No Scars Can Dull Her Shine

My phone lit up with a message from a client: [Ms. Porter, are you sure you can make my husband leave without a penny after he cheated on me?]

I could not sleep after replying, so I started working on some files.

The client had paid me a lot. The figure had so many zeros it was hard to believe it was real.

Who would have thought that not long ago, I had to make a single sandwich last for two meals?

Back then, every second was expensive because of Mom's medical bills.

I was working to support the three of us.

"Why are you still with that boyfriend?" My friend kept asking me, "Is it just because he's handsome? You can't eat good looks!"

I just smiled.

They did not get it. If I did not come home to a warm hug every day, I might have fallen apart a long time ago.

Back then, I thought Alexander was the best.

He was quiet, cute, and kept to himself. He was not like my dad, who brought home all sorts of trouble.

I was his whole world, and only I could see how great he was. Since I was the one helping him out, I did not feel bad about not being the prettiest.

I really needed something to hold onto at that time.

How we met was like something out of a movie.

In my second year of college, I was at a bar late one night, about to head home, when a loud noise came from the next table.

A drunk guy was holding a tall young man's chin, trying to make him drink some strong stuff.

The young man was trying to get away, looking like a lost deer among wolves.

I could not take my eyes off his face. Without thinking, I grabbed an empty bottle and ran over to help.

After they fell, I grabbed the young man's hand, and we ran out of the bar as fast as we could.

When we stopped, I was out of breath.

He gave me a big hug, his chin perched on my head, and said in the nicest voice, "You're so kind, unlike the others."

I was a bit out of it and thought he meant the mean guys in the bar.

It took me a while to realize he was talking about people who knew who he really was and were after him.

At that time, he had a hidden gun and wore a simple-looking watch that could buy three bars like the one we just ran out of. The family of the guy who bothered him at the bar had a car accident not long after.

However, I did not know any of that back then. I just thought he was cool and slick, and he made my heart skip a beat.

It turned out we went to the same school. I was studying law, and he was into art.

I hung out in his studio a lot, took him out to eat, and watched him paint.

Being together just felt right.

We had two peaceful years, and as graduation got close, we were thinking about getting engaged.

However, then Camila showed up.

She was four years younger than us, a junior in Alexander's department, and as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

I should not have been bothered. I had seen plenty of girls gaze at Alexander with wide-eyed wonder, and she was only a freshman.

However, when I first laid eyes on Camila, I could not shake a feeling of unease.

Maybe it was the way Alexander watched her for just a bit too long.

That night, I was extra affectionate in bed.

"Promise me," I whispered close to his ear, holding him tight. "Promise you will never lie to me. When you love me, it has to be just me."

I failed to realize that promises were only ever true in the moment they were spoken.

He kept promising, again and again, showering me with kisses.

I had to ignore the bright notification that flashed on his phone screen under his pillow.

Camila.