Drowning in Betrayal: Marrying My Ex's Rival

Freezing seawater flooded my lungs, burning my chest. Up on the deck, the woman I had loved for three years threw her head back and laughed.

Just to amuse the brainless, ab-obsessed frat boy she was keeping, she shoved me into the dark ocean with her own hands.

At my own private yacht party.

She knew exactly how terrified I was of the water.

When I finally woke up in the ICU, she actually stormed in, demanding my Amex Black Card with absolute entitlement because she needed to take her little toy on a Hawaiian vacation.

I stared coldly at her hypocritical face and slammed the call button by the bed. "Security, get this irrelevant crazy woman out of my room!"

The neurologist claimed I had suffered severe head trauma, wiping my memory of her.

Watching her break down and scream, I ripped the IV out of the back of my hand and shot back with ice in my voice. "Stop flattering yourself. My fiance is Rosalind, the heiress to the Ye financial empire!"

As everyone in our circle knew, Rosalind was her absolute worst enemy.

Chapter 1

Huge splashes broke the calm surface of the water. I thrashed wildly, staring up at the crowd on the yacht with stinging eyes.

The guy standing on the deck had his designer shirt unbuttoned to show off his abs. He swirled a glass of my limited-edition champagne, throwing his head back and laughing at my desperate struggle without a shred of restraint.

Seeing him laugh, Vivienne laughed too. A relaxed smile spread across her face, completely smoothing out the tension in her brow.

But the suffocating pressure in my lungs was pure physical agony. A near-drowning incident in my childhood left me terrified of the water. I never wanted a yacht party for my birthday, but I eventually caved to Vivienne's relentless nagging.

When I boarded the yacht, I noticed a stranger among our usual circle of friends. He was strikingclean-cut, brooding, impossible to ignore.

Vivienne hovered around him like a desperate maid. She poured him Ace of Spades champagne, fed him peeled grapes, and even slipped the first bite of my birthday cake directly into his mouth. She had never done anything like that for me.

Red flags immediately went up, but I refused to doubt her.

Until she shoved me into the ocean.

That confirmed it. Vivienne was done with me.

She stood by the railing, swirling her drink and watching me sink. Pushing her Chanel sunglasses up onto her head, she sneered.

"Silas! You're not actually pretending to drown, are you? Drop the act. Gage already thinks you're a hilarious clown, so you can drag yourself up now."

The mocking laughter pierced through the sound of the crashing waves.

"Vivienne, I don't think Silas knows how to swim!"

Someone finally realized the danger and screamed, hurling a life ring over the side. But my body was already sinking like a stone.

"Somebody help him!"

"Silas!"

Chaos erupted. Several people dragged my limp body onto the yacht, pumping my chest over and over. I didn't wake up.

My skin turned ice-cold. Vivienne's smile vanished. She rushed me to the hospital, straight into the emergency room.

The city's elite emergency response team used the defibrillator at maximum power for over two hours before barely dragging me back from the brink of death.

Hearing the doctor say I was stabilized, Vivienne exhaled a long breath.

It wasn't until the next day that I opened my eyes in the hospital bed.

Staring blankly at the ceiling tiles, the harsh scent of antiseptic burned my nostrils. The moment I tried to move, a splitting pain shot through my skull. The steady beeping of the heart monitor felt like a countdown to my death.

The suffocating sensation of freezing seawater flooding my lungs still trapped in my chest, forcing a violent fit of coughing from my throat. I pressed the heel of my hand against my forehead and groaned.

Vivienne stepped back into the room. Seeing my open eyes, she hurried over, grabbing my hand. "Silas, you're finally awake! You were out all night, I thought you were never going to open your eyes."

"Perfect timing. The bill for that Michelin-starred restaurant isn't settled yet. Hurry up and hand over your Amex Black Card," Vivienne added, uncapping her lipstick and applying a fresh coat.

I snatched my hand back immediately, narrowing my eyes at her. "Who the hell are you?"

