Heart Toward the Sky

My fiancé, Owen Lockhart, came from old money. He kept a canary in a gilded cage, spoiling her rotten. Just as I was about to break off the engagement with him, a barrage of comments suddenly popped up in my mind. [What did Owen do wrong? He just wanted to get your attention.] [Don't break up with him. All you need to do is shed a few tears, and he'll give you everything.] I turned my head, and through the window, I saw the canary in her high-end jewelry, smiling brightly as she hooked her arm around Owen's. He lazily lowered his eyes, yet his expression held a hint of indifference mixed with a subtle affection. I smiled bitterly, replying to the lawyer's message: [Go on with drafting the engagement annulment agreement.] Chapter 1 The barrage exploded. [How could you be so heartless? Owen is probably drowning his sorrows at a bar.] [Ugh, Owen is just too proud and stubborn, and now he's lost his fiancée.] [It's okay. He will just bankrupt your family. Then you'll have no choice but to beg him.] [Soon enough, you'll be fighting with other women out of jealousy, and he will be living it up.] I stared at the comments, sneering with frustration. I looked away, only to lock eyes with my fiancé, Owen Lockhart. He raised an eyebrow, letting the woman continue to cling to his arm without a hint of guilt. He noticed my sour expression, and his lips curled into a smug smile. The mistress he kept was a small-time internet celebrity. Together, they made a handsome couple, attracting the attention of passersby, who eagerly took photos of them. The café where I was sitting had large glass windows. I couldn't help but wonder if they caught my sour expression on camera. I cursed under my breath, grabbed my bag, and called the driver to take me somewhere else. But as I stepped out, I bumped into Owen face-to-face. I was stunned. "Were you heading this way just now?" "Interested in me so much?" he smiled smugly. The woman next to him gave me a wary look, but she said nothing, probably held back by her low status. I thought back to those comments, and my irritation rose. I tried to walk past them, but Owen suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Not happy?" I glanced up and down at him and the woman by his side. "Not really. I wish you two a long and happy life together." Owen refused to let go, and Robin Peck rolled her eyes. "Who are you? Can't you see you're disturbing us?" She shook an expensive bracelet on her wrist and shot Owen a playful look. "Are you jealous because no one's buying you things?" "Do you know he has a fiancée?" I shot back. She paused, then snorted, "Just arranged engagement. No love there. If he liked her, would he still be with me?" Owen sneered, looking down at me with his hazel eyes. Unflinching, I glanced at the hand still gripping my wrist. "Let go." Defiant, he squinted at me. "Find another companion for the banquet the day after tomorrow." Robin stiffened, sizing me up. Then she grinned knowingly, "So, you're his fiancée. So what? Owen is going to be with me." I pondered, figuring the Lockharts would see the engagement annulment agreement by tomorrow. "Fine," I said. "Can you let me go now?" Owen's expression darkened. "Who are you going with?" Thinking of a few young men from wealthy families, all handsome and well-built, I replied earnestly, "I haven't decided yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to pick one when I get home." There was an eerie silence, broken only by the distant chatter of the commercial street. The tension felt suffocating as various eyes glanced our way. Chapter 2 The barrage popped up again. [Gosh! Owen is pissed off.] [He is like, "Can't you just stop being so stubborn and soften up a little instead of provoking me?"] [Act cute and cry a little. Don't waste your beauty and Owen's love for you.] [Seriously, stop being so tough! When Owen goes crazy, no one knows what he might do. He could bankrupt your family and lock you up until you learn your lesson.] "You're really something!" Owen gritted his teeth, his voice ice cold. He released his grip, and I took a step forward, noticing the necklace around Robin's neck. "You said you'd give me that necklace," I said, turning to leave without waiting for his response. He chased after me, his voice laced with an unreadable emotion. "You remember?" "I don't need it anymore," I replied. "For it, she acted cute, followed me around, and called me honey," he whispered. So, that was why he gave her the necklace he had promised me. My throat tightened, and a wave of nausea hit me. The comments exploded with excitement. [He's hinting at you!] [Owen can't hold back anymore, ha-ha! Just call him honey, and he'll give you everything.] [He dreams of you calling him honey, and after waking up, he has to change the bedsheets.] I stopped in my tracks, my words clear and deliberate. "From now on, I'll act cute with other men and call them honey. Then, they'll fulfill my requests." "Say that again!" he growled, his voice colder than I'd ever heard before. His hand clamped down on my shoulder, the pressure crushing. Robin followed us, timidly speaking up. "Owen, what's wrong?" He didn't even look at her, his eyes fixated on me. She pouted, glaring at me. "Did you make him mad? He's never unhappy when he's with me." Her words disgusted me further. I turned my head, unwilling to say another word. After a long pause, Owen's hand dropped. He closed his eyes in frustration, the air around him turning gloomy. "She knows not to make me angry," he said, walking away. Robin quickly followed, soothing him. They looked like