Chapter 1: Death Was My Only Option
The night I decided to die, the world was unusually quiet.
No thunder.
No dramatic rain.
Just silence.
I stood on the balcony of the Blackwood mansion, my bare feet cold against the marble floor, staring at the city lights below. From up here, everything looked so peaceful—like life was still worth living.
It wasn't.
Inside the bedroom behind me was a man who called himself my husband. A man who had broken me in ways no one could see. Lucien Blackwood didn't raise his voice. He didn't leave bruises.
He did worse.
He ignored me.
He controlled me.
He erased me.
I pressed my fingers into the railing, my chest tight as memories flooded back—his cold eyes on our wedding night, the way he signed contracts while I cried beside him, the whispers of betrayal that burned deeper than any slap ever could.
Tonight, I had confirmed the truth.
Evelyn.
My best friend.
My sister in everything but blood.
She had been sleeping with my husband.
I laughed softly, the sound hollow and broken.
How poetic.
I had no family.
No allies.
No escape.
Lucien owned my name, my money, my future. Divorce wasn't an option. Running wasn't possible.
So I chose the only door left open.
Death.
I climbed onto the railing, the wind brushing against my face like a final goodbye. For a brief moment, fear tried to stop me—but pain was louder.
"I'm sorry," I whispered to no one.
Then I let go.
Chapter 2: I Didn't Die
Pain was the first thing I felt.
Not peace.
Not darkness.
Pain.
It ripped through my body like fire, dragging me back from wherever I was supposed to go. My lungs burned as I gasped, air flooding in violently, like my body was angry at me for trying to leave.
I opened my eyes.
White ceiling.
Beeping machines.
The sharp smell of antiseptic.
Hospital.
I turned my head slightly, every movement agony, and that's when I saw him.
Lucien Blackwood.
He stood beside my bed in his perfectly tailored suit, his expression unreadable—cold eyes watching me like I was a problem he hadn't solved yet.
"You're awake," he said calmly.
No relief.
No fear.
No concern.
Just control.
Tears burned my eyes as reality crashed over me.
I failed.
I didn't even get to die properly.
"Why?" I whispered, my voice broken. "Why didn't you let me go?"
Lucien leaned closer, his shadow swallowing me whole.
"Because," he said quietly, "your life doesn't belong to you."
Chapter 3: The Price of Survival
They said I was lucky to be alive.
A miracle survivor.
A tragic wife saved just in time.
What they didn't know was that survival came with a price.
Lucien never left my side. Not once. He signed papers, spoke to doctors, answered questions meant for me. I was invisible again—reduced to a body in a bed.
When the doctors finally left us alone, the silence turned heavy.
"Was it because of me?" he asked suddenly.
I laughed weakly.
"You already know the answer."
Lucien's jaw tightened. For a moment, something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
"You embarrassed me," he said coldly. "Do you know what the media would have done if you'd died?"
There it was.
Not Are you okay?
Not I'm sorry.
Just reputation.
I turned my face away, tears slipping silently into the pillow.
That was the moment I realized something terrifying.
If I stayed weak, he would crush me completely.
Chapter 4: The Visitor
Evelyn came three days later.
She walked into my hospital room wearing white, her face painted with concern. Anyone else would've believed her act.
I knew better.
"Oh my God, Aria," she gasped, rushing to my side. "I was so worried."
I stared at her, my heart pounding—not from pain, but rage.
"How long?" I asked quietly.
Her eyes flickered.
"How long have you been sleeping with my husband?"
The silence screamed.
Evelyn slowly straightened, her expression hardening. "You shouldn't have found out like that."
I laughed—soft, broken, dangerous.
"So it's true."
She crossed her arms. "Lucien was never yours, Aria. You were just… convenient."
That was when something inside me snapped.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But permanently.
I wasn't going to die for them.
I was going to live.
And make them regret it.
Chapter 5: A New Kind of Hell
I was discharged a week later.
The mansion looked the same—grand, cold, lifeless.
But I wasn't the same woman who had stood on that balcony.
That night, Lucien entered our bedroom and stopped when he saw me standing by the window.
"You should be resting," he said.
I turned slowly to face him.
"I won't try to kill myself again," I said calmly.
His eyes narrowed. "Good."
"But," I continued, meeting his gaze, "don't mistake survival for forgiveness."
Lucien studied me for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
"Careful, Aria," he warned. "Defiance doesn't suit you."
I smiled back.
"Neither does being your victim."
For the first time since I married him, Lucien Blackwood looked… unsettled.
And that was power.
Chapter 6: The Mask I Learned to Wear
Pain teaches fast.
Within days of returning to the mansion, I learned exactly how to survive Lucien Blackwood—by becoming unreadable.
I smiled when he spoke.
I nodded when he commanded.
I thanked him when he controlled me.
And behind every obedient gesture, I planned.
Lucien watched me closely, like a predator unsure if its prey was still wounded or already growing fangs.
"You're quieter," he observed one night over dinner.
"Trauma changes people," I replied softly.
His lips curved slightly. "Good. Quiet women cause fewer problems."
I lowered my gaze.
But inside, I memorized every word.
Every weakness.
Every crack in his armor.
Chapter 7: The Man Who Shouldn't Care
I met Marcus Blackwood by accident.
Lucien's half-brother.
His rival.
The man whose name was never spoken in this house.
I ran into him in the garden late one evening, the moonlight casting sharp shadows across his face. Unlike Lucien, Marcus looked… human.
"You're Aria," he said.
I stiffened. "I didn't realize I had permission to be known."
A hint of anger flashed across his eyes. "I heard what happened."
I laughed bitterly. "Everyone has."