"Silas, is this some kind of joke? I'm Vivienne, your girlfriend!" Assuming I was playing a game, her tone quickly hardened into impatience.

"Okay, so maybe shoving you in the ocean was a mistake, but you don't need to act like this. You're fine now, aren't you?"

"Girlfriend? What kind of nonsense are you talking about? My fiance is Rosalind!" I swatted her hand away, my gaze locking onto hers, sharp and guarded.

"What?! Who the hell did you just say?" Vivienne's eyes snapped wide open, instantly bloodshot. She slammed her fist onto the bedside table.

Rosalind was her sworn enemy.

Always had been. Vivienne had lived her entire life losing to Rosalind. The hatred ran so deep she couldn't even stand hearing the name.

Chapter 2

I stared at the empty hospital room, then at Vivienne's furious face as she stalked closer. "Who the hell are you? Don't touch me! I don't know you!"

My shout brought the doctor rushing in. Seeing my violent physical rejection of Vivienne, the nurses swiftly escorted her out, forcing her to wait in the hallway.

The doctor ran a battery of tests and peppered me with questions before telling me to get some rest. Vivienne had been pacing outside. Seeing the doctor emerge, she lunged forward.

"Doctor, what is wrong with my boyfriend? Why doesn't he recognize me? He's claiming some other woman is his fiance!"

"His brain suffered severe trauma, causing memory distortion. It might resolve itself with time. Do not agitate him right now," the doctor warned.

I could see the pure disbelief twisting her features through the glass of the door. She clearly thought it was impossible for me to forget only her.

The second the doctor left, she shoved the door open and stormed back in. She pinned my shoulders to the mattress, her face twisted in a vicious sneer. "So I pushed you into the ocean! Is that a reason to fake amnesia?!"

The commotion brought the nurses running. It took several of them to physically drag her off me.

"If you dare barge into this room like a lunatic again, I will have security physically toss you out! Acting like this guarantees he'll never want to see your face again!" the head nurse warned, blocking the doorway with zero tolerance.

Vivienne just rolled her eyes. I could read the challenge in her postureshe wanted to see how long I could keep up this act.

Not long after, my parents rushed into the hospital. Terrified that her little stunt of shoving me into the ocean would be exposed, Vivienne hadn't even bothered to notify them I was in the ICU.

While Vivienne's family scraped by on the fringes of the elite socialite scene, my family was true old-money royalty. Right now, her family's company was facing bankruptcy and liquidation. They were surviving solely on the life support of my family's capital, and I personally held the exclusive patent rightsthe only thing in their company actually generating revenue.

Vivienne needed my family's resources, and she desperately needed my technical expertise.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, look at Silas. He's putting on such a great show, pretending he doesn't know me. He even grabbed my arm earlier," Vivienne complained to my parents with a sickly-sweet smile.

My parents looked terrified. They rushed to my bedside, pointing at themselves. "Silas, do you still recognize us?"

They were petrified I had forgotten them too.

"Mom, Dad, what are you talking about? How could I ever forget you?" I offered a weak smile, seeing the sheer panic etched on their faces.

They both let out a massive sigh of relief. But as they took in my pale, haggard face, their eyes filled with heartbreak. My mom gently touched my cheek.

"Silas, the doctor said you nearly drowned? That they resuscitated you all night? You're terrified of the water. Why on earth would you go near the ocean?"

Instead of answering, I pointed straight at Vivienne. "Mom, Dad, have security throw this crazy woman out! The smell of her cheap perfume is making me nauseous!"

"She claims she's my girlfriend? That's hilarious. Everyone knows Rosalind, the CEO of the Ye financial group, is the only partner I acknowledge," I sneered, sweeping a cold gaze over Vivienne's face.

My parents froze. They quickly pulled out their phones, swiping through photos one by one to test me. The realization hit them fastI had erased Vivienne from my memory, and I firmly believed Rosalind was mine.

Chapter 3

Vivienne decided I was just playing hard to get. On the exact day of my discharge party, she did not care at all. She drove my sports car straight to Gage's frat house to pick him up for a date at a top-tier restaurant.

