The Unspoken Farewell

I was Emily Rose, a top-tier law student, interning at the prestigious Kent Corporation. William Kent, the notorious playboy heir, relentlessly pursued me, and I fell hard, believing I was finally his "one." Old Man Kent had even announced a challenge: the woman who could tame William for six months would be the next Mrs. Kent. I pictured a future, a ring, a life. Then the news broke: Sophia Vanderbilt, William's society-approved match, staged a public, bloody suicide attempt, blaming me as the gold-digging home-wrecker. William, to save his family's reputation and his own ascent, instantly turned on me, calling me a calculating liar. The Kents ensured my scholarship vanished, my reputation was shredded, and I became a corporate pariah. They didn't stop there; my nurse mother was framed for theft, and my younger brother faced drug charges. My world burned as their lawyers offered a chilling ultimatum: confess and disappear, or my family would face ruin. I refused, and the next day, a black SUV ran a red light. Then, nothing. Until I snapped awake, back at the very Kent gala where William first charmed me – the night it all began. My heart hammered, a wild bird trapped, but this time, it vibrated with a cold, clear resolve. Why was I back? To relive this nightmare, this betrayal? No, this time, I wouldn't be their lamb. I met William's gaze, my eyes cold and flat: "Not yours, Mr. Kent. Excuse me." This time, the game was mine to play.