Private pictures of my swimming champion husband, Alden Crestwell and his stepsister, Celine Rathmore, were sent to my phone for the ninety-sixth time.

The first time was on the tenth anniversary of my relationship with Alden. In the video, Celine’s blouse was half undone and Alden’s head was buried in her chest.

The second time was at our engagement party. After the ceremony, he left in a hurry. Ten minutes later, I received a photo of him taking a bath in Celine’s bathroom.

***

The ninety-sixth time happened at our wedding.

I was waiting for him to say his vows. Instead, Alden looked at me with an apologetic expression and threw the ring at me.

A moment later, a message from Celine popped up on my phone.

In the picture, she and Alden were kissing passionately among a bed of roses, their hands already lost in each other's clothes.

I tossed the bouquet and wedding ring into the trash, wiped my tears and began ushering the guests out.

The crowd's sympathetic looks stung more than anything. After the party, I took off my wedding dress and clutched the stack of photos before jotting down another note in my journal.

Alden had no idea I had already recorded ninety-seven nasty things about him. Once I reached a hundred, I would leave for good.

After ten years together, he had proposed to me a hundred times. And I had given him a hundred chances.

So why was he the one crying and begging for forgiveness now that I had finally said yes to a marriage proposal and become Mrs. Billionaire?

As I watched Alden walk away without a second glance, I quietly wiped my tears and sent a message.

[I agree.]

The reply came almost instantly.

Looking around at the wreckage of our wedding, I turned and left.

That night, Alden did not return home until ten.

He held me gently, apologized again and again and coaxed me into bed.

My body gave in. At some point, my legs found their way to his waist.

He looked at me tenderly, kissing me deeper and deeper…

Until his phone rang.

"Alden, you said you’d be with me tonight. My chest hurts again."

Hearing this, Alden froze, then looked at me with guilt written all over his face. In a panic, he threw on his clothes and rushed out.

"Celine isn’t feeling so well right now. I need to check on her."

I watched him leave with a calm expression before closing my eyes.

Celine Rathmore was his stepsister. She moved here two years ago for school and ever since then, she had come between me and Alden.

I knew from the start that she had feelings for him.

At first, Alden never took it seriously.

However, she used her heart condition as an excuse to call him away at night, again and again. In two years, he had only spent the night at home a handful of times.

She claimed her roommates bullied her and moved into our home on the night of our engagement, no less.

That very night, she slept right between me and Alden.

In the beginning, Alden treated her coldly. But over time, he got used to taking care of Celine.

Eventually, her place in his heart far surpassed mine.

Whether it was our engagement party, our anniversaries, or even our wedding, every time Celine called, Alden would leave me without hesitation.

Even now, when I was three months pregnant, neither the baby nor I could compare to Celine.

After Alden left again, that familiar number sent me more photos.

The roses that once covered the bed were crushed. Alden and Celine’s eyes were glazed over, their lips locked, tongues tangled.

I swiped through the photos without emotion and accidentally tapped open the news.

Alden had just won a championship and was trending everywhere. But despite his rising popularity, he openly posted photos of himself with Celine.

Strangely, I did not feel the anger I used to. Instead, I felt calm. So calm, it scared me.

This was the ninety-seventh time. I noted it down in my diary.

I did not remember exactly when I stopped feeling hurt. The anger just faded, replaced by numbness.

However, I had already made up my mind. The diary had a hundred pages, so when I reached the last one, I would leave for good.

Alden and I had been together for ten years. Every year, he proposed to me ten times. On the hundredth time, I told him I was pregnant and finally agreed to marry him.

He was overjoyed, promising me that he would never put Celine before me or our child again.

I did not fully believe him, but I still held on to a shred of hope.

Now I realized that I was being naive.

Alden did not come home that night. I did not sleep either.

The next morning, he returned with my favorite breakfast, but the red marks on his neck were still fresh.

He hugged me gently and the scent of his shower gel hit me like a wave, making me nauseous.

