Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I stared at the woman's face, totally freaked out, and stumbled back a couple of steps like I'd seen a ghost. I almost lost my balance, but Ethan caught me just in time.

I glanced up at Ethan, feeling uneasy. Even he, usually so chill, had a flicker of shock in his eyes.

She walked towards us with long strides, arms crossed, and a bright smile on her face.

Was it Fiona?

At first, I thought it was Fiona because she looked so much like her.

But as she got closer, grinning and soaking in our surprise, she started talking. That's when I realized it was Faye, who had gone under the knife to look like Fiona. Faye asked, "Where have you been? I've been waiting forever."

Ethan had already pulled himself together and looked at her calmly.

"When did you get here? Why didn't you call ahead?" he asked, strolling in and plopping down on the couch like it was no big deal.

I was still standing there, my mind racing.

Faye ignored me and followed him. She sat next to Ethan and clung to his arm, all flirty, right in front of me.

"I wanted to surprise you."

Faye had always looked a bit like Fiona. Now, with the plastic surgery, she was almost a dead ringer for her. Watching this, I almost felt like Fiona was back from the dead.

Faye looked even more stunning now, way more mature than before she started acting in movies.

Faye and Ethan had nearly a ten-year age gap. But together, they looked like a perfect match, no awkwardness at all.

Seeing this, my mind was a mess. I calmly walked over, sat down on a single sofa, and turned on the TV.

If I freaked out first, I'd totally lose.

Ethan pulled his hand away from Faye's, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

He asked her briefly about what she'd been up to. I stared at the TV but was really eavesdropping on their convo. I got that after wrapping up her movie scenes, Faye had recently gone to Korea. The reason was pretty obvious. Faye kept bragging to Ethan about how the director praised her talent, saying she'd definitely become famous with this movie, and all that jazz.

Ethan glanced at his watch. "It's getting late. I'll have the driver take you to the hotel."

Both Faye and I were caught off guard.

Faye pouted, twisting her body. "I don't want to go to the hotel, Ethan. What if the paparazzi snap a pic of me like this?"

Ethan took a drag of his cigarette and said calmly, "Since you're a celeb, you can't avoid being photographed. Just always be mindful of your image." Saying this, he took out his phone and called Dennis.

Faye looked bummed, a total 180 from her earlier excitement.

After a bit, Dennis showed up, and Faye reluctantly got into his car.

Once Faye was gone, Ethan came back and sat down on the couch again.

I studied him, hoping to catch something in his expression.

But he just looked at me blankly and motioned with his finger. "Come here."

I got up and walked over to him. He pulled me onto his lap.

"Did you know Faye was back?" I asked.

He stared at me and shook his head.

"Are you surprised?" I looked at him more closely.

He suddenly flipped me onto the couch.

"Do you think it's a surprise? I was shocked. I thought Fiona had come back to life."

Was Ethan actually joking?

I stared at him, dumbfounded, a bit incredulous.

He pinched my face and smiled mischievously.

"Dummy, what are you staring at? I need to calm my nerves."

I looked at his face and thought about how Faye might flaunt Fiona's face in front of Ethan in the future. My heart was in turmoil.

He had once said that Fiona was the only woman he had ever loved. Unfortunately, death separated them.

Now, eight years later, seeing that face again, I couldn't believe he felt nothing.

Ethan gently patted my face. "Don't overthink. If you keep freaking out every time Faye shows up, we won't be able to live our lives."

"I want to go to Korea," I suddenly said.

"Why?"

"Plastic surgery."

He glared at me. "Don't you dare. I won't allow it."

Then he touched my face again, his eyes deep and smiling.

"You look just fine the way you are. I like it."

Later, Ethan carried me into the bathroom, and we got steamy under the shower before crashing into bed together.

Faye showing up with Fiona's face really threw me for a loop. But like Ethan said, if I overthink every time she pops up, we won't be able to live our lives.

So, I decided to chill. I couldn't control if someone else got plastic surgery or tried to mess with Ethan. The only thing I could do was put more effort into keeping our marriage solid.

In the days that followed, Faye didn't come back to the villa. I had no clue if she went to Skyline International Corporation or met with Ethan on the down-low.

I couldn't be with Ethan 24/7. If his heart wasn't in it, sticking by his side wouldn't change a thing.

A few days later, Starlight City hosted a big business cocktail party, organized by Skyline International Corporation. Ethan wanted me to go with him, but it was Bella's birthday that day. Every year, I spent Bella's birthday with her, and this year was no different.

For Bella's birthday, Zachary whipped up a big spread at home and got a huge cake with "Honey, I love you" written on it. He really went all out.

Zachary quickly finished eating and bailed to play cards with his buddies, probably realizing his presence made me uncomfortable, so he made himself scarce.

Once Zachary left, I felt way more relaxed.

I mentioned Faye's plastic surgery to look like Fiona, and Bella was so shocked she dropped the chicken leg she was holding.

"That sneaky bitch. She won't stop until she gets what she wants."

Then Bella encouraged me. "Emily, don't sweat it. Since Ethan didn't let her stay at the house, it means he's on your side. He knows you and that bitch are like oil and water."

I had been telling myself the same thing. So after Faye showed up, except for being a bit shocked that night, I acted like nothing happened, not letting her mess with my mood or marriage.

I casually mentioned the business cocktail party tonight, and Bella put down her utensils.

"Emily, are you nuts? If you don't go, are you gonna let that bitch hang out with your husband?"

I hadn't thought of that. Hearing Bella say this, I suddenly panicked.

Bella immediately stood up and dragged me out.

Zachary looked up at her, and Bella said, "I'm going out with Emily for a bit."

Zachary nodded and said nothing, continuing to play cards with his friends.

"Hurry up. Whether I celebrate my birthday or not doesn't matter. You're married now; it's different from before. You need to hold on to your husband."

In the car, Bella drove fast, even more anxious than I was.

"Bella, you don't get it. At these big cocktail parties, sometimes they invite celebrities. Faye definitely won't miss a chance like this. She'll surely cling to Ethan to take her." Hearing her say this, I got even more anxious.

At the hotel entrance, Bella generously handed a few bills to the doorman, and we smoothly got in.

Following the sound of music, we arrived at a large artificial lake.

Across the lake, colorful lights were flashing, and groups of men and women were mingling, creating a lively atmosphere.

After watching for a while, I didn't see Ethan or Faye. But I did notice that all the women were wearing evening gowns, each looking more beautiful and elegant than the last.

I looked down at Bella and me. We had rushed over in casual clothes.

If something happened, we'd be the ones embarrassed.

I tugged at Bella's clothes, wanting to back out.

But Bella's gaze suddenly fixed on something. "I see Leonard. I'm going to check if that bitch Andrea is with him."

Bella said this and stormed off. I grabbed her. "Bella, don't be impulsive."

Bella glanced back at me. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I gotta show Ethan some respect."

I looked around again but still didn't see Ethan. When I turned back, Bella was nowhere to be found.

Feeling uneasy, I headed towards the artificial lake.

I was so focused on finding Bella that I didn't notice my footing and accidentally stepped on the hem of a woman's long dress in front of me.

I clearly heard the sound of fabric tearing.