For the 999th time, my attempt to seduce the esports tycoon ended in failure. We’ve been married for five years, yet he’s never touched me. I even need his permission for a simple kiss. I always thought he was asexual, uncomfortable with any physical contact. That is, until I received a private video of him in bed with someone else. In the video, the man’s body moved rhythmically, while the woman beneath him wore a cosplay outfit of his favorite game character. His usual cold demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of desire. “Baby… you’re so beautiful…” he murmured. That’s when I realized he wasn’t asexual. He just didn’t love me. After he rejected my advances once again, I said nothing. I simply left the divorce papers and walked away. Later, Lucas Graham stood outside my apartment building. As he watched me walk hand-in-hand with another man, his eyes slowly filled with tears. The screen of my phone was still lit, and I hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of what I’d just seen. In the video, the man’s lean waist moved rhythmically. The dim light cast shadows on his face, adding a touch of lust to his features. The woman beneath him wore elaborate, seductive makeup. Her cosplay outfit was torn to shreds, hanging off her chest, hinting at their previous passion. I had never seen Lucas Graham like this before. His eyes, fixed on the woman, were blood-red and filled with a hint of madness. Who would have thought that the cold, seemingly asexual esports god would be so wild behind closed doors? I shifted my gaze to the scented candle burning on the bedside table and let out a bitter laugh. I had gone to great lengths to win Lucas over, even spending a fortune on aphrodisiac essential oils. I’d even added ylang-ylang to my shower gel for its reputed arousing effects. I felt a lump in my throat and had to swallow hard to keep from crying. When I first met Lucas after college graduation, his cold face and unapproachable demeanor made him seem like an unreachable flower on a high cliff. But the colder he was, the more it sparked my desire to conquer him. The more he pushed me away, the more determined I became to make him my boyfriend. I even made a bet with him: “In three years, I’ll definitely make you fall in love with me.” I pursued him relentlessly, using every trick in the book. My closet was bursting with sexy lingerie, but Lucas remained unmoved. Then, a year later, he suddenly proposed to me. I thought my efforts had finally paid off. I was so touched I couldn’t even speak. But only now do I understand. Marrying me was just a way to suppress the scandal of him sleeping with his fans. I was nothing more than his shield. Lucas came home late that night. Although he maintained his usual cold facade, I caught sight of the hidden red marks on his neck. From the moment he entered until he reached the bedroom, he didn’t even spare me a glance. Just as the door was about to close, I called out to him. “Lucas, do you remember the bet I made when we first met?” Lucas’s brows furrowed instantly, his impatience evident. “I’m very tired today. I don’t have time for your nonsense.” “If you’re bored, go find a job. Stop being so paranoid.” I fought back the lump in my throat. “When we first met, I bet you that if I couldn’t make you fall for me in three years, I would…” But before I could finish, Lucas’s phone rang, interrupting me. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered. Whatever was said on the other end made his face, for the first time, show a panicked expression. “Wasn’t she fine this afternoon? How did she suddenly relapse?” “I’ll find a match as soon as possible!” Lucas threw on his jacket and rushed out. As he passed the couch, he suddenly stopped. “I remember you’re O negative too. Come with me for a matching test.” Lucas didn’t give me time to react, yanking me off the couch. The temperature difference between day and night in spring was significant. I was only wearing a thin nightgown when Lucas pulled me out of the house. By the time we reached the hospital, my hands and feet were purple from the cold, and I couldn’t stop shivering. Lucas, on the other hand, was anxiously talking to the doctor, not sparing me a single glance. It was a passing nurse who couldn’t bear to see my state and gave me a blanket. “She has the same blood type as Evelyn. As long as she’s a match, we can take as many stem cells as we need.” Several nurses immediately surrounded me, inserting a needle into my skin. The anesthetic quickly took effect. In my hazy state, I saw Lucas’s cold face. “As long as it can cure Evelyn, I don’t care if all her stem cells are drained.” When I woke up again, there was a piercing pain in my lower back, and the IV in my hand had backflowed. Across from me, Lucas was tenderly moistening the lips of the woman lying in bed with a damp cloth, occasionally looking up to check the IV drip. The gentle tone he used to comfort her was something I had never heard in our three years together. It was then that I realized, a heart that doesn’t love me can never be warmed, no matter what I do. I pulled out the IV needle from my hand, hissing in pain. Seeing me awake, the smile instantly vanished from Lucas’s face. “Don’t think acting weak will make me feel sorry for you.” “It’s just stem cell donation, not like it’s going to kill you.”
