From Ex to Aunt

Initially, I was clueless about Sean's background. I thought he was just some guy in over his head with debt. It was only after our breakup that I learned he was the scion of Riverton's influential Foster family.To teach him independence, his family had cut him off financially. Of course, make no mistake, the Fosters ruled Riverton.The priest shook with fear under Sean's glare, his bible slipping from his hands to the floor. He looked desperately at me for help.Before I could utter a word, Sean yanked the tiara from my head. "My uncle designed this, Ella. Did you think you could just steal it?"The tiara's jewels dug into my scalp, drawing blood.I remember the time I was hauling bricks on a job site just to help him pay off his debts, and I ended up getting hurt. During the operation, they found out I was allergic to the anesthesia. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and bear it. The pain was like a diamond slicing through my skull.Fighting through the throbbing in my head

I slid the bracelet off my wrist, the one I had always worn.The day James came to ask for my hand, he slipped the bracelet onto my wrist himself. He told me it was a cherished Clark family heirloom, passed down to new brides.When Sean caught a glimpse of the bracelet, his face twisted with even more fury. "Ella, you're such a liar!" he spat. "Flaunting a knockoff and claiming it's a Clark family treasure?"My own mother never laid hands on it. What makes you think you're worthy? Where'd you get this fake?"The house was already buzzing with guests, but Sean's outburst drew an even larger crowd."Disgraceful woman," someone hissed."She steals and then has the gall to fake a family heirloom, trying to worm her way into marriage. She's an embarrassment to us all."The crowd, sensing a scandal, eagerly piled on.Their words grew wilder, and the pain in my body mounted until my hands shook."I'm no thief."Anyone paying attention could see the fury I was fighting to contain.M

James gently covered my eyes, his voice slow and heavy as he spoke to Sean, "If you can't see clearly, might as well keep your eyes shut for good."That was when Sean's begging hit my ears."Uncle, please, don't kill me! It's all a big mix-up."I pulled James's hand away just in time to catch the fear and fury in his eyes.Mandy was so petrified by James that she lost control of her bladder.She knew things had gone too far, and, dignity damned, she looked down, tears streaming. "Mr. Clark, you've got it all wrong, it's all been a big misunderstanding."Ella went to extremes to cover Sean's debts. She sold her car, her house, and even herself. She's nothing but trouble, don't let her fool you..."Sean just stood there, letting Mandy drag my name through the mud, not offering a single word in my defense.At that moment, I realized I had been handing my heart to the wrong person all these years.James did not even spare them a glance.He tenderly wiped the blood from my face, h

"Do you recall saving a young boy fifteen years ago?""Yes, I remember. I was twelve that year, visiting my grandma's place, when I stumbled upon a boy drenched in blood…""Ella, that boy was me."Over the next hour, I learned about that fateful summer.James had been abducted by traffickers. He pleaded for help from many, but I was the only one who came to his rescue."Ella, your heart is pure and courageous, fearless in love and fierce in conviction. Finding you again probably used up all the luck I had left for the rest of my days..."James's voice trailed off, and he suddenly dropped to one knee, a ring in hand, and asked, "Ella, will you marry me?"Tears welled up, defying my efforts to hold them back. "I will! I will, for this lifetime and the next. I, Ella, will marry you."He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I could feel his heart pounding against mine.The hospital room door swung open, and the onlookers outside burst into applause, celebrating our union.They had