My Best Choice
Without a second thought, he left me standing there, went and married her instead, and jetted off on a honeymoon.
That same night, her social media was updated with a picture of a floor littered with used condoms.
Bobs text came right after. Even though Lily and I are married, shes still willing to let you be my mistress. You should learn to be as generous as she is. Dont be so ungrateful.
I know you cant live without me. Once your fathers assets are all transferred to my name, Ill make time to see you one day a week.
Lilys delicate. Any children you have will be given to her. After all, shes the wife, and youre the side piece. If you want to keep me, you need to know your place.
I laughed.
As the sole heiress to the Thorne family, the most powerful of Kingsbridges four founding families, whoever I married would inherit my familys entire empire.
What Bob didnt know was that the moment he walked out on me, I had already changed the groom on the license.
1
A month later, I saw Bob again at a private charity auction.
He had his arm wrapped around Lily Hayes, letting her sit on his lap while they kissed, completely oblivious to the world around them.
The catcalls and cheers from the crowd twisted into jeers the moment I walked in.
Well, well, Bob. Your little lapdog finally got lonely and came looking for you.
Miss Thorne, you really broke your record this time. A whole month! You must have been going crazy without him.
Bob pulled away from Lilys neck as if nothing was wrong, his eyebrow arched in a mocking sneer.
Aurora, have I been too good to you? Do you have any idea what a pathetic creature you are? Playing hard to get with me? You? If you had any guts, youd have stayed away. You cant even be a proper doormat. Its disgusting.
In the five years Id been with Bob, Id seen that look, heard those words, countless times.
Before, when my world revolved around him, being publicly shamed like that would have made my eyes burn with tears I wouldnt dare let fall.
Later, Id suffocate my sobs in my pillow, replaying my supposed mistakes, terrified he would grow to hate me.
But now, I just calmly replied, Im not here for you.
Bob, clearly not expecting this, assumed I was still putting on an act.
He kicked the chair in front of me aside. Addicted to the drama, are we? You can stand. Later, whatever Lily likes, youre going to bid on and win for her. If shes happy, I might consider forgiving you.
Oh, Bob, Lily cooed, shrinking into his arms and pouting. I dont want anything bought with her dirty money. A spoiled princess like her only knows how to show off with her parents cash. Who knows if that money is even clean? I want to buy my own things with my own hard work.
Bob pinched her pouty cheek, his eyes full of doting affection.
Thats right. My Lily is strong and independent, nothing like this useless, spoiled brat who only knows how to live off her family.
But shes desperate to buy me things, he continued, his voice loud enough for me to hear. You know how cheap she is. It pains her not to grovel and spend money on me. Just think of it as a charity case. A cure for her pathetic obsession.
Lily giggled and reluctantly nodded. Then she looked up at me, her eyes filled with disdain.
Miss Thorne, with all due respect, youre supposed to be a lady. Why do you cling to him like a leech? You should try being independent, like me. A woman cant rely on a man for everything. Otherwise, whats the difference between you and trash?
I glanced down at the custom-made, million-dollar gown she was wearing and smiled faintly.
The daughter of a housekeeper, lecturing methe sole heiress to the richest man in Kingsbridgeon self-reliance?
I walked to a quiet corner and took a seat.
Bob frowned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He seemed to sense that something about me was different.
Before he could process it, his friends started laughing again.
Tsk, tsk, here we go again. Hiding in the corner to cry. Miss Thorne just cant live without our Bob.
Hey, dont be so harsh. The Thornes are the richest family in Kingsbridge, and Aurora is their only daughter. I heard Mr. Thorne plans to announce her marriage to one of the other three families at her twenty-fifth birthday banquet. They say whoever marries her gets the entire Thorne empire.
The Thorne assets are worth hundreds of billions, at least. I wonder whos going to get that lucky?
Someone nudged Bob, winking. Is there any question? Its obviously our Bob. Everyone in Kingsbridge knows Aurora Thorne is head over heels for him. If he told her to die, shed race to do it. Look, he ignores her for one month, and she comes crawling right back.
