HE CONFESSED 999 TIMES BUT SHE SAID NO, SO HE WALKED AWAY FOR BETTER…

And I instantly realized she was completely different when she was around Carter.

“Oh, Carter, come on! Are you okay?” Riley’s voice would suddenly turn incredibly soft and panicked whenever Carter intentionally tripped over a tiny rock during our morning runs.

“I am perfectly fine, Riley,” Carter would smile weakly, leaning heavily against her shoulder, shooting me a disgustingly smug look behind her back.

It was all because of a massive, elaborate lie.

During a horrific flash flood mission in the desert canyons two years ago, I had personally carried Riley on my back for five brutal miles. The raging waters were actively trying to sweep us away into the darkness. I nearly drowned three separate times keeping her head above the muddy surface. When we finally reached the edge of the safe camp, I entirely collapsed from pure physical exhaustion, completely blacking out in the mud.

When I woke up two days later in the medical tent, I was absolutely horrified to discover that Carter had completely taken the credit for my massive sacrifice.

He had magically found us passed out at the edge of the camp, dragged Riley the final twenty feet into the light, and proudly claimed he had carried her through the raging canyon. It was a massive, fake life saving favor. And Riley swore to remember it for the rest of her entire life.

And me? What was I to her? I was just the spoiled, pathetic young master sent here for forced reform. I was the exact type of wealthy, arrogant person she actively hated the absolute most in this world.

“Riley Hayes,” I whispered to myself, staring blindly out into the freezing desert rain. “I will absolutely not degrade myself for your affection anymore. I am packing my bags. I am heading to the coastal countryside where neither you nor Carter exist. I am finally living for myself again.”

Later that afternoon, the rain finally stopped. The squad was completely exhausted from the twenty mile hike.

“All right, absolutely everyone worked incredibly hard today,” Riley announced, standing at the front of the muddy formation. “Thanks for your hard work. You are officially dismissed.”

I immediately stripped off my heavy, soaking wet military jacket, revealing my completely bare chest. I needed to wring the filthy water out of the fabric.

“Look quick! Isn’t that Julian Vance?” one of the female medics whispered loudly to her friend. “Wow, his physique is absolutely amazing.”

“If I could possibly marry someone like Julian, I would be set for life,” another girl giggled.

Riley violently snapped her head in my direction. Her eyes burned with sudden, irrational fury.

“You guys head back to the barracks first!” Riley screamed at the medics. “Stop your pathetic daydreaming! Vance, twenty extra kilometers of running for you right now! Move!”

Later that evening, I was standing in the cold communal showers, letting the freezing water wash the mud from my bruised skin. Suddenly, the heavy canvas door violently ripped open. Riley stormed right inside.

“Julian Vance, who exactly gave you the explicit permission to take a shower?” Riley demanded, her face completely flushed. “You are incredibly shameless! Actively trying to openly seduce the medics out there on the field like that! Get out of here right now!”

I slowly turned off the metal shower valve. I grabbed a rough towel and wrapped it firmly around my waist. I stared directly into her furious eyes.

“I was absolutely not trying to seduce anyone, Captain,” I said, my voice completely devoid of any emotion. “I did not mean anything by taking off my wet jacket. I had absolutely no such thoughts in my head.”

“Do not lie to me!” she yelled.

“Who proudly stood completely shirtless in front of me during the canyon drills last month?” I asked coldly. “Was it Carter? Yes, it was. And who aggressively insisted on sleeping directly next to your sleeping bag when it was raining last week? Was that not Carter?”

Riley’s face completely tightened.

“Julian, I will say this to you exactly one last time,” Riley stated, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. “I am absolutely not interested in you at all. Your wealthy father forced you to come here to be broken. When this reform program is completely over, you and I will have absolutely nothing to do with each other ever again.”

I slowly closed my eyes. “For three long years now, you have aggressively said this exact same thing to me over and over again. But what you absolutely do not know is that every single time you say it, it feels exactly like a massive hunting knife being violently twisted directly into my chest.”

“Get dressed and get to the track,” she ordered coldly. “Three kilometers. Run it and loudly recite the camp rules while you do it.”

“I did not even do anything wrong,” I said quietly.

“Right now, Vance!” she screamed.

“All right,” I said, stepping past her. “But what if I honestly told you right now that I am completely not interested in you either? Getting married to someone else and starting my own family out in the countryside will not be in your precious way anymore. How would you actually react to that, Captain?”

She completely froze. For a tiny fraction of a second, absolute panic flashed in her dark eyes. But she quickly masked it with her usual cold cruelty.

“First, follow the direct rules,” Riley snapped, turning her back to me.

I ran the laps. I ran them until my lungs completely burned and my legs felt like heavy lead. I pushed myself completely past my physical breaking point. And on the final lap, my vision entirely blurred. The world violently spun around me, and I completely collapsed directly onto the hard, rocky track.

