Years ago, I was being stalked by a delusional fan. Victor came into the scene like some hero out of a movie. He swooped in to save me. After that, he seemed to fell for me at first sight.
He threw millions into setting up a talent agency just for me and boldly declared that he was going to marry me.
I admired him, both as a man and as someone who believed in me when no one else did. I quickly fell for him, too.
But in bed, Victor had all sorts of strange fetishes that he insisted on trying out with me. He was the only man I’d ever been with, so I thought that’s just how normal couples were. I even felt guilty at times, afraid I might not be able to satisfy him.
What I never expected was that the man who had elevated me would be the one to drag me straight to hell.
The mockery in the private room grew louder. A group of people was selecting and compressing hundreds of gigabytes of high-definition footage.
Tears blurred my vision. I finally remembered the first time I’d heard the name Abigail.
It was during a game of Truth or Dare at a drinking session. Someone dared Victor to rank the most important women in his life.
Without hesitation, he blurted out, “Abigail, my mom, Faith.”
As he said this, he was holding my hand, our fingers intertwined, palms touching.
Who was Abigail? Confused, I looked at Victor.
Beneath his calm expression, I could see a flicker of something darker.
Everyone around me put on a look of pity.
“Ugh, we’ve been shipping them for over a decade and who would’ve thought it’d end up like this, with them as step siblings?”
So, Abigail was his step sister. The question that had almost slipped out of my mouth got swallowed back down.
Since he had mentioned me, I still felt a flicker of gratitude. It wasn’t until I met Victor’s parents that I learned the Whyttons had adopted the little princess.
The little princess had lost her parents and Victor's mother had taken her in as her own, while Victor treated her like a sister.
Abigail had been studying abroad, so I only knew her by name—just a curious little sister-in-law. Later, the Whyttons insisted I stay out of the public eye.
The agency Victor had set up for me stopped taking gigs and was preparing to shut down.
In the name of being with the one I loved, I agreed to this unreasonable demand. The one condition I had was that I could hold a farewell performance for myself and my fans.
At the time, I didn’t know that this performance would be where I first crossed paths with Abigail.
Her little, deliberate actions... She was the cause of my falling accident. Also, she caused my skull crack along with my injured limbs.
Afterward, I found myself tangled in a scandal, destroyed by Victor’s revenge, my reputation in tatters.
I staggered out of the club, my mind a blur.
There was a man standing at my door, giving me a creepy grin and holding a pink paper box. It was the lingerie mystery box that had gone viral online the night before.
His leering, greasy gaze mixed with a disturbing, perverted look that seemed like it could pierce through my skin.
I rushed home, almost running and locked all the doors and windows, pulling the curtains shut tight. Then, in the suffocating darkness of the room, I slumped onto the floor.
My phone buzzed. It was Victor.
“Abby’s family’s hosting a welcome dinner for her. She wants you there. I’ll pick you up in 30 minutes.”
He didn’t ask where I was, nor did he wait for my response.
As always, it was an order. After delivering his message, he hung up. I swallowed my frustration and turned to finish packing.
Half an hour later, I received an invitation from the French National Ballet.
“Ms. Paston, although you’ve declined our invitation several times, your aerial dance performance was truly breathtaking. We’d like to extend another offer. Would you consider joining our troupe?”
The voice on the other end was soft yet carried a strength that seemed to pulse through my veins.
I wiped away my tears and responded with conviction, “I accept!”
Victor arrived soon after. When he saw me packing without makeup or fuss, he nodded with approval.
“We just got engaged, so there’s no rush to move into the Whyttons' place. We’ll have the servants take care of it when the time comes. Don’t worry, everyone knows the mystery box thing was just a prank. My parents won’t make a fuss about it.”