Hahaha, shes the ultimate doormat. Once Bob gets the Thorne fortune, the Boyle family will rule this city. Our boy really knows how to handle women. You gotta teach us your ways, man.
Bob pretended to be unfazed, but the slight upward tilt of his lips betrayed his smug satisfaction.
He raised his voice deliberately. A woman who throws herself at you like this isnt worth one of Lilys toes. If she wasnt a fun toy to play with, I wouldnt even bother looking at her.
Shes so desperate for me to marry her, I cant even shake her off. Its getting annoying.
He finished, then waited for me to break down and cry.
Usually, that would have been my cue. My eyes would have welled up, my shoulders would have started to shake.
But this time, I didnt even spare him a glance, let alone a tear.
Bobs face instantly darkened. He was about to storm over to me when Lily grabbed his arm. Bob, the auction is starting. Stay with me.
He relented, pulling her back into his lap.
2
Throughout the auction, Lily seemed to adore every single item.
Shed mutter about how she couldnt afford it, then bravely declare shed work hard to buy it herself one day.
Bob, watching her pained expression, was overcome with sympathy.
With a wave of his hand, he outbid everyone for every item she glanced at, driving the prices sky-high.
She squealed with delight, wrapping her arms around his neck and covering him with kisses.
I, on the other hand, only bid once.
On the very last item: a mens wristwatch.
It was a deep sapphire blue, with a design that was understated yet elegant.
It perfectly matched the man I had in mind. A perfect gift to celebrate our marriage. He would love it.
After securing my gift, I was about to leave when Bob called out to me.
He was standing with the event organizer, who was holding a long list of transactions.
Is there a problem? I asked.
Bob took the list and held it out to me, his tone one of magnanimous charity. Dont say I never give you a chance. Pay for all of this, and Ill grace you with my presence for dinner tonight.
I glanced at the list. Fifteen items.
Because of Lily's constant exclamations and Bob's relentless bidding, what should have cost less than a hundred million had been driven up to a staggering 2.5 billion.
Seeing my hesitation, Lily righteously pointed a finger at me. Miss Thorne, a relationship should be equal. As Bobs girlfriend, you let him pay for everything you eat and wear without spending a dime of your own. Now he asks you to spend a little money on some gifts for him, and you refuse? You say you love him, but youre just a hypocrite.
Bob, who had seemed slightly hesitant, was apparently swayed by this logic.
His expression became one of entitlement. He lowered his voice.
Lily is my wife now. Im giving you a chance to get on her good side. If you make her unhappy, I might not even let you be my mistress. Now, pay for it.
Looking at the smug, self-assured face of the man before me, I almost laughed.
The food and clothes he supposedly paid for were the leftover cake Lily didn't want, the extra porridge she was too full to drink. And I was living in the villa my father bought for me, a villa I was kicked out of after I caught them together, only to be accused of having a dirty mind.
For five years, I had been utterly captivated by that face.
But when he abandoned me at the marriage registry, that burning infatuation turned to ice.
Looking at him now, all I felt was disgust.
I felt like a blind, foolish idiot. It had taken me far too long to see the truth.
To think I wasted five years on this scum.
Seeing my silence, Bob impatiently snatched the watch box from my hand.
Before I could stop him, he had torn open the packaging and strapped it onto his wrist.
See? Im even wearing the piece of junk you bought. Satisfied now? Go pay. If you keep playing games, Ill really ignore you. Then you could come crawling back with fifty billion, and I wouldn't say a single word to you.
Bobs friends chimed in. Aurora, Bobs already giving you an out. Dont push it. A little coyness is cute in a woman, but this is just getting nauseating.
Exactly. Its only 2.5 billion. Thats pocket change for you. Dont be so stingy. You should learn from Lily. The gift she gave Bob was something she saved up for with her part-time job money. It came from the heart.
