My name was Wisteria Oliviero. Jackie Kissinger and I had been married for 10 years. The world praised his undying love for Yvonne Willson, his late first love. I too was glad I married someone so loving.

Then, on Yvonne's deathday, I saw a photo of him kissing the supposedly dead Yvonne in Lutecia. I found out Yvonne swiped my dad's secondary card until its limit.

When I demanded answers, he called me crazy and wanted to send me to an asylum.

Then, I also found out the car crash that took my womb away was his and Yvonne's conspiracy.

I wasted 10 years on the wrong guy, and I did not want to take it anymore. I used my family's power to destroy Jackie's company, collected evidence of their crimes, and sent them both into prison.

They were thrown behind bars. I was freed from their web of lies, and the light awaited me.

Confrontation

It had been a decade since we were married. I led a group of men to excavate Jackie's first love's grave. Everyone around us praised him for being a loyal man. He never forgot his first love though she'd already died ten years ago.

He'd go to the cemetery and celebrate her birthday all by himself every year. Yvonne's name was always at the top of his contact list. I was not angry at all. Instead, I was glad I married someone so loyal.

But then, another deathday came.

I saw a photo of him kissing the supposedly dead Yvonne in Lutecia when I went through his phone.

I went to the cemetery, my phone in hand showing the photo.

I was shivering as I demanded answers.

He snatched the phone away and looked at me icily. "Are you mad, Wisteria? She's already long dead, and you're trying to sully her name with this?"

I looked at the photo on the headstone. She looked a bit like me, and I laughed until tears streamed down my cheeks. "Yeah, she's dead. So, tell me, how'd a dead woman spend 150 grand on the card my dad gave you?"

Jackie grabbed my wrist. Impatiently, he scolded, "What is wrong with you? Why are you digging up Yvonne's grave? Are you out of your mind?"

His grip was so strong, I thought my bones were cracking, but that pain was nothing compared to what my heart was going through.

He used to lose sleep just because he raised his voice at me. Now, he was scolding me for another woman.

I flung his arm away and jabbed a finger at Yvonne's photo.

My voice was shaking so much, it was breaking. "Tell me, how'd she come back to life and go on a vacation in Lutecia with you?"

That surprised Jackie. A hint of panic flickered in his eyes, but then he shoved me off like a bristling cat.

I slammed into the headstone, and the pain made me gasp sharply. He pointed a finger in my face and growled, "You stalked me, Wisteria? I thought you were just childish, but you're worse than that! You checked my schedule behind my back?"

I held the headstone as I struggled to get back up. Jackie was twisting the story, and all I felt was bitter sadness. Before this, I couldn't stop telling my friends how loyal he was for keeping his dead first love in mind for so long.

Yvonne's pictures were everywhere in his study.

He said he could not bring himself to throw them away, so I cleaned the frames whenever I could. I thought, 'A man this loyal won't betray me.'

During Yvonne's deathday, I gave him time to remember her. Now it felt ironic. His loyalty was a sham. I was the clown in his circus show.

He did not go to the cemetery.

He was in Lutecia, going through luxury stores with Yvonne.

"I don't need to stalk you to find that out!" I sneered and shoved the phone in his face.

The photo showed him with an arm around Yvonne's back as they shared a deep, loving kiss. They were so in love, it was an eyesore to me.

The moment he saw the photo, all the color drained from his face. Then, he snatched the phone out of my hand and smashed it against the ground.

"You're evil! She's already long dead, and you faked a photo just to make me forget all about her? You're this insecure even when Yvonne is already dead?" He grabbed my wrist with an iron grip.

"She lives on in my memory, and so what? You can't even tolerate this one little detail? We've been married for a decade! I can't believe you would stoop so low! How could you?"

The sliver of panic in his eyes was replaced by fury. All of a sudden, my whole marriage felt like a joke. My tears could not stop coming anymore. "We're getting a divorce, Jackie."

He froze for a moment, then he shoved me into the car. My forehead crashed into the door's frame, and the pain nearly took me out.

"The pressure's killing you. You've gone mad! This is your mind playing tricks on you! I'll call the hospital! You need medical attention! You'll see how ridiculous you've been once you feel better!"

There was not a shred of warmth on his face. That killed what was left of my hope. I'd given him all my love for ten long years, and it was a lie. It was an act he kept up for so long.

