For six years, Ethan Hayes kept me a secret. Today marked the eighteenth time he bailed on our wedding shoot. His excuse? Another “emergency board meeting.” I scrubbed off my flawless makeup. Stepped out of the expensive Vera Wang gown. As I was halfway out the door, a familiar voice caught my attention. It was Ethan! "Bring out your exclusive collection. Only the best for my fiancée." My heart soared. Who knew this workaholic could be so romantic? I yanked the curtain open, his name on my lips. But the manager’s flattering voice beat me to it: "Trust me, Mr. Hayes, she looks breathtaking. Hands down the most stunning bride in the city." The smile froze on my face. The manager wasn't talking about me. He was praising the woman wrapped in Ethan's arms. Chloe. The manager's eyes caught mine, then darted away. He stepped in my path, shifting uncomfortably. "Ma'am... since your partner couldn’t make it today, would you like to reschedule?" I shook my head. "Don't bother." He looked conflicted. "Just a reminder that the deposit is non-refundable. If next week is too soon, we can always push it to next month." "No need," I replied calmly. "He died in an accident today. His schedule is permanently cleared." …… All the color drained from his face. "O-Oh my god... I am so sorry. Ma'am, given the circumstances, I'll call corporate right now and make an exception to refund your—" I shook my head again. A pain like a thousand needles pierced my chest. Our relationship was a secret. No engagement party. No public announcements. Not even his closest friends knew I existed. That’s why I clung so desperately to this shoot. It was the only proof that our love was real. Six years. Eighteen broken promises. And now, here he was. Fulfilling my dream with someone else. Mistaking my silence for grief, the manager reached out to steady me. "Ma'am... are you alright?"
My voice was hoarse. "I'm fine. Keep the deposit." With that, I walked straight toward Ethan. He took a step back, eyes darting away. A bitter smirk tugged at my lips. I brushed past him and walked right out the door. That night, he came home with a bouquet of red roses. A rare sight. He forced an apologetic smile. "Ella... thank you for keeping your cool today. You know how fragile Chloe is. If you’d made a scene, she would’ve shattered." He paused, then threw me a bone: "Haven't you always wanted to go to Santorini? Once things settle down at work, I’ll take you there." A tear slipped down my cheek. This was supposed to be my dream: the flowers, the trip, the man I loved. Turns out, it was that easy. Any other day, I would have cried and thrown myself into his arms. I didn't answer. I just asked him coldly, "Why her?" Chloe. My stepsister. Together, she and her mother drove my mom to her grave. She was the person I hated most in this world. And Ethan knew that better than anyone. He could have cheated on me with anyone. But he chose her. It was the ultimate stab in the back. Tears spilled over. My voice broke. "You know I'd rather see her dead. What did I ever do to you, Ethan? Why does it have to be her?"
Ethan's patience finally snapped. "Ella, that’s ancient history! You can't blame Chloe for your mother's death. She was just a kid." "If anyone's to blame, it’s your mother. She just couldn't handle it. Giving up was her choice." My vision blurred. I stared in shock at the man who swore to protect me. How could he say something so cruel? I slapped him hard across the face. I knew then that we were done for good. "We're over." The slap shattered his calm facade. He glared at me. "I am so sick of this, Ella! Why are you always so damn obsessive? Why can't you just let this go? Your mother has been dead for ten years! Ten years of you wallowing in your own hate! You make yourself miserable, and you drag everyone else down with you!" "Your father didn't love her anymore! If she had just signed the divorce papers, things wouldn't have gotten so ugly. Her own bitterness killed her. You can't blame anyone else!"
Hearing him trash my mother, I snapped like an enraged lioness. I lunged at him, swinging my fists blindly. "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my mother!" "Those two bitches put her in the ground! They stole my life! They ruined everything!" Smack. He hit me so hard I went down. The glass table split my forehead open. Warm blood trickled down my cheek. Fear and regret flooded his eyes. He rushed forward to help me up. "Oh my god, Ella... I'm so sorry. I was just so mad. I didn't mean to. I'll take you to the hospital right now. You're going to be okay, just don't panic." His terrified eyes made me gasp. For a second, he was my Ethan again. After my mom died, my life in that blended family was hell. My father couldn't care less about me. Chloe and her mother made it their mission to break me. In those dark days, Ethan was my only lifeline. He once brought a baseball bat to my house to scare them off. He took months of grounding without a single complaint. Remembering all that... I wanted to give him one last chance. I looked up at him, begging. "Ethan... please. Just don't be with Chloe. Okay?" Ethan flinched. He opened his mouth to speak. But the phone buzzed at the worst moment. A familiar voice came through the speaker: "Ethan! My mom found out about us! She's cutting off my cards and kicking me out! You have to come save me!"
