“Hello, I’d like to emigrate!” I, Eleanor Vance, stood at the counter, handing over all my meticulously prepared documents to the official on the other side. Soon, they stamped the papers, then pulled out another form and passed it back to me. “Ms. Vance, your application will be processed in fifteen days. Please wait patiently.” I nodded, turning to walk out. But behind me, I heard the staff whispering, a rustle of hushed voices. “Was that really Mrs. Thorne? Why would *she* be here to emigrate? Did she and Mr. Thorne finally have a fight?” “Even if they argued, it shouldn’t be such a big deal, right? Mr. Thorne is famously obsessed with his wife. What could possibly make Mrs. Thorne so resolute?” “Tell me about it. Five years ago, Mr. Thorne threw her a wedding of the decade that made headlines worldwide, even I, someone who never goes online, heard about it. Three years ago, Mrs. Thorne had a car accident, and when the blood bank ran low, Mr. Thorne, against all opposition, donated a significant amount of his own blood to snatch her back from the brink of death. A year ago, Mrs. Thorne disappeared for just an hour, and Mr. Thorne mobilized every media outlet to search for her globally. Now, if Mrs. Thorne is leaving him like this, without a word, he’ll go absolutely insane…” Listening to their hushed gossip, I forced a smile, but the self-mockery in my eyes only deepened. Yes, everyone knew how much Adrian Thorne loved me. Everyone in their circle knew Adrian Thorne, CEO of Thorne Holdings. In business, he was ruthless, making cutthroat decisions without a second thought. But in his private life? He was notoriously cold, detached, and completely uninterested in women. It was an unspoken rule: stay at least ten feet away from Adrian Thorne. Until that one gala, when he met me. He fell in love at first sight and began pursuing me relentlessly, showering me with mansions, luxury cars, and jewelry as if money was no object. Fireworks lit up the sky for three days and three nights, declaring his love. He even once, just because I casually mentioned craving a rare artisanal dessert that had been out of production for years, drove through a blizzard in the middle of the night, scouring three cities. He arrived soaking wet, but holding the still-warm pastry for me. But what truly made me decide to accept him was the day my parents died in a car accident. He was in another city, hundreds of miles away, but he abandoned a multi-billion dollar business deal to rush back to me. When he finally reached me, he was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, yet he gently pulled me into his arms, his gaze filled with a pain that mirrored my own. “Elly, honey, you still have me. I’ll always be by your side.” I looked into the profound affection in his eyes, and my heart skipped a few beats. He’s the one. I told myself in my heart. Yet, this man, who supposedly only had eyes for me, couldn’t resist temptation three months ago. He started an affair with his best friend’s sister, Serena Reed, who was staying in our home. The villa’s sofa, the kitchen, the bed—everywhere bore the traces of their intimacy. Adrian thought he was so clever, keeping it a secret. But he forgot that there are no secrets in this world. The moment I learned the truth, I was consumed by agony, despair, and doubt. Finally, the heartbreaking reality sank in, and I decided to leave for good. The Thorne family had deep government ties, spanning three generations in high-profile positions. That meant no one in their family, including Adrian, was permitted to leave the country. If I left the country, he’d never find me! I tucked away my emigration documents, hailed a cab, and headed towards our villa. The moment I stepped inside Adrian’s villa, a heavy, cloying scent, too sweet and too intimate, slammed into me. Two figures, who had been hanging decorations on the wall, turned sharply when they heard me. Adrian froze for a second, then his eyes softened instantly. He walked over and took my hand. “Sweetheart, why are you wearing so little? Are you cold? I thought you were out with Chloe. Why are you back so soon? I was still preparing a surprise for you.” A surprise? I looked up at Adrian, but my gaze involuntarily snagged on his neck. There, a large patch of hickey marks bloomed. My eyelashes fluttered slightly. I struggled to suppress the sharp stab of pain in my heart. Seeing I didn’t respond, Serena Reed, with a syrupy giggle, walked over. “Eleanor, Adrian is just so in love with you! He’s gone all out for a simple ‘first meeting’ anniversary…” Serena paused deliberately, then pointed to a pile of overflowing gifts on the sofa. “Look, these are all gifts Adrian prepared for you!” I followed Serena’s hand, but what I saw first was the wet stain spreading beneath the pile of gifts. In that instant, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. The scent from when I first walked in, combined with this new evidence, completely confirmed the truth I had suspected. Love me? Adrian’s so-called love for me meant preparing gifts for me while he was intimately entangled with Serena on the sofa, so passionately that they stained a large section of it? It was a soul-crushing agony, nothing less. Adrian didn’t notice