Chapter 3
After we finished our meal, he finally broke
the silence.
“Aurelle, let’s make your birthday a grand celebration this year, shall we?”
I hesitated for a brief moment, knowing this would be my last birthday in the country before leaving. Eventually, I nodded. His earlier worries melted away instantly, replaced by an almost childlike
excitement.
In the days that followed, Ruslan threw himself into organizing the party with unrestrained enthusiasm. He booked the city’s grandest hotel, procured the finest wine, and extended invitations to half of the elite upper class.
Unlike Ruslan‘ s uncontainable
excitement, Thea‘ s sour mood was
unmistakable, her displeasure simmering just below the surface.
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When the day of the party arrived, the venue was a whirlwind of activity and opulence. A six–meter banner stretched across the hall’s entrance, its bold letters proclaiming:
“Celebrating Ruslan’s beloved wife‘ s 25th birthday!”
As one of the city’s most prominent figures, Ruslan‘ s reputation drew a steady stream of guests, each eager to raise their glass in a toast.
Smiling, they offered their well–rehearsed compliments.
“Mrs. Wyatt, you‘ re truly enviable! A husband like Ruslan is one in a million.”
“Did you know this event cost tens of millions? Every detail, every decoration, was personally overseen by him.”
I returned their toasts with a polite smile, neither confirming nor denying their words, letting their admiration float unanswered in the air.
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However, as soon as they turned their backs, their expressions shifted. They began whispering among themselves, their voices dripping with disdain.
“She truly believes she’s adored, doesn‘ t she? Look at her, actually nodding at that.”
“Just a useless cripple, clueless about her place in all this.”
“Is she really this oblivious, or is she just pretending? Doesn’t she know who this party is really for?”
Strangely enough, their words didn’t pierce through me. There was no anger, no sting. It was as if their venomous whispers had no power over me.
As the party reached its peak, someone suddenly shouted, “A shooting star!”
In an instant, everyone rushed toward the balcony, their excitement palpable.
Sitting in my wheelchair, I was jostled by the sudden rush of the crowd. In the chaos,
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my wheelchair tipped, and I crashed to the ground.
As I fell, my foot caught the ribbon that held the banner in place.
With a sudden, sharp pull, the banner came tumbling down, revealing another layer beneath it.
I stared at the banner that had just been uncovered, my body frozen in place.
The words were clear and unmistakable. “Celebrating the Wyatt family’s child’s arrival!”
The cold truth hit me: this entire
celebration had never been for me.
It had always been for the child growing in Thea‘ s belly.
Despite the small signs of recovery in my legs, the panicked crowd trampled over me, sending waves of pain through my body. I couldn’t move, couldn’t get up.
Just before everything went dark, I saw
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Thea on the balcony; her eyes closed in silent prayer as she made a wish upon the shooting star. Ruslan stood beside her, hist gaze soft, filled with an affection that was never meant for me.
When I awoke, I found myself in a sterile hospital bed.
I tried to move my legs, only to be greeted with sharp, biting pain.
But it wasn’t the pain that pierced me deeper; it was the conversation outside the room, colder than any physical injury.
I heard the doctor‘ s voice.
“Mr. Wyatt, your wife‘ s legs are showing signs of recovery, but we’ll need more. tests to determine if they can fully heal.”
To my surprise, Ruslan didn’t seem relieved. Instead, his anger flared as he snapped at the doctor.
“I pay you a fortune, and this is what I get?”
“I’ve been feeding Aurelle so much
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medicine to damage her nerves. The whole
point was to make her feel worthless, paralyzed, so she’d never leave me.”
His voice dropped, but the frustration still bled through.
“I’ve gone to such extremes, even installing hundreds of surveillance cameras around the house, just to keep her by my side, to make sure she can never bear children, and to ensure that Thea‘ s child becomes the Wyatt family’s first heir!”
As he spoke, Ruslan grabbed the doctor by the collar.
“And now you‘ re telling me this could all be for nothing? If Aurelle recovers from her paralysis, you can kiss goodbye to your job as director!”
I clenched my fists, the reality sinking in.
So this was why my legs, barely injured, had been paralyzed for three years. He had insisted the medication was some ancient cure he’d gathered from around the world.
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Only recently, when I began feeling nauseous and refused to drink it, did I secretly spit it out to spare his feelings.
The moment I stopped taking it, my legs started to heal.
I paused to calm myself, the pieces falling into place.
Outside, Ruslan was still shouting at the doctor.
He’d even called in top specialists to discuss my paralysis.
As soon as they weren‘ t looking, I didn’t hesitate.
I shed my hospital gown and walked out, every step a declaration of my freedom.
Hailing a taxi, I was ready to leave, to escape him.
When Ruslan found my room empty, he lost it.
He rushed outside, grabbing strangers,
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desperately asking if they’d seen me.
Coincidentally, just as I was sliding into the taxi, Ruslan’s eyes locked with mine through the window.
His gaze was sharp and predatory, like a hunter stalking its prey, making my heart shudder.
