When the Wind Stops

Three years ago, my boyfriend, Chad, dumped me for the daughter of a billionaire.

I was assaulted and left for dead on my way home.

It was Lucas who saved me.

For three years, we lived a simple life together in a low-rent apartment, and I started to dream of a future.

Just as I, diagnosed as infertile, was about to tell Lucas the good news about my pregnancy, I overheard him talking to someone else.

“Sir, the eldest lady said you’ve played enough and it’s time to go back.”

“We’ll see.”

“Don’t tell me… you’ve fallen for that orphan, Amy? If she knew it was your sister who stole her man and orchestrated her assault…”

“Shut up! How could I like such trash? It was just a game. Tell my sister I’ll be back soon.”

My supposed salvation was just another cruel twist of fate.

Through the crack in the door, I could only see Lucas’s perfect profile.

His words hit me like thunder, leaving me numb and shattered.

He never looked like someone who belonged in poverty.

But he’d spent three years living a poor life with me, and that’s how he fooled me for so long.

Before being discovered, I stumbled away, gasping for air outside, the world still spinning.

Three years ago, Chad had broken up with me in the park.

We grew up together in an orphanage, inseparable for years, but in the end, he chose reality over me.

He said, Olivia was the daughter of a billionaire, his only chance to climb the social ladder. He begged me not to hold him back.

How could I hold him back?

We both knew too well the bitterness of being looked down upon.

We both cried when we broke up.

In the end, I watched him get into Olivia’s car.

I thought that was the worst thing that could happen. From now on, I would be drifting alone.

But then, a group of drunk men emerged from the darkness, adding another layer of filth to my already bleak life.

I don’t know how I survived those five hours. All I remember is the grass beneath me torn to shreds.

My fingernails were filled with dirt, almost ripped off from my desperate struggle.

A downpour at dawn couldn’t wash away the stain.

I waited for death, but it didn’t come. Instead, my savior appeared.

I thought Lucas was my savior.

He helped me through two years of PTSD after the assault.

He even moved across the country with me, working two jobs to support me and taking me to therapy.

If I hadn’t heard the truth, how much longer would I have been in the dark?

My phone rang, snapping me back to reality.

Seeing “Lucas” on the screen, tears streamed down my face.

Lucas, Olivia… how could I be so stupid? Three years, and I didn’t notice…

Just before the call went to voicemail, I answered.

Lucas’s clear voice came through: “Babe, where are you? Why aren’t you back yet?”

Bitterness and nausea welled up inside me.

The act was up. The game was over.

“I’m downstairs,” I replied coldly. “I’ll be up soon.”

He paused, sensing my change in tone. “What’s wrong? Babe, you sound upset.”

I hung up without another word.

Before going back, I wiped away my tears and pretended nothing happened.

Lucas, with his handsome face, carefully studied my expression, anxious like a child who had done something wrong.

“Babe, if I did something wrong, please tell me, okay?”

Looking at his seemingly sincere expression, my heart ached.

If only I hadn’t heard those words…

How could he be so cruel, toying with me like a dog?

I suppressed the urge to confront him and forced a pale smile. “It wasn’t you. I think I ran into… the people who hurt me before, on my way out.”

His face froze, something flickered in his eyes, then he rushed forward and hugged me.

“How is that possible? Those bastards were caught! They’re still in jail. You must have mistaken them for someone else. There are a lot of people who look alike in this world, and we’re thousands of miles away…”

A hot tear landed on his shirt. I choked out, “Are they really all caught?”

I could feel his body stiffen.

At that moment, all my suspicions were confirmed.

“Of course! I handled it myself. Don’t you trust me?”

I buried my face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

He thought I was having an emotional breakdown, triggered by the past, but he didn’t know I was mourning my pathetic life.

Both men I loved tried to ruin me.

I wanted to ask him if his meticulous care for the past three years was some rich man’s twisted game or an attempt to atone for his sister’s sins.

His phone rang urgently, and he let go of me.

I caught the look in his eyes. “Babe, I have to go out for work. Please stay home and wait for me, okay? I’m worried.”

I nodded.

After he left, I followed him.

For the past three years, he’d been working two jobs to support me and pay for my therapy.

In the evenings, he worked as a bartender.

He said it was a rough environment, but the tips were good and could make our lives a little easier.

I was always grateful for his efforts, trying to get better, planning our future… I even got pregnant with his child, but…

The music in the bar was deafening, but it wasn’t crowded yet.

I immediately spotted Lucas, his height, looks, and demeanor standing out.

He’d swapped his usual cheap clothes for a tailored suit, looking unattainably expensive.

I hid in a dark corner, listening to people flatter him.

