His shout drew everyone's attention to me.

"Is that really Vivian?"

"No way. Shouldn't she look poor and pathetic?"

I heard their whispers, and I knew why they were so shocked.

In their minds, being exiled to this remote town for three years should have turned me into a haggard, broken country woman.

Not this.

I was wearing a well-tailored denim dress with a cream-colored cashmere cardigan, a Leica camera hanging around my neck.

My hair and skin were well-maintained, my nails painted with a clean, nude polish.

I didn't look broken at all.

Vincent's eyes slowly fell on me, a hint of surprise in his gaze.

"Vivian."

He said my name, his tone distant.

It was a world away from how he spoke to Isabella.

I remember how that difference used to break my heart, how it used to make me scream and cry.

Not anymore.

"Vincent Moretti."

I shifted the grocery bag to my other hand and responded in a polite, yet cold, voice.

Vincent's brow furrowed at my formal tone.

"It's only been three years. Is there a need to be so distant?"

"I'm your fiancé. Is that how you speak to me? It seems three years wasn't long enough. You still haven't learned your manners."

"If you keep this up, I'll seriously propose to the family that we call off our engagement."

I gave him a bored glance.

What made him think that after three years, I would still be in love with him?

I was ten when I became an orphan.

The old Don Moretti brought me to the family estate and announced my engagement to Vincent on the spot.

From that day on, I knew I was going to be Vincent's wife.

So, when he showered me with affection, I let myself fall for him, bit by bit.

When we were deeply in love, he told me he loved me too.

He said we would get married as soon as I turned eighteen, making me the rightful Mrs. Moretti.

But then Isabella arrived at the estate, and everything changed.

I watched as the affection that was once mine was slowly taken away, as he favored her without any reason or principle.

I cried, I threw tantrums, I even deliberately picked fights with Isabella.

Every single time, all I got in return was his anger and blame.

Then, the sapphire ring that was supposed to be mine went missing.

Vincent immediately came to question me.

I despised Isabella, but I wasn't low enough to steal.

Besides, my cat of eight years, a gift from Vincent for my birthday, was gravely ill.

I had been staying in an apartment near the vet clinic to care for him and hadn't been back to the estate in ages.

I stood my ground and denied everything.

But then, the ring was found in the pocket of a coat I hadn't worn in a long time.

Vincent slapped me.

He also smashed the only thing I had left from my parents—an old wristwatch.

Seeing the watch shattered on the floor, I lost my mind and lunged at him.

In the chaos, Isabella fell down the stairs.

The next thing I knew, I was being sent to Montana.

And my old cat didn't make it through the winter.

Seeing me silent, Vincent's expression grew impatient.

Just as he was about to lose his temper, I raised my hand, showing off the wedding ring on my finger.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Mr. Moretti. I'm already married."

Vincent's frown deepened.

Isabella stepped forward and linked her arm with his, looking at me as if I were a petulant child.

"Vivian, lying is a bad habit."

"Vincent told me he froze all your accounts. So those clothes... you're still young, don't let some sleazy man take advantage of you."

Her words made Vincent's gaze shift to my outfit, and his expression turned cold.

He was probably remembering that he had cut off all my financial support.

In their eyes, without the Moretti family's money, I had no right to dress so well.

His men all looked at me with mocking expressions.

One of them spoke up, "Vivian, you didn't become someone's sugar baby, did you?"

"In a backwater place like this, is your sugar daddy some old bachelor who couldn't find a wife?"

Vincent's face instantly darkened, and he glared at me with fury.

"Vivian, have you no shame!"

"You can be shameless if you want, but don't you dare disgrace the Moretti family name!"

From his reaction, it was clear he also believed I had sold myself to be some man's mistress.

But, Vincent...

We've known each other for so many years. Even if you hate me now, you should know what kind of person I am.

In your eyes, am I really the type of woman who would sell her body for money?

I scanned the crowd and spoke coldly.

"I should be asking you all if you have any shame. Did you come all this way just to act like lunatics?"

"I, Vivian Hayes, am not a useless freeloader like you people. I don't need a man, and I don't need the Moretti family. I can do just fine on my own."

Vincent seemed stunned by my retort.

He scoffed. "Without the Moretti family? You think you can make it on your own?"

"Vivian, don't overestimate yourself! I know exactly what you're trying to do. You're just trying to get my attention."

I couldn't help but laugh.

It was like he couldn't understand plain English.

Get his attention?

He wasn't worthy of it.

I grabbed an egg from my grocery bag and hurled it at him.

Caught off guard, Vincent took the egg right in the face.

"Ah, Vincent!" Isabella shrieked.

Vincent closed his eyes, wiped the yolk from his face, and raised his hand to strike me.

I quickly took a step back and sneered, "What, the heir of the Moretti family wants to hit a woman again?"

Vincent froze, then took a deep breath.

"Vivian Hayes, you've got a lot of nerve! Fine. You can rot here for the rest of your life."

With that, he stormed off.

Since the boss was leaving, his followers naturally scrambled to follow.

Isabella was the last to leave.

As she passed me, she whispered, "Vivian, I should thank you. If you weren't so difficult, Vincent would have never seen how good I am for him."

I didn't respond.

The thing you're so proud of is just the garbage I threw away a long time ago.

If you like digging through trash, be my guest.