I stood in the visa center and learned that my five-year marriage was fake. Ethan Laurent loved me more than anything. Or so I thought. Turns out, three years ago he married Mara, the woman who crippled my right hand, just so he could use fake documents to keep me caged forever. He orchestrated the car accident that shattered my world, then knelt by my bed kissing my scars, saying "my life is yours." I bit back my disgust and pretended to love him deeply, all while secretly planning my escape. Two years later, I stood in the Golden Hall conducting my own symphony. My right hand bore scars, but it played the movement of freedom. I stepped over the documents, took my new husband's arm, threw Ethan's diamond ring into the Danube, and sneered. "Your life, your money. They disgust me." Stella POV On our fifth wedding anniversary, I went to the visa center to apply for a study visa to Vienna. As I slid my documents through the window, I was still looking down, replying to Ethan's message. "Baby, come home early today. I've prepared a surprise for you. Love you." I had just started to smile when the clerk pushed my documents back. "Miss Sterling, you filled out your marital status incorrectly. The system shows you're single, not married." I froze for a moment, then pushed the materials back. "You must have made a mistake. I got married five years ago." My husband was Ethan Laurent, CEO of Laurent Group. The man who controlled billions in assets with ruthless methods, yet held me like a treasure in the palm of his hand. The clerk typed a few more keystrokes, her tone certain. "The database can't be wrong. You're definitely unmarried. However..." She paused, her expression turning strange. "The spouse you listed, Mr. Ethan. The system shows he got married three years ago. To someone named Mara Lynn. Do you know her?" My blood turned to ice in that instant. Mara Lynn? How could I not know her. Three years ago, I received an offer as principal cellist with the Vienna Royal Symphony Orchestra. My future was bright. But just before I was supposed to leave for abroad, Mara drove her sports car straight into mine like a maniac. That car accident shattered my right wrist beyond repair. I could never play the cello again. Ethan's eyes had turned bloodshot. He grabbed Mara's throat and nearly strangled her to death. He used every means at his disposal to destroy the Lynn family completely, then had Mara committed to a psychiatric hospital, saying he'd make her wish she were dead. To comfort me, having lost my dream and nearly taken my own life several times, Ethan canceled all his work and stayed by my side for an entire year. He searched the world for the best doctors. When I couldn't sleep through the nights from the pain, this man who feared nothing knelt by my bed, eyes red, kissing my scars over and over. "Stella, you still have me. My life is yours." But now, the clerk was telling me I had never been married. And the man who swore he'd make Mara suffer worse than death had married her three years ago. The very year my life was destroyed in that accident. "Miss Sterling? Do you still want to process the visa?" The clerk's voice pulled me back. "...No, I don't. Thank you." I don't know how I walked out of the visa center. The early autumn wind cut through me like ice. I sat on a bench by the roadside and pulled out my phone, staring at the familiar profile picture pinned at the top of my chat list. For five years, Ethan had reported his schedule to me every day. Every message ended with "love you." He gave me a wedding that made headlines across the city. Hundreds of media outlets, seas of flowers. Everyone knew Ethan was head over heels for Sterling. But it turned out it was all just a show. It meant nothing legally. We were never really married. My identity as Mrs. Laurent was fake. Only my destroyed right hand and three years of depression and pain were real. My phone buzzed. Another message from Ethan. "Stella, just finished my meeting. Heading to pick up the cake I ordered for you. Be a good girl and wait for me at home." I stared at the text, suddenly feeling my stomach churn. I didn't cry. I didn't call him hysterically demanding answers. I simply opened the location tracking app on my phone. Ethan was a control freak. To "protect" me, he'd installed tracking on my phone. But he didn't know I was extremely clever. I'd long ago reverse-engineered the program and could see his location too. The red dot on the screen wasn't at his usual cake shop. It had stopped at a private maternity hospital outside the city. I stood up and hailed a cab. "Harmony Private Hospital." My voice was perfectly steady, without a trace of trembling. I wanted to see exactly how Ethan would lie to me.
