1 The night before our wedding, Isabella, in a fit of rage, hurled my ring into the lake. I spent the entire night dredging the icy water for it, my fingers raw and numb by the time I finally found it. But as I was about to go tell her, I overheard her talking with a friend. "Isabella, honestly, how many times are you going to mess with Ethan?" "Jason's been gone for three years. Can't you let him go?" Isabella's voice was cold as steel. "Jason would still be alive if he hadn't been begging me for a ride that day. That car crash… it was his fault. He killed Jason. Everything that's happening to him? He deserves it." The ring in my hand felt like a shard of ice. My knuckles were white, my blood frozen solid in my veins. She never loved me. All this time, my devotion was just a pawn in her twisted game of revenge. Silently, I tossed the ring into the nearest trash can and dialed my parents. "Mom, Dad… I've thought it over. I'll agree to the family arrangement. Let's have the wedding in three days." … My parents' joyous voices crackled through the phone. "Oh, Ethan, we're so glad you've come to your senses! Isabella is a fine woman, but ten years your senior… people talk. And you remember Sophia Parker, don't you? She's your age, and she's been waiting for you all this time!" "I know," I said, my voice flat. "Just make the arrangements. I'll be there in three days." After hanging up, I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, fighting to regain my composure before walking back into the house. The moment I stepped inside, a splash of red wine hit me square in the face, followed by a sharp scream. I looked up, my eyes meeting Isabella's as she sat on the sofa. "Ethan, I'm so sorry," she said, though the smirk playing on her lips told a different story. "Chloe thought you were some kind of creep. It was an accident. You're not mad, are you?" Her apology was a lie, her delight at my humiliation all too real. To everyone's shock, I snatched the glass from Chloe's hand and flung the dregs right back at her. The dark liquid splattered across her face and onto Isabella's prized white dress. Isabella’s gaze darkened. Her voice was laced with ice. "I already apologized for her, Ethan. Don't mistake my affection for a blank check to do as you please." Affection? Her so-called affection was a series of cruel games designed to watch me suffer. Because of her "affection," she'd abandoned me in the mountains during a trip, leaving me to struggle for three days before I was found, my right leg permanently damaged. Because of her "affection," when I stood in a downpour all night to bring her medicine, ending up with a severe lung infection, she was nowhere to be found. Even the elaborate proposal I'd planned was ruined when she casually texted that she was "stuck in traffic," leaving me to wait alone until dawn. Seeing the defiant set of my jaw, Isabella's brow furrowed. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll let it go this time. Where's the ring, Ethan? You spent all night in that lake. Don't tell me you couldn't find it." "I didn't," I lied. It was sitting at the bottom of a garbage can. Before she could press me further, a man who looked like a bodyguard leaned in and whispered something to her. Her mood instantly brightened, and she waved me away dismissively. I turned and limped out of the room, ignoring the stares. Behind me, I heard someone stifle a laugh. Fighting back tears, I quickened my pace. Just a few yards away, I saw Isabella, her arm linked intimately with another man's. He looked so much like Jason it stole the breath from my lungs—a younger, sharper version, but the resemblance was uncanny. My heart skipped a beat. By the time I realized it, tears were streaming down my face. She loved Jason that much. So much that she'd find a replacement to keep by her side. So much that she'd spend years destroying me for his sake. On the way home, my phone buzzed. It was the hospital. "Mr. Hayes? Ms. Lamont has been injured. You need to come to the hospital right away!" When I arrived, Isabella was lying in bed, her arm in a cast. She gestured to the young man beside her. "Ethan, I was almost attacked on my way back. Aiden here saved me. I've decided to hire him as my assistant." The way they looked at each other, the air crackled with unspoken tension. The old me would have been consumed by jealousy. But now, knowing the truth, I felt nothing. I just nodded. Isabella seemed taken aback by my lack of reaction. It was Aiden who spoke first, offering a polite greeting. I