She had asked Gage out multiple times before, and now that he finally agreed, she did not hesitate. The sports car was notoriously expensive, bought with the very first pot of gold I ever earned. The second she pulled up, she caused a massive scene among the students on Gage's campus.

The moment Gage slid into the passenger seat, he gave her a cool, sweeping glance. Maintaining his usual aloof, untouchable aura, he asked softly, "Is your boyfriend alright?"

"What could possibly happen to him? He has got nine lives," Vivienne flattered him immediately.

All afternoon, Vivienne dragged him along to raid the luxury boutiques on Rodeo Drive. Swiping the supplementary card under my name, she bought him a Rolex and limited-edition sneakers, before finally taking him to a three-Michelin-star restaurant that required a six-month reservation.

But when Vivienne dropped him off at the campus gates, he flat-out refused the luxury gifts she bought.

Vivienne acted like she was addicted to the thrill of controlling a young body. She carried herself like an eighteen-year-old on a power trip. That very night, she booked a VIP booth at the most expensive private nightclub in the city, popping champagne and partying with her socialite friends.

Someone raised a glass, congratulating her in advance on officially bagging Gage.

But her best friend, Piper, let her face fall.

"Vivienne, aren't you getting married to Silas soon? Isn't doing this a bit unfair to him? Plus, he just got discharged from the hospital today. Shouldn't you be by his side?" Piper reminded her.

Hearing this, Vivienne slammed her glass down. She let out a scoff, completely unbothered. "This is my last crazy fling before I am tied down, get it? I have put up with that boring Silas for three whole years."

"Right now, even if he got on his knees and licked the bottom of my shoes, I would still think he is filthy. It is rare I find someone as top-tier as Gage, so why shouldn't I enjoy myself?"

Her tone was careless, dripping with entitlement.

The other women at the table burst into laughter, nodding in complete agreement.

"Aren't you terrified Silas actually forgot you?" Piper pressed, her brow furrowing.

Vivienne had just raised her glass to her red lips. At those words, her brow twitched, quickly morphing into a cold sneer. "Forgot me? Did you not see the way he used to practically worship the ground I walk on? You think he would dare forget me?"

"And even if he did, so what? I got sick of his pathetic, submissive act a long time ago."

During her rant, Piper's face drained of color. She frantically tugged at Vivienne's sleeve a few times.

But Vivienne just shook off her hand, finally venting the ugly truth she had bottled up for so long.

"With Silas's fake, self-righteous attitude, he can't even compare to a fraction of Gage!" Vivienne's voice was sharp, laced with open mockery.

Piper pointed a trembling finger behind her, her voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "Silas."

Vivienne's arrogant posture instantly shattered. She whipped her head around and saw me standing right behind her.

Her voice physically shook.

"SSilas didn't you just get discharged today? WWhy are you at a club?"

She dropped her glass, standing up and stumbling toward me, forcing the most unnatural, strained smile onto her face.

I swept a dead, indifferent gaze over her. Not a single word she said registered as anything more than white noise.

Vivienne froze, her eyes widening at my chilling calm.

If this was the old me, hearing those words would have sparked an explosive, screaming fight. I would have packed my bags and stormed out. But right now, I did not even have the energy to argue. I just stared at her like I was looking at a complete stranger.

"Silas?" she called out again, her voice wavering.

Looking past her, the corner of my mouth suddenly curled up. A genuine light sparked in my eyes.

Seeing my expression, Vivienne let out a breath, assuming I was not angry, and took another step toward me.

I did not even spare her a single glance. I walked straight past her, heading directly toward Rosalind, who was wearing a plunging haute couture evening gown. I pulled her into my arms, taking a deep breath of the scent in her hair. "Rosalind, I have been looking everywhere for you."

Chapter 4

Rosalind carried the cold, woody scent of a custom Jo Malone perfume. In this nightclub reeking of cheap alcohol and raging hormones, it was the only antidote.

