When Jake Miller called off our engagement, everyone said my life was over. I’d spent five years with him, and my reputation was already in tatters from trying to keep up with his lifestyle. No one wanted anything to do with a woman like me anymore. When Jake found a new girlfriend, everyone around me expected me to come crawling back, begging him to take me back like a lost puppy. But what they didn’t know was that I’d voluntarily agreed to an arranged marriage in Silverport, substituting for my younger sister. Before I left, I returned the keepsake box Jake had given me when he pursued me, along with the blank promise card he’d hand-delivered to me years ago. I left with nothing. It wasn’t until the day before Jake’s engagement that he suddenly asked, “She’s been quiet for so long. Is Lana Reed dead?” Meanwhile, I, who had almost fainted moments ago, was being kissed awake by my new husband. “Be a good girl, Lana. We agreed on four times, not one less…” ——————————– The day Jake suddenly said he wanted to get married. I hadn’t seen him in three months. The last time we met, I’d overheard him telling his friends he was bored with me. The entire room had erupted in laughter. They laughed at how I’d followed him for five years, compromising my standing just to please him, only to end up abandoned. Life at the Reed household had been hell for the past three months. A few days ago, my father, Mr. Reed, had been especially violent in his drunken fits, and the bruises on my back still throbbed. So, when Jake suddenly called me today, a flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I specifically wore the emerald bracelets he’d given me when we got engaged and rushed over. By the time I arrived at his villa, Jake was already a little tipsy. He was lying back with his eyes closed, his head resting on a young girl’s lap. She looked like she was still in college, incredibly innocent. Seeing me enter, the girl who was massaging Jake’s head scrambled to get up, flustered. But Jake grabbed her wrist. “Stay where you are.” He didn’t even open his eyes, just tightened his grip. She was pulled closer to him. Then, she docilely lowered her head, letting him kiss her deeply. He released her hand, then pinched her chin. The kiss was deep, and the sound was unmistakable. I stood by the entrance, clutching my purse, feeling utterly helpless for a moment. I finally managed to compose myself, feigning indifference, and looked out the window. “I’ll just stroll in the garden for a bit and come back later.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Jake sneered. The girl beside him, sensing the shift, quickly stood up. “Maybe I should go out first, and let Miss Reed come over.” This time, Jake didn’t stop her. He held her hand, playing with it for a moment, then reluctantly let go. “It’s cold outside. Don’t get chilled.” The girl smiled sweetly, nodded, and her long, dark hair fell, covering most of her blushing face. As she passed me, she politely greeted me as “sister” and asked how I was. I nodded back, offering a faint smile. She was so young, with clear, shy eyes, much like my younger sister, Chloe. “Lana Reed, come here.” Jake leaned back on the sofa, patting the empty space beside him. The intricate, ornate crystal chandelier cast colorful light, highlighting his chiseled face and striking features. The light and shadow made him seem almost ethereal. I felt a momentary trance, mixed with an indescribable ache. Jake’s charming, ‘peach blossom’ eyes were shimmering, and the alcohol had flushed the corners of his eyes a faint red. Kiss marks dotted his collarbone and the side of his neck, visible through his loosened shirt. “That girl you just saw is Amber Stone.” I nodded. “Yes, I know.” “What do you think of her?” I thought for a moment, then answered earnestly. “Very innocent, very pure, very well-behaved.” Jake nodded. “Doesn’t she remind you of how you were five years ago?” I froze.
