Everyone said Liam Blackwood was absolutely obsessed with me. Even after my mother and I were kicked out of our home, he still went through with our engagement. He even rehearsed our perfect wedding ninety-nine times, all by himself, just for me. They had no idea. The brides at those weddings? They were chosen by drawing lots from the ninety-nine kept women Liam Blackwood maintained. “Ava, you’re already Mrs. Blackwood. It’s just a wedding for each of them. That’s not asking too much, right?” I numbly took the large box of cash he handed me, then rushed to the hospital. It wasn’t until my own wedding, when he walked down the aisle with my father’s illegitimate daughter, that I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. “Anyone else, but why her?” I choked out. A chilling smile played on Liam’s lips. “She’s carrying my child.” “Ava, be generous. Don’t be like your mother. She got so old, and you still had to beg people for her medical bills.” Under the mocking stares of every single guest, I clutched the money and fled in a panic. But at the hospital entrance, I saw my mother plunge. Her blood splattered across my face, her eyes wide. With her last breath, she rasped, “Ava Sterling, don’t ever beg him again.”
I clutched my mother’s rapidly stiffening body, my own blood turning to ice. My mouth hung open, but no sound escaped. Liam Blackwood’s phone rang, a frantic sound. I answered it instinctively. His lazy voice drifted through the line. “Ava, it’s Skylar’s and my wedding night. We’re out of protection at the house. Go buy a box and bring it back.” My fingers trembled, ready to hang up, but his voice came again. “Oh, right. And grab a box of milk candies. My little one’s afraid of pain, I’ll just sweet-talk her.” My mind flashed back to the night Liam Blackwood came to pick up my mother and me from our run-down apartment. He gently slid a ring onto my finger. “Trying to hide from me? You had me looking for so long.” “Even if you’re not the Thorne family’s eldest daughter, you’re still my wife, Ava. I’ll give you a perfect wedding.” On our first night, I was in so much pain I teared up. He slipped a milk candy into my mouth and murmured tenderly, “My little one, will sweetening you up with a milk candy make you forgive me?” Even though I knew about Liam Blackwood’s notorious playboy reputation, I still greedily fell in love with him. I never cared about those kept women. I knew he was just putting on a show. But Skylar Thorne was different. He allowed her to carry his child. In our five years of marriage, no matter how passionate Liam got, he always made sure to use protection. My greed finally met its punishment. His one exception was the person I hated most. If not for Skylar Thorne, my mother wouldn’t have lost her husband, and I wouldn’t have lost my father. He hung up first, as always. I stared blankly as the funeral home staff took my mother away. When they handed me a small box, I finally lost control, sobbing uncontrollably. After getting the death certificate, a call came in. “Miss Sterling, the DNA report shows that your mother was Mr. Sterling Senior’s biological daughter, lost years ago.” “Your plane tickets are booked. Would you like to meet your grandfather? Don’t worry, the old man isn’t as terrifying as rumors suggest.” I clutched my mother’s urn tightly, tears streaming down my face. “Yes.” “Then in three days, bring your identification. Someone will pick you up.” I returned home numbly, only to hear a group of drunken playboys loudly discussing. “Liam, Skylar Thorne is your wife’s half-sister. Didn’t you hate her the most? How did she suddenly become the bride for today’s wedding?” Liam Blackwood slowly swirled his red wine, chuckling softly. “Can’t help it. The mother of my child needs to have noble origins.” After the guys cheered, someone cautiously asked, “So, Liam, what about your wife?” Liam’s smile turned wicked. “Ava? Oh, she’s very obedient. I’ve been with other women right in front of her, and she’d still obediently hand me protection. It’s just a wedding. I can always give her another one later, right?” The group burst into laughter. “Liam, aren’t you worried your wife will actually get angry and leave? After all, if not for Skylar Thorne, your wife would still be the Thorne family’s eldest daughter!” Liam replied indifferently, “No way. Even if I kick her out, she’ll still kneel on the ground, crying and begging me not to abandon her.” “After all, her frail mother still depended on me to keep her alive.” I staggered backward, bumping into someone who had silently appeared behind me. “Sister, you’re back.” I turned, my eyes darkening as I saw Skylar Thorne’s face. “I don’t have a sister.” I turned to walk out the side door, but Skylar suddenly shrieked. “Ah!” Instantly, the chatter in the living room ceased.
