I lay sprawled on the cold wooden floor, my body trembling as silent sobs wracked through me. My phone lay beside me, the screen still glowing with the last message I had sent three days ago.

[Take care on your business trip, love. Let me know when you'll go home and I'll prepare good food for you. I have something to tell you as well. I hope it will excite you to go back home. See you!]

Three days. Not a single response.

Today was my birthday, and yet, there was nothing—not even a single word from the man who once promised me forever. I wanted to believe he was just busy, that maybe he'd planned a surprise, but deep down, I knew. The truth had been in front of me for so long, and I had refused to see it.

I turned my gaze toward the scattered documents and plane tickets littering the floor, each one a dagger piercing through my heart. My hands shook as I picked one up, my vision blurring with tears. Printed in bold letters were the names: Jake Windsor and Kourtney Peters. I sifted through more tickets, my breaths growing shallower with each discovery. Jake had been flying to Westford City countless times. The same city where Kourtney, his first love, lived. And it wasn’t just Westford—some of these tickets showed their names side by side, traveling together to different places, while I had been alone, waiting for him to come home.

Five years.

They had been betraying me for five years.

My grip on the ticket tightened until the paper crumpled in my fist. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, an ache so deep it left me breathless. I wanted to scream, to throw everything, to break something—anything. But all I could do was cry.

Then my gaze landed on another ticket, the date striking me like a slap to the face.

Four years ago.

Westford City to Stanton City.

Kourtney Peters.

That was the same date when I had donated my kidney.

A hollow laugh bubbled past my lips, the sound foreign even to my own ears. I had trusted Jake blindly, given him everything. When he begged me to help his so-called cousin, I never once questioned it. I had gone through the pain, the surgery, the recovery—all for a person I never met. And now, everything made sense.

It wasn’t his cousin.

It was her. Kourtney.

I gritted my teeth, my fingers curling into my palms so tightly my nails dug into my skin. My mind raced back to what my brother, Aaron, had once mentioned in passing—something about Kourtney having a serious illness before she left. He never said what it was, only that her family had taken her away for treatment.

And now, I knew the truth.

Jake had lured me in, played with my heart, just to save the woman he truly loved.

A fresh wave of agony crashed over me as I frantically picked up more tickets, more receipts, more proof of my own stupidity. Some of them were dated on birthdays. Anniversaries. Christmas. Valentine’s Day.

And then, I saw another date that sent my stomach lurching.

The day I lost my baby.

A sharp, painful gasp tore through my throat as I collapsed onto the floor again. I had called him that day, begged him to come home because I was in unbearable pain. I had needed him. And when the doctor asked me whether I wanted to continue with the pregnancy despite the risks, I had prayed that Jake would be by my side to help me decide.

But he never came.

Instead, he had been with her.

While I was alone, losing a part of myself, he was with Kourtney. Celebrating. Loving her. Making love to her.

Bile rose in my throat. I wanted to vomit, to rid myself of every trace of him, but nothing would ever be enough to erase the scars he had left on me.

Rage, betrayal, and heartbreak twisted inside me, forming a storm so violent I could barely breathe. I had given Jake everything—my love, my trust, my body, my money, even my future. And in return, he had destroyed me.

My hands trembled as I reached for my phone. My vision was hazy, my thoughts clouded with rage and devastation, but my body moved on its own. I dialed his number, my heart hammering against my ribs as I waited for him to pick up.

One ring.

Two.

Three.

Then, the call connected.

But before I could say a word, a soft moan echoed in the background.

I froze.

Another moan. A feminine one.

A choked sob lodged in my throat as realization crashed down on me.

They weren’t just together. They were in bed.

Another whimper. Then a giggle.

"Jake..." Kourtney’s voice was unmistakable.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, tears streaming down my face as I bit back a scream.

Then, I heard Jake’s voice again.

"You like that, don’t you, Kourt?" he murmured, his tone dripping with affection. The affection I had once thought was mine.

Kourtney moaned louder this time. "Mmm… yes, Jake. Just like that."

The sound of rustling sheets. The sharp intake of his breath. The husky chuckle that sent bile crawling up my throat.

