I’ve read countless stories about love, betrayal, and second chances—but some still hit harder than others. This one stayed with me, not just because of what happened, but because of the quiet strength it takes to let go of someone you once believed was your forever.
The night before our engagement, Ethan Shaw fell in love with someone else—Rose Birkin, the adopted daughter of the Song family—and demanded that we call the whole thing off.
I told our families.
The result?
Rose was put on a plane overseas, and that plane went down.
She never made it.
Ten years later, Ethan had become the richest man in the city.
He bankrupted my family’s company, locked me in a basement, and broke me piece by piece until I had nothing left.
His last words to me were calm, almost gentle:
“This is what I owed Rose.”
When I opened my eyes again, it was the day our families were sitting down to discuss the engagement.
Dad asked if I was sure about this.
I smiled and said, “If Ethan doesn’t want to marry me, then let’s not force it.”
And I meant it—sincerely, from the bottom of my heart:
“I hope Ethan finds happiness with the person he truly loves.”
The second time around, I sat at that same banquet table where our families were negotiating the engagement, and I watched Ethan reject it all over again.