The first person I saw after regaining consciousness from amnesia was Seraphina Hayes, my mortal enemy. I was about to kick her out when my friend Liam stopped me. “Hold on, Jax. Seraphina is your wife.” I later learned that Seraphina and I had been married for six years, and in our friends’ eyes, we were madly in love. But when I was discharged from the hospital and arrived home, I saw two bodies intertwined on the sofa, making intimate sounds. My wife stammered, “We were just practicing our martial arts.” I didn’t argue with her. After all, I didn’t remember loving her at all. “What are you laughing at?” Seraphina’s flushed face showed a flicker of surprise. Her breathing hadn’t settled, and there were clear hickeys on her neck. Even Caleb hadn’t expected to see such a smile on my face. I hung up on Liam, clearing my throat. “Nothing.” The memories Liam had just recounted quickly flashed through my mind. Apparently, I’d been waiting anxiously for her to come home. So, without much effort, I plastered a surprised look on my face. “Honey, you’re finally back.” In reality, my gaze swept over Seraphina and Caleb, and my heart was doing a little dance of joy. Seraphina, a known germaphobe, was allowing this man to touch her so intimately. Looks like they were seriously involved. Seeing their clasped hands, and Seraphina’s protective expression, as if she feared I’d hurt him, filled me with immense satisfaction. This was exactly how it should be. The version of me from ten years ago, who was supposed to marry her, must have been an idiot. Now, I only hoped they’d be deeply in love and have a kid soon. Seraphina’s expression softened. She instructed the secretary standing behind her, “See? I told you, Jax loves me so much, he wouldn’t get mad over something so trivial. It was just a trick to get me to come home. Chloe, go buy some toiletries for the house, for Caleb to use.” My eyes lit up when I heard Seraphina wanted Caleb to move in. Was this really happening? Chloe, my trusted secretary, shot me a worried glance. “Mr. Hayes just got out of the hospital after a car accident. Isn’t having Caleb move in a bit insensitive to his feelings?” Seraphina glanced at me, explaining impatiently, “Caleb tripped on the way here tonight, and it’s dark. I don’t feel comfortable letting him go home alone. You’re not that unreasonable, are you, Jax?” I fought to keep the corners of my mouth from curving up to my ears, cleared my throat, and feigned calmness. “It’s fine.” Caleb secretly smirked, leaning into Seraphina’s shoulder. “Wow, you guys live so nicely. I’ve never seen a house this big.” I gave him a strange look. “What can you do if you can’t afford it? I bought all of this myself.” Seraphina, hearing this, paused. She whispered to me, “I’ve been so neglectful lately, haven’t given you a gift in ages. I’ll go with you tomorrow to pick out a new SUV.” “No need.” I’d feel dirty just accepting it from her. Seraphina frowned. “Why are you so…?” The word ‘obedient’ was still on her tongue, but I quickly glared, afraid she’d realize my amnesia. “Go with your little lover, then.” Her expression relaxed, and she let out a low chuckle, her arm naturally wrapping around my waist. “I know you’re jealous, but there’s really nothing going on between him and me…” Her touch made goosebumps erupt on my skin. I used two fingers to gently push her away. Her face changed. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Before I could come up with an excuse, I heard Caleb call out, “Seraphina, how do you turn on this shower?” She rushed over. “Don’t move, the floor’s slippery. Let me do it.” I seized the chance to slip back into my room and lock the door. The world finally went quiet.
