Damien Blackwood had a trophy girlfriend, and Elara Vance simply pretended not to notice. While he showered his mistress with jewels and exotic gifts, Elara was outside, holding their daughter, Lily, watching the stars. When he celebrated his mistress’s birthday with a drone show that lit up the entire city, Elara and Lily were on vacation in Zurich. And when he brought his mistress to the office to fool around, Elara watched the surveillance feed, her face a mask of indifference as she switched it off. Until, one day, the mistress, Brittany Wells, in a fit of jealousy, kidnapped Lily. Both fell from a cliff, landing in the hospital. Elara rushed there, only to hear the doctor informing Damien, “The blood bank is critically low. We can only save one: the child or the adult.” Damien hesitated. Under Elara’s piercing gaze, he finally said, “Save the child.” Elara watched, her gaze unblinking, as he signed the form. His pen trembled, hovering for an agonizing thirty seconds before finally, painstakingly, writing their daughter’s name. A wave of relief washed over me. Then, I turned to Damien, the man I had loved for ten years. “Damien, what about your promise to me?!” I demanded, my voice raw with fury. I had pursued him for a decade. If he so much as mumbled about not eating enough dinner, I’d scour the entire city to find his favorite comfort food. When he was injured and bleeding after a race, I nearly drained my own veins to donate blood to him. But no matter how much I gave, he only ever found me annoying. It wasn’t until the Blackwood Group faced a financial crisis that he begrudgingly agreed to marry me to save his company. That day, I went to him, ecstatic, only to be met with his cold words: “High-society marriages are always about mutual benefit, Elara. I can never give you genuine affection, so just forget about it.” On the eve of our wedding, I was forced to sign a contract. We became a contractual couple. We would fulfill all marital obligations and enjoy all marital rights—*except* for the clause of mutual fidelity. The only condition was that no matter how wild he got outside, it couldn’t affect our family. For years, we stuck to this rule perfectly. Even as Damien went through mistress after mistress, I never once questioned him. But I would never, ever tolerate him harming our daughter. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect Brittany to be so extreme. She saw our family photos today, and in a moment of panic, she just snapped…” Damien tried to explain. My palms were clenched so tight my knuckles were white. Finally, I managed to say, “If you can’t control your women, I will. And when that happens, don’t expect any mercy from me.” Damien grunted, acknowledging my words, then stood and walked to the corridor to smoke. For years, we had been like this: a perfect couple on the surface, but in reality, complete strangers. Two hours later, the doctor emerged from the operating room, his face etched with regret. “We saved the child, but she suffered severe brain trauma and is now in a vegetative state. Ms. Brittany Wells was slightly luckier; she’s already awake.” … I stumbled, disoriented, into Lily’s hospital room. My eyes immediately found my daughter’s pale, fragile face. I turned back, but Damien was gone, probably to Brittany’s room. Fighting back tears, I gently wiped Lily’s face. From the open door of the room, I heard two young nurses whispering. “I just passed the stairwell, and I saw Mr. Blackwood talking to the doctor, telling him to save the adult, not the child.” “No way? Who would do that to their own daughter?” “Why would I lie? I saw them re-sign the consent forms with my own eyes!” My heart turned colder than ice. I closed my eyes, two streams of tears silently tracing paths down my cheeks. A towering wave of resentment for Damien rose inside me. That very night, I called Blackwood Manor. My personal assistant, Liam, answered. “Find the marriage contract Damien and I signed years ago. Take a picture and send it to me. And remember, don’t alarm anyone.” … Fifteen minutes later, my phone pinged. I opened the image in the chat. Clearly visible were the words: “Any party violating this contract must unconditionally agree to divorce and forfeit all marital assets, relinquishing all claims to property.” Save. File away. I sent copies to my lawyer friend and a contact at the County Clerk’s office. Replies came swiftly. 【This contract remains valid indefinitely.】 【The County Clerk’s office has an opening tomorrow; you can apply for a divorce anytime.】 