We’d been married for three years, yet my husband, Gerard Blanding, had never once let me into his study. He kept his guard up around me in every possible way… because I was just the wife he bought for five million dollars.

And yet, I accepted it willingly… because I had secretly loved him for five long years.

Three months ago, he gave me a list—sixty-six tests I had to pass. “If you can get through every one of them,” he said, “then we’ll finally be a real couple.”

I was just about to complete the sixty-sixth when I got a call from the police.

“Hello, Vikki Blanding? Your husband’s been arrested for soliciting prostitution. Please come to the station to cooperate with the situation.”

It felt like a bolt of lightning struck me. Still refusing to believe it, I grabbed my keys and rushed to the station.

Inside, Gerard sat with his head lowered, trying to act cute as he begged for forgiveness.

“Hey, I know I messed up, okay? I won’t drag you into my nonsense anymore, I swear. I already did everything you asked—took the punishment, made it up to you and Vikki. Come on, smile for me.”

Tessa’s voice was soft and playful, her eyes still red as she finally smiled through her tears.

“Alright then, it’s a deal. From now on, you have to listen to me. When I tell you to stop, you stop. And also—”

Gerard nodded over and over like a fool, then leaned in and kissed her.

When I arrived at the police station, I didn’t see either of them. After asking around, I learned they had already left for an amusement park.

I overheard a young cop grumbling under his breath.

“Man, rich people really have their own kind of fun. Just to make his side chick happy, that guy actually let himself get arrested for soliciting, and then had his wife come bail him out.”

“They’re practically regulars here. The first time, they got in a fight over some sexy couple photos. The second time, she claimed the custom diamond necklace he bought her gave her an allergic reaction and accused him of trying to kill her. The third time, they came back from a trip and she cried about almost being trafficked… None of it’s trouble. They just love showing off.”

I turned around and walked out.

Like I didn’t already know about their dirty little scandals.

But none of it mattered anymore.

Those few years of my youth—I’d just count them as something I gave him.

One month from now, I’d be gone for good.

Vikki’s POV

Late that night, an unfamiliar call jolted me awake. I picked it up, still half-asleep.

“Hello? Is this Vikki Blanding? Your husband’s drunk out of his mind. Please come pick him up from Starshine Club.”

Before I could even respond, the line went dead. I didn’t catch the sound of laughter and chatter on the other end.

I got dressed and rushed to the club. Standing outside the private room, I hesitated, wondering if I should knock.

Then I heard Tessa’s bright, teasing voice ring out through the door.

“Vikki should be on her way by now! Usually, it doesn’t even take her half an hour. She comes running like a dog, terrified some other woman will steal her husband away.”

The people inside burst into laughter, joining in one after another.

“Everyone knows Gerard only really loves you, Tessa. If you hadn’t left the country three years ago, that woman would’ve never gotten her chance. You have no idea—he doesn’t even take her to our parties or let us call her sister-in-law.”

“Stop now, seriously. Talking about her just ruins the mood. I bet she’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

“Forty!”

“Come on, she’s never missed a single call to pick him up. This time won’t be any different.”

I stood there for a long moment in silence. Then I pushed open the heavy door.

“This is the last time,” I said quietly.

Every head turned toward me. For a moment, they all froze, but not one of them looked ashamed.

“Come sit,” Gerard said calmly, motioning to the seat beside him.

I looked at him. His eyes were clear, no trace of drunkenness. So it was just another performance.

“Gerard,” I said evenly, “this is the last time. Next time you drink yourself to death, I won’t give a damn anymore.”

My gaze fell on the couch beside him. Scattered on the leather were pink panties, a lacy bra that barely covered anything, and an unopened box of condoms.

My voice shook with the anger I could no longer hold back.

“You’re disgusting! You’re sleeping with your own stepsister. Aren’t you afraid of karma?”

My words were sharp, but Gerard just smirked, spinning a pack of cigarettes between his fingers. “Really? Maybe you should worry about yourself first. You think you’re not disgusting?”

The way he looked at me made my skin crawl. Suddenly, my mind went hazy, and I sneezed, catching a strange, unfamiliar scent.

I shook my head in disbelief. “What did you put in this room?”

A blond guy lounging nearby pointed at a small bouquet in his hand.

“It’s just gardenias. We all smell it fine. Only you think it’s weird.”