Liam Blackwood walked over, hands in his pockets. He saw Skylar Thorne on the floor and gave me a meaningful look. “Did you push her?” Skylar quickly explained, “No, no, Sister didn’t push me. I just tripped accidentally.” Then she sobbed softly, “Liam, my stomach hurts a bit. Is the baby…?” Liam clicked his tongue, then scooped Skylar up in his arms. He looked back at me, his voice cold. “Come here.” He carried Skylar back into the mansion, setting her gently on his lap, like a delicate, precious gem. The playboys exchanged glances and quietly cleared out. I walked in silently. The playboy I brushed past whistled, as if watching a show. Before, no matter how much of a playboy Liam Blackwood was, they never dared to openly disrespect me. They were smart enough to see that Liam’s treatment of Skylar Thorne was different from the ninety-nine kept women outside. So, I was now treated like those kept women – free for anyone to tease and toy with. When I realized this, a sharp, jagged pain sliced through my already numb heart. He didn’t ask anything. He just looked at me with cold indifference. “Ava, apologize.” I bit my lip hard until my mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood. “I didn’t push her.” A cruel smile played on Liam Blackwood’s lips. He instructed the butler, “Go get the madam’s cat.” My pupils constricted. “What are you doing?” Liam Blackwood’s smile was savage. “Ava, Skylar is different from those other women. She’s my business partner, the Thorne Group’s eldest daughter, and she’s carrying my child.” “I cannot tolerate anyone bullying the mother of my child, including you.” “So, you need to pay a price to understand your mistake.” The moment he finished speaking, the cat was thrown into a pot of scalding liquid, letting out a horrific shriek. I lunged forward, but Liam Blackwood grabbed me. He pressed my head down onto the table, making me watch as my little cat, who had been with me for ten years, was scalded alive. Liam Blackwood leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Ava Sterling, this time it’s just the cat. If you dare to bully Skylar again, next time, you’ll have to consider your mother’s life.” The tears welling in my eyes fell silently. The memories of him protecting me in front of those kept women now felt like a cruel boomerang, striking me right in the heart. Next, Liam Blackwood placed a divorce agreement in front of me. “Sign it. My child can’t be born out of wedlock.” I trembled as I stared at the cat floating in the pot. It had been my only solace when my mother and I were thrown out of our home. Now, like my mother, it was completely gone. This marriage no longer held any meaning. I took the agreement and swiftly signed my name. Liam Blackwood frowned imperceptibly, seeing no hesitation in me. He gave a soft “Hmph.” “Since you’re no longer Mrs. Blackwood, move to the staff quarters. Your mother’s future medical expenses will be earned through your labor.” I forced a bitter smile, recalling my mother’s dying wish. I said faintly, “No need.” Just then, sounds of vomiting came from my room. My heart sank. I rushed into the room, only to see my mother’s handmade bedsheet covered in vomit. Skylar Thorne got up, looking apologetic. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sister. I just couldn’t hold it in.” She then pulled a ten-dollar bill from her wallet. “This bedsheet looks old anyway. Here, ten dollars for it.” *“Slap!”* My eyes were bloodshot. I slapped her hard across the face. “Skylar Thorne, you’ve gone too far!” Skylar Thorne clutched her face, looking utterly wronged at Liam Blackwood behind her. “Liam, I didn’t mean it. I already apologized to Sister.” The next moment, a searing pain exploded on my own cheek.
He used all his strength, knocking me to the ground, without even sparing me a glance. He walked straight to Skylar Thorne, carefully checking her face. “Are you okay?” Skylar Thorne whimpered, burying her face in Liam Blackwood’s embrace. “It’s my fault. I ruined Sister’s bedsheet with my vomit.” Liam Blackwood’s gaze finally fell on the stained bed. He said indifferently, “Burn it.” “No! That’s my mother’s! I can wash it myself, don’t burn it!” But he knew perfectly well that I had nightmares every night and could only sleep peacefully while holding that bedsheet. He ignored my pleading gaze and instructed the housemaids behind him, “When the new madam moves in, throw out all these old things.” *“CRASH!”* The wedding photo on the wall crashed to the floor, swept out of the room like trash. Yet, all I could hear was his vow from when we took those photos. He had once sworn in front of everyone, “I, Liam Blackwood, will only ever love Ava Sterling.” When the bedsheet caught fire, I rushed to the brazier, grabbed it with my bare hands, and smothered the flames with my body. Blisters immediately swelled on my hands. Liam Blackwood rushed over in a flash, grabbing my hand, his eyes sharp. “Does it hurt?” Skylar Thorne suddenly clutched her stomach, pointing at the already opened urn. “I’m allergic to dust. Why is Sister bringing back a pile of ashes?” “Cough, cough, cough! Liam, help me!” I lunged forward. “No!” But my mother’s ashes were kicked over by Skylar Thorne. I could no longer control the rage burning within me. I rushed at her, tearing at her hair, my eyes blazing red. “You did that on purpose?!” “Slut! Wasn’t it enough that your mother was a homewrecker who seduced my father? Now you’re rushing to be a mistress, stealing someone else’s husband!” Skylar Thorne shrieked, “Liam, Sister’s gone crazy! She’s going to kill me!” I squeezed Skylar Thorne’s neck with all my might, but Liam Blackwood kicked me away. The moment I fell to the ground, fresh blood streamed from beneath me. I crawled to gather my mother’s ashes, leaving a glaring trail of blood across the floor. Tears dripped onto the ashes. “Mom, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” But the next moment, Liam Blackwood snatched the urn from my arms. He coldly emptied all of my mother’s ashes into the toilet! *“WHOOSH!”* The sound of the flushing water almost shattered my eardrums. I knelt there, stunned, in front of the toilet, looking up to meet Liam Blackwood’s gaze, my eyes burning red. “Liam Blackwood, I will never! Never forgive you!” His eyes flashed with shock and pain, but it was only for an instant. Skylar Thorne held the handful of hair I’d torn out, crying like a wilting flower. “Liam, Sister pulled out so much of my hair! I don’t want to have your baby now, having babies makes you so ugly!” Liam Blackwood tenderly picked her up, cooing, “No, you won’t, Skylar is the most beautiful girl in the world, she won’t turn ugly.” Then, his gaze fell on me, like I was a lifeless object. He ordered the maid standing outside, “Get me some scissors.” He took the scissors, stood before me, and contemptuously pinched my chin. “Ava Sterling, have I been spoiling you too much?” With that, he pressed the scissors against my scalp, cutting off my long hair, strand by strand, as if he were trimming useless weeds. Just the day before our wedding, he had held my hair, treating it like a precious treasure, “I love Ava’s long hair the most.” He didn’t stop until my head was practically bare, with only a few sparse strands left. Then, Liam Blackwood threw the scissors aside. He turned, embraced Skylar Thorne, and reverently kissed her hair. “Do you still think you’re ugly now?” Skylar Thorne’s tears turned to laughter. She looked at me, her eyes full of triumph. “Heh, Sister looks like a little clown!”
