I spend ten years helping my fiancé fight and claw his way to the top. Finally, he becomes the head of the local mafia.

But once he has everything, he falls for another woman. Suddenly, he wants nothing to do with the promise he made to marry me.

Just as he boasts about throwing her the wedding of the century, one of his men can't hold back his confusion.

"Olivia stood by you through everything. Weren't you crazy about her? And now you're marrying someone else?"

Joshua Harding snuffs out his cigarette, slowly turning the silver couple's ring he shares with Abigail Mauser between his fingers.

"Olivia?" He scoffs. "She's got blood on her hands. How could she ever compare to my sweet, innocent Abigail?"

The subordinate hesitates. "But Olivia's sharp. If she finds out and turns against you, then what?"

Joshua frowns before smirking coldly. "Belcove is completely under my control. It's not like I'll lose it without her around."

Little does he know I'm standing outside and listening to every word.

I drop the medicine I brought him into the trash and pull out my phone. I text his biggest rival, Michael Sheridan. "Want Joshua's turf and his life? I'm handing them to you!"

I was writing the permission slip for a speedboat to leave the island when Joshua Harding came looking for me.

"I've got a large shipment coming to the island the day after tomorrow. Bring some guys with you and oversee the pickup yourself. Also, clear out that house of yours. I need it."

Joshua was solemnly barking his orders at me, but I found the whole thing laughable.

He was asking me to risk my life for a shipment just so he could marry Abigail Mauser. As for my house, he wanted to let Abigail stay there, didn't he?

I hummed a curt acknowledgment, but my indifferent reaction made Joshua frown in displeasure.

"What's your problem now? I'm only choosing not to reveal your relationship with me because of how unstable the situation is. Michael Sheridan is keeping close tabs on everything. I can't possibly risk having all of our people let their guards down just for your sake.

"Right now, your most important task is to help me get away from Michael."

Joshua was used to keeping me under his thumb like that. In the past, I thought this was his way of protecting me. Because of that, I devoted my entire life to scheming on his behalf and achieving his goals for him. But now, everything felt like a cruel joke.

Handing him the permission slip for the speedboat, I responded coolly, "There's no problem. I'm used to this."

Joshua got a sense that something was out of the ordinary. Eyes flashing with annoyance, he scribbled his signature so hard that the pen broke through the paper.

"Olivia Cassidy! What's with that attitude, huh? All I did was ask you for your house. Everything on this island belongs to me, including your life! Do I not have the right to give you orders?"

After signing the permission slip, he threw it back at my face. "From now on, don't bother me over petty things like leaving the island for supplies. I don't have the time to entertain you."

I knew he misunderstood what the permission slip was for, but I didn't correct him. I gave him a detached nod before leaving. Once I spotted the speedboat that would soon be my getaway ride, I broke out into a carefree smile.

I spent ten years helping Joshua with his turf war. We were childhood friends, and we trusted each other with our lives. We were also lovers. All along, my dream was to marry him. He had also hinted to me that once he had all of Belcove under his command, he would give me what I want.

It took me until now to realize the truth. All of that had merely been a lie. Marrying Joshua was my fanciful delusion, and he used my feelings for him against me.

Joshua was about to marry someone else.

That night, a heavily armed group of mercenaries escorted Abigail to the island. Though she wore a white dress that fluttered in the wind, her seemingly innocent eyes were filled with smug arrogance.

"Olivia, you've spent over a decade working so hard for Josh. You've made a huge contribution! I'll definitely tell him to give you a promotion—and a few handsome guys to pick from! You should find someone to be with, too," Abigail declared.

"You're not at all like Josh. He's so eager that he can't wait any longer, you know. He insists on marrying me tomorrow."

I had to grip my gun tightly to stop myself from killing her.

"Let's go," I said.

After glancing coldly at Abigail, I started walking, but she stopped me. She took out a diary from her bag and said with a sly smile, "This contains all the sweet nothings Josh wrote whenever he missed me the last few years. It's weighing down my bag too much. Help me get rid of it, please, Olivia."

And with that, she strutted off. I stood there in the wind and opened the diary with trembling hands.

On April 12, 2024, I rescued him from an ambush. That same day, he wrote in his diary, "Abigail, if I survive this, I'll marry you."

On August 5, 2023, when I was informed that Joshua had been attacked by Michael during a run, I grabbed two machetes and charged in solo to save him. However, his diary entry read, "You were wonderful today, babe."

January 24, 2021, he had been taken into police custody, but I chose to take the fall in his place. He wrote, "If it had been you, Abigail, I would never have allowed you to suffer like that."

Every single word he wrote cut deep into my heart. It felt as if my heart were bleeding dry.