I let out a dry laugh.

Great. He already forgot I was allergic to pollen. And that smell? Definitely not just from the flower. It was some kind of aphrodisiac, for sure.

I just didn’t want to argue with him anymore. I stumbled toward the door, dragging my unsteady body with me.

Just then, the door kicked open.

“Police! Hands where we can see them! All of you!”

The young officer leading the raid went down the line, checking everyone one by one.

I crouched in a corner, watching as the escorts were marched out.

“Officer, there’s one more over here!” Tessa proclaimed, her voice clear and triumphant.

I looked down at the prohibited items that had somehow ended up on me and had no idea how to explain it.

“This is a misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding!” I protested. “I came here with Gerard!”

The officer’s skeptical eyes swept over me, then locked onto Gerard.

“You know her? Tell the truth.”

Vikki’s POV

Gerard shook his head like he was watching a show. Everyone else in the VIP room followed his lead, pretending they didn’t even know me.

“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before. Probably just another hostess. You should look into it, Officer. None of us even know when these people came in.”

“Yeah, we’ve never seen her before! Officer, you’d better teach her a lesson. She keeps shamelessly trying to seduce my husband!”

As the police led me away, I looked back at Gerard in despair. From the faint look in his eyes, I knew this was just another one of his so-called ‘tests.’

They took me to the station and locked me in a holding cell for three days and three nights. No one cared enough to ask about me.

When I finally dragged my weak body home, I pushed open the door and froze.

There, kneeling on the floor, was a middle-aged woman scrubbing at an invisible stain.

Gerard sat on the couch nearby, watching her like a supervisor.

I rushed over and helped the woman up, my heart aching. “Mom! What are you doing? I told you, we have a housekeeper for this. You don’t have to do this.”

For a moment, she looked happy to see me. “Good, you’re back! Come help me polish this vase. It’s brand new. It costs a million! You’d better be careful.”

Before I knew it, she shoved a rag into my hand.

I stared at Gerard suspiciously. “What did you tell my mom this time?”

But before he could answer, someone else caught my eye—a woman stepping out of the master bedroom wearing my pajamas. Tessa.

Even more surprising than her presence was a boy of about three years old next to her.

“Acee, go call him Daddy. He’s your real father.”

She held his small hand, looking at him earnestly, but the boy just stayed silent.

“Alright, don’t force him.” Gerard’s tone was cold but final. “From now on, you two can stay here as long as you want. No one can drive you away.”

His eyes swept over me like a blade, carrying an unspoken warning.

I stared at the two new faces in the villa, barely able to breathe. “You’re cheating on me? And you have a child?!”

My voice came out cold and full of disbelief. Then I noticed the details—the padded corners of the furniture, the safety guards around the room.

Clearly, it had all been prepared long before.

“Gerard,” I said, “have you completely lost your shame? It’s bad enough you cheated, but a child? Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment?”

As soon as I said that, the boy suddenly shoved me hard. “Don’t you dare bully my daddy!”

“Vikki, what are you making a fuss about?” Mom snapped. “You were already lucky to marry the heir of the Blandings. And now, you’re still overstepping, sticking your nose in his business?”

Tears welled up at the corners of my eyes as I looked at my mom in disappointment.

Back when I married Gerard, Mom was ecstatic. She kept saying that with a rich son-in-law, she’d never have to worry about money again. She even asked him for a few million—sometimes openly, sometimes behind my back.

Tessa slightly pursed her red lips, then sat next to him with the boy, as if they were the perfect, happy family.

“Making a scene here won’t do you any good,” Gerard said.

He stroked the boy’s head affectionately, but his tone toward me left no room for argument.

I stayed calm, stood up, and headed upstairs toward the bedroom.

“Vikki,” Tessa called out. “Your things have already been moved to the storage room. That’s where you’ll be staying from now on.”

She grabbed my arm when I tried to leave. I looked into the dilapidated storage room—musty, rundown, and crawling with cockroaches. Thick dust coated every surface.

My belongings had been tossed in like garbage, and a conspicuous medicine bottle sat on top.

Gerard noticed it, too. He snatched it up, opened it, and he turned to me with a glare. “Where did this come from? Tessa even tried to defend you, but you… you slipper this aphrodisiac? The evidence is right here!”

“You really enjoy playing with drugs, huh? Fine. Let’s see how much fun you have this time,” he hissed.

