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693words2026-01-26 11:24

Dad passed away suddenly during a hurricane.
His business partner, Sebastian Cole, took over the role of looking after me, becoming my nominal uncle.
And Sebastian Cole just happened to be the person I needed to win over.

For seven years, I followed his directions without question.
Until something unexpected happened—I found out I was pregnant.
By chance, I overheard him on a phone call talking about proposing.
Thinking of the pearl necklace he had bought before, I was eager to share the news of my pregnancy with him.
I went to his company to find him, only to witness him in a heated moment with another woman.
She glared at me with obvious contempt, "Your little has some nerve—barging in without knocking and staring like it’s no big deal."

Sebastian casually pulled out a black card and tossed it at my feet, "Go shopping. Don't bother me."
These past few years, being obedient was what I did best. So, obediently, I stopped bothering him. I never went back.
I’m not sure how I made it out of Sebastian’s office. Everyone who passed me looked at me with either pity or barely hidden satisfaction.
That pearl necklace was dangling around that woman’s neck, swinging back and forth, everything going blurry in front of my eyes.

Clutching the prenatal report,I threw up violently in the stairwell until I felt lightheaded.
Suddenly, a flood of people rushed into the stairwell, screaming in panic, "Fire! Run!"
I was shoved by the frantic crowd, tumbling down the stairs. Blood pooled beneath me, and then someone kicked my abdomen hard.
"Move! Get out of the way!"
It was Sebastian’s voice.
"Sebastian!"
I struggled to call out, only seeing his disheveled figure carrying that woman, rushing downstairs without looking back.
I tried to grab anyone passing by, begging for help, but no one even glanced my way.
Thick black smoke filled the air. Using the last of my strength, I poured the water from my bottle onto my jacket, covered my nose and mouth tightly, and started crawling down.
Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I felt strong, powerful arms lift me.
I woke up in the hospital room, the nurse told me that due to the trauma and impact, I had lost the baby.
"Who brought me here?"
"A firefighter. Your emergency contact couldn’t be reached. He even covered your medical expenses."
I stared numbly at the ceiling until the phone rang.
Sebastian’s assistant’s spoke in a professional tone, "Miss Sophie, the boss has arranged a two-week stay at a resort hotel. He insists a driver takes you there. Please send me your location."
I gave a bitter smile, "Alright."
The hotel was dozens of kilometers away from the city center, tucked away in the mountains. Sending a driver to keep an eye on me? Sebastian was exiling me this far, probably scared I’d run back home and ruin his good time.
The mountain road was rough. With every bump, I kept seeing that pearl necklace swaying again.
What else wasn’t clear?
The proposal was for her.
The necklace wasn’t meant for me either.
The ridiculous part? I didn’t even know who that woman was.
The night we shared meant nothing to him.
Sebastian wasn’t cheap with me. He booked a luxury suite costing thousands per night without hesitation.
Sitting on the soft bed, my whole body felt stiff and numb. Down below, a pool party was in full swing, men and women dancing wildly under the lights.
The system said Sebastian liked obedient people.
So I had always been obedient. Sebastian forbade parties, banned bars, demanded elegance and propriety.
My youth had never known this kind of wild freedom.
I couldn’t resist go downstairs, feeling the pulsating music, slowly letting myself get swept in.
Until the beat dropped.
Screw this winning-over task! I’m done!
So what if I can’t go back to my original world? So what if I lose twenty years? Whatever!
As for Sebastian? Whoever wants him can have him! I don’t like him anymore!
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a pain like an electric shock rushed through my entire body.