Then, Kourtney’s breathy whisper. "Harder, baby. Make me forget she even exists."

My heart shattered into a million jagged pieces.

Jake groaned. "Anything for you."

I should have hung up. I should have ended the call and thrown my phone across the room. But I didn’t.

I kept listening.

As if I needed to hear just how much he had never loved me. As if I wanted the pain to consume me whole.

"Oh, Jake..." Kourtney moaned his name again, her voice dripping with satisfaction. The mattress creaked, their movements becoming more frantic. Jake’s low groan mixed with her breathless giggles, their pleasure echoing in my ears like a death sentence.

My body shook violently, my breath coming out in ragged gasps. The sobs were silent now, my grief too deep for sound.

Then, I heard Jake’s voice again, softer this time. "You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved."

A jagged, broken exhale left my lips.

I clutched my phone tighter, my knuckles turning white, my entire body rigid with the force of my despair.

But I didn’t look away. I didn’t stop listening. My hand trembled as I muted my microphone — not because I was afraid, but because the fury inside me was too raw, too dangerous to be heard.

And then, with my voice low and broken, every word dripping with hatred and pain, I whispered, "Happy Birthday, Avril. What a perfect gift your boyfriend’s given you — the truth."

I stayed on the line, my hands trembling as I placed the phone on speaker, letting their moans and whispers seep into my ears like venom. My heart clenched with every sound, every declaration of love he gave to her—the love that was never mine to begin with.

Thirty minutes passed. Thirty agonizing minutes of listening to them make love, their passion raw, unfiltered, and so cruelly real. My chest ached with every breath I took, the weight of my devastation pressing down on me, suffocating me. But I didn't hang up. I forced myself to listen, to let the pain sear into my soul like a brand. If I had any love left for Jake Windsor, it needed to die here. Now.

And then, their whispers began.

“When will you get rid of her?” Kourtney's voice was soft, sultry, but dripping with venom. “She’s outlived her use, don’t you think?”

Jake sighed, and I could hear the shift of sheets as he pulled her closer. “Soon. I just need to use her one last time.”

My stomach twisted violently. My fingers curled into the sheets, my nails digging into my palm to keep me from shattering completely.

“You’ve been saying that for years, Jake,” she purred. “But you got everything you wanted, didn’t you? Her money, her name, even her kidney to save me.”

A harsh sob escaped my lips, but the mic was muted. They couldn’t hear me falling apart.

Jake chuckled. “She was an easy target. All I had to do was feed her a dream. She was desperate for love, Kourtney. Desperate enough to give up everything for me.”

“And now?” she pressed. “What’s stopping you from discarding her?”

“I still need her for one last thing,” he murmured. “The Beaumont Empire. I’ll use her to help me bring their family’s business to its knees. And then—” He laughed darkly. “Then she’ll be nothing.”

A sharp ringing filled my ears. My vision blurred with rage, with pain so deep it threatened to consume me whole. He had never loved me. Not once. Every moment, every promise, every touch had been a lie.

I ended the call. Then, I let myself break.

Tears streamed down my face as I curled into myself, my body wracked with silent sobs. I had given him everything. My heart, my trust, my life. And he had taken it all and crushed it without a second thought.

But grief was fleeting. Pain was temporary.

Rage, however, was eternal.

I wiped my tears away and forced myself to breathe. I couldn’t afford to drown in my misery. I had four days before Jake returned. Four days to disappear. Four days to reclaim the life I had thrown away for him.

My eyes landed on the calendar, and an old memory clawed its way back.

Aaron.

The last time I had seen my brother, I had betrayed him. Chosen a man over my own family. He had warned me about Jake, pleaded with me to see the truth. But I had been so blinded by love that I had burned every bridge between us.

That day was seared into my soul. The day I had chosen Jake over blood.

Aaron had caught us together—Jake and me—sneaking around behind his back. The betrayal in his eyes had been unbearable, but I refused to see reason. We had fought, our argument turning into a screaming match. He had told me Jake wasn’t the man I thought he was, that he knew him better than I ever could. He begged me to listen, to leave Jake before it was too late.

