He knelt before me on one knee, holding up an antique watch left by his grandfather.
"This isn't for business, Cassie," he had said. "And it's not because Harrison asked. I want to marry you. You're the only one for me. Always."
That watch carried the last vestiges of a fallen family's dignity and promise. The sweetness of the gesture was intoxicating; I felt utterly cherished.
I thought that was my happy ending.
But fate had a crueler plan in store.
In college, I met the talented but "impoverished" Ashley at an art exhibition. Feeling sorry for her circumstances, I decided to sponsor her in the Monroe family's name and brought her into Newport's top social circles.
One day, Clark came to see me and happened to run into Ashley at the gallery entrance.
He froze on the spot. I saw a light in his eyes that I had never seen before, something akin to obsession.
I would later learn that during the yacht accident, it was Ashley who had been passing by the cliffs. She risked her life, diving into the sea and holding onto him desperately, injuring her lungs in the process.
From that day on, I treated Ashley as Clark's lifesaver. I sponsored her art exhibitions and let her become part of our lives.
I even believed I was helping Clark repay a debt of gratitude.
I never imagined that in doing so, I had welcomed a viper into my own home.
The Uber driver dropped me off at a nondescript short-term rental apartment on the outskirts of Newport. I paid and got out.
Before I left, the driver glanced at the shabby apartment I was renting, a trace of pity in his eyes.
"Don't stay too long in a sketchy neighborhood like this, miss. Go home soon. Your parents must be worried sick."
That sentence was an unexpected knife, striking me right where it hurt most.
I stood there in a daze, the cold wind stinging my eyes.
Home? I no longer had a home.
Tears welled in my eyes, and my thoughts were pulled back to that hellish weekend six years ago.
Back then, I had the warmest, most loving home.
I was my parents' most cherished daughter. They had set my engagement party for my twenty-second birthday, hoping I would have double the happiness that day.
Before the big day, they personally flew to Geneva to finalize a business merger that would completely solidify Clark's position.
Before they left, my mother, Eleanor, caressed my face and gazed at me with her bright, loving eyes. "We've commissioned your favorite designer to custom-make your gown. My baby, you will be the happiest bride in the world."
Lost in a fog of love, I didn't know that would be our last conversation.
On their return flight, their private jet suffered a freak accident, and both my parents perished when it crashed into the sea.
They left me alone in this cruel world without even a final goodbye.
When I heard the news, I was torn apart by guilt and pain.
It was all my fault. If not for them securing that deal for my fiancé, they would have never taken that flight.
During that time, Clark never left my side. He helped me with my parents' funeral arrangements and held me tight when I broke down in tears.
"You have to pull yourself together, Cassie," he'd urged. "Harrison and Eleanor's greatest wish was to see you happy. You can't let them down. The company needs stability, and our engagement must go on."
I believed him. I signed the legal documents giving Clark full proxy over my voting rights, a move meant to stabilize the company during the turmoil.
To fulfill my parents' wish, I suppressed my grief and went ahead with the engagement party.
That day, I put on the gown my parents had custom-made for me and walked into the event like an exquisite puppet.
However, as I passed by the estate's private garden, I saw a scene I would never forget.
Deep within the layers of white roses, a man and a woman were kissing passionately, their bodies entangled.
