2- Flashback

Two Years Ago…

Third Person’s POV

Jared found himself caught in the eye of a storm. What was once a peaceful and stable life had suddenly spiraled into chaos, tangled with frustration and overwhelming confusion.

It all began with one confrontation, one moment that shattered the course of everything he knew.

Inside their luxurious villa, tension hung thick in the air. Rage simmered beneath Jared’s skin as his eyes locked onto Colleen, who sat composedly on one of the couches.

“You want me to marry her?” Jared’s voice boomed through the house, finger pointed accusingly at Colleen. His body trembled with anger, teetering on the edge of losing control over the shocking revelation.

Colleen remained calm, unflinching. Her steady gaze met his, only further stoking the fire in his chest. She was the root of all this, the reason behind this madness.

“I have a girlfriend. And you all knew that,” Jared barked, his frustration sharpening each word. “What were you thinking, arranging for me to marry this woman out of nowhere?”

Ingrid, his older sister, could no longer hold her tongue. “Jared, you’re yelling at Mom,” she snapped, clearly annoyed. “Can you try speaking like a civilized adult for once? And what exactly is your problem with Colleen, huh? From where I stand, she’s leagues better than that so-called girlfriend of yours, what’s her name again?” she added with pointed sarcasm, escalating the tension in the room.

Jared’s fury now redirected toward his sister. “Tell me, what exactly about Colleen surpassing Stacey?” he snapped, eyes flashing. “And do I need a reason to love someone? I’ve been with Stacey for four years. Four years! And you want me to throw all that away just like that?”

Ingrid’s expression hardened. She met his eyes squarely and answered, “That’s what I don’t understand about you. You've been with her for four years, yet it’s like you still don’t truly know her. What have you been doing all that time?” Her voice was laced with meaning, suggesting something Jared refused to see.

But Jared, already blinded by hurt and anger, wasn’t listening to reason.

His patience was wearing thin. He turned again to the woman who had been quietly sitting through the storm, Colleen.

“And her?” he said, voice thick with bitterness. “How well do you know her, huh? Well enough to cast aside my relationship with Stacey like it meant nothing? Like she’s disposable?”

His voice broke slightly, but he pressed on, louder this time. “Let me say it again, I love Stacey. L-O-V-E. Is that so hard to understand?”

The living room grew heavier as each person’s emotions reached their peak.

And finally, Jared lashed out again, his eyes now burning with resentment as they bore into Colleen.

“And you, how do you feel about this? Do you even want this marriage? If you're really better than Stacey, like they claim, then you should’ve refused this ridiculous setup. You should’ve had the decency to not come between two people who love each other. Unless, of course, money was more important to you than integrity.”

“Jared, that’s enough!” Claire’s voice cracked like a whip, firm, final. She had reached her limit. Her authority as his mother rang through the room, silencing her son momentarily.

With grace, Claire turned to Colleen and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, dear. You shouldn’t have been dragged into this kind of family drama.”

“It’s okay, Mommy Claire,” Colleen replied softly, her composure unshaken. “You all need time to talk things through calmly. I’ll step out for now.”

“Let me have the driver take you home. Don’t even think about refusing,” Claire insisted warmly.

Colleen gave her a gentle smile before standing and leaning in for a cheek kiss. She said her goodbyes to Ingrid, who returned the gesture with a smile. She gave Jared a small, unreadable nod, neither bitter nor warm, before walking toward the door just as the driver arrived.

As soon as Colleen disappeared from view, Claire’s tone shifted once more.

“I don’t want to hear another shout or refusal from you in this house again. If you don’t want to marry her, then fine. Your sister will handle everything. And you can go ahead and resign from your position at the company as well.”

“What?” Jared and Ingrid blurted out in unison, eyes wide with disbelief.

“I said what I said. I’m done arguing,” Claire replied firmly, ending the conversation with unwavering finality.

Ingrid stared at her, stunned. “Mom… you know I’ve never been interested in running the family business. What about my career? My future?” Her voice cracked slightly, a flicker of hope that her decision could still be reversed.

