chris's.

Now her heart was pounding heavily, and she told herself repeatedly that there must be some mistake.

...

Cecily tried to compose herself and asked with a smile, Who is so thoughtful?"

Chris turned his gaze to the painting again and said proudly, "A new graduate student named Emily Nash. She's quite talented and considerate."

Cecily's heart sank instantly.

It was indeed Emily Nash.

Her client's ID was Emily.

Could it be such a coincidence?

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Chris hurried to open the door.

A young woman with an innocent and fresh face stood outside. She was holding a man's coat. "Hello, Professor Lambert. I've cleaned your coat and brought it back for you," she said.

Chris quickly took the coat and said with concern, "Emily, thank you for that. How's the progress in the lab lately?"

Cecily rushed over to snatch the coat upon hearing Emily's name. "Isn't it a bit much to have your student doing your laundry?" she teased.

Chris awkwardly touched his nose, while Emily sweetly chimed in, "Professor Lambert lent it to me specially, as he was worried I might catch a cold. Don't worry. I cleaned it thoroughly."

Chris patted her head with a smile and said, "It doesn't matter whether it's clean or not, but I'll worry if you caught a cold."

It had rained a few days ago. It turned out that Chris was late not because the traffic was bad or he was too busy to remember his coat.

He had taken care of Emily with his coat.

Cecily was familiar with the scene.

Back in college, it was unexpectedly cold during the evening study session.

Chris had skipped an important seminar just to bring Cecily a coat.

Although his nose turned red from the cold, he hugged her and said, "I don't mind freezing, but it would break my heart if you catch a cold."

Cecily lowered her eyes and felt something stuck in her chest.

She pretended to say jokingly, "Your coat smelled like an ashtray. If Emily dislikes it, she might not tell you directly."

Chris frowned upon hearing Cecily's words. "Emily, do you dislike my coat?"

Emily shook her head quickly. "How could I? I cherish everything you give me. So, make sure to keep my things safe as well."

Chris smiled, and his eyes were filled with affection.

But the one he looked at was no longer Cecily.

Cecily kept a smile on her face, but her gaze turned icy.

She couldn't believe that Chris could betray her, although he had loved her so much.

They had been engaged since they were kids, and their relationship had lasted twenty years.

They would get married the next month.

Years ago, she had resolutely given up an offer from a top overseas art academy and chosen her career in the live-streaming industry with her best friend, although it was less promising in most people's eyes.

Her entire family opposed the decision.

They thought such a career in live streams was beneath her, who was a distinguished graduate from a prestigious art academy.

Only Chris sided with her firmly.

He never expressed any disapproval of her decision. Instead, he meticulously researched all the streaming equipment for her.

He personally designed the layout of the streaming studio and secretly purchased a villa overlooking the sea.

He set up the most professional streaming studio for her.

He had adjusted each light for her.

He helped her lay out each of the settings according to her taste.

He even stayed up late to choose the best sound cards and cameras merely because she had casually mentioned that she wanted a creative space with a sea view.

His devotion to her was well-known in their circle.

Everyone said Chris loved Cecily deeply and would never see any other woman in his eyes.

When he heard such comments, he would hold her in his arms tenderly. "Cecily, from the moment I first saw you, I decided you'd be the one I'd love forever."

Cecily shook off the negative thoughts in her mind and said softly, "Emily, we won't keep you for dinner today. It's Chris's birthday, and we are going to celebrate it."

Unexpectedly, Chris chimed in, "It's just a birthday. Emily, come along with us. The more, the merrier."

Cecily frowned slightly.

Chris was oblivious to her displeasure and made the decision by himself.

Cecily watched as Chris naturally opened the passenger door for Emily.

Cecily was heartbroken.

Chris had always been very clear about boundaries in social activities.

When a new female teacher in their department wanted to sit in the passenger seat, he had coldly refused her.

He said, "I'm sorry, this seat is reserved for my fiancée. She doesn't like others sitting there."

Whenever a female student showed any interest in him, he would promptly reject her, leaving no chance for any misunderstanding.

The photo of him and her was always pinned to the top of his social media.

On Teacher's Day, a student sent a bouquet of white roses to their home.

Cecily didn't take it seriously, but Chris immediately arranged for that student to be transferred to another advisor and refused to mentor her any longer.

He had always been aloof to others and never leaned toward anyone other than Cecily.

As soon as she frowned slightly, he would drive away any women around him.

But everything was different this time.

The candlelit dinner should be romantic, with flowers adorning the table. But there were three people around the table.

Only Cecily was quiet during dinner.

Each time a new dish was served, Emily would exclaim loudly.

"Oh my, what is this tiny fork used for? I've forgotten again."

"Wow! This sauce is so unique. The taste is incredible!"

Chris had usually preferred quiet meals, but he was surprisingly responsive to her.

He even laughed loudly with her.

Emily looked at Cecily with envy. "Sorry to make you laugh at me, Cecily. You must always have these dishes. It's my first time at such a fancy place."

Chris laughed warmly. "If you want to eat something from now on, just tell me. I'll treat you."

Emily's eyes lit up. "Really? I won't hold back then, Professor Lambert."

Cecily watched Chris and Emily talk so intimately, and she picked up her glass. "Since you are so close, it is touching. Why don't we toast to it?"

Chris raised his hand to stop her. "We can't. Emily is allergic to alcohol."

Emily obediently put down her glass but flashed Cecily a provocative smile when Chris didn't notice it.

Cecily saw it clearly and felt something was off about Emily.

Though she met Emily for the first time, she felt the latter was familiar.

Just then, a waiter served a new dish.

The sizzling hot pot was still making noise.

