Love Like an Abyss

On the day of my wedding, my fiancé live-streamed his proposal to my cousin. The two of them eloped right then and there, leaving me behind to become the infamous jilted bride.

Lost and desperate, Brian Rocha, the wealthiest man in Harbor City, stepped onto the stage and knelt before me on one knee.  

“Angela Duncan, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you at the Gala Auction. Will you marry me?”

I politely declined, but he refused to back down. From that moment on, he pursued me relentlessly. On my birthday, he went so far as to spend millions renting every advertisement screen in the city, all to boldly profess his love for me. Three years later, I finally agreed to his proposal. 

That day, I became the woman everyone envied, the one who must have saved the galaxy in her past life to deserve a man like him. But on the eve of our engagement, I overheard him talking to his friends and it shattered everything.

“You’re crazy, man, spending tens of thousands of dollars buying a building for your first love. As a friend, I just want to remind you that she’s already married to your fiancée’s ex.”

“As long as she’s happy. I’d do anything for Laurel. I’d even die for her,” Brian replied, his voice filled with sadness. Longing was also evident in his tone.

It turned out that his struggle to win me over all this time was just a façade. He didn’t really want to be with me; he only wanted to be close to Laurel, making sure she was always happy through me.

My heart broke into a thousand pieces. That night, I decided to disappear from this world.

——

“So don’t let your people tell Angela anything about me and Laurel,” Brian ordered in a confident tone.  

“They wouldn’t dare let slip even a word about Laurel in front of Angela,” someone replied.  

I froze at the doorway, gripping the thermos tightly in my hands. Tomorrow was supposed to be our engagement party. Just three hours ago, Brian had called, claiming he was busy with work and told me to get an early night. Feeling sorry for him, I decided to surprise him with a warm bowl of soup I’d made. The surprise I had prepared for him backfired, hurting me deeply.

Everything I thought we had together—our love, our happiness—was nothing more than an illusion Brian had created for me.  

Memories of our time together flashed through my mind like a cruel reel of film.  

When he filled the city with love billboards, he’d said, “Angela, this is just the first step in winning your heart.” 

When we traveled the world, he’d said, “Angela, I’ll show you everything the world has to offer.”

When he knelt by the seaside and proposed to me, he’d said, “I love you, Angela. Please marry me.” 

Now, my vision blurred with tears. Reaching up to wipe my face, I realized I had already started crying.  

A message popped up on my phone.  

It was from a client recommended by a senior colleague, asking if I could go to Dubai to handle their asset planning. If this had been before, I would’ve turned them down without a second thought.  

But now...  

The voices in the office stopped. A deathly silence fell. I didn’t know whether to leave or stay when a flustered woman stepped out of the office.  

It was Brian’s secretary.  

“Miss Duncan, what a surprise. When did you get here?” she asked nervously.  

I forced a smile and lifted the thermos in my hand. “Just now. I came to bring Brian some soup.”

She let out a relieved breath and opened the office door for me. When Brian saw me, he hurried over to take the thermos.  

“It’s cold outside. What if you catch a chill?” he scolded gently.  

The secretary handed him the remote and he turned up the heat, then fetched a blanket to drape over my shoulders.  

I curled up in a corner of the couch, wrapped in warmth, yet I still felt an unbearable coldness seep into my bones. 

Brian’s friends and secretary bid us farewell with polite smiles, but I finally understood what their smiles truly meant.  

Every time they had smiled like that before, I thought they were teasing Brian for being humble and devoted to me, despite his towering status as a CEO.  

Now I knew—they were laughing at me.  

Brian looked at me anxiously.  

“Are you cold?” he asked softly.