She wasn't afraid of the dark.
She was afraid of what happened in it.
"No…"
A broken whisper slipped into the darkness.
Her fingers clenched.
Hair twisted tightly in her grip.
The other hand—
Held a straightener.
Slowly.
Inching toward her chest.
Closer.
Closer.
A girl stepped out from the shadows.
Her smile—
Crooked.
Wrong.
Terrifying.
Every step felt deliberate.
Every second stretched.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
"Don't scream…"
A voice brushed against her ear.
Cold.
Breathing.
Too close.
"I'll be gentle."
A hand wrapped around her neck.
Tight.
Possessive.
He leaned in—
Inhaled her scent deeply.
Like he had waited for this.
For years.
Lin Yue froze.
Her body refused to obey.
Her voice barely existed.
"No…"
Laughter.
Sudden.
Loud.
Sharp.
It echoed through the darkness.
Faces blurred.
Shadows twisted.
A group of students surrounded her.
Watching.
Smiling.
Enjoying.
The laughter grew louder—
Louder—
Until—
She opened her eyes.
Silence.
Dead silence.
The room was empty.
Cold.
Still.
Her breathing was uneven.
Sharp.
Broken.
She slowly lifted her hand—
Touched her face.
Grounding herself.
"…Just a nightmare."
She whispered it.
But didn't believe it.
She pushed the blanket away.
Sat up.
The rope around her wrist tightened slightly.
A small movement—
A small reminder.
She paused.
Then carefully untied it.
Let it fall.
A soft breath escaped her lips.
"Not today…"
She stood in front of the mirror.
Pale.
Lifeless.
Unfamiliar.
Her eyes dropped.
Her wrist—
Bare.
The scar was still there.
Faint.
But impossible to ignore.
Her expression stiffened.
She opened the drawer.
Took out a silver watch.
Her fingers traced it slowly.
Carefully.
"…Dad."
She fastened it around her wrist.
The scar disappeared.
Hidden.
Just like everything else.
One last glance at the mirror.
Then—
She turned away.
The door.
Locked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each click echoed.
Louder than it should.
The house was silent.
Too silent.
Too empty.
She turned on the TV.
Just for noise.
Just to feel something.
"Breaking business news."
"Gu Group has announced a major luxury development—"
She wasn't listening.
Not really.
She walked toward the kitchen.
Poured water.
"—CEO Gu Zheng will personally return to China—"
She froze.
The glass stopped mid-air.
"GU GROUP CEO GU ZHENG RETURNS AFTER THREE YEARS."
Her fingers tightened.
Slowly.
"…Gu Zheng."
The name felt unfamiliar.
And yet—
Too familiar.
The watch ticked softly.
Time moved.
But something inside her didn't.
"He's back…"
✈️ Thousands of miles away
A private jet cut through the clouds.
Descending.
Slow.
Precise.
The door opened.
A man stepped out.
Tall.
Cold.
Unreadable.
Wind brushed through his dark hair.
But his expression didn't change.
"Welcome back, Mr. Gu."
Gu Zheng didn't respond.
His gaze moved across the skyline.
Familiar.
Yet distant.
Three years.
And nothing felt the same.
"Prepare the car."
His voice was low.
Flat.
"I have unfinished business."
🚗 Inside the car
Silence.
Heavy.
"Mr. Gu, your schedule—"
No response.
"Also… Chairman Gu called."
A pause.
"He asked you not to return home."
Still nothing.
"…Do you want to meet your wife?"
The air froze.
Gu Zheng turned.
Slowly.
His eyes—
Cold enough to silence everything.
"I'm sorry!" the assistant blurted.
A pause.
Then—
"Change the route."
"We're going to the old residence."
🏠 Gu Residence
The gates opened.
Inside—
An old man sat with a cane.
Waiting.
The moment he saw him—
BANG!
The cane struck the floor.
"You brat!"
"You still remember this house?!"
"Get. Out."
Gu Zheng didn't move.
"I didn't come to argue."
"Three years!" the old man roared.
"You disappeared for THREE YEARS!"
Gu Zheng's jaw tightened.
"I was working."
"Working?" the old man laughed coldly.
"You left on your wedding night."
Silence.
"You have a wife waiting for you!"
Gu Zheng's eyes darkened.
"A wife?" he repeated.
"Or a stranger you forced on me?"
The air turned sharp.
"If reputation matters—"
He said calmly.
"Then divorce her."
Silence.
The old man froze.
Then trembled with anger.
"You abandoned her…"
"And now you want to discard her?"
"…That poor girl…"
Gu Zheng didn't respond.
"Fine."
The old man said coldly.
"If you want a divorce—"
"Ask her yourself."
"Call Lin Yue."
📞 Later
Lin Yue held her phone.
Quiet.
Distant.
"Yue… what happened to you?"
Her friend's voice cracked slightly.
"…You've changed."
Lin Yue didn't answer.
"Take this job, okay?"
"You need it."
"…Okay.".
Call ended.
Silence returned.
Then—
Another call.
Gu Residence.
Her fingers stiffened.
"I'll be there."
🌙 Night
The mansion stood still.
Unwelcoming.
Lin Yue stepped inside.
Then—
She saw him.
Gu Zheng.
Three years.
And this was their first meeting.
Silence stretched between them.
His eyes rested on her.
Longer than expected.
Something felt… wrong.
She was thinner.
Paler.
Fragile.
The girl he left—
Was gone.
In her place—
Stood someone else.
Someone… broken.
For the first time—
Something stirred inside him.
Unfamiliar.
Unwanted.
Guilt?
Or something worse—
Regret.
END
After three years…
The wife he abandoned stood right in front of him.
But—
What exactly happened to her… that night?
And more importantly—
Will he still choose to leave… once he knows the truth?
💔 If this chapter made you feel something…
✨ Add it to your library to stay with Lin Yue's story.