William stumbled through the quiet estate grounds, the night air cold against his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was still reeling from what he had seen, the sickening image of Kate and Ethan seared into his memory. Every word they had spoken echoed in his ears like a cruel, mocking refrain.
He trusts me. He's useful for now. Poor William. He never even saw it coming.
The betrayal cut deeper than anything William had ever experienced. His chest felt hollow, as if something vital had been ripped out of him, leaving nothing but a gaping wound that throbbed with each step he took. The cold anger that had begun to rise in him when he overheard them was gone, replaced now by a suffocating numbness. It was as though all the fight had drained out of him, leaving him defenceless, exposed to the harsh reality of his life.
For years, he had clung to the idea that Kate was different—that she was the one person in his life who saw him for more than his lack of status, more than the mistakes he made or the burdens he carried. But now, that illusion had shattered. She hadn't just lied to him—she had played him, used him for her own gain, and then discarded him without a second thought.
He wandered aimlessly through the estate, his footsteps slow and heavy, his body moving as though weighed down by lead. The night was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind, but even that peaceful sound couldn't penetrate the storm raging inside him. Everything was too much. The humiliation from Ethan, the indifference of his step-parents, and now this—Kate's betrayal, which hurt more than he could have ever imagined.
Eventually, William found himself standing by the edge of the small pond that lay hidden behind the estate, a place he often came to when he needed to clear his mind. The water was still, reflecting the moonlight in a way that should have been calming, but tonight, there was no solace to be found here.
He dropped to his knees by the water's edge, staring down at his reflection. For the first time, he really saw himself—saw the bruises, the hollow eyes, the defeat etched across his face. He had never felt so broken, so utterly alone. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He had cried enough over the years. He had been pushed to the brink too many times, but this—this felt different. This felt final.
His thoughts spiralled into darkness. What was the point of trying anymore? No matter what he did, no matter how hard he worked, he would always be nothing to people like Ethan, Victor, and Kate. He would always be the outcast, the one they mocked, used, and discarded. Even now, as he knelt by the water, he couldn't escape the overwhelming sense of failure that clung to him like a suffocating fog.
His hands clenched into fists, the sharp sting of his nails digging into his palms grounding him in the present. The pain reminded him that he was still here, still alive, even if it didn't feel like it.
For a moment, he considered disappearing. Just leaving everything behind. What did he have left? His family didn't care about him. Kate didn't love him. The people who surrounded him in the estate saw him as nothing more than a nuisance, an obstacle in their path to greater wealth and power.
But then, amid the swirling despair, something changed. A small, flickering flame of defiance sparked deep inside him. It was faint, barely enough to be noticed, but it was there—a quiet voice that refused to be silenced, no matter how much he wanted to give up.
They had beaten him down, broken him, taken everything from him. But they hadn't taken him. Not yet.
Slowly, William stood, his legs unsteady beneath him. He looked out at the still water, his reflection no longer something to pity but a symbol of what he had endured. They thought they could control him. They thought they could use him. But he wasn't done.
Not yet.
The defiance grew stronger, feeding off the raw pain he felt. They had pushed him to the edge, but now, standing here alone with nothing left to lose, he realized something he had never fully accepted before: he didn't need any of them.
Not Ethan. Not Kate. Not even his step-family. He didn't need their approval. He didn't need to fit into their world.
He was still William Rothschild, and though he had been cast aside, he was going to find his own way to rise.
But as the night deepened and the silence of the estate surrounded him, the weight of the coming day hit him like a blow he hadn't anticipated. Tomorrow would be his 21st birthday—a day he once believed would mark some kind of fresh start, a chance for his life to finally turn around. Instead, he was at his lowest point, more broken and alone than he had ever imagined.
The realization made his chest tighten. His 21st birthday, once something to look forward to, would be a painful reminder of everything he had lost. His father was gone. His mother was gone. His family didn't care. The one person he thought he had—Kate—had betrayed him in the worst way possible.
The flame of defiance dimmed under the weight of that thought, but it didn't extinguish completely. He still had himself. And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would bring something more. Something that could finally change the course of his life.
With one last glance at his reflection in the water, William turned away from the pond and walked back toward the estate. The pain of today might still be there tomorrow, but now, it was joined by a spark of resolve.
Tomorrow, everything would be different.