Chapter 2

I froze for a heartbeat, then quickly bent down to retrieve the chain.

Astrid eyed it hungrily. "Oh, Octavia, I've never fallen in love with a piece of jewelry so quickly. Why don't you let me have it as a wedding gift for Barrett and me? Don't worry, I won't take it for nothing. I'll give you ten luxury bracelets in return."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Miss Harrington, but this bracelet is irreplaceable to me."

Barrett had bought it for me on his first trip abroad, saying, "Octavia, you deserve the best things in the world."

I treasured it and wore it every day.

Astrid sighed, turning to Barrett. "Barrett, I really love it."

Barrett looked at me with a blank expression. "Let Astrid have it. I'll give you a check later so you can buy whatever you want."

I stared at him in disbelief. He knew exactly how much that bracelet meant to me. Yet, without a second of hesitation, he was forcing me to surrender it just to appease Astrid.

When I stayed silent, a flash of cold impatience crossed his face. "It's just a bracelet. Don't be so petty. You really need to learn from Astrid how to be graceful and understanding."

Before I could react, he snatched the bracelet from my hand and fastened it on Astrid's wrist.

An icy chill flooded my veins. He used to say that the bracelet suited me perfectly. Now, he was putting it on another woman.

I swallowed the bitter ache and sat frozen in place.

Astrid smiled triumphantly, looping her arm tightly through his. "Let's pick out a gift for Octavia in return. What should we get her? Since she's a cripple, how about a top-of-the-line electric wheelchair? That way, she can get around more easily."

"Cripple." The word hung heavily in the air. For ten years, it had been a taboo around Barrett.

I foolishly, naively waited for him to defend me and punish Astrid the same way he had punished the thugs on the docks.

Instead, his voice was smooth and indifferent, cutting like a knife straight into my chest. "That sounds like a great idea. Octavia, thank Astrid already. She's really looking out for you."

I bit my lower lip, desperately fighting back the tears. Barrett caught my expression and frowned in disapproval. "Octavia, you seriously need to grow up."

Astrid patted his chest with a sympathetic sigh. "You men never understand a girl's heart. Why don't you leave us alone for a bit so we can chat?"

Because of the severe, prolonged bullying I had suffered in the past, I had a crippling fear of strangers. Barrett knew this better than anyone; he was the only person I trusted.

I looked up at him, silently begging him not to leave me. But he merely glanced at my desperation, then shook his head.

"Alright. But don't push yourself," he told Astrid. "Octavia has always been withdrawn and stubborn. If she refuses to talk, just leave her be."

The moment Barrett's footsteps faded down the pier, Astrid's sweet, elegant expression twisted into a sharp sneer. "How much longer do you plan on dragging Barrett down?"

I gasped, staring at the abrupt, terrifying transformation.

"You're nothing but dead weight to a man on the rise," Astrid smirked, stepping closer. "What could a broken thing like you offer him?"

The words "dead weight" hit their mark. It was the brutal, bleeding truth. I was indeed a burden to Barrett.

Before I could reply, Astrid stepped behind my seat and tightly gripped the handles of my wheelchair.