Chapter 4
Ryan’s smug expression vanished. He snatched the slip off the table, scanning it quickly. But instead of the grief or anger I expected to see, his face lit up with relief.
Joy. That was his reaction.
Ryan’s words felt even more hollow, like a flimsy attempt to patch up something irreparably broken.
“Oh, Claire, why would you get rid of the baby?” he said, feigning concern.
“You know how much that could hurt your body. You should rest for now, take it easy, okay?”
I stared at him coldly, my voice icy and detached. “Ryan, aren’t you tired of pretending?” I asked. “I got rid of the baby–wasn’t that exactly what you wanted? If it makes you so happy, why don’t you just laugh it off?”
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He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as though embarrassed to have been caught. “Well… I won’t lie. The baby would’ve been… a bit of a problem for me,” he admitted. “If Emily found out about it someday, how could I possibly explain that to her?”
I smirked bitterly.
If only he knew that this child had been my mother’s final, reluctant bargaining chip to approve of him. Not that it mattered anymore. Ryan wasn’t even worth the soles of her shoes now.
“Claire, you know I love you. That’s the truth,” Ryan continued, his tone filled. with a rehearsed kind of sincerity. “I don’t have a choice but to marry Emily right now. She can bring me the financial security I need. But once the company goes public, I promise I’ll take care of you. You’ll live the life you deserve, I swear.”
He even raised his hand, as though making
solemn vow.
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In Ryan‘ s mind, as long as he waved enough money in front of me, I’d willingly resign myself to the role of his mistress. He thought I’d be so blinded by years of affection that I’d stay by his side forever, content with the crumbs he threw my way. But every word he spoke was like a dagger twisting deeper into my chest.
“You‘ re asking me to trade my self-
respect for your empty promises?” I asked, laughing bitterly.
Ryan quickly reached into his wallet and pulled out a bank card, thrusting it toward me as if it were a grand gesture. “Claire, there’s a hundred thousand dollars in this account. Take it, buy yourself something
nice. Don’t hold back. And once the company’s crisis is over, I’ll give you even more. Just… stay with me. Don’t leave me, okay?”
At that moment, it hit me. After everything we’d been through—years of scraping by and sacrificing together–he truly believed
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I was a woman whose loyalty could be bought. That I was someone so empty, so desperate, that money was all it would take to make me stay.
I forced a smile. “Alright,” I said simply.
“I promise.”
Ryan’s face lit up, his arrogance and self- assurance shining through. He thought he’d won, that he’d convinced me to stay in his twisted version of a perfect world.
Little did he know, his delusions were already unraveling.
***
The day of Ryan and Emily’s wedding arrived in the blink of an eye. He looked triumphant, practically glowing with pride as if he’d conquered the world.
To him, this was his peak–a fairytale ending. He was marrying Emily, the young and glamorous woman who came with wealth and connections, while still
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imagining he had me waiting in the shadows, bound by our seven–year history. He truly believed he could have it all.
Emily, of course, was relentless in flaunting her happiness. Her social media was a constant stream of curated perfection: pictures of Ryan taking her camping under the stars, sharing fireworks atop a Ferris wheel and indulging in all the romantic outings I had begged him for over the
years.
He always said no back then, claiming he was too busy. But now, he had all the time
in the world for her.
And yet, he still sent me messages–photos of their dates, followed by promises like, “I’ll take you there next time, Claire. You’ll see. Just trust me.‘
Every time, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Ryan was delusional, utterly oblivious to the fact that his “perfect” life was a house of cards, teetering on the edge.
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For their wedding, he spared no expense. He booked the most luxurious banquet hall in the city, nearly draining his savings in the process. To Ryan, this was an investment—a grand gesture to cement his new life with Emily and secure the financial future he was so desperate for.
But what he didn’t realize was that his days of basking in his fantasies were numbered.
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