The Plane Crash

My husband's secret lover, a low-tier actress he had been pampering like a prize, finally ran off with his money.

She left behind nothing but a positive pregnancy test and a note: I'm done with a love that has no legal title.

It only took two years for her to go from his golden bird to a runaway mother-to-be.

I figured Silas would never stand for it. I expected him to tear the city apart within three days to find her.

But this time, Silas didn't move a muscle.

"She was just a toy," he sneered. "She actually thought she was someone important."

Then came the news of the plane crash. Aria was dead.

Suddenly, Silas couldn't stay composed anymore.

1.

I hadn't even processed the news of Aria's death when the bedroom door was kicked open.

Silas burst in with bloodshot eyes, lunging at me to grab my shoulders.

"Why wasn't it you who died? Elena, are you happy now?"

"Why didn't you show up that day? Why didn't you show up!"

I winced in pain, trembling at the sheer hatred in his gaze.

"That day..."

Before I could explain, he shoved me away with brutal force.

A sharp, burning pain instantly spread across my chest as I hit the floor.

"You still dare to make excuses?! Elena, don't think I don't know what you were plotting!"

"You just wanted to force me to bow to you. You wanted me to beg you to stay. Now Aria is dead. Are you satisfied?"

He screamed at me. My vision went dark, and a deafening ring filled my ears.

I wanted to tell him it wasn't on purpose.

That day, we had an appointment to finalize our divorce. But my father had locked me up.

The reason was simple: I refused to help my father trick Silas into signing a contract that favored the Pierce family.

I wasn't let out by the servants until the following day.

I rushed to Silas's villa immediately, only to find the place deserted.

Over the phone, his voice was like ice, devoid of any warmth.

"Elena, are you happy? Aria is gone. She's never coming back!"

Only later did I find out what happened.

Aria had left in a fit of rage because Silas was taking too long to divorce me.

In Silas's eyes, her death was fifty percent my fault.

If I hadn't missed that appointment, Aria wouldn't have fled.

2.

He squeezed my neck so hard I could barely breathe.

"It's all because of you. Aria is dead! She was carrying my child, did you know that?"

My pupils shrunk. My mind went completely blank.

Silas was clutching that glaring pregnancy report in his trembling hand.

The patient's name was: Aria Leighton.

We had been married for five years, yet he had never touched me except for that one night he was drunk.

Even during that messy night, the name he moaned was "Aria."

The next morning, he had pulled away coldly and handed me a pill.

"I don't want children right now," he had said flatly.

We had been married for years without a child.

My mother-in-law had pressured me countless times. Behind my back, she called me "a useless hen that can't lay an egg."

But now, I watched the usually stoic Silas holding that report, questioning me like a madman.

"Did you know she was pregnant all along? Did you?"

At that moment, I didn't explain. My heart was nothing but ash.

The butler appeared at the door, his voice hesitant. "Mr. Sterling, Ms. Leighton's personal effects have arrived."

Only one thing had been recovered from the wreckage in the dirt: a ring.

It was part of a pair, matching the one on Silas's ring finger. We didn't have wedding rings.

I heard Silas had those custom-made himself.

He couldn't give her a legal title, but in every ritual that mattered, Aria was his wife.

As for me, I had long stopped hoping for anything.

Silas gripped that ring, whispering to himself like a man possessed.

Then, he turned and walked away without a second look.

My phone rang abruptly. It was my father.

"Elena, what's going on?! Why did Silas suddenly pull his investment?"

"Everything was fine before. Did you piss him off again?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Dad, I can't control what Silas decides."

"You're useless! Don't think I don't know Silas has been promoting that little actress, Aria."

"Did you pull your 'rich girl' attitude and make things hard for her again?"

My father didn't give me a chance to explain, launching into a lecture.

"I'm telling you, the partnership between the Pierce and Sterling families cannot fail! If you mess this up, don't blame me for being heartless!"

I listened with a blank face. The insults felt like mud being thrown at a statue.

