When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in the glittering ballroom, nor among the laughter and whispers that had crushed me. I was in a darkened room in our house but my head ached, my body heavy. For a moment, I couldn’t remember how I had gotten here.

Then voices outside the door made my stomach twist.

“Lock her in,” Sasha’s voice ordered coldly. “And don’t let her out. Starve her if you have to. She deserves it, after ruining the party.”

“Yes, ma’am,” a maid whispered.

The sound of a key turning in the lock made my blood run cold. I pressed my trembling hands to my face, muffling a sob.

So that was what I was to them. A nuisance. An embarrassment. A prisoner.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down my cheeks. All day passed without Keith even checking on me. Not once. He hadn’t knocked, hadn’t called my name, hadn’t asked if I was alright.

When I finally reached for my phone, my hands still shaking, a notification blinked at the top of the screen. A video message.

It was from Faye.

I tapped it—and my breath caught in my throat.

The video played on loop: Keith and Faye, lips pressed together, kissing as though the world around them didn’t exist.

I wanted to scream, to break the phone, to tear my heart out.

But instead, I blocked her number.

I sat there, staring at the wall, until my hand moved on its own. Until my heart remembered a name I had buried long ago.

Nathan. My childhood friend. Even after we parted ways, he had promised me once—no matter what, if I ever needed him, he would be there.

With trembling fingers, I dialed his number.

He answered on the second ring, his voice older, deeper, but familiar. “Katerina?”

My throat tightened. “Nathan… can you help me? Please. I’m divorcing my husband. Pick me up in three days.”

There was a sharp inhale on the other line. “What happened? Did he hurt you?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “So please… just come. See you in three days.”

I dropped the call before I could lose my courage.

And when I turned—Keith was standing at the door.

My blood froze.

His face was unreadable, but his voice was sharp. “What’s happening? Who are you calling? Who are you seeing?”

I swallowed hard. “It’s just Nathan. He’s visiting.”

Keith’s jaw clenched. “Nathan? That guy I told you I was jealous of? The one I told you to stop seeing? You’re calling him now?”

“He’s my best friend,” I defended weakly. “He’s always been—”

“I don’t care!” he snapped, his voice rising. “Even if he is, you can’t just run to him.”

I looked at him, my anger finally bubbling to the surface. “And you can run to Faye while I can’t go to Nathan? Tell me, Keith, how is that fair?”

His eyes flashed. “That’s different! Faye is business.”

“And Nathan is loyalty,” I said bitterly.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Finally, I turned away, my voice low. “I’m sleeping. Get out.”

But Keith didn’t leave. He stepped closer, desperation flickering across his features. “Katerina, come on. Are you still mad about the party? I’m sorry for denying you, but I only did that to protect you. I just… I can’t lose the merger. I need Faye’s connections, but once the deal is signed, I promise I’ll take you on a trip. We’ll tell the world about you.”

He pulled a small box from his pocket, revealing a delicate ring. Slipping it onto my finger, he whispered, “This is a promise. Tomorrow, we’ll have dinner. Just us. Okay?”

I stared at the ring, my chest hollow, and nodded.

The next morning, Keith was in his study, busy with a pile of documents. His pen scratched against the paper, his attention fixed.

I approached quietly, slipping the prenup modification among the stack. “Here, can you sign this? It’s for the house.”

He didn’t even glance at it. Just scrawled his signature and moved on. His phone buzzed beside him—messages from Faye flashing across the screen. He smiled faintly at one before tucking the phone away.

I said nothing.

Instead, I went upstairs, pulled out a box, and began packing everything. All the clothes, the letters, the trinkets of a love that no longer existed. Every piece of myself I had once given to this house.

When the box was full, I dragged it outside, lit a match, and watched it burn.

The flames roared, smoke curling into the sky. My memories turned to ash.

“What are you doing?” Keith’s voice demanded behind me.

I turned, my face blank. “I just want change.”

