Chapter6: scarred
532 Words
On the screen was a photograph.
His fiancée.
Isabella.
Wrapped in another man's arms.
His heart skipped.
Another picture appeared.
Then another.
The two of them kissing.
Holding hands.
Leaving a hotel together.
The headline stared back at him.
BILLIONAIRE CEO'S FIANCÉE CAUGHT CHEATING WEEKS BEFORE WEDDING.
The room exploded.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
The reporters who had gathered to discuss business suddenly became hungry for scandal.
Camera flashes intensified.
Hands shot into the air.
"Mr. Ashford, is this true?"
"Has your engagement been called off?"
"Did you know about the affair?"
"Will the wedding still hold?"
"What is your response?"
The questions came one after another.
Anthony stood perfectly still.
Years of discipline prevented his emotions from appearing on his face.
But inside him, something shattered.
The woman he had planned to spend his life with had humiliated him before the entire country.
His breathing became difficult.
The walls suddenly felt too close.
For the first time in years, Anthony Ashford had no answer.
The atmosphere became unbearable.
He was suffocating.
He needed air.
Slowly, he turned toward Clara.
"I need to leave."
She immediately nodded.
His bodyguards quickly surrounded him as he stepped away from the podium.
The reporters rushed forward.
"Mr. Ashford!"
"Sir, please answer the question!"
"Did your fiancée cheat on you?"
The flashing cameras blinded him.
Microphones were shoved toward his face.
Questions came from every direction.
But Anthony heard none of them.
The only thing he could see was Isabella in another man's arms.
His bodyguards escorted him through the crowd and into the waiting car outside.
The moment the door closed, silence filled the vehicle.
Anthony loosened his tie.
His breathing remained uneven.
His hands trembled slightly.
He stared at the photographs again.
The evidence was undeniable.
He reached for his phone.
He dialed her number.
The call rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Four.
Five.
Finally, she answered.
"Hello?"
"What in God's name am I seeing on the internet?" Anthony shouted.
Silence.
The silence lasted several seconds.
His heart pounded.
Then she spoke.
"I'm sorry, Anthony."
His grip tightened around the phone.
"I can't marry you."
Anthony closed his eyes.
"I've fallen in love with someone else."
The words cut deeper than any knife.
"I know you'll hate me for this, but I can't live a lie anymore."
Anthony said nothing.
He couldn't.
For the first time in years, Anthony Ashford felt completely powerless.
The billionaire who could buy almost anything in the world could not stop the woman he loved from leaving him.
The man who controlled companies.
The man who commanded thousands of employees.
The man who never lost.
Had just lost the one person he thought would remain beside him forever.
When the call ended, Anthony stared out the car window.
The city continued moving.
People walked.
Cars passed.
Life continued.
But his world had stopped.
He never imagined that betrayal would one day find him.
The incident left scars that money could not heal.
He became distant.
Cold.
Arrogant.
He shut his heart to love.
He built walls around himself and swore never to become vulnerable again.
Never to trust.
Never to love.
Never to fall.
But fate had other plans.
- Writer