Emily stood up eagerly to catch it. "Let me..."

But before she could finish, her hand accidentally brushed against the hot edge of the pot.

"Ah!" Emily cried out, and her wrist jerked back.

The scalding dish suddenly spilled towards Cecily.

"Watch out!" Chris quickly pulled Emily into his arms and looked distressed at her reddened fingers. "Cecily, I'll take Emily to the hospital now. You can take a cab home."

Cecily watched as Chris left, holding Emily in his arms closely.

A nearby waiter gasped. "Miss, your arm is badly injured. I'll take you to the hospital right away."

Even strangers noticed her injury, but Chris only had eyes for Emily.

In the past, even a small scrape would have Chris rushing her to the hospital.

He checked on her multiple times a day to see if her tiny wound had healed.

But he didn't even glance at her after her arm was badly burned and red.

She didn't feel any burning pain.

Only chill spread in her mind.

Cecily didn't go to the hospital.

She found a small clinic by the roadside.

While rinsing her wound, she bit her lip from the pain but didn't shed a tear.

The doctor shook his head when he saw her swollen, red burn. "Young lady, you'd better go to a big hospital for proper treatment. The burn is too large. Improper care could lead to infection and scarring."

Cecily nodded numbly.

She glanced at her phone. She didn't receive any message from Chris.

It was already eleven at night.

Chris had stayed with Emily for such a minor burn until now.

When did they begin like this?

Why hadn't she noticed anything about Chris, even though she shared her life with him?

When she finally couldn't hold back her tears, Chris called her. "Cecily, there's an emergency at the lab today. I have to work overnight. Go to bed early. Don't wait up for me."

On the other end, she could faintly hear Emily's voice whining. "Professor Lambert, my hand hurts."

Chris whispered, "Let me soothe it for you," and the call ended.

Cecily's tears quietly splashed onto the phone screen.

She gritted her teeth and sent a message. "Laura, please cancel the wedding photo shoot I scheduled for tomorrow."

Cecily returned home in a blur.

When she saw the painting on the living room wall, all her pent-up frustrations and fury suddenly broke out.

She rushed over, tore it down forcefully, and threw it out.

The next day, she was awakened by Chris.

He was pressing heavily on her and gently kissing her eyelids. "Wake up, sweetheart. Didn't we have an appointment to take our wedding photos today?"

A strange fragrance wafted into Cecily's nose.

It was the same as the perfume Emily wore yesterday.

Cecily snapped awake and shoved Chris away. "I'm not doing it."

Chris was puzzled. "What's wrong? We had an appointment three months ago, didn't we? Didn't you say that the photographer always had a packed schedule and that it was hard to have an appointment with him? I specially cleared my schedule for this."

Cecily said angrily, "I said I didn't want to do it. Can't you understand?"

Chris was shocked by Cecily's unusual attitude and grabbed her arm to get to the bottom of it.

"Ouch!" Cecily cried out in pain, and her face turned pale.

Only then did Chris notice the thick bandage wrapped around her forearm. "You're injured? When did it happen?"

Cecily looked at his bewildered face and softened her tone. "The pot of soup spilled all over me yesterday, Chris. Did you really not see it?"

Chris's expression changed. "Cecily, why are you always so melodramatic? Just because Emily accidentally burned her hand yesterday and I took her to the hospital, do you really need to make such a big deal out of this?"

The unfounded accusation hit Cecily hard.

When she was a student, someone had casually remarked that she was pampered.

Chris had dragged that guy into a fight and nearly gotten himself into serious trouble.

But he was using such words to humiliate her now.

Before she could retort, Chris stormed out angrily.

Cecily felt so aggrieved and got up. Her hand brushed against something.

Chris had accidentally left his phone on the bed.

The lock screen displayed a notification from ten minutes ago.

It was from Smax Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. "Dear Ms. Emily Nash, please remember your prenatal appointment tomorrow at 10:30."

Cecily suddenly felt dizzy, and her stomach was in knots. She rushed to the bathroom.

Not long after, Chris entered again.

He seemed oblivious to anything unusual and asked on entering, "Where's the painting? "Where's the painting? The one that was hanging in the living room."

Cecily was still retching and couldn't respond.

Only then did Chris notice her unusual demeanor. His tone was softened. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Cecily pushed away his outstretched hand and washed her face with cold water repeatedly. She tried to calm herself. "I threw the painting away."

"You threw it away? Where did you throw it? How could you throw away my stuff?"

Cecily looked up at him, and her eyes were deep and serious. "Is that painting really so important to you? My studio is full of paintings. Can't you just hang another one? Or is the one who gifted it to you really special?"

Chris rubbed his temples irritably. "You were never so petty. There is nothing between Emily and me. Are you letting your imagination get the best of you? Don't you realize that we're having more trouble communicating lately?"

He paused and awkwardly changed the subject. "Since you canceled the appointment for taking the wedding photos, don't reschedule it for now. I have to go on a business trip tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

Chris avoided her gaze and muttered, "To Smax."

Cecily watched calmly as Chris packed his luggage. "My art exhibition opens next week. Will you come?"

Chris brushed it off, saying, "I might not make it, but I'll catch the live stream to cheer you on."

Cecily offered to drive him to the railway station, but Chris repeatedly refused her.

He told her that he was leaving early the next morning and didn't want to trouble her.

Cecily became more suspicious.

The next day, after Chris left, Cecily called the college where he worked. "Hello, I'd like to inquire about Professor Chris Lambert's schedule. We're hoping to invite him for a lecture."

The administrative members of the staff on the other end politely replied, "Professor Chris Lambert is getting married and has been on leave since this week. Is there anything I can pass along for you?"