Anna's POV
The night air smelled like roses and rain.
The mansion's ballroom shimmered with soft golden lights that danced across crystal chandeliers. Guests in designer suits and glittering gowns floated around the room, laughing into champagne glasses, whispering behind fake smiles.
I stood by Hae-Jae's side in a sleek black dress that hugged my body like it had been stitched to remember me. My hair was pinned up, makeup subtle but sharp—every detail of me screaming elegance, strength, and mystery.
No one here knew who I used to be.
Not the desperate wife.
Not the broken woman.
Not the girl who begged for love.
They only saw the woman I had become.
Reborn. Untouchable.
"You clean up well," Hae-Jae murmured beside me, offering his arm.
I took it with a small smile. "And you're used to being this charming, I suppose?"
He smirked. "Only when it works."
He led me through the room, stopping occasionally to introduce me to CEOs, heirs, and dignitaries. I kept my voice calm, my expressions warm but unreadable. I played the role flawlessly.
Until he walked in.
My breath caught—but only for half a second.
He hadn't changed much. Same expensive swagger, same sharp jawline. Same cold eyes hiding behind a charming smile.
Ethan.
Max's closest friend. His business partner. The one who stood beside him during our wedding. The one who watched me fall apart and said nothing.
His gaze skimmed over the crowd until it landed on me.
And lingered.
Only for a moment.
Then he smiled, nodded politely, and looked away.
As if we were strangers.
As if he hadn't seen me cry in a hospital waiting room after another failed pregnancy.
As if he hadn't been there when Max humiliated me.
As if he hadn't helped destroy the version of me I buried.
My fingers curled slightly around the wine glass in my hand. I kept my posture elegant, my face unreadable.
He approached Hae-Jae, exchanged pleasantries like the entire room wasn't under silent threat.
"Mr. Hae-Jae," Ethan greeted smoothly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight. This must be your plus one?"
Hae-Jae nodded. "Yes. This is Anna. A close friend."
Ethan turned to me. His eyes held something—hesitation? Guilt? Recognition?
But his smile was flawless. "Pleasure to meet you, Anna."
I returned the smile, tilting my head just slightly. "Likewise, Mr…?"
"Ethan," he replied. "Just Ethan."
"Lovely name."
And that was it.
No flicker of the past.
No mention of Max.
No acknowledgment of who I used to be.
Just two ghosts pretending they never met in a graveyard of old memories.
****
I stood alone on the balcony, the night air cool against my skin. Inside, laughter and music echoed faintly.
I heard the footsteps before he spoke.
"I almost didn't recognize you," Ethan said softly, stopping a few feet behind me.
I didn't turn around. "That's because I'm not the same woman you used to know."
A pause.
"I can see that."
Silence stretched between us like a thread pulled tight.
He sighed. "Does he know?"
"Hae-Jae?" I glanced at him over my shoulder. "No. And don't bother telling him. It's not relevant."
Ethan looked down. "You were always strong, Anna."
"No," I said coldly. "I used to be loyal. There's a difference."
He said nothing.
I turned fully, walking past him with a grace I never had before.
"Whatever guilt you're carrying," I whispered as I passed, "don't confuse it with permission to speak to me again."
Before I can take steps to walk out of him, he dragged my hand. " What about max?"
"Why are you asking about him?" The question surged anger within me.
"Just—"
I interrupted. " Don't ever ask me such question"
And with that, I left him on the balcony, surrounded by a silence heavier than any apology.
---
Back in the car
Hae-Jae glanced at me. "You okay?"
I smiled. "Never better."
And for once, I meant it.
The car hummed quietly as we drove away from the glittering lights of the ballroom. City lights streaked past the windows, a blur of gold and red.
I sat still, legs crossed, hands resting in my lap, but inside—I was buzzing.
I had looked into the eyes of a ghost from my past and hadn't flinched.
Ethan.
I never thought I'd see him again, let alone exchange pleasantries like we were nothing to each other. But I had done it. I'd smiled. I'd walked away first.
That version of me—the fragile, naive wife—was truly gone.
"Was he someone important?" Hae-Jae's voice cut through the silence, gentle but probing.
I turned to him slowly, brows raised. "Who?"
"The man on the balcony. Ethan," he said, not taking his eyes off the road. "Your energy changed the moment he appeared."
I chuckled softly. "I didn't realize you paid that much attention to me."
"I always pay attention," he replied smoothly. "You were too still. Too calm. Like you were holding your breath."
I leaned back, smiling to myself. "Maybe I just don't like men in overpriced suits who think the world owes them grace."
"Mm," he mused. "That sounded... personal."
I turned my head, meeting his eyes in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
"It was."
We rode in silence for a moment.
Then he spoke again, quieter this time. "You don't have to tell me, Anna. I won't ask what you've been through. But know this—no one who walks into my life stays invisible for long."
I looked at him again, this time not with suspicion—but something softer.
"Thank you," I said. "For not pushing."
"I don't need to push," he said. "When you're ready, you'll tell me. Or you won't. Either way, I'll still be in your corner."
His words wrapped around something broken inside me. Not the way Max used to say things just to manipulate me. This was different.
Steady. Solid. Real.
I looked out the window again, watching the dark trees blur past.
"I used to beg for someone to be in my corner," I whispered, almost to myself. "Funny how I had to die first to find it."
He glanced at me, his jaw tightening just slightly—but he said nothing.
Because he understood.
(Back at the Mansion)
The car pulled into the circular driveway. The mansion stood tall and still under the moonlight, like it had been waiting for me to return.
As Hae-Jae stepped out and came around to open my door, I hesitated.
"Can I ask you something?" I said, just as he offered his hand.
"Anything."
I looked up at him, my fingers grazing his.
"Why did you help me?"
He didn't smile. He didn't deflect. He just looked at me, eyes dark and steady.
"Because something told me you weren't finished yet."
I stood in front of the mirror in my room, slowly pulling the pins from my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders.
I stared at myself. Not at the dress. Not at the makeup.
At the eyes.
Eyes that had once been full of fear.
Now filled with something else.
Resolve.
The past was still out there—wearing suits, drinking champagne, pretending.
But I had been reborn in silence, in pain, in fire.
And when I was done rising...
They would all remember my name.