The color drained from my face, and when I opened my mouth, my dry, cracked lips split painfully. Evelyn quickly wrapped her arm around Lucas’s. “Lucas, don’t blame Aria,” she said softly. “Even though the doctor said it was a minor procedure, you took 500ml of stem cells from her at once. How could she recover so quickly?” She leaned on Lucas’s shoulder, appearing weak and fragile. But the look in her eyes as she gazed at me couldn’t hide her hostility. I lifted my hospital gown, only then noticing the numerous needle marks covering my body. Normally, donors give a maximum of 200ml, but Lucas had taken 500ml from me in one go. No wonder I felt so weak when I woke up. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. It seemed I had been fooling myself all along. I was nothing more than a choice he made after weighing the pros and cons. Lucas picked up a fruit knife and started peeling an apple for Evelyn, speaking casually. “To prevent Evelyn from relapsing in the future, we had to take a bit extra.” “Besides, stem cells regenerate in a few days. Don’t be so stingy.” Seeing his nonchalant attitude, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Excessive stem cell extraction could lead to blood clotting disorders, and in severe cases, even blood cancer. Yet my life and death meant nothing more to him than a casual remark about being prepared. Fearing I might vomit if I looked at him and Evelyn any longer, I decided to go home that very day. Lying in bed, I stared at our wedding photo on the wall and let out a sarcastic laugh. If I was going to leave, I might as well make a clean break. I booked a flight for three days later, but after waiting half a day, I still hadn’t received the confirmation code. Just as I was wondering what was wrong, Lucas called. His voice was uncharacteristically tense. “Aria, why are you booking a flight?” I used to book Lucas’s business flights, so the phone number was automatically filled in with his. “I’ve been feeling down lately. I’m going to visit a friend for a few days.” “Well, be careful-” But before Lucas could finish, a woman’s fragile voice came through the receiver. “Lucas, my head hurts so much…” Lucas hung up without a moment’s hesitation. In his heart, I had always been last on the list. The next day, when I returned home, I found the master bedroom door wide open, with Evelyn lying on the bed in her loungewear. Seeing me return, she lazily raised her eyes, adopting the air of the lady of the house. “Welcome back, sis.” Lucas emerged from the kitchen upon hearing the commotion and explained in a deep voice, “Evelyn is still recovering. It’s more convenient for me to take care of her here.” “You don’t mind me making this decision, do you?” I shook my head and smiled. “Not at all.” A flash of surprise crossed Lucas’s face. He lowered his gaze, carefully examining my expression. Seeing no signs of displeasure in my words or manner, he finally relaxed. In the past, I had been possessive of him. Even if he exchanged a few more words with a female server, I would sarcastically comment on it, let alone allow a woman to move in and live with him. I gathered my belongings from the master bedroom. Apart from my daily clothes, I threw away all the lingerie and scented candles I had bought to seduce Lucas into the garbage bin downstairs. Even the crystal pendant he had bought me when we first got together went into the trash. Lucas strode over, his brow furrowed in anger. “Why are you throwing that away?” I continued packing my suitcase, “Shouldn’t broken things be thrown away?” Broken things should be discarded, just like spoiled feelings. Lucas nodded slowly, seeming to agree. “If it’s broken, throw it away. I’ll buy you a new one later.” With that, he dove back into the kitchen to make soup for Evelyn.
I had just finished packing my suitcase when I noticed a figure standing in the doorway. “I advise you not to embarrass yourself. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce Lucas.” “Stolen love will never last.” “You probably don’t know this, but I’ve known Lucas for longer than you have.” She slowly approached me, her contemptuous gaze making me extremely uncomfortable. “You don’t think I secretly filmed that video I sent you, do you?” “There’s a folder named ‘ERO’ on Lucas’s computer E drive. It’s full of videos he recorded himself. He says they’re all proof of his love for me.” I looked at Evelyn’s superior expression and let out a scornful laugh. “If he loves you so much, why didn’t he marry you?” “As long as I’m here, you’re nothing but a mistress who can’t see the light of day.” Evelyn seemed to be angered by the word ‘mistress’. She grabbed my hair violently. “Are you proud of being Lucas’s shield?” “So what if you’re Lucas’s wife? Has he touched you in the two years you’ve been married?” “You think you’re worthy of competing with me for Lucas?” She slammed my head against the bedside table. My eyes were covered in blood, and I was in too much pain to fight back. Just when I thought she was going to continue assaulting me, she grabbed my hand and suddenly slapped herself with it. “What are you doing?!” Lucas’s angry shout came from the doorway. He pushed me away and, upon seeing the handprint on Evelyn’s face, he turned to glare at me fiercely. “Is this how you show you can’t accept Evelyn?” “At first, I really thought you had changed and become sensible. I didn’t expect you to pull these tricks behind my back.” “How many times do I have to explain to you that Evelyn and I are just friends? Can you stop being so paranoid?” My face was covered in tears and blood. Faced with his fury, every muscle in my body tensed up. Evelyn fell weakly into Lucas’s arms. “Lucas, don’t blame Aria. This is all my fault.” “I shouldn’t have come here to bother her… I’ll leave right now if it means you two can make up!” Evelyn shot me a triumphant smile from Lucas’s arms. When I met Lucas’s angry eyes, my heart sank to the bottom. “I didn’t hit her…” “Enough!” Lucas slapped me to the ground. “You vicious woman, how dare you lie!” “I’ve been too lenient with you!” He dragged me up from the floor, ignoring my bleeding forehead, and locked me in the stairwell. “Stay in there and reflect on what you’ve done wrong. I’ll let you out when you’ve figured it out!” The stairwell was dark and cramped, without a hint of light. I have claustrophobia and am terrified of being alone in enclosed, dark spaces. But even though I shouted until my throat was raw and scratched the door until my fingers bled, Lucas showed no signs of softening. After what seemed like an eternity, the housekeeper finally opened the door from the outside. She threw a bag at my head. “Mr. Graham has taken Miss Rose to a gala. The temperature’s dropping tonight, and he’s worried Miss Rose might catch cold. He wants you to bring this coat to her.” I opened the bag. The coat was a limited edition from last month’s Paris Fashion Week. Just one of its cufflinks was worth over a million dollars. “Alright.” I took the bag and went back to my room to get my packed suitcase and documents. Then I went to the study to find the file Evelyn had mentioned, copying all its contents. As I passed the housekeeper on my way downstairs, I said quietly, “When Lucas returns, tell him I’ve left him a big surprise in the study.” Then, without looking back, I took a taxi straight to the airport. Only when I was seated on the plane did I dare to let out the frustration I had been holding in my heart. Three years. It was time to end this dysfunctional love. At the gala, Lucas waited for over an hour but didn’t see me. He called me countless times, but every call went straight to voicemail. He drove home and frantically questioned the housekeeper. “Where did my wife go?” “Did she act strange before she left?” Scared by Lucas’s behavior, the housekeeper answered truthfully. “Mrs. Graham went to your study before she left.” “She also said… she left you a gift.”
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