I lightly wrapped my arm around her narrow waist. My gaze swept past her long, curling lashes, meeting those bright, clear eyes. A smile tugged at my lips. "Rosalind." My voice dropped, soft and gentle.

She looked up at me. Her pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing her clear gaze.

"Let go!" Seeing us intertwined, Vivienne's eyes snapped bloodshot. She lunged forward, trying to rip me away from Rosalind. "Silas! Are you out of your mind? You have a girlfriend and you're hooking up with another woman? And with this bitch, of all people!"

I violently slapped her hand away, shielding Rosalind completely behind my body. I shot Vivienne a mocking sneer. "Where's security? Throw this crazy stalker out. Don't let her pollute my fiance's eyes."

Hearing the word stalker, she pointed a shaking finger right at my face. "Silas, are you done putting on this show? So I pushed you into the ocean, big deal! You're perfectly fine, aren't you?"

"Is faking amnesia really necessary?! Rosalind isn't your girlfriend! I am!"

Whispers immediately erupted across the VIP floor. After this little stunt, every single person in the city's elite circle knew I had forgotten the so-called number one socialite who claimed to be my girlfriend.

Not long ago, I had proposed to Vivienne on a live stream with ten million viewers. She not only took that ten-carat pink diamond but also drained the fifty-million-dollar trust fund I transferred into her name. No one expected a plot twist like this.

"Stop flattering yourself. Only a CEO controlling a multi-billion dollar financial empire like Rosalind deserves to be my woman. What exactly are you?" I laced my fingers tightly with Rosalind's, staring at Vivienne like she was absolute trash.

Rosalind froze slightly at those words. She tilted her head, her gaze sweeping over my face, measuring me. But the flicker of emotion died fast, quickly replaced by her usual cold, untouchable mask.

Watching us exchange glances, Vivienne charged forward again. She tried to drag me away. I held onto Rosalind with an iron grip and shoved Vivienne back. "Stay the hell away from me, or I swear I won't hold back."

Like a shrew who just had her tail stepped on, Vivienne shrieked. She raised her hand high to slap me, but I clamped my fingers around her wrist mid-air, locking her in place like a vice.

Without another word, I kept my hold on Rosalind's hand and pulled her out of the club.

Vivienne tried to lunge after us, but Piper intercepted her, dragging her back onto the leather sofa. "Don't stop me! I'm going to teach that cheating bastard and that slut a lesson!" Vivienne screamed, her fists clenched white.

She had never been humiliated like this in her entire life. Especially not in front of an audience. Before tonight, she was the untouchable queen bee of the high-society circle. Every guy in the city had practically begged for her attention.

Chapter 5

"Vivienne, that's enough," Piper sighed.

Vivienne snapped her head to glare at her. "You are supposed to be my best friend, and you are taking that Rosalind bitch's side?!"

"Of course I am on your side. But could you maybe not push Silas so far? He is still your boyfriend, and he just got discharged from the hospital. He is not supposed to be agitated," Piper advised, her voice softening.

"That bastard is practically sleeping with that Rosalind bitch! And you are telling me to hold back?!" Vivienne's chest heaved rapidly.

Piper's face turned ice-cold at those words. "You have the nerve to talk about Silas? What you are doing is way worse!" She could not stomach it anymore.

Splash

Vivienne snatched up a glass and threw her drink directly into Piper's face. The liquor dripped down her cheeks, instantly soaking the front of her dress.

"Is it the same thing? I have the right to be served by fresh young meat, but Silas is only fit to be my personal ATM and loyal dog!" Vivienne declared, her face dripping with arrogance as she justified her double standard without a shred of shame.

Piper expressionlessly wiped her face. She looked up at Vivienne, her eyes filled with nothing but absolute disappointment, and dropped one final sentence. "As of today, I don't have a best friend like you anymore."

With that, Piper walked out of the club without looking back.

Vivienne did not care in the slightest. She just went back to drinking with the others, drowning in a night of excess, vanity, and partying. Losing one friend meant absolutely nothing to her.

