Rising From Ashes: The Betrayed Fiancée's Comeback

Chapter 2 No.2

Word Count: 748 | Released on: Today at 19:09

iller

ng silence that filled the space between us on the plush leather seats

n attempt to bridge the chas

lled my hand away, pretending to smooth a non-existent wrinkle in my dress. The ghost of another man's name, Li

thought I was pouting. He was confident, as

Fifth Avenue penthouse,

ed, slipping out of my heels.

rst time in eight years, I locked the d

uition. On impulse, an act of pure self-destruction, I opened Instagram on m

oe V

s, shopping sprees in Paris, endless selfies. I scrolled down, my thumb m

a restaurant bathroom, applying lipstick. The captio

od ran

board, searching for the brand and the shade. The screen lit up with a de

myself, the words a desperate

w the way she stood a little too close to Ethan at a charity gala last month. The proprietary hand on his arm at a polo match. The way he

at the breakfast table was

t. "I saw Chloe at the gala last night. That

look up, but I saw his hands pause on the paper. "Why a

siveness. It was a tiny crack in his armor, but it was there. I remembered a friend joking weeks ago, "Ch

said, letting

up at all. "I have an early meeting at the office." He kissed t

agram. My heart was pounding, a sick, frantic rhyt

lose-up of

ut sapphire sparkling under the light. The caption was sicke

felt the air leave

lifted m

ist, was the id

oice, thick with emotion, as he fastened the clasp. "The cut of this sto

Chapter End

Claim Your Bonus at the APP

Open

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.”