Now, I would make him pay for everything he did and then some, bit by bit.

To Frame Her

The Maybach was zooming down the road. Jackie would take a glance at me through the rear-view mirror, though there was only scorn for me in his eyes. All the love and care he showed me was an act.

It was all so I would give him my family's wealth and catapult him from a nobody to a business owner. I must've been blind to buy into his so-called 'true love' story.

My phone buzzed. An unknown number texted me. 'I heard you found out, Wisteria. When Jackie heard I was scared, he promised he'd come back to my place tonight. I hope your empty house isn't too icy for your taste.'

I was going to text back, but Jackie saw the messages, and he slammed the brakes. "You're going that far for a show?" He tried to take my phone away again. "You have way too much time on your hands if you keep coming up with these!"

I kept my hand around my phone tightly, and then he slapped me across the face. "Are you mad, Jackie?"

Jackie sneered and tossed the phone out the window. "No, you're mad, you ungrateful bitch!"

The doctor was already there when we got home.

Jackie approached him, his eyes red and tearful. "Doctor, you made it. My wife's been having crazy episodes, and she won't leave me alone! She even came up with my 'first love'! She's delusional! I think her infertility messed with her head!"

Though my heart was already cold and dead, the fact he told someone else I was infertile like it was a grocery list item shredded my heart into pieces.

I was the one who insisted on marrying him. My father said he was rotten inside, and he refused to let me marry. I stormed off in a huff and made a bet with him. "You'll have to recognize him if he stays loyal for ten years!"

A car crashed right into me after I left my house.

My womb was taken away, and pregnancy became an impossibility. He was right beside my bed, crying until his eyes were puffy. He said, "Even if we never have kids, you're still the only one I love!"

I bought into that story, so I became the woman who had his back.

I worked long weeks just to snag deals for him, and I pushed through all objections to make him chairman of the company.

Even though he had no idea how financial reports worked, I was still happy with him, all so his ego would not get scarred. The memories now made my stomach churn.

"If you call that a delusion, how are you explaining the photo and transaction history?"

Jackie stepped forth again, his eyes really red now. "See? She keeps coming up with really confusing stuff lately."

The doctor frowned. He was looking at me with pity. "Madam Oliviero, I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately. Your infertility must've started making you hallucinate. I suggest you stay in the hospital for further observation. You need medication if you want to heal up."

I wanted to argue, but Jackie cut in, "It's for your own good, Wisteria! It's for the family! Stop throwing a tantrum!"

His phone buzzed. Yvonne's photo popped onto the screen. He fumbled to turn his phone into silent mode, then the man turned back to us and shot me a glare.

"This is your fault! Yvonne can't even rest in peace now! You should've stayed in your lane, then none of this would've happened!"

I watched him act out, and I laughed, yet my tears flowed. "Why'd you hang up, then? She's already dead. Should've told her to show up and face me. We'll see who's the real guilty soul here!"

Jackie sneered, but when he turned, he faked a sigh. "See? She's starting again with her nonsense. Yvonne would never have let herself get insulted, but she died early, and no one can defend her."

The doctor sighed. He looked at me with pity again. "Mr. Kissinger, your wife isn't looking too good. I suggest you send her to a hospital even if you have to use force. The sooner we can intervene, the better."

Jackie nodded immediately. When he sent the doctor off, he whispered, "Get her a spot as soon as you can."

The door swung shut. His warmth disappeared right away. Before I could do anything, he was already pulling my hair and dragging me to the bedroom.

"You've been under too much pressure, Wisteria. Stay at home for a bit to cool down." He threw me into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Through the door, he said icily, "If you bring up Yvonne or the divorce, I will throw you into an asylum! Consider yourself warned."

I was leaning against the freezing door, my whole body shivering. For ten years, I gave him my love like a fool. In the end, he decided to repay me with a stint in the mental asylum.

How dare he!

I took out my spare phone from the drawer and texted my father. 'I take back everything, Dad! Please, I want Jackie to lose everything in a week!'

Her Father's Text

I was going to go to bed, but that number texted me again. She sent me a dozen videos. I played the first one, and the content froze my blood.

Yvonne was in my silk pajamas, lying on the bed in the main bedroom. Softly, she asked, "It's your wife's birthday. Maybe you should be with her."

The camera turned to Jackie. He was coming out of the bathroom.

