His First Love, My Last Goodbye

His First Love, My Last Goodbye

Wu Xiaoyan

5.0
Comment(s)
871
View
21
Chapters

The world came back in a blur of twisting metal and the horrifying screech of tires. One moment, we were driving. The next, a truck had run the red light. In the passenger seat, my head throbbing, I watched my boyfriend, Adrian, scramble to comfort his first love, Cassie, who was crying in the backseat. He didn't even glance back at me, his girlfriend of five years, as he helped her out of the wrecked car. Paramedics arrived. Through the haze of pain, I watched Adrian hover over Cassie, refusing to leave her side for a second. It was like I wasn't even there anymore. He didn't remember my birthday, never knew my favorite food, and never cared that I was allergic to the flowers he bought for me, the same ones Cassie loved. I had been a side character in their love story, a placeholder until the real star of his life returned. I had been obsessed with Adrian Payne, but it wasn't love; it was a sickness, a trauma bond I had mistaken for devotion. Why did I do that? Why did I let him mold me into someone so submissive, so unlike myself? It felt like I was being controlled by some invisible force, a plot that wasn't my own. The spell was broken. The obsession vanished. All that was left was a cold, empty feeling and a sudden, desperate longing for someone else: Kellen Campos, my childhood sweetheart, the boy I had left behind five years ago. I booked the first flight to New York.

Chapter 1

The world came back in a blur of twisting metal and the horrifying screech of tires. One moment, we were driving. The next, a truck had run the red light.

In the passenger seat, my head throbbing, I watched my boyfriend, Adrian, scramble to comfort his first love, Cassie, who was crying in the backseat. He didn't even glance back at me, his girlfriend of five years, as he helped her out of the wrecked car.

Paramedics arrived. Through the haze of pain, I watched Adrian hover over Cassie, refusing to leave her side for a second. It was like I wasn't even there anymore. He didn't remember my birthday, never knew my favorite food, and never cared that I was allergic to the flowers he bought for me, the same ones Cassie loved.

I had been a side character in their love story, a placeholder until the real star of his life returned. I had been obsessed with Adrian Payne, but it wasn't love; it was a sickness, a trauma bond I had mistaken for devotion.

Why did I do that? Why did I let him mold me into someone so submissive, so unlike myself? It felt like I was being controlled by some invisible force, a plot that wasn't my own.

The spell was broken. The obsession vanished. All that was left was a cold, empty feeling and a sudden, desperate longing for someone else: Kellen Campos, my childhood sweetheart, the boy I had left behind five years ago. I booked the first flight to New York.

Chapter 1

The world came back in a blur of twisting metal and the horrifying screech of tires. One moment, we were driving. The next, a truck had run the red light.

I was in the passenger seat, my head throbbing, a sharp pain in my arm. Adrian, in the driver's seat, was already moving. He looked at me, then his eyes flickered to the backseat.

To Cassie Tate. His first love.

She was crying, a small cut on her forehead.

"Ellery, are you okay?" Adrian asked, his voice tight.

Before I could answer, Cassie let out a sob. "Adrian... I'm scared."

His focus snapped away from me. It was like I wasn't even there anymore. He unbuckled his seatbelt, scrambled into the back, and gathered a whimpering Cassie into his arms.

"It's okay, Cassie. I'm here. I've got you," he murmured, his voice softer than I had ever heard it. He didn't even glance back at me, his girlfriend of five years, as he helped her out of the wrecked car.

Paramedics arrived. They put me on a stretcher. Through the haze of pain, I watched Adrian hover over Cassie, refusing to leave her side for a second.

And right there, with the smell of gasoline in the air and a blinding pain in my arm, I felt a strange sense of clarity. It was like a spell had been broken. For five years, I had been obsessed with Adrian Payne. I thought it was love.

It wasn't. It was a sickness, a trauma bond I had mistaken for devotion. He didn't love me. He never had. I was just a placeholder, a convenient stand-in until the real star of his life returned.

I was a side character in their love story.

The spell was broken. The obsession vanished. All that was left was a cold, empty feeling and a sudden, desperate longing for someone else.

Kellen Campos.

My childhood sweetheart. The boy I had left behind five years ago, right after I met Adrian.