But Claire only stared at her, calm but resolute. The silence between them said more than any words ever could.

"And you, Jared. Why would I even consider you? You're fully capable of shouting and throwing a tantrum in front of your own mother, all because of a woman you claim to love," Claire snapped at her son, her voice sharp and unforgiving.

The ultimatum was crystal clear. And in a blink, Jared's fury ignited, his chest heaving as he struggled to comprehend the weight of what he was about to lose.

"What are you saying, Mom? You're kicking me out of the company?!" he roared, his voice breaking with a mix of rage and disbelief. "I worked my ass off for that position! That wasn't just handed to me!"

Claire's eyes turned to steel, and her words sliced through the air like cold blades. "Oh, really? You think you're the only one who sacrificed?" she shot back. "What about your father and me? Do you think we didn't sweat blood building that empire? You think you own it just because you carry our last name?"

She wasn't done. Her rage, though composed, burned fiercer than ever. "Go. Run to the woman you love. Let's see how long she'll stay with you when you have absolutely nothing left."

With that, Claire turned away from Jared and shifted her gaze to Ingrid, who had been quietly sitting on the edge of the living room, trying not to breathe too loudly.

"If you don't want to run the company, Ingrid, find someone competent to do it for me," she instructed coldly before walking out, leaving the two siblings in a room thick with tension and unresolved fury.

Once she was gone, Jared and Ingrid remained frozen. Neither dared speak. Emotions swirled around them like a storm ready to break.

Then Ingrid's voice cut through the silence like glass.

"This is all your fault," she said, her voice shaking with resentment. "Because of you, I'm being dragged into this mess too."

Jared stood up, fists clenched at his sides, his face flushed with anger.

"My fault? Are you kidding me? You're the one who wanted me to marry that gold-digging tramp! You didn't even defend me!"

Ingrid shook her head in disbelief, but her voice was steady. Firm. Unyielding.

"You don't know Colleen. And frankly," she said, her eyes narrowing, "I wouldn't want her to marry someone like you. She's worth more than being crushed by your chaos."

She stepped closer, fearless, in front of her enraged brother.

"If you can't see what Mom and I see, that's your problem. But if you ask me, someone else should be running the company. Someone who still knows how to value it."

She didn't wait for a reply. With a heavy heart and fire in her chest, Ingrid walked out, leaving Jared in the middle of the living room, surrounded by silence louder than any scream.

Jared collapsed onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. The heat of his anger began to simmer down, replaced by the creeping chill of regret and fear.

Moments later, he rose and slowly climbed the stairs to his room.

Each step felt like a burden as if the weight of his entire world was strapped to his shoulders.

And that night, in the hush of his room, he was left to confront the most painful decision of his life.

He loved Stacey. There was no denying that. But he also loved the company, the legacy that bore his family's name. He had witnessed his parents' struggles, their resilience, and their sacrifices.

He couldn't erase the look in Claire's eyes, filled with disappointment and challenge. He couldn't just walk away. Not without a fight. Not without consequence.

In his room, sitting on his bed. Jared let out a deep, pained sighing. Then, with trembling fingers, he reached for his phone and dialed Stacey's number.

"Hello, honey!" Stacey chirped cheerfully on the other end, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside Jared.

"Uh… Honey, can we meet tomorrow? At our usual spot," he asked, doing his best to keep his voice from cracking.

There was a pause. Stacey's tone shifted slightly. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing serious…" he lied quickly. "We just need to talk."

"Okay, honey. See you tomorrow. Love you!"

"Love you too…" he whispered back before ending the call.

He lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as his mind replayed every word, every look, every decision. In the quiet of the night, he made a silent promise.

He would protect his family's legacy. He would choose Colleen, not out of fear nor obligation, but because, in his heart, he believed it was the right thing to do.

He didn't know what the future held. But one thing was certain:

He would face the consequences head-on… for the name, for the honor, and for the unshakable legacy of the family he could never turn his back on.