I heard footsteps and bolted before I even thought about it.

When I got back to my room, everything inside me collapsed. Those words cut slowly, first scraping through my thoughts and then tearing into my chest like a dull knife.

Asher's words wouldn't stop echoing in my head.

"No. I only approached her to get revenge and destroy her family's company."

I didn't want to believe it, but I'd heard every word.

I felt cold under the weight of that brutal truth. My love for him had shattered. I tried to keep my head, but my chest tightened like a vise until I struggled to breathe.

Still, I refused to cry out. I pressed my hand over my mouth, yet a broken sob escaped between my fingers. Then, I collapsed onto the floor and cried in silence to drain out every bit of pain.

I never thought our meeting had been planned as payback. Even Asher's love turned out to be something he had calculated.

Back then, I went against my parents' wishes and applied to study abroad as an exchange student.

After graduation, I stayed overseas for work. Because I wanted my freedom, I stopped going home and started living on my own terms.

That was until I met Asher abroad, the man everyone said was the son of Mom and Dad's sworn enemy.

Rumor had it that the Searles and the Klines once combined their funds and went into business together.

When the market shifted, my parents pulled their investment, which sent Kline Group into a downward spiral. Asher's mother later died under the strain.

In the years that followed, Searle Group and Kline Group fought for every deal until the rivalry turned openly hostile.

I knew exactly who Asher was. But he had saved me more than once, so I let go of my misgivings.

The first time, I was swarmed by a gang of female thugs and beaten bloody. He showed up like a savior, drove them off, picked me up, and rushed me to the hospital.

The second time, I was hunted down by hardened criminals. Asher fought them barehanded, pulled me clear of their knives, then walked away battered and bleeding.

The third time was when a male coworker slipped a drug into my drink. Just before everything went sideways, Asher burst in, took the guy down hard, pulled me out, and handed me something to counter the drug.

That was how I fell for Asher.

People tried to warn me off. They said we were doomed because of the bad blood between the Searles and the Klines.

But I didn't listen. I still wanted him.

Even though Asher kept turning me down and staying distant, I went after him with everything I had for three years. On his birthday, I made myself the gift and teased him every way I knew how.

Afterward, he held me close with a soft smile. "You little temptress. I'm about to lose my mind over you."

I smiled in satisfaction and traced circles over his chest. "You can't help wanting me, because you're into me."

Asher's smile widened. "Fair point. How about a few more rounds?"

He lowered his head, kissed me, then we slipped right back into the heat of it. From that day on, we were officially together.

I had always believed our feelings were real. I even looked forward to the day Asher would meet Mom and Dad so we could finally end the feud between our families.

Only now did I realize everything had been a lie. It hurt, but I forced myself to stay clearheaded. I decided to walk away from him for good.

Before leaving, I decided to leave Asher a gift. After the way he crushed my feelings, there was no way I was letting it go. Nothing made my blood boil like a lie.

My grief had already burned into anger, and I formed a plan to return the favor.

Soon after I regained my composure, the door opened from the hall, and Asher walked in. "Babe, you're up."

I paused, then put my sweet smile back on. "Yeah. I missed you so much that I couldn't sleep."

Asher wrapped his arms around me from behind, his breath warm against my neck. "By the way, your birthday's in two weeks. I'm throwing you a party, and I'm going to propose there."

I stared at him, stunned. "You're proposing?"

He nodded and brushed my cheek. "We've been together a long time. It's time to make it official."

I gripped the brow pencil in my hand and forced a smile. "Really? You actually want to marry me?"

Asher paused, his eyes turning dark and impossible to read, before a slow smile formed. "Of course. Make sure your parents come. They shouldn't miss something this big."

I kept the smile fixed, nodded as if I were touched, and hugged him tightly. "Asher, does the feud between our families not matter to you at all?"

His body went stiff. I couldn't see his face, but the hatred rolled off him.

"I love you, so none of that matters."

Asher lowered his head, kissed my forehead, and began to move down.

I turned away and pushed him back. "I'm tired."

He froze, a shadow flickering in his eyes before it cleared. "Alright. Go back to sleep."

With that, he turned and walked into the bathroom.

I watched Asher as he headed for the shower, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. Everyone else kept their proposal plans secret, but he'd told me his right away.

If I hadn't overheard that conversation today, I would've kept waiting, happily and cluelessly, until those videos blindsided me and turned me into the town joke.

He built up my hopes just so that he could crush them. All he wanted was to drag my name through the mud and humiliate Mom and Dad.

It was vicious.

Restless and irritable, I got up and started packing.

Asher came out of the bathroom and saw every gift he'd ever given me piled on the floor. Confused, he asked, "What are you doing?"

I didn't look up. "I don't want them anymore. I'm throwing them out."

I meant to ditch the gifts the same way I was ditching his love.

Asher didn't think much of it. He figured I was just bored with them. "Fine. We'll buy new ones."

I said nothing and kept packing.

…

The next day, I received a strange text.

The message said, "I'm Asher Kline's fiancee. Meet me at noon at Serenity Restaurant. And don't tell him."

The shock drained the color from my face, and my grip tightened around the phone before I realized it. I needed to know who she was.

At noon, I arrived just as scheduled. A waiter led me to a private room in the corner.