“Julian fainted!” one of the other recruits yelled, rushing toward my unconscious body.

“Leave him exactly where he is!” Riley’s voice commanded sharply from the sidelines. “Keep running your laps! I do not need you to care for him! He is faking it!”

I lay there in the freezing dirt, my consciousness slowly slipping entirely away. I quietly recited the camp rules in my fading mind. Unity and friendship. Hard training. Helping each other. Diligent learning. Neat and tidy appearance. Obeying direct orders.

Seven days left, I thought to myself as the dark blackness entirely consumed me. Seven days until we go our completely separate ways and absolutely never meet again.

When I finally woke up, the bright fluorescent lights of the medical clinic blinded me. I was lying in a small, uncomfortable cot.

“Brother, you are finally awake.”

I violently turned my head. Carter was standing right next to my bed. He was wearing an incredibly smug, disgusting smile on his face.

“Who exactly let you in here?” I demanded, struggling to sit up.

“Sister Riley would not actually let me inside at first,” Carter laughed softly, leaning over my bed. “She said you were badly hurt from your pathetic little fall. But she completely trusts me. She asked me to come inside and personally bandage you up.”

Carter forcefully grabbed my injured arm, aggressively digging his thumb directly into my deep, bleeding scrape. I hissed in sharp pain and violently pulled my arm away.

“Bro, why are you absolutely always getting yourself hurt like this?” Carter taunted, his eyes gleaming with pure malice. “Do you honestly think doing this pathetic stuff will somehow make Sister Riley look at you more? What a complete, utter pity. Your wealthy dad is officially mine now. Your massive childhood house is mine too. And Sister Riley? She is entirely mine too.”

I glared at him with absolute, unrestrained hatred. “You are just a dirty bastard raised by a home wrecking mistress who was strictly told to challenge me. Get completely lost, Carter.”

Carter proudly puffed out his chest. “That is exactly right, Julian. I am the dirty mistress’s son. But it is this exact mistress’s son who currently has absolutely it all. And you, the proud, legitimate wife’s son, have absolutely nothing at all in this world. Isn’t that incredibly funny?”

Carter aggressively grabbed a heavy glass bottle of expensive medical ointment from the metal tray beside my bed.

“Are you going to try and kick me out again?” Carter whispered maliciously. “And then I will violently smash this glass bottle on the floor and tell her you did it in a massive fit of rage. What are you even trying to actively do, Julian?”

Before I could even react, Carter intentionally threw the heavy glass bottle directly onto the hard concrete floor. It violently shattered into a million tiny pieces, the expensive ointment completely ruining the floor.

Then, Carter immediately threw himself violently backwards onto the ground, landing hard on the sharp glass.

“Ah! Bro! Please do not hit me again!” Carter screamed at the absolute top of his lungs, faking pure terror. “I know I was completely wrong to try and help you! Please stop hitting me!”

The clinic door violently ripped open. Riley burst into the small room, her eyes wide with complete panic.

“Carter!” Riley yelled, rushing completely past my bed and dropping to her knees right next to him. “Are you okay?”

“I am fine, Riley,” Carter whimpered pathetically, clutching his perfectly fine arm. “Julian just got incredibly mad that I was trying to actively help him.”

Riley stood up slowly, her face violently twisting with absolute rage. She glared directly at me like I was a completely rabid dog.

“Explain yourself right now, Julian,” Riley demanded coldly.

“I completely explained myself the absolute last time he pulled a pathetic stunt exactly like this,” I said, my voice entirely dead. “And what exact justice did I get in return from you? You never believe a single word I say.”

“Someone get in here!” Riley screamed to the guards standing outside. “Julian Vance is officially punished. Three full, consecutive nights of grueling guard duty out in the freezing desert perimeter.”

“Captain, please forget it,” Carter pleaded softly, playing the absolute perfect victim. “What is there to even explain? You saw absolutely everything with your own eyes, didn’t you?”

Riley shook her head in pure disgust. “Julian Vance, you absolutely never change, do you? You are completely rotten to your very core.”

“I am heavily punishing you for your own good,” Riley added, trying to sound completely righteous.

“He is completely uninjured, you know,” I said coldly. “Do not severely punish me for his terrible, pathetic acting.”

“Let him just write a long self reflection essay and call it a day, Riley,” Carter suggested sweetly.

“All right,” Riley agreed instantly, her voice softening completely for him. “Turns out I can slightly bend the strict rules sometimes.”

I scoffed loudly. “Yes, but that specific person is Carter. Captain Riley, you honestly have terrible, incredibly garbage taste in men.”

Riley glared at me. “Write your massive self reflection essay and immediately bring it to my private office. Let’s go, Carter. I will help you walk.”

Riley, I was indeed completely wrong. I was wrong for absolutely not leaving this camp significantly sooner. I was entirely wrong for foolishly liking you for three long, agonizing years.

