Chapter 8
My name is Troy Kayden. I grew up in River City’s prestigious residential compound.
From a young age, I despised the atmosphere of the compound children.
They always acted superior, treating ordinary people as less than human, yet they were more than willing to grovel before those of higher status.
I hated it, but I couldn’t escape its influence.
Because I stood against their ways, I always felt out of place, and I didn’t like that feeling either.
Elsie Alison, one of the compound’s most admired girls, had always liked me, but I rejected her every time.
Our families were close, so I didn’t expose the lies she spread about me, not wanting to embarrass her too much.
Later, just before college, she confessed to me in front of everyone. I rejected her publicly, and she left in humiliation, choosing to study abroad.
When I started university, it didn’t take long for someone to catch my attention.
. My friends told me about an upperclassman who was notoriously hard to win over. Wealthy,
attractive, and accomplished men had all tried and failed to date her.
Her name was Rachel Swift.
She had a unique beauty, understated yet dignified.
She carried herself with quiet confidence and unshakable integrity.
I sought her out and asked why she had turned down so many suitors.
She told me she was poor and couldn’t afford the costs of dating.
She didn’t want to rely on a man’s money and was busy building her gaming startup.
She had no time for love and didn’t want to waste her energy on relationships.
But I noticed the way she glanced at me during every encounter, how she would initiate greetings
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nd brighten her smile just for me,
She didn’t smile like that for anyone else.
I knew she liked me.
Eventually, we got together. But I also knew that we wouldn’t last.
My family and friends would never allow me to marry her.
Still, I forced their hand and married her anyway, even threatening my own life to ensure it happened.
I knew she was extraordinary, but I feared my family and friends would humiliate her. I didn’t want her to be dragged into the dirt of my world.
When Elsie came back from abroad, she had built connections with many powerful figures.
She used Rachel’s business to threaten me, trying to coerce me into sleeping with her.
I refused. She didn’t dare push further because she knew I was capable of anything, even murder, when provoked.
But in front of our circle, she forced me to wash her feet to humiliate me.
I told myself to endure it–for Rachel’s sake.
But then Rachel showed up unexpectedly.
I wanted to send her away because I knew Elsie would make things difficult for her.
And then I found out that Rachel was the owner of Swift Manor.
The reason it was called Swift Manor was because of my surname, Kayden.
In that moment, I realized where I had gone wrong.
My mistake was never truly trusting the woman I loved.
I never believed someone from a humble background could surpass the circle I was part of.
But it was too late.
Years of arrogance and prejudice had worn away her love for me.
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disappeared after that. Occasionally, I would sneak glimpses of her from afar.
When I saw her struggling emotionally, 1 felt both heartache and a strange sense of comfort–because it meant she still cared for me.
Later, I saw her with Daniel Johnson.
They got married.
It was time for me to leave for good. To truly disappear.
My final words to her: I was wrong, but I love you.