My parents died in a car accident, leaving me orphaned at a young age. It was my neighbor, Asher Reed, who took me in, adopting me from the orphanage and caring for me for seven long years. I thought of him as family—until the night of my birthday party, when he got drunk, stumbled into my room, and left me with more than just memories. He made me pregnant with his child.
With the positive pregnancy test tucked in my pocket, I went to his company, hoping to confront him. But I wasn’t prepared for what I saw: Asher and his first love, Dorothy Morgan, locked in a passionate kiss in his office. My heart sank, my fingertips turning icy, as a whirlwind of emotions crashed over me—betrayal, anger, disbelief.
When he finally noticed me standing there, his face darkened, not with guilt but irritation. “Didn’t I tell you not to come here unless you had a reason?” he snapped, annoyed at being interrupted.
Dorothy, her face flushed, quickly adjusted her collar and whimpered in her usual delicate voice, “Asher, my water pipes broke at home... can I stay at your place for a few days?”
Asher barely spared me a glance before shoving a bank card into my hand. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to travel? Here, take this. Go enjoy yourself for a while.”
He pushed me out the door without a second thought. As I stood outside, the sounds of laughter and celebration echoed from within, each cheer like a knife twisting in my heart.
Later, I did as he asked. I aborted the child and left his life for good. Lying on the cold, sterile operating table, staring at the harsh, blinding lights above me, life felt unbearably cruel. I remembered the excitement I had felt when I first found out I was pregnant. Now, that same hope felt like a distant, mocking memory.
——
The nurse's eyes, full of pity and sympathy, had burned through me just moments before. I still felt the sting of shame on my face. The procedure required a family member's signature, and, for a fleeting moment, I thought of Asher. I called him several times, but he rejected every call without hesitation.
I let out a bitter laugh. At least this way, I don't have to worry about him finding out.
The operation itself was quick, but it felt like an eternity.
As the anesthetic wore off and the numbness in my body faded, my phone rang. It was Asher.
“Ingrid, I won’t be in touch for a while. Don’t contact me either. I don’t want Dorothy getting the wrong idea.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but all I heard was the sharp click of the call ending. He hung up without waiting for a word. He often calls me Gigi, my childhood nickname. I knew he was pissed off.
Images of Dorothy flooded my mind—her flushed face as she clung to him, beaming at the new necklace he'd gifted her. Once, I believed that necklace might’ve been meant for me, a surprise waiting to be revealed. But it was all just my delusion, wasn’t it? How foolish I’d been, thinking he would remember the warmth of that night, that it meant anything to him.
I left the hospital, stepping into the harsh bite of the cold wind. Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I shivered, my body weak and my steps uncertain. With trembling fingers, I dialed a number I’d been holding onto for too long.
“Boss,” I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind inside me, “I’ve decided. I'll take up your offer to establish the overseas branch.”
An old, familiar voice crackled on the other end of the line, filled with excitement.
“Ah, Ingrid! I’ve been waiting for this call for a long time,” the boss said, his tone warm and enthusiastic. “You’re young, talented, and have such a sharp business mind. I’ve always admired your potential.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, “When you resigned so suddenly, it really caught me off guard. We had to put the overseas expansion plans on hold. But now that you're ready, we can move forward.”
“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll handle your flights and accommodations. Just focus on getting there.”
Within minutes, a text message arrived with the details—my flight was booked, scheduled to leave in a week.
When I told my best friend I was leaving, her face tightened with worry. “Does Asher know about this? Don’t forget, just last month when he couldn’t find you, he nearly tore my door down.”
A shiver ran through me at the memory. I had stayed at her place for a few days without telling him, and my phone had broken, cutting off all communication. Asher went into a frenzy, mobilizing his entire group to search for me as if I had vanished from the face of the earth. He even offered a massive reward, millions, just to find my whereabouts. When he finally showed up at my best friend’s house, he was furious, threatening to have the place torn apart.
At the time, I thought his extreme reaction was because he cared deeply for me. I even felt a secret thrill, convinced it was because he couldn’t stand the thought of losing me. But now, in hindsight, I see how naïve I was.
