The pen trembled in Shen Linyi's hand as she signed her name across the final page of the contract. Her fiancé, Zhou Yuanfeng, smiled faintly from across the polished mahogany desk, his eyes calm and unreadable as still water.
She exhaled shakily, pushing the thick stack of documents back toward him. This is it, she thought. The last step. He'll finally feel secure, finally stop doubting her, and her love for him.
The papers bore the seal of her parents' company—Shen Group, the only legacy her late father had left her. By transferring the controlling shares into Yuanfeng's hands, she was giving him everything.
Everything.
Her heart clenched at the heavy reminder of those words, but she reminded herself that this was love. They were going to be married. What was hers would become his. That was how a family worked. She consoled herself with these thoughts.
Yuanfeng picked up the documents, flipping through them leisurely. He tapped the signature page with a well-manicured finger, lips curving slowly.
"Good girl," he murmured, his voice dripping with approval. "You've finally learned to be obedient."
Shen Linyi blinked, startled by the strange edge in his tone.
"Yuanfeng… what do you mean?" she asked, forcing a shaky smile. "We're going to build our future together. This company—it's still our family's…"
He chuckled, his chuckle carrying the heavy weight of mockery and danger.
"Our family's?" He leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "Linyi, don't be naive. Shen Group is mine now. Entirely mine. And as for 'our future'—" His gaze swept her trembling figure, filled with disdain. "I'm afraid you don't have one with me."
Her blood ran cold as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"Yuanfeng, you… you're joking, right?" Her voice cracked.
"Joking?" He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as his smile turned razor-sharp. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Her body went rigid, breath trapped in her lungs, her breathing turning shallow. She wanted to scream, to tear the documents back, but her hands were numb.
"You loved me so much," he said lazily. "Always desperate to please me, always chasing after me like some pathetic little puppy. Honestly, you made it too easy."
Tears pricked Shen Linyi's eyes. She shook her head violently. "No. I did it because I believed in us. Because I trusted you! And because I loved you!" She pointed her trembling fingers at him.
The sound of high heels clicked against the floor. Shen Linyi froze as the office door opened, and a familiar laugh echoed.
"Trust? Oh, Linyi, you really are hopeless... and foolish."
Her blood turned cold as she watched the lady walk to her fiancé and interlocked hands with him. She shot up to her feet instantly, tears prickling her eyes.
Su Mei—her best friend from college. The friend she had confided in, cried to, celebrated with. The betrayal burned brighter, the truth glaring, but Shen Linyi wanted to give them the benefit of doubt. She wanted to trust them, but she found it hard to believe.
Shen Linyi's lips trembled. "Mei…? What are you doing here?" She forced out.
Su Mei's crimson lips curved into a vicious smile. "What does it look like? I'm where I belong. By his side."
Shen Linyi staggered back, shaking her head. "No… no, that's not possible. We—we were sisters!"
"Sisters?" Su Mei snorted. "Don't make me laugh. You flaunted your perfect little life in front of me for years. You flaunted your rich family, your status, your precious fiancé. Did you really think I would stay in your shadow forever?"
Shen Linyi nails dug into her palms, blood seeping as she whispered, "I shared everything with you. I trusted you."
"That's what made you so easy to destroy," Su Mei sneered. She brushed her hand over Yuanfeng's chest possessively. "While you were busy playing the loyal fiancée, I was the one warming his bed. Every. Single. Night." She emphasized each word.
Shen Linyi's world shattered at the confession.
She turned to Yuanfeng, desperation clawing her chest. "Tell me it isn't true. Tell me—"
He silenced her with a cruel smile. "Why would I? Mei understands me in ways you never could. You were just convenient and useful until I got what I wanted."
Her knees gave way, and she collapsed onto the cold marble floor. Her vision blurred with tears as the truth crushed her.
Everything, her love, her company, her trust was gone. Completely.
Yuanfeng stood, tugging Su Mei into his arms. Together, they looked down at her with twin expressions of triumph.
"You've served your purpose," he said coldly. "Shen Group is mine now. As for you… well, you can rot with the rest of the trash."
Su Mei walked forward, and crouched down, her perfume choking Lena's senses. Her former best friend tilted her head with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You always looked down on me, didn't you? Poor Su Mei, chasing after Linyi's leftovers." Her voice dropped into a whisper laced with venom. "Now look who's crawling on the floor."
"Mei…" Lena choked, tears streaming. "Why…? We were supposed to be—"
The words never finished as a glint of silver flashed.
Pain exploded in her abdomen as Su Mei drove a slender knife straight into her stomach.
Shen Linyi's scream tore through the sound-proof office, blood pooling rapidly beneath her. Her wide, disbelieving eyes stared up at the woman she had once called sister.
Su Mei leaned close, her lips brushing Lena's ear. "You should've died with your parents. Then at least you wouldn't have suffered so much disappointment."
Shen Linyi's trembling hand reached up, grasping weakly at Yuanfeng's sleeve. "You… you loved me…"
He peeled her fingers off with disgust. "Love? I never even liked you."
The last thing Shen Linyi saw was the two of them kissing above her bleeding body, their laughter echoing like a nightmare.
Her vision dimmed, her heart filled with hatred so sharp it cut through the pain.
'If I could live again, she thought bitterly, I would never love blindly. I would never trust a traitor. And I would never forgive them.'
Darkness engulfed her instantly. She died with regret.