Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

After hopping out of the car, I grabbed the cupcakes and strolled into the pitch-black Broadway Alley. I remember bringing a cake here on my birthday years ago. Haven't been back since.

These days, Broadway Alley felt like a ghost town, like everyone packed up and left. Standing downstairs, I glanced up. The building was mostly dark, just a few lights flickering here and there. Emily's place? Completely dark. I headed upstairs and stopped at her door. Dust covered it, like it hadn't been opened in ages. I wondered, 'Did she move? Get married?'

Jason had been overseas for years, and I hadn't heard any news about him getting married. It was tough for two people to stay together with all the family drama and future plans.

I thought, 'If Emily did get married, who did she end up with? Is she happy?'

I placed the cupcakes at her doorstep. I never had the guts to knock on it, not back then, not now. Leaning against the wall, I lit a cigarette and started reminiscing.

What did I feel for Emily? I had no clue. I felt guilty about Fiona, and with Emily, I couldn't even face my guilt or seek redemption.

After a long time, I thought I'd never see Emily again, but then she suddenly appeared.

At the top of the hill, I didn't recognize her at first. She was a mess, hair all over the place, dirty. I couldn't connect this disheveled woman to her.

But when she looked up, one desperate, injured look, and I knew it was her.

Emily! How did she end up here like this? The encounter was so sudden, I panicked.

Seeing her silent, I almost took off on my bike. Over the years, I'd learned to stay calm, but Emily's sudden appearance threw me off. I stopped and heard her crying, so desperate.

I'd been avoiding this for years, and finally, fate brought us together. It felt destined. So, I decided to go with the flow. I turned my bike around, trying to act calm and composed, like it was our first meeting, to hide my inner chaos.

I decided to be a good guy and take her to the hospital. I heard her calling a friend, thinking about her disheveled state and how heartbroken she was after hanging up.

I knew Emily had lost her child. I tried to use smoking to mask my anxious and troubled feelings. But when I went to wash my car, seeing the blood-red stain on the passenger seat, my anger boiled over, and I punched the car.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"Mr. Windsor, are you okay?" The car wash attendant looked at me nervously. I waved him off, walked to the side, and lit a cigarette. After washing the car, I sat inside, not knowing where to go.

That night, I took a cold shower. The icy water flowed over every inch of my skin, trying to wake myself up. But my mind kept flashing to Emily's bloody legs and her heartbroken, desperate look.

I thought, 'Ethan, calm down! Don't get involved. You don't deserve her!'

If I never showed up in front of her again, tonight would just be a chance encounter. That night, I didn't sleep at all. The next morning, I didn't go to the office. I didn't want to worry about Emily, but I couldn't control my heart. I thought, 'She looked terrible yesterday, both physically and mentally traumatized. How is she after a night?'

I held back all night, but finally, I couldn't resist calling her.

I thought, 'Even a stranger with a sense of justice, encountering her situation, might not be able to let it go, right? They would care, right?'

She said she was in the hospital. When I arrived, I saw her being bullied by that despicable couple. It was then I realized her scumbag husband was Arthur.

What a small world! He bullied everyone I cared about, first Fiona, then Emily. At that moment, I decided to ruin Arthur. I protected Emily behind me, and ironically, Arthur seemed to have forgotten me.

Eight years ago, I was a reckless teenager with long hair. When I beat him up, he couldn't even stand straight, and his eyes were black and blue. It was normal that he didn't remember me well. But I definitely couldn't forget Arthur, because back then I wanted to beat him to death.

When the shouting finally died down, Emily seemed to lose all her strength and was about to collapse. After enduring a night of torment and pain, she finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.

Seeing her pale face on the hospital bed, I felt my mind was a mess. I had called her and rushed to the hospital just to check on her. But I couldn't let myself get too involved. After much thought, I called her friend.

For a whole month, I kept myself busy, forcing myself not to think about Emily. Several times I wanted to call and ask about her, but I held back.

Emily didn't call either; she must have forgotten about our chance encounter.

I only secretly went to see her a few times, always at night. But I only looked at the lit window from downstairs, not daring to go up. I knew it was better for her to get better without my interference.

The next time I saw Emily was in a bar. Just like the encounter on the hill, she appeared so suddenly. That night, Emily was stunning. Compared to a month ago, when she was disheveled and miserable, she was now so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off her. Judging by her state, she had recovered well over the past month.

Emily came to greet me, and at that moment, two business friends were trying to introduce their daughters to me, and I was struggling to get away.

Since we had met several times by chance, it felt like a sign from above, and I suddenly had an impulsive urge. I introduced her to others as my future wife, and I was serious.

But Emily might not know my true feelings. After she went out with her friends, she didn't come back, and while I was in the booth, my heart had already gone with her.

When I finally couldn't resist going out to find her, I saw her being bullied by Arthur and his new fling, with tears welling up in her eyes.

Right in front of that cheating couple, I kissed her. Partly because my strong protective instinct kicked in, wanting to stand up for her, and partly because of a deep-seated desire within me. So I impulsively kissed her.

The moment I kissed her, I had already decided. Since I was going to intervene, I would go all the way and return all the grievances she had suffered.

So I deliberately set up a trap. When I took Emily into the casino, she was very uneasy. She had been a good girl since childhood and probably had never been to such a place. She carefully held onto my arm, head down, looking timid just like when she was a child.

When Arthur joined the game, I found it increasingly interesting. I could see that she was afraid Arthur would lose. After being hurt so badly by him, she was still worried about him.

I thought to myself, 'So, did she marry him because she really loved Arthur?' Thinking of this, I got a bit annoyed. So, I decided to make Arthur lose completely.

In that game, Arthur lost a million dollars and all his dignity and pride. I had Oliver take Emily and the others downstairs first, and Arthur followed me into the casino office. Arthur stood in front of me, looking somewhat embarrassed and uneasy. After lighting a cigarette, I said, "Long time no see."

Arthur was visibly startled, suddenly looking up at me. A few seconds later, a hint of panic appeared in his eyes, as he finally recognized me.

"What do you want?" he asked me warily.

"Me?" I chuckled through the smoke. "You now owe me a million dollars. I should be asking you, how do you plan to repay it?"

Mentioning the million dollars, he became timid. After a long time, he said, "I know, back then Fiona broke up with you and got with me, you hate me, but that was her choice."

I held the cigarette, deformed it, but I still smiled nonchalantly. "You didn't answer my question."

At this moment, he didn't look like a man at all. For a million dollars, he lowered his head in front of me, his hands nervously not knowing where to place them.

"I don't have that much, I can only write an IOU," Arthur said, clenching his fists.

"I don't accept IOUS, but I do have a proposal."

I tapped on the keyboard and quickly printed something out. Pushing it in front of him, I crossed my legs, holding the cigarette in my mouth, observing his reaction. He was shocked after reading it. "What is it?" he asked.

I exhaled a puff of smoke and said nonchalantly, "I'm really into Emily. How about a million dollars? Let's make a deal, and she'll be with me from now on."

"Emily and I are not divorced yet," he said unwillingly.

I said with a faint smile, "It doesn't matter! I like her."