made an excuse and stepped out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, I heard Chloe's triumphant laugh. "Isabella, wasn't that a brilliant idea? Making Aiden your assistant? Now Ethan has no reason to object!" "Just make sure you play up the injury," Chloe continued. "And Aiden, you take good care of her." The laughter continued inside, but I couldn't bear to listen. My chest felt tight as I walked to the restroom. As I was splashing water on my face, a figure blocked my path. I looked up into Aiden’s taunting eyes. "So, you're the lapdog who's been clinging to Isabella for three years," he sneered. "Haven't you had enough yet?" 2 I didn't say a word. My indifference only seemed to provoke him more. "You think she cares about your stoic act? I saw you listening at the door. Pathetic." I'd had enough. I shoved him, not hard, but he stumbled back dramatically, crashing to the floor and crying out in pain, clutching his shoulder. Just then, Isabella appeared in the doorway. "Ethan, why did you push him?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "If you didn't want him around, you could have just said so! Why do you have to be so two-faced?" I was stunned, but before I could defend myself, Aiden spoke, his voice choked with fake tears. "It's okay, Ms. Lamont. I just happened to save you, it's normal for Ethan to be upset. It's all my fault…" He squeezed out a few tears, his face, so like Jason's, twisted in a mask of perfect anguish. Isabella's breath hitched. "Apologize, Ethan," she commanded. "He saved my life. Are you trying to embarrass me?" Her words were daggers, twisting in my heart. I met her cold, unforgiving gaze, then dropped my head and mumbled an apology. Aiden's face lit up with a smug, triumphant smile. I took a shaky breath, telling myself to just hold on. Three more days. It was nearly midnight when I got back to the villa. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, my eyes stinging as I took in the room filled with matching couple's items. The toothbrushes, the mugs, the watches, the coats—every single one chosen by me. My gaze fell on a framed photo of us on the nightstand, and I was thrown back to the day we met. After graduating from college, I'd moved to Crestview to start my own business. I was struggling, on the verge of bankruptcy, when Isabella swept in. She saved my company, guided me through treacherous business dinners and industry events. I fell for her, hard. After she and Jason broke up, I confessed my feelings, and we grew closer. I thought I'd finally found love. I let myself sink into the beautiful dream she wove around me, never realizing it was all a lie. It was never about love. It was about revenge, about watching me, the fool, dance on her strings. The next morning, I woke to the sound of voices downstairs. As I opened my bedroom door, Isabella stopped mid-sentence. "Ethan," she said, a hint of guilt in her eyes. "Aiden got a few scrapes, and his place is so far out of the way. I told him he could stay here for a while." Stay for a while? More like forever. Seeing the way she avoided my gaze, I hid the chill in my heart and nodded, my eyes landing on the watch on Aiden's left wrist. I had an identical one in my nightstand drawer, a gift so precious I'd never even dared to wear it. A bitter, self-mocking laugh rose in my throat. I stepped aside to let him pass, and Isabella's expression grew complicated. "Ethan, I brought back some congee and dumplings. Go eat something. I'm just going to show Aiden to his room." As their figures disappeared down the hall, I let out a hollow chuckle and called a junk removal service to come haul away all the "couple's items." As the last box was being loaded onto the truck, Isabella rushed out, blocking the workers. "Ethan, what are you doing?" she demanded, her voice rising in anger. "These are our things! Why are you throwing them away?" "I just don't like them anymore," I said calmly. "We can buy new ones." She clearly didn't believe me and was about to press further when Aiden's frantic voice called from the balcony. "Ms. Lamont! I'm locked in! Can you come open the door? I'm kind of scared!" Isabella hesitated, shot me a conflicted look, then hurried back inside. I pursed my lips and told the workers to continue. As the truck pulled away, a weight lifted from my shoulders. Soon, this would all be over. 3 I spent the entire afternoon holed up in my room, but the sound of laughter from the living room was impossible to ignore. I glanced down to see Isabella's smiling profile