The wedding had reached the ring exchange. My husband, Adrian Blake, stood there, but it was Sienna Lowell, his beloved, who appeared in a wedding dress, standing right in front of him. She looked at him and asked, “Adrian, you once promised me that if I ever wore a wedding dress, you’d marry me in the next life. Does that still hold true?” In an instant, Adrian’s eyes reddened. He pulled Sienna into a tight embrace and said, his voice thick with emotion, “Yes. In the next life, you will be my bride, and only you.” Sienna shot me a smug look. “Eleanor, you’ll have to take good care of Adrian for me.” Guests murmured among themselves, eager to see me make a fool of myself. I stood there, watching the two of them kiss passionately, completely oblivious to everything around them. With a smile, I shoved my bouquet into Sienna’s hands. “If that’s the case, why don’t you just marry him? “You’re just the other woman. No matter how sweetly you speak, it won’t change the truth.” ***** Eight years of marriage, and I swallowed my bitterness, bending over backward to please the Blake family, all in the hopes of saving this loveless, business-driven marriage. Then, unexpectedly, I got pregnant, and that was when the Blake family finally agreed to give me a wedding. I thought that with a child on the way, Adrian might finally come around. But right now, he was still holding Sienna, the one he had always cherished, kissing her as if the world didn’t matter. My heart twisted in pain as I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. In that moment, I couldn’t take it anymore. Why did I always have to sacrifice for everyone else? Because of my words, Sienna went pale, almost collapsing into Adrian’s arms. “Adrian… I feel so sick. Is it my condition acting up?” Adrian’s face turned pale as he scooped her up and rushed out of the hotel. Before he left, he turned to me, furiously shouting, “Eleanor, your jealousy is completely irrational. If anything happens to Sienna, I swear I won’t forgive you!” Neither Adrian’s parents nor my own father could stop him. The cameras flashed relentlessly, and the priest stood awkwardly beside me. My father slapped me across the face, his anger erupting. “You worthless fool! Can’t even keep your husband.” With that, he told me to think things through and left me standing there, alone. Adrian’s mother shot me a cold look. “Eleanor, don’t blame me for saying this, but why are you throwing a tantrum in front of everyone? Now you’ve driven Adrian away, and all anyone’s going to do is laugh at both our families!” To Adrian’s mother, being married to him meant swallowing all your hurt and never humiliating him publicly. How ridiculous. If that was what was expected of me, then I wouldn’t marry him. As the guests trickled out, I walked outside, clutching my wedding dress, watching the cars drive away one by one. The storm was fierce, lightning flashing, rain pouring. Behind me, the once-bustling banquet hall stood empty. When the Blake family’s car finally drove off, my father’s car pulled up in front of me. The back window rolled down, revealing my father’s grim expression. The hurt I had been holding inside hit me all at once. I bit back the tears, my voice trembling as I said, “Dad…” Just as I reached for the door handle, I heard the sound of it locking. I froze in disbelief. My father’s voice was cold with fury. “Eleanor, this marriage was bought with your mother’s life. You’d better reflect on yourself and find a way to win Adrian back. “You’re carrying his child now. No matter what, Sienna can’t compete with you.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “Dad, what are you saying?” He ignored me, ordered the driver to start the car, and with the window rolling back up, the car sped off. The hem of my wedding dress got soaked by the rain, and as I watched the car disappear into the distance, the tears I’d been holding back finally began to fall. The hotel was on top of a mountain with no signal or taxis. I borrowed an umbrella from a staff member, noticing the pity in her eyes as she handed it to me. Holding the umbrella and my heavy wedding dress, I trudged down the mountain in my high heels. The rain soaked me through, and every step became harder than the last. The heels of my shoes dug into my feet, leaving them raw and bleeding. Finally, halfway down the mountain, I got a signal on my phone. A dozen missed calls from Adrian popped up. There was also a text. He wanted to know why I couldn’t stand Sienna, insisting she was just a friend to him. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Adrian and I had been childhood sweethearts, and Sienna was just a poor girl I had helped back in high school. When I was eighteen, Adrian came to visit my family. But then a fire broke out. My mother pushed him out with her last strength, sacrificing herself in the flames. Her last words to him were, “Adrian, take care of Eleanor.” We had gotten engaged, and he had promised me he would always take care of me. But in college, he met Sienna. She took advantage of my kindness, worming her way between us until she captured his heart. The person who had once promised to protect me now had someone else he wanted to protect more.
