I followed Jaxson Reed for ten years, all for just one sentence: “Marry me.” Yet, on our wedding day, he abandoned me to rescue his secretary, Sera Davies, who’d been secretly crushing on him for years. For his safety, I swallowed my heartbreak and chased after him. When I finally reached the scene, I saw Sera, trying to protect Jaxson’s confidential documents, thrown from a building by his rival. She became a vegetable. Overwhelmed by guilt, Jaxson sent her to the best hospital, ensuring she received top-tier medical care. I, too, obeyed Jaxson, spending two years looking after Sera’s mother, who suffered from mental illness, enduring her malicious insults every time she had an episode. Until she had another one, tearing up everything in my bag, including our marriage certificate. Dragging my exhausted body, I went to get a replacement, only to be stopped by the clerk. “Ms. Hayes, your marriage certificate is fake. Our records show your marital status as single.” My head spun, as if struck by lightning… I don’t remember how I walked out of the Civil Affairs office. I just recall the pity and sympathy in everyone’s eyes. “Did you hear? Her husband registered his marriage with someone else and gave her a fake certificate. I wonder if she’s the mistress, or the other woman is!” “Don’t be stupid! The one without the real papers is obviously the mistress! Is that even a question? A real certificate makes you legally married; anything else is just a sleazy affair, back in the day they’d call it scandalous.” I stumbled into my car, trembling like a leaf. The conversation with the clerk at the Civil Affairs office kept replaying in my ears. “How is that possible? We’ve been married for two years. Could there be a mistake? Please check again carefully!” The clerk looked a little helpless, turning the computer screen towards me. “No mistake, Ms. Hayes. You truly are single. But your husband, he is married. His spouse’s name is Sera Davies. Do you know this woman?” I sat in the car, laughing one moment, crying the next. Sera Davies. How could I not know her? She was the secretary recovering in the hospital. The woman who had loved him for so many years, never getting a response, yet never giving up hope. My head buzzed, and I floored the gas pedal, speeding home. The front door hadn’t been properly latched, so no one inside noticed my arrival. Jaxson and his buddies were in the study. Laughter and the clinking of glasses occasionally spilled out. “Jax, you’re the man! Two women, one on each arm, living like a king! We’re all seriously jealous, man. Both ladies are absolutely stunning!” Jaxson heard him and playfully kicked him with his foot. He chuckled, “What nonsense are you spouting? It’s fine to say it in front of me, but outside, never let Willow hear it, understand?” “Jax, you’re that scared of Willow finding out? Then why are you still hiding the fact that Sera woke up? And seriously, Sera told you to marry her, and you didn’t even bat an eye. If you say you don’t have feelings for her, we brothers genuinely won’t believe you!” Jaxson didn’t answer immediately. He just sat on the leather sofa, leaning his head back slightly, eyes half-closed, an unreadable expression on his face. “Willow has been with me for twelve years. Her temper is like a ticking time bomb; she explodes at the slightest thing. Sometimes, she’s so fiery, she doesn’t even seem like a woman.” “Twelve years. Touching her body is just… routine now, like touching my own. Where’s the thrill in that? It’s not that I don’t love Willow; quite the opposite, I can’t imagine living without her.” “But Sera is different.” His eyes suddenly lit up, a hint of reminiscence. “She’s gentle and shy, her skin so delicate it flushes at my touch. I gave my love and the chance to stand proudly by my side to Willow. Sera can only be my secret woman. Besides, she almost died saving me. Giving her security is the least I can do. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can offer.” I pressed myself against the wall, supporting my trembling body. “Jax, what if Willow finds out? You even tricked her into looking after Sera’s mentally ill mother for so long. If she knew, she’d absolutely hate you!” Jaxson’s gaze dropped, as if lost in thought. He sat up straight, crossing his hands in front of him. “Don’t worry. I’ll never let her find out!” A sharp pain shot through my chest, as if something had violently struck it, and my breath hitched. Tears streamed down my face, like pearls from a broken string. Twelve years. I had chased his shadow for twelve years. No wonder there was no real wedding. No wonder he was always on business trips. No wonder he worked late into the night and wouldn’t come back to our room… Right now, I felt like a complete and utter joke. The laughter from inside continued. I wiped away my tears, then turned and walked to a quiet corner to make a call. “I agree to come