A month before I was supposed to get engaged to my childhood sweetheart, I was kidnapped by traffickers and taken deep into the mountains.

They sold me to a bachelor, and within three years, I gave birth to two children.

I lived in a cowshed, waking every day to beatings and insults. By the sixth year, I finally earned his trust, and one night under the pale moonlight, I ran, seven days and seven nights without stopping.

When hunger tore at me, I chewed on leaves and picked wild fruits; when thirst burned, I drank from the rain.

With the last of my strength, I finally broke free from the mountains I had long dreamed of escaping.

I drifted through towns, wandering, until I found my way back to my boyfriend’s home.

But the wedding photo that once held our faces now showed him with my best friend.

——

Relying on what I knew about him, I reached under the carpet, found the hidden key, and pushed the door open with trembling hands.

The massive wedding portrait hanging on the wall was the first thing I saw.

In the photo, Quincy Larson, my best friend, and Luka Caldwell, my childhood sweetheart, held hands, smiling as if joy belonged only to them.

I rubbed my eyes hard, unwilling to believe what I was seeing. The image struck me like lightning, leaving me stunned.

The house was laid out the same as before, yet everything tied to me was gone.

The souvenirs from trips with Luka, the anniversary vase we had ordered together, the photo wall in the living room, every trace of me had vanished.

Then I heard the sound of the door unlocking behind me, followed by laughter and voices.

“Quincy, I just learned a new recipe. I’ll cook it for you.”

“Alright, I’ll help you out.”

I didn’t turn around. My eyes stayed fixed on the wedding photo. The laughter and chatter stopped the moment the door opened.

“Who are you?” Luka’s voice was cautious, edged with suspicion. He didn’t recognize me anymore.

Once, no matter the distance or the crowd, Luka could always find me instantly.

I turned slowly. The second they saw my face, both of them froze in shock.

I was covered in dirt and mud, my body weak and thin.

There was no joy in Luka’s eyes; his hand tightened around Quincy’s without thinking. It lasted only a moment, but I saw it clearly, and it cut deep.

“Talia Pearson? How did you…”

Luka let go of Quincy’s hand, smiled, and walked toward me.

When he tried to pull me into his arms, he hesitated. That pause, that flicker of disgust he couldn’t hide, pierced my heart like a knife.

For a brief moment, Quincy looked shaken at being let go, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Talia, you’re finally back. We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been all these years?”

As she stepped closer, Luka still embraced me, but it was reluctant, and the distaste on his face was impossible to miss.

I couldn’t help but think back to that graduation trip, when I had fallen into the forest during the storm.

I was gone for two days, and when I finally stumbled out, soaked and covered in mud, Luka had rushed to me without hesitation, pulling me into his arms as if he would never let go.

In that moment, I wanted to shove him away. “Dirty.”

But Luka only pulled me closer. “You’re not dirty. How could my Talia ever be dirty? I finally found you.”

“Am I… interrupting you two?”

Luka’s body stiffened. He gave me a quick squeeze before letting go in a rush.

“Of course not. Talia, we were all so worried about you.”

They stood in front of me, faces full of worry and unease. To me, it was almost laughable.

One was Luka, who had grown up by my side since childhood.

The other was Quincy, the friend I once pulled out of a dark alley when she was beaten and broken.

My eyes drifted to the wedding photo on the wall. The two of them instantly understood and lowered their heads in shame.

“Talia, please, let me explain. After you disappeared, we were crushed. We searched together for more than three years, but we never found you. Later…”

I gave a bitter smile, my eyes stinging with tears, and finished the sentence for him.

“Later… you two ended up together.”

Quincy reached out and took my hand. “Talia, I’m sorry, truly sorry. If you can’t accept this, I’ll leave right now.”

She started to turn away, but Luka rushed past me and pulled her back. “Quincy, this isn’t your fault. You don’t have to leave.”

Then he faced me, keeping her behind him. “Talia, I’m sorry. This is on me, not her. She’s always cared for you, so have I. But the past is gone. Missing you will always be my regret. We won’t turn our backs on you, but can you…”

In that moment, the last bit of faith I held broke apart. “I hope you’re happy. I’m leaving.”

I brushed past Luka without a glance. “Talia…” His voice echoed after me, but I never looked back.

Ahead, the road stretched toward my parents’ house. The old place stood silent, its windows dark.

The door lock was rusted, and the bodyguards who once stood watch were long gone. The house looked like it had been deserted for years.

My strength gave out, and I collapsed at the doorway, curling into myself.

Years of poor nourishment left my head spinning, my vision blurred. Helplessness and sorrow rose until they spilled over.

Rain began to fall again.

In the last haze before losing consciousness, I saw Luka appear with an umbrella, just like that day on our graduation trip.

Without thinking, I reached out to him. “Talia, I’ll take you home.”

He carried me back to his house.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in the guest room of Luka’s home.

Beside me sat Luka and Quincy, their faces easing with relief as soon as I stirred.