Later that night, I aggressively kicked the door to her private office open and threw the single piece of paper directly onto her wooden desk.

“Done writing,” I said coldly.

She picked up the paper and read it. Her face violently flushed red. “What on earth did you exactly write here? You literally wrote that the list of your amazing qualities is entirely endless and a few pages cannot possibly cover it?”

“It is the absolute truth,” I said.

“What Carter actually meant,” Riley said, slamming the paper down, “is that he desperately wants you to completely apologize to him face to face for your violent outburst.”

“Is that right?” I asked.

“Yes. You will apologize to him immediately.”

“All right,” I said, turning to Carter, who was standing smugly in the corner.

“I will absolutely apologize to him. I am incredibly sorry, Carter. I am deeply sorry I did not physically help you up when you completely faked your pathetic fall and then aggressively pressed your own hand directly into the sharp gravel. Never use your incredibly lousy acting skills around me ever again.”

“Shut up, Julian Vance!” Riley screamed, slamming her hands on the desk.

“I have clearly been completely too lenient with your daily punishments!”

“He aggressively brought me the medicine just to violently smash it,” I said calmly. “Why do you constantly let him slander me?”

“Because it is the complete truth!” Riley yelled.

“Then why didn’t you say a single word when I actively asked you to explain?” Carter asked smugly.

“Would you ever truly listen to me, Riley?” I asked, looking her dead in the eyes. “Would you honestly care if I logically explained it? You treated my expensive birthday gift to you exactly like garbage, but you have proudly worn his cheap red string bracelet for three full years. When I make a tiny mistake, I am heavily, brutally punished. He actively gets the vital mission map completely wet, and you are only desperately worried if he accidentally burned his precious fingers. You still talking back, huh?”

“Hey, Sister Riley,” Carter interrupted smoothly. “Just completely forget it. Please do not completely ruin your working relationship with my brother just because of me.”

A few miserable days later, Carter somehow managed to convince Riley to force me to accompany them to the local town park on our single day of leave.

I chased her for three full years, but the absolute only time we ever went to the local park together was thanks to the manipulative orchestration of someone else. Carter literally dragged me here just to aggressively make me see exactly how incredibly special Riley was to him.

“Riley, please try this fresh fruit,” Carter smiled, holding out a piece of apple.

“Sorry, let me clean this dirty spot on your jacket for you,” Riley said affectionately, reaching out to gently brush Carter’s shoulder.

“What exactly are you doing?” I asked coldly. “Do you not completely know I absolutely hate it when people touch my clothes?”

“Turns out you can be incredibly forgiving,” I muttered bitterly. “Just absolutely not with me. It is strictly reserved for Carter.”

We stopped near a beautiful fountain. Carter aggressively shoved a camera into my hands.

“Riley, let’s take a nice photo together!” Carter cheered. “Julian, you take the picture of us.”

“Can you two get a little closer together?” I asked sarcastically. “Do not look so incredibly stiff.”

I snapped the photo. Riley, who absolutely never took pictures with anyone in the camp, made a completely special exception just for him.

“Look, Riley, he made us look so incredibly good in the photo,” Carter smiled, reviewing the digital image. “What is up with Julian these days? Before, he would either throw a massive, violent tantrum to aggressively squeeze into the frame or purposely ruin the shot entirely. But today, he completely didn’t do a single thing. Not even from the very start till the very end. He completely never got close to you.”

“Why don’t you and my brother take a nice photo together?” Carter suggested maliciously. “He has always liked you so much. It would absolutely make a really nice keepsake for his departure.”

Riley looked at me with pure, unadulterated disgust. “There is absolutely no need for that. I will absolutely never, ever like him.”

The words hit me exactly like a physical bullet to the chest.

“It is about to aggressively rain,” Riley announced coldly. “I will go get the military transport car.”

As soon as she was completely out of earshot, Carter violently shoved me hard in the chest.

“Bro, do you finally see that?” Carter laughed cruelly. “No matter how hard you desperately try to win her over, in her blind eyes, it is just me. She entirely loves me. That is completely because she absolutely does not know you have this pathetic, desperate face.”

The very next afternoon, during a massive jungle survival training exercise, absolute disaster violently struck the squad.

Carter and I were both suddenly, aggressively bitten by a highly venomous snake while navigating a dense thicket.

“The bite locations severely differ between the two comrades,” the camp medic frantically reported to Riley. “Comrade Julian’s bite is significantly worse, and the deadly toxin has already massively spread. We desperately need the antitoxin serum right now! Someone is currently sent to the base to get more.”

“Commander, there is absolutely only one single vial of serum left in the emergency kit,” the medic shouted over the pouring rain. “Who exactly do we save first?”

I lay completely paralyzed in the thick mud, my entire body burning with unimaginable, blinding agony. My throat was violently closing up. I was actively suffocating to death.

“Save Carter,” Riley commanded instantly, without a single microsecond of hesitation.

