My husband, Liam Miller, and his secretary, Bella Hayes, were kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded, “Give us a hundred million dollars, and you can take one person. Give us three hundred million, and you can take both.” Liam didn’t hesitate, transferring a staggering hundred million dollars – his *entire liquid assets* – to the kidnappers to free Bella. As he left, he looked at me, his voice a calculated calm. “I can only spare this much right now. You’ve always been so strong, so resilient, Chloe. Bella isn’t like you; she’s so fragile. I have to save her first. I promise, I’ll figure out a way to get you out next.” After they left, I was brutally thrown from the building by the kidnappers, sustaining severe injuries. When I woke up, Liam was holding my hand. “Bella scratched her arm on some glass. We had a piece of skin grafted from you onto her.” “She’s at that age where looks really matter. If she knew she’d have a scar on her arm, she’d be heartbroken.” I was so furious, but utterly helpless, unable to move a single muscle, let alone hit him. As soon as I was discharged, I booked a flight to Europe seven days later. Liam Miller, prepare for your downfall.
The next time I opened my eyes, I was met with Liam’s relieved gaze. “Chloe, you’re awake! Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t put you in danger, you wouldn’t have suffered like this.” “I thought he’d give me time to negotiate, but then the kidnapper threw you right from the window in front of me. I almost went insane then.” “I couldn’t imagine what meaning my world would hold if I lost you.” “Thank goodness, you’re still here. I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” Seeing Liam’s guilt-ridden, weary expression, my heart couldn’t help but soften a little. I tried to lift my hand to touch his cheek, only to find my entire body was completely paralyzed. What followed was excruciating pain radiating through every inch of me. Liam reached out and squeezed my hand, his voice thick with what sounded like emotion. “The doctor said you have multiple fractures and need complete bed rest. You absolutely can’t move around, or it’ll hinder your recovery.” Just then, the doctor knocked and walked in. After checking me with various instruments, he said, “No fever, and no inflammation or infection at the wound site. It seems there were no adverse reactions after the skin graft surgery. Just focus on resting.” He finished speaking and wheeled his equipment out. My eyes widened in shock as I looked at Liam. “What are you talking about? What skin graft surgery?” Liam slowly helped me sit up, propping pillows behind me. “When the kidnappers threw you, flying glass cut Bella’s arm.” “The doctor said the wound was too big and would leave a scar. She’s at that age where looks really matter; how could she possibly accept a scar on her arm? Her eyes were so swollen from crying.” “Besides, this whole mess started because of *you*. And you always wear long sleeves and pants, so losing a piece of skin from your arm won’t really affect you, right? Plus, you’re unbelievably lucky to have just fainted after falling from that height. So, I took the liberty of telling the doctors to graft a piece of skin from your stomach onto her arm. Think of it as making amends for what happened.” I trembled with rage, trying desperately to reach out and grab him, to demand *why*. But then Liam’s phone rang. After he hung up, he said anxiously, “Bella’s getting her skin graft done. Girls are so delicate and afraid of pain; she needs me there.” “You’re awake now, you’ll be fine on your own. But Bella can’t manage without me. I need to go be with her.” With that, he placed a bouquet of roses on the bed and left me, utterly paralyzed, turning and walking away. But I’m severely allergic to real flowers. For our first anniversary, he’d ordered 999 roses for me. When they arrived, I broke out in hives, my breathing seized up, and I passed out cold. After that, any roses he gave me were always carefully crafted from silk. He completely forgot, didn’t he? It was Bella, his little secretary, who loved roses. Now, those real roses by my bed were practically a death sentence. My whole body started itching, my breathing grew more rapid. Enduring the searing pain, I stretched my hand, struggling to reach the call button on the bedside table. Just a hand’s length away, I tumbled from the bed. My head hit the corner of the table, blood gushing over my face. Unable to breathe, and losing too much blood, I finally blacked out.
