The airport lounge.
Eloise Claire scrolled through her phone out of boredom. Suddenly, a video title caught her eye. “What’s the Most Willingly You’ve Ever Done for an Ex You Couldn’t Forget?”
Curious, she tapped it open. The screen was pitch black, but as soon as a familiar voice came through, she froze.
“My ex was into beauty. She wanted a nose job,” the man said with a light chuckle, like he was remembering some- thing sweet. “But she was scared of the pain, so she ended up using my rib.”
Someone in the video whistled. “What’s that saying again? A woman is made from a man’s rib, right? Damn, Leon, that’s real love right there!”
The man just laughed and didn’t deny it.
The moment she heard the name Leon, her pupils contracted slightly. She was almost certain that it was Leon Brun- ner-her fiancé.
His voice continued, and she unconsciously held her breath.
“She was delicate and wouldn’t do a thing herself. I even put on her socks for her.
“Oh-and when we broke up, she swore she’d kill herself if I ever moved on. Said she’d wait for me the rest of her
life.”
The guys laughed louder, teasing him. “Come on, you’re saying you never had any feelings for Eloise?”
The second her name came up, her hands clenched. Sweat gathered in her palms.
“Just a thing,” Leon said, his voice low, almost careless. “Nothing worth taking seriously.”
The words landed like ice water. Every illusion shattered. A numb chill spread up her spine, and her mind went blank.
“Leon, I’m posting this,” someone joked.
“Go ahead,” he said coldly.
“You’re not scared your fiancée will see it and flip?”
“She’s just a toy. I’ve played long enough. Now that my girl’s back, I won’t let her get hurt again.”
Three years. And she was just a toy to him!
A sharp pain stabbed through her chest. She couldn’t breathe.
She sat down, hugging herself tight, as if that could hold her together. The departure lounge buzzed with people, yet
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Chapter 1
no one seemed to notice the girl on the floor-someone clearly out of place.
tr 288 Vouchers
Until a young woman finally spotted her. She rushed over and said worriedly, “Are you okay? Low blood sugar? I’ve got candy.”
But when Eloise looked up, her pretty face was soaked with tears. A complete wreck.
The sweet-faced young woman froze, a little startled. “Why are you crying?” she asked softly.
Eloise shook her head. She didn’t have the strength to answer. The young woman hesitated, then gently pried open Eloise’s palm and placed a piece of candy in it.
“Sugar helps with the mood,” she said, then walked away.
Eloise popped the candy into her mouth with trembling fingers. No sweetness. Only bitterness, spreading across her
tongue.
The boarding call echoed overhead. She stood and walked toward the gate, step by step. Even after settling into her seat, the tears wouldn’t stop. Her vision stayed fogged, her eyes burning.
Somewhere in that blur, she saw him again. The first time she met Leon.
Back then, her family life was a wreck. She’d spiraled into depression, deep and consuming. Self-destructive thoughts came often. Too often.
She’d gone up to rooftops more than once. The last time, she stood at the edge, and a man appeared out of nowhere, tall and shadowed, his face obscured in the dark. He looked at her foot hovering on the ledge and swore under his breath. “Fuck!”
Just as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, arms numb, he grabbed her from behind and yanked her back. That time, she saw his face clearly.
Sharp jawline and charming eyes. Lips pressed into a thin, unhappy line. He smelled faintly of alcohol.
“Trying to die?” he snapped, voice sharp, eyes cold-like he was looking at a lunatic.
But Eloise only smiled—a sudden, bright, unruly smile. For the first time in a long while, something rippled in her still, dead heart.
She didn’t want to die anymore.
Looking up at the tall, handsome stranger, she held out her hand. “I’m Eloise. Wanna date?”
The man looked at her with interest, his eyes almost like he was seeing someone else through her. “Sure.”
Just like that, two strangers became lovers.
Leon took her to one therapist after another. He handled her emotions like glass-carefully, patiently. She changed. She laughed again.
When she mumbled about craving pulled pork at midnight, he’d drive across half the city to get it; When she cried
from anxiety in the middle of the night, he held her tight, staying awake until morning just to keep her s
She’d once believed he loved her-the way she loved him. But now, everything told her otherwise.
It had all been a dream. A dream so fragile and broken, no piece could fit back together.
She wiped her tears and took out her phone. The plane hadn’t taken off yet. She dialed the number.
“I’ll go through with the engagement,” she said.
