After He Proposed to Her, I Vanished Forever

It turned out it was just a protest.

After all the shouting and chaos, only a mess was left behind.

But my luck was terrible; out of nowhere, some madman slashed my face.

I ended up in the hospital for stitches.

By the time I made it back to the hotel, exhaustion took over and I collapsed into bed.

My fever, which had barely faded, flared up again.

I woke in the middle of the night, my eyes heavy with fatigue and found Liam curled up on the sofa, his fingers toying with a lighter.

The flickering flame mirrored his unpredictable, hot-and-cold personality.

His voice broke through the silence, full of irritation.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you came back? I nearly called the police. Do you have any idea how many times I tried reaching you? Salome’s been so worried, she’s only just managed to fall asleep.”

“Sorry, my phone died.”

I was drained, yet the words slipped out of me without thought, an instinct to apologize, to shrink in his presence.

Liam walked over, his hands suddenly gripping my face, inspecting the damage.

“What did the doctor say?”

“They said it might scar.”

“You’re so stupid!”

He snapped genuine anger in his voice.

“If it leaves a scar, who’s going to want you?”

I didn’t have the energy to defend myself, the weight of it all sinking in.

I could only lower my head, my voice barely a whisper, “Liam, can I please sleep a little longer?”

He released me as though a shock had jolted him.

In the stillness of the night, his voice softened, unexpectedly gentle.

“Sleep.”

As soon as my eyes fluttered shut, I felt myself slipping into sleep, but a faint touch brushed against the wound on my face.

He murmured, “You’re so easy to hurt. What will you do without me?”

It was probably just a dream.

I wouldn’t believe it.

I wouldn’t stay.

Absolutely not.

The next day arrived with Liam’s wedding photoshoot and rehearsal.

Salome came over, her hands full of a mascot costume.

“Assistant Amadeo, that scar doesn’t look good. Why not wear this to greet the guests?”

I glanced at Liam. He remained silent. So, I smiled and slipped on the mascot headpiece.

Through the fabric, I watched them share kisses and vows.

Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

The air grew suffocating and sweat-drenched me.

The cut on my face pulsed with pain; the doctor had warned me it would scar.

All the pain combined to give me the courage I needed to leave Liam behind for good.

Tomorrow, once his wedding was over, I’d board my flight home and start fresh at a confidential agency.

It felt as though Liam sensed something and he turned his gaze toward me.

In the awkward mascot suit, I formed a heart shape with my hands, sending him a silent wish.

‘Liam, I hope you find happiness.’

After the rehearsal, everyone gathered to watch the playback.

When the moment arrived for them to exchange rings, Salome suddenly pouted and remarked, “It’s just missing a big diamond ring. Then everything would be perfect.”

Liam’s voice was soft as he comforted her, “You insisted on having the wedding in Ireland. I didn’t have time to prepare everything. But once we’re home, I’ll buy you the biggest diamond I can find.”

That night, Liam asked me to travel miles to retrieve a diamond ring.

It belonged to one of Salome’s friends.

I couldn’t fathom how much persuasion it had taken for Liam to convince her.

But I could already imagine the delight on Salome’s face when she saw it tomorrow.

And the cost?

I would have to push my exhausted body through a sleepless night, crossing a foreign land just to bring it back to him.

“Okay.”

Ever since Liam had once saved me, I had sworn to repay him, to return a great kindness with an even greater one.

I had kept my promise.

This would be the last thing I’d ever do for him.

At the wedding, Liam waited for me for what seemed like an eternity until a mascot figure stepped onto the stage, holding the diamond ring.

He reached out, about to slip it onto Salome’s finger when he suddenly noticed a dark red stain on the velvet box.

He exploded with fury, charging forward and ripping the mascot's head off.

But inside, it wasn’t me; it was the bodyguard who had accompanied me to fetch the ring.

“Why are you here? Where’s Anya?”

Liam’s face turned cold, the air thickening with tension.

“Special Assistant Amadeo said she was in a hurry to return for her thesis defense, so she wouldn’t be attending your wedding,” the bodyguard answered, repeating my words word for word, though his eyes betrayed the redness of his sorrow.

“Is she injured?” Liam’s voice sharpened, a sudden realization dawning on him.

The bodyguard hesitated, his words caught in his throat.

“Speak!” Liam bellowed, his fury rising.

The bodyguard trembled, his voice cracking with fear. “We were robbed on the road. They took our money, but they wouldn’t leave. It was as if they knew about the multi-million-dollar diamond ring in the car. We don’t know if it was greed or something else, but they insisted on searching Anya…”

“They found the ring in Anya’s underwear, but she refused to hand it over…” The bodyguard, standing nearly 1.8 meters tall, trembled with every word. “She said it was your engagement ring, but they cut off her two fingers.”

“What?!” Liam staggered, nearly losing his balance.

Salome rushed to steady him, but he swatted her hand away.

His fury turned on the bodyguard as he grabbed him by the collar. “I told you to protect her!”

Liam may have forgotten his instructions to me and the bodyguard: ‘Protect the ring and deliver it, no matter what.’

Liam’s fury was unmistakable. "I’m asking you! Where is she?"

“She was taken by the robbers.”

“She told us to deliver the ring and not delay your wedding with Salome.”

Liam’s legs buckled beneath him, his body collapsing to the ground. He understood the implications as a young girl was taken to a foreign land. My body could be rotting away and no one might even bother to recover it.

Congratulations to him. He was happily married with a wife and children.

Congratulations to me, my debts erased, grievances buried and never to see him again.