After I refused Benedict’s request to donate sperm for his foster sister, he abandoned me on the roadside when I was four months pregnant. I was kidnapped by his sworn enemy and more than twenty men took turns raping me.

Yet to protect my child, I begged them for mercy even as my pelvis shattered and blood pooled beneath me, pleading for them to go easier on me.

Instead, they posted my video online, turning me into Wisconsin’s latest scandal gossip. Ten minutes after I was rescued, Benedict’s foster sister posted on social media, congratulating Benedict and me on our successful IVF.

My heart shattered. Rushing to confront Dorothy, I accidentally overheard Benedict speaking with his assistant, “Where’s the medicine?”

The assistant, Carlos Sastre, handed him a packet of white powder.  “Mr. Romancon, these are abortion pills. Just add a pinch to the milk your wife drinks before bed and it’ll terminate the pregnancy.”

“But after she’s just been treated like that, it’ll make her infertile for the rest of her life. Isn’t that going too far?”

The man merely exhaled a smoke ring, his tone cold and said, “I don’t want this either, but I promised Dorothy that only her child can inherit the Romancon Corporation. Blame Eugenia for being stubborn. She managed to protect that child even after I sent so many people to kidnap her.”

“Anyway, I love her. Whether we have children or not won’t change that love. But Dorothy is different. She needs a powerful backer to ensure she lives comfortably for the rest of her life.”

My heart felt like it was being sliced open, my body trembling uncontrollably. I never imagined all this was Benedict doing. So, I turned around and booked an abortion, ending the pregnancy.

Then I dialed that number I hadn’t touched in five years. “Mom, I lost that bet five years ago. Benedict has changed his mind. I’ll let you do whatever you want with me.”

“But I have one condition, I’m going to bankrupt the Romancon Corporation!”

If they won’t let me live in peace, then no one else will.

My mother’s voice, filled with disappointment, soon reached the other end of the line, “Didn’t I tell you marriage isn’t about love? Like I said, you wouldn’t have suffered so much if you’d just come home and inherit the family fortune.”

“Get this marriage annulled immediately. As soon as the cooling-off period ends, I’ll come get you. As for the Romancon Corporation? They dared to bully my daughter. So, I’ll make them pay tenfold.”

Hearing my mother’s voice again, my nose stung with emotion. It turned out that only my family truly loved me in this world. Even after that huge fight with her five years ago over Benedict, when I ran away from home, she still stood by me without holding a grudge once she heard I’d been wronged.

***

By the time I got home, it was already evening. Benedict was bustling about in the kitchen with an apron tied around his waist.

Dorothy sat on the sofa, comfortably watching TV and snacking. Her long legs were casually draped over the coffee table, making her look like the madam of the house.

I’d seen this scene countless times before, yet my heart still twisted painfully. A year ago, Benedict vanished mysteriously. I tried every possible way to find him, but to no avail.

Just when I thought I’d never find him again and was about to end my life to be with him, he returned. But now there was a young woman by his side.

Benedict claimed he’d been in a car accident and this girl had saved him. Her name was Dorothy Lentini, a fish seller who’d endured a harsh childhood when she was little and whose life had been difficult.

To compensate her, Benedict decided to promote Dorothy as his personal secretary. Little did I know this would be the beginning of a nightmare in my marriage.

From that day onward, a third person entered the marriage between Benedict and me. Whenever we shared intimacy, she would appear with uncanny precision, always finding excuses to call Benedict away.

At every holiday dinner, the table now held three sets of cutlery and plates instead of two, with an extra dish prepared for the other woman’s preferences. Even the figurines on our anniversary cake had a third one squeezed in between.

Benedict’s gaze no longer focused solely on me. He began mentioning Dorothy’s name with increasing frequency.

He also said Dorothy was accustomed to rural life, so he took her back to the countryside for a month every six months. He claimed her parents constantly demanded money, so he spent ten million to buy her freedom, allowing her to live as his foster sister.

He mentioned that she had a bad digestion. After he explained all of that, Benedict, who never touched a dish, took cooking classes to prepare nourishing soups for her personally.

I cried, made a scene and even threatened divorce. But all I got was Benedict’s increasingly disappointed reproach.