a real couple. The comments appeared once again. [You just won't soften up, pushing away the one who loves you.] [Why couldn't you just say a few kind words to Owen? You had to let that vixen get an opportunity.] [I'm done. You guys see the trending topic? Someone uploaded photos and videos of them.] ... I got into the car, turned on my phone, and saw messages from my friends. [Why are you trending? That woman next to your fiancé is an internet celebrity. Did you know?] [Are you okay, Chloe? Someone just sent me photos. How could Owen flaunt his mistress in front of you? What a jerk!] [That woman keeps talking about how some man loves her so much and buys her everything. Turns out, it's Owen.] [I can't believe it. Owen never had a woman around before. We all thought he was so clean, and now he suddenly has a lover?] I carefully crafted my replies, then clicked on the trending topic. Clear photos and videos captured the back-and-forth between Owen and me, everything so obvious. Chapter 3 All the comments were in defense of Robin. [This woman is just jealous of Robin, trying to seduce her boyfriend.] [Didn't you see how that guy snapped at her? And look how he dotes on Robin.] [She's still hanging around them, even after they left. Pretending to be lovesick.] [I can't stand vixens like that! Go to hell! Stay away from Robin's boyfriend!] So, they thought that my fiancé was someone else's boyfriend. I shrank into the backseat, staring into nothing. The topic remained on the trending list, even gaining momentum. Without doubt, it was orchestrated by Owen. Now I was skeptical about his love for me. If he really loved me, would he have allowed people to recklessly distort the truth and attack me? I closed my eyes, the pain too much to bear. After a while, I made a call, my voice hoarse. "Get the trending topic taken down, now." The barrage of comments surged again. [I feel sorry for you, Chloe. It's unbearable. If only you'd softened up a bit, things wouldn't have turned out like this.] [Just a bunch of brainless netizens following the hype. Robin is the real mistress! This is infuriating!] [Owen has gone a bit too far this time, but you're too independent. He still wants to see you rely on him.] [Seems like this trending topic won't be easy to remove. People are already trying to doxx you. Your family has seen it, and it's bound to affect your stock price.] My gaze lingered on the last comment for a long time. Sure enough, my phone rang not long after. The voice on the other end sounded resigned. "Someone's been boosting the trending topic. We're trying to remove it, but it's having almost no effect." I stayed silent, and the caller asked, "Did you offend someone? This trending topic just keeps blowing up. Someone's pulling some serious strings here. Isn't your fiancé doing anything? Just watching it all happen?" The caller didn't know the person behind it all was none other than my fiancé. But soon enough, he wouldn't be anymore. My dad's call came through next, his voice thick with anger. "What the hell is going on? If no one had asked me, I wouldn't have even known." I paused. "Owen has an affair. Why blame me?" "Men like Owen cheat all the time," Garrett Vega huffed. "How could you let something like this get out of hand? And let that woman walk around like she owns the place, flaunting herself in front of you?" "The trending topic was cooked by Owen," I patiently explained. "That woman is his mistress. Dad, this isn't my fault. I've already asked people to take it down." "Not being able to control his heart is your fault," Garrett snorted and hung up the phone. As the car pulled off, the driver turned his head and said, "Miss, we've arrived at the villa." I numbly opened the car door, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the dark house, as I chewed over Garrett's pompous words. When he had an affair, supporting all those women outside, it was somehow my mother's fault for getting older and losing her charm. He conveniently forgot that my mother had used her savings to support his startup and had given everything she had. ... That night, I called Owen. He answered almost immediately, his tone lazy. "What's up?" "Stop heating that trending topic," I said softly. He paused, drawling, "What's with the mood? Are you upset?" "What do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking. He fell silent, and I continued, "Do you enjoy watching me get dragged through the mud, being called a mistress, and seeing the stock price drop? Is this what you want? Are you satisfied?" Chapter 4 My body trembled all over. I couldn't believe there was such an unreasonable man. Owen paused, then softened. "Don't cry, babe. Do you want to see me? I can come find you right now." I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. A gust of cold wind blew over to the balcony. It swept across my face, cooling the tears that had just fallen. I felt like a complete joke. In the end, only one word came out, rough and dry. "No." "No?" Owen repeated, his tone unreadable. His voice then turned cold once again. "What do you mean?" "I don't want to see you," I replied, gathering my last bit of strength to hang up the phone. I lay back on the bed, unable to fall asleep. As the trending topic soared high, relatives in the family group chat tagged me one after another, each message dripping with resentment. Finally, a cousin typed: [Let's face it. If you can't keep Owen, just step aside. Do you even realize how significantly this impacts us?] The younger generation in the group jumped in. Another cousin sent a laughing emoji: [So