Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I stared at the photo for a bit and then said, "No need."

The assistant looked confused.

I handed the tablet back and went back to my seat. "Let them write whatever they want," I said.

"Got it," the assistant replied.

Once the assistant left, I called my lawyer.

"Draft a divorce agreement for me. I'll email you the details soon."

After hanging up, I got lost in my thoughts.

"Have you made up your mind?" Dennis asked.

"This wedding is all over town. The people I wanted to notice have noticed. I can't let her take the fall," I said. Whether Emily forgives me or not, I have to let go this time.

If I can't give her stability, I should set her free.

Half an hour later, Dennis was gone, and the lawyer handed me the divorce papers. Holding the agreement, I walked out of the office. At the entrance, I ran into my dad. "Are you really going through with this wedding?" Victor asked, clearly pissed.

I stopped and looked at him calmly. "If you're not happy about it, you don't have to come." The tension was thick.

My relationship with Victor had always been like this. Neither of us ever tried to change it. The grudge had been buried in my heart for years, and I knew way more than Victor thought. Victor was furious, but he knew he couldn't change my mind. It had always been this way.

I didn't say anything else and headed to the garage.

As I drove back, my mind was a mess.

I think I really messed up, big time.

From the start, I shouldn't have gotten involved with Emily. I shouldn't have entered her life. Even though she had always been in my heart, I shouldn't have been greedy. None of my identities qualified me to be with her. Passing by a flower shop, I stopped the car and went inside.

The shop owner greeted me warmly. "What kind of flowers are you looking for, sir?"

I stood there, staring blankly at the flowers around me, not saying a word.

The owner continued, "If you're giving them to someone and want to express something, I can help with suggestions."

A sudden image of Emily in her wedding dress flashed in my mind. She wasn't genuinely happy; I think Emily hadn't completely forgiven me. But every smile of hers was still so gentle, a gentleness unique to her, enough to warm my heart. I bitterly curled my lips and said hoarsely, "I want to apologize to my partner."

The owner wrapped a bouquet of yellow roses and purple hyacinths, explaining that yellow roses expressed apology and the hyacinth's meaning was "please forgive me."

Driving back home, I had mentally prepared myself along the way. I knew that once I handed her the divorce agreement, it would break her heart. Emily would be devastated; she would cry. There were countless possibilities. What I didn't expect was that she had already left, leaving only a note.

Emily: [I'm tired! Since you can't make a decision, I'll help you!]

The TV was still on, and the table was set with the meal she had prepared. But she had taken everything that belonged to her.

This was the result I wanted, but when I saw the note, my heart ached immensely.

No, she couldn't leave like this. She should take enough money with her so I could be at ease.

But when I called her, she didn't answer. The next call couldn't get through.

Listening to the cold, emotionless voice on the phone, I sat on the sofa, powerless.

After a while, Frank called.

"Ethan, what's with that news? With your skills, how could you let such news get out? You're getting married tomorrow, you..."

I closed my eyes and said wearily, "You don't need to come tomorrow."

"What the hell is going on? Did you really dump Emily and want to be with Faye?" Frank pressed for answers.

I said, "Don't ask. Remember, if you still consider me a friend, don't come tomorrow. None of you come."

After hanging up, I sat alone for a while longer.

The TV started replaying today's entertainment news. Seeing the gossip about myself, I felt numb.

I didn't care how the news portrayed me or how the world saw me. Allowing these news stories to be released served my own cruel purpose.

Yes, I was really cruel. I really drove Emily away.

I fetched a vase and put the bouquet of yellow roses in it. I stared at the flowers for a long time, and slowly, it seemed like I could see Emily's tearful face in the petals. "Honey, I'm sorry!" I said softly.

At this moment, the tearing pain in my heart was my punishment. I hurt her, but I also hurt myself.

Looking out the window, the sky had already darkened.

I turned on my phone's GPS and found that Emily had already left Starlight City.

It was for the best. She left this place. Now, wherever she went, she would be safer than staying with me.

After dark, I didn't know what time it was when Faris burst in.

It was then that I realized I had forgotten to close the door when I came back.

He lifted me off the sofa and punched me in the face.

