Everyone in Manhattan’s elite circles knew the Stanton daughters were highly fertile. My oldest sister had twins, my second sister had triplets, and even my distant cousin popped out three chubby boys within three years of marriage. I, Stella Stanton, was the sole outlier. Married to Arthur Sterling, CEO of the Sterling Group, for seven whole years, my stomach remained perfectly flat. Finally, Arthur’s mother couldn’t take it anymore. After humiliating me hundreds of times, she forced Arthur to divorce me. My father, disgusted that I had shamed the Stanton name, packed me up the very next day and shipped me off to a “new money” real estate mogul. Chapter 1 When I was shoved into that black Rolls-Royce, my makeup was completely ruined from crying. The man I was sent to, rumor had it, was uncultured—a thug who made his fortune flipping real estate. The old-money elites of New York all looked down on him. But when we first met, the vibe he gave off was different from the rumors. There was no trace of a wedding in his mansion. No ribbons, no flowers, and even the bedsheets were a cold, dark grey. Wearing a black dress shirt, he stood at the bedroom door, glanced at me, and tossed a black Amex card onto the nightstand. “This is my supplementary card. I’ll transfer money into it every month. Keep track of your expenses.” “I have a son and a daughter. They both attend an elite prep school.” “Just treat them like they’re your own.” He paused, seeming reluctant to say the next part, but he said it anyway. “Since you can’t have kids anyway.” “Just consider them an insurance policy for your old age.” With that, he turned and left without looking back. I gripped the black card so hard my knuckles turned white, tears welling up again. “Can’t have kids.” I had heard those words for seven long years. I never thought that after finally crawling out of the living hell of the Sterling family, I would still carry that label on my back. That night, he didn’t come back until 2:00 AM. He didn’t waste time. He took a quick shower and got into bed. Through a night of silent, rough intimacy, I bit the pillow and endured it until dawn. When I woke up the next day, he was already gone. My body was covered in bruises, and I broke down crying again. I had just put on my robe when the nanny walked in holding two children. She smiled flatteringly, telling me these were the mister’s son and daughter. The two kids looked at me timidly, desperately trying to hide behind her. I looked at them with dead, empty eyes. After all, during those seven years in the Sterling house, whenever guests brought their children over, Mother Sterling would summon me to the parlor. “Useless trash. Go touch the kids for some luck. You’ve been married for so long and can’t even pop out a single baby.” “A hen’s backside is more useful than you.” Every word she spoke was like a knife twisting in my chest. Especially when the other wealthy wives chimed in with their escalating laughter. I felt like I was being stripped naked and publicly executed. The worst part was always after the guests left. Mother Sterling would have me dragged to her room. She’d force someone to hold me down while they poured disgusting, bizarre holistic remedies down my throat. Raw fermented animal liver, murky herbal sludges, things I couldn’t even name. I threw up every single time. There were times the maids literally tore the corners of my mouth forcing it open. But whenever I dragged my weak body back to our bedroom, Arthur would just look at me with disgust. “Did you fight with my mother again? Can’t you just obey her for once?” “She’s doing this for your own good, so you can give us a child sooner.” Because of that, countless times, I would wake up in the middle of the night, crying alone in the dark. Why must people have children? For a very long time, I was utterly repulsed by the idea of kids. Seeing my cold expression, the nanny introduced the children briefly and then hurried them out. I didn’t care. Every day, I hid in the bedroom, either reading books or scrolling on my phone. As for the man, he didn’t bother me either. He left before sunrise and came back long after I was asleep. Every night, he would do his business mechanically and then go to sleep. Even though we had been married for half a year, I didn’t even know his name. The only thing I noticed was that when he tossed me around in bed, the pain gradually faded. Occasionally, my body would even subconsciously respond to him. Chapter 2 But in the sixth month of our marriage, my period was two weeks late. If this had happened in the past, I would have gone crazy with joy. Now, I remained completely calm, acting like nothing happened. After all, during my seven years with Arthur, my period had been late several times. Every time, I thought I was pregnant and joyfully told Arthur. But after he called the private doctor to examine me… The doctor would push up his glasses. “Mrs. Sterling, this isn’t a pregnancy. It’s just a delayed cycle caused by severe stress and a cold constitution.” After the doctor left, Arthur would coldly lecture me. “Stop doing these embarrassing things in the future.” My mother-in-law was even worse. At breakfast the next morning, she threw a cup of hot coffee in my face. “Embarrassing piece of trash. You know you’re barren, yet you still make a scene calling the doctor over.” “Do you have any idea that you’ve made the Sterling family the laughingstock of Manhattan?” Thinking about this made my chest ache again. So this time, I didn’t even call a doctor. I ate breakfast as usual and sat by the window reading. But at noon, the nanny in charge of the kids suddenly burst into my room. “Ma’am, the