The next few days passed in a blur for William. The bruises from the beating he had taken at the party had mostly faded, but the emotional weight still pressed down on him. Every time he saw his step-family or crossed paths with the other wealthy heirs, their cold stares and whispered insults felt like needles against his skin. But through it all, Kate remained his solace, or so he thought.
She had become even more attentive in the days that followed, texting him frequently, meeting him during quiet moments in the estate's garden, always checking in on how he was feeling. It was easy for William to cling to her warmth. She was the only person who showed him any care in a world that seemed determined to break him.
But something had changed in Kate recently. The nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right had grown stronger. She would quickly change the subject if Ethan's name was mentioned, and she often seemed distant, even when she was with him. William tried to push the thoughts away, telling himself he was just being paranoid. After all, Kate had been by his side through it all. Why would she betray him?
On the third day after the party, William found himself walking toward Kate's apartment again. She had told him to come by later in the evening for dinner, promising that they could spend some quiet time together. He carried a bouquet of flowers, hoping to surprise her and express his gratitude for everything she had done for him. But as he approached her door, something inside him told him to stop.
The door was slightly ajar, just like the last time. William's heart started to race, a sick feeling pooling in his stomach. He hesitated for a moment, standing outside, his hand hovering over the doorknob. Then, slowly, he pushed it open.
The apartment was dimly lit, the only light coming from the bedroom at the end of the hall. Voices drifted through the air, muffled but unmistakable.
Kate's voice. And Ethan's.
William's blood turned to ice. His feet moved on their own, carrying him closer to the bedroom door. He could hear them clearly now, the low, intimate tone of their conversation making his stomach churn.
"You know he's going to find out eventually, right?" Ethan's voice was smooth, amused.
Kate's laugh followed, soft and dismissive. "He's too naive. He trusts me. I could tell him anything, and he'd believe it."
William's heart pounded in his chest, each beat a painful thud in his ears. His mind screamed at him to stop, to leave, to turn away and pretend he hadn't heard anything. But his legs carried him forward, his body acting on instinct.
He reached the bedroom door, pushing it open just enough to see inside—and the sight before him shattered whatever hope he had left.
There, on the bed, was Kate, wrapped in the sheets, her hair tousled. Next to her, Ethan lounged casually, his shirt half undone, a smug grin on his face. They were lying close together, clearly comfortable, clearly intimate. The look on Kate's face—one of relaxed, almost lazy satisfaction—was a far cry from the concern and care she had shown William just hours before.
William's breath caught in his throat, his vision blurring with the sudden sting of tears. For a moment, everything felt unreal, like he was watching someone else's life fall apart in slow motion.
"You're really dragging this out," Ethan said with a chuckle. "You should just cut him loose. I mean, what's the point in keeping him around?"
Kate rolled her eyes, resting her head on Ethan's shoulder. "He's useful for now. Besides, I need to keep up appearances for a little longer. My family's counting on me to marry into the Cain name. They need this. They can't afford for me to mess this up."
William's world crumbled around him as the full weight of her words sank in. She had never loved him. She had never cared. Kate had only been with him to secure a connection to the Cain family—using him as a pawn in her plan to elevate her own family's status.
Ethan chuckled again, pulling Kate closer. "Once Dad hands me the reins of the family business, you won't need to worry about William anymore. We'll deal with him."
Kate sighed, but her tone was more playful now, as if she found the whole situation amusing. "I suppose you're right. Poor William. He never even saw it coming."
William couldn't breathe. His chest felt tight, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Every word was a knife in his heart, every laugh a slap in the face. His mind reeled, trying to process the betrayal, the lies, the manipulation. The person he had trusted more than anyone had been plotting against him all along.
He didn't know how long he stood there, frozen, watching the two of them, his mind a storm of confusion and pain. But eventually, the numbness gave way to something else—something darker. A quiet, burning anger began to rise in his chest, replacing the shock with cold determination.
William turned and stumbled back down the hallway, barely able to see through the blur of his tears. The flowers he had brought for Kate fell from his hand, landing on the floor with a soft thud. He didn't stop to pick them up.
His world had been destroyed, but something new was beginning to take its place. This was the moment he truly broke—when he realized that he had no one. No one except himself.
But the time would come when they would all learn who they had underestimated. Ethan, Kate, Greg, Carol, and all the others—they would regret what they had done. William didn't know how yet, but the anger brewing inside him told him one thing: he would rise from this. And when he did, they would all pay.