They Let Me Burn to Save His Mistress

The vast mansion stands empty, with only me inside. The silence is so profound it's almost eerie, interrupted only by the sound of my own breath echoing through the rooms. I bandage my wounds quietly and crawl into the cold bed. Outside, thunder crashes and lightning flashes, and I instinctively curl into a ball.

In a haze, my mind drifts back to the year of my parents' car accident. It was another stormy day with thunder and lightning, just like this one. The two most important people in my life, my beloved mom and dad, were gone forever. From that moment on, my world became as dark as a night without stars.

My uncle, who was living abroad, wanted to take me with him. But Matthew and Carson intervened, preventing him. They bought the villa next to my family’s home and brought me there, promising my uncle time and again that they would take good care of me. And they truly did.

These two were once rebellious heirs, but they changed entirely for my sake. I was shy, so we didn't hire any housekeepers. Matthew threw himself into the kitchen, determined to become a skilled cook just to ensure I had delicious meals. Carson, who had no interest in fashion design, took up studying it so he could craft beautiful Victorian-style dresses for me by hand.

Whenever it rained heavily, they would make makeshift beds in my room, quietly staying beside me. They would tell me bedtime stories and crack jokes until I fell asleep, tiptoeing out only once I was sound asleep.

"Kiara, no matter what, we will always protect you," they promised when I turned eighteen. At that time, I naively believed this promise would hold true forever. However, I was wrong. Everything changed when Miriam came into the picture.

Miriam was a struggling student sponsored by the Sullivan family, taken in after her parents passed away. Initially, Matthew and Carson found her annoying and assured me, "Don’t worry, Kiara, we'll always be there for you. She’ll be gone soon!"

But gradually, I noticed that my things began to include versions for Miriam. Conversations with Matthew and Carson increasingly revolved around her. I couldn't accept this shift and had cried and argued with them, hoping they'd return to their senses.

I never thought they would come to cherish Miriam even more, becoming irritated by my objections. "You're just spoiled. Miriam would never act like this," their scolding cut into my heart like sharp knives. At that moment, it felt as though my heart had been thrown into a freezing abyss, cold and unforgiving.

Youthful promises, like bubbles, easily burst upon a touch. How could I still believe in them so easily? Yet, I clung to a glimmer of hope. After spending over twenty years together, how could our connection be so easily displaced?

Quietly, I hoped in my heart that they were just momentarily confused and would eventually come back to me. But when Miriam and I were trapped in a raging fire, that last shred of hope was utterly extinguished.

The fire was fierce, smoke billowing thickly. I struggled within the inferno, the searing pain nearly causing me to pass out. Yet, Matthew and Carson rushed to Miriam without a moment's hesitation.

I lay on the scorching ground, surrounded by the relentless flames. The pain of my burns was nothing compared to the despair I felt inside. I watched helplessly as they carried Miriam away, their silhouettes stark and unwavering against the fire’s glow.

At that moment, it felt as if a merciless hand tore cruelly at my heart, shredding it into countless bleeding pieces. I finally let go, completely and utterly.

Matthew and Carson had truly forgotten their promises. Their eyes now held only Miriam. They had fallen for her, and the place that once belonged to me was now hers.

They could so easily discard over two decades of friendship, letting go without any second thoughts. Given that, I might as well try to let go too.