When Love Fades to Ashes

One morning, Sophie Queen sat in her bedroom, speaking on the phone with her aunt, Julia Queen.After thinking for a long time, Sophie finally said, "I've made up my mind, Aunt Julia. I will return in a month and marry Elliot.""Finally! I've been waiting for you to say this for so long!" Julia exclaimed."You and William were engaged for four years, but there were never any plans to finalize the marriage, and I know how much you suffered at the hands of those jerks."On the other hand, Elliot's been your neighbor since you were kids and would protect you the moment he found out you were in danger. He even asked me about how you're doing a few days ago!"Looks like your parents were right when they thought he'd be the perfect match for you!"Though initially surprised by the news, Julia soon laughed in relief, happy that her efforts to persuade Sophie into marrying Elliot hadn't been in vain.She quickly hung up and prepared to call Ariana Mott, Sophie's mother, and Elliot to sh

"Sophie! What are you doing?!" William rushed over in a panic and pushed Sophie aside. Dropping to his knees, he anxiously checked Lily's injuries.Sobbing, Lily extended her ring finger, which bore the unmistakable signs of being pulled—marked by a deep red laceration."I did what you asked. I apologized to Sophie, but she lost it when she saw the ring. She insisted I take it off and tried to snatch it from my finger when I refused!"I know I have a bad temper, but you know I'd never lie, right? I just don't understand… Why would Sophie do something like that after I apologized?" Lily bit her lip, struggling to hold back her tears, stubborn yet delicate.Heartbroken, William gently stroked Lily's head and wiped away her tears. "It's all right, Lily. I'll take you to the hospital—or anywhere you need to go. I'll do whatever it takes."Lily's eyes brightened. "Really?""Of course!"William turned to Sophie with a cold expression. "Since when did you become so violent? I gave

Sophie and Lily were the only two in the practice room.Lily was playing the piano so aggressively that it produced an unpleasant buzzing sound. Stomping her foot as she stood up, she hurled a thick chunk of piano sheet music at Sophie."Your rhythm's off again! Are you sure you're as good a dancer as they say?"Sophie hissed in pain and covered her bruised forehead. She gave Lily a cold stare. "That's it! I've had enough of you!"Lily wasn't actually complaining about Sophie's rhythm, but about her irregular movements. She would even accuse Sophie of being lazy if the latter needed to drink some water during breaks.What was worse, Lily would sometimes whip Sophie with a cane on purpose.One day, Lily deliberately threw away the warm water Sophie had brought in a thermos while Sophie was on her period.When Lily saw that Sophie was in pain, she fetched a bucket of cold water from the washroom and poured it all over her.Gleefully, Lily claimed she was only trying to help Sop

Sophie had left her phone in her coat, but when she removed her makeup, she ended up losing the coat entirely.Just as she thought it might be an ordinary prank, she caught a whiff of something unpleasant, and a sense of alarm shot through her.Looking up, she saw thick white smoke spreading throughout the dressing room.Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead. Breathing became difficult, as though something heavy was pressing on her chest.Her vision began to blur, and her limbs started to grow numb.Fear surged within her. She struggled to pull her shirt up to cover her nose and desperately began knocking on the door.Suddenly, just as tears of despair rolled down her cheeks, the door swung open.Clinging to the hope of survival, she continued screaming for help, trying to see who had come to her rescue.Her heart sank when she saw that it was Lily, who had returned to the room.Fearing that William would discover she had locked Sophie inside, Lily panicked and decided to

William had woken up in a hospital bed, while Gloria smiled at the thought of making preparations for his marriage."You've always loved Lily, haven't you?" she asked."Honestly, it's not such a bad thing now that Sophie's dead." Gloria continued. "At least this way, you won't face any backlash for canceling your engagement with her."She added, "You can finally be with Lily without any obstacles!"William's eyes lacked any spark, and his expression remained blank as he spoke hoarsely. "I don't love Lily anymore."Gloria was stunned by his response. "Excuse me?!""Sophie's the one and only woman I want as my wife."Afterward, William dismissed his family from his ward, desiring to be alone with his thoughts.Tears streamed down his face, and he looked so ashen that it seemed as though he had aged overnight.Memories gradually flooded his mind.He recalled how Sophie would study recipe book after recipe book, eager to prepare different breakfasts for him.He remembered how sh