Chapter 3
This was the little apartment we called home when Leon first left the Payne family and started his own business.
I decorated it myself, and there were reminders of the time we were in love everywhere.
Those were the best days of my life. Even now, when all he had for me was indifference, just thinking back still brought me a bit of comfort.
For days, Leon didn't reach out to me.
But with all those headlines making the rounds, I could pretty much piece together his schedule.
Two days ago, he dropped a fortune on a villa for Sylvie.
Yesterday, he made a splash at an auction, blowing millions on a pink diamond to see her smile.
This morning, he brought her along to a Payne family event.
The media was already speculating that Leon and Sylvie were about to get engaged, and that she might be the next Mrs. Payne.
Some even claimed Leon and I were already divorced, and that pink diamond was meant to be Sylvie's engagement ring.
Back then, I would've been furious, annoyed at their baseless rumors and lack of professionalism.
But now, I just opened the video and silently hit the like button.
On the sixth day, just one day before Leon's big proposal, I went to see my mom at the nursing home.
She'd worn herself out raising me all by herself, and what happened to me three years ago hit her so hard that it was the last straw.
Overnight, half her hair turned white, and then Alzheimer's crept in.
Her memories were stuck in the days before I got married.
She said, "Ruby, where's Leon? Are you mad at him again?
"But it's okay. He'll be here soon to cheer you up. My precious girl, as long as he's around, I don't have to worry about you.
"With him by your side, you can keep working toward your dream of being a designer."
I smiled and nodded at her, but before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.
I couldn't bring myself to tell her that Leon would ever come to comfort me again, that Leon had stopped loving me a long time ago.
Because of him, my hands could no longer create. I couldn't even pick up a pen to draw anymore.
Early on the seventh day, I packed up my things and made my way to the foot of Ruskina Mountain.
Every detail at the venue was recreated exactly as it had been for our grand wedding.
The scene from those years was brought back to life, but this time, Leon was making those memories with someone else.
There were the same flowers, the same decorations, but the groom who once caused a stir with a gun was now kneeling reverently at Sylvie's feet.
Leon was clearly drunk, but there was none of the happiness everyone expected in his eyes.
While everyone else was caught up in the grand celebration, he walked over to me with a glass in hand, his eyes a little red, like he'd been holding back tears.
He said, "Ruby, all of this was meant for you, but you threw it all away.
"You never deserved my love, not ever!"
At first, all I wanted was for his love to last a little longer. But in the end, I selfishly wished he'd love me forever.
My voice was rough as I asked the question that had been eating at me for ages.
"Can you tell me why?" I whispered.
Leon shut his eyes, as if he was fighting back some deep pain.
"Because..." he started.
"Mr. Payne, Ms. Wallace is gone! Someone saw her get snatched by a bunch of guys!" someone shouted.
Everyone started freaking out.
Leon grabbed his guys and rushed after the car that had taken Sylvie.
I watched Leon's figure fade into the distance, then grabbed my suitcase and headed straight for the airport.
Right before I could board, several bodyguards suddenly appeared and hauled me off.
They brought me back to the foot of Ruskina Mountain, to a cabin just a stone's throw from the proposal's venue.
Sylvie clung to Leon, her eyes red from crying, but when she glanced at me, there was nothing but venom in her stare.
She accused me, her voice trembling dramatically. "Mrs. Payne is just jealous of me. That's why she paid people to kidnap me.
"I was scared out of my mind! If you guys hadn't shown up when you did, who knows what they would've done to me..."
I shot back without thinking.
But the kidnappers were long gone, and nobody had any evidence.
Leon's suspicious gaze made Sylvie fidget nervously with her dress, sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Just as the tension hung in the air, she suddenly noticed the suitcase by my feet, her eyes lighting up.
She jabbed a finger at me and yelled, "You still won't admit it? If you weren't feeling guilty, why were you trying to run?
"Look, you even packed your bags to escape after! And you still claim it wasn't you?"
Leon noticed my suitcase too, and his face fell. Without hesitation, he barked for someone to open it.
My passport and a bunch of documents were scattered all over the floor. Leon's expression grew so dark that it was almost scary.
"Mind telling me what's going on, Ruby? Who are you so desperate to run off to?" he demanded.
"No one," I said coolly.
My indifferent reply only pushed Leon over the edge. Without caring about my protests, he grabbed my passport and ripped it to pieces right there.
He snapped, "You're not going anywhere without my say-so!
"You think you can just walk away? Over my dead body. We're not done here."
They all thought they were supposed to be dealing with Sylvie's kidnapping right then.
Sylvie, realizing what was really going on, glared at me, her eyes sharp as knives.