In his eyes, my only purpose was to be a tool for a family alliance.

I was just a pawn to be traded for profit.

"Speak! Are you a mute now?"

Outside the window, a small bird was fluttering its wings, trying desperately to reach a higher branch.

I suddenly laughed. I laughed at how pathetic and helpless I was.

I don't even know when the call ended. I didn't care anymore.

I could hear the servants whispering outside the door.

"What a shame. Aria was so young and sweet. The good ones always go first."

"I know. Mr. Sterling is so devoted. I heard he's even planning a posthumous wedding for her..."

A wedding for a dead woman? Ha. How ironic.

While she was alive, he treated me like a piece of furniture while Aria did whatever she wanted.

Now that she was dead, he wanted to officially bring her into the family. What did that make me, his legal wife?

It felt like a needle was piercing my heart, and then the pain moved to my stomach.

The next second, I collapsed to the floor.

4.

When I woke up again, the hospital room door opened.

Caleb walked in. He was Silas's best friend since childhood.

"Elena, how are you feeling?"

"Better. I'll be checking out soon," I said softly.

Caleb froze, looking troubled. "Elena, you know Silas is busy with the... with his bride these next few days."

He paused, realizing he'd said something wrong, and quickly corrected himself.

"You know Silas is in a bad state. Don't go making a scene. Just stay here and recover."

The word "bride" stung like a physical blow.

In their world, Aria was the only wife Silas ever recognized.

"I won't make a scene," I said, closing my eyes in exhaustion.

Caleb blurted out, "No way. You love Silas way too much to let this go..."

He immediately regretted it. "I mean, just stay here. I own this hospital. You can stay as long as you need."

He fled the room as if escaping a fire, leaving me there to smile bitterly at the empty air.

I loved Silas. I had loved him for eight long years.

Ever since I fell for him at eighteen, he was the only thing in my world.

Who knew fate would be so cruel as to actually let me marry him?

The joke was that I entered the chapel with a heart full of love.

He entered it only to satisfy his family's business interests and his elders' demands.

In five years of marriage, he was always lukewarm at best.

I used to tell myself he was just naturally cold and didn't know how to express feelings.

"Elena, let's get a divorce. Aria needs a title."

I will never forget the light in his eyes when he said those words. It was a passion he had never shown me.

I looked at the delicate woman in his arms.

For the first time, I felt hatred. And for the first time, I hated my own powerlessness.

I swallowed the pain and asked calmly, "When?"

"The sooner, the better."

In that moment, it felt like my soul had been scooped out.

5.

I pulled out my phone, deciding to grant them their wish. "Tomorrow at eight. The courthouse."

The phone buzzed almost instantly. He replied fast: "You'd better be on time."

I stared at his profile picture. It was a photo of him and Aria playing in the surf.

Aria looked radiant and beautiful, while Silas looked at her with pure adoration.

Silas once told his buddies that he hated "old-fashioned" women like me. He said I had no life in me.

This marriage was a mistake from the start.

I loved him, and he didn't love me.

That meant we were doomed to never find happiness together.

The next morning, I saw Silas waiting at the courthouse from a distance.

I took a deep breath and walked toward him.

"You're here," he said flatly. His voice didn't have a single ripple of emotion.

I nodded and said nothing.

We walked into the building side by side. The process was surprisingly smooth.

In less than thirty minutes, we held the divorce papers.

"Congratulations, Ms. Pierce. You're free."

The clerk gave me a professional smile as she handed over the document.

"Silas..."

Silas turned to leave, but I couldn't help calling out to him.

He stopped and turned around, his face a mask of indifference.

"Something else?"

I opened my mouth, but the words felt stuck.

I wanted to ask if he had ever loved me, even for a split second, in those five years.

But looking at his cold, detached expression, I knew the answer.

Those questions didn't matter anymore.

He was looking at me like I was an irrelevant stranger. No heat, no heart.

I pushed down the bitterness and spoke softly.

