The Life Jacket Trap, Deserted Island

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Yaric Linden bought a massive cruise ship for our honeymoon, but a shipwreck tore our dream apart mid-voyage.

As we went down, he shoved the only life jacket onto me and pushed me toward the shore.

Luna! I love you! You have to survive!

I drifted at sea for two days before being rescued, immediately joining the search party to find him.

After a week of sleepless searching with no results, a drone finally captured a trace of him.

On the screen, Yaric and his assistant, Yvonne, were tangled in a passionate embrace on a deserted island.

In that moment, I decided to erase my identity and leave without looking back.

1.

The video on my phone continued to play.

Yaric was holding Yvonne, working up a sweat as they shared a kiss that looked like it would never end.

I stared at the screen with hollow eyes, not even realizing when the tears started falling.

I had spent an entire week with the search and rescue team, my legs pale and trembling from the cold seawater, yet I never once thought of resting.

With no results, the rescuers told me Yaric was likely lost to the deep sea, his body unrecoverable.

I refused to give up, using the drone to scout every inch of the surrounding islands.

Finally, I found him on that uninhabited island.

I should have been ecstatic, but instead, I was forced to watch this scandalous footage over and over in silence.

This drone was an engagement gift from Yaric; he said it was so I could capture all the beautiful sights in the world.

Now, I was using it to capture evidence of his betrayal.

"Ms. Sterling, please don't be too sad. We know Mr. Linden loves you more than life itself. It must be hard to let go..."

The rescuer's attempt at comfort felt like a knife to my heart.

I forced myself to close the phone and hide it, a self-deprecating smile touching my lips.

Everyone thought Yaric Linden loved me more than his own life because he gave me the only life jacket.

Nobody expected that this was all just a sick game to him.

"I know where he is. He's on that deserted island. Please send a team to get him."

After a full week of no sleep, I collapsed as soon as I got home.

I didn't wake up until the search team called, telling me Yaric had been found and asking me to meet him at the pier.

When I arrived, everyone was singing praises of our beautiful love, gushing about how selfless Yaric's love for me was.

The moment Yaric saw me, his tears fell like a broken dam, and he rushed forward to pull me into a tight embrace.

His tears soaked my shoulder, hot and heavy.

"Luna! I thought I'd never see you again!" Facing the cheers and emotional outbursts of the crowd, my heart remained as still as a dead pond.

The bite mark on his lip was so glaring that I couldn't focus on anything else.

"Luna, didn't you miss me?"

He lowered his head, trying to plant a kiss on my lips.

I turned my face away and said coldly, "Everyone is watching."

Yaric hesitated for a few seconds, glanced at the people around us, and put on a tender expression.

"Luna, why are you being so shy all of a sudden?"

"Come on, let's go home!" He grabbed my hand, but I gently shook him off.

Once we were in the car, he tried to kiss me again, but this time, I didn't dodge; I just questioned him coldly.

"How did you spend your week on that island?"

Yaric's eyes flickered, and his fingers began tapping incessantly on the seat.

That was his subconscious habit whenever he felt guilty or nervous.

He looked out the window, his voice neither loud nor soft.

"It was a nightmare, of course. I was alone on that island, drifting into despair. I'm just lucky you found me."

He turned back to me, his eyes searching mine as he asked,

"Luna, how did you even know I drifted to that specific island?"

I lowered my gaze and gave an answer that had nothing to do with his question.

"Your lip is cut." Yaric immediately pulled down the sun visor, a flash of panic crossing his face before he rushed to explain.

"There was no fresh water on the island. I was so dehydrated my lips cracked. Don't overthink it, babe!" I hadn't even accused him yet, and he was already defensive.

"Babe? Don't you believe me?"

His tone was incredibly gentle as he reached out to wrap his fingers around my wrist.

I looked away and said coldly, "Just take me home."

2.

The news of Yaric Linden sacrificing himself to save me, only to survive a week on a deserted island, hit the headlines.

A wealthy, handsome man who was utterly devoted to his fianceDhe became an overnight sensation.

The news anchors praised his actions as a legendary romantic feat, making me the most envied woman in the city.

Listening to the broadcast, I felt nothing but a chilling sense of irony and sorrow.

It took a while for me to snap out of it and dial a familiar number.

"Hey, can you help me wipe my current identity? I want to leave." The person on the other end gave an immediate, firm answer. "Okay. Give me two days. I'll pick you up then."

"Two days is enough. I'll be ready."

Yaric walked in just then, and I quickly hung up the phone.

He walked over from the foyer and wrapped his arms around me from behind, whispering,

"Who were you talking to? What was that about leaving?"

I brushed it off casually. "Nothing. Just an old friend." He nodded and didn't press further, pulling out two plane tickets with a bright smile.

"Since our honeymoon got cut short, let's head to the Maldives the day after tomorrow to finish our vacation, okay?"

I glanced at the ticketsDone economy, one business class.

Yaric was quick to explain. "Tickets were so hard to get on short notice. It's fine, babe. I'll sit in economy; you take the good seat."

Seeing those tickets, I immediately remembered Yvonne's Instagram post from this morning.

It was also a ticket to the Maldives, economy class. The caption read,

"Heading somewhere new for a getaway. Waiting for the thrill of him sneaking away from someone else just to see me."

I let out a soft, bitter laugh. These two really knew how to seek thrills right under my nose.

I'm sure once we landed, Yaric would tell me it was a total coincidence that we ran into Yvonne.