When Liam called again, he was fuming. “This is too much! She made so many vows and did so many good things to marry you. And it’s only been a few years, and she’s already bringing a lover into your house!” I felt a pang of curiosity. “What did she do?” From Liam’s account, it was hard to reconcile this deeply devoted woman with the arch-nemesis I remembered. He said ten years ago, Seraphina and I had a huge fight over a project and both fell from a rooftop. She only needed stitches, but I broke bones and got an infection, ending up in the ICU. During that month I battled death in the ICU, Seraphina stayed outside my door, her palms raw and bleeding from clenching them, her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, refusing to leave. She croaked that she’d had a revelation; facing life and death, she realized how much time she’d wasted competing with me all those years. If fate gave her another chance, she would never let go. I woke up. This woman, always so proud and stubborn, never shedding a tear, publicly sobbed, holding onto me, and no one could pull her away. At the same time, she reined in all her temper, readily giving up the project. From then on, she never interfered with anything related to me. She even picked up a pan, despite never having done housework, just to cook for me and help me recover after surgery, wanting to make sure I was well-fed. Her previous string of rumored boyfriends also disappeared completely. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for my new company, she publicly swore that she would only love me for the rest of her life, and any man had to speak to her from at least ten feet away. She even fired people for it; any man who dared to approach her within ten feet was mercilessly dismissed, causing a huge scandal. Everyone knew this unattainable woman had changed her entire demeanor for me, loving me to her very core. Listening to all this, I felt a strange sense of irony. All I remembered was that Seraphina and I had been sworn enemies since childhood. If I got first place, she’d pour ink on my textbook; I’d retaliate by tearing up her class notes. During the joint final exams, she deliberately spread rumors about my mother’s affair, trying to mess with my head. I, in turn, brought her illegitimate half-sister over and had her call Seraphina “big sis,” turning Seraphina’s face green with rage. Things didn’t improve after graduation. Any field we entered quickly devolved into a bitter rivalry between us. We briefly became entangled during one of our toxic battles. We’d scream at each other in the office, and then, somehow, one of us would kiss the other, and that kiss would spiral out of control. When I got out of bed, I’d mock her, calling her boring, and she’d calmly retort that I wasn’t much of a catch either. But our encounters grew more and more frequent. She never said “we’re together,” nor did she mention “love.” Only on Valentine’s Day would she awkwardly send a single rose, with a card simply inscribed, “To my boyfriend.” When she was mad at me, she’d embrace a starlet and passionately kiss them by the fountain, her eyes constantly darting to me. I’d find it amusing, pull a pretty waitress close, wrap my arm around her waist, and enjoy her blushing cheeks, all while listening to the sound of breaking glasses from below. I never intended to be with Seraphina. I always thought we were like two fierce wild animals, sparking off each other to release tension, but without much real affection between us. So, reverting to the stage where I hated her, and finding out she had a new lover, felt incredibly satisfying.
I told Liam, “I’m getting a divorce.” “Divorce?” Liam didn’t believe me. “You love her so much, you’d actually get a divorce?” Liam’s conviction that I loved her to my core made no sense to me. From his account, Seraphina had indeed been very good to me, but I wasn’t someone who would be moved by such things. Was there something else going on? The next morning, I drafted a divorce agreement. Seraphina’s face darkened. “I just let him stay one night, and you’re already planning a divorce?” I stared at her in surprise. “You two were making so much noise last night. Aren’t you into each other? I’m just giving you my blessing.” For some reason, Seraphina’s expression worsened. She snatched the divorce agreement, tearing it to shreds. Then she pinned me against the door, her grip on my wrist painfully tight. “Remember this: the only way we part is if one of us dies, not divorce.” I slapped her across the face. “You’re crazy.” “Morning.” Caleb emerged from the bedroom, wearing Seraphina’s bathrobe, his neck covered in red marks from their night of pleasure. “It’s a bit warm,” Caleb said, deliberately pulling down his collar to expose a large patch of hickey-marked skin on his chest. He was expecting to see a defeated look on my face, but I simply walked over and pulled his robe up. “Chest muscles are so small, maybe keep them covered. Otherwise, people might think you’re malnourished.” Caleb’s face fell, and he instinctively looked at Seraphina. Seraphina grabbed my arm. “Apologize.” I thought to myself, I’m just stating facts, but I didn’t want to argue with them. So I casually gestured around the house. “Pick anything you want. Consider it my apology gift.” Caleb scanned the room, then pointed to a ring. “I want that one.” In the jewelry cabinet, there were hundreds of luxury watches and exquisite, opulent pieces, yet he precisely picked out Seraphina’s and my wedding ring. Seraphina looked at me. The housekeeper couldn’t help but interject, “That’s a very precious item. Perhaps you should choose something else?” But I walked over. “It’s fine. Take this one.” As an amnesiac, I only found the ring vaguely familiar, but I had no idea what it was for. I had so many pieces of jewelry; one less wouldn’t hurt. So I took the ring out of the cabinet and tossed it to him carelessly. Seraphina’s expression, however, was as if I’d committed a grave error. “You’re just giving it away like that?” I blinked uncomprehendingly. “Is it something really valuable?” She met my indifferent gaze, then gritted her teeth in anger. “Of course not.” She personally placed the ring on Caleb’s finger, intertwining their fingers. “Keep it safe.” After that, she started to lead Caleb away. The housekeeper reminded her again, “Today is Mr. Hayes’s birthday.” Seraphina and I both froze. Caleb feigned sadness. “You should go spend your birthday with Jax. Even though I’ve been looking forward to this cruise with you for months, I’m not that important.” Seraphina turned to me. “Caleb’s been looking forward to this for a long time. We’ve had so many birthdays, one day won’t make a difference. Don’t be petty.” I nodded. She frowned, sensing something was off, but before she could figure it out, Caleb pulled her away. I, meanwhile, called Liam to ask him to tell me how many businesses I owned in the present. After all, ten years ago, I was a total workaholic; compared to a cheating wife, I was much more interested in my career. Satisfied to learn I still had quite a few assets, I dragged my left leg and right arm, both in casts, out the door to inspect my businesses. However, my good fortune didn’t last long. Seraphina’s call came through, and she immediately launched into an accusation. “What did you do to Caleb? I’m telling you, if anything happens to him, you and I are through!”