I looked at the cheap, out-of-place cartoon character keychain hanging from Bobs phone.
I couldnt help but laugh. Yes, very heartfelt. Looks like it came out of a gumball machine.
Lily looked as if shed been mortally wounded. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she bit her lip, the very picture of a brave, wronged maiden.
I may not be as rich as you, but everything I have, I earned with my own two hands. Im cleaner than you. What right do you have to humiliate me?
Bob wrapped his arms around her protectively, his face cold as he snapped at me, Apologize to Lily!
I smiled, then shoved the entire list of receipts into her hands.
Youre right. Youre clean, and Im dirty. So why dont you use your clean money to buy these gifts for your dear Bob?
Lilys face went deathly pale. She swayed in Bobs arms as if she were about to faint.
Bob, incandescent with rage, slapped me hard across the face.
Aurora, Ive given you enough chances, havent I? How dare you bully Lily like this! At your birthday banquet, you can get on your knees and beg, and I still wont agree to this marriage!
He shot me one last glare, then swept Lily up into his arms and strode away.
3
Before, those words would have sent me into a panic. I would have knelt, cried, and begged him not to leave me.
But now, I felt nothing.
I considered that slap payment in full for the time, five years ago, when he supposedly saved me from kidnappers.
A few days later, the jewelry store called to inform me that the custom wedding ring the Blackwood family had ordered for me was ready.
When I arrived, I saw Bob with his arm around Lilys waist, trying on rings.
They were pressed close together, the picture of intimacy.
When he saw me, Bob scoffed and deliberately nibbled on Lilys ear, making her blush and playfully swat his chest.
As if that wasnt enough, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep, theatrical kiss.
When it was over, Lily shot me a triumphant look and murmured, Stop it, people are watching.
The professionally trained staff stood with their heads bowed, eyes averted.
Only my lips tightened in a grimace of pure, physical disgust.
Bob, misinterpreting my expression, smirked.
Finally realize you were wrong? Then get over here and apologize to Lily on your knees.
His words were cut short by a gasp from Lily.
Bob, that ring is gorgeous! I love it!
Quick, let me try it on.
The clerk shook her head apologetically. Im sorry, madam. This ring belongs to Miss Thorne. Its a one-of-a-kind custom design. It cannot be tried on by anyone else.
The clerk took the ring from the velvet tray and carefully slid it onto my finger.
Lily stared at my hand, her eyes flashing with greed and resentment.
Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. Miss Thorne, you know Bob and I are getting married in a week. Are you trying to humiliate me with this ring?
A wedding in a week?
But Bob knew that in a week, it was my birthday banquet, where my father was going to announce my marriage and host the ceremony.
The wedding of the Thorne heiress was set to be the event of the year in Kingsbridge.
I looked at Bob. He avoided my gaze, explaining uncomfortably, Youll just have to hide somewhere. Ill tell the wedding planner were changing it to a different theme and that Lily is the bride. After the wedding is over, Ill spend a couple of extra days with you. You should be grateful.
The way he acted like he was making some grand sacrifice made me want to laugh in his face.
I had never met anyone so utterly shameless.
A housekeepers daughter was going to steal my identity to marry in a lavish ceremony, and I, the actual bride, was supposed to hide in a corner like a rat?
Thank God I had cut my losses and already switched the groom.
Seeing my silence, Bob assumed he had me under his thumb again. You wont be needing this ring anyway, he commanded. Take it off and give it to Lily.
No! I sneered. Bob, where do you get the confidence that I would ever marry you?
He blinked, then laughed as if Id told the worlds funniest joke. Do you hear yourself? Besides me, who would want a shameless, groveling doormat like you?
Before I could react, he violently ripped the ring from my finger and tried to force it onto Lilys.
But it was a size too small. After struggling for a moment, Lily started crying. Miss Thorne, if you didnt want to give it to me, you should have just said so! Why would you hurt me like this on purpose?
Furious, Bob snatched the ring, stormed over to the restroom, and flushed it down the toilet five times.