I snapped back to reality when my phone pinged with a video. It was from Sienna. In the video, Adrian was holding her close, his eyes red, repeatedly kissing her forehead as he begged, “Sienna, please, don’t let anything happen to you.” A sharp pang hit my chest as I recalled the time I had a car accident, my legs crushed and shattered. I was left lying in a pool of blood until strangers rushed me to the hospital. When I came to, I begged them to call Adrian. His response was cold and indifferent. “What’s the point of calling if you’re not dead? Am I a doctor? What do you expect me to do?” I spent a month in the hospital, but he never showed up. Later, I learned that on that day, Sienna and he had gotten into a fight, and when she accidentally fell down the stairs and hurt her ankle, all his anger and worry shifted onto me. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, my heart heavy with self-mockery. It took me all these years to realize that I had wasted eight years of my life on a man who wasn’t worth a second of it. I walked down the mountain, ready to take a taxi when Adrian’s call came in. I answered, and his voice came at me like a slap. “Eleanor, Sienna is having an anxiety attack because of you. Get over here and apologize!” Struggling to hold my umbrella against the fierce wind, I replied, “I’m still at the hotel.” At that moment, a thunderstorm cracked overhead, and the rain came down harder. Adrian faltered for a moment, his tone suddenly tinged with concern. “You’re alone at the hotel? Didn’t they take you back? Where’s the driver? “Forget it. I’ll come get you…” Before he could finish, Sienna’s voice broke through, thick with tears. “Adrian, is Eleanor still mad at me? It’s all my fault… “I love you so much. I know I’m not as good as her…” Adrian immediately rushed to comfort her. A few seconds later, he barked into the phone, “Eleanor, what’s your problem? Why make such a big deal out of something so small? If you could just be more generous, I wouldn’t…” All the lingering attachment I had vanished in an instant. A bitter smile curled on my lips as I cut him off. “Adrian, let’s get a divorce. “I’m not apologizing to Sienna. I’ll step aside. Let the two of you have each other.” If they were so in love, then I’d make way for this pair of scumbags. It was him who promised to love me forever and take care of me for the rest of my life. I believed in him, and that was why I chose him. Why couldn’t he just stay true to it? I hung up and took a taxi. Without a second thought, I told the driver to take me to the hospital. The wind and rain battered the car window, and with every drop that hit the glass, the numbness in my heart slowly started to come back. When I entered the hospital, the nurse took one look at my wedding dress and asked if I needed help. I forced a smile. “Can you schedule an abortion for me?” The nurse froze, her eyes full of sympathy. As I paid for the procedure, I noticed Adrian and Sienna nearby. They didn’t see me, but I overheard their conversation. Adrian’s voice was icy. “Sienna, Eleanor needs to apologize for what she’s done. “She’s been with me for eight years, and no one else is ever going to want her. If she still wants to be my wife, she’d better start listening.” I stood frozen in the corner. I thought after everything that had happened today, my heart wouldn’t hurt anymore, but it still did. As I lay on the operating table, I saw the ultrasound image of the baby. A tear slipped from my eye. The doctor said, “The baby is healthy. Are you sure you don’t want to keep it? “You can still discuss it with the father.” I thought of their smug faces, gritted my teeth, and replied, “No. Just get rid of it.”
After the surgery, I spent two days in the hospital. When I finally went home, it felt eerily quiet and empty. It seemed like Adrian had been with Sienna this whole time. Just as I was lost in thought, Sienna’s message popped up, right on cue. It was a video. There was Adrian in the kitchen, wearing an apron, cooking for her. Sienna sent a message: [Eleanor, so what if you married Adrian? He only loves me.] I clicked my tongue. Of course, she’d included more pictures, just to rub it in. Her social media had been flooded with updates, her with Adrian, getting all this attention for being spoiled and doted on. Everyone was watching, envying her. I quickly took screenshots of everything and saved them as evidence, then blocked her. After packing up my things, I checked into a hotel. I took a long bath, then collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. I hadn’t gone into work these past few days, just resting at the hotel. In the meantime, my dad had called me a few times. When he found out I wasn’t with Adrian, he immediately started yelling. “If you don’t fix things with Adrian, you’re not my daughter!” I didn’t hesitate. “I’m not going back to him.” Then, I blocked him too. When I finally showed up at the office, I noticed everyone was acting weird around me. My secretary came up to me, looking uneasy. “Ms. Sterling, there’s a huge scandal online! No one knew you and Mr. Blake were married… “Everyone thought Sienna was his wife.” I pulled up the news and immediately saw the headline: [Heiress Steals Groom!] I glanced through the post, and it was just another scandalous story about a high-society wedding gone wrong. The