Chapter 1 The Vanished Fiancé

Nydia’s POV

The beach was buzzing with excitement. Gordon was down on one knee in front of me, proposing.

“Nydia, will you marry me?”

I had indeed been waiting for this day for a long time. I didn’t hold back anymore and happily stretched out my hand to Gordon, signaling him to put the ring on my finger.

“I accept your proposal,” I said.

Before I could finish, a sharp phone ring cut through the moment.

That distinct ringtone made me press my lips together.

Gordon pulled out his phone, and sure enough, the name I expected was flashing on the screen——Olive.

His face immediately filled with worry, and he hurriedly moved to answer the call.

“Gordon,” I said, grabbing his hand and shaking my head. “This is such an important moment. Can you not answer her call right now?”

Gordon frowned. “Nydia, you know Olive isn’t in good health. She’s so understanding and wouldn’t bother me unless it’s something important.Can you stop making a fuss?”

My anger flared up instantly. “You’re my boyfriend! Not hers! I can let things slide on normal days, but today you’re proposing to me! Are you going to ditch me for her again?”

“Nydia, why are you so unreasonable?” Gordon’s face turned cold as he shook off my hand and scolded me. “Don’t forget, it’s because of you that Olive is in this condition. I’m making up for your mistake right now!”

After saying that, he stepped aside. The cold, handsome face he showed me softened the moment he answered the call.

“Olive, what’s wrong?” he asked gently.

“Gordon… sob… I got hit by a car… I don’t know what to do… Am I going to die?”

The beach was quiet, and Olive’s helpless cries came through clearly.

Gordon’s voice grew anxious.

“I’m coming right now! Don’t cry, don’t be scared. Everything will be okay. I’m here for you!”

He hung up in a rush, didn’t say a word to me, and turned to leave.

He was in such a hurry that the ring he was using to propose to me fell to the ground, and he didn’t even notice.

I watched the ring roll to his feet, only to be kicked away by him. My heart ached a little.

It felt like he had kicked me away instead.

As he was about to walk out of the crowd, I couldn’t hold back anymore and shouted, “Gordon! Stop right there!”

He turned his head impatiently. “Nydia, are you ever going to stop?”

“No, I’m not done!” I gritted my teeth and yelled, “I forbid you to go to her!”

He stared at me coldly for a moment before speaking. “Nydia, she’s been in a car accident. How can you be so heartless?”

Heartless?

I just didn’t want him to go see her, and he’s calling me heartless?

My heart hurt even more. I clenched my fists and said, “Are you determined to go to her today?”

“I don’t have time to deal with your tantrums,” he said, then strode off.

I shouted at his back, “Gordon! If you go to her today, it’s over between us for good!”

Before Gordon could respond, his friend Erd spoke up. “Nydia, what kind of joke is this? Everyone knows how much you love Gordon. You’re just a dog that can’t live without him.”

Gordon frowned and told Erd to stop. “Enough, all of you.”

He looked at me and offered a half-hearted attempt to comfort me. “Don’t say things in anger, Nydia. We’ll talk about everything when I get back.”

I asked quietly. “In your eyes, am I just a dog that can’t leave you?”

Gordon looked a bit annoyed. “It was just a joke from friends. You don’t need to take it so seriously.”

“A joke? That was humiliation!”

“You’re just too sensitive!” Gordon raised his voice. “You’re taking a joke too seriously. I don’t have time to waste with you. Olive is waiting for me, I…”

“If you go, we’re breaking up! I mean it!” I repeated.

Gordon lost his patience. “Fine, do whatever you want! Even if you’re jealous of Olive, there should be a limit! Reflect on yourself!”

With that cold remark, he pushed through the crowd and left quickly.

Seeing this, the others started leaving too.

In the blink of an eye, I was the only one left on the beach.

Between me and Olive, Gordon always chooses to abandon me.

In his eyes, Olive is the beautiful, kind goddess, while I’m the cruel, vicious bad woman.

Just because Olive’s father died saving me, I owe her a life.

I’m supposed to be grateful to her, give up my parents to her, and even hand over my boyfriend to her.

Whatever she wants from me, I should offer it with both hands.

Everyone says this is what I owe her.

I sighed weakly, thinking I might as well have died back then.

Suddenly, a message on my phone interrupted my thoughts.

“Did you see that? With just a wave of my hand, Gordon will abandon you anytime. Nydia, you’ll never be better than me.”

It was from Olive.

She likes Gordon too and has shown off like this to me more than once.

I didn’t bother replying. If she likes picking up my trash so much, she can have him.

Anyway, after tonight, I’ve truly decided I don’t want Gordon anymore.

At night by the sea, the breeze felt a bit chilly.

I rubbed my arms. The proposal ended messily, and there was no point staying here.

But after walking just a few steps back, I suddenly noticed a few people following behind me.

I became alert and glanced back at them, meeting their gazes.

Their eyes were evil, dirty, like hunters spotting their prey, glinting with a cold light.

A shiver ran down my spine. In a panic, I did what I always do and called Gordon for help.

“Gordon!” I whispered urgently while walking faster. “Someone’s following me! Come save me!”

There was a long silence on the other end.

“Nydia, I really can’t leave tonight. Can you stop being jealous and making a fuss? Once Olive is better, I promise I’ll make it up to you with another proposal.”

He actually thought I was lying, trying to trick him away from Olive!

I gritted my teeth and stressed, “It’s real! There are five of them, right here on the beach, I…”

“Nydia!” My words were cut off as my mother Eileen’s angry voice came through. “Your sister was in a car accident, and you don’t even come to see her. Now you’re out late at night, messing around and lying. When will you ever grow up?”

“I’m telling you, no one is coming tonight! Stop calling!”

The phone was abruptly hung up.

I was about to dial again when I noticed several shadows on the ground getting closer to me.

My body froze. I looked back, and the men following me had somehow caught up!

Terrified, I turned to run, but the next second, they lunged at me and pinned me to the ground!