young master’s driver just called. He said the young master got into a fight and made another kid’s mouth bleed!” I barely lifted an eyelid. “Then go to the company and find your boss.” The nanny turned pale with panic. “I can’t, ma’am! Mr. Hayes told me this morning he was flying overseas for a project for a week. He said not to wait up for him.” I was a bit puzzled. Have I ever waited up for him? Still, I put my phone away and followed the nanny out. When we arrived at the international prep school, my heart started to ache again. This was the most exclusive private school in the city. I was the daughter of the Stanton family, and Arthur was the sole heir to the Sterlings. We grew up studying here together. Here, we had rescued a kitten that fell into the fountain. Whenever I was punished and made to stand in the hall, Arthur always stood right beside me. When we were young, he swore that when we grew up, he would give me the grandest wedding in the world. He kept that promise. But after marriage, simply because I couldn’t have children… The man who once had eyes only for me treated me like absolute garbage. Tears almost fell, but the nanny rushed me inside, and I forced them back. Walking through the familiar corridors, before I even reached the classrooms, I saw Arthur standing in the administration building. I hadn’t seen him in six months. He was still tall and striking. His brow carried none of the sorrow of losing me; instead, he looked more radiant and confident than ever. Unlike me. Since being divorced and sent away, I had cried almost every single day. I was so haggard I didn’t even dare look in the mirror. Just as I stopped in my tracks… A woman wearing Chanel couture and Christian Louboutin heels walked into the building, supported by an assistant. I knew her. She was the school board director’s granddaughter, Vanessa. When we were kids, Arthur and I used to play with her. As soon as she got close, she threw herself at Arthur. “Arthur, I missed you so much.” Arthur’s usually stern expression instantly melted into gentleness. He caught her easily and affectionately ruffled her hair. “Careful. You’re grown up now, why are you still so clumsy?” The scene pierced my eyes. The teacher leading me subtly pointed them out. “That’s our school board director’s daughter. She’s marrying Mr. Sterling next month.” “They’re very much in love, so it’s natural they’re a bit affectionate.” I gripped my phone tightly. Getting married? So fast. But then again, Arthur probably couldn’t wait to get rid of me. When I signed the divorce papers, even though his eyes were red… Because I knew him so well, I could see the unconcealed relief in his eyes. I forced myself to look away. Since I was divorced from Arthur, we had nothing to do with each other anymore. Whoever he married was none of my business. Even though I told myself that, my chest still felt like it was being pierced by needles. Thankfully, the teacher quickly brought me to the main building. As soon as I arrived, I saw the stepson I had only seen a handful of times in six months. His face was bruised purple, and his mouth was bleeding. Next to him stood an arrogant, sneering little boy. I recognized that kid too. It was Hunter—the son of Arthur’s sister, the one who loved going back to the Sterling house to stir up trouble. Every time that boy visited, Mother Sterling would lock me in the estate’s unheated wine cellar for hours as punishment. That was one of the reasons I finally gave up and agreed to the divorce. As soon as I stopped walking, the homeroom teacher walked out holding a wooden ruler. He yelled at my stepson. “Come here. Explain why you started a fight.” My stepson, Leo, had red, teary eyes. “He cursed at me first.” “He said my mom is a barren hen who can’t lay eggs. He said my dad is a trash collector, and my mom is just garbage his uncle threw away and my dad picked up.” “I couldn’t hold back, so I…” The teacher cut him off. “Enough! I can tell you’re lying right away.” “Hitting people is wrong. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, who knows what kind of delinquent you’ll become.” “Hold out your hand.” Leo bit his lip fiercely. “I won’t! He cursed at me first—” Before he could finish, the teacher raised the ruler and slammed it down hard on the back of Leo’s hand. I didn’t have any deep feelings for this boy named Leo. I only came here to go through the motions. But in that moment, this teacher was crossing a massive line. I yelled at them. “Excuse me, teacher! You hit him without even asking for the full story. What, do you think he doesn’t have parents to defend him?!” Chapter 3 Everyone turned to look at me. The first one to react was my stepson, Leo. The moment he saw me, he lunged forward. “Mom! Hunter hit me!” Saying that, he wrapped his arms tightly around my legs. My legs trembled a bit. This was the first time a child had ever hugged me. It was also the first time I realized that a child’s hands could be so small and so soft. I didn’t shake him off. I glared sharply at the homeroom teacher. “You said my son was making excuses, yet you hit him without even investigating. What kind of teacher does that make you?” The teacher ground his teeth in anger. “What does an ignorant woman like you know?” As soon as he said that, Hunter, standing next to the teacher, sneered. “Teacher, she’s not a real woman. She’s just a barren hen our family kicked out.” “She was married to my uncle for seven years and couldn’t pop out a single egg. She’s a piece of trash the Sterlings threw away!” I clenched my fists. Look at this. This was the Sterling family. Even a child felt entitled to humiliate me with such vile words. I didn’t respond to Hunter. I crouched down and whispered to Leo. “Can you beat him in a fight?” Leo froze for a second, then nodded. “Then go over there and beat him up right now.” “If you start losing, I’ll have the nanny behind me help you.” Leo’s eyes instantly lit up with wild joy. I gave him a light smack on the rear. “Go.” Leo shot forward like a rocket, charging straight at Hunter. I had seen Leo practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at home before. He was only six, but he was incredibly strong. So when I saw he was getting bullied by a spoiled brat like Hunter, I had thought it was strange. But getting hit didn’t matter. As long as he hit back. