1

869words2026-01-26 09:06

After five years together,my boyfriend insisted on having a secret wedding.
No friends,no officiant—just me and Nathan Brooks.
Nathan said tenderly,“The most beautiful moment of my life shouldn’t be disturbed by anyone.”

Later,his childhood friend,Sophia Lane,showed up with a film crew,and under the guise of“acting,”she splashed boiling water on my face.
She told me that for these five years,in everyone’s eyes,I was just Nathan’s secret mistress.
By the time the truth came out, half of my face was scarred, and Nathan demanded that I apologize to his “real”girlfriend.
When I refused, he pinned the blame on my mom, which sparked a vicious online backlash against her.
It turned out that Nathan was the heir to the wealthiest family within the Capital Elite, holding immense power.
He said,“Your mother failed to raise you right.Apologize to Sophia,and I’ll leave her alone.”

Later,my mom was struck by an enraged driver while out walking and died on the spot.
…
When I got the call about my mom’s accident,I didn’t care about the burns scarring half my face.I bolted from the house.
Along the way,strangers pointed at the grotesque marks on my face.

But I had no time for grief.
At the crash site,I clutched my mom’s cooling body and wailed.
The pain of seeing her like this hurt more than the boiling water Sophia had thrown at me.
Trembling,I called Nathan.
“Nathan,I was wrong.I’ll kneel and apologize to Sophia.Please,save my mom!”
“Emily,what are you rambling on about?”
“Mom was hit by a car!Please,save her!”
On the other end,Nathan scoffed.“Stop the act.I know your mom’s perfectly healthy.Cursing her to manipulate me?That’s vile.”
His tone was filled with disgust.
The next second,he slammed the phone down.
At that moment,my mom stopped breathing.
My blood ran cold.
In a fit of anger and despair, I sent Nathan a text: “We’re done.”
He replied with a single“?”
When I tried to message again,I found he’d blocked me.
Everyone believed I was just Nathan’s mistress,and Sophia was his true girlfriend.
But I refused to besmirch the five years I’d given him.
Even if this relationship had to end,it would be on my terms,with a formal breakup.
I pushed through to handle my mom’s funeral,then collapsed at home,blacking out.
While I lay unconscious for a day and a night, the internet was abuzz with news of my mom’s death, yet Nathan never reached out.
My heart died.I packed my bags and left that house without looking back.
…
My mom was a rural woman—sturdy,bold,with a booming voice.
These were traits she had honed over the years to survive. However, to Nathan, they were reasons he could demean her without facing any consequences.
By all accounts,my mom and I should’ve never crossed paths with someone like Nathan.
But five years ago,Nathan had a falling-out with Sophia and his family.In a fit of pique, he fled to the countryside to“experience life.”
At the market,Nathan nearly got swindled because he couldn’t haggle.
My mom,passing by,couldn’t stand to see him cheated and came to his aid.
Nathan repaid her by helping with her chores that day and asking for advice.
Nathan’s mother had passed away at a young age, leaving him yearning for maternal warmth.
Over time,he and my mom grew close.
They weren’t mother and son,but it felt like it.
When I came home,Nathan’s eyes lit up the moment he saw me.
“Auntie,your daughter’s single,right?Let her marry me,and I can call you Mom!”
Mom laughed,scolding him.“You’ve got to win her heart first and get her approval.”
Nathan pursued me relentlessly.
I quickly fell for him.
He was gentle,attentive,fulfilling my every wish.Mom adored him too.
I thought he loved me—until five years later,when Mom kept urging for a wedding,and he suggested a secret one.
Nathan said softly,“The most beautiful moment of my life shouldn’t be disturbed by anyone.”
But Mom had always wanted to attend our wedding…
Seeing the longing in his eyes,I stayed silent.
We both kept it from her without saying a word.
Now I see he was just covering his tracks,afraid a big wedding would let on to his real girlfriend.
He couldn’t let go of either woman,dragging it out until Sophia found me.
That day,Sophia and her camera crew barged in,claiming it was for a“scene,”and splashed boiling water on my face.
I screamed in agony as my right cheek swelled and blistered.
The video went viral.When Nathan saw it,he demanded I apologize to his“real”girlfriend.
I refused.As the scandal grew,Nathan,to shield Sophia,paid hundreds of bots to manipulate the narrative,making it seem like my mom had thrown the water,scarring her own daughter.
Despite his quick cover-up,some astute netizens spotted the truth and criticized Sophia.
Nathan was heartbroken and demanded I kneel in apology.
“Sophia means everything to me.You caused her pain,so you must kneel to make this right!”
That’s when I realized Nathan never loved me.
But even if you didn’t love me,how could you so callously pin the blame on my mom?
Didn’t you say you saw her as your own mother?
During that time,my mom endured endless vitriol while caring for my scarred face.
Her hearty laughter faded.
I never imagined that a simple trip to buy medicine would end with her being struck by an extremist driver.