I'd asked Joshua countless times to marry me, but he would always kiss my forehead and say, "Wait a little longer, Olivia. I've got too many enemies. I'm always afraid I haven't done a good enough job to ensure your safety. Once I have all of Belcove under my command, I'll marry you, okay?"

He brushed off all of my pleas and urgings.

Just then, I got a reply on WhatsApp. It was a short message, but it sealed my fate. There was no turning back now.

"It's a deal!"

I tapped on my screen. I couldn't resist the urge to seek clarification for something. I asked, "Did you attack Joshua on August 5, 2023?"

I got a response within seconds, and the answer filled me with anguish.

"Certainly not! I'm innocent!"

Immediately, another message came in. "Hang on. Don't tell me that's why you came at me with two machetes in hand and hunted me down the streets like a dog. I didn't do anything!"

I let out a self-deprecating laugh.

I now knew that in Joshua's eyes, I was nothing but a clown—a pet he could toy with as he pleased.

Well, why should I stick around to be the object of their jokes?

After coordinating the details of the rendezvous with Michael, I started heading back. It was then that I overheard Joshua talking to Ian Harris, one of his subordinates. They were standing by a yacht.

"Abigail's wedding gown has been delivered, Joshua. It's the one you got at the Royal Auction for ten billion dollars. I'm just worried about Olivia. What if she causes a scene and exposes our location? We might end up getting caught in one fell swoop…"

Joshua replied nonchalantly, "I love Abigail. She's the only one I'm marrying. The wedding ceremony must proceed without a hitch tomorrow. I won't allow anyone to cause any problems, not even Olivia. I'll make sure she stays quiet. By the way, make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut. If anyone lets the cat out of the bag, I'll feed him to the sharks!"

Although I'd already decided to leave, it still stung my heart deeply to hear those words. Joshua was supposed to have loved me dearly, but he was lying to me, tricking me, and even made it clear he thought I was worthless.

When I got back to my room, I packed my things. After collecting my personal documents, I looked around at the stash of weapons that filled the place. It came as a shock to me when I realized Joshua had never given me anything.

All he ever tossed my way were weapons so that I could use them to protect him.

I'd asked him for pretty clothes and jewelry before, but he said, "Even if you put on a dress and some jewelry, Olivia, you won't look like a woman anyway. Let's not waste such finery on you."

Meanwhile, Abigail came to the island with an entire truck's worth of fancy clothes and accessories. Why was it that she could wear them while I couldn't?

I dug into my closet and pulled out a red dress hidden at the bottom. I put on a pair of heels, and I even did my makeup.

Just then, Abigail came strolling into my room without permission.

"Olivia, you saw the diary, right? The one Josh loves the most is…"

Abigail trailed off. Her eyes widened when she saw how breathtakingly beautiful I looked with my makeup on. Once she came back to her senses, she frowned and scoffed.

"Here I was thinking you'd at least have some dignity and leave with your tail between your legs once you find out that Josh doesn't love you. I can't believe you actually have the nerve to try and seduce him instead, you shameless woman! I'm going to rip you to pieces!"

Abigail came at me in an attempt to scratch up my face, but she was a weakling. I was the one who slapped her in the face instead.

"How dare you hit me, Olivia? Josh will make you pay for this!" Abigail shrieked.

Crossing my arms, I looked at her as she threw a fit. "Pay for what? Your plastic surgery so that you'll finally look at least half as pretty as me?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Abigail fell to her knees and started slapping herself in the face.

"I'm the one at fault, Olivia! I insisted on marrying Josh. I don't care if you kill me afterward. Just please don't ruin the wedding!"

Puzzled, I was trying to figure out what she was up to when I felt a gust of wind. Someone was aiming a kick my way.

"Olivia! Are you ignoring what I said? How dare you bully Abigail?" Joshua roared.

Infuriated, he threw his entire weight into that kick. If it landed on me, I would certainly be severely injured.

Just who was I to him? A hunting dog he kept around to do his dirty work? A punching bag he was free to abuse once no longer needed?

I just barely managed to evade Joshua's kick, but as I was in heels, I ended up spraining my ankle. Even as I winced in pain, I looked at him.

He helped Abigail to her feet before glaring icily at me. Though his eyes gleamed a little when he saw my face, his words remained as harsh as ever.

"No matter how pretty you look all dolled up, Olivia, to me, you're nothing compared to Abigail."

Abigail took Joshua's hand, and in between choked sobs, she said, "Josh, I only revealed the secret because Olivia forced me to tell her. I'm sorry…"

Joshua held her close and said gently, "I'm not mad. It's not a big deal."

I smiled bitterly.

Just a while ago, he was commanding Ian to do whatever it took to keep the wedding ceremony a secret. But now that Abigail had revealed it to me, he said it wasn't a big deal.

She could truly do no wrong in his eyes. He doted on her in every way.