back, I agree to the arranged marriage…” “Really? You’re not lying to me?” The excited voice on the other end of the line was jarring to my ears, stirring only disgust. “But I have a condition.” “Name it. As long as you agree to marry into the Thorne family, darling, your mother will agree to any condition.” A mocking smile touched my lips. “I want a helicopter to pick me up, I want you to erase all my records here, and finally, I’ll give you a design. Find someone to make this… this wedding dress.” A confused voice came from the phone. “The Thorne family has already prepared everything. You don’t need to get your own wedding dress. Besides, why would a bride prepare her own gown?” My eyelashes fluttered slightly. I didn’t want to waste any more time talking. I spoke with a flat voice: “Just do as I say. Bring the things. I’ll keep my promise and marry Julian Thorne.” Just as I was about to hang up, my mother’s voice came through again. “Before you get married, remember to get a divorce. The Thorne family doesn’t care if you’re divorced, but if you’re going to break it off, it needs to be clean!” I let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Don’t worry. I’ve been single all along.” My arm fell numbly to my side. “What? What single—?” My mother’s confused questions faintly echoed from the phone. But I ignored her and hung up. “Single? Who’s single?!” A familiar voice suddenly came from behind me. I slowly turned around, seeing Jaxson Reed with a stiff face and a strange, forced smile. He strode over, grabbing my wrist tightly. It hurt, but I didn’t cry out. My face was calm, my eyes fixed on his. “I’m single.” Jaxson’s eyes stared intently at me. Suddenly, a smile tugged at his lips, and he pulled me close, his large hand resting on my shoulder. “Wife, if you’re single, then what am I to you? Don’t joke around. You’ll never get rid of me in this lifetime!” A kiss landed on my forehead. But I felt a chill run from my head to my toes. Yes, Jaxson Reed. I’m single. So who are you to me? I bit down on my tongue, tasting blood, my nails digging into my flesh. A scream surged in my throat, desperate to escape, but I clenched my jaw, biting my lower lip until it hurt, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. Seeing me like this, Jaxson looked flustered and reached out to wipe my tears. How long had it been since he’d seen Willow cry? This vulnerable side of me instantly ignited his protective instincts. He looked at me with a serious expression. “Wife, who hurt you? You never cry. What’s wrong with you today?” My brow twitched a few times. Was I crying? I instinctively reached up to wipe my face, and indeed, it was damp. Looking at Jaxson, whose eyes were filled with concern. I chose to just laugh it off with a self-deprecating smile. “I just got my period. It’s just period cramps. I’m tired and want to sleep.” Jaxson picked me up as I turned to leave. Seeing him and me enter, the group of friends who had just been joking about me. Suddenly changed their tune, praising us as a heavenly couple. Jaxson playfully cursed at them and shooed them away. Then he carried me to bed. He lay beside me fully clothed, his warm hand gently stroking my lower abdomen, rubbing it in circles. “Wife, does that feel good?” Every month during those few days, the cramps would torment me, making me feel worse than death. Jaxson would drop everything, rush home, and just lie beside me, keeping me warm until I fell asleep. He loved to hear me, half-asleep, murmur back that it felt good. He said that tone of mine. It reminded him of the past… In the past, I was Willow Hayes, the heiress of the powerful Hayes family, timid yet stubborn. After my father died, my mother became a notorious socialite, known for sleeping her way to endless wealth. I loathed my mother, absolutely detested her. To maintain a glamorous facade, she constantly slept with men to obtain inexhaustible riches. Rebellious, I started going to bars, learning to drink. Because of my mother, I almost got sexually assaulted! In that critical moment, it was Jaxson Reed, a street thug, who saved me. From that day on, I followed Jaxson. I learned he was the illegitimate son of the notoriously influential Reed family. I learned of his difficult background. I learned of his fierce pride. I accompanied him when he secretly went overseas, and I helped him build his power in this foreign country. He complained I was too delicate. So I became strong. He complained I only knew how to cry. So I learned to grit my teeth and swallow the pain, even when bullets tore through my shoulder, never shedding a single tear. I followed Jaxson for ten years, transforming from the timid, weak Willow Hayes into “Sister Willow,” a name feared within the organization. Only then did I finally crack open Jaxson’s heart. And he finally uttered the words: “Willow Hayes, marry me.” But only now did I realize. Everything was a lie. Jaxson waited for a long time, but I didn’t respond. His phone buzzed on the pillow beside him. He quickly pulled his hand away and picked up the phone. In the dim room, the screen illuminated his smiling face. His fingers flew across the keyboard. The warmth on my lower abdomen slowly faded. The next morning, I got out of bed with a pale face, feeling weak. I wanted to pack my things in advance so I could leave directly when the plane came to pick me up. As I opened the door, I nearly bumped into Jaxson, who was carrying a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea. Jaxson frowned, placing the bowl on the table. “Wife, why are you up? Why didn’t you sleep more?” I looked at his face with indifference. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip? Why are you still home?” Jaxson always had various reasons to go on business trips every month. Before, I thought he was genuinely busy. Now I knew. He was indeed busy, but not with work; he was busy accompanying Sera Davies. Jaxson reached out and pulled me into his arms, tapping my straight nose with his index finger. “You’re feeling so bad, why would I go on a business trip?” “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere today. I’ll stay home and keep you company!” His warm words, in the past. I would have been so touched, I’d have wanted to cry. I loved Jaxson so much that even the smallest bit of warmth he offered made me feel happy. Looking at Jaxson, whose eyes seemed to hold only me. I only felt a needle-like pain in my heart. My trembling lips hadn’t had a chance to speak. His phone rang. Seeing the caller’s name, Jaxson subconsciously glanced at me. “Wife, it’s Mitch’s call. I’ll go answer it.” He didn’t wait for my reply, turned, and strode into the study. I heard the sound of the door locking, clear as day. I hadn’t realized that Mitch had changed his name to Sera Davies. I didn’t touch the bowl of brown sugar ginger tea on the table, turning instead to walk outside. The study door soon opened again. Jaxson, changed into different clothes, walked out in a hurry, a joyful expression on his face. For a moment, he forgot about me. Until he almost reached the front door. “Where are you going? Weren’t you going to stay home with me?” Perhaps he was too happy, Jaxson didn’t even detect the intense sarcasm in my voice. He pulled me by the waist, excitedly planting a kiss on my lips. “Wife, a big deal just closed, but I have to be there personally to sign! You wait here patiently for me to come back and buy you your favorite little cakes!” I gave him a fake smile. After he left, I followed him out the door. Sure enough, Jaxson wasn’t going to sign any big deal. He drove his car to the airport, and soon after, I saw Jaxson emerge, embracing a woman with a slightly bulging stomach. He pulled out a bouquet of pre-prepared flowers and presented them to the woman. And that face, I was already too familiar with it. It was Sera Davies, who had been a “vegetable” for two years. My heart suddenly constricted. So, Sera hadn’t just woken up early; she was also pregnant. I trembled all over, my heart bleeding. Sera bounced happily and hid in Jaxson’s arms. Jaxson took off his sunglasses and lightly tapped her nose with his index finger. From a distance, my eyes suddenly narrowed. That gesture. Jaxson always made that gesture when he was passionately affectionate with me. It turned out that even that gesture wasn’t exclusively mine. Sera couldn’t wait and pressed Jaxson to kiss her. At first, he seemed a bit hesitant, glancing around. But as Sera persistently stood on tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck, continuously demanding a kiss. Her嬌嗔 (coy) expression, too, used to be his favorite. Jaxson’s lower body warmed. He bent down, picked up Sera, and walked towards a secluded corner of the airport. I numbly followed them, but I couldn’t keep up with their pace. When I finally reached the spot, I realized it was a mother and baby room. The door was locked, and inside, I could hear the wet sounds of intimate kissing. “Why did you suddenly come? Why didn’t you bring Maria? You alone, do you want me to worry myself to death?” Jaxson’s voice, I was all too familiar with it. Right now, he was firing questions at the woman inside like a machine gun. Seeing him anxious, Sera only giggled. “So many questions, which one should I answer first?” “Answer them all! I want to hear them all—!” Sera suddenly made a loud smacking sound as she kissed his lips. Smiling, she looked at his face. “To answer them all: ‘Honey, I missed you!’” Jaxson breathed heavily, his eyes instantly burning with desire. The next second, he clutched the back of her neck and kissed her back fiercely, forcefully. “You little minx, I’m going to make sure you can’t walk out that door!” “Ah! No… not there… Honey! Honey! I… I was wrong!” “Heh, know you’re wrong? Too late!” His