I stared at the lines of text. Just as I was about to tap ‘delete,’ a deep, resonant male voice cut through the silence. “Elara, why aren’t you asleep yet?” My heart jumped, and I instinctively snapped my phone shut. Damien walked towards me, his gaze falling on Lily’s face. He sighed. “Though Brittany was in the wrong here, I’ve had the doctors give Lily their full attention, and the blood bank prioritized her. It’s just a shame she’s so small, her body couldn’t keep up…” I remained silent, watching him with a mocking gaze. Damien frowned, clearly uncomfortable with my look. He mumbled an excuse and left. I knew he was going to Brittany. But I hadn’t cared before, and I cared even less now. Over the next few days, when I wasn’t at the hospital with Lily, I quietly returned to Blackwood Manor to clear out my things. On the first day of Lily’s hospitalization, Damien spent the entire day in Brittany’s room. I went back to Blackwood Manor and burned every photo and memento of Damien and me. On the second day, Damien came to sit with Lily for an hour, only to be called away by a phone call from Brittany. I went back to Blackwood Manor and took the half-finished sweater I was knitting for Damien, savagely cut it to shreds, and threw it in the trash. On the third day, Damien came to visit Lily, bringing Brittany with him. I watched on surveillance as they passionately kissed and got intimate right beside Lily’s hospital bed. I returned to Blackwood Manor and photographed all of Damien’s business secrets, saving them to a private folder on my phone. On the fifth day, Lily was discharged. Damien brought Brittany back to Blackwood Manor. “Elara, Brittany is injured, so fragile and helpless right now; she can’t take care of herself without me.” I looked at him, my heart aching. “Damien, have you forgotten our agreement?” No matter how many women he fooled around with, he wasn’t allowed to bring them home. That was my absolute boundary. Damien had always respected that boundary. But this time, he shook his head, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Elara, Brittany truly needs care. Just be understanding. She won’t bother you.” He paused, then added, “I promise, no matter what Brittany and I do, it won’t affect your status.” … “And if I don’t agree?” I challenged. “I can’t live under the same roof as your mistress.” Damien’s patience snapped. “If you don’t want to live here, no one’s forcing you. You know perfectly well why we got married in the first place, so stop acting like I owe you anything!” He shoved me, then slammed the front door shut. Through the crack in the door, I caught Brittany’s triumphant smirk aimed directly at me. That night, a furious storm raged outside. I stood alone in the courtyard, drenched, with nowhere to shelter. I saw the lights on the second floor, the curtains in the master bedroom wide open, revealing the heated scene within. On the massive bed, Damien and Brittany were getting intimate, naked and pressed together. Once, twice, three times… As I watched their bodies intertwine and Damien’s gentle, tender movements with her, a relentless, agonizing ache ripped through my heart. Damien and I were intimate maybe once a month, and each time he was impatient and rough, as if merely going through the motions. Pinned beneath him, his hand gripping my throat, I’d struggle to gasp out, “Damien, if you don’t want this, no one’s forcing you…” I never understood why Damien hated me yet still wanted to sleep with me. He never answered, just continued his relentless thrusts, round after round… Over time, I gave up, even trying to convince myself that this was just how Damien was. But watching him with Brittany, I finally understood: there are no cold and distant men in the world. There are only men whose warmth isn’t meant for you. Drenched by the rain, I developed a fever that lasted three days. The moment I recovered, Damien dragged me to the Serenity Summit Resort in B-City for a banquet. At the entrance, I saw Brittany, wearing the haute couture gown I had asked Damien for multiple times, to no avail. Our eyes met, a clash of sparks in the air. “Mr. Blackwood, Mrs. Blackwood, the Serenity Summit Resort upholds traditional etiquette. Gentlemen are only permitted to bring their lawful wives inside. If you wish to bring an escort, she must perform a traditional bow of deference before entering.” Brittany pouted, throwing herself into Damien’s arms. “Damien! I refuse to bow to anyone! And I don’t want to be your mistress, hmph!” I couldn’t help myself. “You already are one, so why pretend otherwise?” Brittany’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Damien…” Damien hesitated for only a second before turning to the server. “Brittany Wells is my wife.” I froze, stunned, staring at Damien in disbelief. “Damien…” “Just listen,” Damien murmured. “Brittany is young and