As they wheeled me into the ambulance, I pulled out my phone with my good hand. My fingers flew across the screen.

I booked the first flight to New York.

"I need to go. Now," I told my assistant over the phone from my hospital bed a few hours later. My arm was in a cast, but the pain was nothing compared to the urgency I felt. "I don't care what it costs. Get me on that plane."

"Why now? What's the hurry?" she asked, confused.

"I have to find someone," I said, my voice shaking. "I have to get him back."

I hung up before she could ask more questions.

I was going to find Kellen.

I had to.

I remembered how I used to be before Adrian. Vibrant. Confident. The proud heiress to the Beard hotel empire. Then I met him, and I bent and broke parts of myself to fit into the tiny box he called "the perfect girlfriend."

Why did I do that? Why did I let him mold me into someone so submissive, so unlike myself? It felt like I was being controlled by some invisible force, a plot that wasn't my own.

And Kellen... he was the complete opposite.

He was my best friend. My first love. We grew up together.

He would indulge my every whim. He'd climb the tallest tree to get me a kite, wade into a freezing lake to retrieve my lost bracelet, and spend all night helping me with a project I' d procrastinated on.

He knew I hated ginger, so he'd pick it out of every dish for me. He knew I loved stargazing, so he built a small observatory on his roof just for us.

He had planned to confess to me on our high school graduation night. He' d told me later, his voice full of a pain I was too blind to understand at the time.

But that was the night I met Adrian Payne.

It was at a party. Adrian walked in, and it was like the world stopped. He was handsome, powerful, the CEO of a tech giant. And for some reason, he looked at me.

Something inside me shifted. It was an irrational, overwhelming pull. It felt like I had no choice. I left the party with him, leaving Kellen waiting under the stars with a ring he had designed himself.

I abandoned Kellen without a word.

For five years, I chased after Adrian, convincing myself that his rare moments of attention were proof of his love. But his heart was never with me. It was always with Cassie Tate, the girl who had left him for a richer man years ago.

He never remembered my birthday. He never knew my favorite food. He never cared that I was allergic to the flowers he bought for me, the same ones Cassie loved.

Once, Kellen came back. He found me crying in the rain after another fight with Adrian. He held an umbrella over my head, his eyes full of hurt and worry.

"Leave him, Ellery," he'd pleaded, his voice soft. "He doesn't deserve you. Just give me a chance."

For a fleeting moment, I was myself again. I saw the truth. I agreed. I promised I would leave Adrian.

But the next day, Adrian showed up with some lame excuse, a half-hearted apology, and I fell right back into the old pattern. It was like I couldn't help myself.

Kellen saw it happen. The hope in his eyes died, replaced by a deep, final disappointment. He left for New York the next week and cut off all contact. He was gone.

Now, after this car crash, after watching Adrian choose Cassie without a second's hesitation, the fog had finally lifted. I saw everything clearly.

I wasn't in love with Adrian. I was just a character playing a part. A tragic, foolish side character.

And the moment I realized that, the "love" I felt for him evaporated. It was gone. Just like that.

In its place, a tidal wave of love and regret for Kellen washed over me. The real love. The one I had suppressed for five long years.

I remembered his kindness, his quiet strength, his unwavering support. The way he looked at me, like I was the only person in the world.

He was the one. He had always been the one.

"Kellen," I whispered to the empty hospital room, my voice thick with tears. "I'm coming for you. This time, I'll do whatever it takes."

As soon as I was discharged, I went straight to my penthouse. The first thing I did was go to my closet. I pulled out the bright red dress Adrian hated, the one he said was too loud, too bold.

I put it on.

For five years, I had dressed in pale, muted colors to please him. I had kept my hair long because he liked it that way. I had become a ghost of myself.

No more.

I looked at myself in the mirror. The red dress felt like a declaration of war. It felt like me.

The butler, who had been with my family for years, saw me. "Miss Beard," he said, a small, approving smile on his face. "You look... like yourself again."

I smiled, a real smile for the first time in years. I spun around, the fabric swirling around me. It felt good. It felt free.

I was heading for the door, my suitcase packed, when Adrian and Cassie walked in. They had just come from a follow-up appointment. Cassie was leaning on him, looking fragile and lovely.