Five years ago, I had just started college. As Jake put it when he was pursuing me, I was “so innocent it almost hurt.” He genuinely loved me back then. And he spoiled me rotten. He cherished me as if I might melt in his mouth. I was even his longest relationship. We got engaged before I even graduated from college. Too bad. Now, my personality and style were completely different from before, and my reputation was in tatters. Everyone in Newport City knew it. They knew how many shameful things I’d done to hold onto my incredibly wealthy boyfriend. Back then, he’d told me he was tired of my purity and innocence. To please him, I forced myself to change, to fit into his sordid circle. I indulged his twisted desires. He wanted sophistication and sex appeal, loved passion and daring. I endured the humiliation and satisfied every whim. But my efforts to please him ultimately earned me only his scornful remarks. “Lana Reed, you’re so cheap.” “Even a streetwalker isn’t as uninhibited in bed as you.” “Look at you now. Is there even an ounce of refinement or grace left?” He broke up with me. My father, Mr. Reed, then used my young siblings, Chloe and Caleb, to threaten me. To get him back, I’d cut my wrists, taken pills—I’d done it all. And now, he was telling the completely changed me that he loved Amber. He loved that she was so much like the me from five years ago. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. “I really do love her. I want to give her a proper commitment.” “She’s not like you; she’s incredibly shy and innocent. I have to be responsible.” I wanted to say something, but my lips felt glued together. Not a sound escaped. After a long moment, I forced out a weak smile. “Okay, I understand.” “I can put in a good word for you with your family, the Reeds.” “No, thank you. I’ll figure it out myself.” “Suit yourself.” He swayed as he stood, pulling something from his pocket. It clattered onto the coffee table. My eyelid twitched violently. It was the ring we’d exchanged during our engagement, a relic from my birth mother. What Jake had given me was an heirloom from his mother: a pair of emerald bracelets. The very ones on my wrist now. “Take off the bracelets.” “Our engagement is off.” I looked up at him. His usually charming ‘peach blossom’ eyes were now as cold as frost. So, when he said he wanted to get married, he hadn’t meant to me. Five years of companionship meant less than a few days of thrilling novelty with someone new. I thought I’d break down, feel devastated. But I didn’t shed a single tear. I just calmly removed the emerald bracelets and returned them to him. Jake raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. But he took them, then turned and walked away without a backward glance.
News of Jake Miller breaking off our engagement spread quickly. The expected beating from my father didn’t come. However, I lost contact with my younger brother and sister, who were studying abroad, once again. I knew this was my father’s usual way of venting his rage. He and my stepmother, Brenda, began frantically searching the city for a suitable husband. They wanted to marry me off to maintain the Reed family’s wealth and status. But soon, vile rumors started circulating. They said that over the years, to please Jake, I’d done anything and everything, that I was “used up,” even infertile. No one in Newport City would ever accept a woman like me. My father’s temper grew worse. My days became increasingly unbearable. Two months after Jake broke off our engagement, another explosive piece of news about him spread through our social circle. He was getting engaged again—to Amber Stone. Jake had even defied his parents for her. The usual crowd, always looking for a spectacle, made sure the news reached me. I knew what they wanted to see. They were bored, and probably missed the drama I, their former clown, used to provide. “Lana, I actually think Jake still likes you.” “Your life must be tough now, right? Why don’t you go beg him?” “He’s soft-hearted. If you cry a bit, or even pretend to be suicidal, he might change his mind.” “Amber can’t compare to you, Lana. You’re much prettier than she is.” I saw those messages but didn’t reply to any of them. Instead, I focused on preparing for my own wedding. Just a week prior, I had knelt for an entire night. Finally, my father relented, agreeing to let me, instead of my newly adult younger sister, marry into the Sterling family in Silverport as part of a strategic alliance. I’d heard that Dax Sterling, the eldest son of the powerful Sterling family in Silverport, was ruthless and held immense power, being the head of Silverport’s most influential family. But because of a leg injury, he was also supposedly volatile and cruel. Yet, I wasn’t scared at all. If it meant escaping the Reed family, if it meant my siblings could be free, I was more than willing. Besides, I couldn’t stand to stay in Newport City any longer. Silverport might just offer me a lifeline.