The next morning, the sun was just as bright. The moment Vivienne woke up, she drove straight to Gage's dorm, bringing the luxury items she had bought last time.

The guy still maintained his aloof, untouchable aura. He swept his cool, calculating gaze over Vivienne, who held luxury shopping bags in one hand and a steaming coffee in the other. He decisively took the hot coffee from her left hand.

"Did you really drive your Ferrari to my dorm this early in the morning just to bring me this cheap coffee?" Gage leaned against the doorframe in loose sweatpants, a faint trace of manipulation in his eyes.

"Gage, this is for you." Vivienne offered the shopping bags to him with a smile.

The second Gage saw the luxury bags, his brow furrowed deeply into a serious glare. "Do you actually think a couple pairs of shoes and some clothes can buy me? What kind of person do you think I am?!" He took two steps back.

"Baby, don't be mad. This is the latest limited-edition Gucci menswear. Just give me one smile, and I'll buy out the entire store for you," Vivienne coaxed, acting like an ATM that had completely lost its mind.

It took a lot of smooth talking before Gage finally accepted the gifts. Once she had him buttered up and secured a promise for another dinner date, Vivienne drove straight to my family's estate.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, what did you just say? Silas didn't come home all night?!" Vivienne stared at my parents, barely holding back the urge to scream.

"Vivienne, Silas really doesn't remember you right now. Please try to be understanding," my parents said, their faces filled with guilt.

"Mrs. Zhou, call Silas right now!" Vivienne demanded, forcibly suppressing her rage.

The call went through. Vivienne got the location from my mother. He was at a five-star hotel.

Chapter 6

Vivienne drove straight to the hotel, and the second she reached my door, she started pounding on it, alarming all the guests on the floor.

"Ma'am, you need to calm down. If you continue this disruption, I will have to call security," the hotel manager warned.

Vivienne swung her hundred-thousand-dollar Hermes Birkin bag, violently smashing it against the door. Screaming, she lashed out at the manager. "I am his actual girlfriend! He is hiding his mistress in there! If you dare stop me, I will buy this entire hotel and fire you on the spot!"

Turning her vicious attack back to the door, she directed her fury at me. "Silas! You shameless bastard! Are you too scared to open the door because you are hiding someone? Are you sleeping with that Rosalind bitch right now?!"

Vivienne was losing her mind. Her shrieks echoed down the hallway.

She did not get an open door. She got the cops.

I only unlatched the deadbolt after the police arrived. Leaning against the doorframe with my arms crossed, I stared coldly at Vivienne. I pointed straight at her. "Officers, this woman is completely insane. I don't even know her, but she stalks and harasses me every single day."

Those words pushed her over the edge. Her eyes snapped bloodshot. Shoving past the officer blocking her path, she barged into my suite.

"I know that bitch Rosalind is in here!"

She tore the suite apart, overturning cushions and throwing open closet doors. Finding absolutely zero trace of another woman, she refused to accept reality. She spun around, lunging forward to grab me by the collar. "Where the hell did you hide her?!"

Her piercing scream sent a splitting spike of pain straight through my skull. The officers immediately rushed in, forcibly ripping her hands off me.

I watched coldly as two heavily built officers twisted her arms behind her back and slapped handcuffs on her wrists. A flash of humiliating memories from the past hit my brain along with a sharp throb of pain. Gripping the doorframe to steady myself, I stood tall and looked at the officers. "Take her away. I am pressing charges for harassment and trespassing on private property."

"This gentleman checked in completely alone last night. There is a limit to these ridiculous accusations!" the manager snapped at Vivienne.

Vivienne froze. Realizing she was actually being dragged away in handcuffs, panic finally broke through her arrogance.

"Silas" Her voice suddenly dropped, trembling as the officers pulled her toward the elevator.

The police did not give her time to play the victim. They dragged her straight to the precinct for booking. She was locked up until late afternoon before finally making bail. The second she was released, she rushed straight to the hospital where my parents had taken me to check on my head trauma.