I opened the door and spotted her right away. She was stunning, gentle, and demure. She wore a white dress with subtle makeup, and everything about her seemed effortless and graceful.

I took the seat across from her and kept my face neutral.

She looked at me, a flash of cold in her eyes. "I'm Grace Turner, Asher Kline's fiancee."

I arched an eyebrow, keeping my voice even. "So?"

Grace went still, clearly not expecting me to be so composed. Confused, she said, "You're the woman he's been seeing. Aren't you even a little curious about why he's engaged?"

I shrugged, lifted the coffee from the table, took a sip, and said nothing.

Before I came, I had been curious and braced for anger. But the moment I saw her, every question fell away, and my heart went quiet. I felt calm to my core.

I realized then that I had already let Asher go.

I gave my all whenever I loved someone. When it ended, I would walk away without a second thought.

Grace was exasperated when I stayed quiet. "Our families have already arranged the marriage. The wedding is in a month, so do yourself a favor and leave."

She pulled a bank card from her bag and placed it on the table between us. "There's eight million dollars on that card. Consider it enough to take care of you for the rest of your life."

I stared her down. My voice stayed flat. "Does he know you're doing this?"

She gave a smug smile. "Of course. In the end, he's the one who set the wedding date."

I scoffed.

It turned out that Asher had set this up from the beginning. He'd planned to weaponize those videos to get even with me. Then, he'd marry Grace and pretend none of it had happened.

I got to my feet and raised my voice. "Stop contacting me. Whether you marry him is your business, not mine."

My tone turned to pure sarcasm as I continued, "I'm doing fine financially. Your little humiliation game won't work. Quit showing off and acting superior."

With that, I turned to leave.

I had taken only a few steps when Grace hurried forward and blocked my way. "You're not leaving. You still haven't promised to stay away from him for good!"

I frowned, then smirked. "Relax. Asher is a selfish, small-minded, and sneaky man. I'm done with him. That scumbag is all yours."

Grace's face twisted with rage. "How could you say that about him?"

She slapped me so hard that I lost my footing, stumbled back, and crashed into the door. The door handle gashed my forehead. Blood poured down, soaking my collar.

Grace still wasn't finished. She snatched the cup off the table and flung coffee at me. Coffee and blood streamed down my clothes.

Heat roared up my spine. I stood, wiped my face clean, and closed in on her. My expression remained ice-cold.

She flinched and backed up, but she still barked, "Don't you dare trash-talk Asher! He's a perfect man!"

I didn't waste words. I raised my hand and slapped her back.

Grace cried out. Before she could react, I clamped my hand around her throat and pinned her to the wall. I kept slapping her across the face.

After more than ten slaps, I saw blood at the corner of her mouth. I finally calmed down.

Just as I was about to let go, the door burst open.

"Rhea! What are you doing?" Asher bellowed.

He barreled in, shoved me aside, and pulled Grace into his arms, his face tight with concern.

I crashed into a chair. The blow caught my spine and left me doubled over.

He ignored my pain and the mess, then scolded, "You went too far! How could you hit her?"

Grace immediately played the victim. "Honey, it hurts so much. She slapped me. My face is ruined!"

She even broke into loud sobs. "I'm your fiancee. You have to stand up for me."

Asher looked stricken as he stroked her back in concern. "I know. Don't cry."

He raised his head, ready to tear into me, but his words died when he saw my calm expression and the disappointment in my eyes.

He hesitated, then turned back to Grace. "Let's get you to the hospital. I'll deal with her later."

Then, he scooped her up and carried her out.

I snorted as they left.

There it was. Asher's mask was slipping. If he were to put on a show, I'd put one on, too.

In the past, catching him with another woman would've set me off. So if I acted too composed now, he'd get suspicious.

After I got home, I threw a fit, playing the unreasonable woman. I cried my eyes out and smashed things in a rage.

Carl called the family doctor to check my injuries, but I threw the doctor out.

Eventually, I cried until I had nothing left and collapsed on the floor. I kept calling and texting Asher, demanding to know what was going on with him and Grace, as well as where that left me.

He hurried home soon after.

He sent the maids away, hauled me into his arms, and said in a sincere voice, "I'm sorry, babe. Today was different. I had to take her to the hospital first. Please don't be mad."

I shoved him away, sobbing as I demanded, "How did she suddenly become your fiancee? Explain it, or we're done. I'm leaving for good!"

Asher looked relieved to see that I was still as willful as ever. "My father arranged the match, but I'm not going through with it. I'll cancel the engagement—just give me a little time."

I turned away with a snort. "I don't believe you."

His jaw tightened. His voice sounded even more sincere than a moment ago. "It's true. Believe me. You're the only one I love."

I ignored him and threw a tantrum, pounding my fists against his chest. "Liar! You're lying to me again. I don't believe you."

Asher let me hit him. He said whatever he could to calm me, as if he were soothing a child, and he kept asking for my forgiveness.

Although I kept hitting him, he didn't get angry. He just held me and let me vent. I only stopped when I decided the drama had gone on long enough.

After I calmed down, Asher patiently applied medicine and bandaged the cut on my forehead. He knew I had cooled off when he saw how calm I looked.

He even went into the kitchen and cooked for me himself. He made all my favorites, but they didn't taste the way they used to.

Maybe we just weren't us anymore.