Not So Easy After All

My fiance, Victor Blackwood, is a mafia boss who rules the country's underworld with an iron fist.

To the rest of the world, he is the epitome of power.

Yet to me, he is the embodiment of love.

But I do not realize the cost of loving a man like him.

On Valentine's Day, I cook his favorite dishes and wait for him to come home. However, time passes, and his chair stays empty.

Uneasy, I go to Queenie Stone's social media page. She is Victor's foster sister.

She posts, "All I said was that I felt lonely, and he came right away.

"Even when I accidentally spilled wine on him, he didn't mind. Victor is still someone who puts family first, even if it means neglecting his lover.

"He never lets me down. I hope things stay that way."

In the photo, Victor's shirt is soaked at the waist.

Queenie's handkerchief lingers near his most private parts, but he doesn't pull away. He merely looks at her affectionately.

I do not make a fuss and give Queenie's post a like.

Then, I send Victor a message that reads, "Let's break up."

Victor ignores it as always.

Later, I discover that when my breakup message popped up, he had said offhandedly, "Vivienne can't live without me. She's just acting out.

"If I ignore her for a few days, she'll come crawling back by herself. She's easy to please."

What he doesn't know is that I was easy to handle only because I once loved him.

But now that I have decided to leave, he cannot make me turn back, no matter how he tries to win me over.

My message asking to break up with Victor Blackwood received no reply. It was completely ignored.

Queenie Stone, on the other hand, sent a video almost immediately.

It showed a lively private club, with a few of Victor's closest subordinates teasing him.

"Don Blackwood, Vivienne has loved you for seven years, and she actually dared to say she wants to break up? She can't be serious, right?"

Victor toyed with a die in his hand, sounding indifferent as he spoke. "She's just throwing a tantrum to make me go back and keep her company.

"I was planning to have a few drinks and return. But the more she behaves like this, the less I'll indulge her. She can cool off on her own for a few days first."

As he spoke, he brought a glass of wine to Queenie's lips.

He said, "Try this. It was flown in today, and it tastes pretty good."

Queenie smiled and drank it with his help.

Victor's subordinates exchanged meaningful glances.

One of them said, "Anyway, Vivienne's just someone you picked off the streets to keep the family satisfied. You might as well break up with her."

Another chimed in, "Exactly! Everyone knows that you care most about Ms. Stone, Don Blackwood. No one else could ever come between the two of you."

"If you ask me, both of you are the perfect match!" one other subordinate exclaimed.

Victor frowned. Just as he looked like he was about to argue, Queenie interrupted him.

She playfully pouted and patted him on the arm.

"What are you guys talking about? Vic, you should make it up to Vivienne, or people will think I'm the reason you two argued."

Victor's lips curled into a smile as he looked at my photo on his phone wallpaper. "Relax, she's easy to please."

I watched the video expressionlessly, but there was a crushing pain in my chest.

I remembered the first time I met him. I hadn't known then that he was an heir to a mafia family.

It was a rainy night, and I had taken a wrong turn into an alley. Suddenly, I was surrounded by gunfire, violence, and the smell of blood.

A bullet grazed past my ear. I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't comply.

Then Victor appeared. He stood in front of me as he shielded me from danger with his strong back.

When he noticed me trembling, he gently held my hand, sending searing warmth through me.

"Don't be afraid. I will protect you," he said.

The bullets and screams gradually faded from view.

When I returned to my senses to thank him, he had already vanished.

From that night on, I couldn't control my desire for him.

At night, I dreamed of being held in his arms. During the day, I absentmindedly sketched his well-defined side profile.

A month later, I found myself turning into that alley again. Somehow, I found him covered in blood, slumped against the wall, and gasping for air.

Sobbing, I threw myself at his side and asked how I could save him.

"Why do you like to cry so much?" He leaned close to me and brushed the rain-soaked hair from my face. "Help me out a little and hide me at your place."

When I lost myself in his dark, intense gaze, I truly believed I had entered a world I could never escape. With our unspoken understanding, I gave myself to him and became his only lover.

That was until a year ago. He lost control in bed and called out Queenie's name once without realizing it.

I could feel the blood in my body turn cold.

The next day, he put a priceless jeweled bracelet on my wrist and kissed my fingertips lightly.

He said, "Don't read too much into it. Queenie's only my foster sister. I just miss her a little, since it's been so long since I last saw her."

Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, I gave in.

After all, he had truly treated me well.

On cold winter nights, he would warm my hands in his coat.

Once, I accidentally twisted my ankle. He then spent the next few weeks carrying me up and down the stairs.

Whenever I had my period, a cup of hot cocoa that he prepared would always appear by my bed.

I once thought I would be the woman who stayed by his side until the end.

But six months ago, his foster sister Queenie returned. She had been sent abroad for her safety.

As she linked arms with Victor, she tilted her head and studied me for a long moment. Then, she smiled innocently and remarked, "Vic, why did you find someone who looks so much like me?"

In that instant, I came face-to-face with the cruel truth.

It was Queenie who had weak health and couldn't stand the cold since childhood.

She was the one who often twisted her ankle in high heels.

Even the hot cocoa Victor brought to me was Queenie's favorite brand.

So, it turned out all the love I secretly savored at night under the covers had been stolen from her.

Victor had once sworn to me, "Vivienne, once my enemies are dealt with, I'll give you a spectacular wedding for the world to see."

He also said, "You love occasions, so I will spend every Valentine's Day with you from now on."

Now that he had no enemies left, there was still no sign of him preparing the wedding.

He had forgotten his vows, and I no longer had to remember them.

Because I was leaving too.