It was my ninth blood donation actually, a dangerous frequency when donations should only occur three times a year.

Seeing that I did not respond, the nurse directly said, “Wait, I will call the doctor.”

However, I gripped her wrist and said, "I am fine, I just need some rest."

In confusion, the nurse nodded and said, "Okay, Mrs. Braun. You can rest for a while. Call me if you need anything."

A month ago, I had myself checked by the doctor. He said that I was currently suffering from acute anemia so that my immune system was decreasing and it could affect my health.

But that morning, Braun’s family doctor who gave the permission to donate blood said that I was fine.

I couldn't help wondering after hearing the doctor’s answer, ‘How could Marcus have the heart to make me suffer like this? He even asked me to donate blood, even though he knew that my body could not do it anymore.'

As a result, I resignedly donated blood while enduring the pain. But I could no longer trust everyone who worked with my husband anymore.

As I rested there, tears streamed down my face. How long should I endure it?

Suddenly my phone rang. It was my husband’s call.

His voice was cold and commanding as I answered the call, “The nurse told me about your condition. But do not think you can fool me, Theresa. Come home immediately.”

“I am not lying,” I whispered through my tears.

"Do you think your crying can make me pity you? You're wrong, Theresa. Come home soon, it's almost time for dinner.

“Don't let me find you still lazing around in the hospital after I get home from the office later, or you'll know the consequences!"

"I...." Before I could explain more, Marcus had hung up the call.

Suddenly my heart felt pain as if it had been stabbed by a knife repeatedly.

Apparently, the love he once showed me had vanished completely with Gloria’s return, leaving only pain in its place.

*

Once I came back to the Braun’s residence in Beverly Hills, Marcus’s mother directly grumbled, "Why did you come home so late? It was so close to dinner time."

I remained silent, my heart heavy, and walked quietly to the kitchen.

From the beginning of my marriage to Marcus, his family had never accepted me. They sneered that I had only been chosen because of my looks, the reason why I was arranged to be with Marcus.

They even said that maybe if I had been less attractive, I would never have become his wife.

What they didn't know was that our marriage had been planned long before we were even born, a promise between our grandfathers who had been close friends since their days at Oxford.

I only learned the truth the day before my grandfather passed away too.

With a gentle smile, he told me how much he had wanted to see me as part of the Braun family, believing them to be a proper family for me. But in reality, only Marcus's grandfather had truly welcomed me into their world.

I tolerated the coldness at first, finding solace in Marcus's support. He would stand up for me, reminding everyone that I was his wife and deserved respect.

His mother grudgingly accepted me then, and the demands were few. But everything changed after Marcus's grandfather died and Gloria re-entered his life.

With the patriarch gone, Marcus's mother and younger sister, Glenda Braun, saw an opportunity. They dismissed the mansion’s chef and turned me into their personal cook, insisting I prepare elaborate meals three times a day.

Actually, I had once been proud of the culinary skills I had honed at the Italian Culinary Institute. But then those same skills were being exploited by the Braun family.

It was a bitter irony, wasn't it?

When I was still cooking pasta, a maid came to me. She asked, “Is there anything I can help you with, Miss?”

The maids were always kind to me, saying that they could not bear to see me in the kitchen every day. That was one of the reasons I was still in that house.

I somehow felt grateful that good people were still around me, but I didn't know how long I could endure it anymore.

I answered with a smile, “Yes, please.”

Then, we chatted while cooking the festive dinner.

But as dinner time approached, Marcus and his father were still absent. Glenda, impatient and restless, muttered, "It seems like the men in our family can’t keep track of time. Can't we just start without them? I am starving."

Marcus’s mother sighed before stating, "Your father said he has a lot of work at the office. Marcus must be the same. Let’s eat first."

I just looked at them coldly.

I knew she was aware of the truth. Just like Marcus, his father also had a tendency to cheat.

After Old Man Braun passed away, Marcus's father rarely came home. When he did, he was usually drunk, reeking of alcohol and cheap perfume. But his mother endured it all in silence, clinging to the comforts of their luxurious life.

“Wash the dishes properly this time!” Marcus’s mother ordered, before going upstairs with Glenda.

I actually felt so tired that day; I did not have any strength to debate anything. So, after getting the thing done and drinking my meds, I went up to my bedroom and decided to sleep early.

However, just before I put my phone on the bedside table, it rang. To my surprise, it was Gloria’s message.

“What else does she want now?” I could not help muttering to myself.

When I opened the message, I saw a photo with a note under it.

It was Marcus’s sleeping face. Beside him was Gloria with a cunning smile like a mistress, nestled on Marcus’s shoulder happily.

[Gloria: Hey, homewrecker. Why do not you divorce him, so that Marcus can happily live with me? It hurts so much seeing your wedding ring on Marcus' ring finger every time we kiss.]

A homewrecker?

How dare she use that kind of word to describe me, Marcus’s legal wife.

It was her who was a homewrecker after all!

After a few seconds, a new message came to my phone.

At that time, it was not only a photo, but a video of their intimate relationship.

I unconsciously threw my phone to the floor after playing the first part of the video. They looked like an intimate lover at that time, as if Marcus had not had a wife at his home.

That wasn’t the first time Gloria flaunted her closeness with Marcus.

She always shamelessly shared glimpses of their relationship on social media, even though she never showed his face.

Then, on Marcus’s birthday last year, she boldly showed up at the bar where he was celebrating with his friends, proudly taking her place beside him.

I had not planned on going, since I knew seeing them together would only hurt me. But then, one of Marcus’s friends sent me a message.