“Avril, listen to me,” Aaron had pleaded, his voice raw with desperation. “I know him. I know exactly what kind of man he is, and you don’t. He’s using you.”

I shook my head, my chest heaving with anger. “You just don’t want me to be happy! You and Dad want to control my life, marry me off to one of your business partners like I’m some bargaining chip!”

Aaron’s eyes darkened. “That’s not true. I would never let that happen to you.”

“Then why are you trying to keep me away from the only man who truly loves me?” I shot back. “You can’t stand that I’m making my own choices.”

Aaron exhaled sharply, his hands clenching into fists. “I’m trying to protect you, Avril. Jake is dangerous. He’s not who you think he is.”

I scoffed, stepping closer to Jake. “You don’t know anything.”

Aaron’s gaze flicked to Jake, full of unmasked fury. “If you ever come near my sister again, I’ll destroy you.”

But Jake had only smirked. “She’s not your problem anymore.”

That was the moment Aaron had given me an ultimatum.

Him or Jake.

Blinded by my devotion, I had chosen Jake.

And I had lost everything. My father disowned me. Aaron severed all ties, cutting Jake out of his life as well. I left Velmont City with Jake, believing he was my future. Believing he loved me.

But he had only ever seen me as a tool. And now, I realized the truth too late.

I grabbed my phone with trembling fingers and dialed his number. Once. Twice. Three times. No answer.

Panic swelled in my chest. What if he never forgave me? What if he refused to help me? What if—

The phone rang.

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest as the name flashed on my screen. Aaron Beaumont.

My breath hitched as I answered the call, but before I could say a word, his voice cut through the silence, cold and distant.

“Who is this?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “B-Brother...”

Silence.

Then, a sharp exhale. “What do you want, Avril?”

Tears welled in my eyes again, but I forced myself to stay strong. “I was wrong,” I whispered. “I was wrong about everything. And now, I want to come home.”

A bitter laugh echoed through the line. “Home? You threw that away years ago. You chose that good-for-nothing man.”

Regret clawed at my throat. “I know. And I’m sorry. I want to make it right. Please, Aaron... I’ll do anything.”

Another stretch of silence. Then, he spoke.

“Anything?”

“Yes,” I breathed. “Anything.”

He let out a slow, measured breath. “Then come back to Velmont City. We’ll see if you’re truly willing to fix what you’ve broken.”

The call ended, leaving me staring at my screen, my heart pounding.

This was it. My only chance at redemption.

I wasted no time. I booked the first available flight, my hands steady despite the storm raging inside me. I packed only the essentials, leaving behind every piece of my past that tied me to Jake Windsor. And then, as I stood by the door, my engagement ring gleaming under the dim light, I pulled it off.

I didn’t cry as I set it on the table. I didn’t hesitate as I walked out of that apartment, leaving behind the life I had sacrificed everything for.

Stanton City was now a graveyard of my mistakes.

And Velmont City?

Velmont City would be where I rose from the ashes.

As if I had already expected my brother’s condition in helping me and accepting me back into our family, here I am now, in his office, as he stared at me, waiting for my answer.

“Avril, you have to decide now.”

Aaron’s condition was for me to marry his business partner, Cyrus Montague. Back then, I knew this was one of his and our father’s plans—that’s why they never wanted me to have a boyfriend. They were saving me for their business expansion. This was one of the reasons why I fell hard for Jake before. Because he made me feel loved and important without asking anything in return, or so I thought.

I swallowed hard. “Give me some time to think about it.”

Aaron shrugged. “Take your time, but not until you’ve made your decision, you can’t go home to the Beaumont mansion.” He slid a card across his desk. “For now, you’ll stay at one of our hotels.”

I stared at the card, then at Aaron. He still cared, didn’t he? There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, but I didn’t know if it was genuine or if he just wanted me to comply with his condition. He sighed, scanning my face.

“You look exhausted,” he muttered. “Have you even eaten since you arrived? You’ve lost weight.”