sensitive. How can she be expected to kneel before others?” Did that mean *I* could be expected to do it? Seeing my face turn ashen, Damien, unusually patient, tried to coax me. “You’ve always wanted that Peninsula Estate, haven’t you? I promise, I’ll buy it for you the moment we get back, as long as you agree to enter as an escort.” At this, the crowd began to murmur. “I thought Mr. Blackwood’s wife was the heiress from *that* prominent family? When did he get a new one?” “Exactly. The Blackwood Group faced a crisis back then, and he only got through it by marrying into that wealthy family. Now he’s completely turned his back on her, even bringing his mistress here.” “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I’d say that mistress looks more like the real Mrs. Blackwood. That poor heiress must be devastated.” My face went ashen. I had never felt such profound humiliation. I took a deep breath, then pulled out my marriage certificate with Damien. … Brittany was forced to her knees, serving Damien and me throughout the meal. Her small face was a picture of misery, tears clinging to her eyelashes, heartbreaking to behold. I remained expressionless, but Damien’s heart visibly ached for her. Suppressing his rage, he snarled, “Elara Vance, are you satisfied? Is this the humiliation you wanted to inflict on Brittany?” I bit my lip. “We willingly signed the marriage certificate years ago. I didn’t force you. I’ll use it whenever I see fit.” Halfway through the meal, Damien suddenly kicked the table over, scooped Brittany into his arms, and stormed out. The gazes of pity and sympathy from the other guests threatened to drown me. My face went pale, and I lost all appetite. I quickly excused myself. Stepping out of the hotel, the world around me abruptly went black. … When I next opened my eyes, I was bound in a cold, damp basement parking garage. My legs were tied, forcing me into a kneeling position on the concrete floor. Several masked men in black were taking photos of me from every angle. “What are you doing?!” I cried out, terrified. “Let me go! I’m Mrs. Blackwood of Blackwood Group! If my husband finds out, he’ll never let you get away with this!” The masked men were completely unfazed, their eyes full of mockery. Just then, Damien’s call came through. “Do you understand what you did wrong?” I froze. “What?” On the other end, Damien’s voice was devoid of warmth. “I told you, as my contractual wife, you need to be obedient. You used tricks to make Brittany kneel today, so I will punish you a thousandfold.” “Brittany knelt for ten minutes, so you’ll kneel for ten hours in the basement parking garage.” I felt as if I’d been plunged into an ice bath, my heart plummeting into a terrifying, empty freefall. I choked back tears, about to speak, when a syrupy, feigned-innocent female voice cooed, “Damien, darling, won’t ten hours be too long? My knees were all bruised after just ten minutes.” “What? Your knees are bruised? Let me see…” Damien’s voice hardened. “Elara Vance is utterly despicable! I’ll have them break her kneecaps!” The next second, I heard the unmistakable sounds of intimate kissing, mixed with the rustle of a condom wrapper being torn open. Then, a searing pain shot through my knee. My kneecap was brutally shattered. The next morning, Damien came to the garage entrance to pick me up. When he saw me, a smug, knowing smile played on his lips. “Spent all night reflecting, have we? Now you know where you went wrong, don’t you?” My face was devoid of color. I nodded, expressionless. “I know where I went wrong.” “Good.” Damien nodded in satisfaction. On the way back, as I stared at the back of Damien’s head, all the deep affection I once held for him had vanished, replaced by a terrifying, dead calm. In those ten agonizing hours, I finally understood my mistakes. Knowing Damien didn’t love me, yet stubbornly pursuing him – that was my first mistake. Knowing he married me for his own gain, yet still flying into his flame like a moth – that was my second. And even knowing he loved someone else, still being unable to let him go – that was my third. Now, I would rectify every single one of my mistakes. I would leave him, completely, physically and mentally. Five days left. … We drove all the way to the luxurious Peninsula Estate. Damien was pleased with my repentant attitude and immediately handed me the villa keys. “My promise to you, here you go.” Seeing my slightly dazed expression, Damien’s lips curved upward. “I told you, as long as you’re obedient, I won’t shortchange you, and Brittany won’t threaten your status.” “Once I’m done with her, I’ll come back and we can live together properly, but you need to be obedient.” I