Identity Erased

The day before my wedding to Liam Johnson, the heir to the Johnson family, my best friend, Chloe Smith, killed my mother in a car crash.

Liam didn't just let her get away with it.

He tore up our marriage contract and announced his union with Chloe, a public declaration of a new alliance.

I swore I'd make Chloe pay.

I crashed their celebration party, vowing to get blood for blood, but all I got were jeers and pity.

They called me an outsider who didn't understand the rules.

Just when I was at my breaking point, James Wilsonthe head of the Wilson family, the quiet, shadowy man who had watched me grow upknelt before me in front of everyone.

He promised to be my shield and the blade of my revenge.

I said yes.

I placed all my hope in him to uncover the truth about my mother's death.

He told me Chloe had been dealt with by the family's "rules," sent to a "prison" she could never leave. I believed him.

But in the third year of our marriage, I overheard him talking to his family's legal counsel.

"James, did you really marry Olivia Taylor just for a 'peace treaty'? It was an 'accident.' Why would you gamble the entire Wilson family on it?"

"Only by becoming her husband could I sign that treaty as the sole representative of the Taylor family. It was the only way to save Chloe and calm the Johnson family's anger."

"As long as Chloe is safe on her island in the Caribbean, that's all that matters. As for me I don't matter."

So, the marriage I saw as my salvation was nothing but an elaborate lie, a scheme to protect the woman he truly loved.

The "peace treaty" signed in my name, the one that stopped a bloody war between the families, and Chloe's life of freedomthat was what he really wanted.

I was the one who was supposed to disappear from this whole charade.

In his office, James Wilson stared at a photo of Chloe on a sun-drenched beach, his smile a mix of heartbreak and relief.

"It's been three years. Just seeing her happy is enough, even if I'm not the one who gives her that happiness."

"As for Olivia I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her. This conversation is over."

The family's counsel, an old man named David Carter, turned pale with anger but was helpless.

"Boss, the Wilson family has worked so hard to legitimize our businesses. How can you joke about murder and family feuds? If the Johnsons or the FBI ever find out about this, it won't just be youthe entire Wilson empire will be dragged through the mud!"

"Chloe Smith intentionally murdered her. That's a fact. Why the hell did you get involved? She doesn't even love you!"

James's face went cold, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"That's enough, David. We will not speak of this again. I don't believe Chloe did it on purpose. The brakes on that car were faulty. I gave Aunt Anna a beautiful funeral, so the Taylor family was honored."

"To save her, I'd give more than a legitimate company. I'd give my life."

David was frantic.

"And what about Olivia? She's going to find out eventually! The second she gets suspicious and starts looking for Chloe, your whole plan is shot to hell!"

"You used her name to pardon her mother's killer. How do you expect her to live with that?"

James was silent for a moment, then lit a cigar.

"Then she'll never know. Three years is long enough. Her so-called 'sentence' should be over."

"Make the arrangements. And remember, don't let Olivia find a single clue."

"James, as your counsel, I have to warn you: there are no secrets that last forever. The things you've done will leave a trace. To protect a murderer, you've hurt someone even more innocent. If Olivia learns the truth, you are completely, utterly finished."

A tear slid down my chin.

My whole body trembled, my hands barely able to hold the dinner I'd brought for him.

Footsteps were getting closer. I scrambled into the stairwell to hide.

So, my mother's fatal car crash was never brought before any "rules" or laws.

Chloe wasn't atoning for her sins in some cold, dark cell like he'd told me.

She was on the other side of the world, enjoying sun, sand, and freedom.

And my husband, the man I loved with every fiber of my being, had orchestrated it all.

His tenderness, his protection, all the storms he shielded me fromit was all just to save the one he truly loved.

For three years, I had lived inside his carefully constructed lie.

I thought I had found a lighthouse in the darkness, but I was standing in the middle of hell. What a fucking joke.

I stumbled down the stairs and stood outside the Wilson Group tower.

I waited for five hours. I waited until the last light in the building went out. Finally, his figure appeared.

The moment he saw me, his eyes filled with concern. He rushed over and took my hands.

