But only she knew that she had lived in the shadow of Clara Vance all these years. She was being driven to the brink of madness.

Ever since the news of Clara Vance being brutally killed reached Julian’s ears, he had changed completely.

In the beginning, he practically became a madman, weeping and repenting every day over the few belongings Clara had left behind.

His attitude toward Melody plummeted; the sweetness of their honeymoon phase vanished entirely, replaced by a faint sense of disgust and detachment.

Later, after the worst of his grief passed, he became listless, like a walking corpse.

She had tried desperately to fix the relationship and sweep Clara Vance out of Julian’s heart forever.

She threw away everything Clara had left, redecorated the house, and even imitated Clara’s old self—learning to make osmanthus cakes and to speak gently.

But everything was in vain.

Clara Vance was dead, and it was as if Julian had died with her.

Even the music he used to love could no longer stir a single ripple in his soul.

Even so, Melody didn't give up.

She thought that time would heal everything and that one day Julian would love her again.

But who would have thought that Julian would later find a substitute?

That girl, Secretary Wang, looked somewhat like Clara Vance. Julian transferred her to his side, looking at her with eyes as tender as if he were looking at someone else.

For Melody, this was undoubtedly a humiliation.

It was one thing to be unable to compete with a dead woman, but she couldn't even compete with a fake!

Now that substitute was gone, but she never expected...

Clara Vance herself was back!

Thinking of this, Melody nearly drew blood from her palms.

She wasn't a fool; she knew her identity would be exposed by coming to the station.

But it didn't matter, because her purpose was to rip open the old scars in Clara’s heart, to make her suffer, and to make her lose her mind!

Yet she never expected Clara to be so calm, as if she were an outsider.

And in her expectations, the people at the station should have been gossiping and even mocking or marginalizing Clara after learning her true identity.

Instead, these people had unanimously turned their spears against her!

The more Melody thought about it, the angrier she got. With bloodshot eyes, she glared at everyone and screamed hoarsely:

"All of you shut up! Everything Clara Vance said is a lie! Julian never loved her!"

"Everything she did was just her own self-delusion!"

However, the more she defended herself, the sharper the gazes landing on her became.

Seeing this, Clara’s mocking smile deepened.

"Melody Sterling, not everyone is like the Julian Vance of the past, someone who tramples on sincerity at will."

"I treat every colleague with sincerity, and they are willing to believe in me as well. No matter what you say, it’s useless."

"The more you say, the more you expose your inner insecurity. You’re exposing that the relationship you were once proud of is now a complete mess! You’re exposing that you have always lived in my shadow!"

"Shut up!"

These words completely destroyed the last of Melody’s sanity.

She grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it toward Clara.

Chapter 16

Clara’s pupils shrank. Just as she was about to turn her wheelchair to dodge, a figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd and blocked her!

Bang!

The chair crashed heavily against Julian Vance’s forehead!

Blood flowed instantly, trickling down his forehead, brow bone, and cheek, dripping onto his white shirt like blooming, crimson plum blossoms. His right eye socket began to bruise and swell at a visible speed.

The moment Melody Sterling saw Julian, she regained a sliver of her sanity. Her eyes widened in panic. "You... why are you here!"

Seeing the continuous flow of blood from his forehead, she lost her composure and cried out with heartache, "Why did you jump out to block it for her? Does it hurt? I’ll call an ambulance for you!"

Julian violently shook off her reaching hand and rebuked her coldly, "Melody Sterling! It's one thing for you to act insane at home, but why did you come here? Do I have to force you into a mental asylum?!"

Melody staggered back several steps, her high heel twisting as she wrenched her ankle. She hissed in pain, and the concern on her face vanished instantly. She hurled her Birkin bag at him and roared:

"Julian Vance, it was you who pushed me to become like this!"

"Eight years! You’ve never let go of that bitch. You took all your negative emotions out on me and drove me mad bit by bit! I—"

"Shut up! I won't allow you to speak of her that way!"

Julian slapped Melody across the face!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty hall. Five bright red finger marks immediately appeared on Melody’s pale cheek, burning with pain. She seemed stunned that Julian would strike her in front of so many people, staring blankly for a long while.

When she snapped out of it, her eyes turned murderous. Enduring the piercing pain in her ankle, she stood up and lunged at him like a madwoman:

"Julian Vance, you actually dared to hit me! I’ve never suffered such an insult in my entire life!"

"So what if I call her a bitch? A bitch like her deserved to be gang-raped! She deserves to die!"

"I’m telling you, you’ll never get rid of me in this life! Even if I become a ghost, I’ll haunt you forever!"

In truth, Julian regretted it the moment he struck her. He didn't regret hitting her, but he regretted losing control again. He despised violence and people who lost their tempers. But when he heard Melody’s vicious words, his reason was once again swallowed by rage!

His face turned as dark as a thundercloud, and he ruthlessly slapped her again!

"Melody Sterling, let me tell you—don't think I can't leave you! You were involved in those things back then too! If it comes down to it, I'll take us both down together!"

This time, blood seeped from the corner of Melody’s mouth. Her once-exquisite hairstyle was a mess, with strands of hair sticking to her face. She lunged even more frantically, using her sharp manicured nails to claw at Julian’s wounds, screaming hysterically:

"Julian Vance, you bastard! Then let’s die together! I’ve lived long enough anyway!"

The two of them abandoned all high-society decorum, tearing at each other like wild beasts. Julian’s wound was ripped open, bleeding even more, while several clumps of Melody’s hair were pulled out, her face covered in scratches.

Finally, it was Clara who called the security guards to pull them apart.

As Julian was held up by two guards, blood was still streaming from his forehead, and his face grew increasingly pale. He turned his head to look at Clara, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something—

"Clara, I’m sorry..."

Before the words could leave his mouth, his vision went black, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Melody was forcibly escorted out of the building by security. Before leaving, she glared venomously at Clara and snarled:

"Clara Vance, I won't let you live in peace!"

Her voice was as sharp as a knife, and her curses could be heard from far away.

The ambulance arrived quickly. As the paramedics lifted Julian onto a stretcher, Clara intended to go back to work, but Jane, the producer, came over and patted her shoulder.

"Clara, after what happened today, I'm sure you’re a bit shaken up."

"Take the rest of the day off to handle things. I’ll arrange everything here at the station."

Clara knew that even though she was the victim, the incident had affected the station. Since it happened on company grounds and caused such a scene, she didn't argue. After thanking Jane politely, she followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Chapter 17

Julian’s injuries were not severe—mostly superficial wounds combined with extreme emotional distress. Clara sat in a chair by the bed, watching him quietly.

A long, long time ago, she had watched over Julian’s hospital bed just like this. After his chemotherapy for leukemia, Julian had been so weak he couldn't even hold a glass of water. She would stay by his side night after night, holding his hand and saying, "Julian, you have to get better soon."

As she was thinking, Julian’s fingers suddenly twitched. Then, he slowly opened his eyes. The moment he saw Clara, his eyes turned red.

"Clara... I’m sorry."

"I failed to protect you before. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

Clara shook her head. "You don't have a 'future' where you need to be responsible for me."

"I know you won't forgive me anytime soon." Julian struggled to sit up. "But I beg you to give me a chance to atone."

"These eight years have been so painful for me. Sometimes I wished I could just die!" His voice choked up, his eyes turning redder. "Do you not believe me? I’m not lying! If you don't believe me, look at these scars!"