"Silas, we're divorced now. Please stop retaliating against my family."

"What happened to Aria wasn't their fault."

He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Your family owes Aria. You think a soft 'not our fault' clears the debt?"

"Don't think a piece of paper solves everything!"

"Then what do you want?"

I knew how obsessed and unhinged he was right now. Reasoning with him was like talking to a wall.

His eyes were full of madness. "I want you to show up in a few days. You're going to be the witness for my wedding with Aria."

I closed my eyes to hide the despair.

"Fine."

His wedding. How could I not be there?

6.

I turned and left the courthouse. My steps felt hollow.

It was like walking on cloudsDnothing felt real.

I went back to the house that used to be ours. As soon as I opened the door, a huge black shadow lunged at me.

A fierce, aggressive barking echoed through the foyer.

I stumbled back in terror, my heart nearly leaping out of my throat.

"Coco! Stop it!"

The nanny rushed over, desperately pulling back the massive German Shepherd.

"Ma'am, I'm so sorry! I forgot to lock Coco in the kennel..."

the girl bowed, her face pale with apology.

I clutched my chest, trying to catch my breath.

Coco was Silas's treasure. When he brought the dog home five years ago, I had resisted.

I'm allergic to dog dander.

But he said the dog was a gift from a close friend and meant the world to him. He told me to just deal with it.

To please him, I tried to overcome my fear.

I took care of Coco every day, but the dog remained hostile toward me.

Every time it saw me, it barked as if I were an intruder.

"Just... be more careful," I said tiredly.

"If Ms. Leighton were here, Coco wouldn't be so grumpy..." the girl muttered under her breath.

She caught herself and added quickly, "Ma'am, don't mind me. I'll take Coco to the yard."

I didn't answer. I just watched them walk away.

A wave of unnameable bitterness washed over me.

She was right. If Aria were here, Silas would be happy, and the dog would be happy.

Everything in this house would be full of joy.

I felt a sudden sense of release. Some animals can't be tamed, and some people can't be won over.

Silas loved Aria, and even his dog knew it.

No matter how hard I tried to please them, it was futile.

It was better to let go so everyone could finally breathe.

7.

I went into the bedroom and started packing.

Since we were divorced, staying here was no longer appropriate.

In the walk-in closet, my clothes were sparse. Most were neutral tonesDblack, white, and gray.

My gaze fell on a red dress tucked in the corner.

It was a birthday gift from Silas. It was the only vibrant thing I owned.

I remembered the day he gave it to me. His voice had been unusually soft. "Try it on. You'd look great in red."

I had been so happy, but when I put it on, the waist was too loose, and it was far too short for my height.

"What's wrong?" he had asked, hugging me from behind.

"Nothing," I'd forced a smile. "I just don't think it fits me well."

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he just gave a curt nod and let go.

Later, I found out the truth. Aria had picked that dress out for herself.

She rejected it because of a tiny flaw in the hem.

Silas probably just forgot and handed it to me as an afterthought.

I laughed at myself, touching the fabric.

The silk felt cold, just like the temperature of my five-year marriage.

I pulled the dress off the hanger and tossed it into the trash.

The PR for Silas's wedding was massive.

Headlines were everywhere: "The Devoted CEO: A Love for a Lifetime."

The Sterling Group's official account even posted a video. Silas was humming a love song in the background.

The visuals were of Aria in a wedding dress, running through a meadow, laughing like a butterfly.

I scrolled through the comments. They were all blessings. The whole world was cheering for them.

My father called again, his voice trembling with rage.

"What kind of wife are you?! Silas is making a scene for the whole city to see. Where does that leave the Pierce reputation?"

"I got a divorce, Dad."

"Divorce?! Why do you think I let you marry him in the first place?"

"Do you know how much effort I put into making that match happen?"

"And now? You let a little actress play you for a fool and you can't even keep your husband!"

He didn't listen. He just buried me in insults.

I gripped the phone, my nails digging into my palms.

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