embarrassing, being ridden by a mistress. If I were you, I wouldn't even show my face. Owen spent all his money on his mistress. Didn't he ever spend anything on you? Why not just let someone else replace you? He doesn't like you anyway.] The group chat went silent, and I laughed bitterly, wishing one of my cousins could replace me to marry Owen. But the Vega Group was still run by Garrett, and I was his only daughter. He wouldn't miss the chance to flatter the Lockharts. I muted the group chat and scrolled through the feeds. The first thing I saw was a photo shared by some rich kid. Standing in the center were none other than Owen and Robin. He had his arm wrapped around her waist, lazily raising an eyebrow at the camera. His friends were gathered around them, toasting and enjoying themselves. What did it look like? An official announcement of their relationship. I gave the post a thumbs-up and turned off my phone. But then, the barrage flooded into my mind. [Don't be sad. This is all just a show. We all know that Owen's heart belongs to you.] [Yeah, after his friend posted that, he checked to see if you liked it a minute later.] [He's been wanting to see you. You rejected him tonight, and he's been heartbroken.] [Give him a call, telling him you're jealous, and he'll come running right to you.] I closed my eyes, forcing all those noises out of my head. After what felt like an eternity, I propped myself up from bed and texted my lawyer: [Send me the engagement annulment agreement. I'll find a chance to give it to Owen.] I needed one full day to handle the property transfer, and I couldn't let anyone find out or interfere. After attending the banquet, I would take a midnight flight and leave for another country. By then, the agreement would be sent in two copies, one to Garrett and the other to Owen. If I stayed and refused to marry Owen, there would be no peace. Garrett would just marry me off to someone else. Everything went smoothly. ... I had carefully chosen a fishtail dress for the occasion. With a bright smile, I walked into the banquet hall in my high heels. My friends approached to catch up with me, and one of them nudged me. "No companion, huh? My brother can help." I considered the offer, then shook my head. "It's fine. I don't think it's shameful to be alone." "True that. A man around would just get in the way of our conversation," Ginevra Dixon grinned. Chapter 5 Suddenly, a commotion broke out not far away. We looked over, and there was Owen, dressed in a silver-gray suit. He looked relaxed with a faint smile on his face. His arm was linked with Robin's, and she was smiling proudly. I thought when Owen said he'd be accompanying Robin, it was just to go shopping or something. Turned out, he was accompanying her to this banquet. My eyes fell on Robin's dress. It was a fishtail gown, the same one as I had ordered. When I placed the order, I was told it was the only one of its kind in the country. So, how did Robin have one? Shipped overnight from abroad? Owen was clearly trying to make me uncomfortable. Sure enough, as soon as Robin saw me, her smile vanished. She bit her lip and whispered something to Owen, who then turned to look at me. In high heels, Robin strutted over and glared at me. "Did you send someone to find out what dress Owen bought for me, just so you could copy it?" At her voice, the guests in the hall began to gather around us. Ginevra spoke up. "Don't talk nonsense." Unfazed, Robin scoffed, "You're just jealous because Owen treats me so well. The way you're going about this is disgusting, and let's be honest, you don't even look as good as I do." Ginevra muttered quietly, "Actually, you look worse." Robin returned to Owen's side and stomped her foot. "Owen, look at them!" Owen looked fixedly at me for a while before a smirk tugged at his lips. Just then, comments flashed across my mind. [Ahhh, Owen smiled! He thinks you look better!] [His eyes say it all! You're bound to be together! Invite me to your wedding!] [Wait. He is probably just teasing you, so you'd go find him. Later he will...] I was still trying to figure out the meaning of the last comment when suddenly, the microphone crackled. Everyone looked over, and there on the stage stood the senior secretary from the Lockhart Group. Holding a microphone and a card, he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this banquet. Taking this chance, I'd like to make an important announcement. Per a decision made by Mr. Owen Lockhart and the board of directors, 2% of the Lockhart Group's shares will be unconditionally gifted to Miss Robin Peck." The room erupted in shock. I looked up, disbelief flooding through me. Owen held certain shares in the company, though I didn't know exactly how much. But this 2% was meant for his future wife. It seemed to be a small percentage, but the dividends were considerable. Yet he had not only given it to Robin but also had it announced in public. The comments went wild. [Here comes the crazy move! Poor you, being watched and ridiculed by everyone. Have to go beg him.] [Exactly, and then you'll be stuck by his side, endlessly at his mercy.] [What are you still holding onto? Owen loves you so much. Go slap Robin and cling to Owen.] Under the mocking and judgmental gazes, I walked toward Owen, step by step. His eyes never left me. When I reached him, he lowered his gaze and curled his lips. I smirked, each word deliberate. "The engagement annulment agreement is already on its way. It won't be long before it's in your hands. As for the cooperation with the Vega Group, you can decide that on your own. I'm done here."