Everyone in Harbor City knew I had a wife whom everyone envied.

Not only was she a wealthy heiress, but a celebrated lawyer, untouchable and elegant. However, in private, she was a delicate, devoted wife.

I had planned to tell her the truth on our wedding anniversary—that I was the heir to one of Jinmist City's most powerful families—and take her home.

However, on her birthday, I walked in on her being pinned to a car and forcefully kissed by her new assistant, with pieces of her torn clothing scattered everywhere.

I lost control. The assistant ended up in the ICU, and I ended up in court.

To my shock, my wife turned on me in court, falsely accusing me of malicious assault, while saying nothing about the assistant’s attempt.

I was sentenced to three years in prison. In the visitation room, I demanded answers, but she remained calm.

“You’re my husband. Even if you go to prison, I still love you.”

“But Daniel is different. He comes from a poor family. If he’s charged with attempted assault, his life would be ruined forever.”

At that moment, my hope shattered.

Fine. If she didn’t want the title of wife to the Millers' heir, I’d just have to take it back.

On the day I was released from prison, my wife, Olivia Johnson, stood outside the iron gates in a wedding dress.

The moment I saw her, a surge of hatred burned in my chest.

Back then, if she hadn’t given false testimony, how could I have ended up behind bars? She had never once come to see me these past three years. Why was she putting on this act?

“What are you doing here?”

Faced with my cold stare, Olivia smiled and lifted the hem of her dress as she slowly walked toward me.

“Of course I’m here to pick you up, my dear husband.”

She stopped in front of me and reached out, smoothing the wrinkles on my collar as if nothing had ever happened.

“Today is a special day. I’m taking you home so we can celebrate together.”

I was just about to refuse when she raised her hand slightly. Immediately, two bodyguards in black stepped out of the car and closed in around me.

“Honey, this way.”

Olivia extended her hand with a sweet smile. I knew I had no room to refuse. Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the car.

On the way, Olivia kept her head down on her phone, completely ignoring me. I didn’t mind the silence, though, using the time to think about how I was going to divorce her.

However, the moment we arrived at the villa, I noticed the lawn was filled with flowers and a floral arch.

Right in front of the house was a large welcome photo of Olivia and her assistant, Daniel Parker.

So this “special day” she mentioned was her wedding to Daniel?!

The anger inside me exploded. I couldn’t hold it back any longer, letting the hatred surge freely.

“Olivia, what is the meaning of this?”

Olivia let out a mocking laugh, the warmth on her face instantly replaced by cold disdain.

“Max, you don’t seriously think a criminal like you is worthy of being a husband to a Harbor City heiress like me, do you?”

The bodyguards dragged me out of the car. Instantly, all eyes turned toward me.

“Hey, isn’t that the ex-con? They actually let him out?”

“Ugh, seeing someone like that on a day like this. What a mood killer.”

Dressed in a sharp suit, Daniel strode up to me, his face full of barely concealed smugness.

“Well, well, Max. How generous of you. First day out of prison, and you couldn’t wait to attend my wedding with Olivia. Must’ve been a long trip for you.”

Looking at his disgusting smirk, I didn’t hesitate. I raised my fist and punched him hard, sending him crashing to the ground.

“Daniel!”

Olivia screamed, shoving me hard before rushing to help him up, her face filled with concern.

“Max, listen carefully. Daniel is my husband now. If you lay a hand on him again, don’t blame me for what I do next!”

“Husband?”

I let out a cold laugh and shook my head.

“Olivia, do I need to remind you? I may have been in prison for three years, but we’re still legally married!”

However, instead of embarrassment, Olivia only sneered.

She gestured, and her assistant immediately handed her two marriage certificates.

Then she threw them straight in my face.

“Max, open your eyes and take a good look. These are fake.”

Then she took the marriage certificate Daniel handed her like it was something precious and held it up in front of me.

“Take a good look at what a real one looks like. Wouldn’t want you getting fooled by some other woman in the future.

“Think about it. How could I, the chief lawyer of Red Circle and the heiress of the Johnsons, ever marry a loser like you?

