To close the deal, I drank with a client at a bar until my stomach started burning like hell again.

I excused myself, saying I needed some air. That’s when I heard a man’s voice drifting from the private room next door.

“Dude, you really pulled money out of the company accounts to buy jewelry? You’re not worried your wife’s gonna find out and make a scene?”

“What’s there to worry about? I just told her it was a loss on a deal. She believed me.”

“She’s probably out there right now, drinking with that old bastard, trying to fix the company’s losses.”

Through the half-open door, I saw my husband Marty Dempsey. He picked up a piece of jewelry to please the dancer in his arms.

I stood there, frozen, my heart dead.

After marrying Marty, I gave everything I had to run his company. Under my management, it grew, deal after deal.

So when the recent losses showed up in the accounts, I trusted him completely like an idiot.

But what I got in return was no more than lies and betrayal!

I let out a self-mocking smile, pulled a number out of my phone’s blocked list, and dialed.

“I’ll marry into the Seidenfelds. That family with a crippled heir.”

“But I want a wedding gift. A hundred million.”

…

Iris’s POV

“Iris! Are you out of your damn mind?”

My dad hadn’t even finished riding the high of me agreeing to the marriage arrangement before my condition hit him like a slap.

“Our family doesn’t even have a hundred million in liquid assets combined! I can’t do that.”

“You’ve got your one shot to turn everything around sitting right in front of you,” I shot back, cold and firm. “I’ll give you one day.”

With that, I hung up, then turned my gaze back into the private room.

Marty had his arm loosely around the woman, watching her face for a reaction, then gestured at the pile of jewelry in front of her.

“All of this is yours. Pick whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy.”

She barely glanced at it, her expression flat.

“I told you already. I don’t like you. You don’t need to try this hard to impress me. I’m not the kind of woman who gets swayed by money.”

“If you’ve got this much time to waste, maybe think about what you’re gonna do when your wife finds out you’ve been lying to her. And if she comes crying to me? Mr. Dempsey, don’t blame me for not holding back.”

Marty raised a brow, a slow, amused smile tugging at his lips.

“Madz, if you want it, you can be Mrs. Dempsey.”

“As for Iris? Don’t worry about her. I don’t love that kind of cheap woman.”

“Back then, I just tossed her a few nice words and she fell for it. And my parents were already pushing me into an arranged marriage anyway, so I figured, ‘why not marry someone who actually likes me instead of some woman tied to me for business’?”

“At least she takes care of family matters for me. And I gave her a cushy life. It’s not like I mistreated her.”

The room burst into laughter, people chiming in one after another.

“I can vouch for that, bro! The night before your wedding, at the bachelor party, you said the exact same thing. I still have the recording!”

“Seriously, man, no one does devotion like you. You’ve refused to have kids all these years. Wasn’t it all just waiting for Madisen to finally say yes?”

“Exactly. I’ve known you for twenty years. I’ve never seen you care about anyone the way you care about her.”

At the word “kids,” my hand instinctively went to my stomach as tears slipped down silently.

I met Marty at a maternity and baby products company.

He was known as a reckless rich playboy, the exact type of man I couldn’t stand.

But we had similar backgrounds. And the way he once crossed the entire city in the middle of the night just to see me made me fall for him eventually.

I refused to believe he never had even a little bit of real feelings for me.

I was just about to storm into the room and demand the truth when a gunshot shattered everything. Screams started breaking out all over the bar.

“Iris! Why are you still standing here? There’s a guy with a gun! The bar’s already a mess!”

A colleague ran over and grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the exit.

In the center of the hall, the criminal’s voice exploded.

“Everybody stay the fuck where you are! Move again and I swear I’ll shoot you dead!”

Another gunshot rang out. The black muzzle swung wildly, aimed at anyone who hadn’t made it out yet.

Then I heard Marty shouting, frantically.

“Madz! Don’t be scared! I’m coming to you!”

I turned back. His eyes were locked, not on me, but on Madisen, just a few steps away.

He shoved through the crowd, desperate to reach her.

Something sharp and sour spread through my chest as I remembered something.

On our honeymoon, we were kidnapped once.

He ran, leaving me there with a knife pressed to my throat while they demanded ransom.

I thought, ‘Even just to calm them down, he’d at least pretend to agree.’

But he didn’t. He refused without hesitation.

Even when the blade cut into my skin, he didn’t waver.

Afterward, he told me that giving in would only make things worse for my safety.

God, I actually fucking believed that jerk!

And now, everything in front of me made it painfully clear: all of it was just excuses because he simply didn’t give a damn about me.

The sound of sirens snapped me back. The crowd grew more chaotic, and Madisen started screaming for help.

“If you’re so damn eager to leave, then go die first!”