Stella POV The VIP ward section of the private hospital was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Wearing a mask and baseball cap, I avoided the security guards and stood outside the half-open door at the end of the corridor. Through the crack, I saw the man who said he was picking up a cake. Ethan wore a custom suit, his posture straight and tall as he sat beside the hospital bed. He held a bowl of chicken soup, carefully blowing on each spoonful to cool it before bringing it to the lips of the woman in the bed. The woman in the bed was none other than Mara, the one he'd supposedly "committed to a psychiatric hospital" three years ago. Mara's belly was already slightly swollen. She pushed the spoon away with a coy pout. "Ethan, I don't want any more. This soup is too rich." "The doctor said your pregnancy isn't stable. You need to eat more nutritious food." Ethan's voice was tender enough to drip honey, the same tone I'd heard for five years. I stood outside the door, coldly watching this scene. My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. Even breathing tasted like blood. "Ethan, today is your fifth anniversary with Stella, isn't it?" Mara leaned into Ethan's embrace, her fingers playing with his tie. "Shouldn't you go home and be with her? Won't she get suspicious?" Ethan set down the bowl and casually smoothed Mara's hair. "She's very obedient and trusts me completely. She won't overthink things." "Sometimes I'm really jealous of her." Mara pouted. "You keep her in that golden cage, spoiling her like a princess. And me? Even though I have the marriage certificate as Mrs. Laurent, I have to hide here like some mistress in the shadows, trying to keep this baby safe." "Mara, don't start." Ethan's eyes darkened, his tone carrying a warning edge. "We agreed on this three years ago. She wanted to fly to Vienna. I couldn't keep her here. You were the one who did what I couldn't bring myself to do. You crashed into her car, shattered her hand, clipped her wings so she could only depend on me." Outside the door, my body went rigid. "You did what I was too soft-hearted to do and took all the blame. As compensation, I gave you the title of Mrs. Laurent, gave the Lynn family unlimited wealth and status, and now I've let you carry my child." Ethan gripped Mara's chin, his voice cold and cruel. "But remember that the only person I love is Stella. You'd better behave yourself and not disturb her. Otherwise, everything I've given you, I can take away just as easily." Mara's face went pale. She quickly wrapped her arms around his waist. "I understand. I won't provoke her. As long as I can stay by your side, I'll do anything." Inside the room, the two embraced. Outside the room, I bit my lip so hard I tasted thick blood in my mouth. So that was it. There was no revenge born of twisted love. No so-called redemption. The car accident three years ago that destroyed my life was orchestrated by Ethan himself! He was afraid I'd go abroad, afraid I'd escape his control, so he used Mara's hands to completely destroy me! Then he descended like a savior, caging me up, enjoying my complete dependence and adoration. What a terrifying man. What disgusting love. I slowly unclenched my fists. My palms were marked with deep bloody crescents from my nails. I didn't burst in and slap them. I didn't break down crying. I just took one long look at the man I'd loved for five years, then turned and silently left the hospital. The moment I walked out the hospital doors, the sunlight was so bright I couldn't open my eyes. I pulled out my phone, saved the recording I'd just made, then uploaded it to an encrypted cloud storage. I wouldn't cling to him. And I certainly wouldn't forgive him. Since Ethan liked playing these games, I'd play along to the very end. Only this time, the roles of prey and hunter would be reversed.
Stella POV At seven that evening, I returned right on time to the penthouse apartment in the city center. The place was decorated romantically. Red roses covering the floor, flickering candlelight, and an elaborate French dinner on the table. The lock turned and Ethan walked in carrying an elegant cake box. Seeing me sitting on the sofa, his cold, hard features instantly softened. He strode over and pulled me tightly into his arms. "Baby, happy fifth anniversary." He lowered his head to find my lips, urgent and deeply infatuated. I didn't dodge. I even tilted my head slightly, meeting his kiss. But as I closed my eyes, my heart was ice cold. Ethan's kiss was passionate, carrying his signature scent of cold cedar. I used to be most enchanted by this smell. Now it only made me nauseous. Because I could detect it. Mixed with that cedar scent was the smell of hospital disinfectant and another woman's perfume. "Why are your hands so cold?" Ethan released me, held my hands to his lips and kissed them, his brow furrowing. "Did you go out today?" "Mm, I went to a flower shop." My voice was soft. "I wanted to buy some flowers to decorate with." A dark gleam flashed in Ethan's eyes, but it was quickly covered by tenderness. "From now on, let the servants do that kind of thing. Your wrist was injured. You can't let it get cold." He brought up my wrist again. In the past, every time he mentioned it, I felt warmth, thinking he cared about me. Now it sounded like a poisoned blade, twisting again and again in my wound. "Okay, I'll listen to you." I nodded obediently. During dinner, Ethan took out a velvet box and pushed it toward me. Inside was a pink diamond