Marcus studied me for a long moment. "If you ever need help—real help—you won't find it in this house."
Before I could respond, he added quietly,
"Death shouldn't have been your only option."
And just like that, he walked away—leaving behind something far more dangerous than hope.
Chapter 8: The First Move
Evelyn grew careless.
She started visiting the mansion again, acting like she belonged there. Like she hadn't shattered me.
One afternoon, I overheard her arguing with Lucien in his study.
"You promised me," she hissed.
"I promised discretion," Lucien replied coldly. "Not replacement."
I smiled to myself.
That night, I sent my first anonymous message.
A single photo.
A timestamp.
A hotel room.
Not to Evelyn.
To the board members of Blackwood Enterprises.
Chaos doesn't need lies.
Just truth delivered at the right moment.
Chapter 9: Lucien Loses Control
The fallout was immediate.
Lucien came home furious, his calm finally cracking.
"Did you do this?" he demanded, slamming his phone onto the table.
I glanced at the screen, then looked up innocently. "Do what?"
His eyes searched my face—no fear, no tears, no weakness.
Only calm.
"You've changed," he said slowly.
"Yes," I replied. "I almost died. Remember?"
For the first time, Lucien looked unsure.
Not angry.
Not dominant.
Afraid.
And that terrified him.
Chapter 10: I Choose to Live
That night, I stood on the same balcony where I once tried to end everything.
But this time, I didn't look down.
I looked forward.
Death had seemed like mercy back then.
Now I understood the truth.
Living was the punishment.
And I intended to survive long enough to make sure everyone who broke me paid the price.
Lucien might have owned my name.
But my life?
That was mine now.
And this time—
I was choosing it.
Chapter 11: The Contract That Trapped Me
Lucien called me into his study the next morning.
On the desk lay a thick folder. Legal documents. My name printed across every page.
"I'm restructuring my assets," he said calmly. "You'll sign these."
I flipped through them slowly, my pulse steady.
A new clause.
If I attempted self-harm again, full guardianship of my person would transfer to Lucien Blackwood.
Marriage hadn't been a cage.
This was.
"You planned this," I said quietly.
Lucien didn't deny it. "I can't afford another scandal."
I signed.
Not because I was weak.
But because I was patient.
Chapter 12: The Night He Regretted Everything
That night, Lucien touched me for the first time in months.
Not rough.
Not violent.
Possessive.
"You're mine," he murmured, fingers tightening on my wrist.
I looked up at him, meeting his eyes without fear.
"No," I said softly. "I'm just the woman you couldn't break."
Something snapped.
Lucien froze—then stepped back like he'd been burned.
I saw it then.
Regret.
But regret doesn't erase damage.
It only proves it happened.
Chapter 13: Marcus Makes His Choice
Marcus found me in the library days later.
"You're playing a dangerous game," he said quietly.
"So is Lucien."
He exhaled slowly. "If this goes wrong, he'll destroy you."
I stepped closer. "And if it goes right?"
Marcus held my gaze. "Then he'll destroy himself."
That was the moment Marcus chose a side.
Not because he loved me.
But because he hated what his brother had become.
Chapter 14: Blood Isn't Loyalty
Evelyn disappeared from society overnight.
Her name quietly removed from guest lists. Her reputation shredded by rumors no one could trace.
She came to me—desperate.
"You did this," she accused, tears streaking her face.
I smiled sadly. "No, Evelyn. You did."
She slapped me.
Lucien saw.
And for the first time, he didn't protect her.
He protected me.
That was the cruelest twist of all.
Chapter 15: Love Is Another Weapon
Lucien started watching me like a man haunted.
He followed me with his eyes. Interrupted my conversations. Asked where I was going.
"Why do you care now?" I asked one night.
His voice was low. "Because I almost lost you."
I stepped close enough for him to feel my breath.
"You lost me the day you decided I was something you could own."
Lucien closed his eyes.
And I realized something chilling.
He loved me now.
Too late.
Chapter 16: The Truth Always Bleeds Out
The board meeting was supposed to save Lucien.
Instead, it buried him.
Marcus sat across the table, calm, prepared, lethal. Evidence spread neatly in front of every board member—financial manipulation, coercive contracts, falsified reports.
Lucien turned to me in disbelief.
"You knew," he whispered.
"I lived it," I replied.
That was the first time he understood something terrifying.
I hadn't survived by accident.
Chapter 17: The Man Who Begged
Lucien came to my room that night.
Not commanding.
Not cold.
Broken.
"I loved you," he said hoarsely. "I just didn't know how."
I looked at the man who had once made death feel like mercy.
"You didn't love me," I said gently. "You loved control."
He dropped to his knees.
The sound echoed louder than any scream.
"Don't leave me," he begged.
I felt nothing.
And that was freedom.
Chapter 18: Evelyn's Last Visit
Evelyn found me packing.
"You win," she said bitterly. "Is that what you wanted?"
I paused, then answered honestly.
"No. I wanted peace."
She laughed through tears. "You'll never have it."
I met her eyes. "Watch me."
When she left, she took her poison with her.
I kept my life.
Chapter 19: Death Wasn't My Only Option
The divorce finalized quietly.
Lucien lost his empire.
Marcus exposed everything.
The Blackwood name shattered.
I stood at the balcony one last time—same place, different woman.
I remembered the girl who believed dying was the only escape.
She was wrong.
Death was easy.
Living took courage.
Chapter 20: I Choose Myself
I left the mansion at dawn.
No husband.
No chains.
No ghosts worth keeping.
At the airport, my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
Marcus: Wherever you go, don't disappear.
I smiled.
For the first time, the future didn't scare me.
I walked forward—not because I survived…
but because I chose to live.
THE END