My dad's face turned ice-cold the second he saw her walk into my private room. The veins in his neck bulged. "Look at what you have done to my son! How dare you show your face here?! Are you trying to push him into an early grave?!"

"Mr. Zhou, I"

"Dad! Tell her to get out. The sight of her makes me physically sick!" I cut her off, shooting her a look of pure disgust. "She keeps impersonating my girlfriend. Everyone knows Rosalind is the only woman for me!"

Rosalind was Vivienne's ultimate trigger. One mention of her name set her off.

"Silas! I am your girlfriend!" she shrieked, desperate to remind me. Hearing me claim her worst enemy, the woman she hated more than anything in the world, was tearing her sanity apart.

Seeing her scream and watching me press my fingers against my throbbing temples, my mom forcefully pushed Vivienne out into the hallway. "Vivienne, please!" my mom pleaded, her eyes welling up. "Stop agitating Silas. He has amnesia. He does not remember you."

"I'm sorry" Vivienne forced the apology through gritted teeth, suppressing her explosive rage.

Buzz

Her phone vibrated in her designer bag.

Chapter 7

Her heavy breathing instantly stopped. The moment she saw the notification, her brow smoothed out, and a smug smirk tugged at her red lips. It was a text from Gage, asking her out to a movie premiere tonight.

I sat on the hospital bed and shot her a cold glance, but she didn't even bother to look my way. She threw a careless goodbye to my mom and practically sprinted out of the hospital room. She came empty-handed and left empty-handed, not once looking back.

I withdrew my gaze, letting out a breath, and leaned back against the pillows.

Just as I was drifting into a hazy sleep, a sudden coolness brushed against my cheek. My eyes snapped open, instantly guarded, but the person standing over me wasn't Vivienne. It was Rosalind.

A genuine light sparked in my eyes. I sat up quickly, a smile breaking across my face. "Rosalind, I knew you still cared about me! When you left me all alone last night, I thought you were going to dump your boyfriend."

Rosalind's clear gaze darkened slightly. She reached out, steadying my swaying body with a firm grip.

My parents walked in from the hallway, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw Rosalind. "Ms. Ye, what brings you here?" my dad asked, his tone shifting to absolute respect.

Rosalind was the ultimate power player in the city's elite circles. As a ruthless CEO with absolute controlling shares, she operated with lethal decisive action. In just three years, she had completely crushed Vivienne's family corporation under her heel, driving them to the brink of bankruptcy. Even Vivienne's father, Richard, had to book an appointment months in advance just to beg for a meeting.

Rosalind lowered her eyelashes, hesitating for a fraction of a second before meeting my parents' gaze. A faint flush crept up her neck. "A friend of mine was admitted here. I happened to see Silas's name on the registry, so I stepped in to check on him." My dad didn't catch a single flaw in her flawless composure and nodded with a smile.

But my mom noticed the custom tiered food containers and the bouquet of black roses resting on the bedside table. She stepped closer, catching the rich aroma wafting from the boxes. Surprise flickered in her eyes. "Rosalind, are these?"

Rosalind's clear eyes darted away for a fraction of a second. "I just picked them up on the way," she said softly. "After all, Silas and I are alumni."

Hearing that, I shot back instantly. "What alumni? You are my fiance!" I reached out, capturing her hand in mine. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a quick picture of our intertwined fingers. Rosalind's skin was porcelain-white, her hand incredibly soft against my grip.

"I'm posting an Instagram Story. I want everyone to know that you're my fiance." Before she could pull away, I quickly uploaded the photo, tagged her account, and eagerly unclasped the latches on the custom food containers she had brought.

A mouthwatering aroma immediately filled the room with the rising steam. I realized the boxes were packed with the signature dishes from the most exclusive, impossible-to-book Michelin private kitchen in the cityTomahawk steak, black truffle pasta, and my absolute favorite blueberry cheesecake. The plating was as exquisite as a work of art