1 She tricked me into going abroad, then held a lavish engagement party with her first love back home. I saw it on a stranger’s phone, watching as she placed the wedding ring I’d commissioned for us onto her ex-boyfriend’s hand. The guests gasped. “So he’s the one Ms. Vance truly loves!” Cora Vance smiled, not denying it. She announced that Specter, the prize stallion, would be her gift to him upon their marriage. A bitter smile touched my lips. With a heart heavy with exhaustion, I teleported home. What Cora didn't know was that I came from a thousand years in the past, here only to repay an ancient debt to her family. Specter wasn’t just a horse; he was my companion, my family. I had given him to her as a gift on the day we registered our marriage. Now, watching their fingers intertwined, a deep weariness washed over me. A thousand-year promise, a dream shattered in a single moment. It was time for Specter and me to go home. … Cora clearly hadn't anticipated that I could teleport, a feat far faster than any airplane. By the time I returned, she had successfully proposed to Patrick Sutton. Photos of their blissful union were still cycling on the hotel's massive outdoor screen. I was sitting in the office of the Temporal Agent, watching it all unfold. The agent, Jasper, was trembling before me. “Sir, are you sure? Perhaps Ms. Vance has her reasons…” I pointed a finger at the intimate photos on the screen outside. “Do you think I’m blind, Agent?” He shook his head frantically, trying to salvage the situation. “But Ms. Vance gave strict orders to have everything restored to normal before your return! She still cares for you, sir, she does…” I held up a hand, cutting him off. My voice was sharp, laced with ice. “You insignificant agent. A few days as Cora Vance’s assistant and you’ve forgotten your true duty? Your true identity?” I knew what she was doing. Patrick was her childhood crush, the one that got away. Now that he was back, they were giving their 'what if' a perfect, storybook ending. This engagement party was their gift to themselves. She had coaxed me into taking a trip abroad precisely to keep me in the dark while she pursued this reckless affair. She wanted to give him a love that was bold and public, while I, her legal husband, was kept hidden in the shadows. But I saw. And I would not tolerate such impurity in my bond. If Cora chose him, she could have nothing to do with me. With a trembling hand, the agent stamped my departure papers. He informed me the process would still take seven days. I slammed my palm on his desk, and it exploded into splinters. “Seven days is too long. You have three.” I turned and left, his panicked stomping and muttered complaints echoing behind me. “Oh, Ms. Vance, what have you done? You foolish, foolish woman. It’s all over now. You can live with your regret.” Outside, I teleported to a high vantage point, one that gave me a perfect view of the hotel where they were celebrating. The guests had all departed. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling window, I saw Cora and Patrick, their gazes locked in a heated embrace. After downing glass after glass of champagne, Cora, feigning intoxication, had melted into his arms. I saw a flicker of conflict in her eyes, but it was fleeting. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and they staggered together toward the presidential suite on the top floor. Even though I knew it was over, I pulled out my phone and called her. “Cora. Where are you? Do you miss me?” Her voice, laced with guilt, trembled. “Julian! I’m at home, of course. And I miss you so much. I wish I could just fly to my darling husband’s side right now.” A cold laugh escaped me. Is that so? Then I’ll grant your wish. “Then come pick me up. I’m at the airport.” Cora shot to her feet, her eyes darting to Patrick on the bed. Her brow furrowed. “Julian, your flight wasn’t supposed to land until tomorrow night. Why don’t you head home first? I just got an urgent message from the office, I have an emergency meeting.” “Fine,” I said, and hung up, a glacial chill seeping into my bones. I had given her a chance. She chose Patrick. The moment she hung up, Cora was barking orders at her subordinates, having them scrub the videos from every screen in the city and manage the fallout. From the bed, Patrick called her name in a husky voice. She turned, gently pulling the covers over him. That was all the encouragement he needed. He pulled her down, his mouth finding hers. Without a moment’s hesitation, Cora let her hair down, unzipped her dress, and became entangled with him. To say the sight didn't wound me would be a lie. But more than the pain, there was a profound sense of release. After wandering for so long, my heart yearned for my true family, a thousand years away. Finally, I could leave. The sight of their bodies entwined disgusted me. I had no interest in watching further. I turned and went back to the home Cora and I once shared. As I was gathering my few belongings, a picture message arrived. It was from Patrick. It was a photo of him and Cora, locked in a passionate kiss, his chest covered in love bites. A caption followed. “Has she ever been this wild with you, Julian? We went through two boxes.” A sharp pang of pain shot through me, but I have never been one to suffer in silence. I replied with a photo of my own. “I don’t know about Cora, but I’ve certainly seen pictures of you getting wild with that heiress in Monaco.” Message sent. I could almost picture Patrick’s sleepless night. It brought me a small measure of satisfaction. And for the first time in a long time, I slept soundly. 