headline painted a picture of the groom abandoning his wife to run off with his lover. Even the Blake Group had been dragged through the mud. Then, Adrian called. “Eleanor, you need to handle the online mess! What have you been doing all this time?” I snorted, “This is your problem, not mine. You can deal with it.” Before, I would’ve jumped in to help him clean up his mess, but now, I didn’t owe him anything anymore. Later, when work was over, Adrian was waiting for me outside the building. He rushed over, grabbed my arm, and practically shoved me into his car. “Why are you still throwing a tantrum? Sienna almost had a breakdown, and you’re still acting like this? You’re being petty. “You’re 30, for crying out loud. Stop throwing these childish fits. “Fine. I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant, and we’ll call it even.” He handed me a gift box. Inside was a butterfly brooch. The price tag was still attached, and the six-figure price practically slapped me in the face. It reminded me of how, whenever we fought in the past, he would buy me things, cook for me, or make a list of stuff for me to choose from, trying to fix things with some shallow gesture. But now, it felt so hollow, like I was supposed to just accept whatever he threw my way. I ignored the smug look on his face, tossing the box aside in the car. “I don’t want it. Give it to Sienna instead. She might like it more. “After all, she’s already wearing the wedding ring you gave me yesterday. One more ring won’t make a difference.” His expression immediately shifted, the smugness fading as a flicker of unease passed over his face. I continued, “Look, I’m not throwing a tantrum here. I’ve just come to my senses. Since you and Sienna are so determined to be together, I’ll step aside. We’ll find a time, and you can divorce me.” It was almost laughable. When Adrian and I first got married, he’d claimed he was too busy to have a wedding, and I didn’t mind. But then, one night at a gathering, I saw them, Adrian holding Sienna close, surrounded by friends. He’d said, “I don’t feel much for Eleanor anymore. “Her mom saved me, and her family’s company helps mine. Giving her a title is just my way of repaying her. “But my love? That’s for Sienna, and only her.” I stood there outside the door, my heart breaking as they kissed, oblivious to the pain they were causing. Our marriage was nothing but a bargain and gesture of sympathy. And now, I didn’t want it anymore. Adrian’s eyes were blazing red with anger. He slammed his hand hard on the steering wheel and shouted, “Eleanor, are you threatening me now? “All these years you’ve been kissing up to my family like a dog, and you’ve gone to all that trouble just to get pregnant with my kid. What? You don’t want to be my wife anymore? “It’s not like I didn’t plan on giving you a wedding. I’ll make it up to you next time! We’re already married, and yet Sienna still gets nothing. How long are you going to keep dragging this out?” He always thought I’d used some kind of trick to get pregnant with his child. But the truth was, that night, he’d been drunk and said that if I wanted to secure my place, I needed to have a child. And after one night of madness, I got pregnant. But now, Adrian regretted it. He honked the car horn sharply, his frustration mounting. If it were me from the past, I’d apologize, grovel, whatever it took. But today, I just didn’t care anymore. Adrian drove in silence, his face tense, clearly waiting for me to beg for his forgiveness. But I didn’t say a word. His eyes flicked to me, looking confused. I closed my eyes and turned my face to the window, pretending I didn’t see him. “Dear,” he said awkwardly, like he wasn’t sure how to address me anymore. But I acted like I didn’t hear. Just as we were nearing our destination, Sienna was calling him. Her voice came through, sweet but trembling with fake tears. “Adrian, the power went out at my place, and I’m all alone, so scared… I feel like there are eyes on me… Am I going to die?” I was about to lose my patience. Anyone could tell she was faking it, but Adrian, as usual, was blind to it, falling for her act every time. Before he could speak, I cut him off, “Pull over. You go ahead.” Adrian blinked, clearly stunned. “Aren’t you jealous? Don’t you want to throw a tantrum and beg me to stay?” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. In the past, I’d have thrown a fit whenever Adrian was about to go see Sienna. He’d yell at me, calling me petty, accusing me of being a jealous wife. And he’d tell me to learn from Sienna, how she was always so sweet and kind. I grabbed my bag, opened the door, and was about to get out of the car when Adrian grabbed my wrist. “Eleanor, I’ll just check on her. I’ll be right back. “Go home and wait for me. Don’t worry. You’re the only one who can be my wife.” I interrupted him. “Don’t waste time. She needs you right now, so hurry up and go.” Adrian tightened his grip on my wrist. “Don’t be jealous…” I pulled my hand free, grinning. “I’m not.” I stepped out of the car and hailed a taxi back to the hotel. After grabbing a quick bite, I went straight to bed. I didn’t know how much time had passed before Adrian’s call woke me up. His voice was hesitant, but urgent. “Eleanor, Sienna really needs me right now. You go ahead and eat. Don’t wait for me.” I yawned, completely unbothered. “I already ate.” There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then his voice came back, a little sharper, tinged with frustration. “Are you doing this on purpose?” I chuckled coldly and hung up, sinking back into bed to sleep. The next morning, I woke up to a dozen missed calls and a barrage of messages from him, each one more desperate than the last. [Eleanor, so you want to play this game, huh? Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!] I still didn’t get what he meant. But when I got to the office and saw that Sienna had been promoted to director, with all my projects now under her name, I finally understood. Sienna had been parading around in front of me, acting all high and mighty, and I’d just brushed her off as a joke. Meanwhile, Adrian was picking her up for lunch every day, buying her gifts, and looking at me like I was the enemy. I honestly wondered if his brain had gone off the rails. The gossip online was blowing up, but the Blake Group hadn’t said a word in response. It wasn’t until two days later that Adrian showed up at my door, and the first thing he said was, “Next week, you’re coming with me to a press conference to clear the air. We’re going to announce that Sienna isn’t the mistress. “It’s you who ruined my relationship with her, and you trapped me into marrying you by getting pregnant.” “Are you out of your mind?” I shot him a sharp look. Adrian clearly didn’t like my response, but he pressed on. “Look, after this whole mess, you’re still my wife. It’s just a little public criticism. “You’ve got the Sterling family behind you, but Sienna only has me. “And this whole situation? It’s a result of your impulsiveness at the wedding. You need to deal with it.” I didn’t even think twice and slapped him hard across the face. “Adrian, you’re disgusting. “Get out!” He froze for a second, clearly shocked, but didn’t try to retaliate. He left in a fit of rage, his pride wounded. Honestly, his words were almost laughable. Why should I help him and Sienna fix their mess? Did they think I was some kind of pushover? Not long after, his parents came knocking. With an air of superiority, they said, “Eleanor, don’t think that just because you’re pregnant with Adrian’s child, you can do whatever you want. “Your family still depends on our family’s support, and if you don’t want the contract to get canceled, you better do what Adrian tells you.” I gave them the same cold attitude I’d given Adrian. Then, without another word, I resigned from the Blake Group. I wasn’t desperate for a job. As I was a top-tier university graduate, companies were lining up for me. But when I reached out to them, everyone hesitated. I knew it was the Blake family pulling strings. But I wasn’t going to back down. Then, out of the blue, an overseas investment firm reached out. They were looking for an investment manager, and the pay was just as good as what I’d get locally. I hesitated, thinking about my dad being the only one at home. “Let me think about it, and I’ll get back to you soon.” As soon as I got back to the hotel, the butler called. “Ms. Sterling, Mr. Sterling is having an asthma attack. You should come home right away.” I panicked and rushed back. But when I opened the door, to my surprise, Adrian and his mother were there. My dad was sitting with them, happily sipping coffee and chatting. I froze, my heart sinking. I’d been betrayed again. To my father, I was nothing more than a pawn. At dinner, Adrian, ever the “thoughtful” husband, picked up food for me. My dad, seeing this, couldn’t stop praising him. “Eleanor, look how good Adrian is to you. Why are you still holding a grudge?” It was sickening. He was supposed to be the elder, yet here he was, groveling at Adrian’s feet because our company was struggling. He turned to Adrian’s mother, chatting as if I weren’t even there. “At the wedding, Eleanor was just too willful. I’ve already given her a good talking to.” My dad’s behavior made all my efforts over the past few days seem like a joke. Adrian shot me a smug look. “Peter, you’re exaggerating. “Eleanor and I are married, so I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. But as for the press conference…” The smugness in his voice made my stomach churn. I couldn’t hold it in anymore, slamming my glass down hard. “Enough, Dad, am I even your daughter? “Why is it that every time something happens, you never stand by me? I’ve told you a hundred times. I’m done with Adrian!” Adrian frowned, unable to understand why I was being so stubborn. I used to cave in whenever he spoke. My dad, angry, slammed his fork down and grabbed the ashtray. Without warning, he threw it at my head. Blood immediately started to trickle down. He snapped, “Eleanor, you’re not a kid anymore! You’re thirty years old. “Being with Adrian, you should be grateful and take good care of his family. “And now you’re talking about divorce? Over something so small at the wedding? You’re not just thinking about yourself. What about our family and the baby you’re carrying?” The pain in my head was intense. Adrian was stunned. He rushed to my side, clearly shaken. “Are you alright? I’ll take you to the hospital.” He glared at my dad. “Peter, Eleanor is my wife, and she’s carrying my child. If you ever raise your hand to her again, I won’t let it slide.” My dad’s face changed, and for the first time, he looked a little afraid. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly and pushed Adrian’s hand away. “What are you pretending for? You’re the one who set all this up, aren’t you?” For a rare moment, I saw panic flash across his face, and he stammered, “Eleanor… let me explain…” “Fine. If you all want me to take the blame for Sienna being the third party, I’ll do it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when it all blows up!” I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the house. As I slid into the car, I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Adrian chasing after me. He stood outside for a long time, his figure fading in the distance. His calls and texts flooded in. [Eleanor, I know this has been unfair to you. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.] [I’ll arrange another wedding for us. This time, I’ll make sure it’s everything you deserve.] I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. He knew I was wronged, but what did that change? Every time something involving Sienna came up, Adrian lost all sense of reason, and I was always going to be the one left holding the bag. I deleted his contact and blocked him without a second thought. After that, I went to the hospital to get my wounds treated. When I got home, my dad’s phone calls were relentless. “Eleanor, are you trying to kill me? If you don’t go make things right with Adrian, I’ll just let my asthma take me!” His voice, full of anger and frustration, made me close my eyes in exhaustion. When my mom was still around, my dad pampered me like no one else. But after she passed, and after my engagement to Adrian, it felt like he slowly started changing. I’d once been the recipient of so much love from both of them… I replied, “Your body is yours, Dad. If you want to suffer, go ahead, but I won’t stop you.” Then I hung up. I shot off a message to the company abroad, letting them know I was ready to join. ***** The press conference was scheduled for Monday. It was also the day the Sterling and Blake families would announce their partnership to develop a new product. It was almost comical. Even now, with everything going on, they were still trying to milk the media for profit. When I arrived in a white suit, the media swarmed around me instantly. Adrian and Sienna showed up shortly after, stepping out of the car. Seeing me surrounded by reporters, Adrian rushed forward and pulled me into his arms. “Make way! Clear the path!” I tried to pull away, but he leaned in and whispered urgently, “Be careful. You’re pregnant.” Flashes from the cameras hit me, blinding me for a moment. I let him guide me inside, ignoring the chaos. Once we were inside, the journalists had already set up their equipment. Sienna shot me a smug, taunting smile. I smirked internally, curious to see if she’d still be smiling in a minute. The interview kicked off, and two reporters immediately stood up, throwing sharp questions my way. “Ms. Sterling, don’t you feel ashamed for meddling in Ms. Lowell and Mr. Blake’s relationship?” “I heard you married Mr. Blake by drugging him, sleeping with him, and using dirty tricks to get pregnant. Is that really how the Sterling family raises their daughters?” “I’ve also heard that Ms. Lowell’s anxiety disorder was caused by you. Is that true?” Before I could respond, Adrian, looking as though he’d just seen a ghost, snapped, “Who told you to ask that?” I shot him a cold look, scoffing inwardly. There was no way he didn’t know what I’d be facing at this press conference. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, filled with regret and helplessness, but I wasn’t going to spare him a second glance. I took the microphone, smiling lightly. “Since you two are obviously such good friends of Sienna, I understand why you’d have no problem spreading rumors. I’ve heard worse.” They looked guilty but still tried to play tough. “Ms. Sterling, you keep avoiding the question. Are you feeling guilty?” I simply smiled back at them. Seeing my attitude, they didn’t dare press any further. After all, with so many cameras around, finding out who they were wouldn’t take much effort. Sienna, sensing something was off, pretended to look pale and weak, swaying on her feet. Adrian immediately rushed to her side and held her up. “Sienna, are you feeling bad again?” “I feel terrible, Adrian. I want to go home.” He glanced over at me briefly, then grabbed her hand. “Just a little longer. It’ll be over soon.” Sienna gritted her teeth, clinging to his arm like a lifeline. I watched them coldly, tuning out their drama as the questions kept coming, still filled with words like “homewrecker” and “shameless”. When it seemed like things were winding down, I opened my bag, pulled out a USB drive, and clicked it open. “You all like calling me the mistress? Why don’t you take a look and see who the real one is?” With that, the screen behind me flickered to life, instantly showing a series of photos of Sienna from her time studying abroad. Those were all images of her in intimate poses with several different men.
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