voice was low and husky, but it pierced me, standing outside the door. The woman’s shy cries and the sound of splashing water continuously came from inside. My eyes were vacant and lifeless, my heart felt hollowed out and bleeding. I numbly walked in the opposite direction. But those sounds, I couldn’t shake them off no matter what. Maria was a housekeeper I had employed for a long time. But two years ago, shortly after Sera’s accident, Maria suddenly quit. Jaxson told me Maria had to return to her country to take care of her grandchildren. I couldn’t get used to the food in this foreign country, and with Maria gone, I became so thin it worried Jaxson. He made overseas calls, personally asking Maria to teach him how to cook. His serious and focused expression back then was still vivid in my mind. But now, thinking back, it all seemed so ridiculous. I don’t know how I left the airport or how I got back to my car. The phone suddenly rang. I numbly pressed answer. “Sister Willow, we found the person who attacked you at the mall!” My face instantly turned cold. “Wait for me.” When I arrived, the person had already been put through the wringer. A few days ago, Jaxson and I went to the mall to buy clothes and accessories for a banquet. But inside the mall, I was attacked by an assailant. My subordinates all thought it was Jaxson’s rival, so they focused on protecting him. But to my surprise, the attacker was aiming for me. A bullet grazed my calf. I was forced to rest in the hospital for half a month, and the banquet was canceled. The attacker, who was hanging, looked at me with disbelief when he saw me. He was barely breathing, but he grew enraged and cursed at the top of his lungs: “You kidnapped me?! Where’s Jaxson Reed! Get him out here! We clearly agreed he wouldn’t pursue this, so what is this? Are you messing with me?!” My head suddenly buzzed, and my mind went completely blank. The subordinates surrounding me instantly changed their expressions, raising their feet and kicking him hard. “Dare to talk nonsense again, and I’ll tear your mouth off!” They started punching and kicking him until he couldn’t speak. Leo, a subordinate, frowned and walked to my side. “Sister Willow, don’t believe anything he says. Maybe he’s just trying to sow discord.” I was in a daze for a long time before I finally found my voice. A pale smile appeared on my face. “What if what he said is true?” Leo looked at me in shock. “Sister Willow—” “Leo, I have something to ask him. All of you, leave.” Leo was hesitant to leave, but seeing my firm gaze, he waved his hand, signaling the others to retreat. Before he left, I called out to him. “Not a word about today’s incident to anyone.” Leo felt Willow had changed, but she had saved his life. He was more loyal to Willow than to Jaxson. The door closed, and I calmly walked over to the man on the ground. “Tell me everything you know.” The man spat out a mouthful of blood, along with some broken teeth mixed in the foamy blood. He sneered, “Your man’s little mistress paid me to cripple you, and your man knew the truth and paid me to keep my mouth shut. It’s that simple. What else do you want to know?” My nails dug deep into my flesh, but my face remained outwardly composed. The man on the ground’s eyes became eerie. The next second, taking advantage of my distracted state, a wire suddenly tightened around my neck. Leo had been guarding the door. Hearing the commotion, he kicked the door open. He saw blood marks appearing on my neck! His eyes widened in horror. To save me, he had no choice but to let the man escape. The doctor had just finished dressing my wound, and my neck was wrapped in layers of gauze. That’s when Jaxson burst in. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot and terrifying. His gaze landed on my neck, and he violently kicked over a nearby chair. “Who was it? Who dared to hurt you? Where is he?” My gaze slowly shifted to him. I used all my strength to try and see the man in front of me clearly. When he first came overseas, he couldn’t even stand steadily. Not to mention, his half-brother wanted to hire someone to kill him. The most severe incident was when he was stabbed four times, blood gushing from his back like a leaky faucet. It was I who carried him on my shoulder, disregarding the danger. It was I who desperately brought him to the hospital barefoot on a cold winter night, saving his life. When Jaxson woke up, he grabbed my head and kissed me deeply. He pressed his forehead against mine, his voice hoarse, “Willow, it turns out that when you’re close to death, you realize what you can’t live without.” Jaxson couldn’t live without me. But just a few years later, his heart found room for another woman. My chest felt hollow, as if something had been scooped out. My eyes held a calm, detached expression. “It’s nothing. I’ll handle it myself.” Jaxson looked at me in shock. “Handle it? How are you