“Back then, I only married you because you had a handsome face. I just wanted to have some fun with you. But as I got older, I realized a obedient toy can never compare to a stimulant lover.”

She leaned into Daniel’s chest. The way they clung to each other stabbed into my eyes like needles.

Daniel wrapped an arm around her pale shoulders.

“Come to think of it, if it weren’t for you, Olivia and I wouldn’t have made it this far.

“If you hadn’t hurt me three years ago, she wouldn’t have realized how she truly felt about me.

“But I’ve always been a generous man. Since I took your wife, I’ll give you one in return.”

He handed me a business card.

“There are plenty of girls at Paradise Club. Every single one of them has their own special skills, so I guarantee you’ll be satisfied. Take your pick. Whoever you choose, I’ll gift her to you as your wife.”

Veins bulged on my forehead as I punched him in the face.

“You two disgusting pieces of sh*t—”

The overwhelming hatred made me lose control. I lunged forward, ready to tear the two of them apart.

However, this was the Johnsons’ territory.

The bodyguards immediately moved in, twisting my arms behind my back on both sides.

My eyes burned red as I roared at Olivia.

“Back then, he tried to assault you. I was the one who saved you. And this is how you repay me?!”

…

Olivia let out a light laugh, then pulled Daniel closer and kissed the blood at the corner of his lips.

After that, she held his hand and looked at me.

“Who said he was an attacker? What happened three years ago was completely consensual. We were both willing. Who knew you’d just happen to walk in at the worst possible moment?

“The worst part was how you rushed in like an idiot and started fighting him. We couldn’t even pull you apart.”

My heart felt like it was being crushed in someone’s grip, the air in my chest nearly ripped away.

Her expression of pain from back then was still etched clearly in my mind.

“But you were calling for help. You looked like you were in pain. You didn’t want it.”

Her smile grew even more unhinged.

“Max, that’s why I called you an idiot. Do you even understand what a little roleplay is?”

In that instant, it felt like all the strength had been drained from my body. My limbs went weak. If not for the table behind me supporting me, I would’ve collapsed right there.

However, she kept going, humiliating me without mercy.

“Back then, you must’ve thought you were some hero protecting your wife, didn’t you? Felt pretty proud of yourself, huh?

“Well, I guess someone as useless as you can only find pride in things like that.

“So now you understand, right? Three years ago, I didn’t suddenly change my testimony. Daniel was never guilty to begin with!”

She really knew exactly how to twist the knife.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to calm down. Then, gritting my teeth, I asked coldly, “Olivia, are you really going to marry Daniel?”

She exchanged a glance with him, and the two of them burst out laughing almost at the same time.

“If I don’t marry Daniel, who else? You? An ex-convict? Max, you’re way too naive.”

“Fine. Don’t regret it.”

I pulled out the phone that man gave me three days ago and dialed the only number on it.

“Mr. Max, you’ve finally decided to call back.”

“Tell him I’m willing to return and inherit everything. But I have one condition.”

The autumn wind swept past the hem of my clothes as I stared at Olivia and Daniel like a venomous snake.

“Before nightfall, I want the entire Johnsons empire wiped out.”

The moment I finished speaking, the two of them and even the surrounding guests watching the show burst into loud laughter.

“What did he just say? Before nightfall, he wants the Johnsons gone?”

“Even if you’re broke, you shouldn’t be drinking too much. Listen to the nonsense he’s spouting.”

“Perfect timing. Today’s my wedding day with Olivia. I’ll be generous and let you drink your fill.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the bodyguards I had just broken free from swarmed forward again and pinned me down.

My jaw was forcibly dislocated, and with a malicious grin, Daniel grabbed a bottle from a waiter’s tray, smashed it against the table with a loud crack, and poured the burning liquor mixed with shards of glass straight into my mouth.

The dark red liquor choked up through my nose, but Daniel clamped a hand over my mouth and nose.

“Olivia personally chose this. If you waste it, you’re disrespecting her effort.”