He had said it himself—he only ever saw me as a sister, nothing more. His actions, which I mistook for affection, were just the concern of a brother for a sibling. To the world, he played the part of the caring, protective brother to someone unrelated by blood. But I knew the truth. His heart had always tilted toward Dorothy.
And when the day of their wedding arrives, I will likely be forgotten, left wandering like a stray dog with no place to call home.
Not wanting to cause any trouble for my best friend, I checked into a random hotel, hoping to disappear for a while. After tossing my things aside, I took a quick photo of the room and sent it to her, just to let her know I was safe. Then, I collapsed onto the bed, my body heavy with exhaustion from everything I had been through.
The weariness hit me like a wave. With my strength already drained, sleep came quickly and without effort, pulling me under.
At some point, my phone began to vibrate—over and over—but I was too deep in sleep to notice. It wasn’t until a loud crash echoed through the room, the sound of the door being forced open, that I jolted awake.
Chapter 2When I was jolted awake, I was still in a daze, my mind struggling to catch up with the chaos around me. I blinked, confused, as I saw Asher standing in the doorway. His face, initially panicked, softened into a strange mix of relief and frustration.
"Ingrid!" he scolded, his voice sharp. "You did this on purpose, didn’t you? It made me think you were so depressed that you wanted to take sleeping pills and—" He stopped, eyes narrowing. "Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were trying to kill yourself!"
I glanced toward the table and saw a bottle of sleeping pills. That’s when I realized what had happened—he’d misunderstood. The photo I meant to send to my best friend must have somehow ended up on Asher’s phone.
After my parents’ death, I’d struggled with mild depression and sometimes needed sleeping pills to make it through the night. He knew that. And seeing the pills now, he must’ve jumped to conclusions, thinking I was about to take my own life.
As I looked at his face, still marked with traces of fear, a memory flashed in my mind—of the time, just a month ago, when he had vanished. He left without a word, no phone number, no message, and was unreachable for half a month.
I searched everywhere for him, calling relentlessly, but all I got was the cold, unfeeling sound of a busy tone. Desperate, I went to his company, only to be stonewalled by his secretary: "His whereabouts are confidential, no comment."
For half a month, I faced the suffocating darkness of the night alone, haunted by nightmares and growing thinner with each passing day. When he finally returned, all he said was that it had been a joke—an offhand remark that shattered me.
I wonder if he realizes how I felt back then. Maybe now he can understand.
As I lowered my gaze, I noticed his mismatched socks, one blue and one black, and a wave of unexpected warmth washed over me. Despite everything, he still cared enough to come rushing here, even in his disarray.
I couldn’t help but think back to that day at my parents' gravesite, when he held me close and promised to take care of me forever. His voice had been so gentle then, soothing in a way that made me feel safe for the first time in a long while. It was a light in the darkness of my life, a flicker of hope.
In that moment, I truly believed I would spend the rest of my life as his wife.
But reality always delivers a crushing blow just when I start to hope.
His voice, sharp and full of accusation, shattered my illusions completely.
"Ingrid, when did you become so manipulative?"
Asher raised his hand to his face, examining his fingers stained with blood. He sniffed deliberately, then glanced at the blood on the bed sheets with a deep frown.
"First, you fake taking sleeping pills, and now this? You went as far as getting blood from somewhere to stage this scene?" His voice dripped with disbelief. "It looks pretty convincing, I’ll give you that." He scoffed, his tone cutting. "Is all of this just to get my attention? What is it you want from me?"
His next words hit like a blow. "You’ve disappointed me beyond words."
My heart sank. I stood frozen as his expression shifted into a deep frustration, thinking I had staged the entire scene to manipulate him. He didn’t know the truth—that the blood was from the operation.
I could barely process it. I remembered a time when the tiniest cut on my finger would have him frantic with worry, holding my hand like it was the most precious thing in the world. His eyes would fill with panic, and he’d act as though my smallest wound was a catastrophe. But now, there was nothing—just cold suspicion.