necklace worth a fortune. "I bid on this at Sotheby's a few days ago. The moment I saw it, I knew only my Stella was worthy of it." Ethan walked behind me and fastened it around my neck himself, his warm breath falling on my skin. "Stella, we're going to be together forever." I looked at our reflection in the glass window. The man looked deeply in love. The woman was beautiful as a flower. We looked like such a perfect couple. "Ethan." I suddenly spoke, my voice very soft. "If one day I lied to you, what would you do?" Ethan's hands froze on the necklace clasp. His eyes instantly turned dark and sinister, but he quickly masked it. He embraced me from behind, his voice low and hoarse. "You wouldn't. But if you dared to lie to me, dared to leave me, I'd break your legs and lock you to the bed so you couldn't go anywhere." He sounded like he was joking, but I knew he was deadly serious. "I was just kidding." I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling. "I love you so much. How could I ever leave you?" Ethan's expression completely softened. He scooped me up and strode toward the bedroom. That night, Ethan was fierce, as if he wanted to fuse me into his bones and blood. I cooperated with him the entire time. When Ethan finally fell into a deep sleep, I gently pushed away the arm draped across my waist and got out of bed. I walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed my body over and over with cold water until my skin turned red and raw. After showering, I took out a backup phone and logged into a dark web account. "I need a complete new identity with all traces of my past erased. As fast as possible." The reply came quickly. "Rush job will take half a month. Fee is five million." "Money's not a problem. In fifteen days, I need the documents." I shut off the phone and looked at the pale but determined woman in the mirror. Fifteen days. Ethan, your good days are numbered. Only fifteen left.
Stella POV Over the next few days, I acted more docile and clingy than ever before. I'd cook Ethan's favorite dishes myself, help him with his tie before he left for work, and even wander around in front of him wearing nothing but his dress shirt while he was in video conferences, making him hastily end meetings to pin me on the sofa and kiss me. Ethan was thrilled, almost fanatically so, by this change in me. He grew more and more unable to leave me, canceling all social engagements and coming home punctually every day. "Stella, you've been so good lately. I love you like this." Ethan buried his head in the crook of my neck, greedily inhaling my scent. "I wish I could shrink you down and carry you in my pocket wherever I go." I stroked his hair and smiled. "Because I've discovered I love you more and more every day." Ethan's body stiffened for a moment, then he held me even tighter. He thought he'd completely tamed this bird that once wanted to fly free. He didn't know this was just the last illusion the bird was leaving him before flying away. That afternoon, after Ethan went to the office, my phone received a picture message from an unknown number. The photo showed a men's tie casually tossed on rumpled bedsheets. That tie was the very one I'd fastened around Ethan's neck this morning. Another text came through immediately: "He spent last night here. He said you're as boring as a block of wood. Stella, you've monopolized him for five years. It's time you returned him to me." I looked at the screen without even raising an eyebrow. Mara couldn't contain herself anymore. She was starting to provoke me. She thought I'd confront Ethan like a shrew or break down in heartbroken hysterics. Too bad. She miscalculated. Not only wasn't I angry, I actually found it somewhat amusing. I casually deleted the photos and blocked the number. When Ethan came home that evening, I was sitting on the carpet working on a puzzle. "Why are you sitting on the floor? You'll catch cold." Ethan walked over and scooped me up, placing me on the sofa. I naturally leaned into his embrace, my fingers tracing circles on his chest. "Ethan, I got a strange text today." Ethan's movements stopped. His eyes instantly sharpened. "What text?" "A photo and some nonsensical messages." I looked up at him. "Seemed like some woman's prank. I didn't pay attention to it. Just deleted it." Ethan's expression visibly darkened, violent rage churning in his eyes. But facing me, he still tried his best to restrain himself. "Don't be scared. Probably just spam sent to the wrong number. I'll have someone look into it." "Mm, I trust you." I nodded obediently. The next day, I heard that the private hospital where Mara was staying had been surrounded by Ethan's men. Ethan flew into a terrible rage, nearly smashing up the hospital room, warning Mara that if she dared provoke me again, he'd abort the baby in her belly and throw her in the ocean to feed the fish. Mara was so frightened she had complications with the pregnancy and was bedridden for three days. I listened to the private investigator's report and smiled. Watching rabid dogs tear into each other never got old. Ethan thought he was protecting me. In reality, he was just protecting his own perfect, inviolable sense of control. The more he acted this way, the more disgusted I felt. Ten days until I left. I began systematically erasing my traces from this house. I fed my old diaries and drawings into the paper shredder, bit by bit. I was going to erase myself from Ethan's world so completely that not even a speck of dust would remain for him.
