Chapter 10 The Last Illusion
905 Words
By the time Cynthia fully recovered, her wedding with Ryan was fast approaching. She stared at the engagement cancellation invitation she had never sent him. After a long moment, she decided to say goodbye properly.
She followed the address to Ryan's studio. Just as she was about to push the door open, low, uneven breathing came from inside. Cynthia peered through the narrow gap and froze.
Ryan stood with his back to the door, his hand moving rhythmically while the screen in front of him played a video of him and Chloe in bed. He murmured Chloe's name as he touched himself to the footage.
Cynthia covered her mouth, tears slipping silently from her eyes. Even though her heart had grown numb from pain, seeing Ryan's desperate obsession with Chloe shattered her all over again.
If that was the case, why had he accepted the arranged meeting with her? Why had he given her hope?
If she hadn't heard the doctor say it herself, she would never have believed that when her life hung by a thread, he had chosen to abandon her and worry about Chloe instead.
In that moment, Cynthia admitted the truth: the Ryan she loved—the boy who had once pulled her out of darkness—was gone. He had died long ago.
She turned and walked away, calculating the timing. The person coming to take her away would arrive the day after tomorrow.
Ryan did not return until late that night. He saw Cynthia packing her luggage and frowned.
"Where are you going?"
"That's none of your business."
"You're about to get married. Why are you acting like this?"
"Acting like this?" She laughed, pointing at him slowly. "When I was being torn apart by a wild animal, what were you doing? When I was dying, what were you doing? Have you ever treated me even one percent as well as you treat Chloe?"
Ryan's face stiffened.
"What right do you have to question me?" he asked.
"That's not what I meant. Don't misunderstand."
"Oh really? If the one bitten by the hyena had been Chloe, who would you have saved?"
Ryan fell silent. The answer was obvious.
Seeing her about to leave, he grabbed her hand for the first time, his tone softening.
"Let's just say I'm sorry, alright? Don't be angry anymore. In my next documentary, I'll include your name in the credits. And…"
He hesitated.
"Chloe has been busy lately. Could you help her write her graduation thesis?"
Cynthia stared at him as if she had just heard the world's biggest joke.
"What did you say?"
"She'll thank you afterward."
Seeing how completely justified he looked, Cynthia remembered the disgusting diary on his computer. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Sure," she said. She would give Chloe a graduation thesis she would never forget.
Ryan left satisfied. Cynthia let out a cold laugh. She decided to leave the next day.
The next morning, Cynthia woke early. She planned to collect her visa and leave immediately. But she had barely stepped outside when someone covered her mouth from behind.
"What are you doing?"
She was dragged into an abandoned factory. Several men removed their masks, calling Chloe excitedly.
"Take a look. Is this the one you wanted?"
Chloe's sharp voice came through the phone.
"Yes. That's her. Cynthia, I'll never let someone like you marry Ryan."
Her words dripped with venom. "Guess something for me. Will Ryan come save you, or will he save me when I'm forced to marry another man?"
"What do you mean?"
Chloe laughed coldly.
"Why don't you call him and find out?"
One of the men shoved a phone into Cynthia's hand. She called Ryan again and again. He never answered.
Just when all hope seemed lost, the call connected by chance. A distant voice came through the line.
"Ry, are you really going to stop the wedding? Tomorrow is your wedding with Cynthia. Aren't you afraid she'll make a scene?"
"I can't watch Chloe marry another man. But Cynthia is different. She's liked me for nine years. She won't cause trouble. She even agreed yesterday to help Chloe write her thesis."
The kidnappers laughed. "What a pathetic simp."
Cynthia laughed too. Tears fell before she realized it. She ended the call.
Chloe's voice came again through the phone. "Do whatever you want with her. My Ryan is coming to pick me up," Chloe said.
The men hung up and approached her with disgusting grins. Cynthia closed her eyes in despair. But nothing happened.
After a long moment, she opened them cautiously. A familiar figure stood beside her. Several kidnappers lay groaning on the ground.
"How did you end up in such a mess? Are you okay, Cyn?" The man unlocked her handcuffs.
Relief flooded her chest. "How did you find me?"
"Tracking," he replied simply.
Cynthia took a deep breath to steady herself. "Let's go."
"By the way, you recorded everything they said, right?"
Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "Of course." She would make Chloe and Ryan pay—but first, she would serve them a small appetizer.
Cynthia packaged the diary and videos as a graduation thesis and uploaded it to an academic website using Chloe's account. The title read: Love Diary With Ryan.
'Ryan, you love her so much. Then let the whole world witness your tragic love story.'
'From this moment on, I will never love you again.'
- Writer
