Love Ends at the First Snowfall

In our seven years of marriage, Lindsay Zane had always used the same method to punish me for being jealous. First, she would embarrass me in public. Then she would leave me alone in the middle of nowhere. This time, it was because I refused to give up the wristwatch that my father had left me. "Liam just returned to the country with nothing. Why can't you lend him your watch for a few days? Don't be so stingy." She drove off, leaving me alone in the first snowfall of the year, at a temperature of 14°F. I froze there for four hours, not able to feel my limbs. I made 20 calls and sent 50 desperate texts for help, but all of them went unanswered. I was typing my 51st message, my fingers so frozen that they were stiff. I was ready to give up. [I'll lend you the watch. Can you come and pick me up...] Right then, Liam updated his social media feed. In the photo, Lindsay was by a cozy fireplace, fastening the watch that belonged to my father onto his wrist. The caption read: [I merely joked about being cold, but she canceled all her plans just to sit by the fire with me. She even gave me the watch I've been longing for.] A mutual friend teased in the comments: [Looks like her heart is still with you.] Lindsay replied: [His happiness is what matters most.] The very woman who had abandoned me on a snowy night, leaving me to fend for myself and face whatever fate awaited, was in a warm room with another man whom she could not bear to see catch even the slightest cold. I watched the snowflakes drifting onto my fingertips as they slowly melted away. I deleted the plea for help I had drafted and called the police and my lawyer. The sound of falling snow was the countdown to my heart going cold. Chapter 1 By the time the police found me, I could no longer walk on my own. The ambulance arrived at the county hospital, and the on-duty doctor cut open my soaked pant legs and asked me where my family was. I gave Lindsay Zane's number. The nurse called twice, but no one answered. The third call finally got through, but it was Liam Stewart on the other end of the line. "Lindsay is taking a bath. Myles Scott, why did you call the police? She just wanted you to calm down. If you keep behaving like this, you'll get her questioned by the police." The nurse's expression changed slightly. "The patient's body temperature is too low. His family needs to come over immediately." Liam chuckled softly. "Myles, you know that Lindsay has an important meeting tomorrow. Stop scaring her with your health. You've been married for years. This trick no longer works." The call was hung up. I lay on the ER bed, my fingers still curled as I gripped my phone. The doctor said I might have had cardiac arrhythmia due to severe hypothermia if I had been another half an hour late. At 3:00 am, Lindsay finally arrived. Her fur coat had a thin layer of snow on the shoulder, and she was holding my clean clothes and a thermos. When she walked to the bedside, she first touched my forehead and then looked at the IV bag. "The police contacted me." I turned my face toward the window. She unscrewed the thermos cup and poured out some hot water. "Have a little drink first." "No thanks." "Are you still angry?" She put the cup on the bedside table, and her tone was the usual patience when dealing with problems. "I admit, I was wrong to leave you there. But cars pass by that road every day, and you could've stopped one. There was no need to report it and take the matter to the police station." "That road was closed." Lindsay paused. "There was a road closure sign at the intersection. Not a single car drove by today." She frowned. "I didn't see it." "You didn't look back." The ward fell silent. She pulled out a chair and sat down, pressing her fingertips between her eyebrows. "I shouldn't have handled the watch situation so hastily. Liam's attending a party the day after tomorrow, and he doesn't have the right accessories. Your watch would go perfectly with his suit. He'll only wear it for one night.” "So you tore it right off my wrist." Her expression was icy as she hooked her fingers around the watch band and yanked hard. The metal links dug into my skin before the clasp snapped, leaving a ring of blood around my wrist. My father had crafted the watch himself. Seven star-shaped studs of varying sizes were inlaid on the inside of the case back, while my birthday was engraved on the back of the one in the center. After my father passed away, I had worn it only on our wedding anniversary and his death anniversary. Lindsay knew that. Back when she first fastened the watch band for me, she had spent a full half-hour fiddling with it, terrified she might scratch the case. Now, it took her just two seconds to tear it off my wrist. Lindsay glanced down and saw the injury. She reached out only to pull her hand back. "I'll have the clasp replaced." "Give it back to me." "After the party." "I want it now." Her expression hardened. "Myles, enough is enough. Liam's sister died on a snow mountain saving me. He spent seven years abroad alone and is penniless now. Do you really have to fight him over a watch?" "My father left it to me." "He's just borrowing it." "His social media post said