He came out, wrapped an arm around the sobbing Lily, and shot me a look of utter disappointment as they left. If Lily cant wear it, then a venomous woman like you doesnt deserve to either.
4
The ring was gone. I was wondering how to explain it to Julian when he called me first.
He told me not to worry, that he had already commissioned a new one from overseas and that it would arrive in time for my birthday.
Relieved, I went to my design studio on the way home, intending to pick up the wedding dress my mother had designed for me before she died.
But as soon as I walked in, the receptionist told me, Miss Aurora, Mr. Boyle is upstairs.
For the past five years, no one around me knew the depth of my obsession with Bob. It was so consuming that even my most sacred professional space was a place he could enter without question.
At that thought, a heavy sense of dread washed over me.
I raced upstairs, and the sight that greeted me sent a wave of hot fury to my head.
Lily was standing in front of a mirror, preening in the wedding dress my mother had made for me with her own hands.
Bob, do I look beautiful in this dress?
Of course. My Lily is the most beautiful bride in the world.
My mother had been an internationally renowned fashion designer.
In her final days, ravaged by illness, she had poured all her remaining strength into creating one last, perfect dress for me, sketching the design and sewing every stitch herself.
After her death, that dress became my most treasured possession.
In the first two years we were together, Bob had held me many times, whispering praise.
My Aurora, when you wear this dress, you will be the most beautiful bride in the world.
I felt as if Id been slapped, my head ringing.
Who gave you permission to touch my things? Take that dress off!
Bobs face hardened. Aurora, you bullied Lily and you stole her ring. Consider this dress an apology.
My expression was ice. I said, take it off!
Humiliated by my defiance, Bob roared, Enough, Aurora! If you keep this up, you can kneel at my feet until you die, and I still wont show up at your birthday banquet! Youll be the one whos shamed!
Im warning you, know your limits, or Ill make you regret it.
Its okay, Bob, Lily said, stepping in. If Miss Thorne doesnt want me to have it, Ill take it off.
She disappeared into the changing room, but when she emerged, she was holding a pile of torn fabric.
Oh, Miss Thorne, Im so sorry! I had no idea the quality was so poor. It just ripped to pieces when I barely pulled at it. Its a good thing I didnt take it. Wearing such garbage to a wedding would be so degrading.
I stared at the shredded silk on the floor, my heart twisting in agony.
Bob, seeing my devastation, said magnanimously, Since its ruined, just forget it. It wasnt worth much anyway. In a week, you be ready. Transfer all of your fathers assets to me, not a single cent left behind. After Lily and I have our wedding, you can be my official mistress. Ill give you a three-hundred-dollar monthly allowance. Consider it compensation.
I watched them walk away, laughing and chatting.
My gaze turned cold.
In one week, well see whos still laughing.
My father threw a lavish birthday banquet for me.
Besides the other three great families of Kingsbridge, many of our business partners were in attendance.
The moment Bob walked in, he was swarmed with well-wishers.
Mr. Boyle, you were clearly born for greatness. You and Miss Thorne are a match made in heaven.
After today, youll be the most powerful man in Kingsbridge! When youre feasting, we hope youll leave some scraps for us little guys.
Bob, high on the praise, was puffed up with arrogance.
When I appeared in an exquisite gown, he immediately scowled and hissed, Why are you dressed so conspicuously? Itll be harder for you to hide later. Go find a maids uniform and hide in a bathroom. Dont come out all day.
I didnt even look at him.
Bobs face turned black with rage. Aurora, if you dare ruin my wedding with Lily, dont ever expect me to look at you again.
Just then, my father emerged from his study with his lawyer.
He smiled at me. Darling daughter, since youve chosen your husband yourself, why dont you make the announcement?
Bob saw me walking toward him and a triumphant smirk spread across his face.
In the next second, I walked right past him and linked my arm with the man standing behind him.
Dad, I announced, my voice clear and steady. The man I choose to marry is Julian Blackwood.
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