He rubbed my back affectionately and said, "This baby is really troublesome."

I pulled away from him slightly as pain flared in my stomach.

Later, after everything had settled, Alden returned to the bedroom, smiling as he stared at his phone.

I knew he was talking to Celine.

I looked away and began to pack my things, but he came over and lifted me back onto the bed.

"Elara, I promise I’ll give you the perfect wedding. Don’t be upset. Celine’s health isn’t great. I have to take care of her."

An overwhelming emptiness filled my chest. I quietly removed the hand he had slipped under the blanket.

"My stomach feels off."

He paused for a second, breathing heavily, then bent down and kissed my belly.

That night, Alden disappeared again.

And once again, pictures came to my phone.

A pale body straddled Alden’s in the pool, the two of them floating together in the water.

I saw the pendant around Celine’s neck and closed my eyes.

I had spent days at the church, lighting candles and praying on my knees, just to get that pendant blessed for Alden.

I dialed his number, gripping the phone tightly, but could not find the words to say.

The line rang for a long time. I thought he would not answer.

But unexpectedly, it connected. Alden’s breathless voice came through.

"Alden, if you don’t come home now, your wife will get mad."

"Don’t worry about her. This is our time."

Then Celine let out a soft moan before the line cut off.

Tears blurred my vision. I could not see the screen clearly, but with trembling fingers, I still managed to dial the hospital.

Alden Crestwell, I don’t want this kind of life anymore.

"Are you sure you want an abortion?"

I nodded without hesitation.

The procedure was scheduled for three days later. I did not want to go back to that empty house to wait for Alden, for someone who would never come back.

So, I packed a few documents and went back to my parents’ home.

My mother looked at me with concern. "My goodness… How did you get so thin?"

In a hoarse voice, I said, "Mom, I don’t want to be with Alden anymore."

She pulled me into her arms and gently said, "Okay, okay. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters."

Wrapped in her warmth, I finally broke down in tears.

After I had calmed down, she took out her phone and handed it to me carefully.

"If you’ve truly made up your mind, then I want you to see this."

I took the phone and instantly recognized the images. Celine had actually sent those photos to my mother.

Rage surged through me as I stared at them. I wanted to shred them into pieces.

How dare Celine send those to my mother?

Just then, a news notification popped up on the screen.

[Swimming champion brings his lover to competition and promises to dedicate gold medal to her!]

In the photo, Alden stood in front of Celine, shielding her with his body.

His face was filled with tenderness, like a beast protecting his mate.

I deleted all the photos from my mother’s phone.

"Mom, I don’t want this baby anymore."

Just then, a voice came from the doorway. My father strode in angrily.

"What are you saying? We told you not to marry that guy named Alden, but you insisted. Now that he’s finally successful and you have everything, you suddenly say you want to leave him?"

"You must be out of your mind!"

Before I could explain, my father grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.

"I’ve already called him. He’ll pick you up out front. And if you’re really planning to abort that child, then the Thorne Family has no place for a disgrace like you!"

With a loud bang, the door slammed shut behind me.

I stood there like a puppet, unmoving until the sky turned dark.

Eventually, Alden rushed over and pulled me into the car.

"Elara, baby, I know you're still upset, but I have a competition today and really can’t be with you. How about next time?"

The cloying scent of his shower gel made me turn away in disgust.

Too bad, Alden, there won’t be a next time.

Seeing that I did not respond, he placed a gift box in my hands.

"Look, I got you a present."

I took it absentmindedly, but unlike before, I did not open it with any excitement.

Underneath the box, I felt something rough. When I turned it over, I saw three small words deeply etched into the bottom. [Not for sale]

Just then, Alden’s phone rang. He glanced at me before answering.

"Alden, the necklace you gave me is missing. Is it in the car? Can you bring it to me tonight? Oh, and the 'not for sale' item is so pretty. Elara will definitely love it too, right?"

She intentionally emphasized the words 'not for sale,' and I understood exactly what she meant.

