Third Person's POV

"Starlet! What the hell are you doing?" Aldrich roared as he instinctively pulled Eileen into his arms, shielding her from Starlet’s reach.

Starlet’s heart clenched at the sight, but she forced herself to stay calm. She met his gaze and spoke evenly. "Aldrich, she ran over Bowie. You saw it, didn’t you?"

"It’s just a dog," he scoffed, his voice indifferent. "Besides, it’s dead now. But if it means that much to you, I’ll buy you another one."

His callous words made the light in Starlet's eyes fade, but before she could respond, Eileen suddenly clutched her head and whimpered in pain.

"Aldrich, I don’t know if Starlet hit me too hard just now, but my migraine is acting up again. It hurts… so much…"

Panicky, Aldrich turned to her and quickly said, "Hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital right now."

He was about to walk away with her in his arms when Starlet grabbed his arm and desperately urged, "Bowie needs medical attention right away, or it’ll be too late!"

Their eyes met, and for a moment, Aldrich hesitated. Seeing the pain in her expression, something inside him softened. He was just about to agree when Eileen gripped his shirt tightly.

"Aldrich… Maybe you should stay with Starlet instead," she murmured, her voice trembling. "After all, to her, a dog is more important than I am…"

"What are you saying? How could an animal ever compare to you?" Aldrich said firmly. "You’re my precious girl—nothing and no one could ever come close."

With that, he shook off Starlet’s hand and carried Eileen away without looking back.

As his warmth left her palm, Starlet felt an unbearable emptiness spread through her chest. Any last hope she had for Aldrich disappeared like smoke in the wind.

'So this is it. He wasn’t just playing a role—he truly believed in his own-made lie. He convinced himself so well that his heart turned blind and his mind completely taken in by his own performance,' she thought.

Then, she scoffed mentally, 'Well, I'm now done playing along.'

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder, 'But when this little game of his ended in two weeks, when he realized she was no longer around, would he be just as indifferent then? Would he still be so sure of his choices?'

Letting out a bitter chuckle, she turned away, cradling Bowie’s limp body as she stumbled toward the nearest veterinary hospital.

But by the time they arrived, it was already too late. Even if they saved him, he would only be hanging on by a thread. As she looked into those dark, trusting eyes—filled with silent pleading before slowly fading into emptiness—tears streamed down her face.

In the end, she chose to let him go peacefully.

Bowie was gone. Along with him was the love and youth she had given away so willingly for the past ten years.

She had his ashes turned into a pendant. When she finally returned home, the sun was already high in the sky.

As she stepped inside, her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

It was a video.

She clicked on it, and instantly, explicit scenes filled the screen—two bodies entangled in heated passion, limbs wrapped around each other as they moved together without restraint. The man in the video seemed completely captivated by the woman beneath him, his obsession evident.

The two people in the video were none other than Aldrich and Eileen.

It was obvious who had sent it.

For thirty minutes, Starlet watched the footage, torturing herself with every second. Her tears had long since dried up. Her nails dug so deeply into her palms that blood trickled down her fingers, but she felt nothing—just a dull, numbing ache.

Just as she was about to turn it off, their voices suddenly cut through the silence.

"Aldrich, can we take a break? I’m so tired…"

"Tired?" Aldrich's voice was low and rough. "This is your punishment for killing Bowie. Don’t think I don’t know you did it on purpose."

Instead of panicking, Eileen only giggled, nuzzling into his chest.

"You figured it out so easily… No wonder you’ve been so ruthless with me tonight," she purred. "You were mad because of her, weren’t you? If that’s the case, then why did you stand up for me earlier? You should’ve just let me die with that mutt."

"Die?" Aldrich smirked. "That would’ve been such a waste. You’re far too precious for that." His voice dropped lower, laced with dangerous amusement. "Now, tell me… do you know what you did wrong?"

Third Person's POV

Aldrich's voice then turned dangerous as he tightened his grip, making Eileen gasp out loud.

"I was wrong, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!" she whimpered.

"If you know you're wrong, then make it up to me properly," he ordered, his tone filled with dominance.

As he indulged himself once again, Starlet couldn't take it anymore. She threw her phone aside and ran to the sink, retching violently.

Even when there was nothing left in her stomach, the nausea didn’t stop. Pain twisted through her gut, but she barely noticed it. Staring at her reflection—her pale face, the raw redness of her eyes—her hands clenched into fists.

Then, without hesitation, she swung her fist into the mirror.

The glass shattered and fragments scattered across the sink. She glared at the fractured reflection and said with a low and furious voice, "Aldrich, how dare you do this to me? You love Eileen's soft, delicate body so much, don’t you? Fine. I’ll give you my blessing. I’ll set you free. I hope you two are locked together forever, for eternity, never—ever—separating."

For the next few days, Starlet locked herself away, refusing to step outside. She spent hours burning every last comic she had drawn for Aldrich over the years, reducing them to ashes.

Once everything was taken care of, she finally remembered she needed to buy a few things for her trip abroad. Just as she was about to start the car, the passenger door suddenly opened, and Eileen slid into the seat.

"Starlet, long time no see," Eileen said, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Your scar looks worse than ever. Poor Aldrich... I can’t imagine how much mental strength he needed just to put up with your hideous face all these years."

Starlet’s expression turned ice-cold. "Get the hell out of my car."

