Chapter 1

 

CH-1

 

When I opened the door, I called out, "I'm home," out of habit. There was no response, as usual, but I was already used to it. After all, Yi Tian wasn’t always here, and even when he was, he never responded.

 

I dragged my heavy suitcase across the threshold and into the foyer. Exhausted from a grueling week-long business trip to A City, I had shadowed the manager as we visited different factories each day. The evenings were spent wining and dining with the bosses, and I often found myself returning to the hotel late at night, feeling queasy and disoriented. I would spend long, restless hours in the bathroom, not knowing when I would finally succumb to sleep.

 

After several days without proper rest, I was exhausted. All I wanted now was a shower and a good night’s sleep.

 

As I leaned over to swap my shoes, I caught sight of two additional pairs scattered on the floor. A chill ran down my spine. Making my way towards the living room, faint, muffled sounds of pleasure drifted from the vicinity of the bedroom. I was rooted to the spot.

 

“Yi Tian... gentler... ah...” The voice grew louder.

 

My mind was engulfed in a suffocating emptiness. It felt as if a thousand tiny needles were piercing my heart, each prick sending tremors of pain through my entire being. Slowly, I sank into the couch, clutching its fabric to anchor myself and prevent a collapse fueled by humiliation.

Instinctively, every part of me yearned to flee, to escape the unbearable agony. Yet, with steely determination, I clenched my fists and remained seated, enduring the torment as though it were a self-imposed penance.

A profound sense of something vital draining away consumed me. There was an unsettling relief as I acknowledged that the unwavering love I had carried for Yi Tian over the years was beginning to fade. Simultaneously, I felt powerless, a mere spectator to the crumbling of my inner world.

For some reason, a memory from childhood came to mind—a scene I once saw on TV. A boy saw the world in black and white, but when he met the girl he loved, color began to appear. The blue of the sky, the red of cherry blossoms—the world around him gradually brightened. I believed back then that one day, I too would meet someone who would bring color and hope to my life.

 

But now, my illusions shattered. After all these years, I realized I had never found that person, and I was still alone.

 

I shook my head, got up, and went back to the door to retrieve my luggage. The bedroom had gone quiet.

 

Behind me, I heard a door click. Turning around, I saw Yi Tian stepping out. He was wearing jeans, shirtless, with his damp hair clinging to his forehead. His lips were pressed tightly beneath his high nose. A beautiful man followed him out of the room. The man smiled faintly at me but said nothing as he left.

 

Yi Tian, unsurprised by my presence, walked straight to the table and gulped down a glass of water. I stared at him, unsure of what to say.

 

After a moment, I swallowed and softly said, "Yi Tian, let's break up."

 

He set down his cup and raised an eyebrow. "Were we ever together?" he asked coolly.

 

A bitter smile played on my lips as I reflected on my foolishness. Yi Tian and I were never truly together; I had merely clung to him, employing every dirty trick I knew.

Stepping into the study, I made my way to the desk and unlocked a concealed cabinet. Retrieving a file, I carefully opened it to confirm that the photos and negatives were still safely stored inside. Satisfied, I made my way back to him.

 

“These are the photos and negatives,” I said quietly, handing him the file.

 

Yi Tian didn’t take it. Instead, he smirked and asked, "What’s your game this time?"

 

His distrustful expression pierced me. My heart felt hollow.

 

Three years ago, I had drugged him, taken compromising photos, and used them to blackmail him into staying with me. Those photos were my only leverage, my only way to keep him. I knew that once I gave them up, I would lose him—and probably my life. Yet, here I was, offering them to him. No wonder he didn’t believe me.

 

In truth, with Yi Tian’s background, no one would dare to expose the photos even if they were leaked. But he was the kind of person who wouldn’t allow anyone else to see them. So, in the end, I succeeded in forcing him to stay. Even after he punched me in the face and sent me to the hospital, I still felt exhilarated, convinced that everything would eventually be okay. I thought that if I was good to him, if I loved him enough, he would finally accept me, maybe even love me back.

 

How childish and stupid I had been. I had done everything wrong and convinced myself it was the right way.

 

I shoved the bag into his hand. "Yi Tian, you can trust me. No one can blackmail you anymore."

 

He frowned, opened the bag, and his expression immediately changed when he saw the photos. Disgust contorted his face.

 

I was so tired, barely able to keep my eyes open, and I sat down on the couch, hoping to rest. But before I could relax, Yi Tian dragged me up, grabbing my collar. He looked at me with fury in his eyes. “What the hell do you want?!”

 

I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling. The overhead light was broken and old, the paint on the walls peeling and yellowed. Everything smelled of decay, like the house’s owner. After a long moment, I heard myself say, "Yi Tian, this is my home..."

 

Since childhood, all I had ever wanted was a home. When I was passed around in the orphanage like an unwanted commodity, when I was bullied at school, when I lay feverish and delirious in the middle of the night—my only thought was: it would be nice to have a home.

 

As an adult, I finally had one. Even though this place was rented, even though it was small and shabby, even though the only family I had didn’t love me—I was content.

 

I just never expected Yi Tian to hate me so much that he would bring someone here to humiliate me to the extreme.

 

From the moment we met, he had found different ways to hurt me, testing my limits, taking pleasure in my suffering. This time, he had hit my weakest point, causing me so much pain that I didn’t have the strength to cling to him anymore.

 

Yi Tian stared at me coldly, then released me and walked into the bedroom to gather his clothes. He grabbed the file and left without a second glance.

 

After a loud bang, the room was silent once more.

 

I blinked away the tears and fell asleep on the couch, thinking that three years of effort had ended in nothing but emptiness.

END OF THE CHAPTER