as Aiden fed her grapes. "Ms. Lamont, your arm is injured. Let me take care of you. It's my duty to ease your burdens." "Oh, I have more than just this burden for you to ease," she purred. "Tonight, you can help me with my bath. Now that would be a real help." I looked away, swallowing the lump in my throat. Grabbing a few files, I decided to head to the office. As I reached the stairs, Isabella called out to me. "Ethan, Aiden is new to his role as my assistant. As the VP, you need to get him up to speed." She paused, then added casually, "And that new project you're managing? Give it to Aiden. It'll give you a chance to rest." Her nonchalant tone sent a jolt of ice through me. I remembered the endless nights spent entertaining clients, the nauseating amounts of alcohol I'd consumed just to land that deal. And just like that, she was handing my hard-won success to someone else? My left hand, clenched into a fist, slowly relaxed. I took a deep breath. "Okay." She seemed surprised by my easy compliance. "It's just to give Aiden some experience," she said, her voice softening slightly. "I've already booked a table at that Cantonese place you love for tonight." Without waiting for my reply, she led Aiden away. As he left, he shot me a triumphant smirk over his shoulder. When I got to the restaurant, I realized the lie. The table was laden with food, but not a single dish was one of my favorites. Isabella had even ordered a seafood soup, something she knew I was severely allergic to. Aiden, of course, was eating with gusto. I didn't touch my chopsticks. When Isabella stepped out to take a call, Aiden's true colors showed. He deliberately picked up the seafood soup and moved toward me. With a clatter, the bowl fell. Aiden cried out, his eyes welling with tears. At that exact moment, Isabella walked back in. Without a second's thought, she blamed me. "Why are you being so petty, Ethan?" My lips tightened. "I didn't do it," I said, my voice quiet. "He brought the soup over himself. Besides, I'm allergic to seafood. Don't you remember?" She flinched, clearly having forgotten. But she was too proud to admit it. "Do whatever you want," she muttered, and stormed out. That night, a torrential rain began to fall. Unsurprisingly, she left me there. By the time I made it back to the villa, drenched and freezing, it was late. Through a half-open door, I heard the unmistakable, intimate sounds of a man and a woman. I froze. The door creaked open, and Aiden appeared, a sly grin on his face. "Well, well. The lapdog is also an eavesdropper. What's wrong? Jealous that Isabella hasn't let you touch her in three years?" As he gloated, his bathrobe shifted, revealing a constellation of angry red hickeys across his skin. My body trembled with rage. I turned to leave, but he shoved me. I stumbled, crashing hard against the floor as he shut the door. "Since you love listening so much," his voice called through the wood, "why don't you stay all night and hear exactly how I ease Ms. Lamont's burdens!" I dragged myself up, using the wall for support. The damp, cold air made my bad leg ache with a throbbing pain that made every step agony. It took me twenty minutes to get back to my room. I stared blankly at the ceiling, only then realizing my face was wet with tears. The next morning, I came downstairs with swollen eyes to find the living room empty. A moment later, a video popped up on my phone from an unknown number. It was Isabella, tied up, crying and begging me to save her. An address followed, with a threat: get here fast or she dies. After a moment of hesitation, I drove to the location on the outskirts of the city. The second I stepped into the abandoned factory, a rope tightened around my neck from behind. I was bound and thrown into a burlap sack. I heard the crude laughter of thugs as they used me like a punching bag, kicking me over and over until my body was a canvas of pain. When the smell of smoke filled the air and flames began to lick at the walls, I finally managed to break free. As I crawled out of the inferno, all I felt was a strange sense of release. My phone buzzed again. It was an audio file from Aiden. I could hear Isabella's voice, crisp and clear. "Make sure the kidnapping looks real this morning. Follow the plan exactly as we discussed." 