To help Sean pay off his high-interest loans, I sold my house. He hugged me tightly, crying, and promised to marry me on next year's Valentine's Day. It happened to be Valentine's Day when I paid off the last of his debt. However, what I saw shattered me—he was in bed with another woman. He arrogantly mocked me: "What are you staring at? You're not much different from her, are you? Go buy some rubbers for us." That's when it hit me—he had lied to me. Later, I agreed to marry the man my parents had chosen for me before they passed away. On the wedding day, Sean and his friends came to mock me: "Ella, do you think that I'll marry you if you just wear a wedding dress and follow me around? You're so shameless!" However, everything changed when the priest announced the exchange of rings. At that moment, as Sean's uncle knelt and placed the ring on my finger, I saw a flash of fear in Sean's eyes.
View MoreMandy lifelessly lay on the ground, blood frothing from her lips.Sean did not even spare her a glance as his eyes locked on me. "Ella, I realize my mistake, won't you call off the wedding?" he pleaded.I could not tell if Sean's tears were real, but it did not matter. My love for him had evaporated, and I saw through his facade of sincerity. I had once longed to marry him, a dream he would never understand.His promises had been my lifeline, an unending source of hope. In the end, my unwavering love was squandered by Sean, leaving nothing.The words coming from his lips then were a cruel joke. I scoffed at the thought. "Sean, you've been behind bars. What makes you think I'd marry you? You're beyond redemption, and you're not worthy!"My words silenced the room.Then, laughter at Sean's expense rippled through the guests. In a fit of humiliated rage, he bellowed, "Ha! My uncle only cares for the girl who saved him fifteen years ago, Ella. You're nothing but a tool to him. Do you
"Do you recall saving a young boy fifteen years ago?""Yes, I remember. I was twelve that year, visiting my grandma's place, when I stumbled upon a boy drenched in blood…""Ella, that boy was me."Over the next hour, I learned about that fateful summer.James had been abducted by traffickers. He pleaded for help from many, but I was the only one who came to his rescue."Ella, your heart is pure and courageous, fearless in love and fierce in conviction. Finding you again probably used up all the luck I had left for the rest of my days..."James's voice trailed off, and he suddenly dropped to one knee, a ring in hand, and asked, "Ella, will you marry me?"Tears welled up, defying my efforts to hold them back. "I will! I will, for this lifetime and the next. I, Ella, will marry you."He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I could feel his heart pounding against mine.The hospital room door swung open, and the onlookers outside burst into applause, celebrating our union.They had
Mandy was the first to grovel and apologize."Ella, I admit it, I was blind to your worth. I'm the worst, just trash. Please, you've got to convince Mr. Clark to... No, wait, that's not right. I'm begging you, beg Mr. Clark to let me off the hook, please..."Her voice was loud, but it did not tug at my heartstrings one bit.They were all just regular people, and who in their right mind would dare cross the most influential person in Riverton? They fell to their knees, heads bowed, pleading for mercy.The guys who had tormented me were even on the ground, smacking themselves around, one of them going so far as to break his own hands.However, Sean merely stood still, looking at me with a mix of defiance and desperation."Ella, tell me it isn't true. You're not really going to marry him, are you? We promised each other forever, remember? You said you'd wait for me to make you my wife."Ella, didn't we set a date? Weren't we going to tie the knot on Valentine's Day?"I clung to Ja
James gently covered my eyes, his voice slow and heavy as he spoke to Sean, "If you can't see clearly, might as well keep your eyes shut for good."That was when Sean's begging hit my ears."Uncle, please, don't kill me! It's all a big mix-up."I pulled James's hand away just in time to catch the fear and fury in his eyes.Mandy was so petrified by James that she lost control of her bladder.She knew things had gone too far, and, dignity damned, she looked down, tears streaming. "Mr. Clark, you've got it all wrong, it's all been a big misunderstanding."Ella went to extremes to cover Sean's debts. She sold her car, her house, and even herself. She's nothing but trouble, don't let her fool you..."Sean just stood there, letting Mandy drag my name through the mud, not offering a single word in my defense.At that moment, I realized I had been handing my heart to the wrong person all these years.James did not even spare them a glance.He tenderly wiped the blood from my face, h
"What in the world do you think you're doing?"As James walked up, Sean's face twisted into a sycophantic grin, and he scurried over. "Uncle, some lowlife swiped your stuff and is wearing a fake heirloom of the Clarks, saying you're gonna marry her. We're just giving her what she deserves."Mandy chimed in, eager to please, "Mr. Clark, she's been hounding Sean to tie the knot. No way can we let trash like that into the Foster family."James's brow creased with distaste, clearly not a fan of Mandy.He turned to Sean, "Keep it down, will you? My wife wouldn't like a scene."Sean quickly stepped in front of me, blocking his view. "Don't worry, Uncle. I've got this under control."Once James was gone, they closed in on me, their faces twisted with mockery."What's wrong? Lost your voice? Weren't you bragging about marrying James? Where's that now?""Do you think if he knew you were pretending to be his bride-to-be, he'd finish you off himself?"They clamped my mouth shut, silencin
I slid the bracelet off my wrist, the one I had always worn.The day James came to ask for my hand, he slipped the bracelet onto my wrist himself. He told me it was a cherished Clark family heirloom, passed down to new brides.When Sean caught a glimpse of the bracelet, his face twisted with even more fury. "Ella, you're such a liar!" he spat. "Flaunting a knockoff and claiming it's a Clark family treasure?"My own mother never laid hands on it. What makes you think you're worthy? Where'd you get this fake?"The house was already buzzing with guests, but Sean's outburst drew an even larger crowd."Disgraceful woman," someone hissed."She steals and then has the gall to fake a family heirloom, trying to worm her way into marriage. She's an embarrassment to us all."The crowd, sensing a scandal, eagerly piled on.Their words grew wilder, and the pain in my body mounted until my hands shook."I'm no thief."Anyone paying attention could see the fury I was fighting to contain.M
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