My chest tightened with a grief I could barely contain, and I struggled to hold back the tremor that threatened to take over my body.
I forced a smile, the effort feeling foreign on my face, and pushed him gently.
"I'm sorry for being so willful. You should go back to your sister-in-law."
I had never spoken to him so politely before.
Asher's expression shifted, uncertainty clouding his features.
"Don’t be like this. You’re just trying to get a rise out of me, right? We’ve learned to retreat in order to advance."
He paused, his demeanor softening as he added, "Forget it. Just come back with me. Dorothy has been asking about you. She’s always wanted a sister."
"I need to keep an eye on you, so you don’t get mixed up with the wrong crowd and learn things you shouldn’t."
But I had made my decision, and there was no way I could go back.
When he saw my indifference, his frustration flared.
"What else do you want from me? I’ve treated you like a sister and taken care of you all these years. Don’t push your luck."
Push my luck? To make him and Dorothy happy, I had chosen to have an abortion and leave quietly. Was that being pushy?
"I think we should separate for a while. I plan to move out."
Asher stared at me, disbelief etched across his face, as if he were trying to confirm that I wasn’t serious.
"Are you kidding? Just because I didn’t pay enough attention to you? Can you stop with the games?"
I met his gaze with calm resolve.
"I'm not playing games."
Chapter 3Just as we reached an impasse, a flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Asher turned to the window, worry etched on his face.
"I left Dorothy behind to find you," he said, frustration lacing his voice. "She’s terrified of thunder. Don’t be so ungrateful."
His patience was wearing thin as he yanked me toward the door.
As we moved through the hotel lobby, curious onlookers pointed and recorded us, eager to share the spectacle online.
Breaking news: The president of Reed Enterprises is about to get married—and he’s caught entangled with his mistress in a hotel!
The rumors spread like wildfire. I gritted my teeth against the sharp pain in my lower abdomen, beads of sweat forming on my forehead, but Asher remained oblivious to my distress.
After he shoved me into the car and started the engine, a chilling drop of rain splattered against the window.
Midway through our drive, Asher’s phone rang—it was Dorothy. The sound of her sobs filled the car as he answered.
“Asher, I’m in the hospital. I cut my finger.”
“I wanted to make you a midnight snack, but I wasn’t careful… Am I really that useless?”
“Asher, I’m scared of the thunder. Where are you?”
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll be there soon!”
As Asher heard about her injury, panic surged through him, and he slammed on the brakes, his heart racing. Suddenly, the car jolted forward, and the violent impact knocked him dizzy.
The force tore her wound open further, blood seeping from her lower body and soaking through her white dress, turning it crimson. Yet, in his frantic concern for Dorothy, Asher remained oblivious to her distress.
With an expressionless face, he yanked her out of the car. “Get out. Walk back by yourself. I need to get to the hospital.”
I glanced around, taking in the deserted mountain road that loomed around us, cloaked in darkness and filled with an unsettling quiet.
“Asher, it’s late at night, and it’s about to rain. Can you please—”
“No, you figure it out yourself.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond, throwing his words at me like daggers before slamming the accelerator and speeding away.
As the taillights vanished into the night, my eyes brimmed with mist, uncertain if it was rain or tears that blurred my vision. I stumbled along the dark mountain road, each step dragging my bleeding body forward. My heart ached like a knife twisting deeper, pain radiating through my exhausted limbs.
Physically and mentally drained, the night felt as dark as my thoughts. Just as I forced myself to move again, heavy rain began to pour down, drenching me in cold despair. With every passing moment, I felt the warmth of my blood seeping out, panic tightening its grip around my chest. I had no choice but to call Asher for help.
Before I could utter a word, his voice exploded through the phone, impatient and cutting. “Ingrid, are you done yet? I took you in because I felt sorry for you. Do you really think you’re a nobody?”
“I’m busy going to the hospital to take care of Dorothy! I don’t have time to talk to you. Don’t contact me again!”
After he hung up, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. My vision dimmed, and I stumbled, unable to hold on any longer. Darkness engulfed me, and I collapsed in the relentless rain.