Before I left, I met my best friend, Sarah, for lunch. On my way to the restroom, I unexpectedly ran into Amber Stone. She looked completely different from before. She wore sophisticated makeup and Dior’s classic little black dress, looking slender, elegant, and quite alluring. A delicate lady’s cigarette was held between her vibrant lips. “Miss Reed, I’m sure you’ve heard the news.” Amber looked at me, a provocative smile playing on her lips. “Jake Miller and I are getting engaged.” I looked at her, suddenly remembering how innocent and shy she had appeared when I first saw her. For some reason, a wave of melancholy washed over me. “Yes, I heard.” Amber’s smile deepened. “Miss Reed, are you very jealous?” “I heard you had three miscarriages for him, and over the years, you’d do anything low to keep him, to marry him.” She leaned against the window, her smile laced with disdain and contempt. I glanced at her calmly. “Miss Stone, you just said you ‘heard.’ ” “We’re both women; there’s no need to spread such vicious, fabricated gossip.” Amber instantly scoffed. “It’s all over Newport City. How is it gossip?” I didn’t want to waste my breath on her and turned to leave. But Amber suddenly spoke in a passive-aggressive tone, “Miss Reed, not all girls are the same. Didn’t your mother ever teach you self-respect?” My steps abruptly halted. Hearing the word ‘mother,’ a rush of blood instantly surged to my head. I didn’t have time to think, couldn’t be rational. I spun around and slapped her across the face. “Miss Reed…” Amber paused, then immediately covered her face and burst into tears, feigning distress. “I know it hurts that Jake and I are getting engaged, but you shouldn’t hit people…” “I understand you’re angry, but you can’t force feelings.” “Jake doesn’t like loose women like you. It’s not my fault…” She sobbed, sounding wronged and pathetic, but every word she uttered felt like a dagger to my heart. “I know your mother died young and you didn’t have anyone to guide you, but Miss Reed, I won’t hold this against you this time…” I gritted my teeth, my jaw aching, and raised my hand to slap her again. But my arm was seized firmly by Jake Miller. “Lana Reed, apologize to Amber.” “I won’t apologize.” I stood ramrod straight, my face pale, my lips colorless. But my eyes were blazing red, strikingly intense.
Jake seemed surprised. Over the years, he had seen me as docile and pure. He had seen me as obedient and submissive. He had also seen me as hysterical, crying, and clinging. I had been naive, alluring, cried, laughed, and made scenes in front of him. But I had never been as calm and distant as I was at this moment. He pushed Amber aside and walked in front of me, expressionless. “Lana Reed, I’m only saying this one last time: apologize to Amber.” I stared steadily at him, then suddenly laughed. A desperate, all-or-nothing laugh. “Jake Miller, I told you, I won’t apologize. Not even if I die…” The sharp sound of a slap suddenly echoed in the empty corridor. Jake seemed stunned for a moment after delivering that blow. Amber, covering her face, widened her eyes, equally shocked and disbelieving. Only I slowly raised my hand to my stinging cheek, my eyes slowly welling up. “Lana Reed…” Jake instinctively took a step forward. But I immediately recoiled. His hand, which had been about to reach out, suddenly dropped, and his face hardened. “Lana Reed, you brought this on yourself.” “If you had just apologized, I wouldn’t have laid a hand on you.” Jake’s voice was low and somewhat hoarse. “You know I never hit women.” “We’ve been together for so many years, and I’ve never touched a hair on your head.” “You shouldn’t have put your hands on Amber today. I like her; it’s not her fault.” “Lana Reed, stop making a scene. Save some dignity for yourself.” He was usually a man of few words, never rambling on like this. But I didn’t hear a single word. My reddened eyes uncontrollably filled with tears. I tried desperately to hold them back, but I couldn’t. My tear ducts ached fiercely, and tears streamed down my face, seemingly endless. Jake had somehow clenched his hands tightly, his brows furrowed. Amber walked to his side and said sweetly, “Jake, it’s okay. Let’s just go.” Jake took her hand, his gaze still fixed on my face. “Lana Reed, don’t try to cause trouble for Amber again.” “And don’t ever appear in front of Amber and me again.” “This is my final warning.” He finished, but didn’t leave with Amber. Instead, he stared at me, as if waiting for my reply. But I said nothing, just lowered my head slightly. It felt as if I wanted to shed all the tears I had for this lifetime. After about thirty seconds, Jake finally left with Amber. As he turned to go, I suddenly spoke in a low voice. “Okay.” “I swear, I will never appear in front of you and Amber again.” Jake’s tall back stiffened abruptly. But he quickly pulled Amber forward again, without once looking back. Amber, however, looked back at me. Her eyes still held tears, but the corners of her mouth curled up in a triumphant smirk. I slowly lowered my hand. *Good*, I thought to myself. Five years of entanglement, that almost deeply rooted love and hate for Jake Miller. At this moment, it was finally dug out by the roots, completely severed. I could focus now, with no regrets, and leave forever.
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