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Hunter was pinned to the ground by Leo, wailing and crying for his life. The teacher panicked and rushed forward in a rage. “You little punk! You dare hit the Sterling heir? I’ll kill you!” He raised the heavy ruler, aiming right for Leo’s back. I looked at the nanny and roared. “What are you standing there for?! Pull that teacher off and slap his face!” The nanny looked at me in terror. “But…” I cut her off sharply. “If you don’t do it right now, pack your bags and get out of my house tonight!” Backed into a corner, the nanny rolled up her sleeves and charged at the teacher. She violently grabbed his hair and yanked him to the floor. “How dare you bully my young master!” She sat on top of the teacher and slapped him across the face three times in rapid succession. Smack! Smack! Smack! The hallway descended into total chaos. Hunter was pinned on the floor by Leo, screaming. The teacher was pinned on the floor by the nanny, also screaming. I watched the scene unfold. A mocking smirk crept onto my lips. A barren hen who couldn’t lay an egg for seven years? Fine, I’ll show you exactly how vicious this hen can be. While I was enjoying the view, a freezing voice came from behind me. “Stop it! What do you think you’re doing?!” Hearing Arthur’s voice, my grip on my phone tightened again. But I didn’t turn around. I coldly ordered the nanny and Leo: “Keep hitting them. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take the blame.” Arthur finally recognized me. He walked over in disbelief and grabbed my wrist. “Stella? What are you doing here?” His grip hurt my wrist. I backhanded him right across the face. Then I quickly took two steps back and yelled at him. “Arthur, keep your hands to yourself. What the hell do you think you’re doing grabbing me?” Arthur was stunned by the slap, staring at me in total shock. But a second later, his nephew Hunter started bawling. “Uncle Arthur! Uncle Arthur, save me!” Arthur glared at me with resentment and rushed over to Hunter. He grabbed Leo by the collar and yanked him off. Leo was smart. The moment his feet touched the ground, he ran straight to me and hid behind my back. The nanny quickly ran over to our side too. Arthur looked at Hunter’s bruised and swollen face, frowning deeply as he yelled at me. “Stella, you know Hunter has a weak constitution, and you still let your kid beat him up?!” “What happened to you?” “You don’t look like a proper lady at all anymore!” That phrase again. It reminded me of those seven years of marriage. Whenever I complained to him that his sister purposely provoked his mother about my infertility, causing me to be locked in the cold cellar… Arthur would make that exact face of disgust. “Stella, what happened to you? You’re always nagging and complaining. You don’t act like a proper lady at all.” Then, he would toss his phone on the couch and impatiently lock himself in his study. In the past, every time I watched his retreating back, I would cry in silence. But now, I just smirked in mockery. “I don’t give a damn if Hunter has a weak constitution.” “Let me tell you right now, if your nephew ever lays a finger on my stepson again, I will have my stepson beat him half to death.” “And watch your nephew’s mouth. If he ever spreads rumors about me again, I won’t hesitate to have my brother visit the Sterling Group and ask if your whole family is just a bunch of trash-talking gossips.” I thought Arthur would explode in anger. After all, during our seven-year marriage, because I felt guilty about not having kids, I never dared talk back to him once. But to my surprise, after hearing my words, his eyes filled with pain. “You… you got married? You actually got married?!” I paused for a second. I didn’t expect Arthur to not know I had remarried. But thinking about it, it made sense. When we divorced, he was probably sick to death of me. After I left the Sterling estate, he definitely didn’t want to hear a single piece of news about me. I just smirked. “What, you can get married, but I can’t?” With that, I pulled Leo forward. “Go get your sister. We’re dropping out of this school.” Then I looked at the homeroom teacher, who was holding his bleeding mouth in shock. “Congratulations. After today, no school in this city will ever hire you again.” “I’ll have my brother send a memo to every board of education blacklisting you.” The teacher forgot all about the pain in his mouth. “I… I… I…” I just looked at him with disdain. “Let this be a lesson. It’s not just the Sterling kids who are precious. My Hayes kids are precious, too.” Finally, I looked at Arthur, whose face was pale and stunned. “Arthur, from now on, if you see me, walk the other way. Otherwise, I’ll beat you up every time I see you.” “If you ever dare touch me again, I’ll chop your hand off.” With that, I turned and walked away without giving him another glance. After seven years of marriage, we had finally become strangers.
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