Adrian' s eyes narrowed when he saw my dress. He didn't like it. He never did.

"That's a lovely necklace, Ellery," Cassie said, her voice sweet as honey. Her eyes were fixed on the simple, elegant piece around my neck. "Adrian, isn't it beautiful?"

Adrian glanced at it, then at me. "Take it off. Give it to Cassie." It wasn't a request. It was an order.

The store manager, who had delivered the necklace just an hour ago, stepped forward nervously. "Mr. Payne, I'm sorry, but that piece is one-of-a-kind. It's already been purchased by Miss Beard."

Adrian didn't even look at him. His cold gaze was locked on me. "I said, give it to her. You know Cassie likes these things." It was the tone he always used with me, the one that expected absolute obedience.

For five years, I would have taken it off without a second thought. I would have done anything to avoid his displeasure.

But I wasn't that person anymore.

I looked him straight in the eye.

"No."

Adrian froze. He looked genuinely shocked, as if the word was foreign to him, especially coming from my lips.

"What did you say?"

I stood my ground, my chin held high. The red dress felt like armor.

"I said no."

He stared at me, a strange look in his eyes. It was like he was seeing me for the first first time. And he didn't recognize the person in front of him at all.

Continue Reading

Other books by Wu Xiaoyan

More
The Wife He Broke, The Heart He Gave

The Wife He Broke, The Heart He Gave

Horror

5.0

My five-year-old son, Liam, suffered severe brain damage from an allergic reaction. A car accident left me with shattered ribs and a new heart beating in my chest. My husband, Mark, seemed broken by our tragedy. Then, I overheard his phone call. "Olivia, it's done. Liam is no longer a problem. The accident went perfectly. They said her heart was a match for you. It was almost too easy." I was paralyzed. He planned it all. He fed Liam peanuts, knowing his fatal allergy. He orchestrated my crash to get my heart for his mistress, Olivia. We were pawns, obstacles to be removed so his son, Ethan, could inherit everything. Mark walked in, feigning concern. He even asked me to give blood for Olivia, whose body was rejecting my heart. He dragged me out of bed, ignoring my weakness and bleeding hand. He was draining my son too. I fainted from blood loss. Mark then suggested we place Liam in a facility and "adopt" Ethan. But in his monstrous suggestion, I saw my escape. His phone was left behind. His password was Ethan's birthday. I found a video: Olivia giving Ethan peanut crackers and pointing to Liam. It was deliberate. I forwarded the video, emailed my friend, a neurosurgeon in Switzerland, and deleted the history. I bundled Liam and slipped out. I mailed divorce papers and the USB with the video to Mark's office. "I'm leaving, Mark," I told him, then hung up. Mark eventually found Liam's room empty. The nurse, witnessing Olivia's manipulative act, showed Mark security footage of Olivia pinching Ethan and falsely blaming me. Mark erupted. He threw Olivia out, showering them with cash, telling them he never wanted to see them again. I landed in Zurich, found freedom with Liam. The news came: Mark suffered a severe spinal injury in an accident, paralyzed. He left everything to me for Liam. I founded a non-profit for children with brain injuries. Liam thrived, discovering a gift for piano. Then, my transplanted heart began to fail. I was preparing for the end, writing birthday letters for Liam. Ben burst in: "We found one! A perfect match. A directed donation from a patient in the States." It was Mark. He had arranged it, his ultimate atonement. He had his life support removed. I watched his final message, then deleted the file. A new heart. A new life. Our new life.

