Chapter 7

You Lost Me

"Angela... please come home."

The ring in Ethan's hand sparkled under the chandelier.

Three years ago, that same ring had made me cry tears of happiness.

Today...

It made me feel sick.

No one spoke.

Not Damian.

Not his grandmother.

Not the house staff.

The entire room seemed to be holding its breath.

Ethan slowly stood, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I know you're angry."

I laughed.

It wasn't a happy laugh.

It was the kind that came after your heart had already broken.

"Angry?"

I repeated.

"You think I'm angry?"

"I know I hurt you."

"You humiliated me."

"I know."

"You abandoned me at the altar."

"I'm sorry."

"You blocked my number."

"I'm sorry."

"You sent me a message saying I was a mistake."

His face went pale.

"I didn't mean it."

I stared at him.

For a long moment, I simply stared.

Then I asked the one question that had been tearing me apart since I read his text.

"When did you stop loving me?"

His lips parted.

No words came out.

"Yesterday?"

Silence.

"Last week?"

He lowered his head.

"Last month?"

Still nothing.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

"So you don't even know."

"I do love you," he said desperately.

"I was confused."

I smiled through my tears.

"No."

"You were cruel."

He took another step toward me.

"Please... let me explain."

I stepped back.

"Explain what?"

"That you kissed another woman on our wedding day?"

His eyes widened.

"That you laughed while I was waiting for you?"

His breathing became uneven.

"That your family spread lies about me?"

"I never told them to—"

"But you didn't stop them."

The words cut him off.

He had no answer.

I looked around the room.

Everyone was watching.

Waiting.

Judging.

For the first time in my life...

I wasn't afraid.

I walked closer to Ethan until only a few inches separated us.

"You know what hurts the most?"

He looked up hopefully.

"I would have forgiven almost anything..."

His eyes filled with tears.

"...if you had just told me the truth."

He closed his eyes.

"I was scared."

"No."

I shook my head slowly.

"You were selfish."

I reached for the engagement ring in his hand.

His face lit up.

For a split second...

He thought I was taking him back.

Instead...

I closed his fingers around it.

"You should keep it."

His smile disappeared.

"It belongs to the man who promised forever."

I swallowed hard.

"And that man died before our wedding."

The room fell silent.

Ethan's shoulders slumped.

"I've lost you..."

"You lost me the moment you chose someone else's lies over my love."

He reached for my hand.

I pulled away.

"Don't."

My voice was calm.

Too calm.

"I've cried enough for one lifetime."

A deep voice broke the silence.

"Mr. Cole."

Damian.

Until that moment, he hadn't said a single word.

He walked forward with slow, measured steps.

Every movement radiated quiet confidence.

He stopped beside me.

Not in front of me.

Beside me.

As if he was reminding the room that this decision belonged to me.

Ethan looked between us.

His eyes narrowed.

"So it's true."

"What is?" I asked.

"You've already replaced me."

I almost laughed.

"You replaced yourself."

His jaw tightened.

"You don't even know this man."

"Neither do you."

"I know enough."

"No," I said quietly.

"You only know the version of him you've decided to hate."

Ethan turned to Damian.

"What do you want from her?"

Damian didn't hesitate.

"The same thing you threw away."

The room went deathly quiet.

Ethan clenched his fists.

"You think you can just take what's mine?"

I felt something inside me snap.

"Mine?"

I stepped forward before Damian could answer.

"I'm not a house."

"I'm not a car."

"I'm not a business deal."

I looked Ethan straight in the eyes.

"I was never yours to own."

His face crumpled.

For the first time...

He truly understood.

He hadn't just lost a fiancée.

He had lost the woman who loved him without conditions.

He whispered my name.

"Angela..."

I didn't answer.

Instead, I turned to Damian.

My heart pounded so hard I could hear it.

"Where's the contract?"

His eyes searched mine.

"Are you certain?"

I took a slow breath.

"No."

I admitted honestly.

"I'm terrified."

He nodded.

"Good."

I frowned.

"Why is that good?"

"Because only people who understand the weight of a decision are careful enough to make the right one."

He handed me a pen.

The room became silent again.

Every pair of eyes followed my hand as I lowered the pen toward the signature line.

The tip touched the paper.

One signature...

...and there would be no going back.

Just before I wrote my name—

A voice echoed from the doorway.

"Don't sign it!"

Everyone turned.

A young woman stood there, out of breath, clutching an old envelope against her chest.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at me.

"If you become Damian's wife..."

She swallowed.

"...you'll never learn what really happened to your mother."

The pen slipped from my fingers.

And hit the floor.