Seven Years to Unlove You Chapter 1

I spent seven years loving Leo.

His secretary suggested the kidnapping was a good chance for me to learn my lesson, and he actually didn't pay the ransom.

Those hellish months made me see him for who he truly was.

Just when I finally made up my mind to leave, he came to me, eyes red, begging me to come back.

He said he wanted a fresh start, but I had already learned how to stay far, far away.

* * *

The day I walked into the city barefoot, I made the news.

Kirsten Hassell, the adopted daughter of the prominent Hassell family, had been kidnapped for months. She stumbled back, filthy and reeking, her clothes ragged, her bare feet scarred and bleeding. She was a wreck, like a stray dog.

I watched the media flashes, the cameras clicking, desperate for a shot, but my heart was already stagnant, incapable of even a ripple.

The old Kirsten was dead. The glamorous, naive, spoiled, vibrant Kirsten was gone. The kidnappers, and Leo, had utterly destroyed her.

Soon, a group of bodyguards in black suits cut a path through the throngs of people. Their leader, Ethan, I knew. For seven years, during my relentless pursuit of Leo, he had been the one to “escort” me out of Leo’s office and private apartment.

“Escort” was a polite word for it; it was more like dragging me out, because I wouldn’t give up, and because Leo found me utterly exasperating.

“Ms. Hassell, Mr. Hassell is waiting in the car for you. Please come with me.”

Ethan’s gaze flickered with surprise when it landed on me; he clearly hadn't expected me to be in such a wretched state.

I nodded, stepping forward on my injured feet, leaving bloody prints on the pavement. The pain receptors in my nerves were long since numb; this short walk was nothing compared to my escape.

Ethan walked behind me, unable to resist calling out, “Ms. Hassell…”

I didn't answer him. Pity me? He should be relieved. After this lesson, I would never pester Leo again, nor would I add any extra trouble to his job.

Once in the car, I saw Leo sitting, eyes closed, lost in thought. His short, dark hair was impeccably styled, his sculpted features flawless, undeniably handsome.

Of course. During my absence, he must have felt an unprecedented sense of peace and relief. He looked better than ever.

Hearing the slight commotion, Leo slowly opened his eyes. The moment he saw me, he barely recognized me. “Kirsten?”

I meekly nodded. Yes, I had learned my lesson. Before, I hadn't cared about being the adopted daughter of the Hassell family, acting as if I were their biological child, proud and arrogant. But now, after the kidnapping, I understood that my life was in the Hassell family's hands. If Leo didn't pay the ransom, my life was worth less than dirt.

He frowned, a hint of displeasure. “How did you get yourself into this state?”

This state? What state? A lunatic? A beggar? I’d run for dozens of miles, sleepless, not only evading kidnappers but also wary of predatory animals in the suburban forests. When thirsty, I drank rainwater; when hungry, I rummaged through trash heaps by the highway. I imagine anyone would go mad under such circumstances.

I knew he was annoyed that I appeared before the media looking like this, that it would cause trouble for his company—the Hassell family's company, to be precise.

“I’m sorry.” *Sorry for offending your eyes, Leo.*

Leo paused at my reply, then a smirk played on his lips. “She was right. You actually learned your lesson.”

I didn't understand what Leo was talking about. Once the car door closed and the vehicle started moving, Leo suddenly reached a long arm toward me. I instinctively recoiled into the corner, but he stopped short, speaking with a disgusted tone, “Kirsten, you stink.”

I don’t know if it was the confined space of the car, but Leo finally smelled the foul odor clinging to me—a fermented mixture of blood, sweat, dirt, and scraps from garbage piles.

Hearing Leo’s words, I instinctively moved to get off the seat, but the car swerved slightly, and I ended up kneeling in the aisle.

“I’m so sorry, I won’t get the seat dirty, I’ll just…” *Just kneel here.*

It hurt so much. My knees, and the tiny pinprick wounds the kidnappers had made with fine steel needles. They blamed me; I wasn't important to Leo at all, and they hadn't gotten the ransom, wasting their time, so they took their anger out on me.

I couldn’t stand, so I just knelt in that cramped space.

Leo instantly became furious. “What are you doing? Get back in your seat!”

He ordered me, but his disgust kept him from helping me up. I could only obey, using immense effort to prop myself up and sit back. The pain, coupled with the low blood sugar from the past few days, brought tears to my eyes.

Leo had always ignored my tears, finding them annoying, but this time, he surprisingly tossed me the handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands.

I clutched the clean, white cloth. Before, I would have been overjoyed, but now, that handkerchief only served to highlight my filth and brokenness.

Ethan glanced at me in the rearview mirror. My head was bowed; perhaps he had never seen me so disgraced and pathetic.