“Commander Riley!” the medic protested. “This is a life and death matter! Comrade Carter’s medical condition can absolutely wait significantly longer! Julian will absolutely die within minutes!”

“I am ordering you to save Carter first!” Riley screamed furiously.

I stared up at the dark, crying sky as the cold, terrifying darkness completely rushed in. You absolutely do not have to love me, Riley. I can love you, and I can entirely let you go. But I absolutely do not want to die in this miserable mud. There is still so incredibly much I haven’t done in this life.

By some absolute, completely impossible miracle, I managed to make it out alive. The second emergency batch of serum from the main city hospital arrived just barely in time.

When I finally, groggily woke up in the stark white medical clinic, the very first thing I heard was the nurses gossiping in the hallway.

“Where is Carter?” one nurse asked.

“He is completely fine,” the other replied.

“His snake injury absolutely wasn’t serious to begin with. But Captain Riley took care of him for a whole day and night. She even completely ignored emergency protocol calls just to hold his precious hand.”

It was incredibly weird. Laying there in that cold bed, I absolutely did not feel the least bit heartbroken anymore. The deep, agonizing pain in my chest was entirely gone. It was completely replaced by a freezing, absolutely solid void of nothingness.

A few hours later, Riley confidently walked into my hospital room.

“What exactly are you doing out of bed?” Riley demanded coldly.

“The deadly poison is completely cleared, but you absolutely still need constant medical monitoring for several days.”

I continued silently packing my olive green duffel bag. “There is absolutely no need. I absolutely do not have that much precious time left.”

“Four days left of your reform,” Riley stated flatly.

“I absolutely do not want to stay in this miserable place for even one single more day,” I said, not even bothering to look at her beautiful face.

“Why didn’t you properly tell me you were officially discharged by the doctors?” she asked.

“Why exactly should I tell you anything?” I replied coldly. “You absolutely do not care if I violently live or die anyway.”

“So, you clearly know absolutely everything,” Riley said defensively. “Carter is my absolute lifesaver. I completely cannot let absolutely anything bad happen to him ever.”

“You absolutely do not need to explain your pathetic choices to me,” I said, zipping up the heavy bag. “Carter was brought here completely by you. You can do absolutely whatever you want with him.”

“Wait, where exactly are you going right now?” she asked, her voice faltering slightly.

“I am packing my personal stuff. Can’t you clearly tell?”

“If you do not properly take your wet clothes out to air them in this shabby place, they will get severely damp,” she lectured. “Do you honestly think this is your wealthy Vance family’s fancy Beverly Hills villa?”

“Who exactly said I would live in a fancy villa?” I scoffed. “And I absolutely will not live in a fancy villa ever again. From what you are aggressively saying, do you think I am planning to live here forever?”

“I explicitly told you to stop aggressively bothering me,” she said, crossing her arms. “Once the camp renovation is completely done, just go entirely back to your rich daddy already.”

“I will absolutely be going to my new home today,” I stated.

“What I simply mean is,” Riley stuttered awkwardly, “Carter is already completely fine. Your deep injury is significantly worse. If it violently hurts at night, I… I can personally take care of you.”

“There is absolutely no need for your fake pity,” I said, throwing the heavy bag firmly over my shoulder. “It absolutely does not hurt anymore. My heart is completely dead.”

“Julian, you absolutely were not completely like this before,” she whispered, stepping slightly closer.

“Captain Riley, if there is absolutely nothing else, please completely leave my room,” I ordered firmly. “Didn’t you loudly say that men and women should strictly keep their professional distance?”

“Are you actively afraid I am aggressively trying to provoke you on purpose?” she asked, her eyes searching my entirely blank face.

Suddenly, a panicked medic burst into the room. “Commander Riley! Dr. Carter suddenly has a massive fever! He has been desperately calling your name non stop in his sleep!”

“Stay exactly here, Julian,” Riley commanded instantly, her panic completely returning. “You are absolutely not allowed to go anywhere. I will be right back.”

“Riley,” I said quietly to her retreating back. “I will absolutely never follow your ridiculous orders ever again.”

As soon as she was entirely gone, I confidently walked straight into Carter’s private hospital room. He was sitting comfortably up in bed, happily eating a perfectly peeled green apple.

“Brother, you actually went for the pathetic pity act and discharged yourself incredibly early,” Carter laughed loudly, taking a massive bite of the crisp apple. “Are you secretly jealous? She will absolutely be my wife eventually. Why completely bother using pathetic tricks on me?”

I absolutely ignored his disgusting taunts. I aggressively walked directly over to his bedside table and snatched the small, framed photograph resting there. It was the absolute only surviving picture of my beautiful, late mother.

“What exactly are you doing?” Carter yelled, panic finally flashing in his eyes. “Give it back to me! Give it to me right now!”

“The absolute only thing I can successfully take from you is her blind love for you,” I said coldly.

