The cold, luxurious bedroom slowly faded from Nicole's mind as her tears soaked into the white silk pillow. The painful reality of her wedding night was replaced by a vivid, distant memory. It was a memory from seven years ago, a memory of a warm, breezy summer evening that she now wished she could erase from her mind forever.
Back then, they were only thirteen years old.
It was the night of John's junior high school celebration banquet. His family, being the most powerful and untouchable force in the city's business world, did not just throw a simple party. They hosted a magnificent, jaw-dropping event at their massive private estate.
The endless garden of the villa was transformed into a glowing wonderland. Thousands of golden fairy lights hung from the tall, ancient trees, sparkling like stars against the dark night sky. Waiters in crisp white uniforms walked smoothly through the crowd, carrying silver trays filled with expensive champagne and delicate desserts. A live orchestra played soft, elegant classical music that echoed softly across the manicured lawns. Wealthy businessmen, famous politicians, and elegant ladies in beautiful gowns laughed and talked, trying their best to please John's parents.
But thirteen-year-old John hated the noise. Even as a young boy, he was quiet, cold, and preferred to be alone. Dressed in a perfectly tailored miniature black suit, he looked like a proud, lonely little prince. Wanting to escape the endless fake smiles and loud chatter of the guests, he quietly slipped away from the main party area.
He walked toward the back of the enormous garden, where the lighting was dimmer and the music was softer. Here lay the family's grand swimming pool. The pool was massive and Olympic-sized, its deep, crystal-clear water reflecting the dim lights around it like a giant, dark mirror.
John stood near the edge of the pool, breathing in the quiet night air, finally feeling a moment of peace.
But he didn't notice the danger hiding in the shadows. A thick, heavy black electrical cable, used to connect a large temporary spotlight for the party, was lying uncoiled in the grass just inches from his leather shoes.
As John took a step backward to turn around, his heel caught violently on the thick wire.
In a split second, he lost his balance. The world tilted dangerously. He tried to grab onto something, anything, but his hands only caught the empty air.
Splash! A heavy, loud sound broke the quietness of the pool area as John fell backward into the freezing, deep water.
John didn't know how to swim.
The moment the cold water swallowed him, pure, blinding panic exploded in his chest. The water rushed into his open mouth and up his nose, burning his throat and lungs. He thrashed his arms and legs wildly, fighting against the heavy water that was pulling him down like an invisible monster.
He broke the surface for a brief second, his eyes wide with absolute terror. "Help!" he screamed, his voice cracking. "Help me!"
But the live orchestra in the distance suddenly played a loud, joyful symphony. The music and the laughter of hundreds of guests completely drowned out the desperate cries of the young boy. No one heard him. No one saw him.
John felt his heavy suit dragging him deeper. His strength was fading fast. The lack of oxygen made his head spin, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. As he sank deeper into the dark blue water, he looked up at the surface. The beautiful golden lights of the party looked blurry and distorted above him, fading further and further away.
Am I going to die here? he thought, his consciousness slipping into darkness. He felt completely helpless. Completely abandoned.
Suddenly, a loud splash echoed above him.
Through his fading vision, John saw a small, blurry shadow pierce through the surface of the water. Someone had jumped in.
It was a young girl wearing a beautiful, light blue party dress. It was Nicole. She didn't care about ruining her expensive dress or the danger of the deep water. She swam downward with all her might, moving like a brave little mermaid.
She reached him just as he was about to close his eyes completely. Her small, warm hands grabbed onto his heavy suit collar tightly. With a fierce, determined kick of her legs, she pulled his heavy body upward, fighting against the weight of the water.
They broke the surface together. Nicole gasped loudly for air, her hair plastered to her face. Using every ounce of strength in her small body, she dragged the unconscious John to the edge of the pool and managed to push him up onto the wet, hard tiles.
She quickly climbed out after him, shivering from the cold wind. John wasn't breathing. His face was pale, and his lips were turning a scary shade of blue.
"Wake up! Please wake up!" Nicole cried out, tears mixing with the pool water on her face.
She remembered what she had learned in a basic safety class. Without hesitation, she pinched his nose, took a deep breath, and pressed her soft lips against his cold ones, breathing air directly into his lungs. She pushed down on his chest with her small hands, fighting desperately to bring him back to life. One time. Two times. Three times.
Suddenly, John's body jerked. He rolled to his side and coughed violently, vomiting a large amount of pool water onto the tiles. He gasped greedily for the night air, his chest heaving up and down.
Slowly, his blurry vision cleared. He opened his dark eyes.
The very first thing he saw was Nicole. She was soaking wet, her blue dress clinging to her, her knees scraped from the hard tiles. But to John, in that exact moment, she looked like an angel sent from heaven. Her big, tear-filled eyes were looking at him with such pure, genuine relief and worry.
She saved me. She didn't even know me, but she risked her life for me. As he stared up at her worried face, hearing his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, something shifted deep inside John's young soul. It wasn't just gratitude. It was a powerful, overwhelming sense of absolute possession.
A seed of dark, obsessive love was planted in his heart right then and there. He made a silent, unbreakable vow to himself on those wet pool tiles: This girl is mine. I will give her the world. She is the only light in my dark life, and I will never, ever let anyone else have her. It was a miracle that he survived that night. But for the brave little girl crying tears of relief next to him, it was the tragic beginning of a lifelong nightmare.