going to handle it yourself?” He was furious. “Like this? Willow, why do you always have to be so stubborn? I’m your husband. Why don’t you ever tell me anything before you do it? Do you want me to just stand by and watch you get hurt?!” He was breathing heavily with anger, taking a large stride forward to stand before me, but his movements suddenly softened. He frowned, his tone not exactly kind, “Does it hurt?” I slowly lowered my gaze. What was the pain of a wound compared to the pain in my heart? My husband? How could Jaxson be my husband? During the time I was recovering in the hospital, Jaxson practically moved his life into my room. He bustled around, solely focused on me. Until one night, a woman dressed as a nurse, wearing a mask, gently pushed open the door and sat on Jaxson. He was instantly jolted awake, his face changing dramatically as he saw Sera on his lap. He pulled her into the adjoining suite, and before closing the door, he specifically glanced at me, seemingly sound asleep in the hospital bed. “Who told you to come here!” His voice was laced with anger. But Sera wasn’t afraid at all, and reached down towards him. “Honey, the baby misses Daddy! He wants you to touch him… touch his mommy—” Her voice was soft and seductive. Jaxson’s eyes grew dark, his throat bobbing. Until all the blood rushed to his head, and he could no longer control himself. “Sera Davies, you truly are a slut!” The man’s low growls and the woman’s deliberately provocative,娇柔 (coy and delicate) cries echoed from the other room. Sweat beaded on Jaxson’s forehead. He clamped his hand over her mouth. “Shut up!” But she insisted on making noise, wanting the woman in the sickbed outside to hear. I had actually woken up much earlier. The moment Sera stepped into the hospital room, I was already awake. I trembled all over, my heart feeling as if it were being squeezed and kneaded, the pain making my fingertips tremble uncontrollably. Jaxson, how dare he? How dare he humiliate me like this! After he, insatiably satisfied, sent Sera away, he crept quietly back to me. He carefully pulled the blanket up over me. He tried to touch my cheek with the same hand that had just touched Sera’s body. The next second, I pretended to turn over, dodging his touch. Jaxson sheepishly withdrew his hand. Only after I heard his footsteps leave did I open my eyes again. My phone vibrated. “The wedding dress has been mailed. In one week, prepare to leave.” I didn’t reply. I just clutched my phone and squeezed my eyes shut, two lines of clear tears tracing paths down my cheeks. Just one more week. Then I could say goodbye to these twelve years for good. And I would never, ever see Jaxson Reed again in this lifetime! The next morning, my favorite breakfast was laid out on the table, but Jaxson was nowhere to be found. It seemed he knew exactly when I would wake up. A message popped up on my phone. “Wife, urgent organization matters to handle. I’ll be back later, love you!” I scoffed and deleted our conversation. It seemed Jaxson had long forgotten that I was also a member of the organization. He used to report all his actions to me without exception. But starting two years ago, Jaxson had already learned to hide and deceive. I discharged myself from the hospital and took a cab home. I packed all my belongings, leaving nothing related to Jaxson behind. I numbly packed, organizing item by item. My phone suddenly rang. It was Sera’s mentally ill mother. Sera had abandoned her in this foreign country, while she herself was enjoying her good fortune. Her mother’s condition was always unpredictable. I had suffered a lot from her torment over the past two years. But every time I thought Sera became a vegetable because of Jaxson, I would grit my teeth and swallow the pain, never uttering a single complaint to him. I never imagined that I was foolishly sacrificing here. While those two were freely conceiving a new life over there! I answered the phone with a cold face. Through the receiver, I heard Sera’s mother’s enraged shouts. “Willow Hayes! You shameless slut! Did you forget I have a follow-up appointment today?! Are you hoping I die so you can get rid of me, get rid of your sins?!” “Bah! I’m telling you, you wish!” Ugly, insulting words kept pouring out of the phone. I remained eerily calm. I didn’t hang up; instead, I agreed to take her to her appointment. When I arrived at the hospital, Sera’s mother wasn’t waiting for me in the neurology department, but in obstetrics and gynecology. Before I could speak, she glared fiercely, pointing her finger at my nose and cursing. “It’s all your fault! Because of you, I got so angry I came to the wrong place!” Throughout it all, I merely watched her performance. It wasn’t until a young couple walked out of the obstetrics and gynecology department that her cursing suddenly stopped. “Wife!!”
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