“Talia, you’ve suffered too much all these years. The doctor said you’re severely malnourished. Stay here and rest for a while.”

Quincy’s voice softened, as if she too remembered, this used to be my home.

“Where are my parents?” I asked, ignoring her words.

“In the six years you were gone, your parents searched everywhere for you. After three years, when even the police had no leads, they went abroad themselves. It’s been three years since then, and we’ve had no way to reach them.”

I pressed my lips together as a wave of helplessness swept over me.

“Talia, just stay here and rest. You can stay as long as you need. Coming back was already so hard.”

Luka held my hand, a hint of heartache flickering in his eyes.

Quincy noticed, but said nothing. She lowered her head and quietly slipped out of the room.

“Luka, do you still love me?”

I looked straight into his eyes.

His gaze faltered, shifting away, avoiding mine.

“Talia, my head is a mess right now. Can you give me some time? These days have been filled with wedding preparations, and then you suddenly appeared. I honestly haven’t had the chance to process it all.”

I pulled my gaze away and looked out the window.

Wedding. A bitter laugh slipped from my lips.

There was a knock on the door. Quincy poked her head in, draped in a red nightgown. Soon-to-be brides always wore red nightgowns.

“Luka, let Talia rest. We should get some rest, too.”

Luka glanced at me, his eyes complicated. After a long silence, he finally turned and walked out.

I was drained, yet no matter how I tried, sleep refused to come.

When dawn broke, I opened the door. In the kitchen, Luka and Quincy were making breakfast together.

“Luka, which dress should I wear for tonight’s dinner? It’s your fault, after three years of you feeding me, I’ve gone up a whole size.”

Luka’s voice carried a touch of gentle affection. “I just like cooking for you.”

Ten years ago, Luka had taken a culinary class just to please me. He once told me that if he could win over my stomach, I would never leave him.

But the person who said those words no longer existed.

I stepped out with a cold expression. The moment they saw me, both fell silent, their voices cut off.

At the dinner table, none of the dishes Luka used to prepare especially for me appeared.

It was clear now that he only cooked what Quincy liked.

“Talia, there’s a gathering with friends tonight. Come with us. They’re all our old friends, and it’ll be a good chance to let everyone know you’re back.”

I gave a quiet nod.

As night fell, I covered my pale face with makeup. Since none of my clothes remained in the house, the former mistress could only borrow Quincy’s to wear. Even so, it was still better than returning to that hell.

Luka came to take Quincy and me to the gathering. Out of habit, I reached for the passenger door, but the sticker there caught my eye and stung.

Quincy’s exclusive seat. That spot had once belonged to me.

I pulled my hand back and slipped into the back seat instead.

“Quincy, come on.”

Luka’s affectionate call guided her straight to the passenger side.

The entire ride felt like endless torment.

When we arrived, most of the faces were childhood friends Luka and I had once shared. The moment they spotted Luka and Quincy together, they rushed over.

“I swear, do you two have to be this lovey-dovey?”

“You’re not even married yet, and already stuck together.”

Their teasing was so familiar it felt like I’d been thrown back ten years, only the heroine had changed.

Luka cleared his throat gently, hinting for them to look behind him.

When their eyes landed on me, the laughter died at once. They glanced at Luka, their expressions saying without words: She’s back, then what about Quincy?

The air turned heavy with awkward silence.

At the table, the conversations drifted over topics I could no longer keep up with, and I realized I no longer belonged in what used to be my own circle.

All those once-close friends now gathered around Quincy, the very same person I had brought into this circle back then.

The suffocation became too much, so I stood and slipped away to the restroom. I stayed hidden there for a long time before I finally gathered the courage to come out.

But just as I reached for the door, voices floated in from outside.

“Luka, now that the two of them aren’t here, tell us honestly, your old lover is back. What’s going through your head? Don’t tell me you’re planning to start things up again?”

Luka let out a sharp click of his tongue.

“How could that be? The hospital report says she already has two children. Rekindle? What, you expect me to play the fool?”

One friend sounded doubtful.

“But when she went missing, you were the one who panicked most. You acted like you couldn’t live without her. And now you’re saying you feel nothing?”

Luka stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“I don’t even know myself. But now, whenever I see her, I can’t stop imagining that she’s been touched by someone else. I do feel sorry for her, but she’s not the same as before. Now she’s just… secondhand, isn’t she?”

I leaned weakly against the wall, my legs barely holding me up.

“So you’ve chosen to embrace a new life with Quincy? In stories, this is the part where the man hurts the one who once shone like heaven, clings to his first love, but in the end still chooses the one from above.”

Luka’s voice hardened. “I won’t hurt Quincy. As for Talia, as long as she doesn’t cause trouble or do anything against Quincy, I can let her stay by my side.”

His friend sounded puzzled. “Then why not just send Talia away?”

Luka didn’t even pause. “No, she can’t leave. Even if I marry Quincy, I still have old ties with her. She has nothing now, not even her parents. How could I just throw her out? Besides… she only has me left.”