When I got back into the car, I hesitated for a second before speaking.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, ma'am.”
“Please don't tell Manuel about today,” I said softly. “About the immigration office.”
The driver's hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
After a moment he said carefully, “Ma'am… to be honest, the boss has always told us not to talk about you in front of him.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “He told the staff not to mention you unless it's absolutely necessary.”
I couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh. “So he doesn't even want to hear my name?”
The driver didn't answer.
...
When we arrived at the house, I stepped out and looked up at the large villa in front of me.
The place felt strange. At the same time… it also felt a little familiar.
The furniture looked expensive and elegant. The colors and decorations were exactly the kind of style I liked.
I walked over to the couch and ran my fingers across the embroidered cushions.
Did I decorate all this?
If I did… I must've been excited back then. Maybe I imagined living here happily with Manuel. Maybe I thought marriage meant something.
My eyes landed on the big wedding photo hanging on the wall.
I stepped closer.
In the picture, I was smiling brightly. My eyes were full of love as I looked at the man beside me.
Manuel stood next to me in his suit. His face was handsome. And completely expressionless.
He wasn't even looking at me.
I stared at that photo for a few seconds before shaking my head. Then I turned and walked upstairs.
When I entered the bedroom, my body moved on instinct. I walked straight to the dresser and pulled open one of the drawers.
Something slid out immediately.
A leather notebook fell onto the floor with a soft thud.
I opened the diary and flipped to the first page. The handwriting was messy and crooked, the kind someone wrote while drunk or crying too hard to hold the pen steady.
“First day of marriage with Manuel. He went straight to his study and didn't say a single word to me. It's fine. I'll wait for him.”
My chest tightened a little.
I kept turning the pages.
Each one felt heavier than the last.
“26th suicide attempt today. He still didn't come. My assistant said Amber had a fever so he stayed with her all night. I was in the ER alone listening to the IV drip until morning.”
My fingers trembled.
I forced myself to read the next entry.
“39th time. I took sleeping pills again. When I woke up, I heard Manuel in the hallway on the phone. He sounded annoyed. He said, “Just let her die.” I think that moment hurt more than the attempt itself. Hearing the person you love most wish you were gone.”
My vision blurred for a second.
The next page was even worse.
“49th time. I think I'm done. If this doesn't work either, I'll just disappear somewhere. Nobody in this world actually cares if I exist. Goodbye.”
I shut the diary so fast it made a sharp sound.
My chest felt like something had been torn open inside it. I looked down at my wrists and suddenly noticed the thin pale scars crossing the skin. I hadn't even paid attention to them earlier, but now they burned as if every mark was accusing me.
So this was my life?
I slowly crouched on the floor and hugged my knees, my forehead resting against them. For six years I lived like that. Begging for scraps of attention from a man who didn't even want me alive. What kind of person had I been… how desperate did you have to be to keep doing that, Aurora?
A few tears slipped down before I wiped them away quickly. “It's fine,” I whispered to myself, “It's okay if nobody loves you. You'll be okay.”
I placed the diary back in the drawer and closed it.
Moonlight came through the window and settled on the floor near my feet. I stared at that pale patch of light for a while and muttered quietly, “As long as you don't give up on yourself… you haven't lost everything.”
...
The villa stayed empty for the next few days. Manuel never came back and no one visited. Strangely it didn't feel unbearable. Maybe because I didn't remember loving anyone here. Maybe because there was no one around to hurt me again. I just stayed quietly in the house, waiting for the immigration papers to be finished.
The quiet ended when my phone rang.
It was my mother.
The moment I answered, her cold voice came through. “Amber's birthday banquet is tomorrow night at seven. Enchanted Star Hotel. Don't be late.”
I hesitated. “I don't think I—”
“That's all,” she cut in flatly, and the call ended before I could finish.
I stared at the screen for a moment. She didn't even wait for an answer.
The next evening I picked the simplest black dress I could find and went to the hotel. The banquet hall was huge and bright, filled with people laughing and talking. Amber stood in the center surrounded by guests, smiling sweetly while everyone praised her. Manuel stood nearby, and it was the first time I'd seen him in days.
Two women beside me were whispering.
“Amber really hit the jackpot,” one said quietly. “Her parents adore her and even Manuel Davenport treats her like a princess.”
The other woman nodded. “Of course. I heard he arranged this entire party himself. The champagne was flown in from Italy this morning. One bottle costs six figures. And those flowers came straight from the Netherlands.”
I glanced around the room. The entire hall looked like a fancy garden.
“Apparently the design is based on Morako's garden paintings,” the woman continued. “Amber loves that style. They spent more than fifteen million dollars decorating this place.”
I took a small sip of wine and looked toward Manuel. He wore a black suit tonight, the collar slightly open, the top button undone. He looked relaxed and expensive at the same time. But what caught my attention wasn't the suit. He was crouching beside Amber, carefully adjusting the hem of her dress so it wouldn't drag. His face held a gentle smile I had never seen before.
So he could smile like that.
Just not at me.
The host's voice suddenly echoed across the hall, asking everyone to quiet down. My parents walked onto the stage with Amber between them. My father cleared his throat and looked proudly at the guests before speaking. “Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate Amber's birthday. But we also have some important family news to announce.”
The room fell silent.
He placed a hand on Amber's shoulder and continued calmly, “Starting today, Amber will inherit sixty percent of the shares of Moore Group.”
Gasps and whispers spread through the hall immediately.
I tightened my grip on the wine glass in my hand.
Wow.
