The Betrayal That Freed Her

families. For all those years, I loved him with a quiet desperation. He was the sun I orbited, but his l

oe Davis

ho had never shown more than a flicker of emotion to anyone, fell fo

had ruined Ethan' s family, the man whose actions led to the suicide of Ethan' s parents. I thou

gument. He fell, hit his head, and died instantly. Ethan walked in at that exact moment. He sa

what he wanted to see: the jealous fiancée getting rid of

otten, while Ethan and Chloe, bound by their share

iversity library blinded me for a second. The familiar scent

in front of me was a text for a class I was taking a full

ing the last embers of my foolish love. This time, I

p back. I w

vitable, disastrous end. I wanted to watch the truth crash

y past life was a story that was fini

d the number for the Hayes family' s lawyer.

wish to formally and immediately terminate the engagement agreement b

weight of a decade-long, one-sided promise lift

ything I had. I thought it was my only path to happiness,

was a chain, and I

ere studying together, heads bent close over a textbook. He was smiling, a warm, genuine smile t

my mouth, but it wasn't jealousy. It was the acrid flavo

or a fraction of a second before she nudged Ethan. He looked up, and his f

to my table, Chloe trailin

voice clipped. "What

n the university li

I said, my

ct blend of concern and innocence. "Ethan, don

. In my past life, I would have cl

meeting Ethan' s cold

confusion. "What ar

was a reply from the lawyer. "Confirmed,

. My focus was elsewhere now. The petty drama of my youth was a distr

ssion with Ethan derail my ambitions. I had missed the application deadline. This time, I would not make the same mist

ward glance. I had an appointment to make. I needed to go to Professor Albrigh