Chapter 3

Natalie Xu's POV

I pulled the door open. Brenda Gu stood outside holding a gift box.

"Oh, you're home? Didn't Julian tell you I was coming over?"

I stepped aside to let her in, saying nothing.

Brenda slipped into house slippers, walked inside, and looked around the living room.

"The camellias on the terrace are my favorite variety. I only mentioned them in passing back then, and Julian actually planted them."

"The fish in the pond are the ones I picked out, too. The vintage French sofa, the gramophone... all styles I chose in the past."

She walked straight into the master bedroom, opened the nightstand drawer, and twirled a pair of custom cufflinks between her fingers.

"These cufflinks were a birthday gift I gave him. He actually kept them all this time."

Standing in the doorway, I looked at every decoration in the room.

I had lived in this house for three years, only to learn today that the origin of everything here was Brenda Gu.

Even the four wedding photo themes hanging on the master bedroom wall had been planned by Brenda Gu and Julian He all those years ago.

The front door opened again, and Julian walked in carrying grocery bags.

Seeing Brenda, he froze for a second, then smiled and introduced her, "Natalie, this is Brenda, the girl from next door. We grew up together."

Brenda smoothly linked her arm through mine. "Don't mind me. Julian is an amazing cook. Back then, to learn how to make pan-seared cod and fresh mozzarella for me, he cut his hands so many times."

My face darkened.

Those two dishes were what Julian made for me most often. Every single time, he told me he had learned them specifically for me.

I pulled my arm away and turned to head upstairs to the second floor.

Not long after, Brenda followed me up with medicine and set it on the nightstand.

"Natalie, hurry and take your medicine. Julian asked me to bring it up."

Brenda leaned against the doorframe and asked casually, "Have you picked out names for the baby yet? Julian told me back then that if it's a boy, he'd be named Julian Jr., and if it's a girl, Natalie Jr."

I clutched the bedsheet beneath my hands tightly.

Those two names were the ones Julian had excitedly suggested to me not long ago.

Just as I was about to stand up, Brenda picked up the bowl, jerked her wrist, and splashed the hot water straight onto my forearm.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

Brenda cried out an apology, but her body shoved violently forward.

We were standing right at the top of the second-floor staircase. Thrown off balance, I tumbled down the stairs.

Brenda collapsed onto the edge of the stairs right after me.

Downstairs, Julian heard the commotion and rushed over. His very first instinct was to catch Brenda.

"Brenda! Are you hurt anywhere?"

Taking advantage of the moment, Brenda closed her eyes, pretending to faint in his arms.

Julian scooped Brenda up and dashed out the door toward his car, without casting a single glance at me lying in a pool of blood.

Lying on the cold tiles, my vision began to blur.

In the final moment before my eyes shut, I caught sight of the white edge of the cremation urn peeking out from the bottom of the master bedroom closet.

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

Julian was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand. "Natalie, how do you feel? The doctor said you had quite a bad fall."

The rounding doctor pushed the door open, looking down as he flipped through the chart. "Didn't this patient just have a miscarriage a few days ago? Why is she in such weak condition and suffering from severe trauma on top of it?"

My heart seized. I raised my hand and fiercely swept the glass cup off the nightstand.

With a sharp crash, shattered glass scattered across the floor.

Julian was startled and quickly leaned down to check on me. "What happened? Did you cut your hand?"

The doctor caught my look and swallowed the rest of his words.

He instructed me to get plenty of rest before stepping out of the room.