I nodded obediently and took the tickets. "Okay, I'll take them." It didn't matter. In two days, I would vanish from his world forever.

Yaric grabbed my hand and pinned me down on the bed, his voice thick with fake longing.

"Babe, when I was stranded on that island, I thought about you every single second."

He leaned in for a deep kiss, but I turned my head, feeling utterly disgusted.

He was literally drenched in Yvonne's sweat on that island, yet he had the nerve to say he was thinking of me.

I pushed him away and sat up, saying coldly, "I'm exhausted. I need to sleep."

A flash of confusion crossed his face, followed by a frantic attempt to hug me.

"What's wrong? Is something on your mind?" I opened my mouth, ready to say something.

The ringtone of Yaric's phone broke the tension. He glanced at the screen and gave me a guilty look.

He answered the call with feigned annoyance.

"What is it?" "How can such a small thing go wrong? I'm coming over right now."

After hanging up, he looked at me with tender apology.

"Luna, something came up at the office. I need to go handle it. Can we talk when I get back?"

Looking at his hurried expression, I laughed inwardly.

I saw the caller ID. It was Yvonne.

I nodded numbly. "Yeah, go ahead."

Yaric gave me a deep look, told me to wait for him, and rushed out the door.

I started wondering when Yaric had actually changed.

Maybe it was a year ago, or maybe even earlier.

I had caught him and Yvonne alone several times before, and I had my suspicions.

When I asked, his answer was always exactly what I expected.

"We're just discussing business. She's my assistant; there's a lot to hand over. Don't overthink it."

It was the same excuse he had probably rehearsed a thousand times.

He knew exactly what lies would make me believe him.

Later, he started leaving every time Yvonne called.

He would rush through my birthday or our anniversary, give me a gift, and then disappear...

There was even a candlelit dinner where he looked miserable after a call from her.

When I finally asked, he stuttered about a company emergency but said he couldn't bear to leave me.

He always used the company as a shield, making me feel like I had to be the understanding, supportive fiance while he ran to her.

Through all those "business meetings," he and Yvonne eventually stopped talking about business altogether.

I should have known something was wrong the many times she was the one who answered his phone.

But his performance of devotion was so convincing that it was hard to tell fact from fiction.

Even when doubt crept in, the envious comments from everyone around me would drown it out.

"It can't be. I'm just being paranoid." I didn't know how many times I had told myself that.

But seeing them together on that island made it impossible to live in the dark anymore.

Yaric was cheating, and he was no longer the man who promised me forever.

That was a truth I should have accepted long ago.

Yaric didn't actually come back to talk to me. Shortly after he left, I fell ill again.

The cold I caught at the pier had worsened.

I was drenched in cold sweat and burning up with a high fever.

When Yaric finally returned, he panicked and called the family doctor.

He spent the whole night wiping my sweat, feeding me medicine, and checking my temperature.

By dawn, my fever had broken slightly, and I regained consciousness.

He immediately brought me a bowl of warm porridge and fed me spoonful by spoonful, his voice filled with concern.

"Luna, you scared the life out of me yesterday. Why didn't you call me if you felt sick?"

His words were scolding, but his tone was that of a helpless, doting partner.

I looked at him coldly, my eyes stinging.

It was probably because I knew it was all a facade.

"I forgot." I pulled the covers over my head, not wanting to look at him anymore.

Yaric wanted to say more, but there was a knock at the door.

I heard his harsh voice from the hallway, whispering angrily,

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay away from her for a few days!"

Then came Yvonne's voice, sounding slightly hurt.

"You didn't show up at the office this morning! I'm just bringing you some files! Why are you being so mean?"

Yaric sighed, his tone softening.

"Go wait for me in the study."

A moment later, he brought me a glass of warm water and some medicine. He carefully helped me take it and mentioned Yvonne's arrival.

"I didn't go in today, so Yvonne brought some files over."

I nodded. Yaric never technically lied to me about her being there.

He just chose to omit the parts that mattered.

For example, he didn't mention he invited her into his study.

Even I had rarely been in his study, yet he let her in without a second thought.

"Okay. Go do what you need to do."

I turned over and closed my eyes, but my mind was flooded with images of him and Yvonne.

I couldn't forget, couldn't let go. Every time I thought about it, it felt like being flayed alive.

Yaric tucked the blanket around me and chuckled softly.

"Nothing at work is more important than you. Go to sleep. I'll check the files once you're out." I didn't say a word, just lay there in silence.

After a while, he whispered my name twice. Receiving no response, he quietly left the room.

I got out of bed as soon as he was gone, clutching a glass.

I walked toward the study. The door wasn't fully closed; there was a small crack.

The conversation between Yaric and Yvonne drifted out. Yvonne was sitting on him, giggling.

"Being in your house is so much more thrilling than that island. If only she were awake to see this. That would be a real rush."

Yaric suddenly growled with intensity.

"If Luna ever finds out about us, I will make your life a living hell!"

Yvonne squealed in protest. "You jerk! You're the one who planned the whole shipwreck scenario just to get some excitement with me, and now you say that!"

I stood there, my entire body shaking so hard I almost dropped the glass.

It took everything I had to stay calm. I stumbled back to the bedroom, climbed into bed, and forced my eyes shut.

That night, Yaric came to check my temperature again and kissed my forehead before leaving quietly.

Once he was gone, I got up, walked out of the house without a sound, and got into the car that was already waiting for me.