Chapter 248

Philip's POV

I stared at my phone screen, Sarah's name and the call duration still flashing. Her voice echoed in my ears: "Philip, I need to see you. I have a plan,but I need your help."

"What plan?" I asked, hearing the caution and suspicion in my own voice.

"Can't say over the phone," Sarah lowered her voice, that mysteriously enticing tone tat once sparked my curiosity. "We need to talk in person.It concerns Annie and Howard."

Annie and Howard. Those two names cut into my chest like a knife,slow and deep. I unconsciously rubbed my temples, closing my eyes. The events of the past few weeks flashed through my mind like a carousel-every time, every single time I believed Sarah's words, the result was always catastrophic.

Stock prices down 70%, clients withdrawing investments, board members demanding emergency meetings, reporters swarming the building lobby like hungry wolves waiting to tear apart my response-all because I blindly trusted Sarah's lies. How could I have been so incredibly stupid?

"I need time to think," I finally said, fingers unconsciously tapping an irregular rhythm on my desk. "I'll contact you later."

After hanging up, I turned to my computer screen. Allen's materials were displayed before me-Howard Thompson's college sweetheart. Photos,article clippings, award records, even scans of hand-drawn illustrations.

My heart raced. "This can't just be coincidence," I muttered,eyes fixed on

the dates and timeline. My mind worked rapidly. If I could use this information to make Annie realize she was merely a substitute for Howard's past love, perhaps I could still salvage everything? Maybe she would understand that Howard's so-called "love" was nothing but a projection of his past?

I picked up my phone, instinctively wanting to call Annie, only to discover I'd been blocked. This small detail sent a stab of pain through my chest.Once, I was the first to know her every emotion. Now, I'd been denied even the most basic means of contact.

I let out a cold laugh and sent her a brief email instead:

"Need to talk. Important information about Howard. Noon, restaurant below Howard's company building. If you don't come, I'll go directly to Howard."

The moment I hit send, I felt like I was tossing my last coin. My thumb caressed the phone screen, and for some reason, I visualized Annie sitting in the library corner, focused on her drawings-when she didn't know me yet,her gaze pure and concentrated.

Half an hour later, a short reply appeared in my inbox:

"Only 5 minutes. 12 o'clock sharp."

Five minutes. A wife of years now willing to give me only five minutes.I smiled bitterly, my throat tightening.

I arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes early, choosing a window seat.From this angle, I could clearly see everyone entering and exiting, as well as the entrance to Howard's building. I ordered two coffees.

I kept checking the time, each minute stretching like a century. I arranged

the folder I'd brought, fingers lightly tapping the table, remembering our first meeting. I had been recommended as a model for Annie at the library.and when she looked up, her focused eyes made my heart skip a beat.

At exactly noon. Annie appeared at the restaurant entrance. She wore a simple white shirt and dark straight-leg pants, hair casually tied back,looking both natural and professional. I noticed the fatigue on her face,but her eyes sparkled with a determination and indifference I'd never seen before. On her wrist was an elegant watch that I immediately recognized as Howard's brand-this small detail pierced my heart like a fine needle.

She approached my table, her steps confident and light.

"You have 5 mninutes," Annie stood at the table, not even sitting down. She glanced at her watch. "Starting now."

"At least sit down to talk," I gestured, my voice carrying a barely perceptible plea.

"No need," Annie said coolly. "Get to the point."

I took a deep breath and went straight to the subject: "Did you know Howard had a girlfriend in college? Someone he still can't forget."

Annie's expression didn't change at all; she just looked at me calmly,a calmness that almost drove me mad. "So what? Most people have a past.Time moves on,Philip."

Time moves on. Four simple words that cut through my heart like a blade.She had moved forward, while I remained trapped in past illusions.

"The issue isn't that he has a past," I pushed a folder across the table, my knuckles unnaturally white. "It's that you might just be a substitute for that woman."

Annie didn't immediately open the folder but looked directly into my eyes:"You called me here just for this? To tell me Howard has an ex-girlfriend?"

A wave of irritation surged through me. Why couldn't she just look at the materials?Why couldn't she understand my concerns?

"Not just an ex-girlfriend." I emphasized, my voice slightly raised, feeling like a desperate lawyer trying to convince a jury. "An unforgettable first love. Look at these materials-also from a single-parent household, also an illustrator, also experienced unfair treatment at school..."

Annie opened the folder, casually scanning the contents. I watched her expression intently. expecting to see shock, confusion, or at least a hint of doubt, but Annie's eyes showed only indifference, as though reading an unimportant newspaper. She even yawned slightly, that dismissive attitude cutting into my self-esteem like a dull knife.

"I'm serious,Annie," I continued, my voice unconsciously taking on a pleading tone. "Howard's feelings for you might not be as pure as you imagine. Look at these similarities-don't you find it strange? You might just be..."

"A substitute?" Annie finished my sentence, eyebrows slightly raised."Philip, do you think I would question my relationship because of a few blurry old photos and some far-fetched coincidences?"

She closed the folder and gently pushed it back to me, a confident smile I'd never seen during our marriage playing at her lips. "You called me out for this? Philip, are youtoo idle these days? Don't you have enough company issues to deal with?"

I felt a burning in my chest, my lungs filling with lead. I'd had enough of being belittled, ignored,treated as a pathetic ex-husband.

"Don't you understand?" I lowered my voice but couldn't hide the urgency."If Howard's first love suddenly appeared, he might abandon you immediately!"

Annie's eyes suddenly flashed with pity, which was harder to bear than her indifference. "Philip, even if Howard left me tomorrow, I wouldn't return to you. That marriage is over, completely over."

Her words felt like a cold knife in my chest. I felt dizzy, Annie's face blurring before me.

"Remember, this isn't your business," Annie continued, her voice calm and firm."Second. Howard and I have decided to get married. We've discussed it. and Lucy has agreed."

Married. The word hit my stomach like a heavy punch, instantly robbing me of breath. I felt nauseous, as if someone had tied a knot in my intestines. Blood drained from my face, the coffee cup trembling uncontrollably in my hand.

"Married?" I repeated, my voice so hoarse it was barely recognizable. "You and Howard are getting married?"

"Yes," Annie checked her watch. "Your 5 minutes are up. If there's nothing else, I need to get back to work."

I sat there, completely shattered by this news, I watched Annie leave the restaurant, her figure upright and determined, her steps light as if she'd shed some burden.

Back in my office, I closed the door, leaned against it, and took deep breaths like a drowning man just rescued from water. Annie and Howard were getting married. This fact repeatedly stabbed my heart, each breath

accompanied by excruciating pain.

My company on the verge of collapse, my marriage over, and Annie-whom I always thought would return to me-about to become someone else's wife.

I took out my phone, found Sarah's number, and sent a brief message:

"About your plan, when can we meet? The sooner the better."

I put the phone in my pocket, my gaze involuntarily falling on the family photo on my desk. already covered with a thin layer of dust-taken during a vacation in Long Island with Annie and Brian. In the photo,Annie smiled. her eyes full of happiness I thought would never fade. Back then. I took her love for granted, as natural as breathing air, not needing to cherish or maintain it.

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore how pathetic I turned out to be now as a strange feeling spread through me-beginning as unbelievable pain,quickly transforming into something darker and more searing.

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind: if I couldn't have Annie,perhaps I didn't want Howard to have her happiness either.