The wedding was fast approaching, and Victoria Hayes, Ethan’s mother, was glowing with happiness. She would often speak highly of Madison—the perfect daughter-in-law: rich, beautiful, well-mannered, and from an elite family. She never missed a chance to emphasize that Madison was everything her son needed. Certainly not someone like Hailey, that quiet village girl.
Victoria owned a luxury beauty salon and spa, which had turned into a flourishing business. She was proud of what she had built. She also took great pride in presenting her son Ethan—now grown, tall, healthy, and successful—to her best friend, Sophia, who had come from abroad just for the wedding. Ethan had finished his education overseas, and now, as CFO of his mother’s company, he was making her prouder every day. They had just moved into a grand residence in Bel Air, surrounded by politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.
A major contributor to this success was Charles Bennett, Victoria’s silent partner and investor, who also happened to be Madison’s father. Charles was wealthy and influential, and his daughter had inherited both his ambition and her mother’s elegance. Many young men desired Madison, but it was Ethan who caught her attention at a friend’s birthday party. She had everything she could ever want, but Ethan was different—more grounded, more refined.
It had been eight months since that party where they first met. From the moment Madison laid eyes on Ethan, she had decided that he was hers. Ethan, in turn, was instantly charmed. So charmed that he quickly forgot the girl he had met before—a girl named Hailey.
He had met Hailey one summer night at a countryside graduation party. She was the kind of girl he would never meet in the city—modest, genuine, pure-hearted. At the time, he had gone there with some city friends as a joke, planning to flirt with some “village girls” and then vanish without a trace. His friend Dylan had laughed, “Pick one of them, make her feel like she’s the queen of the ball. She’ll fall head over heels, and then you ghost her. It’ll be hilarious.”
It was cruel. Ethan knew it, but he still approached Hailey.
“Would you like to dance?” he had asked softly. The slow music played, and she nodded shyly. She wore no makeup, just a simple dress, and yet there was something in her eyes—kindness, innocence, maybe even hope.
That evening, they danced, talked, and laughed like they’d known each other for years. Ethan asked to see her again. She said yes.
But as the weekend ended and he returned to his life in the city, he never called her again. Life moved on. Business demands, his mother’s ambitions, and then… Madison.
Madison had quickly taken over every space in Ethan’s life. She was demanding, stylish, and vocal about everything. While planning the wedding, she dismissed dresses left and right. “This one is elegant, but it’s not glamorous enough. This one is too simple. I want something that says power and prestige.”
Everything had to be perfect for her.
The wedding took place on a Friday afternoon. The civil ceremony was held at the courthouse, followed by a lavish party in one of the most exclusive venues in the suburbs. That night, Madison’s father gifted them a luxury apartment in a high-rise building—complete with modern furniture, a panoramic view, and a private elevator. A fairytale, at least on the surface.
As Ethan carried Madison into their wedding suite, he handed her an envelope containing flight tickets and a honeymoon voucher for two. She gasped and smiled.
“You’re my magician,” she whispered.
But the magic didn’t last.
Just moments later, while adjusting some balcony decorations, Ethan lost his balance. He fell from the third floor.
Madison’s scream echoed through the complex as guests rushed outside. Ethan was found unconscious, his limbs twisted, and blood running from his head.
At the hospital, Victoria and Madison waited as doctors performed emergency surgery. The news shattered them.
“He made it,” the doctor said. “But he’ll never walk again.”
Madison broke down. “What am I supposed to do now, Dad?” she cried to Charles. “He’s broken. I can’t spend my life tied to someone in a wheelchair. I need a man who can protect me, live with me, not someone I have to push around like a nurse.”
Though Charles tried to reason with her, Madison began to pull away emotionally. She spent less and less time at home, going out with friends, posting pictures, smiling as if nothing had happened.
Eventually, Madison stopped pretending.
She filed for divorce and demanded that the apartment her father gifted them be returned to her. Ethan, devastated, moved back into a property his mother owned—smaller, less glamorous, and full of painful memories.
His world collapsed. Friends distanced themselves. Business slowed. His body wouldn’t respond to therapy.
“I don’t want to live anymore,” Ethan told his mother, tears rolling down his cheeks.
But then, as if out of a dream, Hailey appeared.
She had heard about the accident from a friend who lived in the city and had come to see Ethan. At first, Victoria was dismissive. “What do you want from him now?” she asked coldly.
“I want nothing,” Hailey said softly. “I just want to help.”
Victoria eventually allowed her in.
Ethan, seeing her, felt shame and pain. “You came to laugh at me?” he asked bitterly. “Now I’m not so charming, huh?”
Hailey didn’t respond. She just sat beside him and held his hand.
In the weeks that followed, she became his shadow—bringing meals, reading to him, encouraging his therapy, wiping his tears.
There were times Ethan screamed in frustration, cried in pain, and even pushed her away. But Hailey remained.
“You don’t owe me this,” he once said.
“I know,” she replied. “But I love you.”
Those three words broke something inside him—some wall, some guilt, some regret. He began to try harder.
Victoria, seeing Hailey’s impact, brought in top trainers, therapists, and the best rehabilitation equipment. Ethan’s progress was slow, but it was progress. His hands began to regain movement. His speech became stronger. One day, with Hailey’s support, he moved his legs a few inches.
Months passed. One day, Hailey left for a short trip, and Ethan panicked in her absence. When she returned, he cried in her arms.
“I’m sorry for what I did to you. For everything,” he whispered.
She smiled. “The past doesn’t matter. We have today.”
And so, life began anew. Ethan learned to live differently, but not less fully. He became a mentor for others facing disability. He and Hailey moved into a cozy home surrounded by nature and warmth.
One Saturday, they went for a stroll through the park. Ethan had a specialized wheelchair that gave him some independence, and Hailey walked beside him, laughing, throwing leaves into the air.
Suddenly, she stopped and turned pale.
“Hailey? What is it?” Ethan asked, worried.
She sat beside him, took his hands, and smiled with tears in her eyes.
“I’m pregnant.”
The silence that followed was filled with shock, fear, and joy. Ethan’s eyes widened. He touched her belly gently.
“We’re having a baby?”
She nodded.
And for the first time in a long time, Ethan smiled like he did the night they first danced.