My eyes stared blankly at everything before me. I cried and laughed at the same time. Pointing at Liam Blackwood, my voice was icy. “You will regret this.” But Liam Blackwood had someone bring a dog leash. He casually applied ointment to Skylar Thorne’s wound, not even looking up. “Tomorrow is Skylar’s birthday party. It seems the only way to keep you in line is to tie you up.” A maid stepped forward to fasten the leash around my neck. Her eyes widened when she saw the blood beneath me. She looked at Liam Blackwood repeatedly, hesitating. “Sir, the madam… she seems to be bleeding.” The next instant, the maid was struck by the scissors Liam had thrown. A cruel smile spread across Liam Blackwood’s lips. “It seems Ava Sterling has been bribing you all quite a bit. I’ll give you one more chance. Tell me, who is the madam?” The maid immediately knelt, begging for mercy, facing Skylar Thorne. “I’m sorry, Madam. I spoke out of turn. I’ll punish myself!” With that, the maid furiously slapped herself. Skylar Thorne, however, clutched Liam Blackwood’s arm, whimpering, “Liam, maybe I should just go. No one here likes me.” Hearing this, the maid immediately turned and fastened the leash around my neck. Like training a dog, she kicked me. “Crawl, now!” Then she turned back to Skylar Thorne with a fawning smile. “Madam, please don’t worry, we all love you!” Skylar Thorne finally gave a satisfied smile, while Liam Blackwood’s gaze remained solely on Skylar Thorne the entire time. He watched her, utterly captivated. I was leashed like a dog in front of the mansion gates, listening to the sounds of passionate intimacy from upstairs for an entire day and night. The next evening, guests arrived in a steady stream. Liam Blackwood and Skylar Thorne stood at the entrance, welcoming guests like a truly loving couple, completely oblivious to my presence. The wives who used to be close to me now fawned over Skylar Thorne. They approached me, showering me with insults. “Well, well, isn’t this the former Mrs. Blackwood? How did your hair get cut like some bald, pathetic creature? Standing guard here?” “Oh, my heavens, you’re giving her too much credit! ‘Mrs. Blackwood’? Please! She’s even more worthless than the kept women Mr. Blackwood keeps outside.” “Haven’t you heard? After she and her mom got kicked out of the Thorne family, she got involved in some shady dealings. She’s all used up, that’s why she can’t even have kids…” “…” The playboys still whistled, “kindly” tossing a piece of meat in front of me, their hands tracing indecently over my body. “Looks like Liam really dumped his wife. Why not come with me?” The group cheered, “Liam doesn’t want her anyway. What’s wrong with us brothers having a taste of his ex-wife?” With that, someone unfastened the leash from my neck. They impatiently stripped off my clothes. Some even sat on me, ignoring the fresh blood staining me, and began to move on their own. Loud, lewd laughter filled the air. The moment I looked up, I met a pair of cold, indifferent eyes on the second floor. Liam Blackwood swayed his wine glass, watching coldly the entire time. Perhaps he was annoyed by the noise, but he turned and walked away without a backward glance. I finally closed my eyes in despair, but the tears streaming down my cheeks were covered by a warm sensation. I opened my eyes to see the man who had been on top of me lying sprawled to the side, eyes wide and unseeing. The blood gushing from his neck splattered onto my face. The vile men scattered like they’d seen death itself. When I finally made out the face in the dim light, I gasped in shock. “How are you here?” A few minutes later, Liam Blackwood received the land transfer agreement signed by the Thorne family. His lips curved slightly.
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