The day my boyfriend, Antonio Kaufman, got engaged to someone else, he had me arrested.

He sent a few thugs to harass me, and I ended up getting taken to the police station along with them.

It was dark when Antonio and I got home after the statement.

Just as I walked in, someone asked where I had been. Antonio chuckled and said, "I was afraid she might ruin my engagement party, so I had her sent to the police station."

I stood at the doorway, my vision blurred by tears.

It was time to let go, I told myself.

I blacklisted all of Antonio's contact information and boarded a flight abroad.

That night, when he realized he couldn't find me, the always mild-tempered Antonio lost control for the first time. His bloodshot eyes flickered with disbelief as he murmured, "She must be mad at me, throwing a tantrum out of jealousy. She'll be back once she calms down. She has to be."

What he didn't know was that this wasn't just a tantrum. I was done with him.

It was already dark when I finished giving my statement at the police station.

It was the day Antonio was getting engaged. I panicked, a crash happened when I turned the car around.

The other driver refused to let it go, dragging things out until now.

Antonio's phone had been unreachable the entire time.

His posts on Instagram were all photos of him with his fiancée.

Each picture, each moment, felt like a dagger to my heart.

Anger consumed me. The frustration and humiliation that had been building up all day threatened to explode. Without a second thought, I hailed a cab and went straight to his place.

The door was ajar. A clamor came from inside.

Sometimes, Antonio brought friends home to drink or watch games.

I wasn't planning to eavesdrop, but the moment I heard them mention my name, I froze.

"Honestly, we all thought you'd end up with Grace. You two grew up together, and she's gorgeous. But man, she's got a hell of a temper," Antonio's friend Gavin Poulin commented.

"She's spoiled. She's been throwing tantrums for years now. Does she ever get tired of it?"

Antonio was sprawled on the couch, glancing at his watch. Impatience flickered across his handsome face.

He figured I was to arrive anytime.

He was certain I would make a scene. The thought of it gave him a headache.

"It's weird. You and Lexie are getting engaged. Shouldn't Grace have gone ballistic by now? But she hasn't shown up all day. Where is she?" Gavin wondered.

Antonio smiled, "I made sure she wouldn't. Had her spend the whole day at the police station. By the time she gets back, it'll all be done."

"Brilliant! Only you can handle Grace." Another friend of Antonio's flattered him.

"Antonio, have you ever considered what happens if Grace is really heartbroken and just... leaves?" Gavin asked.

A flicker of unease crossed Antonio's face as an image of me crying surfaced in his mind.

With a snort, he replied carelessly, "That would be perfect."

Perfect. Seven years and that was what I got in return.

I withdrew my hand from the doorknob and turned to leave.

It was early winter. The chill hadn't fully set in.

But I felt chilly all over.

Despite the fights between Antonio and me, I never left him these years.

I thought we'd get married.

But in order to marry someone else, he had me thrown into a police station.

How pathetic was I, letting him trample on me again and again?

It started raining now. According to the weather report, the temperature would drop after midnight, and it might snow.

The snow in San Francisco tended to be persistent.

I used to hate the cold winter. Antonio would wrap me in his coat, and he always kept a blanket for me in his car.

Looking back now, those so-called happy moments had never really belonged to me.

The rain intensified, soaking my hair and blurring my vision. My steps faltered.

I shook my head and let out a bitter laugh.

How did I let this happen to me?

What had I been obsessing for?

All those years of love and heartbreak felt like nothing more than a cruel joke.

I pulled my half-wet coat tighter and made a decision.

I was leaving for somewhere warm—somewhere without winter, without snow, and without him.

I blacklisted all of Antonio's and his friends' contact information.

Then, I received a message from an unknown number. It turned out to be Antonio's fiancée, Lexie Norwood.

"Antonio is engaged to me now. You have no idea how much he loves me. You better do the smart thing and leave him, or you'll only be humiliating yourself.

"You disgust Antonio. Every time he went on a date with you, he'd buy me a gift for me afterward as a token of his apology. I have everything you have and more.

"Leave him alone, or I'll let everyone know you seduce my fiancé."

Lexie was Antonio's assistant, who couldn't do anything right.

She was slim and soft. Every time she was scolded, her eyes reddened. She acted like a harmless kitten.

Did Antonio know this arrogant side of her?

She had made a lot of trouble for me, behind my back or openly.