When I regained consciousness, I vaguely heard Liam’s voice. A faint flicker of hope ignited in my heart. Had he remembered my rose allergy and come back for me? But the words that followed shattered my heart, one by agonizing one. “She’s just having an allergic reaction, isn’t she? Just keep her alive while you draw the blood, what’s so hard about that?” The doctor’s voice replied, “She has multiple fractures and an acute allergic reaction, plus she hit her head and lost a lot of blood. Her body can’t withstand such a large blood draw right now; it could be life-threatening.” Liam was silent for a few seconds, then his cold voice came through clearly. “She survived a fall from that height; clearly, she’s practically invincible. A simple blood draw won’t put her in danger.” “Bella needs blood for her graft, and their blood types match, so it’ll save you a trip to the blood bank. Just take 500 milliliters. And hurry up. If you drag your feet, I’ll report all of you.” I snapped fully awake, struggling desperately, but Liam pressed down on my arm. “Be a good girl, or the doctor will have to stick you again.” Pain shot through the back of my hand. My eyes red, I looked at him. “Liam Miller, what did I do wrong? Why do you keep hurting me again and again for Bella Hayes?” A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but when he looked back up, only ice remained. “Bella got hurt because of you. You’ll be fine after a good sleep.” My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. When I woke up again, the entire room was empty. Liam was gone. The only good news was that I could move. As I shuffled around on crutches, I passed a patient room, and the scene inside froze me to the spot. Liam was carefully peeling an apple for Bella, who lay in the hospital bed. He then cut it into small pieces, feeding them to her one by one, his eyes full of tenderness. Liam’s affection had once been solely for me. Now, only the recipient of that love had changed. Bella, her eyes wide with feigned concern, leaned into Liam. “Oh, Chloe isn’t mad at me, is she? I swear, I had no idea the kidnappers would throw her! Otherwise, I would have absolutely taken her place!” Liam gently pulled Bella closer. “Stay put. This isn’t your fault. Why would *you* apologize? If anyone should apologize, it’s *her*. If it weren’t for *her*, you wouldn’t be caught up in this mess, suffering like this!” He then picked up his phone from the bedside table. A moment later, my phone vibrated. I stood outside the door and answered Liam’s call. “I hear you can walk now. Get down to Room 305 downstairs.” “Don’t come empty-handed. Bella loves mangoes. Go buy some and bring them over.” He hung up before I could even react. Ever since Bella joined the company, she’d added Liam on SnapChat as his secretary. She’d constantly message him on SnapChat, asking for favors. At first, Liam would dismissively refuse, telling me she wasn’t as independent as I was. But over time, his impatient expression slowly changed. He started mentioning Bella more and more often to me, his tone always gentle and doting. Seven years of commitment, all for nothing against a newcomer.
I went back to my room and quickly checked out of the hospital. Just as I got home, my phone rang. The moment I answered, Liam’s furious voice boomed, “I told you to go apologize to Bella! Where the hell did you run off to? Do I have to come drag you over there myself?” I said calmly, “Didn’t you say she loves mangoes? Then she can just wait.” Liam’s anger died down a bit. “Alright, that’s better. Buy them and get over here, fast.” After hanging up, I switched my phone off. If she wanted mangoes, she could wait forever. I wasn’t buying them. Liam and I were college sweethearts. On our graduation night, amidst cheers from students and faculty, he knelt on one knee and proposed. After we got married, I turned down offers from major companies to start a business with him. When project stakeholders made things difficult, I pushed through, nearly getting alcohol poisoning, just to secure the deal. If a proposal wasn’t quite right, I’d spend days and nights perfecting it. When we were short on staff, I handled everything myself until the company grew bigger and bigger. Slowly, I moved from the frontline to the background. I became the woman behind his success. I even thought we were the most compatible partners, both in business and in marriage. But now, I knew this marriage had to end. I finished organizing all my client files when I heard the front door open. It was Liam, with Bella in his arms. He frowned the moment he saw me. “What’s wrong with you? You just vanished without a word to buy mangoes, and your phone’s off. You have absolutely no intention of admitting your mistake or apologizing.” “Bella is so much more forgiving than you. She’s been nothing but nice, saying good things about you.” I scoffed. “If you ask me, she’s not really into mangoes. She’s more into playing the innocent victim.” “So eager to bring her back here? What, are you expecting me to leave so you two can get down to business?” A flash of anger crossed Liam’s face. He raised his hand and slapped me. My right cheek instantly stung. He said coldly, “I think you’re getting more and more out of line. I brought Bella back so she could change for the company banquet, not for what you’re implying.” Then he