"What are you doing here? How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long, I just got here. I know you've been busy, so I brought you something to eat. Your secretary said you were in a meeting, so I didn't want to bother you."

"Don't do this again. It's cold out here. I'd be heartbroken if you got sick."

He pulled me into his arms and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

The gesture was as loving as ever.

But all I felt was a bone-deep chill.

A person could really do this for someone else.

He opened the passenger door for me and then spoke, as if the thought just occurred to him.

"By the way, Chloe's 'sentence' is almost up. You two were friends, after all, and she's paid the price for what happened. Besides, we have a lot of business with the Smith family now, so"

"Yes, it's all in the past," I cut him off calmly.

"I won't cause her any more trouble, don't worry."

He visibly relaxed, a small smile touching his lips.

"Thank you, my sweet Olivia. I'm so lucky to have you."

I turned my head, watching the city lights streak past the window as silent tears rolled down my face.

Back home, while he was in the shower, I opened his laptop.

The password was Chloe's birthday.

The desktop background was an aerial shot of the Maldives.

That was where Chloe had been "serving her time" for the past three years.

I logged into his private social media account.

The banner photo was a picture of him and Chloe as teenagers. He was only following one person.

I clicked on her profile. It was filled with pictures of Chloe's luxurious life abroad.

The jewelry she wore was from the latest collection of the Wilson Group's own luxury brand.

The private villa she was vacationing in was an overseas property the Wilson Group had acquired three years agotheir only overseas resort.

With a trembling hand, I opened his encrypted ledger.

There was only one recipient's name: Chloe Smith.

One million dollars, every single month, transferred through a complex network of accounts.

He had done this for three whole years.

I scrolled through the transactions, my heart sinking deeper and deeper into an icy sea.

I remembered the bio on his private account. It was just one word.

Wait.

I had asked him what it meant once.

He said it was just something he wrote.

But now, I think I knew the answer.

In three years of marriage, besides the cold wedding photo on the wall, we didn't have a single picture together.

No matter how many times I asked, he'd just say we saw each other every day and didn't need formalities like that.

Only now did I understand.

It wasn't that he didn't need them.

It was that I wasn't worthy of them.

I laughed bitterly and closed the laptop.

I booked myself a one-way ticket to Europe, for three days from now.

Then, I initiated the process to terminate all of my official identification.

Three days. That was enough time to say goodbye to the last three years.

I set a countdown as my phone's wallpaper, a constant reminder.

When he came out of the shower, I was already in bed.

He thought I was asleep and moved quietly around the room.

I didn't sleep a wink.

The next morning, I was in the bathroom when my phone rang.

James's confused voice came from the bedroom.

"Olivia, you got an email from the Department of Homeland Security? What are you terminating?"

I rushed back and snatched the phone from his hand, explaining without missing a beat.

"It's nothing. My driver's license is about to expire, I'm just scheduling a renewal."

"Don't you have to go to the port to deal with that new shipment today? You should get going."

He didn't question it. He just pulled me into his arms, his lips brushing against my ear.

"Thank you, baby. I'm so lucky to have such a sensible wife."

I smiled but said nothing.

"As a reward, I'm giving you a huge gift tonight, okay?"

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you at home."

He was trying so hard to keep me from going after Chloe.

It was time for this three-year-long sham to finally end.

The moment he left, I went and completed the final step of my identity termination.

After filling out the forms, I contacted an old family friend, a retired private investigator.

I asked him about the details of the "peace treaty." He simply told me that a treaty signed by a surviving family member was absolutely binding and could not be revoked.

I didn't ask any more questions. I just had him draft two copies of a legal statement severing all ties.

With the statements in hand, I went to the Wilson Group headquarters.

As I walked into the lobby, I heard the receptionists whispering.

"Is that Mrs. Wilson? I heard she just got back from 'rehab.' Her vibe is no wonder Mr. Wilson would do all that for her. Even as a woman, my heart is fluttering!"

