Hate You, Marry Me

Episode 4

JADE's POV

6 years Ago..

The moment I saw Rowan, my breath hitched, and my chest tightened. His face was bruised and battered, his left eye barely open. Blood stained the corner of his mouth, and his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world rested on them.

“What happened to you?” I whispered, my voice sharp with shock. “Rowan, what’s going on?”

He didn’t look at me, his gaze focused somewhere far away, as if he couldn’t even bear to meet my eyes. “Silas,” he said flatly. Just the name sent a chill down my spine.

I covered my mouth with my hands, horrified. “Silas? I’m so sorry, Rowan—I don’t even know what to say. Why would he do this to you?” My voice trembled despite my efforts to stay composed.

“Because he’s insane,” Rowan spat, finally meeting my gaze. There was anger there, yes, but beneath it was something far worse—fear. “He’s lost his mind over you, Jade. Just stay away from me. Don’t come near me again.”

He took a step back as if to put more space between us, and I felt my stomach drop. Silas had done this. Silas, who had watched me like a hawk since childhood. Silas, who never let anyone get too close to me. And now Rowan, the one person who had come close, had paid the price.

I stormed out of the school infirmary, my fists clenched and my thoughts spiraling. I had to find Silas. I had to confront him, demand answers, and make him understand that his obsession with me had to end.

Rowan and I had been on the verge of something real. For once, I had allowed myself to believe that I could have something normal, something untainted. But Silas had ruined it, just as he had ruined everything else. Did he really think eliminating anyone I cared about would somehow push me into his arms? Did he think I was so broken that I’d find solace in his control?

The rain outside was relentless, sheets of water pouring from the sky and battering against the school windows. The sun had long since disappeared, leaving the world cloaked in darkness. My heart hammered in my chest as I stalked through the hallways, my rage building with every step.

“Jade?” Silas’s deep voice carried down the corridor. He stood at the far end, his phone pressed to his ear. The moment he saw me, he ended the call and tucked his phone into his pocket. His sharp, dark eyes locked onto mine, and he began walking toward me.

I didn’t wait for him to speak. I marched forward, closing the distance between us, and before I knew it, my palm collided with his face. The sound of the slap echoed through the empty corridor.

For a moment, there was only silence. My hand stung from the impact, but I felt no regret. It was the first time I had ever hit him. It was the first time I’d ever reacted this strongly. And it was long overdue.

“Jade,” Silas said evenly, the calm in his voice unsettling. His dark eyes, nearly black in the dim hallway, burned with an intensity that made my stomach twist.

“No,” I snapped, cutting him off. “You listen to me, Silas. I don’t want you in my life. Not as a friend, not as anything. Stop hurting the people around me. Stop hurting me. Get out of my life. I will never, ever be yours. Do you understand me?”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought I saw something crack in his expression. Pain, maybe. A flicker of vulnerability. But then it was gone, replaced by the icy mask he always wore.

“You need to listen to me,” he said, his voice low and calm but laced with tension. “You don’t understand—”

“No,” I interrupted. “There’s nothing left to say. After tonight, we don’t know each other anymore.”

His lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. “You think you can get rid of me that easily?” he said, his voice dropping. “The only way I’m leaving your life is if I’m dead.”

“Then die,” I spat, my voice shaking with fury. Without waiting for his response, I turned and stormed toward the door. The rain hit me like a wall the moment I stepped outside, soaking me instantly. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my tears mingled with the raindrops streaming down my face.

Behind me, I heard him call my name.

“Jade! Jade!”

His voice echoed through the storm, each syllable like a hammer against my resolve. I didn’t turn around, didn’t slow down. I just kept running, the rain pounding against my skin, my anger and frustration boiling over into tears I couldn’t stop.

“Jade, stay away from Rowan!” His final words reached me just as I disappeared into the storm, his voice swallowed by the roar of the rain.

I didn’t know why I was crying.