Stella POV That weekend, Ethan canceled all his appointments and took me to a private island. As the helicopter landed, I saw the enormous medieval-castle-like structure on the island. "Do you like it?" Ethan held my hand as we descended from the aircraft. The sea breeze lifted his coat. He looked at me with eyes both fanatical and obsessive. "I spent three years building this for you. From now on, we'll live here. No one will ever disturb us again." I looked at that magnificent castle, feeling only a bone-deep chill in my heart. This wasn't a castle. This was clearly an enormous, inescapable cage. Ethan truly planned to imprison me completely. "It's beautiful." I suppressed the coldness in my heart, turned to look at him, and forced out two tears. "Ethan, you're too good to me." Ethan smiled with satisfaction, swept me up in his arms, and strode into the castle. Every detail inside the castle was designed according to my preferences. There was even an enormous music room with an antique cello worth millions. "Your hand can't play for long periods, but you could play something for me occasionally, couldn't you?" Ethan wrapped his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. I looked at that cello. The scar on my right wrist throbbed with phantom pain. He'd broken my hand, destroyed my dreams, and now he wanted me to perform in this gilded cage for him alone. "Sure." I turned around, cupped his face, and smiled with infinite tenderness. "Ethan, next Friday is my birthday. I'd like to hold a small private recital for you at the concert hall downtown. Just the two of us. Would that be okay?" Ethan frowned slightly. I knew. His instinct was to reject me appearing in any public venue, even a privately reserved concert hall. "Wouldn't here be better? Just us." "But I want to give you a proper surprise." I leaned against him, acting coy. "I need to go to the studio to rehearse for a few days. Don't worry, I'll come home on time every day." Looking at me, Ethan finally compromised. "Fine, I agree. But I'm sending bodyguards with you." "Thank you." I stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips. Next Friday was exactly when I'd receive my new identity and leave this place. This recital was the final "gift" I was preparing for Ethan. Over the following days, I went to the studio to "rehearse" every day. The bodyguards stood guard outside the door, never more than a step away. But they didn't know that what I played in the practice room each day was just a recording. I myself was in the soundproof room, confirming the final escape route through encrypted networks with black market contacts. Everything was proceeding methodically. Until three days before departure, an unwelcome visitor shattered the calm. Mara, her belly protruding, wearing sunglasses and surrounded by bodyguards, swaggered into my studio. The guards outside tried to stop her, but were blocked by Mara's people. "Stella, stop playing that cello. It sounds awful." Mara pushed open the practice room door, removed her sunglasses, and looked down at me sitting behind my cello. I stopped playing and looked up at her. "Mara, trespassing is illegal." "Trespassing? Get this straight. Half of everything Ethan owns is mine. I'm the legal Mrs. Laurent!" Mara walked up to me and slapped a photocopy on my music stand. "Look clearly. This is my marriage certificate with Ethan. What are you? Just a pet he keeps on the side!" I didn't even glance at the paper. I stood up and smoothed my skirt. "Is that so? If you're the legal Mrs. Laurent, then why are you running to me like a rat that can't see daylight, belly and all, looking for validation?" "You!" Mara's sore spot had been hit. Her face instantly twisted viciously.
Stella POV "You think Ethan really loves you?" Mara glared at me through gritted teeth. "He just pities you! Your crippled hand. I had someone crash into you! Not only didn't Ethan blame me, he married me! You really think you're some kind of treasure?" Mara thought revealing the truth would make me break down, make me go crazy. Instead, I just looked at her quietly, even with a trace of pity. "Mara, you're truly pathetic." I laughed softly. "You think you won? You used every means, took on charges of deliberate assault, all for a piece of paper. But whose bed does he sleep in every night? Who does he hold in the palm of his hand? You're carrying his child, yet you don't even have the right to stand by his side openly." "Shut up!" Mara lost all rationality from the provocation and raised her hand to slap my face. I didn't dodge. I even tilted my face slightly upward. Just as Mara's hand was about to land, the practice room door was violently kicked open. "Stop!" A roar rang out as Ethan charged in like an enraged lion, grabbed Mara's wrist, and flung her viciously to the floor. "Ahh!" Mara clutched her belly, screaming in pain. Ethan didn't even look at her. He anxiously pulled me into his arms, checking me over. "Stella, are you okay? Did she hurt you?" I shook my head, my voice trembling slightly. "Ethan, who is she? Why did she say... she's your wife? And about my hand..." Ethan's body went rigid, panic flashing in his eyes. He turned his head and stared at Mara on the floor with a look that could cut her into a thousand pieces. "Ethan... my belly hurts so much..." Mara's face was deathly pale. Blood was seeping out beneath