I shook my head helplessly, but he didn’t believe me. He quickly ordered the bodyguards to lock me inside the guest room.

Not long after, sounds of unrestrained passion drifted from the master bedroom through the walls, echoing in my mind like a curse.

Vikki’s POV

The noise next door went on until three in the morning, keeping me wide awake and exhausted.

By dawn, my nerves were shot, and a sudden burst of shouting jolted me out of bed.

The door slammed open with a deafening bang. A small, round-faced child marched into my bedroom.

He started tugging at my hair and clothes, shouting, “Bad woman! You stole my daddy! I won’t let you! Get out of this house!”

I sat there, momentarily stunned.

I glanced out the window at the perfect pair outside. The memories of last night flashed through my mind, and something dark stirred inside me.

“Get out,” I said coldly. “Stop yelling in front of me. Your mommy and daddy won’t want you soon anyway—because they’ll be busy having new babies.”

The boy froze, then burst into tears, wailing at the top of his lungs.

“You’re a bad woman! I hate you!”

His cries quickly drew Tessa’s attention. She rushed into the room, scooping the child into her arms, cooing to comfort him while glaring at me.

“Gerard, Vikki’s gone too far this time! Taking it out on a kid? If she’s got a problem, she can come at me instead!”

And, as always, Gerard turned on me—furious, scolding me as if I’d committed some unforgivable sin.

“How could you fight a child? Didn’t I tell you before—no one can take your place as my wife? Why can’t you just listen? Sometimes I wonder if spending five million to marry you was even worth it.”

Before I could respond, he continued, his attention still fixed on Tessa and the boy.

“Acee likes cookies. Go bake him a few as an apology.”

I looked at the man standing before me, so tender and patient as he teased the child, and felt as though I was staring at a stranger.

“If you love that kid so much,” I said, “why don’t you bake the cookies yourself? Or does your love only ever stay in words?”

I had once asked him, more than once, if he wanted us to have a baby of our own. Every time, he refused.

Now, I understood—it wasn’t that he didn’t want a child. He just didn’t want me to be the one giving birth to them.

I got up, washed, and headed out.

Gerard glanced at me, assuming I’d gone to buy groceries, and said nothing.

It wasn’t until hours later, when I still hadn’t returned and the boy started crying from hunger, that Gerard finally lost his patience.

“Where the hell are you? Do you not think Acee’s starving? If you don’t come back soon, don’t bother stepping foot in this villa again. You’re unbelievably ungrateful!”

I ignored him completely.

Instead, I sat down with the divorce lawyer I had contacted, going over the agreement Gerard and I had signed in advance long ago.

As long as I submitted it to the county clerk’s office tomorrow morning, I’d have the divorce certificate.

“Vikki,” the lawyer said hesitantly, “this contract isn’t favorable to you at all. Are you sure you want to go through with the divorce?”

I didn’t answer. But I had never been more certain of anything in my life.

When I returned home, Tessa and Acee were gone.

Only Gerard remained, sitting on the couch, his expression clouded.

For the first time, he seemed to sense that something important was slipping away, and that he’d never get it back.

“You’re home,” he said. “Look—I bought you this bracelet. Do you like it? Don’t be mad anymore, alright? This was all part of my test for you. Once you’ve passed, we’ll finally be together forever.”

“Real love,” he added, “can withstand any test.”

Under the light, the sapphire bracelet gleamed with cold brilliance—luxurious and expensive.

But my heart felt like it had fallen into ice water.

I’d seen this exact bracelet on Tessa’s Instagram post yesterday: a comparison photo of a $1.50 knockoff and a $99,000 luxury piece.

She’d even captioned it. [Some people only deserve the cheap version.]

I hadn’t understood what she meant then.

I did now.

Maybe my expression gave me away because Gerard asked nervously.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

I shook my head.

Then, he carefully clasped the bracelet around my wrist himself.

“See? It looks perfect on you. Anyway, Mom and Dad want us to come over for dinner. Go get ready. We’re heading to the old villa.”

For a brief moment, I froze.

So that was the point—the bracelet was just bait, a way to make me obedient, to make me go back to his parents’ place with him.

He must not want anyone there to find out about his affair with Tessa.

Too bad he’d forgotten—that place held nothing but painful memories for me.

Most of the time, I stayed as far away from it as possible.