He approached the bed and bent over to kiss Yvonne's forehead. Lovingly, he said, "Let's not talk about her. It's your 'deathday' today. Of course I'm staying with you."

Jackie told me he'd take me to the mountain and have a fireworks show during my last birthday. I waited for him the whole night and nearly fainted from the freezing cold. He never showed up.

He told me he had an urgent meeting to handle. That urgent meeting was about a dead woman, of course.

'Do you like the videos, Wisteria? He told me he'd never have married you if it weren't for your family's resources. Oh right, that car crash? It was no accident. The truck driver was Jackie's distant relative.'

My heart sank. And I thought that accident was, well, an accident. I never thought it was my husband's conspiracy to destroy my chances at having any children for life.

I banged the bedroom door and roared, "Get out here, Jackie! I saw the videos! You two were behind the car crash, weren't you?"

Jackie came in a moment later.

He was indifferent and tried to take my phone away again. "You're persistent, Wisteria. A spare phone? Where'd you hide it?"

I held on to it like a lifeline, but he kicked me down instead. "Stay in your lane, and maybe I'll spare you for old times' sake, or else…"

He took the phone and pulled out the SIM card. Then, he snapped in half. "You're staying right here. No one is going to save you, you crazy bitch!"

The very moment he took the battery out, I saw the text that flashed on the screen. It was my father.

'Wait for me, sweetheart! I'm coming!'

Jackie stopped checking in on me for days after that. The housekeeper gave me my food when it was mealtime, but she did not have the courage to even talk to me.

A week went by.

…

Jackie's assistant came bearing a gown. "Tonight's dinner is very important for Mr. Kissinger. Do please be on your best behavior."

I looked at the gown and laughed. Jackie was probably worried I might pull something during the dinner and embarrass him.

Very well, I'd like to see what he was up to this time.

…

His assistant led me into the venue, and the moment I did, a commotion broke out. I checked out what caught everyone's attention.

Yvonne was in an extravagant gown, and she came in slowly, her arm looped around Jackie's. The crowd broke into a discussion.

"That must be Mr. Kissinger's wife. They're perfect for each other."

"I'm jealous of Mrs. Kissinger. Her husband got her that gown in an auction."

Jackie did not deny the stories. Instead, he lovingly tidied up Yvonne's hair. I was right behind him, and the scene was so ridiculous, I let out a chuckle.

"I had no idea Mr. Kissinger has two wives."

The city of Imperia knew I was the one who made Jackie who he was. He would pay for his betrayal.

Silence grasped the hall, and all eyes were on me.

Yvonne acted like she had just seen me, and she let out a frustrated sigh. "You're wearing my gown? You're just my housekeeper."

She apologized to everyone like I was an embarrassment. "My housekeeper's gone mad recently. She keeps thinking she's my husband's wife. Can't do anything about it, I'm afraid."

Shock rippled across the hall.

"A housekeeper wearing her employer's gown and spewing nonsense? This is wild! Is she untrained?"

"I knew it. Mr. Kissinger wouldn't fall for someone like that. Only women as elegant as Ms. Willson can be a match!"

"So that's why she called herself Mr. Kissinger's wife. She's gone mad!" Someone laughed.

Jackie frowned at me. Impatiently, he said, "You rifled the closet? How dare you, Wisteria! I told you, Yvonne's stuff is off-limits! Change out of that gown and get back in the kitchen! You're an eyesore!"

I scanned the fence-sitters. The ones who spewed nonsense. Then, I stared at Jackie. So I wasn't even worth being recognized by him. I was nothing but a mad housekeeper he could insult at his fancy.

One of his old projects caught on fire and killed dozens of people. The army of the bereaved surrounded his company 24/7, demanding blood for blood. I used my family's power to keep the crisis at bay and even suffered a knife wound that was meant for him.

"I owe you my life!" he said. "I'll spend the rest of my life repaying that!" he promised, right beside my bed. He promised forever.

Now I knew that was also an act.

I took a deep breath and grabbed a glass of red wine. Before anyone could react, I splashed it right in Jackie's face. He flew into a rage.

My eyes were on him as I enunciated, "I've been blind all this time, Jackie, but that won't happen again."

A pregnant pause seized the hall.

Jackie was black as thunder, and if looks could kill, I'd have dropped dead. He clenched his fists and roared at the nearby bodyguards. "Don't just stand there! Toss this crazy bitch out!"