His brows furrowed, confusion and anger flickering in his eyes. But before he could say more, his phone rang.

Faye’s voice echoed faintly from the speaker. “Ready for the business meeting?”

Keith sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll see you at dinner later, okay?” he told me, then walked away.

I prepared myself. I wore the dress he once said made me look beautiful, fixed my hair, set the table.

Dinner, he had promised.

But the hours stretched thin. One hour. Two. Nearly three.

And he never came.

I stood, ready to walk away, when the television in the living room caught my eye.

Breaking news flashed across the screen.

Heir to the Alaric empire, Keith Alaric, and Faye Laurent—soon to be married.

My world stopped.

On the screen, Keith stood beside her, smiling, their hands clasped as the press cheered.

I pressed a hand to my chest, but the pain was unbearable.

A laugh tore from my lips—bitter, hollow, broken.

Of course.

Of course, this was the truth.

I was nothing.

And maybe I had always been.

Because truly, Keith and I never belonged in the same world.

The argument erupted like wildfire.

“I didn’t steal this ring!” I snapped, clutching the band that gleamed faintly on my finger. “Keith gave it to me. It’s mine.”

Faye’s lips curved into a cruel smile, her eyes glinting. “Yours? Don’t flatter yourself. That ring was given to me years ago. I left it in this house when I stayed over. And now—how convenient—you’re wearing it. If that’s not stealing, then what is?”

My chest tightened, fury clawing its way through me. “You’re lying. Keith placed this on my hand himself. Don’t twist this.”

Before I could say more, Sasha stormed into the room, her eyes blazing with contempt.

“Take it off,” she commanded, pointing at my hand.

“No,” I whispered, holding my ground.

I glanced down at the band, my heart aching. It wasn’t even worth much—an old, simple ring. He had given it to me long ago, when we had nothing, when we were poor and struggling.

Back then, he promised me the world, but this ring was enough. To me, it wasn’t about wealth. It was a memory, a vow, a piece of the man I had once loved.

Her hand struck my face before I could even flinch. The sting burned my cheek, but what hurt more was the venom in her voice.

“You’re nothing but a gold digger!” she spat, grabbing my hair and yanking me forward until my scalp screamed. “You don’t deserve that ring, you don’t deserve this family. Isn’t it enough that you stole Keith from Faye? They were the ones meant to be married!”

Something inside me cracked. For years, I had endured. For years, I had stayed silent, swallowed my pain, endured their cruelty. But in that moment, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I shoved her back, my voice shaking. “I said I didn’t steal it!”

It was then Keith appeared, his face twisted in shock.

“What the hell are you doing?” he roared. His gaze landed on his mother, who now had a gash on her temple from the fall, blood seeping down. “You dare—push my mom?!”

“No, Keith, you don’t understand—she hit me first—”

“She started it!” Faye cried, running to Sasha’s side. “Katerina lost control. She’s dangerous.”

“I didn’t—” My words tangled in my throat, panic clawing at me. “I didn’t mean it—”

But Keith wasn’t listening. His fury drowned out everything else.

“You deserve punishment,” he growled, his voice low, dangerous. He turned to the guards. “Take her. Drown her until she learns her place.”

My blood turned to ice. “No—please, Keith! I don’t know how to swim—”

He looked at me, his face hard as stone. “Then learn.”

For a second, my breath hitched. A memory, sharp and merciless, clawed its way back.

Even though I grew up on an island, the sea had always terrified me. Because it had taken everything from me. My parents—drowned in a storm that shattered our boat and left me clinging to driftwood. Since then, the water was no longer life, but death.

Keith knew that. He was the only one I had ever told, the only one who knew how I would freeze at the sight of deep waves, how even the sound of crashing tides haunted me. He had once held me in his arms, whispering that he would never let the water touch me again.

And now… he was the one throwing me to it.

My scream tore from my throat as rough hands dragged me outside. The world blurred as I fought, kicked, begged, but they were stronger. The pool glittered beneath the sun, cruel and merciless.