Carter violently lunged out of the bed. He aggressively ripped the precious photo completely out of my hands. He quickly grabbed a silver metal lighter from the table and immediately flicked the bright flame to the edge of the delicate paper.

“Do not do it, Carter!” I yelled, desperately lunging forward.

But it was entirely too late. The bright orange fire rapidly consumed my mother’s beautiful, smiling face.

I completely snapped. I violently tackled Carter directly to the hard floor. I aggressively pinned him completely down and raised my heavy fist, completely ready to beat his smug face into a bloody pulp.

“Julian Vance! What exactly are you actively doing?!” Riley’s furious scream violently shattered the room.

She aggressively shoved me completely off of Carter.

“It is entirely him!” I yelled, pointing at the burning ashes of the photograph completely scattered on the floor. “He intentionally burned the absolute only photo I had left of my dead mother!”

“Apologize to him right now!” Riley screamed directly in my face.

“I completely did absolutely nothing wrong!” I roared back.

“It was just a stupid, completely meaningless photo!” Riley yelled. “That is absolutely not enough of a reason to violently hit someone in my camp!”

“Just a stupid photo?!” I completely broke down. “It is the absolute only thing my dead mom left me in this entire world!”

“I completely didn’t do it, Sister Riley!” Carter cried out, curling up into a pathetic little ball on the floor. “Brother, you absolutely cannot treat me so unfairly just because you strongly dislike me! You are just aggressively going to slander me like that?”

“Julian Vance,” Riley said, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly cold whisper. “I foolishly forgave you exactly once before, but you still absolutely haven’t learned your strict lesson. Go entirely stand outside as severe punishment. Apologize to him first. Then you can come entirely back inside. Go right now.”

I aggressively marched straight out into the freezing, torrential rain without saying another single word.

“Why is the young master actively being so severely punished again?” a passing guard aggressively whispered to his friend. “Is it entirely because of Carter again?”

“Young master, please just listen to Captain Riley and completely say something incredibly nice to her,” a sympathetic medic quietly begged me, holding a black umbrella.

“Captain Riley, comrade Julian is absolutely not fully recovered from the deadly snake venom,” another soldier pleaded with her on the porch.

“My brother is entirely too proud,” Carter said smugly, standing perfectly dry under the porch awning next to Riley. “He will absolutely not apologize. Standing entirely out in the pouring rain completely too long will definitely make him incredibly sick.”

“I absolutely want to violently correct his horrible temper,” Riley stated coldly, crossing her arms. “Do you honestly think you are completely wrong yet, Julian?”

“I am absolutely not wrong,” I shouted back over the deafening rain.

“You are absolutely still actively running a massive fever,” the sympathetic medic pleaded, trying to completely cover me with the umbrella. “Please let me take you entirely back to rest.”

“Dismiss the umbrella immediately, or else you will absolutely join him on his severe punishment!” Riley screamed at the medic.

“Riley Hayes,” I said, my voice entirely calm despite the violent, freezing storm completely battering my weak body. “This is absolutely the last time you will ever violently punish me. After today, you will absolutely never see my face again.”

I confidently stood in that freezing rain until absolute midnight. And then, I simply turned completely around, walked directly to my private barracks, completely packed my single bag, and entirely left the camp forever.

The next morning, I was sitting quietly in the back of a rusted, bouncy pickup truck completely heading up the rugged, dense Pacific coast.

My father’s incredibly nervous corporate assistant, a man named Arthur, had aggressively intercepted me at the local bus station.

“Young master Julian, your wealthy father explicitly asked me to bring you this exact money,” Arthur said nervously, aggressively shoving a thick manila envelope completely full of cash into my tired hands. “This is exactly one hundred thousand dollars. Young master, please just completely swallow your massive pride and actively apologize to your father. The rural countryside is absolutely no place for someone exactly like you. Not to mention, you are permanently going there to marry a total stranger and completely settle down for the rest of your entire life.”

“I completely went over all of this with him,” I said coldly, aggressively shoving the heavy envelope securely into my duffel bag. “He was the absolute one who felt incredibly happy about this exact arrangement. No matter how incredibly much I apologize to him, he will absolutely never change what he truly thinks of me.”

“Young master, you are exactly his own flesh and blood,” Arthur pleaded.

“His own flesh and blood?” I laughed bitterly. “Ever since that exact terrible year he brought that wicked woman and her bastard son entirely into our home, I absolutely do not have much family left. He is entirely really into aggressively playing dad to someone else’s kid now. And absolutely do not worry about me, Arthur. I can completely survive anywhere, and I will actively live even significantly better without them.”

When I finally arrived at the small, isolated fishing village of Crescent Cove, the salty ocean air completely hit my face. It was entirely different from the dry, suffocating heat of the desert camp.

An old, incredibly weathered fisherman named Uncle Thomas aggressively approached me.