2 The next day, after clearing my things from the house, I went to the stables to retrieve Specter. He was more than a horse; he was family, a companion from my own time. He had once saved Cora's life when she’d nearly been thrown from another horse. She had always doted on him, even building him a private, state-of-the-art equestrian center. But no matter. I could part with everything else, but not Specter. I had to take him back to our own time, where our family was waiting. The moment I teleported to the stables, I heard his pained whinny. I rushed forward, and the sight that met my eyes made my blood boil with fury. Specter was chained, and Patrick, wielding a barbed whip he’d found somewhere, was lashing it into the horse’s flesh. His eyes were vicious, every strike meant to inflict maximum pain. “What is this ugly beast?” he snarled between blows. “You think this is a worthy gift? You worthless animal. One day, I’ll throw you and your pathetic owner out on your asses.” He spat. “That bastard Julian dares to threaten me with photos? I’ve already had the evidence destroyed. Let’s see him try that again!” Specter screamed in agony, his glossy coat now matted with blood that dripped onto the pristine grass, forming a horrifying pool. I nearly went mad. I flashed forward, grabbing Patrick and landing a series of brutal punches to his face. He yelped in terror, his bravado vanishing the moment he saw my murderous expression. “Julian? How are you here? No, I’m sorry, please, don’t hit me!” I sneered, raising the whip to strike him down. But before it could fall, a hand caught my wrist. It was Cora. The second Patrick saw his protector had arrived, he collapsed into a heap, crying and pointing a trembling finger at me. “Cora, save me! Julian’s gone insane! He’s trying to kill me with the whip!” Cora didn’t even spare me a glance. She rushed to Patrick’s side, comforting him. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. He won’t dare touch you.” Finally, she looked up at me, her voice as cold as a winter storm. “Julian. What is the meaning of this?” I pointed at Specter’s bleeding form and told her exactly what Patrick had done. Patrick panicked, his face a mask of feigned innocence. “Cora, I didn’t mean to! Specter was acting up, he kicked me in the stomach. I just lost my temper and tapped him a few times… I grabbed the wrong whip by mistake! I really didn’t mean it…” The excuse was ludicrous. But Cora believed him. She lifted his shirt to inspect his abdomen, where a faint red mark was visible. Her gaze turned back to me, frigid with disappointment. “Julian, Specter is just an animal. So what if Patrick hit him? It wouldn’t matter if he killed him. How can you compare a beast to a person? You shouldn’t have taken advantage of my affection for you to attack Patrick. Now, apologize to him. Immediately.” Her words struck me like a physical blow. Specter had saved her life, and now she was calling him a beast. A hollow laugh escaped me. “Apologize? Fine. On one condition: we get a divorce.” At the mention of divorce, Cora flew into a rage. “Julian, have you not caused enough trouble? You want a divorce over something so trivial? Can you stop being so unreasonable?” “Unreasonable? Why don’t you check the security cameras? Then we’ll see who’s being unreasonable.” At the mention of cameras, Patrick, who had been enjoying the show, went pale. “Cora, it’s fine, I’m okay… Don’t fight with Julian because of me…” He grimaced, struggling to his feet. Cora rushed to support him, glaring at me. “Julian, Patrick is being the bigger person here by not pressing the issue. I don’t want to argue with you. Go home and think about what you’ve done.” She helped Patrick walk away. Once they were a safe distance, he turned and flipped me the middle finger. I walked to Specter and unfastened his chains, whispering in his ear. “Well, old friend. How would you like a little revenge?” Specter understood. With a triumphant cry, he shot forward like an arrow, closing the distance to Cora and Patrick in a heartbeat. A single, powerful kick sent them both sprawling face-first into the mud. I nearly doubled over, clutching my stomach with laughter. Cora stared at me, her eyes blazing with fury. Patrick, on the other hand, was more cunning. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the ground in a dramatic faint. Cora panicked, rushing him to her family’s hospital in a flurry of activity. I sighed, stroking Specter’s muzzle as he trotted back to my side. “Well, old friend,” I murmured. “I think we might be in a bit of trouble.” 3 When the test results came back, a weary Cora called me. “Julian, look what your precious beast has done. The doctor says Patrick was kicked so hard in the groin he might never be able to have children. This is your fault. You need to come to the hospital and apologize. If you do it for my sake, perhaps Patrick will forgive you.” My hand holding the phone trembled slightly. Specter was intelligent; he would never have truly harmed Patrick. Besides, even I, an outsider, knew that Patrick had spent years planting his own people within the Vance family’s hospital network. Forging a medical report would be child’s play. When I arrived at the hospital, a group of doctors glared at me with contempt. “For one man to command a beast to attack another… Mr. Thorne, your cruelty knows no bounds.” “Tch. Everyone knows he’s just jealous that Mr. Sutton was Ms. Vance’s first love.” I ignored them, my eyes fixed on Cora, who was silently feeding Patrick soup, refusing to look at me. She hadn’t told anyone about our secret marriage, and it was clear she had no intention of explaining now. Thinking of the life debt my ancestors owed hers, I could tolerate being nameless, but Specter was my line in the sand. An apology was out of the question. But I was willing to offer compensation. “Cora, this all started because Patrick attacked Specter first. He was in the wrong. However, I am willing to give him this hospital as compensation…” Before I could finish, Patrick’s face went white. He burst into tears. “Cora, he’s cursing me! I’m a healthy man, why would I want a hospital? I just want that horse dead! Or I want it gutted…” He was shouting hysterically. Cora held him, soothing him. “Alright, alright, Patrick, don’t get excited. I promise, whatever you want…”
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