No Winter Ever Hurts Like the One I Spent With You

Annie wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck and smiled sweetly. "Mr. Fulmer, since we're meeting the parents tonight, let's not pursue this matter further. I believe I'll be cleared of all suspicion in the end."

"You're still so kind-hearted." Ryan smiled as he carried her in bridal way and went upstairs.

Before leaving, he shot me a look. "Clean things up properly. Don't let my father notice anything."

I was left alone downstairs. Struggling to get up, I realized my heart didn't ache as much as I had imagined. It seemed that Ryan was fading from my memory.

Soon, after leaving this place, I could start a new life.

Arriving at the primary residence, Elliot Fulmer's voice was filled with anger upon seeing Annie. "How dare you! This is a family dinner. What is the meaning of bringing an outsider here?"

"Annie is pregnant, so she's hardly an outsider anymore," Ryan stated.

Seeing his father stunned into silence, he scoffed lightly. "If it weren't for Annie, I would never have had the desire to have children. You should thank her."

"You!" Elliot was so angry that he clutched his chest and stomped his feet. "What a disgrace!"

Not wanting to deal with the toxic atmosphere, I excused myself to take a walk and ended up by the swimming pool. I turned on my phone and found a video from an unknown contact.

The screen showed a black-and-white photo of my father strapped to a dog's head, the excited animal thrashing wildly before the camera. Not long after, Annie's smug voice came through.

"He dedicated his life to the country while alive and even after his death, he's still arranging his daughter's marriage. What a loyal dog!"

Her words grew more frenzied as she repeatedly slapped my father's face, laughing smugly with each strike. "If you were watching from heaven, why didn't you stand up for your daughter when she was being bullied to death? What a useless piece of trash you are!"

I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white.

My father's contribution to the country was not something Annie was allowed to insult! Furthermore, I have felt guilty for a lifetime because of what he did for me just before he died.

Was this the resilient little innocent in Ryan's eyes? I wonder what he would think if he knew he had fallen for such a monstrous woman.

"How about it? Do you like the gift I sent you?" Seeing my eyes turn crimson, Annie couldn't help but feel extremely pleased.

"You probably still don't know this, but the only time you were touched, it actually wasn't done by Ryan. It was simply because his brother wanted to taste what a virgin was like, so Ryan handed you over to him."

She ridiculed, "Otherwise, do you think he would care to touch you?"

Hearing this, I stumbled back two steps in disbelief, my body swaying unsteadily. My heart felt like it had been ripped open, the pain spreading through my entire body.

After that incident, I became pregnant and eagerly awaited my child's arrival. But I lost the baby because I shielded Ryan from a rival's knife.

No wonder when I cried my heart out at that time, that man didn't even frown. It turned out that the child was never his in the first place.

Seeing my pale face, Annie crossed her arms and threatened, "If you know what's good for you, get out of the Fulmers residence right now. Don't dirty my eyes. I am the only one who can be Mrs. Fulmer."

Even though I was leaving in three days, I had no intention of telling him. Instead, I stared intently into her eyes. "As long as I'm here, I will always be Mrs. Fulmer and you … you will only ever be trampled under my feet."

"Charlotte Shelton!" Annie shrieked.

She grabbed my hair and shoved my head into the pool, her face twisted with rage. "I've been lying low by Ryan's side for so long, just to become Mrs. Fulmer. What right do you, bitch, have to stop me?"

I choked on several mouthfuls of water, my nose and throat stinging painfully.

"You're asking for death!" she yelled.

Snapping back to my senses, my gaze turned fierce. I grabbed Annie's hair and yanked her into the pool.

"Ouch!"