Third Person's POV
Aldrich's voice then turned dangerous as he tightened his grip, making Eileen gasp out loud.
"I was wrong, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!" she whimpered.
"If you know you're wrong, then make it up to me properly," he ordered, his tone filled with dominance.
As he indulged himself once again, Starlet couldn't take it anymore. She threw her phone aside and ran to the sink, retching violently.
Even when there was nothing left in her stomach, the nausea didn’t stop. Pain twisted through her gut, but she barely noticed it. Staring at her reflection—her pale face, the raw redness of her eyes—her hands clenched into fists.
Then, without hesitation, she swung her fist into the mirror.
The glass shattered and fragments scattered across the sink. She glared at the fractured reflection and said with a low and furious voice, "Aldrich, how dare you do this to me? You love Eileen's soft, delicate body so much, don’t you? Fine. I’ll give you my blessing. I’ll set you free. I hope you two are locked together forever, for eternity, never—ever—separating."
For the next few days, Starlet locked herself away, refusing to step outside. She spent hours burning every last comic she had drawn for Aldrich over the years, reducing them to ashes.
Once everything was taken care of, she finally remembered she needed to buy a few things for her trip abroad. Just as she was about to start the car, the passenger door suddenly opened, and Eileen slid into the seat.
"Starlet, long time no see," Eileen said, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Your scar looks worse than ever. Poor Aldrich... I can’t imagine how much mental strength he needed just to put up with your hideous face all these years."
Starlet’s expression turned ice-cold. "Get the hell out of my car."
But Eileen, unfazed, simply chuckled. "Your car? You mean the one Aldrich bought for you?" She let out a dramatic sigh. "Aldrich is too softhearted. After all those years of you warming his bed for free, he still felt the need to give you a little parting gift."
Her tone then turned mocking as she continued, "You saw the video, didn’t you? How was it? That side of Aldrich—bet you’ve never seen it before."
"You see, this is the real him," she added. "As they say, a man only shows his true passion with the woman he truly loves because he wants to give her everything. Tell me, has he ever been that passionate with you?"
Cocking her head to Starlet, she continued mocking, "You think he stayed with you out of love? No, Starlet, he stayed out of pity. Actually—no, that’s not right either. He stayed because he was disgusted by you. You’re ugly enough to haunt a man’s nightmares. Do you really think he could ever love you?"
"Did you even know?" Eileen leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. "Aldrich only got close to you to help me get revenge. You were nothing more than a plaything to spice up our relationship, a toy for our little games."
She smirked. "And you actually thought he loved you just because he agreed to marry you? Please. He only went along with the engagement because I didn’t want it. But if I wanted to, I could replace you in an instant—with just a snap of my fingers."
Hearing the truth laid out so cruelly, Starlet felt her chest tighten as if someone had driven a blade straight through her heart.
She had already suspected it. She thought she had prepared herself. She told herself she had become numb.
But it still hurt.
Ten years of love and devotion were only wasted.
Ten years ago, she thought she had found her light. She gave everything she had, her whole heart, without holding back.
But in the end, it had all been a joke.
Did Aldrich ever love her?
She believed he did, at least for a time. Otherwise, with his pride, he never would have told his friends he was going to marry her. He never would have set a wedding date.
But in the end, his love was never strong enough. Not enough to resist temptation. Not enough to fight against old ties.
Her eyes burned, but she swallowed back the tears. She refused to let them fall.
Turning to face the woman who had haunted her nightmares for half her life, she met Eileen’s smug gaze with an eerily calm expression.
"So what?" she asked. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