“Dorothy saved my life. It’s only natural that I treat her well. You weren’t the one in the car accident. You weren’t the one nearly dying. Of course, you can’t understand this kind of gratitude.”

So, in the days that followed, he went even further, abandoning me time and again for Dorothy. Perhaps sensing my presence, Benedict glanced toward the entrance way. 

Seeing it was me; a flicker of unusual emotion crossed his eyes before he quickly regained his composure and called out, “Oh, you’re back. Dorothy was too tired to cook today, so she came over for dinner with us.”

As if fearing my anger, he hastily added, “She’ll leave after dinner with us.”

But unlike before, I didn’t react with anger. I merely gave a faint nod, changed my shoes and prepared to go upstairs. My wrist was suddenly grabbed from behind. Benedict looked at me with displeasure.

“I told you she’s just here for dinner. Is it necessary to give her the cold shoulder?”

Before I could respond, he yanked me to the dining table and thrust a glass of milk in front of me. “Even if you won’t eat, you should drink this milk. You’ll have trouble sleeping otherwise.”

The milk in front of me was steaming hot, but I only felt a chill on my back. The conversation between Benedict and his assistant during the day was like a python wrapped around my neck.

He knew I couldn’t sleep without milk. From our wedding day onward, he’d brewed a cup of warm milk for me every night. Once, I would have felt deeply touched and happy. But now that tenderness had turned into a dagger piercing my heart.

Seeing that I didn’t look well, Benedict furrowed his brow slightly. “Are you feeling unwell? Drink this milk quickly and I’ll take you to the hospital.”

At this time, he was still pretending to care. I suppressed my nausea and my eyes fell on the dishes on the table. Dorothy sat at the table, a smile on her face, yet her eyes held apparent provocation.

“Eugenia, my brother cooked all my favorite dishes today. It might not suit your taste, but I hope you don’t mind?”

My gaze fell on her flat belly. My tone, devoid of warmth, said, “You’re already carrying his child. What significance would it have for me to mind such a trifle?”

Dorothy instinctively clutched her belly, feigning panic. “I’m sorry, Eugenia. Due to my family background, I’m afraid to get married, but I always wanted a child. That’s why I asked Benedict as my brother for help. Rest assured, I have no other intentions toward him.”

Benedict’s brow furrowed slightly. “No need to apologize to her. You saved me back then. All this is my way of repaying you.”

I sneered. “Benedict, doesn’t that sound disgusting come from you?”

Benedict was stunned for a moment. Then he grew even more impatient and said, “Dorothy and I used IVF. We never had a physical relationship. Why must you be so relentlessly aggressive?”

“Yes, I am relentlessly aggressive.”

The tension grew thicker. Suddenly, Dorothy knelt down with a thud. Her voice choked with emotion and she said, “Benedict, Eugenia, please don’t fight because of me. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let my selfishness ruin your relationship.”

“Eugenia, I’m kneeling down for you. Please don’t argue with Benedict about this. I don’t want the baby either. I’ll get rid of it. Is that enough for you?” 

At the mention of terminating the pregnancy, Benedict’s expression darkened instantly. He hurried forward to help her up.

“No need for that trouble. I’ll take care of it for you.”

But I grabbed Dorothy’s chin first, forcing the milk down her throat. A piercing scream filled the dining room. Benedict, enraged, shoved me to the ground. The cup smashed into shards on the floor.

“Eugenia Joubert, are you insane? Dorothy is pregnant. Giving her this will cause a miscarriage!”

I lay pinned on the shards, fragments piercing my skin as blood instantly stained the floor red.

Yet I still smiled and retorted to him, “I can drink it while pregnant, so why can’t she? Or is there something in this milk that only I can drink?”

Benedict paused, his expression darkening. Just as he was about to speak, Dorothy’s cries grew louder and a large pool of blood spread between her legs.

“Benedict, I’m bleeding.”

Benedict no longer paid attention to me. He turned to pick her up and rushed away. Watching his frantic back, I laughed, a laugh that made tears spill from my eyes. After briefly treating my wounds, I took our marriage certificate to the Office of Vital Records to file for divorce.