Alden glanced at me, then quickly hung up the phone.

"Elara, Celine’s still so young. Don’t take it to heart, okay?"

I said nothing and turned my gaze away, calm and silent.

A moment later, another photo from Celine arrived.

The beautiful necklace lay atop the engraved words [Not for sale] right beneath her smiling face.

I noted it down again in my journal.

At this point, only one more entry remained.

We soon arrived home, but to my surprise, Alden did not turn around and rush back to Celine as I had expected.

Instead, he carefully helped me into the house.

As I wondered why, he finally spoke, his tone hesitant.

"Can you give me back the gold medal I gave you? Celine’s having surgery soon and she wants a good luck charm."

He had won that gold medal when he first rose to fame.

It was also that same year I agreed to be with him. He told me he would stay by my side forever, just like that medal.

But unfortunately, that promise had long since corroded, only I still remembered it.

I nodded calmly, but Alden frowned.

"Celine just wants everything to go well with the surgery. Please don’t be upset."

I said nothing and simply went inside to retrieve the medal.

"I’m not angry. You can give it to her now along with the necklace."

My tone was so calm that even Alden sensed something was wrong.

He opened his mouth as if to say more, but then Celine’s voice rang out from the phone, impatient and flirtatious.

"Alden, why haven’t you brought me the necklace yet? I’ve already put on the outfit you mentioned, so come quick."

Her voice was full of seduction and Alden’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Then he turned to me and said, "Baby, once Celine’s surgery is over, I’ll give her the medal and I’ll give you a proper wedding this time."

Without waiting for a response, he hurried off to his car and drove away.

I curled my lips and whispered to myself, "There won’t be a wedding."

After Alden left, I touched my belly and began cutting up all the baby things we had prepared.

"Baby, Mommy loves you. But Mommy can’t keep you. Please… come back to me another time."

At the hospital, I turned a corner and saw Celine wrapped in Alden’s arms.

"Celine, we can’t keep this baby. You’re about to have surgery," Alden said, his eyes full of sorrow.

And my heart twisted painfully.

So… Celine was pregnant with his child?

Celine, with tears in her eyes, nestled into Alden’s arms.

The next second, she met my gaze. Seeing me standing in the obstetrics and gynecology department, her eyes filled with resentment and jealousy.

I turned to leave, hesitating for just a moment, only to receive another round of photos from Celine.

She and Alden were tangled together in every corner of our wedding room, even on our wedding bed.

I felt sick to my stomach. My chest throbbed with pain.

Just as I was about to shut off my phone, another message appeared:

[If my baby is going to die, I won’t let you give birth to yours!]

My heart skipped a beat, remembering the hatred in Celine’s eyes just moments ago.

After my examination, I planned to go out and buy a small jar to give my child a resting place.

However, the moment I stepped outside the hospital, a pair of hands suddenly shoved me hard from behind.

I tumbled down a high flight of stairs. My leg broke instantly and sharp pain spread through my belly.

"Alden! Alden, come help me! Elara pushed me! My legs… and my heart… they hurt so much."

Celine’s tearful voice rang out.

Clenching my teeth against the pain, I turned around and saw her looking at me with pure disdain. Then she clung to Alden’s sleeve.

"Alden, it hurts so much. Do you think the baby will be okay? I don’t want to lose it… not yet. My heart hurts so badly."

As she spoke, she began panting heavily.

It was her usual trick and, like always, Alden fell for it.

He glanced at me, frowning. But as soon as Celine mentioned the baby, a flicker of panic crossed his face. He quickly picked her up, then turned to look at me with conflicted eyes.

"Elara, I can explain everything, but you shouldn’t have hurt Celine. You know how fragile she is."

With that, he turned and rushed into the hospital, leaving me behind, bleeding on the ground.

Alone, I dragged myself into the hospital, inch by painful inch.

The second before I lost consciousness, I made a deep mark in my heart.

This was the hundredth time.

Alden, this is finally the end.