“Lucas, here on the dot again? You’ve been keeping up this charade with your little girlfriend for three years. Aren’t you tired?”

Lucas swirled his drink, a playful smile on his face. “Actually, I am a little tired. It’s the daily performance, you know? Tell her I’m changing jobs next time. Time to play somewhere else.”

Witnessing his lies and deception firsthand finally shattered my love.

Lucas, I, Amy, was never your and your sister’s toy.

I’m not playing anymore.

I left the bar and called the hospital to schedule an abortion.

As I put down my phone, I saw a figure stepping out of a Maybach.

My blood ran cold. It was Olivia.

And the one opening the car door for her was my ex, Chad.

No wonder Lucas looked strange when he answered the phone. He had arranged to meet Olivia here.

They didn’t see me. I watched them walk into the bar, hatred surging within me.

I timed it perfectly, calling Lucas after he met them.

He hung up on me.

For three years, he had played the perfect boyfriend, never hanging up, never letting me lose him.

I called again, and this time he answered.

But the other end was silent. He had obviously moved away from the crowd.

“Are you working?”

Lucas lied smoothly. “Yeah, babe. I’m hiding in the bathroom to take your call. I’m gonna get yelled at later.”

The thought of him in his expensive suit telling such lies was deeply ironic.

I paused. “I’m scared at home alone. So I came to find you.”

Panic filled Lucas’s voice. “You’re at the bar? Where are you?”

“At the entrance,” I said softly.

Lucas’s breathing grew heavy.

He probably wasn’t done playing, and he hadn’t figured out how to handle the fallout of me finding him with Olivia and Chad.

Silence stretched on the other end.

I suddenly felt deflated. “Just kidding. I’m not here. I’ll wait for you at home.”

Lucas sighed in relief. “You’re not well. Don’t run around. I’ll try to come home early. All this is for our future. I’ll marry you when I save enough money.”

Marry me…

I had actually looked forward to it.

When I found out I was pregnant, I cried tears of joy.

I thought I could start a new chapter with him, leaving the past behind.

A simple life, just the three of us, three meals a day, four seasons a year.

But fate loves to play cruel jokes.

After hanging up, I took a cab back to our cramped apartment and gathered my belongings.

Besides my ID, all I had were a few cheap clothes.

Clothes Lucas had bought me after we moved here. I always felt bad spending his hard-earned money…

Ha.

Before Lucas came home, I packed my ID and disposed of the pregnancy test.

I also booked an appointment to change my name online.

I knew the Lucas family was powerful, but I had to do everything I could to escape their clutches.

I was born adrift, unwanted. Now, I would continue to drift alone.

A temporary harbor isn’t necessarily a safe haven.

Lucas came home drunk in the early hours, just like every other night for the past three years.

Before, I’d pity his tireless work and always have a glass of honey water waiting for him.

Now that I knew he wasn’t working but playing, I prepared nothing.

He showered, slipped into bed with the scent of dampness clinging to him, and wrapped his arms around me, sounding slightly委屈. “Babe, do you not love me anymore? No honey water tonight…”

In the darkness, tears rolled down my cheeks, disappearing into the pillow.

He was such a good actor. Even though it was all a lie, he still played the part so meticulously.

He could easily detect every subtle change in me, every flicker of emotion on my face.

Wasn’t he a natural performer?

When I didn’t respond, he assumed I was asleep and showered my chest and neck with kisses.

I heard his possessive murmur: “I saw Chad today. He’s not as good-looking or rich as me. Why can’t you forget about him?”

“I just came into your life a few years later. Can’t I be the exception, the one who wins in the end?”

I pretended to wake up and stopped his hand from lifting my skirt.

He clung tighter. “Babe… you’re awake? Did you forget the honey water because I came home too late?”

I gave a noncommittal “hmm.” He wouldn’t let it go, kissing me deeply.

The memory of the assault flashed through my mind, making my stomach churn. I pushed him away, rushed to the bathroom, and vomited until nothing but bile remained.

Before I could recover, Lucas’s clear, low voice came from behind me: “You missed your period this month. Are you pregnant?”

I froze, forcing myself to stay calm. “Don’t you remember what the doctor said? I can’t get pregnant anymore. It’s just my stomach.”

Guilt washed over Lucas’s face.

He hugged me tightly. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have reminded you of those unpleasant memories…”

The more he acted, the more ridiculous it seemed.

Why would he, the wealthy young master, spend three years humbling himself to coax a broken piece of trash like me?

I drank the stomach medicine he made for me and went back to bed. I could feel his desire.

But he held back, not touching me, just holding me close.

In a daze, I couldn’t distinguish between what was real and what wasn’t.

Twenty years with Chad, and he discarded me without a second thought.