her. Ethan clenched his jaw and coldly ordered the bodyguards: "Take her to the hospital. Without my permission, she's not to leave that hospital room!" The guards quickly dragged Mara out. Only the two of us remained in the practice room. Ethan turned around and held me tightly, his voice shaking. "Stella, don't listen to that crazy woman's nonsense. She's insane. She escaped from the psychiatric hospital. My only wife is you." I leaned against him, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling nothing but deep irony. Even now, he was still lying to me. He thought he could control everything, playing everyone like puppets. "Ethan, I'm so scared." I hugged him back, burying my face in his chest, my voice muffled. "You're all I have. You must never lie to me." "I swear, I'll never lie to you, never leave you." Ethan kissed the top of my head, his tone bordering on deranged. I closed my eyes and smiled. Yes, you'll never leave me. Because I'm the one who's going to abandon you. After Mara's disruption, Ethan's control reached its peak. He took me straight home, confiscated my phone, cut off the internet, and even had the windows sealed shut. "Stella, it's too dangerous outside. Just stay home. The recital is canceled. I'll stay with you. We won't go anywhere." Ethan was like an obsessed madman, never leaving my side for a moment. I didn't resist or throw tantrums. I let him do as he pleased. He didn't dare sleep through entire nights, staring at me fixedly, afraid I'd disappear if he blinked. Two days left until departure. I knew I had to make Ethan lower his guard, or I'd never be able to leave.
Stella POV Late at night, Ethan leaned against the headboard, eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, still gripping my hand tightly. I slowly opened my eyes, looked at his haggard appearance, and reached out with my undamaged left hand to gently stroke his cheek. "Ethan, I can't sleep with you watching me like this." My voice was soft. Ethan grabbed my hand and pressed it against his face, his voice hoarse. "Stella, don't be angry with me. I'm just so terrified of losing you. Don't believe a single word that crazy woman said." "I don't believe her. I only believe you." I sat up and voluntarily embraced him, kissing the corner of his lips. "Ethan, we've been married five years. How could I doubt you because of some stranger's words? I was just frightened by her." Ethan's body trembled violently. He held me even tighter, as if trying to fuse me into his bones and blood. "Stella... my Stella..." He buried his head in the crook of my neck. A tear actually fell. I felt the wetness on my neck, my heart ice cold. Crocodile tears. "Ethan, tomorrow is my birthday." I said softly. "Since the recital is canceled, why don't you go to the office tomorrow to finish your work, then come home early to celebrate with me? Okay?" Ethan looked up at me. The defensive walls in his heart finally cracked. "Okay, I promise you." Ethan kissed my forehead. "I'll come back early tomorrow. Be a good girl and wait for me at home." "I'll wait for you." Early the next morning, Ethan unusually put on a black suit. Before leaving, he held me and kissed me over and over, as if he could never get enough. "Stella, wait for me to come back." "Okay." I smiled and straightened his tie. As the door closed with a click, I dropped my smile. I turned and walked into the bedroom, retrieving a waterproof bag from a hidden compartment under the bed. Inside were my new passport and documents, along with a plane ticket to Vienna. The name read: Sera West. From today on, Stella no longer existed in this world. I didn't take a single thing Ethan had bought. Not one piece of clothing, not one piece of jewelry. I changed into the most ordinary black athletic wear, put on a baseball cap and mask. When I reached the living room, I stopped and removed the ring I'd worn on my fourth finger for five years. The diamond ring clattered onto the table. Beside it was a document I'd prepared long ago. "Waiver of Property Rights." I wanted nothing. Only freedom. I took one last look at this cage that had held me for five years, then turned without hesitation and opened the door. The bodyguards outside started to block me. I pulled out Ethan's backup phone and said coldly: "Mr. Laurent asked me to get something from the underground garage. Are you going to follow me?" The guards exchanged glances, not daring to disobey Ethan's orders, and stepped aside. I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the second basement level. As the elevator doors closed, I completely severed all ties with this world. In the underground garage, an inconspicuous black car with fake plates was already waiting. I opened the door and got in. "Airport." The car shot out of the garage like an arrow and merged into the endless stream of traffic. Several hours later. Thirty thousand feet above sea level. The international flight to Vienna cruised smoothly through the clouds. I sat in the window seat, watching the brilliant sunset outside, and gently removed my mask.The flight attendant pushed her cart over, smiling as she asked: "Miss West, would you like something to drink?" I turned my head and smiled. "Champagne, please." I raised my glass and clinked it gently against the clouds outside the window. Goodbye, Ethan.
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