Lily didn't buy for a second that John was blind to Elsa's little games. But every time, he chose to look the other way, letting it all slide. And honestly? Maybe that was for the best. Let him and Elsa cling to each other. Let them have their drama, their entanglements. She was marrying James in just fifteen days. After that, they could all go their separate ways. That was fine. Perfect, even. She stepped carefully down the stairs, but this time, she didn't leave immediately. When she had moved out last time, her mind had been a mess of clearing out her and John's shared things. She had missed one small detail—a small iron box buried beneath the tree in the backyard. It was a silly tradition from her hometown: Two people in love would cut locks of hair, tie them together, and bury them beneath the silk tree, so they could stay together forever, even in death. Back then, she had loved him so deeply, so irrationally, she'd followed the custom without a second thought. She had braided their hair together, sealed it in the box, and buried it.But now… now she didn't want any part of him. She didn't want that promise anymore. Lily was here to destroy it all. The box wasn't buried deep. It came out quickly, the metal glinting faintly in the dim light. Inside, the hair was still tightly intertwined—bound together like a fragile bond. A bond that, now, felt like nothing more than mockery. She flicked the lighter open and set fire to the strands. As the flame took hold, she burned more than just the hair. She burned her love, her memories, everything she had given him over the years. As the fire crackled, her phone rang. John. She hesitated, staring at the screen. Her hand shook as she answered. His voice came through, sharp and annoyed. "Lily, don't overthink this. Today was an accident. There's nothing between me and Elsa. I won't let her come to our house again. If you don't want to apologize, fine, but stop going after her." "Mm."Sure. Holding Elsa like she was the most important thing in his life—nothing between them, right? She didn't argue. She just hung up, blocked his number, and shoved the phone in her pocket. He could've seen the fire from the window. He could've seen her burning the box, burning their promise to each other. But he didn't look. He was too busy comforting Elsa, too busy holding her in his arms. So the fire burned on, undisturbed. Just like how she was going to walk out of his life, marry someone else, and never look back. ... Lily had just stepped back into her hotel room when the phone rang again. This time, it was good news. The production team behind God of War called. She'd passed the audition. They wanted her to sign the contract to voice Athena. Her heart soared. She rushed out, eager to seal the deal.But as soon as she stepped outside, the crowd found her. "She's Lily!" someone shouted, and before she knew it, she was surrounded. Reporters shoved microphones in her face, furious voices barking accusations. "Lily, Mr. John and Ms. Elsa are already married! Their love is beautiful—why are you playing the mistress and ruining their relationship?" "Mistresses are shameless! Aren't you worried people will talk about you for the rest of your life?" "Didn't your parents teach you any decency? What kind of trash are you?" "You're disgusting, Lily! Trying to steal Elsa's man. Your whole family should rot!" The crowd swelled, many of them Elsa's fans, anger growing in sync with the reporters' sharp questions. The curses came raining down, venomous and relentless. Lily instinctively pulled her coat tighter around her, trying to protect herself from the onslaught. This was insane. It was upside down. She was the one who had been with John. She had been the one in his life while Elsa demanded fireworks, rented theme parks, clung to him, held a wedding ceremony. But now? Now she was the mistress? The one everyone hated? Ridiculous. "I'm not a mistress!" Lily shouted, her voice clear and strong, though it was drowned out by the chaos. "I never interfered in anyone's relationship!" But it didn't matter. The mob was louder, angrier. "We've seen the photos!" someone shouted. "And you still deny it? Trash!” "You think mistresses aren't disgusting? I heard she's a serial cheater—stole boyfriends all through school!" “Slut! Probably sells herself too. Who knows what diseases she's carrying. So gross!" The words came at her like a storm. "Elsa's health is fragile—how dare you hurt her! You owe her an apology!" another voice screamed. “Right! Lily should beg for forgiveness!" “Apologize! Lily, apologize!"Then, like something straight out of a nightmare, a girl with a long face hurled a banana peel at her. It struck her cheek. And just like that, the floodgates opened. Garbage, half-eaten food, wrappers—they all flew at her. Someone even threw an apple core, and it hit Lily square on the forehead. Her heart pounded in her chest, and the world around her seemed to blur. She wanted to shout, to scream, to make it all stop. But nothing stopped. The world kept turning, and so did the fury of the crowd. Tears threatened to spill, but she wouldn't let them. Not here, not now. And as the insults rained down, Lily stood there, fighting to keep herself together. This wasn't her fight. This wasn't her battle to win. But it was hard. So damn hard.