Chapter 2
After Adrian left, I started taking inventory of my assets.
The dream of love was over. It was time to settle accounts.
I made a list of everything that belonged to me and checked off each item one by one.
Occasionally, I glanced out the window at the peach blossoms falling, petal by petal. I stood and walked to the backyard.
I called the butler and told him to hire someone to uproot all the peach trees in the garden.
The butler looked confused. "Ma'am, you've carefully tended these trees for years. Why remove them now?"
His words pulled me into memories.
During our first year of marriage, I was curled up in Adrian's arms scrolling through videos on my phone. One video showed a vast grove of peach blossoms.
After watching it, he said wistfully, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had our own peach grove? It would be our romantic sanctuary."
The next day, I cleared out all the flowers and plants in the backyard and planted peach trees.
Five years flew by. The trees grew tall, the blossoms bloomed.
But the man who once yearned for that peach grove had long lost interest.
Looking at the now-barren ground, I sighed and returned to my room to continue packing.
I picked up a sapphire necklace. The moment I saw it, my eyes stung and my heart ached.
Years ago, Adrian's grandfather approached me about an arranged marriage. He wanted me to marry Adrian.
But I worried Adrian wouldn't like me.
So I took out this necklace—a gift from my late mother—and asked Grandfather Blackwood to give it to Adrian.
The sapphire was unique, shaped like half a heart.
I hoped he would decide according to his own heart.
After receiving it, Adrian had another sapphire necklace made—a men's version—and sent it to me as a gift.
He included a note: My heart is yours too.
That necklace's sapphire was also shaped like half a heart.
Together, the two halves formed a complete heart.
That night, I clutched the necklace to my chest, too excited to sleep.
No one knew I'd loved Adrian for years. Finally, my wish had come true…