Chapter 2: The First Chance

“From now on, I’ll give Brandon three chances.”

After three tries, I would also fulfil my promise to leave Brandon for good. He would never be able to find me again.

I took a deep breath and opened the door to the private room.

Brandon immediately walked over.

He wrapped his arm around my waist gently. The decisive businessman let down his guard before me.

“You’re finally here. I waited for you for so long.”

“Rhea, if you take any longer, Brandon is going to turn into stone.”

“Quick, Rhea, these are all the things Brandon prepared for you. He knows that you love them. He didn’t leave any for us.”

His friends were blabbering about how much he loved me.

However, true love did not need others to prove it.

It was something Brandon had taught me when he was seventeen. However, he had forgotten about it at twenty-seven years old.

I smiled mockingly. Then, I looked at someone who was staring at me intently. It was Anna. She looked pretty as always.

She looked seductive and indeed seemed capable enough to seduce Brandon.

When she met my gaze, she purposely protruded her abdomen and stood up while putting a hand behind her waist.

She raised a glass and looked at me tauntingly.

“Ah, so you’re Rhea! It’s our first time meeting. I’m sorry I can’t toast to you. I can only have tea now. I hope you don’t mind.”

Anna stressed that it was our first time meeting.

After all, she had sent me numerous photos and videos of her and Brandon over text messages.

Those photos used to hurt me a lot.

The only difference was that both Brandon and she were fully dressed at this moment.

Brandon’s expression fell when he saw the glass of wine being passed to me.

He shielded me and sounded cold. “My wife doesn’t like to drink wine.”

Brandon’s blatant favoritism did not upset Anna. Instead, her smile widened.

“Why are you so nervous?”

She spoke in Spanish and swept her gaze over me.

“It’s only polite for me to toast to her, since she’s your wife.

“Isn’t it fine for me to try to build a good relationship with her?”

“That’s right, Brandon,” his friend said. “It’s good for your wife and lover to get along.

“Rhea doesn’t know anything anyway. Just simply make up a reason and get her to take a sip…”

I did not understand what everyone was saying, but I could feel their blatant malice through their mocking gazes.

Brandon wanted to reject out of habit, but everyone was looking at him expectantly. His ego made him hesitate.

A hint of struggle flickered in his eyes. He then looked at me and asked hesitantly, “How about…”

I interrupted him, “Do you want me to drink?”

The seventeen-year-old Brandon had been so anxious about me drinking alcohol. “Rhea, you’re allergic to alcohol. You can’t drink!”

However, twenty-seven-year-old Brandon hesitated, then nodded.

I smiled and raised my glass toward the younger Brandon.

“First.”

The liquid tasted slightly bitter, and I teared up from the burning sensation down my throat.

Young Brandon’s anxiousness would have immediately turned into pain. He would feel forever guilty.

Older Brandon did not know why I had said, “First.”

He hugged me gently.

“Rhea, I promise you, this will be the first and last time you’ll ever have to drink alcohol.”

I lowered my gaze.