It read, [Theresa, your husband is very drunk. He looks like he needs help getting home.]

With a heavy heart, I asked the driver to take me to the bar.

But when I arrived at their private box, I was met with a sight that made my stomach turn.

At that time, Marcus passionately kissed Gloria, surrounded by the laughter of his friends. It was the first time I had seen them so intimate, so the shock hit me like a wave.

However, instead of apologies or explanations, his friends greeted me with teasing.

"Oh, Theresa, you’re here!"

"Do not be too surprised. It’s just a game of Truth or Dare."

"Yes, Theresa. Marcus lost, so he chose Dare. We did not think he would enjoy it this much, though."

One of them laughed and said to Marcus, "Hey, Marcus, you’ve been kissing for ten minutes. Poor Gloria, she is out of breath!"

Since they were all out of their minds, I decided to leave. But suddenly, a female friend of Marcus pulled me down to sit beside her.

“Stay a bit longer. Marcus is too drunk to get home on his own.”

As a result, I sat there, arms crossed.

But as the minutes dragged on, their games only escalated. When Gloria lost a round, Marcus even drank for her since she could not drink due to her illness.

My patience snapped, I stood up and grabbed Marcus’s glass, saying, “You’re drunk enough. It’s time to go home.”

His friends started, clearly shocked by my sudden assertiveness. They were used to me being the quiet, obedient wife.

Meanwhile, Marcus’s eyes narrowed with anger.

“Tsk! How dare you order me around, shameless woman,” he sneered, hurling his glass to the floor, where it shattered.

After that, he stood and pinched my chin painfully, smirking as he leaned closer.

“Jealous, huh? Want a kiss too? Upset that I am only kissing Gloria?”

“Let me go,” I whispered, holding back tears. I felt like I was being stripped naked at that time, being a laugh stock of his friends.

Seeing my teary eyes, he released my chin only to slap me across the face.

“Do not ever order me around again. Go home!”

His friends laughed, entertained by the cruel spectacle. I could also see Gloria’s grin on the corner of my eye.

How dare they ridicule me.

“Drink as much as you want!” I said, my voice breaking as I turned and left the bar, the sound of their laughter following me out into the night.

On my way home, the driver seemed to notice my sadness. He even deliberately slowed down the vehicle, giving me plenty of time to pour out my sadness.

He seemed aware that I could not express myself freely once I returned to the mansion, that was why his consideration that time touched my heart.

In the end, I cried sadly, since the scene re-appeared again in my memory after watching their new intimate video. After all, I could never forget the first ridicule he did to me.

So, I directly took my phone, collecting all of Marcus’s cheating evidence, and decided to go to the city court tomorrow.

*

As I came to the city court and filled out the form, I just realized that the day's date was exactly our 2nd anniversary date.

“It has been 2 years already,” I could not help muttering, while my mind was thinking back to how happy our marriage used to be.

After our wedding, the Braun family whisked me away from London to California.

I struggled to adjust to my new life at first, but Marcus was always by my side, guiding me with kindness and care.

He made it his mission to help me feel at home, taking me on daily tours around California and sharing dinner with me almost every night.

“Are you comfortable here?” Marcus asked one evening, his face lit up with a sweet smile.

I returned his smile and said, “Well, nothing too different except for our accent. I think I will adapt as time goes on.”

With a tender touch, he took my hand and kissed it lovingly.

“Tell me if you need anything. I will do my best to make you happy,” he said in a soft tone.

As a result, our love blossomed quickly, even though we had only known each other a month before our marriage.

I even still remembered how passionately Marcus pursued me in the first year. That was why I believed that love would grow with time, since I also gave him everything I had.

What was more, at every banquet, Marcus would introduce me as the best woman he ever had.

One Day, a colleague teased him, “Mr. Braun, you seem more energetic lately. Is this the influence of your marriage?”

Marcus beamed with pride, saying, “Of course. Every day, I am nourished by the meals my wife cooks herself. Please do not be a jealous gentleman, since there is no better woman than Theresa.”

I just smiled happily when he praised him.

In addition, he also never missed a chance to celebrate our special day. So, his constant affection deepened my love for him.

Like on the 24th of every month, our wedding date, Marcus would bring me a gift and said, “Happy monthiversary, honey.”

“Marcus, do we really need to celebrate every month? It’s called an anniversary because it’s once a year,” I once asked.

But Marcus shook his head and answered, “It should be, honey. After all, we love each other every day, so why not celebrate every month? Please do not reject it, or I will start celebrating every day.”

I could not help but smile and kiss him, before I answered in agreement, “Fine.”

He froze for a moment after my kiss, then smirked.

“Honey, you started this. Do not blame me if we’re up all night now.”

In summary, Marcus fulfilled his role as a husband with devotion, making me believe that my life would always be as happy as my grandfather had promised.

Everything felt perfect, especially as we celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a vacation in the Maldives.

Moreover, when we returned, I discovered I was pregnant, so Marcus’s care for me only grew stronger.

“Honey, I do not want to go to work. I am afraid something might happen to you while I am gone,” Marcus said, his hand gently rubbing my stomach.

“Oh, Marcus, you’re overreacting. There’s Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Glenda, and all the staff at the mansion. They will take good care of me,” I reassured him, stroking his head as he rested it on my belly.

Marcus pouted but eventually relented.

“Alright, Daddy’s going to work now. Be good to Mommy, little one. Do not make her dizzy or sick, and make sure you two eat well, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

However, as our happiness felt complete, a tragedy struck our family so suddenly.