walked towards the walk-in closet. Just then, Bella approached me, a challenging smirk on her face. “Chloe, what makes you think you can compete with me? At the hospital, Mr. Miller was constantly fussing over me. All the doctors and patients on our floor were so envious, saying I had such a wonderful boyfriend. And you? Fractured all over, with no one to even take care of you.” “And tonight’s banquet? Mr. Miller is taking *me* as his date.” Then, she suddenly lifted her hand and slapped herself hard across the face. She burst into tears, saying, “Chloe, I’ll take any punishment you dish out, as long as it makes you feel better.” “Just please don’t blame Mr. Miller anymore. He’s been through so much these past few days.” Liam violently pulled me away. “Chloe Spencer, what are you doing? I’m warning you, I brought Bella back here. Don’t go too far.” I stepped forward, but Liam immediately shielded Bella behind him. I sneered, then raised my hand and slapped Liam across the face. “I don’t have some self-harm fetish like *some* people.” “If I’m going to hit anyone, it’ll be the beasts who can’t control their own bodies.” With that, I turned and left. That night, I showed up at the banquet wearing a long black dress. Consider it a fitting end to seven years of marriage. I was surrounded by former business partners. “Long time no see, Chloe. Your reputation as a female powerhouse was legendary back then!” “It was such a shame you suddenly retired.” “How have you been? You should show up more often, let’s catch up sometime.” I smiled, responded to each old partner, and re-added their contact information. Then I found a quiet corner and leisurely sipped an orange juice. I had stepped back then because of Liam’s words: “Our company has grown, and we’ve brought in a lot of talent. You can finally rest easy, just be the woman behind me, and I’ll shield you from everything.” I had retreated to the background, becoming a full-time homemaker. But all I got in return was his wandering heart and betrayal.
The click of high heels echoed from behind me. Bella stood there, arms crossed, a mocking glint in her eyes. “You really are persistent, aren’t you? Following him everywhere.” “Didn’t that kidnapping incident make it clear to you? He doesn’t love you at all; he just can’t bring himself to divorce you.” “He even took skin from your body and grafted it onto mine, all for me.” She smiled, showing off her unblemished arm. “What’s the point of clinging to this marriage?” “What do you have that can compare to me? I’m young and beautiful, while you’re old and faded.” I calmly looked at her. “What’s the use of telling me all this? I’m not like you, a parasitic vine clinging to others.” “Without him, I’m still *me*. But you? Without him, you’re nothing, are you?” I was about to turn away when I noticed the necklace around her neck. It was the sapphire Liam had spent nine million dollars on, for me. It was so valuable that after I received it, I only tried it on once before putting it in a safe. Now, it was around Bella’s neck. I scrutinized her. “For someone of your standing, even a genuine piece looks like a cheap knockoff on you.” “You just can’t pull it off.” Bella suddenly grabbed my arm, her voice pleading, and dropped to her knees. “Chloe, please don’t be angry with Mr. Miller. I truly didn’t know this necklace was yours.” “He just lent it to me because I didn’t have any suitable jewelry for such a formal dinner. I’ll give it back right now. If you’re angry, take it out on me. I’ll endure whatever you dish out, a beating or a scolding.” She was about to take off the necklace. My temple throbbed. Bella was pulling this trick again. Just as I reached out to stop her, she cried out, “Ah!” and tumbled down the stairs. Liam emerged from the crowd. The moment he saw me, a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes. He was about to walk towards me when Bella, who had fallen, called out to him pitifully. Liam shoved me aside and rushed downstairs to pick up Bella. When he looked up again, his face was contorted with furious accusation. “What’s wrong with you now? Why are you giving Bella such a hard time? She’s just a sweet, innocent girl.” Bella, her eyes red, clung to his neck, sobbing softly. “I’m fine, really. I just lost my footing and fell down the stairs. It’s not Chloe’s fault.” “Mr. Miller, please go explain things properly to Chloe, don’t let this misunderstanding between you two get any worse because of me.” Liam lowered his head, his voice full of tender concern. “Are you hurt anywhere? Don’t be scared, I’m here.” Bella blinked her big, wet eyes, like a frightened deer, up at Liam, then pointed to her ankle. “It hurts… my foot hurts so much…” Liam bent down and scooped her up amidst her soft gasps of pain. As he passed me, Liam paused. His voice was icy. “You’re too jealous. Bella always seems to be in danger around you. I’m going home to pack some clothes and stay with her for a while. When you realize your own issues, come apologize to Bella.” “Otherwise…” I looked at the face I had loved for seven years. My voice was flat. “Divorce me, Liam Miller.” “I don’t want you anymore.” A ripple of murmuring swept through the room. Bella’s hand gripped Liam’s suit jacket, tense, afraid he might hear my words and change his mind, come back to me.
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