He Stole My Life And Bought My Silence

Lydia's POV: My childhood sweetheart had a serious savior complex. As a boy, he'd chased away the thugs following me. As a man, he'd spoiled me until no one in Portmere dared tell me no. I barged into a meeting and ruined a deal worth 10 million dollars. All he wanted to know was whether my feet hurt in those heels. I snapped the emblem off his brand-new car. He immediately bought two more so I could keep breaking them. Everyone said my outrageous behavior was why he kept putting off our wedding. Even his new assistant tried to reason with me. The moment I picked up the antique vase, Bethany Cole rushed over to stop me. "That's one of a kind. It's Mr. Vale's favorite. If you keep this up, you might never become Mrs. Vale." I remained perfectly calm. "Good. I stopped wanting that a long time ago." ***** Bethany stared at me, her eyes wide with confusion. "Ms. Sutton, what do you mean? Mr. Vale treats you so well." I scoffed. "How, exactly?" I couldn't help asking. Bethany looked earnest. "When that manager insulted you, Mr. Vale stepped in. He even used his connections to make sure the man could never set foot in Portmere again." "We were discussing a proposal and had a minor disagreement. Conrad Vale charged in like a rabid dog." Bethany fell silent for a few seconds, then tried again, unwilling to concede. "He chased those thugs away for you." "That was a guy with bleached hair asking for directions." "And after your car accident, Mr. Vale hired the best lawyer in Portmere." "We'd already settled it privately. Conrad was the one who insisted on going to court." Bethany opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Soon, her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. "I thought..." "You thought Conrad loved me?" For a long time, I'd thought so too. Ever since I'd saved him from drowning as a child, he'd appointed himself my shadow. At first, I was rather pleased with myself. I thought I'd found someone who would always protect me. Only later did I realize that Conrad Vale was as suspicious of everyone as he was determined to repay me. If I was horsing around with a friend in the hallway after class, he insisted I was being bullied. He'd charge over, grab my classmate by the collar, and tell him to stay the hell away. Eventually, no one horsed around with me anymore. No one even spoke to me. I was completely isolated. When it was time to apply to college, I was set on studying up north. Conrad secretly changed my college choices. The day I found out, he dropped to his knees and slapped himself several times. "I'm sorry, Lydia. I shouldn't have gone behind your back. But I wanted us to go to the same college. I wanted to keep protecting you." We argued for so long that our voices went hoarse. In the end, he told me he loved me and couldn't bear to be apart from me. His sweet talk actually made me believe that this was love. I'd once had a good job. Conrad claimed to respect every decision I made. Behind my back, he reported the company to the authorities and pressured it into getting rid of the manager. Little by little, he dismantled my life until he had me trapped here. Bodyguards patrolled outside 24 hours a day. Tracking software had been installed on my phone. Only Conrad and the guards outside knew the code to the front door. The windows were sealed shut. Even Bethany had been sent to watch me. I couldn't breathe in this relationship. I'd told Conrad I wanted to break up. I'd argued, screamed, and tried to run. None of it had worked. I'd broken down in helpless sobs. Perhaps my only way out was to make him hate me, to make him believe keeping me would cause more trouble than I was worth. So I'd started destroying everything he treasured. I sabotaged his projects and humiliated him in public. This time was no different. Conrad had called in favors from several friends to acquire this vase overseas. Naturally, if he loved it, I had to destroy it. Bethany was still standing there in a daze. I smiled and patted her shoulder. "Go ahead and report everything to Conrad, as usual. I'm not scared." "Ms. Sutton, you... knew what I was here for?" I turned and went upstairs. (End of Lydia's POV) Bethany stayed where she was, typing and deleting the words on her phone. After a long hesitation, she finally sent the message. Bethany: Mr. Vale, Ms. Sutton has broken another one of your vases. She told him nothing else.