To save Axel Moore, I gave up everything. My breasts were gone, my body was a map of scars and the doctor’s words echoed like a cruel sentence: I would never bear a child again.

Axel had held me then, his voice calm, almost too calm. “Don’t worry. All I want is for you to live.”

I clung to his words, using them as my anchor through grueling treatments. For six relentless years, I endured until the day came when a miracle unfolded: I was pregnant. Joy surged through me, an unstoppable wave and I couldn’t wait to share the news with him.

But that euphoria crumbled the moment I stepped into the company’s meeting room. There he was, pinning his assistant against the table, their lips locked in a fervent kiss.

“Axel, why don’t you just divorce Belle? She’s not even a woman anymore. How could she possibly satisfy you? I’m the only one who can give you what you need.”

“Just wait a little longer. I need more time to arrange everything.”

The words felt like daggers, each one carving deeper into my chest. I couldn’t bear to hear more. I turned and fled, the storm outside matching the tempest within me. Rain poured relentlessly, drenching me to the bone, but it couldn’t compare to the icy chill that gripped my heart.

By the time I reached home, I had made my decision. I booked a one-way ticket back to the Grasslands, the place where I could finally start over. Axel and I were finished—our paths would never cross again.

***

I fled the company, my heart pounding like a drumbeat in my chest, the rain soaking me to the bone, mirroring the storm inside.

I clutched the pregnancy test report in my hands, a piece of paper that should’ve brought joy, yet it only twisted the knife deeper in my heart.

Seven years with Axel and never once had I felt the heat of true passion between us. Our intimacy had always been a cold, mechanical ritual, a hollow gesture devoid of any real emotion.

Unconsciously, I reached for the empty neckline of my shirt as if somehow it could shield me from the bitter reality. The rain battered against the windows as I drove home, my mind a whirlpool of confusion.

Should I blame myself? Or should I despise Axel for turning me into this broken version of myself?

My body, once whole, was now a landscape of scars, a constant reminder of the price I had paid. If I had been a normal woman, would any of this have happened?

I couldn’t answer, only drown in the thoughts that consumed me. I prepared a simple meal and curled up on the bed, the silence pressing down on me like a heavyweight.

Then came the familiar ping of a message, shattering the stillness. Axel’s words blinked on the screen.

[Wife, I’m off work. Don’t forget the egg soup.]

It used to be my habit to prepare it for him whenever it rained, but now, as I read his words, all I could feel was a bitter resentment. I didn’t want to serve him anymore.

Unbidden, Axel’s cruel words to his mistress echoed relentlessly in my mind.

“Belle is just a housewife, a washed-up old woman. How can she compare to a 211 university graduate like you?”

My hands trembled as I covered my face, tears pouring down like a river that refused to stop.

When Axel’s company had been nothing more than a dream, I had been right there beside him, shouldering every hardship with him.

I had sacrificed my own dreams, giving up my chance to inherit the position of spiritual maiden, following him selflessly wherever he went, pushing him toward success with every step I took.

Even when I was belittled and forced to drink to the point where my stomach bled, I never faltered.

My father had secretly supported the company to ease my burden, ensuring the group’s growth. Still, I never spoke a word of it to Axel.

I had given him everything, including my soul, all while staying home as he demanded, trying to be the perfect wife. Yet, despite everything, I had somehow become nothing more than a discarded, washed-up woman in his eyes.

The sound of the door opening sliced through my thoughts, dragging me back to reality.

When Axel stepped into the bedroom, his eyes darted around, his confusion written across his face.

“Wife, didn’t you get my message?”

I didn’t answer immediately, but my mind raced. “I heard from the receptionist... you came to the office today. Did you see something?”

Our gazes met briefly, a flicker of something unspoken between us. I shook my head, keeping my tone as steady as I could.

“I just stopped by to check on you. When I saw you were busy, I left.”

Axel’s shoulders relaxed slightly, a sigh escaping his lips. He reached out to touch me, but I instinctively turned away.

His hand hovered in the air, frozen and an uncomfortable silence filled the room.

“Come on, wife, I’ve been working all day. Can’t you be a little more understanding?”

I turned my back to him, the chill in my voice cutting through the air. “I want egg soup. Go make it.”

"If you want something to drink, order takeout yourself. I'm not here to serve you, you old hag."

Axel froze for a moment, clearly taken aback.

"What do you mean by that? What have I done to deserve this?"

"Fine, I'll order it. It's not like I’m desperate. If you don’t do it, there are plenty of others who will!"

With a muttered curse, Axel stormed off to the living room. I held my breath, the tension in the air thickening as I listened to the muffled sounds outside.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Hello, your delivery is here. Please sign for it."

I cautiously cracked open the bedroom door and peeked out. Sure enough, standing there was none other than Axel’s assistant, his mistress.

Although her clothes were dry, her bangs and face remained wet from the rain, giving her an even more pitiful appearance.

I pressed my lips together, the recognition of her little tricks stinging like a slap.

Axel, however, seemed moved. He took the egg soup from her, his hands lingering a moment too long before he wrapped her in an embrace right there at the door.

She, ever so deliberate, leaned her chest against his arm, brushing against him in a way that felt almost choreographed.

A wave of disgust washed over me and before I could stop it, I coughed, the sound sharp in the stillness.

It took them a moment to snap out of it, hastily pulling away from each other.

"Darling, the takeout I ordered is here. Want to share it with me?"

Axel entered the bedroom, holding the lunchbox. However, when his eyes landed on me still lying in bed, his guilty expression melted away like morning fog.