"It has to be her. That Herms bag she's carrying is a global limited edition. I've seen the boss looking at jewelry catalogs in his office so many times. To think he'd buy her gifts on that level so romantic"

"I heard Mr. Wilson bought that hotel in the Caribbean just for her. They were childhood sweethearts, you know. You couldn't write a movie this good!"

Top floor. James's office. I stood at the door, listening to the familiar voices inside.

"These past three years have you been okay?" Chloe asked.

"Mmm, better than okay. I woke up to the ocean every day. The air tasted like freedom. I haven't even thanked you properly, James. If it weren't for you, the Johnson family would have dumped my body in the ocean by now"

"Don't say that. It's over. I know you didn't do it on purpose. Helping you was about keeping the peace between our families."

Chloe laughed, a bright, tinkling sound.

"You're still the same. If Olivia knew everything you did for me, she would lose her mind."

"This bag is too expensive, I can't accept it. You should give it to Olivia. I'm worried if she sees it, she'll go crying to the Commission again."

That was Chloe's classic move. Take everything she could get, then act magnanimous while pinning all the blame on me.

Three years ago, at the party Liam Johnson threw for her, I publicly exposed her as my mother's killer, breaking ties with them completely.

But every guest there took her side, blaming me, the "outsider," for destroying their hard-won peace.

I became the laughingstock of the entire underworld.

James's arrival was my only salvation.

But now, he was the one pushing me back into the abyss.

His secretary, rushing to deliver a contract, didn't see me and pushed the door open.

When James saw me, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes.

"Olivia? When did you get here? Don't misunderstand, Chloe just got back. We were just catching up, that's all"

"Olivia, long time no see."

Chloe stood up, dressed in a brand-new couture gown from a Wilson-owned brand.

Her face was glowing, radiant with health.

There was not a single trace of someone who had returned from "atoning for her sins."

I smiled and nodded, forcing down the lump in my throat.

"It's fine. I was just passing by to see you. Since you're busy, I'll head home."

James thought I was angry and followed me out, trying to explain.

"Don't be like this. I was just asking how she was doing over there. I mean, a girl all alone in a place like that it must have been hard."

"It's been three years. Shouldn't all the grudges be forgotten by now? Didn't you say it was all in the past?"

Seeing how anxious he was, I almost laughed.

He had sacrificed his own marriage to play this part for me, all to save Chloe.

Now that Chloe was back, safe and sound, who was he putting on this act for?

"Yes, it's in the past. Don't worry, I'm not unreasonable. I meant what I said."

"You go back to work. I'll be a good girl and wait for you at home."

He let out a sigh of relief and had his secretary escort me downstairs.

Before I left, he made a point to remind me that the Johnson family was hosting a grand welcome-back dinner for Chloe the next night.

Big families had to keep up appearances, after all.

The official story was that Chloe had been studying abroad in Europe. No one would mention her "incarceration."

I nodded and said I understood, promising not to cause a scene at the dinner.

Only then did he let me go.

Back home, I took the enormous wedding photograph off the wall. With a pair of scissors, I cut it to shreds, piece by piece.

Then, I tossed the scraps into the fireplace and watched them burn.

James didn't come home that night.

Chloe, however, reactivated her American social media account and posted for the first time in years.

It was a picture of a candlelit dinner.

The man's face wasn't visible, but you could see his wrist.

The spot where a wedding ring used to be was bare, but the skin was a shade lighter than the rest.

It was James.

Just as she wanted, I liked the post.

Then I turned off my phone and packed the few belongings I had left.

The next morning, James's assistant delivered a gown for the evening's dinner.

I opened the box.

It was an old design from last season.

By the time I arrived at the Johnson family estate that evening, Liam Johnson had just finished his welcome speech.

He announced that Chloe would be taking full charge of all business partnerships between the Johnson and Smith families.

The room was buzzing with envy.

Everyone was saying how lucky Chloe was, to have the two most powerful young men in the city wrapped around her finger.

The moment I appeared, the hall fell silent. Every eye was on me, waiting for the show to begin.

James was busy networking with the heads of various families and didn't have time for me.

So Chloe played the hostess and pulled me aside, up to the second-floor terrace.

With no one else around, she dropped the act.

Her face was twisted with mockery and venom.

