My Lover’s Betrayal with His Niece Made Me Disappear Forever

Marcus' heart clenched with unease.

He knew I had always been clingy, always longing for his presence. I must be upset, he thought—angry that he hadn’t been by my side these past few days.

"Lila, I'm sorry," he said, his voice soft, coaxing. "Please don’t be mad at me, okay? I swear I’ll never do this again. I’ve been working non-stop just so I could come back to you as soon as possible."

He smiled as he apologized, as if my unhappiness was a burden on his conscience.

Love?

Love.

At least, I had truly loved him once.

I still remember that night. A rainstorm poured over the city, and Marcus had come to pick me up from work. Out of nowhere, a car lost control and came hurtling toward us. In that split second, I thought I was going to die.

But before I lost consciousness, I saw him let go of the steering wheel—choosing to wrap his arms around me instead.

He shielded me with his body.

I walked away with nothing but a few scratches. He spent three days in a coma.

The man standing in front of me had once risked his life for me.

But so what?

Feelings shift in an instant. Love is a long, grueling battle. When you love someone, you would die for them. When you don’t, there’s nothing left—not even a shred of sincerity.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

If I weren’t set to leave in ten days, I wouldn’t even bother playing this game with him.

Looking at that affectionate yet hypocritical face, I forced a smile.

"Marc, you’re overthinking. I’m really not angry," I said lightly. "Tell me, which woman in this city wouldn’t envy me? When you proposed, fireworks lit up the entire skyline for three days. And at our restaurant, anyone who wished us well got a free meal, all at your expense."

Marcus' lips curled into a gentle smile. "Lila, I love you more than I love myself. Even if you wanted my life, I would give it to you."

He was still the same as before—putting on a show, making sure that no matter the setting, no matter the audience, his love for me appeared unwavering.

Just as he was about to lean in and pull me into his arms, I shoved him away, disgust curling in my stomach.

"I want to eat cake," I said flatly.

Marcus chuckled and playfully tapped my nose. "Don’t eat too much. I’m taking you to my mother’s house later."

"I already bought the gifts for you."

Every time we visited his mother, Marcus—the ever-filial son—would bring a pile of gifts and then tell her they were from me, her future daughter-in-law.

His mother neither liked nor disliked me. To her, whoever married her son would be family, as long as she could provide grandchildren.

She lived in the suburbs, in a farmhouse Marcus had bought for his parents. The elderly couple preferred a quiet life in the mountains, tending to their vegetable garden and raising chickens in the spacious yard.

As soon as our car stopped, Vivian came bounding toward Marcus like an excited bird, throwing herself into his arms.

"Uncle, I missed you!" she whined, wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice dripping with sweetness.

The old lady beamed. "This girl is still as attached to her uncle as she was when she was little."

Marcus' face darkened. Annoyed, he pried her hands off him. "You’re not a child anymore. Move."

Vivian’s eyes filled with unshed tears, her lips trembling in a pitiful pout.

"Uncle, you’ve changed," she sniffled. "You used to love me so much! When that fat kid next door bullied me, you beat him up for me. You promised you’d always take care of me! But now… now that you have her, you don’t love me anymore?"

She shot me a resentful glare.

Marcus' expression turned cold in an instant. "Vivian, if you keep this up, I’ll have someone send you back to the mountains!"

"Apologize to your aunt!"

I stood there with my arms crossed, watching their ridiculous performance.

These two, who had already crossed every line of intimacy, were now pretending to be innocent in front of me.

Vivian, seeing Marcus' anger, bit her lip and whispered pitifully, "Aunt, I’m sorry."

I had no patience for their theatrics. Without a word, I turned and walked straight into the yard.