What did that make me then? Was I a complete fool?

"So, you really are going to marry her?" I questioned, my eyes fixed on Joshua.

I cared a lot about how he intended to explain himself to me. At the very least, I thought he would panic and feel some guilt. I thought he would beg me to forget about the past and give them my blessings.

However, he simply frowned and responded indifferently, "That's right. The wedding ceremony's tomorrow. I'll allow you to attend it, but you're not allowed to cause a scene. Don't force me to have you subdued, Olivia."

The last shred of hope I had in Joshua vanished for good.

He kept telling me that with how volatile the situation was, we couldn't have a wedding. It would make for an easy target.

Yet, when it came to Abigail, it didn't matter at all how risky or dangerous it could be. None of that stopped him. He even brazenly offered me the chance to attend their wedding as if he were doing charity work.

How could someone be as cruel as he was?

Holding back the tears in my eyes, I clenched my jaw and spat out bitterly, "Get out…"

Alas, Abigail wasn't satisfied with an inch. She wanted a mile.

"Josh, I don't know many people here, so I've been thinking about getting Abigail to be my bridesmaid, but I'm afraid of offending her…"

Joshua's heart melted at the sight of the woman he loved making such a timid request. He swiftly commanded me, "Olivia, since you've found out we're getting married, I'm sure you won't mind being a bridesmaid, right?"

"Get lost! Get out of my sight, both of you!" I screamed.

My anger exploded out of me. Picking up a baseball bat, I chased them out.

"Get the hell out of here!"

After slamming the door shut with a loud bang, I crumpled to the floor, my chest heaving. A tear trickled out of the corner of my eye as my despair took hold of me.

Amid my sorrow, the screen of my phone lit up with a message from Michael.

My mood was pretty foul as I tapped into the message, but the moment I saw what Michael wrote, my face turned scarlet.

"You look gorgeous. The red dress suits you. Take off the heels and apply some ointment to your ankle."

I was startled. How did he know I'd sprained my ankle? And what ointment was he talking about?

I was caught up in my thoughts when a drone came in through the window. It had a box tied to it. I took off the lid to find a red dress and a tube of ointment.

From that, I realized Michael knew where Joshua's base had been all along. He merely chose not to take action. I'd done a good job selecting who to work with.

I applied the ointment to my ankle per the instructions that came with it. Just as I was about to shower and get ready for bed, Joshua came back to my room.

He carried me to the bed gently, and he also had a tube of ointment in his hand.

"It's okay. Don't be scared. I'll apply some ointment for you," Joshua said.

It must've been raining outside. Joshua was soaked to the skin. Even so, he cleaned his hands before carefully tending to my sprained ankle.

I used to have a woefully low pain tolerance. When I first started joining fights with Joshua, I would cry pitifully the moment I got a tiny scratch.

Back then, whenever I got injured, Joshua would stay with me no matter how battered and bruised he was. He would ask me to bite his arm to ease my pain.

While life was tough during those early years, I felt safe with him. Yet, at some point, I stopped seeing him next to me in my bed. From then on, regardless of how many times I endangered my life, and no matter how severe my injuries were, he didn't bother to even look at me.

I was no longer afraid of pain now, but here he was, hurrying over to take care of me. Did he finally regain his conscience?

"You've lost weight," Joshua said in an apologetic tone. "I've been neglecting you lately. I'm sorry.

"I was afraid you'd misunderstand things, so that's why I didn't tell you about the wedding. Abigail saved my life before. Others have put a hit out on her because of me, so I have to protect her. But don't worry. I won't touch her. You're the only one I love. Once I get rid of Michael, I'll get a divorce and marry you, okay?"

Joshua was gently massaging my ankle, but my eyes were fixed on the ring around his ring finger.

I looked at Joshua, and with a heartbroken gaze, I asked him, "Joshua, throughout all these years, have you ever loved me?"

Stiffening briefly, he got down on one knee before pulling me into a hug.

"I love you, Olivia. You're the only one I love," he declared, sounding like he had the utmost affection for me.

Then, as he stared at me lovingly, he fed me the glass of milk he brought with him.

"Come. Have some milk and get some rest. If you want to attend the wedding tomorrow, you may do so. I won't stop you."

Alas, I could tell that the milk had been laced with sleeping pills—enough to put me out for the entire day tomorrow.

My throat constricted. I could scarcely breathe.

He was still lying to me just so he could marry Abigail without any issues tomorrow. I now knew what he had intended to do when he said he would make sure I stayed quiet during the wedding.

After finishing the milk, I shed a tear. My heart was completely cold and still.

However, Joshua was smiling brightly. As he watched me tenderly, I closed my eyes. He had no idea that I'd developed insomnia after spending all these years fighting and risking my life for him. Sleeping pills no longer worked on me.