smiled, a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. I stepped into the villa. It was large, spacious, luxurious, and beautifully decorated. It would have been perfect, if not for Brittany Wells sitting on the plush leather sofa. “What is she doing here?” I asked, my voice dangerously cold. Damien looked somewhat surprised, his brow furrowing slightly. Brittany nervously stood up. “Damien, darling, I heard *she* was coming today, so I came especially to welcome her. I even brought a housewarming gift…” Damien’s heart softened instantly. He turned to me. “Brittany meant well, Elara. Don’t be mad at her.” “I’ve invited some friends over for dinner at the villa tonight. Brittany will join us. Elara, as the lady of the house, you need to act like it. Don’t always get hung up on trivialities.” Only now did he remember I was the lady of the house? I smiled, a pale, bitter smile. I shook my head, saying nothing. During dinner, Brittany subtly moved to sit beside me. Her knee-length dress strategically revealed a glimpse of her leg. “Damien knew my knees were bruised from kneeling. He personally applied ointment and massaged them until he was satisfied. He said if I have even the tiniest scratch, it pains him deeply. Has he ever said that to *you*?” Brittany’s triumphant gaze landed on my knees. “Oh, I forgot. He must never have said that to *you*, otherwise, why would he shatter your kneecaps?” Brittany smiled, utterly provocative. I had already given up on Damien, but hearing her words still stirred a ripple of emotion within me. “You…” I began, but then I saw a strange, cunning glint flicker in Brittany’s eyes. She swiftly grabbed the glass of water from the table and splashed it onto her own face. “Ah! What are you doing, Elara?! I was just kindly asking if your knees had healed! Why did you throw water on me!” Brittany wailed, throwing herself into Damien’s arms, crying dramatically, like a heartbroken damsel. I gaped, “I didn’t…” The next second, Damien delivered a sharp, stinging slap across my face, sending me sprawling to the floor. “Elara Vance, this is what you call knowing your mistake?!” Damien snarled, his teeth clenched. “I see you’re completely unrepentant, always pushing your luck, taking advantage of your past contributions to the Blackwood family, and trying to bully Brittany!” “I will not be lenient with you this time!” With that, I was shoved into a pool easily ten feet deep. The icy water choked my nose, and I gasped for air, thrashing wildly in the water, close to suffocating. Damien, holding Brittany close, stood on the edge, casually watching the scene. “You threw water on Brittany’s face, so I’ll make sure you drink your fill of it, Elara Vance. I told you, you must pay for your actions.” My ears buzzed, and I could barely make out what they were saying. I felt such profound regret. Such deep regret. Why had I insisted on being with someone who didn’t love me at all? Now, I was reduced to this utterly wretched state. Loving him had been a mistake from the very beginning. I don’t know how much time passed. On the brink of death, I was finally hauled out by a bodyguard. Night had fallen. After coughing up all the water from my lungs, I staggered upstairs. From the master bedroom, I heard wanton, suggestive laughter. “Damien, darling, this is your *new home* with *her*. Are you sure *she* won’t mind you sleeping with me in her bed?” “Don’t worry about her. I told you before, every bed in every one of my houses must carry your scent.” “Oh, you’re naughty~” The sounds of their escalating intimacy filled the bedroom again. My heart turned to ice, utterly desolate. I sank to the floor beside the wall and dialed a number. “Liam, do you have any available slots at the County Clerk’s office tomorrow? I can’t take this anymore; can we expedite the divorce…?” Silent tears streamed down my face, my throat tight with suppressed sobs. “There are no slots tomorrow, but there’s an opening in three days. We can fast-track your application then.” Liam’s voice was filled with concern, having detected the distress in my voice. “Good. Three days it is.” I hung up the phone, collapsing to the floor as if all strength had drained from my limbs. I had never felt so utterly exhausted. I truly had been wrong, unbelievably wrong. Believing that genuine affection would be returned in kind was the biggest lie in the world. I leaned weakly against the wall, drifting in and out of consciousness, when a startled cry suddenly erupted from the master bedroom, followed by the door being kicked open. “Elara Vance, why was there a needle in Brittany’s pajamas?! Did you secretly put it there?!” Damien’s eyes were blazing, as if he wanted to devour me. Behind him, Brittany’s