Chapter 1
Time freezes the moment I push open the door.
The soft, intimate lighting in our future marital home does nothing to mask the passionate, frenzied. figures before me. My heart plummets like a stone, as if struck by an invisible sledgehammer, leaving me gasping for air.
Nolan has Skylar Johnson locked in his embrace, his hands roaming possessively along her waist as if trying to meld her into his very being. His kisses are desperate and deep, leaving a trail of heated marks down her neck. Each time his lips make contact, Skylar’s moans grow deeper, more urgent. Her fingers thread through his hair as she clings to his neck, her body instinctively pressing closer, seeking more comfort, more satisfaction. Their breathing mingles–Skylar’s quick and shallow, Nolan’s deep and ragged.
Their bodies intertwine on the sofa, clothes already disheveled, skin against skin, sharing heat. Nolan’s hand slides up her thigh, lifting her skirt with a touch that’s both gentle and hungry. Skylar trembles beneath his caress, responding to his touch, her voice thick with unbridled desire.
I stand frozen in the doorway as silent tears stream down my face, my heart shattering into a million pieces. Seven years. For seven years, I told myself that if I just gave him more time, he’d fall in love with me. But now? Now I know I’ve lost. Lost everything. Lost so completely that my heart feels like dead ashes.
Through my tears, I struggle with shaking fingers to remove my engagement ring. It was always too tight–Nolan never bothered to get my size right–but I’d worn it faithfully, enduring the discomfort without complaint. Now the metal has left deep grooves in my flesh, painful to the touch.
I pull and twist, finally wrenching it free. The force leaves my finger swollen and throbbing, triggering a fresh flood of tears. Without a second thought, I toss the ring into the mailbox, as if disposing of those years of bitter memories.
Right now, I just need to get away. Away from all of this. Away from Nolan. Wiping my tears with the back of my hand, I dial my best friend’s number.
“Mindy, still need a photographer at your studio?”
Mindy had moved abroad years ago to study and opened her own photography studio. She’d been trying to convince me to join her business for ages, but I’d always refused because of Nolan. Hearing me finally agree, Mindy lets out an excited squeal before reality hits her, “Wait, weren’t your supposed to marry Nolan?”
“That wedding…” I swallow hard. “It’s not happening anymore.”
I tried my best to hold back my emotions, but a small sob escaped traitorously from my throat
anyway.
Mindy immediately went into protective mode. “Lily, did that jerk Nolan do something to hurt you?” “I’ve always said he was bad news,” she continued, her voice thick with anger and concern. “The way he treats you like you’re an afterthought it makes my blood boil.”
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“Hmph! Good riddance, I say. He’ll realize soon enough what he lost when he lost you.” “Yeah,” I managed weakly. Mindy’s words offered a small comfort to my aching heart. As I hung up and turned to leave, I stumbled over a potted plant, causing a dull thud. Looking up, I caught sight of Nolan through the window.
across his face.
He was holding Skylar in his arms. I saw him freeze for a split second, guilt flashing But it didn’t last long. His brows furrowed, and he strode purposefully toward the door. “Where have you been? Why are you only getting back now?” His tone was accusatory, as if I was the one being unreasonable.
I wanted to ask him so many things. Wasn’t he supposed to just drop Skylar off at her place? How did she end up here instead?
If they were heading this way anyway, why did he abandon me?
Did he even know that I almost…
“Come on, stop standing there like a statue and get inside,” he cut through my thoughts impatiently. I walked into the house with wooden steps, each one feeling like I was walking on broken glass,
painful and heavy.
Skylar was lounging on the couch, wearing my white silk pajamas. Her cat–like eyes tilted upward as she raised her eyebrows in a clear challenge, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like liquid silk, a few strands falling artfully across her bare shoulder, adding to her seductive allure.
Nolan pushed me forward, his irritation evident. “Skylar’s drunk. I couldn’t let her go home alone, so
she’s staying here tonight.”
His words carried the weight of an executive order, as if everything had already been decided
without my input.
I nodded silently. I never had the right to say no to his decisions, even though every fiber of my
being screamed in protest.
Nolan seemed satisfied with my compliance until he finally noticed something was off about my
appearance.
During my earlier struggle with the homeless man, my clothes had been torn in several places, and there were visible scratch marks on my arms.
His brow furrowed. “What happened to your arms?”
I forced a smile, trying to sound casual. “It’s nothing. I just took a fall.”
Nolan didn’t press further, just scoffed. “Only you could manage to trip over your own feet at your age. You’re really something else.”
I ignored his sarcasm, feeling completely drained both physically and emotionally.
After my shower, all I wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep.
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But when I opened the bedroom door, I froze in place.
Skylar was already sprawled across my bed, carelessly playing with the handcrafted fan I’d spent countless nights making for our wedding day.
That fan was a labor of love, each stitch and fold carefully crafted with my whole heart. Now it was
nothing more than a toy in her hands.
“What are you doing here?” Nolan’s voice came from behind me, his tone sharp with irritation- though not at her, but at my presence.