The gunman completely lost it, aiming straight at her.

As he pulled the trigger, a sudden force slammed into me from behind. I stumbled forward right into the bullet’s path!

There was no time to think. A burning, tearing pain exploded through my body. Something warm and wet spread fast, soaking through my clothes.

As I hit the ground, I used the last bit of strength I had to look back.

I never, not even for a second, thought the person who pushed me… would be Marty.

Our eyes met for a split second. He looked away first, like I was nothing, and pulled Madisen into his arms, holding her tight like she was everything to him.

Iris’s POV

The nearest hospital belonged to the Dempseys.

The attending doctor looked at the bullet graze on my shoulder, hesitation written all over his face.

“Ma’am… Mr. Dempsey arrived before you. He’s already called all the medical staff over. He wants a full-body checkup done for another woman.”

“Where is he?”

Actually, I already knew.

After the doctor pointed it out, I walked straight to the exam room.

“Marty,” my voice came out tight, strained, “giving her jewelry wasn’t enough for you? You had to throw in my life, too?”

He turned around at the sound of my voice. His eyes flicked over my pale face, drained from pain, and something like discomfort flashed across his expression.

“Iris, pushing you at the bar… That was my fault. But Madz’s a dancer. She can’t have scars on her body.”

“And besides, I calculated it. That bullet wouldn’t have killed you.”

“And what if it did?” I let out a cold laugh. “Marty, all these years, did you ever give a single damn about me?”

His brows pulled together. The arm he had around Madisen loosened slightly.

“So you’re Mrs. Dempsey.” Madisen stepped away from him, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “He saved my life today. I’m grateful for that. But I have zero interest in getting involved in whatever this is between you two. He’s the one who keeps chasing me. Maybe you should keep your husband in check.”

She looked at him, saying, “Mr. Dempsey, I’m not doing the exam. And I won’t be seeing you again.”

She turned to leave after that. But Marty immediately grabbed her, then scooped her up into his arms.

“Iris, you’ve gone too far,” he hissed, glaring at me. “There is no ‘what if.’ You’re perfectly fine right now. You even have the energy to stand here and give Madz a hard time.”

I stood there like stone, cold seeping into my bones.

Just like that, he turned to leave. Instinctively, I reached out to grab him, but he shoved me off, irritation clear on his face.

“Enough! Jeez, Iris, when did you become this unreasonable?”

“It’s just a flesh wound! A few stitches and you’ll be fine. If you’re that worried about scars, I’ll pay for the best damn cosmetic treatment!”

“But didn’t you see how badly Madz was shaken? Psychological trauma can affect someone for the rest of their life, you know.”

“I need you to understand me and be mature about this. Stop making everything about relationship shits right now!”

The force hit hard. My lower abdomen slammed hard against the edge of the table. In an instant, pain exploded through me, dropping me to the floor.

The medical staff who saw it rushed over with a wheelchair, but Marty snatched it first.

“Who are you trying to fool? Madz’s legs are weak from fear and she can still walk. You’re not that fragile.”

Just like that, he pushed her out and left me behind.

My colleague finally arrived, helping me up. By the time I forced myself into the exam room, cold sweat was soaking my back.

“I-Iris… Blood! There’s so much blood!”

Her voice shook. I looked down and saw the blood pouring down my legs.

The pain in my shoulder and my abdomen hit me all at once. I couldn’t hold on anymore. Next thing I knew, my vision went black.

When I woke up, the attending doctor stood in front of me, guilt written all over his face.

“Mrs. Dempsey… you were two weeks pregnant. But now…” he began.

Then, he quickly added, “Your body is not in a good condition to begin with. The pregnancy wasn’t stable and with the impact earlier… I’m afraid… it just wasn’t meant to be. Don’t worry, you and your husband can still have children in the future.”

Tears spilled out before I could stop them. My whole body started shaking.

Maybe it’s better this way. After all, there is no future between me and Marty.

“Doctor.” I wiped my tears and stopped him before he left. “Please don’t tell him about this.”

He looked surprised for a moment, then sighed and nodded.

“I understand. You’re worried he’ll feel guilty, that it’ll hurt him if he finds out.”

I just smiled. I didn’t say a word. After he left, I picked up my phone and called HR to process my resignation.

Then, just as I expected, Dad called.

“I agree to your terms. The fifty million advance has already been wired to your account.”

I checked the transfer right away. “The remaining half? You give it to me on the wedding day. Or there is no wedding.”

“Iris. Do you really have to be this calculative?” His voice sounded tired. “You’re my only daughter.”

“Well, my mom wasn’t your only wife,” I shot back bluntly. “Don’t forget: you had another child, too. Your affair was what got him killed.”

