Chapter 1

A kidnapper's knife pressed against my neck, and the phone on the other end was on speakerphone.

I heard my fiancé Liam Mitchell's impatient voice. "She's a hassle. Kill her if you want to."

On the other end of the line was his first crush, Eleanor Baker, her laughter light and sweet, while outside the window, the entire city lit up with fireworks set off for her.

I closed my eyes. Right before the blade could break my skin, I whispered, "Do it. Don't let him hear me cry."

*****

The abandoned warehouse reeked of mold and blood. I was tied to a chair, unable to move an inch.

Right in front of me, the kidnapper held up his phone, screen glowing, switched to speakerphone.

The call went through.

"Hello, Liam," I managed, my voice dry.

There was a lot of noise in the background. Music, laughter, and somewhere in the distance, the sound of fireworks went off.

"Lily? What are you up to now?" Liam Mitchell's voice was as impatient as ever.

"I've been kidnapped," I said.

The kidnapper shoved the phone in my face, his voice harsh and menacing. "Mr. Mitchell, your fiancée is in my hands. Prepare 3 million, or else..."

Before he could finish, Liam cut him off, "3 million?"

He snorted, pure disbelief in his tone. "Is she really worth that much?"

It felt like an invisible hand clenched my heart, the pain so intense that I could barely breathe.

The kidnapper was caught off guard, clearly not expecting that answer.

He turned to me, his eyes full of mockery. "Mr. Mitchell, what do you mean?"

Just then, a sweet, girly voice cut in from the other end. "Liam, who's on the phone? Come on, the fireworks are starting."

It was Eleanor Baker, the one Liam had been secretly in love with for seven years. She came back three days ago.

Liam's voice turned gentle, filled with a tenderness I'd never heard from him before. "Someone dialed the wrong number. I'll be right there."

After placating Eleanor, Liam turned back to the phone, his patience completely gone. "She's a hassle. Kill her if you want to."

A thunderous burst echoed through the air. It wasn't a gunshot. It was a huge firework exploding in the night sky outside.

The sudden flash lit up the warehouse's shattered window, and for a moment, my pale face was illuminated.

I could hear Eleanor clapping and cheering on the other end of the line. "Liam, it's so beautiful."

"Do you like it? It's all for you," Liam replied.

So, all those fireworks lighting up the city tonight were for Eleanor, while I was a hassle he could toss aside without a second thought.

The kidnapper was stunned by the call. He looked at me, then at his phone. "Wait, your fiancé abandoned you?"

I didn't say a word. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I stubbornly held them back.

The kidnapper looked like his pride had been wounded, rage boiling up inside him.

"Damn it, you play me for a fool." He raised his knife, the blade catching the fireworks' glare, looking even more menacing. "Since he's not paying up, there's no use for you anymore."

The cold blade was pressed right against my throat.

I closed my eyes. Right before the blade broke my skin, with the last bit of strength I had left, I whispered into the phone, which was still on the line, "Do it. Don't let him hear me cry."

After saying that, I used every ounce of strength I had and pressed myself against the blade. It was better to end it myself than be abandoned by him. This was my last shred of dignity.

The death I thought was coming never happened. At the last second, the kidnapper's wrist jerked aside. The blade sliced across my arm instead of my neck.

My resolve must've freaked him out. He started cursing under his breath as he withdrew the knife. "You're crazy."

He yanked the cloth from my mouth, untied the ropes, and kicked me hard, sending me sprawling onto the floor. "Damn my luck. Get lost."

I collapsed onto the cold floor, my arm stinging from the gash as blood streamed out. But I barely felt it.

The pain in my body was nothing compared to the heartbreak inside me.

Bracing myself against the floor, I shakily got to my feet and, step by step, made my way out of that hellish warehouse.

Outside, the fireworks were still going off. One after another, they lit up the night sky, illuminating my lonely, disheveled silhouette.

I wandered, not knowing how long I'd been walking or where I was supposed to go. Until everything suddenly went dark, I blacked out completely.

*****

When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital room. The ceiling was white, and the air reeked of disinfectant.

My arm was wrapped up tight, and an IV dangled nearby.

A young doctor in a white coat stood at my bedside. When he saw I was awake, he asked kindly, "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"You lost a lot of blood, so you are really weak right now. You need to rest," he said gently, handing me a cup of warm water. "I'm Oscar Peterson, your attending physician."

