Chapter 3

Stephan's car pulled up outside the villa at 5:00 pm sharp. Rebecca headed downstairs and was about to open the door to get in when she saw a familiar face—Giselle. She held a large bag of snacks and drinks as she sat in the front passenger seat, greeting Rebecca innocently. "I get carsick really easily, Mrs. Lodge. Can you sit in the back today?" Rebecca lowered her gaze when she saw the flash of smugness in Giselle's eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a decorative piece on the dashboard. It was of a kitten, and a row of words was printed on it. "Princess Gigi's exclusive seat!" Stephan knew Rebecca was upset again when he saw that she wasn't saying anything or moving. He said slowly, "Giselle's never been to an auction, so I'm letting her tag along to expand her horizons. She's fragile, so let her have her way this time." Let Giselle have her way? Sure. Rebecca didn't even want Stephan anymore. Why would a seat matter? She chuckled softly and got into the backseat. On the way to the auction house, Giselle nibbled on various snacks and cakes. Using her spoon, she fed Stephan. They acted all lovey-dovey without a care for Rebecca. They chatted about everything under the sun, and he didn't stop smiling as he listened to her interesting ideas and enjoyed her occasional cutesy behavior. Rebecca didn't spare them any glances from beginning to end. She rolled down the window and admired the scenery outside. When they arrived at the auction house, they'd barely taken a few steps when Giselle complained about her heels hurting her feet. Stephan chuckled and said she was high maintenance, but he still brought her to the nearest shopping mall. He personally picked a pair of flats for her and helped her try them on. Rebecca watched as he got on one knee and considerately checked how the shoes fit, suddenly remembering how he'd turned her down when she'd asked him to get her a glass of water when she was burning up with a high fever. She supposed the princess who held his heart deserved better treatment. Still, had he forgotten that she'd once also been his princess? Back then, Rebecca had had no intention of accepting Stephan's pursuit. She'd deliberately made things difficult for him and told him that she would consider giving him a shot if he could buy a specific red velvet cake that could only be bought in the south of the city. The bakery was across the city from her home, and it had been snowing heavily that day. Even a fool would be able to tell that she'd given Stephan an impossible order. However, he'd gotten into the car without hesitation and had taken five whole hours to deliver the cake to her. Later, Rebecca had wondered countless times why Stephan had changed his mind so easily when his love for her hadn't been a show. In hindsight, it wasn't that he'd changed. It was just that she'd never seen through his true colors, that she'd never realized he was a playboy at heart. No one could make a playboy settle down. Rebecca smiled self-deprecatingly and headed inside the auction hall without Stephan and Giselle. They only arrived when the bidding for the first item had already started. Dinner was provided along with the auction, so there were various pastries and delicious dishes on the table. As soon as Giselle sat down, she saw a bowl of oysters and clamored about wanting Stephan to shell them for her. He chuckled helplessly and helped her adjust the hem of her dress. Then, he rejected the help of a server and started shelling the oysters, placing them on the plate before her. Her eyes glowed with admiration when she saw how gentlemanly he was. Rebecca watched them silently. Once Giselle was done eating, she casually pointed at an emerald jewelry set that was up for bidding. Stephan immediately raised his paddle. "Bidder No.17 has offered 300 million dollars!" Everyone was stunned by the exorbitant sum. No one dared to compete with him, and there were gasps everywhere. Soon, the event moved into intermission. Many people approached Stephan's table, hoping to curry favor with him. When they saw how doting he was of Giselle, they started sucking up to her, calling her Mrs. Lodge. Stephan glanced at Rebecca and said nonchalantly, "You've got the wrong person. That's my wife." The guests abruptly fell silent, looking awkward. They quickly corrected themselves. Rebecca didn't say a thing, and she ignored the surprised and pitying glances that were sent her way. They weren't wrong to address Giselle that way—Rebecca wouldn't be Mrs. Lodge for much longer, and it was likely that Stephan would immediately marry Giselle after the divorce, judging from how much he cared for her. After the intermission, the auction continued. The rest of the items up for bidding were antiques. Rebecca wasn't interested in them, so she left early after bidding on some of the more expensive collectibles. She'd just gotten to the elevator lobby when she heard Giselle's sickly sweet voice ring out behind her. "Mrs. Lodge, can we talk?" she asked. Rebecca stopped and turned around. "I don't think there's anything for us to—" She saw Giselle raise a hand before she could finish. Then, the latter slapped her hard across the face.