I barely glanced at him.

"How thoughtful these restaurants are these days. Even the packaging is heart-shaped."

Before Axel could say a word, I grabbed the takeout box, the note on top cutting through my heart like a knife. The words "My Love" were written in delicate handwriting, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Come on, it's just takeout. Don't overthink it. You're the one who refused to make anything for me in the first place. How is this my fault?"

Axel brushed it off, his voice flat as he eagerly opened the lunchbox and dug in. But just a few bites in, his phone rang, interrupting the moment once again.

He stole a quick glance at the note, his face flushing in embarrassment.

"Darling, I just remembered something I left at the office. I need to grab it."

"Finish the soup, alright? Don’t let it go to waste."

Outside, the night was engulfed in darkness, the sky alive with lightning and thunder.

I knew exactly why he was leaving and for whom. I could already feel the emptiness that would follow his absence.

"Can’t you stay? What could be so important? Didn’t you once promise that no matter what, you’d stay by my side on nights like this?"

I could still recall that stormy night years ago, the night of the car accident. Axel clearly remembered it, too. He paused, torn for just a moment.

But in the end, his mistress won, as always.

"Darling, I checked the weather. The rain will stop soon. You stay home and rest; I promise nothing will happen."

"This is really urgent. I can’t explain right now. I’ll be back as soon as I can."

And with that, he left, leaving me alone with the storm.

With a hurried motion, he grabbed his things and rushed out the door, not even sparing me a single glance.

He didn’t see the tears that were silently streaming down my face.

When the door finally clicked shut, I walked slowly to the window, my heart sinking with every step.

Below, I watched as she waited for him, her arms flinging around him as they embraced.

In the pouring rain, their kiss was a public declaration, a scene ripped from the pages of a romance novel.

My hands shook as I lifted my phone, capturing the moment, unable to tear my eyes away.

But soon, the floodgates opened and I couldn’t hold it together anymore. I sank to the wall, letting the tears fall freely.

I didn’t sleep a single moment that night.

Axel had broken his promise; he never came back.

All through the night, I sat alone in the empty house, surrounded by reminders of the man who had once been everything to me.

The memories washed over me and I was transported back to the early days of our marriage.

Back then, I had been broken, my body still scarred from the ordeal. Axel had cried in front of everyone, promising me he would never leave. I had believed him.

"Belle, don’t be afraid. I’m here."

"From now on, you will be my one and only wife."

I had thought my heart had long turned to ash, yet just remembering those words brought a fresh, unbearable ache to my chest. My throat tightened as though invisible hands were squeezing, leaving me gasping for air.

"Axel, I don’t want you anymore."

The next morning, I walked out of the house, my mind already set. I scheduled the abortion and immediately reached out to a lawyer to start drafting divorce papers.

Axel’s apology message came soon after.

[Honey, there were some issues during the project discussion. I stayed up all night with the team and didn’t have time to tell you.]

Moments later, a sum of money appeared in my account.

For a brief, sickening second, I felt utterly ridiculous. Was I nothing more than a problem he could solve with money?

Still, I accepted it. My response was a cold, indifferent "hmm."

Sensing something was off in my tone, Axel quickly followed up.

[Alright, sweetheart, I’ll come home tonight. I’ll stay with you, okay? Don’t be upset. It hurts me to see you like this.]

I had never realized just how skilled he was at playing the part.

Unable to hold back, I asked, [Axel, were you really discussing work last night? Or is there something you're hiding from me?]

His reply came quickly, almost too quickly.

[Belle, have you gone mad from all the pregnancy preparations? If I wasn’t discussing a project, what else would I be doing, playing with other women? Stop saying things like that; it’s bad for us!]

A cold laugh escaped my lips. I was about to shut my phone off when another message pinged.

[Honey, I see how hard you’ve been working. Why don’t we consider adopting a child instead?]

I felt my brows knit together, a dark feeling creeping into my chest.

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I typed a curt "do as you like."

After I got into the car, a file arrived from the detective I had hired to investigate Axel’s assistant.

The deeper I delved into the file, the heavier my heart grew.

As I’d suspected, they already had a child. Axel had even bought them a house just a few streets away from ours.

No wonder Axel had developed a "habit" of late-night runs. He had been sneaking away to meet his mistress.

Fury bubbled within me, my hands shaking as I sped off to the hospital.

After explaining my intentions, the doctor hesitated. "You’ve been trying for so long. Don’t you think it’s a waste to give up now?"

"Reconsider, Belle. This is a life we’re talking about, a living, breathing future."

I stood firm, my decision unshakable and finally, she reluctantly registered me for the procedure.

But to my shock, I noticed her discreetly dialing Axel’s number.

Moments later, my phone lit up with a flurry of calls and messages from him.

Frustrated beyond belief, I silenced the phone and marched into the doctor’s office.

"This is my body, my choice. Why would you contact him behind my back?"

"I’m doing this for your own good," she said, her voice filled with concern. "With your age and past injuries, going through with this could be your last chance to have a child."

No one could understand my pain more than I did.

I had endured years of heartache and endless struggles, all for a glimpse of motherhood.

I had longed for this child’s arrival, dreamed of the moment I would hold them close. But I couldn’t let the baby become the chain that bound me to the suffocating misery of my life.

"Forget it. If your hospital can’t help me, I’ll just find one that will."

At the second hospital, everything moved immediately, staff arranged the procedure with a sense of urgency.

As the anesthesia began to pull me under, I thought I heard Axel’s voice, faint but unmistakable, calling my name.