Loved by a Monster, Saved by a Stranger

My fiancé had suffered from kidney failure, and without a second thought, I gave him one of mine.

When he recovered, he held me close and swore that I was the only one he would ever love and that he would never betray me.

But everything shattered the day his childhood sweetheart drove drunk, crashed into my father, and fled the scene, leaving him to die.

I held the damning evidence in my hand, ready to bring justice for my father. But on my way to report it to the police, he called and threatened me.

"Ariella Wurtzbach, turn around and bring that footage back. If you want to see your mother alive, do as I say."

"If you’re dead set on destroying Alina Walker, then I won’t hesitate to let her go."

He had my mother hanging from a rooftop, dangling between life and death.

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart; the pain was so deep I could barely breathe.

And yet, I still clung to hope. I still believed, naively, that he wouldn’t go through with it.

Just as I stepped into the police station, my phone buzzed. It was a video. In the footage, my mother was thrown from the building.

"Ariella, this is what happens when you disobey. Your father’s already dead. Why not just take the hush money and live a good life with me? Why fight me?"

——

Onscreen, my mother writhed on the pavement, her body convulsing, blood gushing from her mouth.

The phone slipped from my trembling hand. I collapsed to the floor, panic crashing over me like a tidal wave.

I never thought Maverick Williams would go that far. Never imagined he’d truly lay a deadly hand on my mother.

I had given him my kidney to save his life. And in return, he destroyed mine.

But there was no time to break down. I forced myself to stand, legs shaking beneath me. I shoved away the officer who reached to help and stumbled out of the station.

In my hand was the final piece of evidence, proof of Alina’s crime. I had been one step away from justice.

But I no longer dared to gamble with Maverick. Not again. For Alina, he would erase me without a second thought.

I raced home as fast as I could, heart pounding. And there he was, Maverick, sitting calmly on the sofa, sipping wine, as if he hadn’t just shattered my world.

I stormed over and slapped the wine glass from his hand.

"Maverick, what did you do to my mother?"

"You monster, harboring a criminal wasn’t enough? Now you’re set on wiping out my entire family?"

Enraged, I slapped him, but he caught my wrist and shoved me down onto the sofa.

"I told you, your father ran a red light. Alina hit him by accident. It wasn’t intentional. She already paid compensation. That should’ve been the end of it. She’s still so young, should she rot in jail over something so small?"

Something so small? Driving drunk, killing my father, and fleeing the scene.

And in his eyes, that was nothing more than a trivial matter.

So what counted as serious?

Ah, I get it now. Alina would be going to prison. That was the real tragedy, wasn’t it?

His shameless defense made fury surge in my chest like wildfire, burning my face hot with rage.

"Maverick, in your eyes… do the three lives of my family not even matter compared to one tear from your precious first love?"

My voice trembled, and my tears fell onto the hand he had pressed against my chest.

Maverick didn’t show a trace of remorse, only growing impatience.

"Ariella, could you just grow up and look at things from my side for once?"

"I never said those things…"

"But you did them, didn’t you!"

I used all my strength to shove him away.

"My mother, what did you do to her?"

"She’s fine. Just… broke a leg."

"Maverick, you’re not human. You’re not even human!"

Fury and grief exploded inside me. I struck him again and again, fists, kicks, releasing every ounce of hatred that had built up in my heart.

At that moment, whatever love we once shared had died. All that remained was a hatred that could never be mended.

Maverick, we were finished.

I grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it with all my might, only to realize it had struck Alina, who had just walked through the door.