my distress. He simply put a pre-prepared necklace around my neck, his voice so tender it could melt. “Happy first meeting anniversary, sweetheart. I’ve also prepared a candlelight dinner.” I trembled all over, shaking my head. “I’m not eating. I… I don’t feel well.” Every second I spent with Adrian now was torment. I told him from the start: I have zero tolerance for infidelity. I can’t accept any flaw in a relationship. If he didn’t want to deal with it, he shouldn’t have pursued me. But since he did, why betray me? When Adrian heard I wasn’t feeling well, he instantly became frantic, as if I were on my deathbed. First, he called several private doctors to examine me. When they found nothing wrong, he was still worried, so he sent his assistant to buy a mountain of tonics to boost my energy, then personally made me a glass of warm milk, coaxing me to sleep. After four or five hours of this commotion, Adrian finally managed to lull me to sleep. Late that night, I woke up, parched, and decided to get some water. But the moment I opened my bedroom door, I froze. The door to the next room was wide open, and the moonlight, stark and unforgiving, cast a harsh glow on two naked bodies tangled on the bed. “That necklace today was worth a fortune, and I’ve practically begged you for ages, and you never got it for me. Eleanor didn’t do anything, and you just handed all the good stuff to her.” After their passion, Serena’s legs were still wrapped around his waist, her words dripping with bitterness. Adrian frowned, pulled away, and sat on the edge of the bed, lighting a cigarette. “Have you forgotten your place? I told you I only love Eleanor.” “If you want to keep this arrangement going, it has to be in secret. If she finds out, you know what will happen.” Serena’s face paled. She climbed up, her naked body embracing him from behind, whimpering. “I know you love Eleanor, but I love you too! Can’t I even be a little jealous?” Adrian said nothing. He simply bent down and pulled out a necklace from the drawer—the exact same style as mine, but a different color. “Don’t give me that teary act. I bought you one too, but you can only wear it in secret. If Eleanor ever finds out, our arrangement ends immediately.” Serena’s face lit up. She quickly took the necklace and held it against her neck, which was already covered in bruised hickey marks. “Thank you, Adrian! I knew you still cared about me! But are you really that scared of Eleanor leaving you?” He didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I can’t live without her. If she left, I would go insane.” As his words faded, he pushed her down onto the bed, beginning another round of their twisted game. The bed creaked loudly with his movements, and Serena’s moans echoed through the air. Standing in the distance, I was silently weeping. Red-eyed, I stared at Adrian’s face in our wedding photo on the wall. Adrian, in fifteen days, I’ll be waiting for you to go insane. The next morning, I was woken by a sudden commotion. I pushed open my door and saw a disheveled woman in the garden of the adjacent villa, clutching a man’s shirt, screaming hysterically. “Mr. Jones, I loved you for ten whole years, and I even had several children for you!” “When we got married, you promised you’d love me forever.” “It’s only been a few years, and you dare to have an affair behind my back!” Though it was early morning, many people were out for their lakeside strolls and happened to overhear the dramatic outburst. As more people gathered in the villa area, the man, a prominent figure in the community, instantly changed his expression. He grabbed the woman and dragged her back into the villa. “What are you doing? I’ve told you countless times, every man strays eventually!” I watched, lost in thought, when a warm hand suddenly covered my ears from behind. “Elly, don’t listen to that filth.” I didn’t turn around, simply whispered, “Tell me, do all men eventually change?” Adrian’s body stiffened. He turned me to face him, his eyes filled with earnestness. “I don’t know about other men, but I won’t. Elly, I will only ever love you.” “You’ll only ever love me? But life is so long.” Adrian gently hugged me, his warm breath caressing my ear. “Life is long, and I only want you.” I finally laughed, but a bitter edge laced my voice. “What if? What if you betrayed me?” “If I ever betrayed you, then may I be struck by lightning and cursed to hell.” Hearing those words, knowing the full truth, a sharp pain pierced my heart. “Adrian, you dare to make such a terrible vow? Aren’t you afraid it will actually come true?” Adrian chuckled softly. “It won’t, because no one knows how much I love you more than I do. If you don’t believe me, I’ll cut out my heart and show it to you. If you still don’t believe me, I’ll give you my entire life.” My entire life? Then why couldn’t he control himself? He still smelled of another woman, yet he whispered the most beautiful words of love to me. “Eleanor, Adrian, what are you doing?” A voice suddenly broke the silence from the doorway. We both turned to see Serena Reed, in a red strapless dress, leaning against the doorframe. The next moment, I distinctly felt Adrian’s body stiffen. Then, he frowned. “Isn’t it a weekday? Where are you