"Olivia Taylor, after all these years, you're still so pathetic."

"Thanks to your husband, I spent the last three years in the Caribbean living better than in paradise. You didn't really think James married you because he loves you, did you? Let me tell you the truth. If he hadn't needed you to sign that treaty, he wouldn't have even looked at you twice!"

"Olivia, you're a fucking joke!"

Rage burned inside me. I couldn't hold back any longer.

I slapped her, hard, across the face.

A cold smirk played on her lips.

She took a few quick steps back. And then, she threw herself down the stairs.

Screams erupted from the grand hall. James was the first to reach her, pulling her tightly into his arms.

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with a fury I had never seen before.

"Olivia Taylor, what the hell are you doing? Are you insane?"

"Chloe was being nice to you, and you push her? Didn't you promise you wouldn't bring up the past? What is this bullshit tonight?"

My face was a cold mask, my voice devoid of any emotion.

"Me? Causing bullshit?"

"James, don't you think you both owe me an explanation for what happened back then?"

His brow furrowed, a flash of panic in his eyes.

"An explanation for what? Hasn't Chloe paid the price for the last three years? What more do you want?"

"That was then, this is now! No matter what happened in the past, it doesn't give you the right to attack her today!"

"Olivia, right now, apologize to her!"

Before I could speak, Chloe started crying pitifully in his arms.

"Don't don't be hard on Olivia. It was all my fault back then, I'm the one who wronged her Just let today be another apology for the mistake I made"

"Since she hates me so much, maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore. I don't want to make things difficult for you."

My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood.

Watching them walk away together, I knew.

It was completely and utterly over between us.

I was "escorted" out of the estate by Johnson family security.

Two hours later, a text from James finally came through.

"Chloe just got back, she's still unstable, don't blame her. I only made you apologize for the Johnsons' sake."

"I'll make it up to you when I'm done here tonight, okay? I told you I had a gift for you, don't be upset."

But I knew that show wasn't for the Johnson family.

It was for me.

He had played the part of a loving husband for three years.

Now, it was time for the performance to end.

I sat at home with the severance papers, waiting until dawn.

He never came.

I only saw the news onlinethe heir to the Wilson family had caused a scene at the hospital for his beloved.

Chloe only had a few scrapes, but he had summoned the best surgeons in New York to consult on her case.

He had cashed in years' worth of favors to do it.

In the photo, he held Chloe in his arms, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had never seen.

When the sun came up, I called him.

He didn't speak right away. On his end, I could hear him giving orders to his assistant.

"Boss, are you really transferring the Caribbean hotel to Miss Smith's name? That will cost the family hundreds of millions in assets!"

"Please, reconsider this."

"No need. Do as I say. I owe her this. Also, draw up another contract. Transfer 50% of our family's shares in the Las Vegas casinos to Chloe."

After the assistant left, James finally remembered he was on the phone.

"Olivia? Sorry, I kept you waiting. I'm heading home now. By the way, what did you call for?"

I looked down at the documents in my hand.

"It's nothing. You're busy. I won't disturb you."

"Okay. You be good and wait for me at home. I'll be right back."

I didn't wait any longer.

I signed my name on the papers.

With my luggage in hand, I left the "home" I had lived in for three years.

I mailed a copy of the fraudulent "peace treaty" to James's office.

Timing it perfectly, he would receive it just as my plane was taking off.

I was gone for a full day and night.

He never went home either. The countdown on my phone hit zero.

The moment I stepped onto the plane, a message from him arrived.

"Olivia, I had my assistant drop your gift off at the house, but no one answered."

"Are you still mad?"

"Stop pouting. Be good. I'm coming home right now."

I glanced at the new post Chloe had just uploaded from the hospital.

In the photo, a man was gently feeding her porridge.

I didn't reply.

After receiving the confirmation that my identity had been successfully erased, I deleted every trace of him from my life.

At the hospital, James's assistant burst in, clutching a mailer envelope, his face white as a sheet.

"Boss, it's bad! The madam she found out about the peace treaty you forged three years ago! And I can't reach her!"