The staff member told me, “Sorry, Miss. You’re already divorced. There’s no need to file.”

I was stunned, thinking I’d misheard. Unsure, I asked again, “Is there some kind of misunderstanding? I’ve been married for five years. My husband’s name is Benedict Romancon.”

The staff member lowered his head and quickly tapped the keyboard. When he looked up again, his expression was even more embarrassing.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Mr. Romancon is indeed married, but his wife is named Dorothy Lentini.”

My blood seemed to freeze instantly. My voice trembled slightly as I spoke, “Could you please check when they registered their marriage?”

“They registered six months ago.”

My whole body shuddered, my breath catching in my throat. Six months ago, was precisely when Benedict first proposed donating sperm to Dorothy. So, he had already changed his heart back then and repaying a debt was just a pretext to deceive me.

My chest heaved violently as I stumbled out of the Office of Vital Records. I pulled out my phone and dialed my mother’s number again.

“Mom, there’s no need to wait a month. Benedict divorced me behind my back half a year ago. Come pick me up tomorrow!”

After returning home, I began packing my bags. I threw away every single thing Benedict had given me over the years, even tearing our marriage certificate in half and burning it.

Just as I was about to toss the last few items into the trash, he returned, accompanied by five or six bodyguards, with a mighty presence. He recognized the ceramic figurine I held, the matching couple’s piece we’d crafted at that pottery shop during our first date. Then his handsome brows knitted together.

“Are you throwing them away?”

I hummed in acknowledgment, “There’s no point in keeping them. Just taking up space.”

A flash of anger flickered in Benedict’s eyes. With a glance, he signalled his bodyguards to restrain me. He snatched the figurines from my hands, carelessly smashing them on the floor.

He then sneered, “You think putting on this act of cutting ties with me will make Dorothy’s situation go away? Because of you, she not only lost the baby, but her ability to bear children too.”

“You’re the one responsible for all this. So, the child in your womb doesn’t deserve to live either. Since Dorothy can’t have children, you’ll bear the child of mine and hers.”

I replied, “Benedict, you beast!” 

My neck veins bulged with fury. For the first time, Benedict seemed utterly repulsive and shameless. Yet he acted as if deaf to my words, forcibly dragging me to the hospital and pinning me down on the operating table.

Dorothy lay on the adjacent operating table. She glared at me with mocking eyes.

“You bitch, did you think destroying my child would make Benedict come back to you? Thanks to you, he loves me even more now. Not only will he personally abort your child as atonement, but he’ll also make you bear my child.”

“Eugenia, you don’t think you can just abort the baby whenever you want, do you? Benedict said that before the child is born, he’ll lock you up and control your body. You’ll have to watch my child stretch your belly day by day, powerless to do anything about it. Hahahaha...”

Dorothy laughed triumphantly. Humiliation washed over me like a tidal wave. I couldn’t hold back any longer. With all my strength, I broke free from the restraints, collapsed onto Dorothy and slapped her face repeatedly.

Dorothy’s shrieks echoed throughout the operating room. Her entire face was bloodied and swollen grotesquely from my blows.

After hearing the commotion, Benedict rushed in with his men and dragged me away. I grabbed the scalpel from the table and plunged it into Dorothy’s left eye.

I sneered coldly at her, “If being unable to bear children isn’t enough to make you fear me, then I’ll make you blind! You bitch! You’re asking for death!”

Dorothy clutched her bleeding eyeball, screaming in utter collapse. “Benedict, please kill her for me!”

I stared straight at Benedict, utterly unafraid. His face darkened to the extreme. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

“Eugenia, don’t push it too far! Do you really think I won’t lay a hand on you?”

The pain spread across my cheek, yet it was nothing compared to the agony tearing through my heart. The man who once swore to protect me forever, who promised never to let me get hurt, now struck me for another woman. How laughable was my destiny!

Dorothy grabbed the scalpel from the table and lunged at me. “You bitch! I’ll kill you!”

But Benedict seized her wrist, twisted it and snatched the blade away. Then he commanded the doctor, “Treat Miss Lentini immediately. No matter what method is used, her eyes must be cured!”

When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with murderous intent. “Take this madwoman to the morgue. She is not to be released without my permission!”