But Eileen, unfazed, simply chuckled. "Your car? You mean the one Aldrich bought for you?" She let out a dramatic sigh. "Aldrich is too softhearted. After all those years of you warming his bed for free, he still felt the need to give you a little parting gift."

Her tone then turned mocking as she continued, "You saw the video, didn’t you? How was it? That side of Aldrich—bet you’ve never seen it before."

"You see, this is the real him," she added. "As they say, a man only shows his true passion with the woman he truly loves because he wants to give her everything. Tell me, has he ever been that passionate with you?"

Cocking her head to Starlet, she continued mocking, "You think he stayed with you out of love? No, Starlet, he stayed out of pity. Actually—no, that’s not right either. He stayed because he was disgusted by you. You’re ugly enough to haunt a man’s nightmares. Do you really think he could ever love you?"

"Did you even know?" Eileen leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. "Aldrich only got close to you to help me get revenge. You were nothing more than a plaything to spice up our relationship, a toy for our little games."

She smirked. "And you actually thought he loved you just because he agreed to marry you? Please. He only went along with the engagement because I didn’t want it. But if I wanted to, I could replace you in an instant—with just a snap of my fingers."

Hearing the truth laid out so cruelly, Starlet felt her chest tighten as if someone had driven a blade straight through her heart.

She had already suspected it. She thought she had prepared herself. She told herself she had become numb.

But it still hurt.

Ten years of love and devotion were only wasted.

Ten years ago, she thought she had found her light. She gave everything she had, her whole heart, without holding back.

But in the end, it had all been a joke.

Did Aldrich ever love her?

She believed he did, at least for a time. Otherwise, with his pride, he never would have told his friends he was going to marry her. He never would have set a wedding date.

But in the end, his love was never strong enough. Not enough to resist temptation. Not enough to fight against old ties.

Her eyes burned, but she swallowed back the tears. She refused to let them fall.

Turning to face the woman who had haunted her nightmares for half her life, she met Eileen’s smug gaze with an eerily calm expression.

"So what?" she asked. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Third Person's POV

"Starlet, this is your last chance. Get out of here and stay away from Aldrich. If you don't, the consequences will be more than you can handle," Eileen warned.

"Consequences? You mean like this?" Starlet asked, and before Eileen could react, she suddenly started the car and slammed her foot on the gas. The engine roared as the car shot forward and Eileen's terrified screams filled the air.

"Starlet! You lunatic! What the hell are you doing? Stop the car! Stop it now!" Eileen shrieked in fear.

"What's wrong? Aren't you the one who loves making threats? Loves talking about consequences? Fine, then! Let’s see how you like being dragged down with me. If we die, we die together!"

A crazed grin spread across Starlet’s face as she said that, her bloodshot eyes locked on the road ahead like a demon straight out of hell. The sight alone drained all the color from Eileen’s face.

Scenes of the past flashed through Eileen’s mind. She didn’t want to die. She couldn’t die. She had just returned to the country, and had just begun her plan to become Aldrich's wife—how could she die now?

"Starlet! Stop the car! I said STOP!"

However, Eileen's panicked screams only fell on deaf ears. At that moment, pure fear took over. Without thinking, she lunged for the steering wheel.

The sudden struggle caught Starlet off guard. She knew Eileen had nearly died in a street racing accident years ago—that was exactly why she wanted to teach her a lesson, to make her feel a fraction of the fear she once inflicted on others. It was just supposed to be a warning, a small taste of retribution.

But she hadn’t expected Eileen to fight back.

The car swerved wildly, and Starlet could feel the control slipping away. If this continued, they would both die for real.

Eileen's life didn’t matter to her. But her own? She still had a future. A life to live.

Soon, her eyes caught sight of the guardrail up ahead. Gritting her teeth, she yanked the wheel hard to the side.

Then a deafening crash filled their worlds and everything went dark.

Starlet didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. But a jumble of voices pulled her back to reality, their words filtering through the haze.

"Both patients have sustained severe injuries to their hands. They need immediate surgery, or they risk permanent damage. But most of our surgeons are already in the operating room. Only one is available right now. So, who do you want to be treated first, Mr. Young?"

Her mind cleared instantly upon hearing it.

Her hands couldn't be damaged! She was a comic artist. If she lost her hands, her entire future would be destroyed.

Panic surged through her. She forced herself to speak in a hoarse and weak voice.

"Aldrich… I-I still need to draw. My hands… I can’t afford to lose them."

Just then, the warmth of a hand holding hers suddenly disappeared.

Starlet opened her eyes just in time to catch the flicker of hesitation in Aldrich’s expression.

But then, his hands moved—away from her and onto Eileen’s shoulder.

"Save Eileen first," he said.

The pain hit Starlet all at once. So sharp, so overwhelming that she couldn't tell if it was coming from her injured hands or her shattered heart.

She looked at him, at the man who had once promised her forever. And in that moment, any remaining hope she had crumbled into dust.

'Of course. Something broken is never worth keeping. Not an object. Not a person,' she thought.

As such, Starlet drifted in and out of consciousness.

The anesthesia left her unable to open her eyes, but she could still hear everything around her.

"Aldrich, you really made a mess of things this time. How are you planning to clean it up?"

"Yeah," another voice chimed in. "Starlet’s a comic artist. Her hands mean everything to her. But you chose to save Eileen first. When she finds out the truth… she’s going to hate you for the rest of her life."