you gave it to him." Lindsay fell silent for a moment. "It's just a caption. You know perfectly well I'd never actually give away something that belonged to your father." Chapter 2 I looked at Lindsay. She really thought this was a form of comfort. Later, my lawyer, Alexa Hanks, sent over the divorce papers. When I tapped to confirm, Lindsay had her back to me while on a call with her assistant. "Keep the police report under wraps. We can't let it ruin Liam's homecoming party. And send Myles another watch he likes. He'll get over it in a few days." I closed the page and forwarded the file to the printing shop. This time, I was not going to wait for her to come and coax me. … On the day of my discharge, Lindsay did not come to pick me up. The driver handed me a watch box. "Ms. Zane said you'll stop being angry if you see this." Inside the box was a limited-edition wristwatch, expensive enough to buy the small mountain cabin my father left, but it was not my Seven-Star Watch. I closed the box. "Send it back." The driver looked troubled. "Ms. Zane also said you must attend Mr. Stewart's homecoming party tonight. The police incident has gone public, and people are accusing Mr. Stewart of being a homewrecker. You need to go and clear things up." "Clear what up?" "Say that you only got out of the car that night out of spite and that it had nothing to do with Mr. Stewart." It turned out that the watch she had given me was not an apology gift; it was to buy my silence. The banquet was held at Stargaze Manor, a property owned by the Zane family. My father had once run a small, six-room inn there. After he passed away, I merged the inn into the Zane family's estate but kept the wooden cabin in the backyard. Lindsay said it was a place I could always return to. The party was already underway when I arrived. Liam stood in the center of the crowd, wearing a dark gray suit. The strap of my Seven-Star Watch rested against his cuff. The clasp had been replaced, yet the central star bore a visible scratch. Lindsay stood beside him. Seeing me enter, her gaze immediately fell on my thin coat. "Didn't the doctor tell you to keep warm?" She unwound her scarf and held it out to me. Just then, Liam sneezed. Lindsay's hand paused in mid-air before she wrapped the scarf around his neck. "It's cold in the mountains. Why didn't you dress warmer?" Liam pulled his scarf tighter and looked at me apologetically. "Myles, I'm sorry. Lindsay was just acting out of habit. Please don't mind it." People around us laughed, trying to smooth things over. "Looking after Liam has become second nature to Ms. Zane." "If it hadn't been for that incident back then, they might have gotten together long ago." Lindsay's tone was detached. "That's in the past. Don't go making up stories." She did not deny that last remark. The host soon invited me onto the stage. As the microphone was handed to me, Lindsay stood below, giving me a slight nod. It was her signature style. No orders were needed; a single glance was all it took for me to know I was expected to handle everything perfectly for her. I gripped the microphone. "Regarding the police report from that snowy night..." Liam nervously clutched Lindsay's sleeve. Lindsay patted his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, he knows where to draw the line." Watching that gesture, I continued, "The police will handle the matter based on the facts. Surveillance footage and interrogation records clearly show who abandoned me on that closed-off road and who took my personal belongings." The venue fell silent instantly. Lindsay's expression darkened. "Myles." I lowered the microphone. "Also, that watch was never a gift meant for you. Please return it to me now, Mr. Stewart." Liam's eyes quickly reddened. "Lindsay said I could wear it until the party ended. I didn't realize you minded so much." "It's over now." I held out my hand. He did not move. Lindsay stepped in front of him, lowering her voice. "The guests are watching. Do you really have to embarrass him in public?" "I was the one left out in the snow." "I've already apologized and offered compensation." "So I'm supposed to lie for you?" She gripped my wrist—not hard, but enough to stop me from moving forward. "You haven't fully recovered. Go upstairs and rest. You can have the watch tomorrow." "I want to go back to my own cabin." Lindsay paused for a moment. "You can't stay in the backyard cabin." "Why not?" Liam explained quietly, "Lindsay is turning it into an art studio for me. The workmen just moved in today, so it might be a bit messy." There were only two keys to the cabin my father left behind. I held one and gave the other to Lindsay on our wedding day. I looked at her. "You agreed to it?" "Liam needs a quiet place to start over. The cabin has been empty for three years, and you rarely come back." "That's because you said the mountain road was dangerous and you wouldn't let me come alone." She let go of my wrist, then said in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, "Since you're not using it, we shouldn't let it go to waste." A string of newly hung lights illuminated the backyard. Beneath the lights, workers were taking down the wooden sign my father had