Catching my shocked expression, he spoke as if stating the obvious: “Skylar’s our guest. Of course
she gets the master bedroom. You can sleep in the study tonight.”
Before I could respond, Skylar’s honey–sweet voice drifted from inside: “Nole, I’m a little scared being alone. Won’t you come keep me company?”
I caught the smile that flickered across Nolan’s face–a gentle expression I’d never seen him wear
before.
He roughly pushed me aside and closed the door, his voice dripping with unprecedented tenderness: “Go to sleep, princess. I’ll stay right here until you drift off.”
Nolan had never spoken to me with such gentleness.
With me, he was always the authority figure, his words carrying the weight of commands.
Back when I loved him, I’d sacrificed my dignity and pride just to be with him.
Simply being by his side had been enough.
But now, I didn’t love him anymore.
I never wanted him again.
I collapsed onto the couch cushions, unconsciously slipping into sleep.
In the dim room, only moonlight filtered through the curtain gaps, casting cold shadows across the
floor.
“Get away, get away, don’t touch me…” My helpless cries echoed through the silent room.
In my nightmare, a vagrant dragged me into a dark corner, surrounded by the stench of decay and
filth.
His hands were rough and sticky against my shoulders, squeezing as if trying to extract the fear from my very bones.
His face was caked with grime, his eyes gleaming with a twisted smile that sent shivers down my spine.
I struggled desperately, but his grip was too strong–1 could barely move.
I could feel his foul breath on my face, each exhale like poisonous gas suffocating me.
With all my strength, I screamed Nolan’s name, desperately hoping he would appear and save me from this hell.
“Nolan, help me!”
L
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But only silence answered me, punctuated by the homeless man’s increasingly sinister laughter. As his hands began to move downward, pure terror gripped me. I felt utterly helpless, as if the entire world had turned its back on me.
Suddenly, something heavy slammed into me.
I jolted awake with a gasp, my breath coming in ragged pants and my heart thundering against my ribs. When I turned my head, I met Nolan’s furious glare.
“Skylar finally managed to fall asleep, and here you are screaming bloody murder in the middle of
the night,” he snapped, his voice ice–cold.
I stared at him, my face drained of color. The terror from my nightmare still had its claws in me. making my hands tremble. The living room’s dim lighting cast shadows across his face, but he didn’t
seem to notice my distress.
“I told you to go to the study. Why are you sleeping out here?” he demanded, keeping his voice low
but unable to hide his irritation.
I didn’t answer, just reached up to touch my forehead, finding it slick with cold sweat. After shooting me one last warning look, Nolan headed straight for Woods‘ room.
I slowly got to my feet and fumbled my way back to the study in the dark. Curling up in the armchair, I hugged myself tightly, knowing sleep wouldn’t come again tonight.
The truth was, I’d known for ages that Nolan was in love with Skylar. My father had been Skylar’s family chauffeur, and I’d watched Nolan and Skylar grow up together. They’d bicker constantly, but I
couldn’t miss the tenderness and affection in his eyes whenever he looked at her. It was impossible
to fake that kind of love.
If it hadn’t been for that one explosive fight, if Skylar hadn’t left for abroad, I probably would have remained forever the thief who could only peek through windows at other people’s happiness. Nolan had asked me out purely to spite her, choosing me specifically because I was everything Skylar looked down upon.
I knew all this, but I still wanted to try. Even with just that sliver of hope, I took it.
For seven years, I clawed my way up the social ladder, desperate to become worthy of someone like
him. I threw myself into my studies, entered every competition I could find, and collected accolade
after accolade. All so I could stand beside him as an equal, so he’d stop looking through me like I
was invisible.
But no matter how successful I became or how many awards I won, I remained a blind spot in his
vision.
At our engagement party, his friends cornered him, asking if he was really going to marry me. I held my breath, my heart in my throat, only to hear him snap in irritation, “God, this is such a pain. I just wanted to get under Skylar’s skin, but I’ve already announced it, and the invitations are out. Can’t
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exactly take it back now, can I?”
In that moment, my heart froze over like it had been dunked in arctic waters.
He only dated me to humiliate Skylar
That proposal? Just another calculated move when Skylar came back to town. All to make her jealous. But the moment Skylar appeared, every single promise he made to me vanished into thin air. Like they never existed at all.
Sure, his body was next to mine, but his heart? That belonged to her completely.
Oh, he remembered perfectly well that Skylar was drunk. He was so concerned about her safety
after all, “a girl shouldn’t walk home alone.”
Funny how he conveniently forgot that I’d been drinking too. Forgot that I was also a girl. Forgot that abandoning me on those empty streets could have ended badly in so many ways.
So yeah, the difference between love and indifference? It’s crystal clear now!
The truth hits different when you finally see it: when someone truly loves you, they don’t forget
about your safety. They don’t leave you stranded while rushing to someone else’s rescue. They don’t use you as a pawn in their game of making another person jealous.
But that’s exactly what he did to me.
And you know what’s the most painful part? It was all so obvious. The way his eyes would light up when she entered the room. How he’d drop everything – including me – just to make sure she was
okay.
Love versus convenience? Trust me, there’s no mistaking one for the other anymore.
