Chapter 3

Matteo didn't come home until late that night.

The moment he stepped into the dimly lit apartment,my eyes landed on the faint lipstick stain near the collar of his shirt.

Louisa's.

The sight of it made my stomach twist.

Seeing me still awake,he came over to hug me,but I pulled him away.

I looked up at him,tears already burning behind my eyes.

"Why won't you acknowledge me?"My voice trembled with hurt."You promised me that once we got through the hard times,we would—"

“Esmee.”Matteo kicked off one of his shoes in frustration.“Why are you always so stubborn?”

"I spent the entire ride home thinking about how to calm you down.Everything I did was for your own good."

"We're not kids anymore.What would acknowledging you there accomplish?Do you know how many people would laugh behind my back?How many are waiting for me to make a mistake so they can watch me fall?"

His tone was low and soft,yet the helplessness was piercing my heart.

Not only that,the anger and frustration he had been holding up for so long erupted all at once.

He said,he was just getting his career on track and avoiding even the slightest mistake.And he needed someone with a well-connected and status to back him up.

He had suffered enough and refused to repeat his past mistakes.

In this dead silence of the night,he sighed deeply and said,“Esmee,I’ve already agreed to marry you.What more do you want?”

The clock ticked on for a long time before I finally spoke up,“Is marrying me such a burden for you?”

“How long have you known Louisa?Three months only,right?”I asked and answered myself.

"In three months,you let her replace my seven years of devotion.In three months,you let her stand by your side.And in three months,she became your well-known perfect girlfriend.What gives her the right?"

My vision was blurred.I had no idea how many times I had drained my tears today.

Matteo lost his temper with me for the first time and stoop up."Because Louisa is the heiress of the Shannons.She has power and status,and she's well-educated.While you...."

Without waiting for him to finish his words,I lifted my hand and slapped him hard,leaving him turn his head away.

The crisp sound of the slap echoed throughout the room.

My palm tingled,but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart."Matteo,you can criticize me for anything else,but you're the last person who gets to call me uneducated."

Because I had once been the one with a future.

My grades had been excellent.I'd earned a scholarship.By living on almost nothing,I had managed to cover my own expenses.

I could even have continued my studies.

Instead,because I was grateful to the boy who had saved me when my own family abandoned me,I chose a different path.

I paid for Matteo's education.

For his dream.

For the art degree he wanted so badly.

An art degree that cost far more than either of us could afford.

I still remembered the day he held me in his arms and cried for three whole hours.

He said,“Esmee,I’ll never let you down.”

That day,his eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity.

And only now,I realized the sincerity had long gone.

I looked up,holding back the tears welling in my eyes,and said firmly,"Matteo,I want to break up with you."

Matteo laughed scornfully."Esmee,when did you learn to play hard to get?”

"After spending seven years with me and living under the same roof,do you really believe anyone besides me would want you?"

His laughter grew more ruthless.“You need to know that I’m the best choice you’ll ever have in this lifetime.”

"Since we’ve made it clear,I don’t want to argue anymore.Just take some time to cool off."

Matteo turned and went straight into the bedroom,locking the door behind him.

The summer heat drifting through the open window suddenly brought back a memory when the teenage Matteo looked at me with determination and held out his hand.

"Hey,wanna run away with me?"

"Where are we going?"I asked.

He looked toward the village entrance.“Anywhere.It’s better than being beaten to death or tortured here.”

And so,that summer,the village of Vermont lost two people.

An adopted son who had spent his life doing backbreaking labor for a family that never truly wanted him.

And the youngest daughter who was only days away from being forced into a marriage she never chose.

We thought we were running toward freedom.Toward a future we would build together.

But years later,after everything we had endured,everything we had sacrificed,and everything we had survived,I found myself standing in the same place once again.

Alone.