With his rowing test results turning out spectacular, it was obvious Eric had secured his spot as a new member of the club. Not only did he pass—he topped the entire batch, with Richard Brown trailing in second place.Those who failed the final test walked away disappointed, though they planned to try again next year. Richard himself was living proof that failing once didn’t mean the end—he’d lost last year, but made it this time.Eric politely excused himself from the coach and committee to meet his supporters. Even with just five minutes, Eric was genuinely grateful.Chloe watched Eric sprint toward the back of her house with a sour expression. It would’ve been great if the girl he was running to meet was her. But reality said otherwise—Eric’s girlfriend was Violet. And now Chloe was cursing internally at having to witness Eric and Violet being close.“Hey, beautiful. Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” Richard walked up to Chloe with a proud grin. He thought he had finally proven

But apparently, even the soft music wasn’t strong enough to fix Chloe’s mood. In the end, her irritation hit its breaking point. She was done being patient.Deliberately, Chloe leaned her back against the bus window and stretched her legs across the seat. She occupied the entire two-seater by herself. Not only that—she put on the laziest expression she had and shot intimidating glares at anyone who walked past.Meanwhile, Lily still hadn’t restarted the conversation with Eric. She waited until everyone boarded the bus and they began heading back to campus. She’d bring up the important topic once the situation felt right.“Sorry I’m late!” Richard called out cheerfully as he emerged from the restroom.Seeing him appear, Chloe let out a deep exhale. She knew Richard would be the last man to try and sit next to her. Her face instantly soured.Richard, on the other hand, lit up when he noticed the seat beside Chloe was still empty. He hurried toward her.“Can I sit next to you?” he asked

That night, Violet still couldn’t shake off the flirty message that had popped up on Eric’s phone. Every word stuck in her head, sharp as a blade, replaying itself over and over, gnawing at her all day.Finally, unable to stay put in her room, she jumped into her car and sped toward the Kingsley Harrington neighborhood. She stopped briefly to hand Dr. Marry Eric’s book that she’d accidentally taken with her. No one else was to know about the mess brewing in her relationship with Eric.After a nerve-wracking drive, Violet reached Eric’s house. The guard, who knew her well, rushed over the moment she stepped out of her car.Violet had no plans to park inside the compound. If she ran into anything painful, she thought, she could leave silently without maneuvering the car back out.“Sorry, Miss, Mr. White isn’t home,” the guard said politely.Violet’s brow furrowed instantly. “But… I thought Eric was home earlier. Did he go out again?”The guard scratched his head. “Sorry, Miss, seems lik

A pair of long-lashed eyes had been locked onto Eric and Elise the whole time, never once looking away. It was as if shards of glass flickered inside those beautiful eyes. The moment she saw them heading up to the third floor, the woman rose from her seat, leaving her ice cream behind. She followed them.The woman fighting back her tears at the sight of Eric and Elise together was none other than Violet. She had come there on purpose—wanting to relive old memories, to revisit the days before she and Eric ever dated. Violet still remembered it clearly: this ice cream shop owned by Charles Stuart was where she met Eric for the second time.She had come to cherish something sweet, but reality slapped her with something that tore her heart open even more. She had no idea that behind her back, Eric was that intimate with another woman—not just through texts or calls this time. Violet was witnessing everything with her own eyes.Honestly, she was surprised she could still stand and not pass

Hearing his future mother-in-law’s answer, Eric’s eyes widened as if something suddenly clicked in his head. He immediately asked, “Did Violet tell you which ice cream shop it was?”“Um, she said it’s not far from the city park, but she didn’t mention the exact address.”“Don’t tell me…”“Why?” Doctor Marry grew even more worried, seeing Eric’s complicated expression.Eric asked for a moment to confirm something. He called Stevan, telling him to check the CCTV from nearby restaurants from about thirty minutes ago to verify whether Violet was there. Eric even described Violet’s appearance in detail.Doctor Marry watched in silence, her forehead deeply wrinkled. She clearly had a hundred questions, but she held them back, giving Eric space to handle things his way.After calling the ice cream shop’s manager, Eric contacted his sister next. He briefly explained the situation and told Elise to hurry over.When he finally ended the calls, Eric let out a long breath. The tension in the room