going, dressed like that?” His tone wasn’t like a brother’s concern for his sister; it was more like a husband questioning his wife about to go out, clearly jealous of her attractive attire. Hearing the possessiveness in his voice, Serena giggled coyly. “My company is having a networking event, and I’m going to find myself a boyfriend. I won’t be back tonight.” At her words, Adrian’s face instantly darkened. Serena’s smile widened. “Oh, by the way, Eleanor, do you two have any plans today?” Adrian snapped back to attention, gripping my hand. “Eleanor and I are going back to the family estate today.” Serena smiled, left a quick “Say hello for me,” and turned to leave. Half an hour later, Adrian drove me to the family estate. Adrian’s parents weren’t particularly fond of me. They felt their son had been utterly infatuated because of me, almost losing his life for her. Plus, after years of marriage, we still had no children. Every time we met, they greeted me with cold, disapproving stares. Adrian felt for me and tried to minimize our visits, but this time, word came from the estate that his mother hadn’t been well. He had no choice but to bring me to see them. The moment we walked in, Adrian’s parents, who had been laughing moments before, suddenly grew cold. Adrian saw their cold expressions were directed at me and instantly flared up. “If you keep this up, Eleanor and I won’t come back anymore.” At his words, Mr. Thorne angrily slammed his hand on the table. “Impudent! What are you saying? Are you abandoning your parents for a woman?” Adrian gripped my hand, refusing to back down. “I told you, Eleanor is the love of my life. I’m afraid to even raise my voice around her. Treating her this way, are you trying to tear out your son’s heart?” “If this happens again, I’ll consider myself without a family!” No one expected Adrian to be so resolute. The entire living room fell silent. But as I looked at the man fiercely defending me, I felt no warmth, no gratitude. Seeing that their son was serious, Mrs. Thorne conceded. “Alright, let’s just eat.” At the dining table, apart from the clinking of forks and plates, there were only Mrs. Thorne’s occasional cold snorts. My hand, holding my fork, stiffened. I knew this was a prelude to Mrs. Thorne lecturing me. Sure enough, the next second, Mrs. Thorne put down her fork. “We don’t care about anything else, but you need to give us a grandchild, don’t you?” “You can’t let our family line end.” Adrian immediately put down his fork. “I’ve told you, Eleanor is afraid of pain. I won’t let her endure unbearable pain for me. I’d rather never have children!” Mr. and Mrs. Thorne lost their appetite instantly. Just as the argument was about to escalate, I suddenly spoke up. “In half a month, Dad, Mom, in half a month, you’ll have a grandson.” At my words, everyone looked at me in astonishment. “Elly?” Adrian grabbed my hand. “Didn’t we agree not to have children? You don’t have to sacrifice for me.” I looked at his self-righteous expression and gave a slight, bitter smile. I said they would have a grandson, but I didn’t say it would be *my* child. In half a month, I’d be out of the country. Since he loved Serena so much, and apparently slept with her so many times a day, it would be only natural for *her* to bear his child. So, I smiled. “It’s our elders’ wish. It should be fulfilled.” Adrian looked at me, so understanding, and a strange unease flickered in his heart. I was being a little too understanding, too strange. Mr. and Mrs. Thorne’s faces shifted from anger to joy. “That’s more like it.” Adrian still felt something was off and was about to ask more, but his phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced at it, and his expression subtly changed. I was sitting close, and with just a glance, I saw it was from Serena Reed. [Adrian, a guy just hit on me and asked for my number. Should I give it to him?] I silently counted down. One second, two seconds, three seconds… Finally, on the third second, Adrian stood up. “Excuse me, Elly, I have something to do at the office. You eat slowly here; I’ll come pick you up when I’m done.” He didn’t wait for my reply, grabbed his jacket, and rushed out. As soon as Adrian left, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne instantly lost all restraint, glaring at me and launching into a tirade. “Tell me, how many years have you been married? Your belly is still empty. Aren’t you ashamed?” “You come from a small family, and your parents are both gone. If Adrian hadn’t liked you, do you think you’d be Mrs. Thorne? Marrying you brought us nothing but endless misfortune.” “Why are you crying? Don’t even *think* about running to Adrian with your complaints later. Every wife gets criticized; my son is far too busy for your petty grievances!” From morning until afternoon, I was scolded for five solid hours. It wasn’t until evening that Adrian finally returned to pick me up. The car drove smoothly on the way home when I suddenly spoke up. “Are you done with everything at the office?” Adrian paused, then said gently, “Yes, it’s all handled.” As he spoke, his index finger tapped the steering wheel. It was an unconscious habit he had when he was pleased.
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