When I finally regained consciousness, all I saw was a cold, sterile white. I lay in a hospital bed, dressed in a thin gown, while a nurse adjusted my IV.
From her, I learned that a man had brought me to the hospital. For a fleeting moment, warmth flooded my heart at the thought that it might be Asher, but as the nurse began to describe the man’s appearance, I realized how naïve I had been.
Physically and mentally drained, I spent a few days in the hospital, recovering in the dull monotony of white walls and soft beeping machines. But when I finally approached the front desk to settle my medical bills, a wave of dread washed over me. My bank card was suspended.
I scrolled through my call logs, my heart sinking as bitterness coursed through me. Not only had he cut off contact, but he had also suspended my card. It was clear he was genuinely furious with me.
Yet, I was too stubborn to grovel for his help again. Instead, I reached out to my best friend for a loan to cover my hospital expenses. With borrowed money in hand, I grabbed my luggage and stepped out of the hospital, ready to face whatever came next.
The nurses behind me whispered about my desolation, their voices dripping with judgment.
“I heard she was a mistress who got pregnant by someone else’s child and was cruelly abandoned.”
“How pitiful. First, she had a miscarriage, then she nearly died from heavy bleeding. When they brought her in, she was completely soaked and vulnerable.”
“That’s right. Even the card from her lover was suspended. She has no money for her hospital bills. She deserves it.”
I tuned out their harsh words, my heart heavy, and quickened my pace to catch a taxi to the airport. Just as I reached the intersection, a van screeched to a halt in front of me.
A man covered in tattoos climbed out, his demeanor menacing. “Is this Miss Ingrid?”
I instinctively shook my head, alert and frightened. But before I could back away, he grabbed me roughly, pulling me into the van.
Panic surged as I felt ropes tighten around my wrists and ankles, and a mask obscured my vision. Terror washed over me, but amidst the fear, a single thought persisted: Asher would come to save me.
When the van finally stopped, I was dragged out and taken to an abandoned hospital. The tattooed man suddenly threw a phone at me, his voice low and threatening. “Call Asher and tell him to prepare 5 million to redeem you, or I’ll kill him!”
Looking at the phone in my trembling hands, dread coiled in my stomach. I felt utterly trapped, uncertain of what to do next.
My hands trembled as I pressed the shortcut number, but to my horror, the call disconnected as soon as it connected. I dialed repeatedly, each attempt ending in the same cruel fate—Asher hung up on me without a second thought.
As I faced the leering, predatory gazes of the men surrounding me, despair washed over me like a wave. In a moment of hopelessness, I pressed the last number on my list—my ninth attempt, and the final one.
To my surprise, it rang through.
“Asher, please save me! I’ve been kidnapped by bad guys!” I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation.
But his response shattered my hope and plunged me deeper into despair.
“Ingrid, that’s enough!” Asher’s voice crackled with fury. “You keep challenging my limits—are you done?”
“Sleeping pills, heavy bleeding, and now kidnapping? Can you please just stop!”
His angry words echoed in the gloomy room, each syllable cutting into my heart like a sharp knife, leaving me feeling more isolated than ever.
The phone beeped with a busy tone, and the tattooed man shot me a mocking glance before snatching it away with a grin. “Tsk tsk tsk. I didn’t expect you to be such a pathetic pawn, treated like a toy by Asher, coming and going as he pleases. Now you’re in danger, and he doesn’t lift a finger to save you. Looks like your place in his heart is pretty dispensable.”
His words pierced through me, leaving me utterly disheartened. Just when I thought I was beyond saving, I heard the sharp sound of high heels clicking on the floor.
Without a word, the newcomer slapped me hard across the face. “How does it feel to be abandoned, huh?” she sneered.
“You think you hold a high status in Asher's heart, but you’re living in a fantasy.”
It was Dorothy, her chin lifted in a smug display of triumph. But her expression twisted into one of fury as she continued, “I didn’t expect you to be so cunning. You tried to claim Asher for yourself and even threw dirt on him.”