nailed to the door with his own hands. Chapter 3 When I arrived at the cabin, my father's wooden sign had already split in two. The foreman recognized me and hurriedly explained, "Ms. Zane said to clear all the old things. We didn't know it was yours." I crouched down to pick it up. The wooden thorns pierced into the palm of my hand, oozing tiny drops of blood. When my father handed the inn over to me, he had written a sentence on the back of the sign: [Come and stay for one night when you're tired, Myles.] The handwriting had been washed away by the rain, but I still recognized each stroke. Liam followed and stood outside the door without entering. "Myles, don't blame Lindsay. It was I who wanted a place to paint snow scenes. She thought this place was suitable and had someone tidy it up." "Get out." "I can move elsewhere," he suggested while sweeping his gaze over the newly replaced easels and carpets in the room. "It's just that Lindsay had paid a year's renovation fee in advance for me. The money will go to waste if we stop now." Lindsay walked in. "How's your hand?" I pulled away from her touch. "Call off the crew." "Myles, don't take your anger out on the house." "It's not just a house. It's the home my father left me." Lindsay glanced at the broken wooden sign and instructed the foreman, "Make a new one." "What about the original lettering?" "Carve it the same way." "It won't be his handwriting." Her patience ran out. "It's just an old piece of wood. If you don't like the renovation, I'll have it restored to the way it was after Liam's winter exhibition." She wanted me to wait again. I had to wait for the party to end to reclaim my watch. I had to wait for the art exhibition to end to reclaim my wooden cabin. I always came last after everything else was over. The manager of the manor, Eddie Romaine, hurried over. "Ms. Zane, there are reporters outside asking if the police are investigating you for abandoning your husband." Liam turned pale. "Someone must have leaked this on purpose. My art exhibition was just announced. I can't have news like this." Lindsay looked at me. "Did you contact the media?" "No." "No one else knew the details about the road closure." "The police knew, the doctors knew, and the people who rescued me knew." Liam muttered, "Lindsay, let it go. Myles feels aggrieved. It's only natural he'd want to embarrass me for once." "He's not like that," Lindsay retorted without hesitation. My fingertips curled slightly. The very next second, she instructed Eddie, "Have him speak up as a family member. Say it was a marital dispute and Liam had nothing to do with it." She trusted that I would not harm anyone. She was also certain I would continue to clean up her mess for her. Reporters were crowding the lobby. The elders of the Zane family had arrived as well. Lindsay's father, Arthur Zane, pulled me aside and scolded me with a frown. "It was indeed improper for Lindsay to leave you there, but didn't you make it back safely? Liam's sister saved her life; what's the harm in yielding to him a little?" "Why should I have to give up my watch and cabin too?" "You've married with Lindsay. What could you possibly lack? Liam is all alone. How can he be compared to you?" I looked at Lindsay. She did not speak up for me; she simply placed a glass of warm water beside me. "Let's handle the reporters first. We can talk about it when we get home." The glass felt warm against my hand. When my father passed away seven years ago, I was shivering with cold outside the funeral home; she had shoved a cup of warm water into my hands just like this and sat with me until dawn. For a fleeting moment, I almost wanted to trust her again. Liam suddenly emerged from the restroom; his wrist was bare. "Where's the watch?" I asked. He touched his wrist. "Lindsay took it just now; she said she wanted to put it in the manor's display case." "What display case?" He did not answer. Just then, Eddie walked by carrying an exhibition setup list. At the very top was written the theme of Liam's winter art exhibition—'Return to the Stars.' In the deion of the exhibits, my Seven-Star Watch was labeled as a keepsake left behind by Liam's older sister. In the 'Provider' field was Lindsay's name. I placed the setup list in front of Lindsay. "Explain this." She glanced at it. "We're just borrowing the watch as an exhibit for the opening showcase. Liam's sister was named Starley, so the theme fits perfectly." "You know full well whose keepsake that is." "I didn't change its ownership status. I'll return it to you after the exhibition ends." "But the deion says it's Starley's keepsake." Chapter 4 Lindsay looked at Eddie. Eddie hurriedly said, "The copywriting was provided by Mr. Stewart's agent. We haven't had time to check it yet." "Amend it now," Lindsay said. Liam walked over with red eyes. "There's no need to change it. I'm not going to exhibit it anymore. Myles believes I stole it anyway. Whatever I do is wrong." Arthur immediately shielded him, saying, "It's just an old watch. What's the problem with exhibiting it for a few days? Lindsay owes his sister her life. Can't he get a small token of gratitude?" "Are you referring to my gratitude?" No one answered. I looked at