With a dramatic sob, the line went dead. Ethan bolted upright. His rush knocked me back down. He didn't even notice. The worry in his eyes was another knife to my chest. I stayed on the ground, gripping his leg. "Ethan, don't go. Please." He peeled my hand off. His face was a mess of guilt and panic. "Ella, get an Uber to urgent care and get that checked out. Chloe needs me. I have to go." Without a backward glance, he was gone. I let out a bitter laugh, letting the blood drip onto the spotless floor. Drop by drop. Chloe's mother stole my mom's husband. Now, Chloe was stealing mine. But I was not my mother. I refused to throw my life away for a man. A while later, my phone pinged. A friend request. The profile picture was Chloe. She was in my Vera Wang, kissing Ethan. They looked sickeningly in love. To see what her little game was, I hit accept. She didn't text a single word. Just sent a video. In the video, Ethan was making a promise to Chloe's mother. "Ma'am, I swear I'll never let Chloe down. I’ll give her the most spectacular wedding this city has ever seen."
"But I keep hearing Ella lives in your penthouse. You aren't... legally married, are you? My daughter will not be some homewrecker." Ethan clarified. "Ella and I have zero legal ties. She had nowhere to go, so I let her crash. She's basically just a live-in maid." "If it bothers Chloe, I'll kick her out tonight." The video cut to black. The wedding and the public acknowledgment I begged for? He handed them to her like it was nothing. Six years in the shadows, I was just a "maid" with "zero ties." Ethan buried our childhood love with his own hands. Fine. Then we're done. I dialed a number I hadn't called in years. "Aunt Catherine. Your offer... I'm in." The next morning, Ethan walked in with breakfast. He wore the same groveling smile as last night. "Ella, I waited in line just for this. Your favorite. Blueberry muffin and an oat milk latte. Come eat." I am allergic to blueberries. But Chloe? These were her favorite.
Years ago, Chloe found out about my allergy. She spiked my food with blueberry jam. My throat closed up. I broke out in hives. I nearly went into anaphylactic shock. And yet, she went crying to my dad, claiming I was being "greedy." My dad screamed at me first. Took me to the ER second. When Ethan and I got together, he swore off blueberries to protect me. The fruit was banned from our apartment. And now, he forgot. I smacked the muffin out of his hand. Ethan’s jaw tightened. "Ella, I bought you breakfast to apologize. What more do you want from me?" I looked him dead in the eye. "I'm allergic to blueberries." It finally clicked. A flash of guilt crossed his face. "Sorry, I was in a rush this morning. I forgot. What do you want? I'll go back." "Don't bother. You remembered Chloe's favorite just fine." My mockery hit a nerve. His face hardened. "Drop the attitude. Look at our circle. What guy in my position actually stays faithful?" "Six years, and I’ve only ever stepped out with Chloe. You should be grateful. At least I gave you the title of being a Hayes's." I froze. I couldn't believe he'd say something so disgusting. Caught red-handed, with no remorse. Expecting me to look the other way like a good little girlfriend. Pure insanity. Was I supposed to be grateful to be his dirty little secret? And just let him cheat?
Taking my silence as surrender, he softened his tone. "Good girl. You're smart. You know what's best for you." "I already promised Chloe's mother a wedding. Her mom would destroy her if I backed out. But don't worry—you'll always be the special one to me." "My estate on Long Island is ready. It's quiet. Just lay low there while I handle the wedding. I'll visit you all the time, I swear." He finally said it. I looked straight at him. "No need. We're—" Before I could even finish, he cut me off. "Oh, save it, Ella. Who else do you even have? Stop acting tough." "I'm running late. Pack your things and head over." I shook my head and started packing in silence. Erasing every trace of my existence in this place. I pulled out my phone to book a moving van. Then, a message popped up.
A scanned copy of a marriage certificate. The two people on it were Ethan and Chloe. With shaking hands, I dug out my own "marriage certificate." I held them side by side. My legs completely gave out. Real certificates had City Hall's embossed seal and the clerk's signature. The one in my hands had nothing. Just a forged piece of trash. We were never married. All those times he called me "his woman," "his wife"? It was all a sick joke. I laughed until I cried. The man who protected me since childhood trapped me in a lie for six damn years. "You know why Ethan faked that certificate?" Chloe stepped out, smirking. "Because you're not good enough for him. So he hid you away. Never brought you around friends or family. If anyone asked? You were nothing but a free maid." "Ella, your mother couldn't beat mine. And you sure as hell can't beat me." She grabbed me by the collar. Pure malice in her eyes. "Don't you hate homewreckers? Take a look at yourself. You're the dirty little secret! You're the mistress!"
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