And then—cold. Water swallowing me whole.

I thrashed, my lungs burning, my body desperate for air. My arms flailed, but I sank deeper, heavier. The muffled world pressed in, black spots blooming in my vision.

And then nothing.

When I woke, I was back in bed, but my body was trembling, feverish. My skin burned, my lips cracked. I struggled to sit up, but weakness pinned me down.

“Oh, you’re awake,” a honeyed voice said.

Faye.

She sat beside me, a bowl in her hands. “Here. Eat something. It’ll help.” She pressed a spoon to my lips.

I forced myself to take a sip. The taste was bitter, foul, like poison sliding down my throat. I gagged and pushed it away.

The bowl slipped, hot liquid splattering across the floor.

Faye screamed, clutching her hand as if burned. “Ahh! She pushed me!” She turned to Keith, who had just entered the room. Her eyes brimmed with fake tears. “I was trying to be nice, to take care of her, but she pushed me and now burned my legs!”

Keith’s gaze snapped to me, fury flashing again. “Seriously, Katerina? You dare do this when she’s only being kind?”

My voice cracked. “I didn’t—she—”

He cut me off, stepping closer. “What should I do with you, huh? You’re impossible.”

“Maybe…” I whispered, my chest tightening, “…let me go.”

His eyes narrowed. “Let you go? So you can run to Nathan? Hell no. My mother was right—you’re cheating on me. That’s why you’ve been so dramatic, isn’t it?”

“I never cheated,” I said desperately. “Nathan is just my friend—”

“Lies.” His voice dripped with venom. “All lies.”

Tears blurred my vision. “Keith, please… listen to me—”

But he only shook his head. “You’re making me regret marrying you. I thought you loved me, but all you ever wanted was my world.”

The words sliced through me, sharp and merciless. And then, without another glance, he turned and left. He walked out with Faye clinging to him, his arm steadying her as if she were the one hurt.

As the door shut behind them, I slid from the bed, my legs giving way. I fell to the floor, pain radiating through me as my knees hit hard.

For a moment, the world spun, and memories flooded me.

Keith bandaging my wounds when I had cut my hands working on the island. Keith cooking soup when I had caught a fever, holding my hand through the night. Keith once my protector, my partner, my love.

But that Keith was gone.

Now, I only had myself.

And for the first time, I realized—I couldn’t keep waiting for him to come back.

Because maybe he never would.

The next morning, I woke up with one fragile hope—that maybe, just maybe, I could leave this place quietly. That Keith and his family would be too busy with their lives, with Faye, with their empire, to notice my absence.

But peace was never meant for me.

The door to my room burst open, and Sasha stormed in like a hurricane. Her nails dug into my arm as she yanked me out of bed.

“You,” she hissed, dragging me down the corridor. “Get up. Help the maids clean and arrange the estate. There will be a party here later. Do you understand?”

Confused, I stumbled after her. “What party?”

Sasha turned, her eyes sharp enough to cut. “The engagement party. For Keith and Faye.”

The words sliced through me like a blade. My knees weakened, my heart threatening to give out. “Engagement…?” I whispered, the sound barely leaving my lips.

"Yes,” she sneered. “And you—you will help prepare it.”

My voice cracked. “Why me?”

Her hand flew across my cheek with a sting that left me breathless. “Of course you. Who else? You’re the maid now. That’s all you are. Don’t even dare mention being a wife, because by tomorrow, you’ll be gone. I’ve already sent the payment. Consider yourself bought out of this family.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I swallowed them down and nodded. I had no fight left in me.

For the rest of the day, I worked alongside the maids. My hands scrubbed floors, polished glasses, carried trays of decorations. Every step felt like chains tightening around me. My body ached, my heart heavier than it had ever been. But I forced myself to move, to endure. After all, this would be the last time.