4 A bitter laugh escaped my lips. How could I have been so naive? Even knowing her plan was to destroy me, some stupid part of me had still worried for her safety. When I got home, Aiden was dabbing rubbing alcohol on Isabella's "injuries." A few faint scratches on her lips. They looked less like the result of a kidnapping and more like a prop for the show she was putting on for me. Seeing my bruised and battered state, Isabella immediately ordered the butler to tend to my wounds. When I refused, she told the maid to make me some soup. "Ethan, those kidnappers were just too clever," she said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "I never thought they'd use me to lure you there…" Were the kidnappers clever, Isabella, or were you? You know the answer to that. I had no interest in watching her act. I locked myself in my room and checked my flight information for the next morning. My gaze hardened. That afternoon, I went to the city records office and finalized the transfer of my residency. As I got into a taxi, I saw Isabella across the street, laughing in a flashy sports car. Aiden was in the passenger seat, holding a massive bouquet of roses. Heads turned everywhere they went. "Look at them, they're so perfect together! I have to get a video of this for my feed." "Seriously, they look so in love. It's rare to see something so genuine." Their words echoed in my head as I walked away, a familiar ache spreading through my chest. As I neared the villa, my phone rang. It was Chloe, her voice frantic. "Ethan, Isabella was in a car accident! She needs blood, and the hospital's supply is low. You're a match—you have to get here now!" It was just another one of their twisted games. I told her I was busy and hung up. But as I stepped out of the taxi, several of Isabella's bodyguards surrounded me. "Mr. Hayes," one said, his tone like ice. "Ms. Miller insisted we bring you. You're the only one who can save Ms. Lamont." They flanked me, forcing me into a car. At the hospital, I was pushed straight into a room to have my blood drawn without even seeing Isabella. Feeling dizzy, I went to the restroom to splash some water on my face. As I walked down the hall, I heard voices from a stairwell. It was Chloe and Isabella. "Isabella, he gave 1000ccs. I had them let him go. But what if he figures it out…?" "What's there to figure out?" Isabella's voice was sharp. "He loves me so much, he'd never leave. The kidnapping, the blood donation… I never wanted to kill him. This is what he owes Jason. He has to stay by my side for the rest of his life to pay that debt. Oh, and tell the maid to cook him something to replenish his strength. He didn't look well in that video." I hid in the darkness of a utility closet, my hand covering the fresh needle mark on my arm. The sting was a sharp reminder of her cruelty. She was an expert at this. Push me to the brink, then offer a sliver of kindness to pull me back into her web. She talked about atonement, about debts. But Jason's death was from a drunk driving accident. It had nothing to do with me. She was the one who had offered to pick me up for that corporate summit. How did everything become my fault? As I walked out of the hospital, my phone buzzed with two messages from Isabella, both feigning concern. The old me would have replied in a heartbeat. Now, I didn't have the strength. When I got back to the villa, Aiden was standing outside my room. He was wearing the custom-tailored suit Isabella had given me, proudly adjusting the gemstone brooch that had also been her gift to me. "How does it feel, Ethan?" he smirked. "1000ccs? That was my idea, by the way. And as a reward, Ms. Lamont said all of this is mine now. It would be rude to refuse, wouldn't it?" He ordered the maids to clear out my room, leaving only a few items he deemed unworthy. Then he swaggered away. I sat on the empty bed until dawn, my tears finally dry. I grabbed my documents, walked out of the villa, and tossed my SIM card into the garden. Isabella, we're done. I won't let you hurt me ever again. Meanwhile, Isabella woke up in her office. She checked her phone, but there was still no reply from Ethan. His phone went straight to voicemail. She sent someone to the villa, only to discover the security cameras had been damaged in a storm days ago. A strange anxiety clawed at her. She swept everything off her desk in a fit of frustration and ordered her security team to find him. The unease in her gut was growing stronger by the minute. Just before noon, the head of her security team knocked timidly on her office door, holding a phone with a trembling hand. "Ms. Lamont," he stammered. "We haven't found Mr. Hayes yet… but we found this. It's a wedding livestream. The groom… it's him."
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