Rising From Ashes: The Betrayed Fiancée's Comeback

Author: Ai Chi

Chapter 1 No.1

Word Count: 873 | Released on: Today at 19:09

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one I'd practiced in the mirror until it felt more real than my own reflection. My hand

Vanity Fair* gushed. "You two are

e smooth as a hundred-year-old whiskey. "I adore this woman. I respect her. Our life isn

. "Oh, Ethan," a banker's wife murmured, her eyes gleaming with envy. "Ava, y

had become more frequent, or the faint, unfamiliar scent of perfume clinging to his shirts when he came

ovement was second nature, honed over eight years of standing by his side. It was as natural as turni

rehead. The gesture was for the cameras, but it was still warm. "Darl

t just enter a room; he consumed it. I picked up a flute of champagne, the bubbles doing nothing to

er to me. "Mrs. Miller," he whispered, his eyes darting around. "Mr. Hayes for

David. I'l

ush carpet. I gave the attendant our ticket, and she returned

ocket. My fingertips brushed against something stiff,

knew the three-Michelin-star restaurant, of course. We'd talked a

s addressed to a "Ms. Vance" and detailed a char

A girl barely out of college who looked at Ethan with an unnerving, predatory hunger. I shook my he

at are y

ritation, came from directly behind

ught to keep my own voice level, smooth, perfect. "Ethan, what i

my fingers, his movements casual. "Oh, this." He barely glanced at it. "It's a surprise for my mother's birthday

ted, a subtle edge of accusation creeping in. "Why were you going

ng and waving. The pressure of their gaze was a physical weight, forc

familiar mask sliding into place. I felt a hot flu

s pocket, his authority restored. He

t from a wall sconce caught the

roat. My vision narrowed

eipt, was a faint but unmistakable smu

Chapter End

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Rising From Ashes: The Betrayed Fiancée's Comeback

Ai Chi Romance

“For eight years, I played the role of the perfect, submissive fiancée to New York billionaire Ethan Hayes, giving up my jewelry design career to be the graceful ornament on his arm. That was until I found a receipt for a romantic dinner and a custom sapphire bracelet-identical to my engagement gift-meant for Chloe, a younger socialite. When Chloe deliberately spilled red wine on my white gown at the Met Gala, Ethan didn't defend me. Instead, he shielded his mistress from the cameras and glared at me. "Ava, apologize to Chloe. Now." My humiliation didn't end there. I soon discovered his mother had sanctioned the affair all along just to protect their corporate alliances, telling me my job was simply to learn tolerance. To the Hayes dynasty, I was nothing but a compliant broodmare. Even worse, Ethan was secretly plotting to merge our assets after the wedding so he could fully control and eventually discard me. I had sacrificed my youth, my talent, and my identity for a man who viewed our entire relationship as a calculated business transaction. The sheer, naked cruelty of it left me feeling completely dehumanized and suffocated in a gilded cage. But I didn't cry, and I didn't confront him. Instead, I smiled, pretended to forgive his "minor indiscretions," and threw myself into planning the most lavish, highly-publicized engagement party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They wanted a show, so I was going to give them a spectacular execution.”