With my airway suddenly blocked, the alcohol flooded down the wrong way, burning into my lungs. My face flushed instantly, the whites of my eyes spreading as my vision blurred. Just when I thought this was how it would end, Daniel finally let go.

He tossed the bottle aside. It shattered across the ground.

Then he kicked me hard in the back. I stumbled forward and dropped to my knees on the broken glass.

Olivia sat across from me, sipping red wine from a stemmed glass as she spoke coldly.

“This is your punishment for what happened three years ago. If Daniel isn’t happy, you take it.”

Then she suddenly noticed the blood on Daniel’s finger and rushed over to kiss it.

“Oh, no, Daniel. You’re hurt.”

She turned and slapped me across the face.

The sting burned, but it couldn’t compare to the pain in my chest.

“You motherless bastard. How dare you hurt my Daniel?!”

…

People online were right.

Never show your wounds to anyone.

I never celebrated my birthday. The first time I ever did was because of her.

Back then, she asked me why, and I foolishly thought it was because she loved me too much. So I told her the truth I had buried for over twenty years.

“Because my mother died giving birth to me. I’ve always felt that if it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have died.”

I never imagined that she would one day use those words against me.

The warmth of her slap still lingered on my face, but she didn’t spare me another glance. Instead, she cradled Daniel’s hand again.

“Honey, when you deal with him, be careful not to hurt yourself. Do you want me to worry myself sick?”

While the two of them flirted and laughed behind me, the hatred inside me grew thicker and heavier, until I wanted nothing more than to tear them apart, bone by bone.

After a while, Olivia finally returned to her seat. Daniel spat lightly on me, then crouched down in front of me with a wicked grin.

“You’ve had the wine. If I don’t let you taste the sweetness of my love with Olivia, that just wouldn’t be right.”

The crowd immediately erupted in cheers.

“Daniel really knows how to have fun!”

Before I could react, the bodyguards dragged me to my feet.

Daniel picked up a chair and smashed it into my waist, sending me flying like a dying dog.

However, that still wasn’t enough.

They hauled me back up, again and again, smashing the chair down until my back could no longer straighten.

Suddenly, Olivia seemed to remember something. She walked over, excitement lighting up her face.

“Oh my God, how could I forget?

“You once said you’d stay with me for life. Even if I don’t love you anymore, you still love me, don’t you?”

I let out a cold laugh through gritted teeth.

I had given her so much freedom and indulgence that she had become delusional.

She needed to be cured.

She waved a hand, and a servant brought over a pregnant female dog.

“Today is an especially lucky day. I paid a lot to a fortune teller to get that reading. Consider yourself lucky.”

“This dog has been with Daniel and me since we got together. Marrying into our family is a blessing you could never earn in multiple lifetimes.”

They forced me to my knees.

The moment I realized what she was about to do, I struggled, straining against their grip with everything I had. But I couldn’t break free.

A bodyguard punched me in the face. Another kicked me in the stomach.

Once, twice, three times. Each time, the impact blurred my vision.

Olivia laughed like she had gone mad.

The servant lifted the dog higher, cradling it like a bride on display.

“Go on,” Olivia said, her voice light, almost playful. “Say it. Say you take the dog as your wife.”

I clenched my teeth, saying nothing.

Olivia tilted her head, smiling.

“From now on, this dog is your wife. You’d better take good care of her… and the puppies in her belly.”

A wave of nausea surged up. My stomach churned violently as I gagged and vomited onto the ground.

With just a glance from Olivia, a bodyguard stepped forward and drove a fist into my face.

“You’re just an ex-con, and you dare look down on my dog? Well, then.

“Beat him. Beat him until our dear Max Miller is willing to call this dog his wife.”

I had always loved the classics. Because of my family, I valued dignity and loyalty above everything else.

This was meant to break me.

The blows kept raining down.

At first, each strike carried the sharp pain of bones threatening to shatter. However, as it went on, my body, just like my heart, slowly went numb.

Daniel grabbed my hair. “Well? Are you going to say it or not?”