A few moments later, I heard Abigail's coquettish voice ringing out beside me.

"What's taking you so long, Josh? It almost feels like you intend to spend the night here."

Joshua held Abigail and kissed her fiercely before saying, "Why would I? She's nothing more than a meat shield to me. Michael has got me in his crosshairs right now. I need to keep her beside me. She's useful. Out of consideration for her, he won't kill me."

"Hey! What are you doing with your hands? You're such a beast," Abigail whined coyly.

"You're right. I'm a beast…" Joshua's voice took on a deep, husky tone.

I heard the rustling sounds of clothes being hastily discarded as they kissed urgently, a kiss given as if their very lives depended on it.

I felt as if I'd been stabbed in the heart. The pain was killing me. All along, I obeyed Joshua's every word and did everything he asked of me. However, he'd never shown me such adoration and fiery passion.

All he ever did was ask, "Olivia, can you take the fall for me?"

"Olivia, I'm in a shootout with Michael. Come help me."

I would always agree to all his requests, even if it meant risking my life.

At last, Joshua and Abigail left. I didn't sleep a wink that night.

Early the next morning, I got my bag and left the room. The island seemed deserted. Everyone was busy with the wedding ceremony.

I handed the permission slip to Frank Gibson, the guy who was in charge of overseeing the dock.

"Get me a speedboat," I said.

Frank looked taken aback.

"There are too many eyes out there right now, Olivia. What if someone catches your tail if you leave the island? Joshua has instructed us not to let you leave the island alone. In any case, if you're not on the island, what if something happens because no one else is overseeing things here?"

Joshua had once promised me that the moment he took control of Belcove, he would make me his wife. So that I could marry him as soon as possible, I spent my nights leading his men and engaging in turf wars. During the day, I handled all of the day-to-day affairs that came with running the island. I was basically working around the clock.

Alas, if Joshua truly loved me, why would he allow me to slave away to the point of exhaustion and ignore all of my sacrifices?

He didn't love me, so everything I did was in vain.

"Does Joshua know you're leaving the island?" Frank checked again.

He was one of the few who knew about my true relationship with Joshua, and he also knew how important I was to Joshua.

When we were in front of all his subordinates, Joshua never made it seem like I was special to him. He never treated me in a way that implied I was anything but a subordinate, too. In fact, to assert his dominance, he even thrashed me to within an inch of my life in public before.

Nevertheless, Frank felt the need to confirm it anyway. The fact that I was leaving on Joshua's wedding day gave him a sense of unease.

"He knows. He signed the slip himself."

Frank was doubtful, but at my insistent urging, he gave me a speedboat.

As I drove off in the speedboat, I felt the chilly, salty wind whipping against me. It finally seemed real to me that I was leaving. I was utterly betraying Joshua. After all, I was joining forces with Michael, his nemesis, and I had his secrets with me.

I wonder what the look on Joshua's face would be when he found out. I couldn't help but indulge in that vindictive thought.

After a while, I came across a massive yacht that was anchored out in the water. A wedding ceremony was being held on the deck. Drones had scattered rose petals all across the sea.

The speakers were so loud that even though I was some distance away, I could hear Joshua's heartfelt confession of his love for Abigail.

"Abigail, you once said that people in my line of work should never get involved romantically. Because of that, I buried my love for you deep down in my heart. I was afraid that you'd be my weakness. I didn't want you to get hurt," Joshua said.

"But now, I want to tell you this. You're my weakness, but you're also my armor! In order to marry you, I spent seven years waiting and carefully planning everything. And now, my wish is finally coming true…"

That made perfect sense. Joshua loved Abigail, so he hid his feelings from everyone, including me. The love he displayed toward her now turned all the promises he once made me into nothing more than a mockery.

When I looked over, I saw a man and a woman standing on the deck of the yacht. It was a sweet, romantic sight.

Across the distance, Joshua caught my eye and stiffened. "Olivia?"

His heart clenched as an overwhelming wave of unease washed over him. He felt like he was about to lose something extremely important.

Abigail clutched his hand. With a tender smile, she said, "You must've been mistaken, Josh. Olivia is still asleep after drinking the milk you laced with sleeping pills."

The doubt in Joshua's expression slowly dissipated. He secretly decided to do his best to console me once the wedding was over. Abigail was just his savior because she'd saved his life before. Once he divorced her, he would use the rest of his life to make it up to me.

Alas, he had no clue I was heading off on a speedboat, leaving him behind.

"Mr. Harding, do you take Ms. Mauser to be your wife, for richer—"

The officiant's words were cut off by a voice shouting, "Something terrible has happened, boss!"

Zeke Shaw, one of Joshua's foot soldiers, came running in. "Boss, Ms. Cassidy is gone!"