“Hey, who exactly are you looking for around here, fancy city boy?” Uncle Thomas asked, squinting his eyes. “Within the last ten months, I have absolutely never seen anyone this incredibly good looking entirely around here. Not just in the countryside. Even the wealthy city folks do not typically have someone this incredibly classy looking.”

“Excuse me, sir,” I said politely. “If this is Crescent Cove, then I must absolutely be in the exact right place. I am completely here to find my future wife. I came here fully knowing my future wife’s last name is Elara. She entirely lives somewhere in Crescent Cove.”

“What exactly does she look like?” Uncle Thomas asked.

“I honestly have absolutely no idea,” I admitted. “I do not even truly know her full legal name.”

“Strange,” another fisherman muttered.

“Came absolutely all this way and completely doesn’t even know who he is looking for. If you are entirely here to actively find someone, quickly take out your official referral letter.”

“I absolutely didn’t bring it,” I said.

Before the angry fishermen could entirely run me completely out of town, a sweet, incredibly gentle voice completely broke the tension.

“Uncle Thomas, please stop. He is entirely here for me.”

I slowly turned completely around. Standing there, holding a massive, heavy fishing net over her delicate shoulder, was the absolute most beautiful girl I had ever actively seen. She had bright, warm, incredibly kind eyes, deeply sun kissed skin, and a completely radiant, welcoming smile that completely reached her eyes.

“Are you absolutely the eldest son of the wealthy Vance family?” she asked softly.

“I am absolutely not the eldest son anymore,” I replied quietly.

“Is he a wealthy relative of yours, Elara?” Uncle Thomas asked in complete shock. “When exactly did your poor family ever have such a wildly handsome, wealthy relative?”

“He is absolutely not a relative of mine,” Elara said proudly, stepping completely forward. “This is entirely my fate. I am completely his future wife. He was completely forced by his cruel family to marry me. But he absolutely doesn’t mind my poor status at all.”

The village completely erupted in excited, loud murmurs.

“Young master Vance, please completely ignore Uncle Thomas,” Elara smiled warmly, gently taking my heavy bag entirely from my hands. “The dirt road is absolutely not easy here. I will happily carry this for you.”

“You completely do not have to do that,” I said, entirely shocked by her pure kindness. “Just please lead the way ahead. I am absolutely not the pampered young master anymore.”

When we finally arrived at her small, incredibly modest wooden cabin entirely overlooking the crashing ocean, she aggressively started boiling fresh well water for me.

“Young master Vance, we absolutely do not have modern running water entirely out here,” Elara apologized softly. “I will rapidly heat some up for you. My family financial situation is absolutely not great. It definitely completely cannot compare to those fancy Beverly Hills houses.”

“I absolutely do not mind the cold well water,” I said genuinely. “Let me clearly tell you something right now, Elara. If you can completely live happily here, so can I. And please, absolutely do not say that kind of degrading thing about yourself ever again, or I will get actively mad. Even if I eventually live in a massive fancy house someday, I will absolutely make sure you are directly there with me.”

That exact night, the deadly, lingering snake venom in my weakened system completely flared up again. I entirely collapsed onto the small wooden floor, violently shaking with a massive, terrifying fever.

When I slowly opened my eyes, Elara was completely frantically wiping my burning forehead with a cool, damp cloth. She had aggressively stayed up the absolute entire night, meticulously caring for me.

“You are completely my wife now,” I whispered weakly, entirely staring up at her incredibly beautiful, worried face. “Thank you so incredibly much for actively caring for me.”

“I completely should be the absolute one taking care of you,” she said, soft tears actively welling in her eyes. “There is absolutely nothing of value here. I have unfortunately made you severely suffer.”

“Why exactly are you crying?” I asked softly, reaching up to gently wipe a single tear completely from her cheek. “Are you aggressively regretting it? Do you desperately want me to completely go back to the massive city?”

“I am absolutely just terrified that you will eventually find me completely dirty and entirely unwanted,” she whispered.

“You are completely my home now, Elara,” I said firmly. “If I am absolutely not entirely here with you, where on earth would I actively be?”

Over the next few weeks, I completely threw myself entirely into the brutal physical labor of the tiny fishing village. I aggressively learned how to correctly cast heavy fishing nets, actively repair broken wooden boats, and manually chop massive piles of firewood. My soft hands completely blistered and aggressively bled, but Elara was absolutely always there to gently bandage them with pure, unadulterated care.

One evening, Elara nervously approached me. She slowly handed me a small, tightly worn fabric pouch.

“Hey, what exactly is actively in this pouch?” I asked gently.

“It is absolutely all the money we currently have in the world,” she said proudly. “From now completely on, you take full charge of our finances.”

I stared down at the small pouch, completely deeply moved. This incredible girl, who absolutely had almost nothing in the entire world, had completely trusted me entirely with her absolute life savings.

