In order to force me, a pregnant woman, to have an abortion and get a divorce, my ex-husband, Henry Jones, imprisoned me in a basement and subjected me to relentless torment.

He even went so far as to target my family—my father was falsely accused of crimes and, unable to bear the shame, he jumped to his death. My mother was devastated, she fell gravely ill and never recovered.

Just when I was on the brink of death, my first love, Elijah—the one I had heartlessly broken up with years ago—descended like a savior from the heavens.

“Yvonne, do you regret your choice back then?”

“If you beg me, I’ll take care of everything for you.”

I looked at my dying mother, curled up on a hospital corridor bed, and the enormous medical bill in my hands.

Without hesitation, I played my part.

“I don’t regret it. You know why I left you back then—it was to protect you...”

Elijah’s face darkened with rage, his hatred burning so fiercely that he looked ready to tear me apart.

What he didn’t know was—I was telling the truth.

——

He gave me a large sum of money, handled my father’s funeral, and paid for my mother’s treatment. The only condition was that I become his secret mistress.

I knew it was punishment, but I had no other choice.

I needed money, and Elijah was no longer the penniless student he once was. He had wealth—enough to buy my life outright.

For the next three years, scandal after scandal surrounded him. He frequented places of debauchery, each outing more outrageous than the last.

Each time, I was ordered to wait outside.

Except this time—this time, he sent me a message, telling me to come up.

The moment I stepped into the room, I heard the last voice I ever wanted to hear—my ex-husband, Henry.

“You really went all out just to make Yvonne come crawling back. Framing her father, driving her mother to sickness—aren’t you afraid that if she finds out the truth, she’ll stab you in your sleep?”

“If she kills me, her mother will die too.”

As soon as those words came out, a deafening silence descended. Then, a voice tinged with fear rang, “You paid me to put on a show and force Yvonne to leave. Now that you’ve got what you wanted, we’re even after this final payment.”

“Tsk, a used-up woman, and yet you treat her like a treasure, Mr. Ross.”

The weight of their conversation was staggering. My mind replayed their words over and over, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall any prior connection between Elijah and Henry.

Standing outside the private room, my whole body trembled uncontrollably.

I had thought Elijah’s appearance in my life was mere coincidence.

I never realized that everything had been a carefully orchestrated trap, designed just for me.

As Henry pushed open the door, I quickly hid around the corner.

A second later, Elijah emerged, his arm wrapped around a woman’s waist.

I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, his hand caught me.

“Why are you here? Spying on me?”

“Or did you know your dear ex-husband was coming and just couldn’t resist a peek at your old lover?”

His reaction told me one thing—he wasn’t the one who sent the message calling me up.

I looked at the woman in his arms—his newest girlfriend, the one he swore he would marry.

“You must be Yvonne. I’m Sophia, Elijah’s fiancée.” Sophia smiled.

“You're just as stunning as they say. No wonder Henry still can’t forget you.”

With just a few casual words, Sophia set Elijah’s fury ablaze.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto me as he gritted his teeth. “Do you really still pine for Henry that much? Is one glimpse of him enough to satisfy you?”

“Yvonne, are you a masochist?” His voice trembled with suppressed rage.

For three years, he had tormented me in every way imaginable, believing that I was still in love with Henry.

And for three years, I had stubbornly refused to deny it.

The pure, youthful love we once shared had long since been twisted beyond recognition in our endless cycle of pain and revenge.

Seeing my silence, Elijah’s emotions spiraled further out of control.

"Or are you short on money again?" he hissed.

My mother's illness was like a bottomless pit, making it nearly impossible for me to leave Elijah.

His gaze, filled with disdain and mockery, pierced me like a needle.

"Of course. What else would I come to you for, if not money?" I countered sarcastically.

Just like how, whenever he came to me, it was only for sex.

For a split second, a flicker of shock crossed his face, quickly replaced by a simmering fury.

"Yvonne, even the women selling themselves on the street have more dignity than you."

As he spat, a black card landed at my feet.

My chest tightened painfully. I let out a bitter smile, bent down, and picked it up.

"Money is money. Does dignity really make a difference?" I deadpanned.

That night, he made me accompany him and Sophia upstairs. It wasn't until three in the morning that he finally came down, his neck covered in hickeys.

The overwhelming scent of perfume clung to him, making me nauseous.

Later that night, he was rough when he slept with me. I could barely get out of bed the next day.

It wasn’t until my friend sent me a party invitation that I forced myself up.

"Good news—our big fish is coming tonight!"

The "big fish" referred to the president of a British venture capital firm, a company that had previously expressed interest in acquiring Perez Corporation.

Enduring the pain, I carefully applied my makeup and arrived at the hotel entrance.

My friend, Emily, led me through the side entrance and into the ballroom.

By the time people noticed me, the event was already in full swing.

"Isn't that Yvonne, the heiress of the Perez Corporation? How did she get in here?"

"I heard that after the Jones family kicked her out, she became someone's mistress!"

"That's old news. Word is, she sleeps with three to five men a day just to keep her company afloat and pay for her mother's treatment!"

The whispers carried both shock and scorn.

I ignored them, scanning the room for my target.

And then—I saw Sophia.

She walked straight toward me, flanked by two women.

