and I was the baggage that came with the deal. The house was enormous, a stone fortress in the most expensive

old confidence that made everyone at the table watch him. He was the heir to the family fortune, and he knew it. He barely looked at

an inconvenience from my mother' s past life. I neede

ade a

only silk nightgown I owned. I walked down the long, carpeted hallway to

of whiskey in his hand. He wasn't surprised to

ant?" he asked

hair. I took the glass from his hand and set it on the table. Th

I whi

my face. Then, a slow, cruel smile spread across his

t was the

he called to his room when he was bored or lonely. He bought me expensive things-dresses, jewelry, a car-but they felt like payments, not gifts. I lived in his world, but I wa

at I was just a toy to him. But I i

an from a family as rich and powerful as his own. Their wedding was the biggest social event of

about me and E

A well-dressed, well-fed ghost, but a ghost nonetheless. I knew I couldn't s

t. It just said, "I'm sorry." Then I walked away. I took a bus to a city where no one knew my name and disappeared

quiet, but it was mine. I worked as a waitress. I had m

day, he

spapers called him a titan of industry, a ruthless businessman who had nearly tripled his family's weal

o my table. The whol

" he

art s

and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes

nt of news cameras and thousands of people, he got down on

e giant screens. "I was a fool. I almost lost

ever dreamed of. I thought his searching, his public displ

sai

He took me to fancy parties and introduced me as Mrs. Kensington. He defied all the social rules for me. I starte

was

s clumsy and "accidentally" tripped, about to fall into a towering display of champagne glasses. Ethan mov

a quiet corridor, on the phone with a friend. I was bringing him a fresh dr

said into the phone

pau

ys finds a way to be at the center of trouble. It's in her nature

wasn't talking about me like a wife. He was talking about me like a problem. A possession he had to manage. The grand gestures, t

million pieces. The love I thought I had finally won was a lie. He still saw m

dn't cherish me. He was ashamed of me. He had put a diamond ring on my finger, bu

tion burned

I found his assistant, Chloe, standing near the bar. She was a

ton alright, Mr

cern fe

. Chloe was standing nearby and "accidentally" bumped into a wai

looking horrified. "Mrs. Ke

s was ruined. I was the center o

said through

on his face. He didn't look

here?" he asked

id, her eyes filling with tears

said, wanting the grou

d on me, and it was cold.

is voice softened. "It's not

her in front of everyone. The message was clear. She was his employ

ck at me, hi

oice low enough that only I could he

reeling. Apologize? For w

han

nded, a silent th

all those years ago. I turned to Chloe, wh

ed. The words felt li

didn't look back. I just needed to get out of there. I went to

d in my clutch

m C

bout what happened. I really hope I didn'

haking. It wasn't an apology. It wa

ilence. As we pulled up to the estate, another car, one I didn't recognize, wa

my stained dress and wash the night away. I was exhausted, emotionally drained. I decided to driv

own the long, winding driveway toward the main gate. As

ng ha

rating, heading straight for the thick stone wall that bordered the estate. Panic seized me. I

ught flashed through my mind. The car pulling away from the

of metal and shattering glas

-