“Elara,” I completely promised her, violently pulling her entirely into a deep, passionate hug. “I absolutely promise you, I will make entirely good use of this money. One day soon, I will make absolute sure you live in a beautiful house and entirely eat well every single day.”

Meanwhile, completely back at the brutal desert camp, absolute hell had completely broken loose.

Riley was aggressively pacing completely back and forth in her private office. “Where exactly is Julian Vance? Has absolutely anyone actively seen him?”

“Captain Riley, young master Julian entirely left the camp completely early yesterday morning,” a guard nervously reported. “He loudly stated his forced reformation was entirely over and he actively went home.”

“He completely went home entirely without properly telling me?” Riley completely panicked.

A few days later, a massive, terrifying flash flood aggressively hit the nearby desert canyons. During the massive rescue operation, the absolute truth completely came violently pouring out.

“Captain Riley!” the head camp medic screamed, completely pulling her aggressively aside. “I absolutely cannot watch young master Julian entirely suffer in the countryside anymore! I actively saw everything exactly three years ago with my own two eyes! It was absolutely not Carter who bravely saved you from the roaring flood! It was Julian! He aggressively carried you for dozens of miles back to the camp completely on his back! He entirely handed you safely over to Carter before violently collapsing!”

Riley completely froze. Her entire, perfectly constructed world violently shattered into a million tiny pieces.

“That is absolutely impossible,” Riley completely whispered, her face entirely draining of all color.

“How could a spoiled, wealthy capitalist son aggressively risk his own life to completely save someone?”

“And absolutely why didn’t you honestly tell me significantly earlier if you clearly knew he actively saved me?” Riley demanded aggressively.

“Commander Riley, would you have absolutely ever believed us if we honestly told you the complete truth?” the medic fired back aggressively.

“Have you completely forgotten your own cruel actions? Young master Julian actively tried to calmly explain himself to you! You aggressively gave him three consecutive nights of brutal guard duty as a severe punishment! You aggressively punished him for literally saving your entire life!”

The horrifying realization completely crashed down onto Riley exactly like a massive ton of heavy bricks.

She had aggressively spent three long, brutal years completely torturing the exact man who had deeply loved her, the very man who had bravely saved her life. She had blindly, entirely trusted the exact manipulative monster who had aggressively tried to completely destroy him.

“I will absolutely go actively find him right now,” Riley completely cried out, violently dropping her clipboard directly onto the muddy ground.

Three agonizing days later, Riley’s massive military jeep aggressively pulled directly into the small, quiet fishing village of Crescent Cove.

She aggressively found me actively working hard by the beautiful ocean, completely covered in thick mud and heavily sweating, but smiling completely happily as Elara gently wiped my dirty face with a clean towel.

“Julian,” Riley’s voice violently completely broke as she aggressively stepped completely out of the vehicle.

I slowly turned entirely around. My face went completely, entirely cold.

“Julian, I actively spoke to our old military leader,” Riley completely pleaded, desperately walking rapidly toward me. “The wealthy Vance family absolutely does not need to forcefully move you to the country anymore. Please, come entirely back completely with me. Then you absolutely won’t have to suffer here anymore.”

“Who exactly clearly told you I was ever actively going back?” I asked completely coldly.

“Julian, I clearly know you have aggressively endured entirely a lot of massive hardship out here in the poor countryside,” Riley cried, massive tears actively streaming down her face. “Once we completely go entirely back to the city, I will aggressively propose to you right away. I promise.”

I completely wrapped my arm securely entirely around Elara’s waist and aggressively pulled her entirely close to my side.

“This is completely my absolute love,” I clearly stated firmly, entirely staring dead into Riley’s completely desperate eyes. “I am incredibly, truly happy right now. And this is entirely my own personal choice.”

“No!” Riley completely screamed, violently shaking her head. “It was the cruel Vance family that violently forced you out here! There is absolutely no way you actively choose to completely stay in the dirty countryside yourself!”

“Who exactly says I am aggressively suffering out here?” I scoffed entirely. “My absolute love completely cares for me incredibly deeply. The kind villagers actively look entirely after me too. I am genuinely, completely happy with my new life now. Please absolutely do not actively disturb me ever again.”

“Why?” Riley completely sobbed, desperately reaching aggressively out to grab my shirt. “You absolutely used to entirely love me so incredibly much! And now you are willingly letting another poor woman actively love you! You actively used to completely do absolutely everything to just get entirely close to me, and now you won’t even actively let me touch you!”

“Riley, that was completely in the dead past,” I said entirely coldly, violently pulling completely away from her grasp. “What absolutely about right now? Now I have absolutely someone I truly love. I have an entire family. And I am entirely happy completely with my life.”

“I am aggressively begging you, Julian,” Riley completely completely fell directly to her knees in the dirt. “Please completely come entirely back to me. I completely know the absolute truth now. I know Carter completely lied to me entirely about the massive flood. I know he aggressively framed you for everything. I entirely wronged you all this time. I aggressively swear to you, I will absolutely never deal with him completely again. I promise I will absolutely never actively let you completely feel hurt entirely again.”