The Loyal Dog Becomes A Lion

The Loyal Dog Becomes A Lion

Romance

5.0

"The divorce papers are on the table. Sign them." Olivia's voice was cold. After ten years as her "invisible husband," a signed contract, and a son I raised as my own, our arrangement was finally over. But the finality hit differently when I saw the new portrait on the grand staircase: Olivia, radiant, linking arms with Daniel Clark, and beside them, my son Leo, beaming up at Daniel with an adoration he never showed me. Daniel was back, and I was erased. They made it clear I was nothing more than a paid service. Mrs. Hayes, Olivia's mother, sneered, "Olivia, out of the kindness of her heart, has secured you a position at a mid-level tech firm. It's more than you deserve." A dismissal, a final pat for the loyal dog. Then, at the mall, the ultimate betrayal. Leo recoiled from me, screaming, "He's not my dad! I want Daniel to be my dad!" Daniel, with a fake sympathetic smile, put his arm around Leo, while Olivia silently condoned it. It wasn't just my marriage ending; it was my fatherhood, too. The words didn't cause sharp pain; it was a dull, heavy thud, as if something inside me finally died. Ten years of sacrifice, of unrequited love, meant nothing. Why had I poured every ounce of myself into a family that saw me only as a placeholder, a loyal dog? What even was I to them? I signed the divorce papers, a final and clean break. That night, I collected the few remnants of my life-my coding projects, my mother's photo-and walked away, leaving behind the gilded cage, ready for a new beginning, a life where I wasn't just a service, but a man finally choosing to live for himself.

The Golden Canary Flies Away

The Golden Canary Flies Away

Romance

5.0

"Ava, it's a decision from the top. There was nothing I could do." My team lead handed me a box of tissues as I was summarily dismissed, the official reason being a fabricated error. Everyone knew the real reason: my boyfriend, Nathan Hayes, was making room for Chloe Davis, his high school sweetheart and the company' s co-founder, back from abroad. Just then, Nathan' s black Maybach pulled up, and Chloe emerged, linking her arm through his. He walked past me as if I didn' t exist, guiding Chloe into the building. My heart tightened. I went to our penthouse, cooked his favorite ribs, and sent him a picture: "Coming home for dinner? Made your favorite honey-glazed ribs." The message was read, but no reply came. Of course not. He was with Chloe. Days later, Nathan finally came home. He saw my pharmacy bag: "You went to the hospital?" I lied, saying it was just a cold. He pulled me into an embrace: "You're not mad I fired you, are you?" I said no. I couldn't be. Three years ago, he saved me from my mother' s gambling debts, and I became his. His kept woman. Then, Chloe's friend, Brenda Smith, found me. She showed me texts of my messages to Nathan, saying he and Chloe laughed about how pathetic I was. She slapped me, slammed my head against the table. I woke up in the hospital, Nathan by my side. He didn' t care about my pain; only about Chloe' s reputation. A part of me had died that day. Nathan wanted his "white knight" and his obedient canary in a cage. But he didn't know his "golden canary" had started digging her own way out.

You'll also like

Secret Baby: The Jilted Wife's Final Goodbye

Secret Baby: The Jilted Wife's Final Goodbye

Cait
5.0

I sat on the cold tile floor of our Upper East Side penthouse, staring at the two pink lines until my vision blurred. After ten years of loving Julian Sterling and three years of a hollow marriage, I finally had the one thing that could bridge the distance between us. I was pregnant. But Julian didn't come home with flowers for our anniversary. He tossed a thick manila envelope onto the marble coffee table with a heavy thud. Fiona, the woman he'd truly loved for years, was back in New York, and he told me our "business deal" was officially over. "Sign it," He said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. He looked at me with the cold detachment of a man selling a piece of unwanted furniture. When I hesitated, he told me to add a zero to the alimony if the money wasn't enough. I realized in that moment that if he knew about the baby, he wouldn't love me; he would simply take my child and give it to Fiona to raise. I shoved the pregnancy test into my pocket, signed the papers with a shaking hand, and lied through my teeth. When my morning sickness hit, I slumped to the floor to hide the truth. "It's just cramps," I gasped, watching him recoil as if I were contagious. To make him stay away, I invented a man named Jack-a fake boyfriend who supposedly gave me the kindness Julian never could. Suddenly, the man who wanted me gone became a monster of possessiveness. He threatened to "bury" a man who didn't exist while leaving me humiliated at his family's dinner to rush to Fiona's side. I was so broken that I even ate a cake I was deathly allergic to, then had to refuse life-saving steroids at the hospital because they would harm the fetus. Julian thinks he's stalling the divorce for two months to protect the family's reputation for his father's Jubilee. He thinks he's keeping his "property" on a short leash until the press dies down. He has no idea I'm using those sixty days to build a fortress for my child. By the time he realizes the truth, I'll be gone, and the Sterling heir will be far beyond his reach.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book