I quietly took the water and whispered, "Thank you."

Oscar looked at me with a searching, compassionate gaze. "Where's your family?"

I shook my head. I didn't have any family.

The TV in the hospital room was on, playing the local news. "Last night, the Mitchell Group held a spectacular fireworks show at Victenwa Harbour to celebrate the return of Eleanor Baker, heiress of the Baker Group, after completing her studies abroad."

On the screen, Liam was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, with Eleanor standing beside him in a white dress.

The way he looked at her was the kind of tenderness I'd spent three years longing for, but never received from him.

A reporter held out a microphone to him. "Mr. Mitchell, are you and Ms. Baker getting married soon?"

Liam didn't deny it. He smiled and gently wrapped his arm around Eleanor, "Thank you all for your concern."

I turned off the TV.

Oscar looked at me, didn't say a word, and gently made sure the blanket was snug around me. "Rest up, okay?"

Quiet settled over the hospital room once more.

I lay in bed, eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

In one night, I went from being Liam's fiancée to nothing but a laughingstock.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. The screen lit up with Liam's name.

I stared at that name like it was something disgusting. It rang for a long time, but I didn't pick up. Eventually, the call ended on its own.

Soon, the hospital room door was flung open.

Liam walked in with his usual air of superiority, impatience written all over his face. "Lily, are you pulling that disappearing act again?"

Liam's gaze swept around the hospital room, finally settling on me.

When he saw me in a hospital gown, looking sickly and pale, he scowled, with no concern in his voice, only accusation, "How did you end up like this?"

It felt like he was blaming me for being a hassle to him.

I looked at him and suddenly found it all so laughable.

We'd been engaged for three years. Like a servant, I took care of his daily needs, tried to win over his family, gave up my dream of being an artist, and spent all my time revolving around him.

I thought if I tried hard enough, I could finally warm up his heart of stone. But now I realized the problem wasn't his cold heart. His warmth was never mine to begin with.

"Say something," he said, walking over to the bed and looking down at me.

I forced a smile, my voice rough. "Mr. Mitchell, do you need something?"

He didn't like being called that. "Lily, stop acting up. Why didn't you show up at the Mitchell family dinner last night? Do you have any idea how furious Grandpa was?"

Family dinner? I nearly burst out laughing. So last night wasn't a fireworks party for Eleanor's homecoming. It was also a Mitchell family party, a family dinner where the fiancée wasn't even invited.

"Why didn't I show up?" I looked up at him, making sure he heard every word. "Don't you know?"

His frown deepened. "Should I know something?"

Seeing how completely clueless he was, I felt utterly dead inside.

He hadn't even taken the kidnapper's call seriously. Or maybe, he never cared if I lived or died.

"Let's break off the engagement," I said, my voice so steady that it was as if it had nothing to do with me.

Liam froze. He probably expected me to break down and beg, or make a scene like I always did. But he never saw me being this calm coming.

He narrowed his eyes, sizing me up, like he was trying to figure out what trick I was pulling this time. "Lily, do you even realize what you're saying?"

"I'm perfectly clear," I said, meeting his gaze with no trace of affection or humility. "Liam, I'm done with you."

That really hit him where it hurt, wounding his ego. His face darkened instantly. "Who do you think you are? You think you can get engaged and break it off whenever you please? Lily, don't get too full of yourself."

Just then, the hospital room door swung open again. Eleanor walked in, carrying a fancy gift box.

When she saw Liam, she immediately flashed a sweet smile. "Liam, I heard Ms. Clark was sick, so I came to check on her."

Then she turned to me, her face full of innocent concern. "Ms. Clark, are you okay? He tried calling you over and over last night, but you never answered. Liam was practically worried sick about you."

As she spoke, she slipped her arm through Liam's, acting all sweet and intimate. "It's all my fault. I had to drag Liam to watch the fireworks. Otherwise, he could've come looking for you sooner."

She was so fake.

I looked at her, my voice icy as I said, "Oh, really? Thanks a lot."

Eleanor's face froze for a second, but she quickly slipped back into her helpless act, her eyes turning teary as she looked up at Liam. "Liam, did I say something wrong?"

Liam instantly moved to shield her, shooting me a glare. "Lily, have you lost your mind? Eleanor came all the way here to see you, and this is how you treat her?"