I was baffled. “I’m at my office drinking coffee. You’re the one who took him on a cruise. If he’s missing, you should be asking yourself, not me.” Her voice was chilling. “Of course. Even if you’re not physically present, you still have a hundred ways to make someone disappear, don’t you?” A group of thugs suddenly burst into my office and dragged me away without a word. When the sack over my head was finally removed, I found myself on a cruise ship. Caleb, bruised and battered, was clinging to Seraphina, looking utterly helpless. “Honey, I was so scared. Someone tied my hands and feet, attached a rock to me, and just threw me into the ocean. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead right now.” From his dramatic recount, I learned he’d been kidnapped and thrown into the sea. Luckily, Seraphina had arrived just in time to rescue him. And they both believed I was behind it. “I already explained why I couldn’t spend your birthday with you. Why can’t you just leave him alone? He’s never been on a cruise since he was a kid, and he’d been looking forward to this day for so long.” Seraphina glared at me, her eyes churning with disappointment and fury. I met her gaze. “It wasn’t me. What makes you so sure it was?” “If not you, then who? We bought this cruise ship together, and only you and I have the keys. Are you going to say Caleb just opened the door himself and let the culprit in?” I thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “You’re right. It was me.” My blunt admission stunned both Seraphina and Caleb. “After all, I’m jealous that he gets to be intimate with you, and what if he tries to replace me? As long as I’m your husband, I won’t let him off easy. This time, it was just a little dip in the ocean. Next time…” I deliberately paused, my gaze sweeping over his terrified face, my voice soft yet icy, “I guarantee it’ll be a one-hit kill.” She stared at me. “You’re a lunatic.” I scoffed. “Just some low-class fling who thinks a few nights in bed mean he can take over? I have plenty more tricks up my sleeve. Just wait.” Seraphina lunged forward, her hand swinging hard across my face. Then she grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. I glared back, my cheek burning. Yes, this was more like us. She slammed a document down in front of me. “Sign this.” It was a divorce agreement. My eyebrow twitched. The person who, just this morning, declared “only death, no divorce,” was quick to change her tune. I signed it. But as I wrote my name, even without my memories, a familiar pang of pain and self-mockery welled up from deep within, a bitter taste spreading on my tongue. The emotion vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a surge of joy. I was happily clutching the divorce agreement, ready to leave, when Seraphina grabbed my wrist. “You think it’s that easy to walk away?” “We’re divorced. What else do you want?” “You said you have plenty of tricks up your sleeve. How about you try mine first?” She forced a smile, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “Throw him into the ocean.” I looked up in shock. “Are you crazy? I’ll die in there.” She ignored me, gave the order, and disappeared into the cabin. I wanted to swear. After all, both my hands and feet were in casts; there was no way I could swim to shore. I was roughly bound, my hands and feet tied, and a heavy stone was even secured to my ankle. Caleb slowly approached, his earlier helplessness gone. He leaned in, whispering in my ear with a smirk, “Jax, you’ve held Seraphina’s spot for too long. It’s my turn now. I was wondering how to get rid of you, but you practically delivered yourself.” “Do I have a grudge against you?” He didn’t answer, just gave me a gentle push. Water rushed into my mouth, nose, and limbs. The wounds on my body stung with agonizing pain from the seawater. I struggled frantically, but the stone dragged me deeper into the ocean, the oxygen growing thinner and thinner. My consciousness faded. Then, a graceful figure approached me in the gloom. A soft, cold pair of lips pressed against mine, giving me a breath of oxygen.
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