I hung up. Then, I transferred the fifty million straight to the care facility I had already arranged.

There’s only one week left before the arranged marriage.

Anyone who doesn’t love me? I don’t give a shit about them anymore.

Iris’s POV

What Marty pulled at the bar blew up overnight.

[#DempseyHeirDropsFortuneOnDancerButGetsColdShoulder]

[#HeroMomentMartyDempseyRisksLifeToSaveDancerAtGunpoint]

Hashtags like that kept trending. Everyone was waiting to see how I’d react.

But I couldn’t be bothered. I logged out of every single social media account without a second thought.

Suddenly, the hospital room door opened. I looked up and saw my guest. It was Madisen.

“Everything outside is a complete mess, and you’re just sitting here like nothing’s happening?”

Her tone was pure provocation, but I didn’t feel a thing.

“I’ve got nothing to hide. Why wouldn’t I be calm?” I retorted flatly. “Mistresses are the ones who should feel guilty.”

Her beautiful face instantly iced over.

“Who the hell are you calling a mistress?”

“Bitch, not everyone is as lucky as you. I had to become a dancer just to survive, but I’ve always kept myself clean. I’ve never slept with any client.”

“I’ve seen plenty of rich, powerful men. Marty is just one of many who’ve chased me. But someone willing to risk his life for me? That’s a first.”

Her expression suddenly softened, and her tone shifted.

“So I came to tell you that after the shooting, I realized how sincere his feelings are. I’ve decided to give him a chance.”

“I’m Madisen Moyland, and if I’m going to be anything, it’ll be the wife, never some secret mistress!”

I stared at her. For a long second, I burst out laughing.

“Wow. What a fiery declaration. Too bad, a mistress is still a mistress. Even if you claw your way up, you don’t get to rewrite what you are.”

I swung my legs off the bed, walked up to her and slapped her hard.

She wasn’t ready for that. She dropped straight to the floor, and a gemstone pendant slipped out from the loose collar of her hospital gown.

It was a flawless pigeon-blood red. The sunlight caught it, and its fiery sparkle almost hurt my eyes.

When Marty and I were approaching our second anniversary, he’d gone through jewelry magazines and quietly enlisted people to attend auctions, spending a fortune to buy this gemstone.

I thought it was a surprise for me. God, I was so fucking happy.

But on the actual anniversary, I sat there all night beside a table full of food I cooked myself, waiting until he stumbled home drunk.

He said there was a sudden business engagement, and the gemstone was really just carefully prepared to please a client’s wife.

Seeing how uncomfortable he looked, I even felt bad for him. After that, I put even more of myself into managing family matters.

Turns out, every bit of it was real feelings traded for fake bullshit.

I let out a slow breath and shook my head at his mistress.

“Get out. Now. Don’t soil my eyes with your presence, or I won’t go easy on you.”

“And one more thing. This title? Mrs. Dempsey?” I looked her up and down. “Even if I throw it away, it still won’t ever be yours. You’re not even fit to stand on the same level.”

“Bitch!” Her shock twisted into anger. Just as she propped herself up, the door slammed open. It was Marty.

“Iris! Damn it, I was seriously wrong about you! I didn’t think you could be this arrogant and controlling!”

His eyes quickly landed on the red mark on Madisen’s face. He rushed over and helped her up.

“Madz is too kind. She was worried about your injury and came to check on you, and this is how you treat her?”

“I’m the one who overstepped.” Madisen gently touched his hand, smiling softly. “Mrs. Dempsey is probably just in a bad mood from her injury. Don’t be mad at her, Marty.”

Marty froze. When he realized what had happened, he excitedly pulled her into his arms.

“Madz, what did you just call me? You finally said it like that…”

The way they looked at each other made my stomach churn. Disgust clawed its way up my throat.

Madisen leaned against his chest, shooting me a smug look.

“This is really my fault,” she said softly.

“Marty, I only just realized how sincere you are. I want to reciprocate your feelings, but I don’t want to ruin your marriage with her.”

“That’s why I came today to talk to Mrs. Dempsey. I was going to keep my feelings hidden. I didn’t expect to upset her.”

That expression, seventy percent pitiful, thirty percent sweet, had him completely hooked.

“It’s not your fault,” Marty said immediately. “She’s the one being narrow-minded.”

Then, he demanded, “Iris, apologize to Madz. Right now!”

I let out a cold scoff and turned, just wanting to get back to the bed, but a sudden sharp pain hit my lower abdomen. I froze.

Madisen stepped forward, supporting me, then leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper by my ear.

“Mrs. Dempsey, whether it’s the necklace or that title, if I want it, there’s nothing I can’t take.”

“You didn’t know, did you?” she murmured. “Marty drank two whole bottles for me just to get me that necklace.”