I wanted to cry at his concern. I wanted to tell him everything, to let him know what Jake had done to me, but I was torn. Before I could say anything, Aaron leaned back in his chair. “You should rest. Call me when you’ve made up your mind.”

Everything happened so fast. Yesterday, I was Jake’s fiancée, waiting for the day he would finally propose marriage. Now, I was bound to marry someone I hadn’t even met, someone I didn’t love. But my decision wasn’t just about me anymore.

I placed a hand over my stomach, my fingers trembling slightly. A storm of emotions surged within me—fear, uncertainty, and the unbearable weight of betrayal. I had dreamed of the moment I would tell Jake about the baby. I had imagined the way his face would light up, the way he would wrap his arms around me, promising a future filled with love and security. But that dream had shattered the moment I caught him with Vixen.

Yes, I was pregnant—three weeks, as confirmed by the doctor. And this was the news I had planned to tell Jake once he returned home. But that moment would never come. When he went back to our shared home in Stanton, I would be gone.

The weight of my choices crushed me. If I went back to my family and agreed to Aaron’s condition, I would be giving my unborn child a secure future. A powerful, influential family name. A father figure, even if he wasn’t the biological one. But how could a man accept someone else’s child? How could a man marry a woman already pregnant with another man’s baby? Aaron had given me a week to decide, but deep down, I knew I didn’t have that long. I needed to act quickly.

That night, I fell into an exhausted sleep. I only woke up when my phone rang loudly. The shrill sound pierced through my haze, dragging me back to the harsh reality of my situation. I groggily reached for it, checking the time. Eleven in the morning. My heart clenched when I saw the caller ID—Jake.

The phone rang and rang, but I ignored it. He stopped calling after a while, but notifications flooded my screen one after another.

[Where are you?]

[Why aren’t you picking up your phone?]

[The investors are waiting at the company. They need you there.]

[What the hell, Avril? Where are you?]

[What the fuck are you doing? Go to the office now! We're about to lose investors!]

[Avril, I am busy here doing business deals, and here you are, being stubborn as fuck!]

[Avril, I am doing everything for our future, and you’re ruining it. Tell me where you are!]

[Are you cheating on me now?]

[Answer your phone!]

I stared at his messages, my hands trembling. Even now, after everything he had done, he dared to act like I was the problem. My chest tightened with anger, but more than that, I felt a deep, aching sorrow. This was the man I had once loved unconditionally. The man I had envisioned a future with. And now, he was nothing more than a stranger sending me angry, possessive texts.

The phone rang again, but I ignored it. I got up, took a long shower, and tried to clear my mind. The hot water cascaded down my body, soothing my tense muscles, but it did nothing to wash away the turmoil inside me. I had spent years being Jake’s shadow, supporting him, loving him, believing in his promises. And now, I was done.

Just as I finished getting dressed, someone knocked on my door. My heart pounded. No one knew I was here—except Aaron.

I hesitated before opening the door. As expected, it was Aaron, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a tall, imposing man. He had dark, piercing eyes, a sharp jawline, and an air of confidence that made my breath hitch.

He looked at me from head to toe, and that was when I realized I was only wearing a robe. Heat crawled up my neck, and I instinctively pulled it tighter around my body. The intensity of his gaze unsettled me, as if he could see through my carefully crafted mask.

Aaron’s gaze darkened. “Get dressed.” His voice was cold. “We’ll wait in the lobby.”

I shut the door, my heart racing. Who was that man? Why did he look so familiar? His presence had an undeniable weight, a force that made my pulse quicken for reasons I couldn’t yet understand.

I hurried to put on something decent, grabbed my bag, and checked my phone. Another message from Aaron.

[Avril, Cyrus is waiting for you in the lobby. I need to go back to the office. Behave while you’re with him. It’s your chance to know more about your soon-to-be husband.]

My blood ran cold.

Cyrus.

So he was the man Aaron wanted me to marry? My soon-to-be husband?

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to find another way, but deep down, I knew there was no alternative. The past was behind me. The only way forward was to embrace the future, no matter how uncertain it seemed.

And at that moment, I knew I had made my decision.