Away from Elijah, she no longer bothered to act demure and gentle.

"What? Henry and Elijah weren’t enough for you? You came here looking for your next benefactor?"

I had no interest in arguing with her. The last thing I needed was for Elijah to show up and make things worse.

"Playing mute now?" She sneered. "You abandoned Elijah after his accident just to marry a rich second-generation heir. What right do you have to keep clinging to him? You just wanted to harm him!"

My steps halted.

"Yvonne, you are the most despicable woman I’ve ever met!"

I lifted my gaze—only to lock eyes with Elijah, who had just stepped out of the restroom.

He stood there, watching me like a wolf tracking its prey.

A slow smile curved my lips as I turned to Sophia and answered, "Yes, I am despicable. And yet, Elijah still accepts me without question, doesn’t he?"

For a brief moment, Elijah froze.

The murmurs around us swelled like an oncoming tide.

Accusations filled the air, painting me as the most shameless, filthy woman in the room—worse than when I had been cast out of the Jones family.

Sophia’s furious scream tore through the hall. She stormed forward in her high heels and kicked me hard in the knee.

Before I could react, two people grabbed my arms, holding me in place.

Sophia seized my chin, her nails digging into my skin.

"Why do you always act so high and mighty? It makes me want to grind you into the dirt!"

She lifted a wine glass and smirked. "This drink is spiked. Tonight, I’ll make sure Elijah is completely disgusted by you."

As I stared at her, realization dawned on me—both Emily and I had walked right into her trap.

"The trick doesn’t need to be new," she sneered. "As long as it works."

"Yvonne, you’re not as smart as he claims you are." Sophia taunted.

I struggled desperately as my phone rang in my pocket—the one I used exclusively to stay in touch with my mother’s caretaker at the hospital.

Realizing that something must have happened to her, I panicked. My eyes darted to the drugged wine about to be forced down my throat. From somewhere deep within, I found the strength to lunge forward, headbutting Sophia and knocking her over.

Before I could react, Elijah surged forward and slapped me across the face.

A sharp, deafening ring echoed in my ears. My mind went blank.

"Yvonne, who gave you the right to lay a hand on her?" he roared.

While I was still reeling, he snatched my phone from my pocket and held it high above his head.

"Give it back! Elijah, I’m begging you—please, just give it back!" I pleaded.

"That call... it’s my mom.. "

I stood on tiptoe, reaching for the phone, but it was no use. Elijah dangled it just out of my grasp, a cruel smirk playing on his lips as he toyed with me.

Lately, my mother’s condition had worsened. Nine times out of ten, she was unconscious when I visited.

Even her stool had turned black with blood. The doctor already warned me about the end-stage symptoms.

She was already beyond saving. I was just using money to buy time.

The ringing stopped.

A few seconds later, Emily’s frantic voice came through, "Bad news! The hospital says your mom’s in critical condition—you need to get there now!"

As soon as I heard that, I turned and bolted for the door. Nothing else mattered.

But just as I reached it, I hesitated. I spun around and looked at Elijah.

"Can you... lend me some more money?"

Laughter erupted around me.

Elijah slowly lowered the phone, his bloodshot eyes brimming with scorn.

His expression said it all. 'See? You always end up begging me.'

My fingers clenched into fists.

I bit down so hard on my lip that I nearly drew blood.

The hatred between Elijah and me had never been one-sided.

He had driven my father to his death. He had tormented my mother to the brink of collapse.

But maybe... he had only done it to avenge his own parents.

Years ago, when my father founded Perez Corporation, the Ross family had held a 30% stake.

But one day, after an argument, my father decided to cut ties and take full control of the company. The Ross' weren’t fools—they refused to let go of such a thriving business.

So my father set them up. He seized their shares through underhanded tactics. And when Elijah’s father fought back, my father had him killed.

His mother spent years trying to seek justice. But when all her efforts failed, she lost her mind and took her own life.

Back then, I was nine years old, celebrating my birthday, while Elijah had been losing his entire family.

Years later, when I was about to graduate from college, my father discovered that my boyfriend was Elijah.

"Break up with him immediately! If you don’t, I’ll send you away!"

"I’m telling you now—you will marry into the Jones family!"

That was the first time I ever fought with my father.

It was also the first time I learned the truth about our families' past.

A huge sense of guilt over whelmed me.

How could I face Elijah, knowing what my father had done?

He had always been so proud, standing tall even in his threadbare shirts.

We had been together for four years. I had witnessed firsthand how hard he fought to carve out a future for himself, how much suffering he had endured.

And yet, the man who had taken everything from him was my father.

The day I decided to end things, I sat in his newly purchased car.

He was excitedly talking about our future—our home, our wedding—until I cut him off with a single sentence.

"We should break up."

The car screeched to a halt.

He yanked the steering wheel too hard, and in an instant, the car tumbled down the mountainside.

A metal shard punctured his chest.

The medical bills were astronomical, and no one was willing to pay.

I begged my father to save him.

He agreed, but only on the condition that I must marry Henry.

And so, I vanished from Elijah’s world.

Fate has a twisted sense of humor. Or maybe it was karma.

The once-mighty Perez family crumbled, while the nameless, penniless Elijah rose to become a tech industry giant.