Three years with Lucas, and even though everything was fake, he was so… earnest.

The next morning, Lucas left for “work.”

I took my ID and changed my name from Amy to Catherine.

Amy was my father’s last name. I had parents once, but my father ran away, abandoning us.

My mother died of an illness, and I was sent to an orphanage.

I removed my father’s name, keeping only my mother’s.

Amy, Catherine, named after my parents. I believe they were once in love.

But love, while real, can also be fleeting.

After changing my name, I went to the hospital for my appointment.

The doctor tried to persuade me. “This might be your only chance to become a mother. Are you sure you want to do this?”

I hesitated.

A wicked thought crossed my mind.

What if Lucas found out I had his child? Would he go crazy?

The “trash” he spoke of, bearing his child.

Wouldn’t that be a kind of revenge?

On a whim, I kept the baby.

I had planned to leave before dark, but when I went home to pack, I found Lucas there.

He looked relieved to see me. “Where did you go?”

He knew I rarely went out alone, but lately, I had been going out by myself.

I calmly lied. “I wasn’t feeling well last night, so I went to the hospital for a checkup. Thankfully, everything’s fine.”

Suspicious, he reached for my bag. “Let me see the report.”

I had already disposed of everything incriminating. “I threw it away. It wasn’t important.”

He frowned, studied me for a moment, and then went into the kitchen. “Rest. I’ll cook for you. I’m not going out tonight. I quit my job at the bar.”

Looking at his busy back, I felt a pang of sadness.

His cooking had gotten so much better over the past three years, all for me. That wasn’t fake.

But I also knew that quitting the bar simply meant he was tired of putting on the act in the same place.

I didn’t want to care about what was real and what wasn’t anymore.

Lucas’s presence disrupted my plans to leave.

That night, he made love to me several times, each time with a desperate intensity.

I couldn’t refuse, fearing he’d suspect something. Miraculously, the baby held on.

When he fell asleep, I tried to get up, but he woke up instantly. “Where are you going?”

Something felt off. Did he suspect something?

But he didn’t look like he did.

I soothed him until he had to leave for “work” the next day, and then I finally escaped.

Lucas had given me some money over the years, claiming it was his earnings. I had saved it without spending it.

I only took enough for a fresh start somewhere new, leaving the rest for him.

As the bus pulled away, the scenery outside growing unfamiliar, I felt a sense of calm.

Catherine, you’re on your own now. No one will try to ruin you again.

At his company, Lucas couldn’t focus.

He had bought a small company after moving here, pretending to be a regular employee every day.

Amy knew nothing about it.

Close to noon, his anxiety became unbearable, so he went home.

Amy wasn’t in their small apartment.

Panic set in. He searched every corner, every closet. Her clothes were still there, but her ID was gone.

Her phone went straight to voicemail, each ring sinking his heart further.

A thought struck him, and he called Olivia.

As soon as she answered, he roared, “Did you do something to her?! Where is she?!”

Olivia snapped back, “Are you crazy? I’m your sister! You’re yelling at me for that piece of trash?”

Lucas couldn’t listen. “Where is she?!”

“I haven’t touched her! Why would I? Knowing Chad still has feelings for her? Why would I get involved with her again?!”

Olivia raised her voice. “It was you who said you were afraid she’d report us and ruin my reputation. You said you wanted to play with her. What? Did you actually fall for her?”

“Lucas, have some self-respect! You could have any woman you want! Amy is nothing but trash! Didn’t you see her get…”

Lucas hung up before she could finish.

It was true that Olivia had arranged the assault, but he had been there, watching. Amy never knew.

Seeing Amy broken and waiting for death in the rain had sparked a flicker of compassion in him.

That’s why he saved her.

But he was complicit from the beginning. He wasn’t innocent.

At first, it was indeed for Olivia’s sake, a game. But over three years, he had fallen.

Born into the intrigues of a wealthy family, an illegitimate son hidden from the world, Olivia was the only one who had ever been kind to him. He would do anything for her.

But he had also seen a pureness in Amy, a raw honesty in her emotions, that he had never encountered before.

Sinking onto the sofa, Lucas felt something underneath him.

He pulled it out. It was a letter.

Recognizing her delicate handwriting, his hands trembled as he opened it.

Inside, a single line: Lucas, did you have fun these past three years? I’m not playing anymore.

She knew everything!

After leaving Lucas, I settled in a small border town.

With a new name and identity, I started a new life.

I thought I would never see Lucas again, but one summer afternoon, he appeared at the mall where I worked.

When I saw him, I thought I was hallucinating.

It wasn’t until he started walking towards me that I ran.

He caught me at the back entrance of the mall.

He pinned me against the wall, holding me tight. “Are you leaving me?”