When night fell, the estate transformed into a palace of glittering lights and elegant music. Guests arrived, dressed in gowns and suits, their laughter filling the air. I wore the uniform Sasha had thrown at me—plain, black, unremarkable. I was a shadow, a servant in the very house where I had once been Keith’s wife.

I carried trays, served drinks, bowed my head as whispers followed me.

“That’s her? The poor girl?”

“Look at her now—reduced to a maid.”

“Faye is much more fitting for Keith.”

Every word burned, but I didn’t flinch. I told myself to endure. Just until tomorrow.

Faye’s friends were relentless. They called for me again and again.

“Water, now.”

“Fix my dress, it’s wrinkled.”

“Don’t just stand there, move faster, maid!”

I obeyed, silent, swallowing the humiliation. I told myself it didn’t matter anymore. Because soon, I would be free.

Across the room, I felt Keith’s gaze on me. For a heartbeat, our eyes met. My heart stuttered, foolishly hoping for even a flicker of recognition. Of love.

But there was nothing. Just cold observation, as if I were a stranger, as if he had already erased me from his world.

And in that moment, I knew. The love was gone.

I was done.

While the party raged on, while laughter and music drowned out my quiet steps, I slipped away. Past the glittering chandeliers, past the sea of strangers, past Keith and Faye standing hand in hand, basking in the admiration of the crowd.

No one noticed when I picked up the small bag I had hidden earlier. No one cared when I pushed the side gate open, the cool night air washing over me.

And there, waiting just beyond the gate, was Nathan.

His eyes softened the moment they landed on me. Without a word, he reached out, and I let him take my hand. My tears fell silently as we walked away together, leaving the estate, leaving the life that had broken me.

We drove to the airport, the city lights blurring through the window. My chest tightened as I glanced back one last time. That house, once filled with promises and laughter, was nothing but a prison now.

At the airport, I took out my phone. For a long moment, I stared at the screen—the countless unanswered messages I had once sent Keith, the calls, the memories.

And then, with a trembling hand, I removed the SIM card. I threw it into the nearest trash bin and boarded the plane with Nathan.

Keith’s POV

The house felt strangely empty that morning. I searched the rooms, the hallways, even the gardens, each step tightening the knot in my chest. Where was she? Why wasn’t she here?

“Keith,” Faye’s voice floated behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know her smile was smug. “Why are you wasting time looking for that maid?”

Her words burned. I stiffened, my fists clenching. Before I could answer, she stepped closer, her perfume wrapping around me, her eyes glimmering with intent. She tilted her chin up, leaning toward me, lips parting.

But I shoved her back, disgust cutting through me. “Don’t.”

Her eyes widened, surprise flickering before indignation.

“You know this engagement is for show,” I said sharply. “It’s business. Don’t mistake it for anything else. I’m not divorcing my wife.”

“Your wife?” she laughed, bitterness dripping from her tone. “Seriously, Keith? After everything—you humiliated her, ignored her, let her rot in this house while you paraded me around—and now you say you still want her?”

Her words hit deep, exposing wounds I’d buried beneath excuses. Images of Katerina came to me unbidden—her quiet eyes watching me from the shadows, her trembling voice asking for nothing but my presence. And me… pushing her away, choosing silence, choosing duty, choosing Faye.

I clenched my jaw. “Enough."

Faye shook her head, almost pitying. “You think she’ll forgive you after all that? You think she’ll stay?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I strode past her, my voice echoing down the hall. “Butler!”

The old man appeared, bowing low.

“Where is she?” I demanded. “Where is Katerina?”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his hands folded behind his back. “She is… not in her room, sir.”

Cold dread shot through me. “What do you mean, not in her room? Then where is she?”

He hesitated again, then slowly handed me a folded paper and a small object. My heart stopped.

Her handwriting stared back at me. Her wedding ring lay heavy in my palm.

The butler’s voice was steady, but it cut me open. “We heard about a car crashed this morning, and it seems that Miss Katerina is in there... And now, she's dead.”