Lindsay. "Do you think it should be given to him too?" She was silent for a moment and closed the list. "I promised Starley that I would take care of her only brother." "So what?" "So nothing can go wrong with this art exhibition. Myles, it's been seven years. You've always known about this." Yes, I knew. In the first year of our marriage, Liam had a fever at night, so she left me behind on our anniversary dinner. In our third year, Liam had a dispute abroad, so she canceled the trip to accompany me to pay respects to my father and flew there overnight. In our fifth year, I protected her from an accident at the project site, which left me with a lasting knee injury. While I was hospitalized, Liam said he had a nightmare on the phone, so she chatted with him until dawn. Every time, she would say she owed a debt to Starley. I used to think debts were meant to be paid off eventually. Only later did I realize that as long as I was around, she thought that gave her the right to take my things to pay her debt for the rest of her life. Just then, Alexa called. I walked to the end of the corridor to answer. "The divorce papers are ready. The wooden cabin in the backyard of Stargaze Manor is your pre-marital asset. Ms. Zane has no right to alter its intended use. Also, I found the authorization document you asked me to look into." "What authorization document?" "Last year, when Zane Group was planning to expand the manor, there was a proposal to bring the cabin under the company's unified management. It was a long-term, rent-free authorization granting Zane Group the right to use the cabin for the next ten years. Your signature is on the spousal acknowledgment form." "I never signed that." Alexa paused for a moment. "It was signed on November 17th of last year." That was our wedding anniversary. Lindsay had said she wanted to make up for the grievances I had endured over the years, so she took me to the countryside for an overnight stay. Before we left, she brought out a stack of the manor's annual operational documents and asked me to sign the final few pages. I had not examined them closely because that day, she had personally fastened the Seven-Star Watch onto my wrist, telling me that Stargaze Manor and she would always be my sanctuary. It turned out that the very day she offered me that sanctuary, she had already traded it away as a favor to someone else. When I returned to the banquet hall, the opening ceremony for the art exhibition was already underway on stage. Inside the display case, my watch rested on red velvet. The scratch on the central star stood out under the lights. The host invited Lindsay to speak. Clutching the microphone, she let her gaze drift over the crowd and settle on me. "This exhibition marks a fresh start for Liam since his return, but it is also the fulfillment of a promise I made to someone from the past." Behind her, the large screen lit up with images of the renovated cabin. My father's name, originally on the exterior wall, had been completely erased and replaced with 'Return to the Stars Art Studio.' The guests broke into applause. Lindsay stepped down from the stage and handed me a document. "After the art exhibition, I plan to grant Liam the right to use the cabin for the next ten years. You're the legal owner, so I need you to sign this." She flipped to the last page for me and even placed the pen in my hand. "Stop making a scene. Sign it, and I'll go home with you." I looked at her and slowly withdrew the pen. "Lindsay, do you really think I'm just making a scene?" Her expression remained calm. "What else would it be? You've talked about separating so many times, but when have you ever actually left?" I nodded but did not sign the usage agreement in front of her. I wrote a notice regarding the repossession of the cabin in the blank space, took the divorce agreement out of my bag, and placed it right beside her hand. Next, I removed the wedding band from my ring finger and set it inside the display case housing the Seven-Star Watch. Lindsay finally frowned. "Myles, what are you trying to do now?" I turned and walked out the door. Behind me, the guests were still waiting for her next words, and Liam was holding her back. Lindsay did not chase after me. She simply called out across the crowd, "It's still snowing outside. If you walk out that door, don't expect me to come pick you up." I did not stop. The person coming to pick me up this time was already waiting outside the manor. Lindsay watched my figure disappear into the wind and snow, scoffed, and turned to clean up the mess I had left in the display case. She was certain that I would eventually give in on my own after a few days, just like in the past seven years. However, her expression immediately changed when she casually picked up the wedding band that was supposed to be on my finger. Beneath the ring lay the Seven-Star Watch. The watch had been fitted with a cheap replacement clasp, and the star-shaped rivet engraved with my birthday had even been deliberately smashed, leaving a glaring, jagged chip. Lindsay stared at that chip for a moment before whipping her head around to look out the door. Amidst the swirling snow, there was not a trace of me to be seen.