small face was pale with feigned panic. There were clear hickeys on her neck, and she was wearing *my* pajamas. My face instantly hardened. “Who gave you permission to wear my pajamas?!” “Oh, so you *do* know these are your pajamas, Elara Vance! You deliberately tried to harm Brittany! How utterly vicious you are!” Damien looked at me as if I were some venomous witch. I was shocked and enraged, yet a bitter laugh escaped me. “I deliberately harmed her? Are you saying I forced her to wear my pajamas? You two want to experiment, you want to spice things up, you cheat and even wear my pajamas, and now you have the gall to blame me?! Have you no shame?!” I finished in one breath, feeling a strange catharsis, mixed with an unprecedented sorrow. Damien’s face faltered slightly, realizing there was some truth to my words. Just then, Brittany cried out, “This is a new house, and there are hardly any clothes! I had no choice but to wear *her* pajamas! She must have guessed I would do this, so she deliberately planted the needle!” Damien’s face instantly darkened. “Elara Vance, I truly misjudged you!” “Guards!” I was shoved into a burlap sack. Inside, five rats, three snakes, and dozens of cockroaches squirmed. With Damien’s single command, the bodyguards brutally beat the sack. “Ah… Ah…” The screams emanating from the sack were no longer human. Damien finally looked satisfied. He kissed Brittany’s face. “There, darling. I avenged you. She pricked you with a needle, so I’ll let the vermin bite her.” Then, he looked at the sack, his voice cold. “Consider this a lesson. If you ever dare to lay a hand on Brittany again, it won won’t be this simple.” With that, he wrapped an arm around Brittany and walked away, not once looking back. When I was released from the sack the next day, I had already passed out. When the butler reported this, Damien was in Brittany’s room, applying ointment to the small needle pricks on her. “Passed out?” Damien’s face changed. He put down the ointment and started to leave. Brittany gritted her teeth, a flash of malice in her eyes, and followed him. I lay on the ground, covered in countless small, bloody bite marks. Damien’s expression was one of shock. He was about to speak when Brittany suddenly gasped. “Ouch, my needle wound from yesterday hurts so much…” Damien’s attention immediately turned to her. He quickly checked her wound. “Better, Brittany?” Brittany nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “She probably didn’t mean to stab me. She must just be upset that you’re so good to me. It’s okay, I won’t hold it against her.” Damien’s expression darkened. Any flicker of pity he had felt for me vanished completely. “She brought it on herself. If she’s passed out, so what? Throw cold water on her. If one bucket doesn’t wake her, use two. If two don’t, use three. If ten buckets don’t wake her, she’s faking it!” The butler nodded and began to douse me with water. One bucket… Two buckets… Three buckets… By the seventh bucket, I awoke, groggily opening my eyes, my head throbbing terribly. Damien sneered. “What, not faking it anymore? You were doing such a good job just now! I almost fell for it!” Brittany murmured, “She probably stopped faking it because she was afraid of being exposed.” I had never felt such rage. I almost forgot my sorrow; all I wanted now was to tear these two people limb from limb! I gathered my last vestiges of strength and stumbled to my feet, walking towards them, one step at a time. Damien looked at me impatiently, then suddenly froze. My gaze was utterly alien. It wasn’t the loving, tender look I used to give him. Now, when I looked at him, there was only a pool of still, dead water in my eyes. Damien suddenly felt a surge of panic. “Elara, listen to me…” I swayed suddenly. The world spun. And I collapsed to the ground again. I was rushed to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed me with severe internal and external injuries, a high fever, and immediately admitted me. “The patient’s condition is very unstable. She needs complete rest, and her emotions must not be stimulated further!” the doctor told Damien before leaving. For the next few days, Damien stayed glued to my bedside. Brittany came by a few times. Seeing Damien so distraught, she gritted her teeth and left. Damien watched over me for two days and two nights straight until a bodyguard called him, frantic. “Mr. Blackwood! It’s terrible! Ms. Wells has been kidnapped!” … By the time Damien rushed to the scene, Brittany had already been rescued by his bodyguards. She cried, throwing herself into his arms. “Damien, darling, I almost didn’t see you again… boo hoo hoo…”
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