Faris shouted, "If you're going to mess around, don't pretend to have some bullshit wedding."

I collapsed back onto the sofa like a puppet, saying nothing, calmly facing his anger.

Faris pointed at me and said, "Ethan, you don't deserve to marry her. I'm taking her away."

With that, he rushed upstairs.

"She's already gone," I said.

He paused on the stairs, looked at me, seemingly in disbelief, and still went upstairs to check before coming back down. He grabbed my collar again, glaring at me. Faris asked, "Where did she go?"

I replied, "She's already left Starlight City."

His fist came again, and I let him hit me several times before finally returning a punch.

Faris was angry, but how could I not feel hurt?

"Her leaving is better than staying."

I suppressed my unsteady breath. These words were both an explanation and a comfort to myself.

Faris kicked over the vase I had previously arranged with flowers.

"She's pregnant, and you let her go off alone with a child?"

Faris's roar struck me like a bolt of lightning.

I slowly turned my head, stiffly looking at him.

I recalled that night when I braved the rain to buy her toast from the bakery. She took two bites and threw up, saying her stomach was upset. I believed her without a doubt. It turned out I had also been deceived by her at times.

I said with a bitter smile, "Then she should go as far away as possible, the farther the better."

Faris vented and left.

I picked up the bouquet from the shattered glass, found another vase, and arranged the flowers again.

I couldn't be bothered to clean the floor and lay back on the sofa, taking out my phone and scrolling to Faye's number.

I called three times before she answered.

"Ethan?" Her tone was uneasy.

I said flatly, "Come over, I'm waiting for you at home."

Faye said, "Ethan, I have to..."

"Come over right now," I said more forcefully.

"Okay."

Half an hour later, she arrived.

I was smoking on the sofa, hearing her footsteps lighten as she came in, and the sound of her cleaning up the broken glass.

After finishing, she walked over and stood in front of me, cautiously calling, "Ethan."

I opened my eyes and calmly looked at Faye.

Faye knew very well what she had done wrong, so she kept her head down, not daring to look at me.

When I first met Faye, she was just an eleven-year-old girl. Although curious about the outside world, her eyes were pure.

Faye wasn't mature enough then. She only knew Fiona's brilliance on stage but didn't understand the hardships Fiona endured for her.

Faye longed to stand on the shining stage but didn't know how much blood and tears it took to succeed.

I used to think Faye was smart, but it turned out that her so-called cleverness was just a bunch of annoying little tricks.

She lowered her head even more under my scrutiny.

After a long while, she finally looked up.

"Where's Emily?"

"She's gone," I said.

"What?"

She tried to act surprised, but her true emotions betrayed her, making her expression extremely unnatural.

Faye said, "She's gone, so tomorrow's wedding..."

She suddenly found the courage to step forward and squat in front of me.

Faye said, "Ethan, the whole of Starlight City knows you're getting married tomorrow. The wedding can't be ruined. I'm willing to be your bride and help you complete the wedding."

Seeing the stern look in my eyes, she added softly, "I can pretend to be your bride, even if it's just make-believe."

I suddenly stood up, grabbed her wrist, and walked out. She stumbled, following me passively until I shoved her into the car.

I got into the driver's seat, and the car sped down the road.

Faye was panicked, saying, "Ethan, where are you taking me?"

I ignored her, staring intently ahead.

Raindrops began to fall on the windshield, slowly becoming heavier and denser.

The car sped for three hours, finally stopping in a secluded countryside.

By then, the rain was pouring, the raindrops hitting the car like bullets.

I got out, dragged Faye out of the car, and walked quickly, pulling her along.

She must have known where I was taking her, probably scared by my demeanor, and suddenly broke down crying.

"Ethan, I really was wrong."

I brought her to a tombstone on the hill and threw her down to kneel.

The heavy rain washed over us, soaking our clothes, the cold rainwater seeping in, chilling to the bone.

I stared at Fiona's tombstone and said seriously, "Faye, I've done my best for you. I have no regrets, even when looking back from the end of my days. From now on, I won't care about you anymore. If you dare to appear in my sight again, don't blame me for shattering your dream of becoming a star."