Part 1: Betrayal and Farewell
"YOU'RE A DEMON, LEO! YOU REALLY ARE A DEMON!"
My shrill scream collided with the roar of the night wind whipping along the edge of the cliff. My eyes were swollen, tears and cold sweat mingling on my face. My body trembled violently from the pain tearing through my chest.
"Enough, Stella! Your voice is hurting my ears!" Leo snapped coldly.
Without an ounce of mercy, his strong hand reached forward and gripped my collar tightly, pulling me up until my toes barely touched the ground. Behind my heels was nothing but the darkness of the steep, bottomless cliff, with sharp rocks far below.
"What did I do wrong, Leo? What was lacking in me that you could treat me like this?!" I screamed in his face, clutching the wrist of the hand holding my shirt. "For three years, I lived like a servant in your house! My parents' entire savings were spent as business capital for you! You secretly sold my house, and now... you even dared to cheat on me behind my back?! Has your brain rotted? Or is your heart already dead?"
I laughed bitterly through my tears, staring at the man I had once respected and proudly praised in front of everyone.
"I know everything, Leo! That cheap woman named Aster! I know who she is," I cried furiously. "You really want to throw me away for that mistress of yours?"
Hearing me mention his woman, Leo didn't feel guilty. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. A mocking smile spread across his lips. His eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at me.
"Don't call Aster a mistress! Compared to her, a woman like you is nothing," Leo declared without the slightest hesitation. His grip on my collar tightened, making it harder for me to breathe. "You want to know the difference between you and Aster? Aster isn't just beautiful and intelligent—she has class, too. She and her family have plenty of connections that can help expand my business. And you? What do you have? What about you could I possibly be proud of? You're just a useless woman who's become a burden in my life!"
"Have you forgotten? I was the one who stayed with you from the bottom," I whispered weakly, my breathing growing more labored.
"Hmph! You think you've done something great for me in this life? How ridiculous!" Leo chuckled again, his laughter cutting into me like a knife. "You're nothing but a stepping stone, Stella. A stepping stone that's no longer useful has to be thrown away! Do you think I'll let you ruin my future with Aster? Don't hold your breath!"
Leo tilted his head, looking at me as if I were nothing more than trash blocking his path.
"Understand your place. Aster has everything I need to reach the top, while you're just a burden holding me down," he sneered. "You'd better stop babbling and calmly enjoy your journey toward death."
Leo slowly pushed my body until I was nearly sent tumbling into the cliff.
"Leo, please...." My sobs shattered the night, my fear of death now mingling with the emptiness inside me.
"You should know your place! You don't deserve to stand beside me, Stella!"
"D-don't...."
My hands trembled. Leo's grip was too strong for me to fight. No matter how hard I struggled, I wouldn't be able to break free. I'd only make myself fall into the cliff even faster.
"Goodbye, Stella. Thank you for being such an obedient stepping stone."
Without the slightest hesitation in his eyes, Leo released his grip and shoved my chest hard backward.
My body went airborne. The night wind slammed into my back as gravity dragged me down into the pitch-black darkness of the cliff. The sound of Leo's quiet laughter grew more distant, accompanying my final breath, heavy with blazing vengeance.
Was my life really going to end like this? Was I going to die at Leo's hands?
I squeezed my eyes shut. I let my body plunge downward, bracing myself for the impact with the rocks below.
Don't expect to live in peace, Leo! Even in death, I will never let you go! I will carry this vengeance and hatred all the way to hell!