Chapter 426

Tears streamed down Freda's face, dripping onto the sofa. She could no longer hold them back. Staring blankly at the damp cushions, pain welled in her heart. She had known Theo wouldn't care for her, yet she had humiliated herself repeatedly.

Freda felt ridiculous, like an actress in her own tragic play. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was seven in the morning. Theo was surely awake, but he continued to ignore her.

Confronting this harsh reality, Freda set her phone aside and tried to steady herself. She wasn't much of a drinker, but she had overdone it last night. Perhaps all she needed was to lie down and rest.

However, rest brought no relief. Soon after lying down, nausea overwhelmed her, even though her stomachache had subsided. Unable to fight the urge to vomit, Freda stumbled up, hurried from her room, and rushed to the restroom. Clutching the tiles, she retched, expelling everything she had consumed the previous night.

Exhausted, she slumped to the floor, her gaze falling on the watch wrapped around her wrist—a limited-edition timepiece worth a million dollars. The irony of vomiting so close to something so valuable made her feel even more miserable. And Theo was the reason for her misery.

How could he not reciprocate her feelings? She was the heiress of the Jimenez family, after all. He had to have feelings for her, she reasoned desperately. The more she dwelled on it, the more she realized how much she was diminishing herself for love, trapped in a downward spiral despite her status.

Leaning against the tiles, Freda sobbed. The bar was quiet in the early morning, allowing her to cry unrestrained, without fear of mockery.

After a long while, when her tears finally subsided and a chill set in, she got up. She walked out of the restroom, her high heels clicking against the floor. She steadied herself against the wall as she moved.

As Freda rinsed her mouth at the sink, she sensed someone approaching and instinctively stepped aside.

Kaelyn removed her sunglasses, eyeing Freda with a sneer. "It seems you've been through quite the ordeal over a man, just like any other woman caught in a hopeless love affair."

Freda's body tensed, and her expression darkened. "I think you're mistaken. You don't know me," she said, her voice laced with disgust.

Kaelyn ignored Freda's dismissal, playing with her sunglasses as she smiled slyly. "Theo Ward's quite the scoundrel, isn't he? He believes you're not good enough for him, yet he's hardly a prize himself."

Freda looked up, her annoyance growing. "Who are you? How do you know all this?"

Recognition dawned on Freda as she scrutinized Kaelyn. "Aren't you that actress? Weren't you recently banned from showbiz? How do you know about me?"

Kaelyn shrugged nonchalantly. "That's not important. What matters is your situation with Theo. Doesn't it infuriate you? He's overlooked you and broken your heart, yet you love him more than anyone."

Leaning closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, Kaelyn continued, "If I were you, I'd make Theo regret everything."

Freda eyed Kaelyn warily. Her psychology studies told her Kaelyn had an agenda. Drawing back, she said coolly, "I don't know you, and I don't care to. Please leave, or I won't be polite."

Kaelyn arched an eyebrow, pressing further. "What if I told you I could make Theo change his mind about you? Would you still dismiss me?"

Freda hesitated, torn between her desire for Theo and her better judgment. "Theo has fallen for someone else—a married woman. He ignores my calls and won't even look at me."

Kaelyn's look of pity deepened. "You are too passive. He's infatuated with a woman who once lost to me. I can help you win him back."

Confused and intrigued, Freda asked, "Who are you, really?"

"One of Theo's ex-girlfriends," Kaelyn revealed, her smile loaded with implication, seemingly unfazed by the gravity of her admission.