She spilled wine over my customized dress and broke my diamond ring.

That was when I knew she was a manipulative bitch. Nonetheless, Antonio cared about her.

He'd defend her every time I blamed her.

It saddened me that my dress and jewelry were ruined.

I was mad, but Antonio only said, "You have many more such things. Lexie has just graduated from college. It's normal for her to make mistakes. Give her some slack."

I did have a lot of customized evening dresses and jewels. But they were mine. If one ruined them, one should pay for them.

I hired a lawyer to get compensation from Lexie.

Then, I removed the SIM card from my phone and threw it into the trash can.

"Scumbag and bitch, you two deserve each other!"

My parents came upstairs. They were worried to see me packing.

"Grace, will you reconsider it? What Antonio did was outrageous. We'll go reckon with the Kaufman family now."

My parents and Antonio's parents acquiesced in our relationship. Our family backgrounds were similar, and we grew up together. We knew each other well. In every aspect, we made a perfect match.

"Dad, Mom, if you want me to keep the last shred of dignity, don't go. I'm going abroad to help my brother with his business. Isn't it a good thing? Didn't you always want me to learn business?"

My parents were surprised to hear this.

After all, Antonio was the center of my life before. I'd been following him everywhere since high school.

"You're not doing this impulsively?" my mom asked cautiously.

I held her and my dad tightly and said firmly, "I made you worry too much before, but not anymore."

My parents treated my brother, Oliver Parrish, and me equally. They had high expectations of me, too. But I let them down. I was too willful and obsessive before. Antonio was everything to me.

"Good. Good. The Parrish family has good kids. Once you have a goal, go for it. Should anything go wrong, I'll take care of it for you."

I said, "OK," in a choking voice.

Then, I got on the plane, leaving everything that had happened in San Francisco behind me.

Antonio was waiting that night.

He was waiting for Grace or her call.

If she called again, he'd kindly answer it.

Even if she cried or acted unreasonably, he'd humor her.

To his dismay, nothing happened.

Antonio panicked as if the kite had flown away, and all he had was a broken string.

"Antonio, I'm too sleepy. I can't hold it anymore." Levi could hardly keep his eyes open.

He'd been drinking with Antonio all night. The latter seemed distracted from the beginning.

Then, Lexie called and displayed her concern for Antonio affectionately.

"Antonio, you're still up? I miss you so much. Can I come over?"

Holding a glass of wine, Antonio said, "I'm drinking with Levi and Gavin. This is my bachelor party. I want to be with the boys. Be a lamb. Go to bed."

Lexie played the woman and hung up suddenly.

Levi leaned over to Gavin and whispered, "What's going on with Antonio? He's engaged and is still having a bachelor party? This is a first."

Swirling the glass of wine in his hand, Gavin sighed.

"What bachelor party? He's waiting for someone. Can't you tell?"

If it were before, the angry Grace would've stormed in.

But she still hadn't come. Something was wrong.

"Should I call Grace and ask where she is?" Gavin asked.

Antonio stood up and walked to the window. He remarked, "Whatever."

Gavin called the police first and was told Grace had left at dusk.

He called Grace but couldn't get through.

Then, Antonio tried and found out he, Levi, and Gavin all had been blacklisted.

"Antonio, it seems Grace is really mad this time," Levi said.

"Grace won't suffer in silence. Maybe she means business this time. After all, you handed her over to the police and got engaged to someone else. That's uncalled for." Gavin had been wanting to say this all night. Now, he'd finally voiced it out.

Gavin and Levi called Grace's friends, but none of them knew where she was.

For the first time, the easygoing Antonio snapped. He knocked over the coffee table and smashed the wine bottles. Broken glass was everywhere.

Never had it occurred to him that Grace would leave him someday.

She followed him like a tail and wouldn't leave him alone.

They had been together for many years. Their families both approved of their relationship.

As for Lexie, the more Grace picked on her, the more Antonio wanted to defend her.

In the end, he didn't know how he really felt for Lexie.

With red eyes, Antonio murmured, "She must be jealous. She's mad. That's all. She'll come back to me when she calms down. She will."

Grace had done this before Lexie got between her and Antonio.

She always forgave Antonio after he mollified her, and she'd even treasured him more.

But what Antonio didn't know was, Grace wasn't avoiding him but had dumped him.