“It is completely too late, Riley,” I entirely stated completely flatly. “It is entirely too late.”

“Julian, I aggressively pulled massive strings to actively bring you entirely back!” Riley completely cried out. “You absolutely have no idea exactly how incredibly much massive effort it actively took to completely get this chance! I aggressively traveled thousands of miles completely just to entirely find you! And now you completely tell me I am entirely too late?”

“I am absolutely not your pathetic savior anymore, Riley,” I completely said entirely softly, but incredibly firmly. “I am absolutely not entirely worth completely all the desperate things you have aggressively done entirely for me today. Don’t you completely get that? You completely chose him. You actively made your absolute choice. Now completely live with it.”

Suddenly, a loud, violent scream entirely shattered the peaceful ocean air.

Carter aggressively burst entirely from the dense tree line. His face was completely twisted into a horrific, psychotic mask of pure, unadulterated rage. He was aggressively gripping a massive, incredibly sharp hunting knife entirely in his shaking hand.

“If I absolutely cannot completely have you entirely dead in the city, I will completely kill you right here!” Carter violently screamed entirely at the absolute top of his lungs, aggressively charging entirely directly at me.

“Julian! Watch completely out!” Riley completely screamed entirely.

Without a single moment of hesitation, Riley aggressively threw her entire body completely in front of me. The massive, sharp knife aggressively plunged entirely completely deep into her stomach.

“Ah!” Riley completely gasped, violently collapsing entirely completely onto the muddy ground.

“Riley!” Carter completely entirely screamed in complete horror, dropping the bloody knife entirely completely.

The angry village fishermen actively aggressively tackled Carter completely violently to the dirt, aggressively entirely pinning him completely down until the local police rapidly arrived.

Riley was aggressively completely rushed actively to the local county hospital. When she completely woke entirely up, I was completely standing entirely completely quietly exactly by her hospital door.

“Julian?” Riley completely entirely whispered entirely, a massive, hopeful smile completely entirely spreading completely across her pale face. “You completely stayed for me. Was that entire argument entirely just a terrible dream?”

“No, Riley,” I entirely said completely entirely coldly. “It was absolutely not a dream. I completely just stayed actively completely long enough to entirely make sure you completely survived the surgery. I am aggressively leaving right now to entirely go back and actively completely marry my beautiful wife.”

Her completely hopeful smile entirely completely violently shattered. “Julian, please completely absolutely do not entirely go. I am aggressively entirely begging you. Please entirely completely absolutely do not leave me.”

“Goodbye, Riley,” I completely entirely said completely, entirely turning my absolute back completely on her entirely forever. “I absolutely entirely hope you actively completely find your absolute peace entirely someday.”

Two beautiful, sunny days completely later, the absolute entire village of Crescent Cove was actively completely gathered outside Elara’s small wooden home.

I aggressively entirely drove up in a massive, rented delivery truck completely packed entirely full with incredible, lavish gifts entirely bought with my massive one hundred thousand dollar savings. There was an incredibly brand new, shiny bicycle, a massive, expensive radio, luxurious fabrics, and entirely enough delicious, expensive food to completely aggressively feed the absolute entire village for an entire week.

“Oh my absolute goodness!” Uncle Thomas completely entirely completely cheered loudly entirely. “The wealthy city boy completely aggressively kept his absolute promise entirely!”

Elara completely actively walked out of the cabin wearing a simple, incredibly beautiful white dress. Her completely gorgeous eyes actively entirely widened completely in absolute pure shock.

“Julian,” Elara completely actively entirely gasped entirely softly. “What entirely completely is absolutely all of this?”

“Elara,” I entirely completely smiled warmly entirely, aggressively taking her soft, calloused hands entirely completely in mine. “I actively completely married you to entirely aggressively protect you and completely absolutely take care of you. From entirely completely now on, I absolutely entirely do not actively completely want absolutely anyone to ever entirely bully you again. Whatever completely amazing things others own entirely in this world, you absolutely completely should have them too.”

“You completely absolutely are my entire world,” Elara completely entirely whispered, actively completely pulling me entirely completely completely into a massive, incredibly passionate kiss entirely.

As the absolute entire village completely actively aggressively cheered loudly around us entirely completely, I entirely completely knew that I had absolutely entirely actively found my absolute true home completely.

Riley Hayes had completely entirely left me aggressively bruised and actively broken. She had completely entirely made my past life incredibly entirely dark and completely hopeless. But I honestly completely wanted to actively entirely thank her completely. Because her absolute, complete indifference entirely aggressively completely gave me the absolute pure courage to completely leave my toxic family entirely, and the incredible, amazing luck to actively completely entirely meet Elara, the absolute beautiful angel of my completely entire life.