After marriage, I devoted my heart entirely to Sean. Even when the robbers demanded my body in exchange for his life, I agreed without hesitation. But I never imagined that Sean would use this moment to stage a kidnapping right before my eyes.

The so-called perfect marriage—nothing but an elaborate lie. The man I thought was my savior turned out to be my executioner. And worst of all, the baby I carried, the child who had already grown inside me, was murdered by his own father.

A single tear slipped silently down my cheek.

Sean walked in at that moment, and his gaze immediately fell on me. He rushed to my side, gently wiping the tear from the corner of my eye. His touch was as tender as ever, but I no longer felt his warmth.

I wanted to open my eyes, but my body felt heavy. Sean, thinking I was in pain, quickly called a nurse. Moments later, the cold sensation of anesthesia spread through my veins.

Just before my world faded to black, I heard his voice—calm, emotionless—giving instructions to the doctor.

"You’ll personally guide me in removing my wife’s uterus later."

"As for the dead fetus… take it out and dispose of it."

I don’t know how long I was unconscious, but when I finally opened my eyes, my body felt weak and heavy.

The first thing I saw was Sean, lying beside my bed, gripping my hand tightly.

The moment he noticed I was awake, his eyes reddened with emotion, and his voice trembled with concern.

"Marie… I’m sorry. If not for saving me, you and the baby wouldn’t have suffered this."

"I’ve already handed those people over to the police, but… the doctor said you were badly injured. They had to remove your uterus…"

"But don’t worry. Even without a child, I will never leave you. I still love you, Marie."

If I hadn’t overheard his words in the operating room, I might have been deeply moved by his devotion.

But now…

Watching him feign affection so effortlessly, I suddenly wanted to laugh.

So this is what love looks like to him—an act, played so convincingly.

He could pretend to love me so easily, yet his heart belonged to someone else.

But I’m done. I want no part of it anymore.

Seeing my silence, Sean assumed the anesthesia hadn’t fully worn off. He gently pulled the blanket over me before hurrying out of the room.

The moment he left, I opened my eyes fully, my gaze falling on the laptop he had carelessly left behind.

A thought sparked in my mind.

I reached for it, unsure why. But when I opened it, my breath caught.

There, in a private folder, was a note labeled: "I will only love Mandy in this life."

I clicked it.

Hundreds—no, thousands—of photos filled the screen. All of them of Mandy… her son, who had just turned one month old.

Each photo was meticulously time-stamped, a total of 9,999 images.

Yet the child I had carried for ten long months—our child—didn’t even have a single posthumous photo.

My gaze landed on one picture.

It was from the day of Mandy’s baby’s full-month celebration. Sean was holding the child tenderly, a protective hand cradling his tiny frame.

And in his other hand, he held a longevity lock.

I recognized it instantly.

It was the pendant Sean had spent nine months crafting, carving late into the night.

Back then, I had foolishly believed he was preparing it for our baby, which he shared in my excitement and anticipation.

But now…

Now, as I looked closer, I saw the truth carved into the metal.

One word.

"Mandy."

At that moment, even though my heart was already shattered beyond repair, I felt another sharp pang of pain.

A tear of bitter self-mockery slipped down my face.

Just then, in the lower right corner of the screen, a notification popped up from an open chat window.

A message.

And in that instant, I knew—this nightmare was far from over.

A message notification popped up—a stranger had sent a video. Moments later, Sean transferred five million yuan without hesitation.

The other party responded: "Don’t worry, Mr. Hoffman. My brothers and I will never mention that you were the one who ordered us to violate your sister-in-law."

"Good. You handled it well. If you ever need anything, reach out to me."

Tears streamed down my face.

So this was the man I had loved for five years—the man who had personally thrown me into hell.

I forced myself to take deep breaths, steadying my shaking fingers before I dared to open the video.

On the screen, the entire horrifying ordeal played out—the nightmare of being violated by those monsters, recorded in excruciating detail.

Back then, I had endured the agony, biting my lips until they bled, believing I was saving Sean’s life.

Now, as I watched, the memories came flooding back, overwhelming me. Every sickening touch, every moment of humiliation, rushed over me like a violent storm, making my entire body tremble.

I couldn’t bear to see any more. I wiped my tears, quickly saved the chat records to my phone via email, and then erased all traces from the laptop.

Sean…

Since you love putting on a show so much, then this time, I’ll act for you.

I picked up my phone and sent a message to an underground agency abroad—one that specialized in faking deaths.

"Three days from now. The top floor of Hoffman Group. He dies on the spot."

—

The next morning, Sean walked into my hospital room with an extravagant breakfast, smiling as if nothing had happened.

But the moment he stepped closer, I caught the lingering scent of gardenias—a fragrance that didn’t belong to me.

The nausea hit instantly. My stomach churned, and I grabbed the bed frame, retching.

Sean rushed to my side, stroking my back with concern. Just as he was about to speak, the door burst open, and his assistant entered in a panic.

"Mr. Hoffman, it’s bad! Someone uploaded the video of your wife’s kidnapping online!"

Sean’s face turned ashen. Without another word, he followed his assistant out, muttering something about handling public relations.

I gave him a calm nod, but as soon as he left, I followed him straight to his office.

The moment I arrived, a call came through his desk phone.

"Mr. Hoffman, we can still remove the trending search in time. We guarantee to wipe the video from every platform."

Sean’s response made my blood run cold.

"No need. I arranged for the video to be posted. What I want you to do now is increase its visibility. Make sure everyone sees it."

There was silence on the other end—stunned hesitation. Then, a quick, obedient response.

Sean hung up, and before I could react, I heard a voice I knew all too well.

"Sean, let’s just forget about this. The baby and I don’t have to be heirs."

"If my sister ever finds out that you ordered this and spread it across the internet, she’ll hate you forever. I don’t want that."

Mandy’s voice was soft, filled with worry.

Sean wrapped his arms around her, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Mandy, I made a promise to Alden before he died—I would take care of you. The entire Hoffman Group is my gift to you and the baby."

"At tomorrow’s press conference, I’ll declare that Marie is no longer fit to be the Hoffman family’s young lady because of this scandal."

"And I’ll also announce that the baby will be registered under my name, ensuring that when he grows up, he can inherit the Hoffman Group without opposition."

Inside the office, Mandy’s eyes filled with emotion at his words.

Meanwhile, outside the door, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice-cold abyss.

My body trembled uncontrollably as I realized the extent of Sean’s cruelty.

Soon, the entire world would see those videos. My humiliation would be eternal.

I staggered back, my fingers accidentally knocking against a trash bin.

The noise startled them.

Sean whipped around and opened the door, his eyes flashing with a momentary panic before he quickly composed himself and strode toward me.

"Marie… what are you doing here?"

"Didn’t the doctor say you weren’t fully recovered? You should be resting in the hospital for a few more days."

Before I could say a word, Mandy stepped out of the office.

The gold pendant engraved with the name "Mandy" still hung around her neck.

"Sister, long time no see."

Mandy—the daughter my stepmother brought with her after my mother passed away.

She had never once called me sister growing up.

This was the first time I had ever seen her act so obediently.

Sensing my thoughts, Sean quickly spoke, his tone laced with urgency, afraid I might misunderstand.

"Marie, don’t overthink this. After Alden’s passing, Mandy has been feeling restless and needed some fresh air."

"I happened to run into her, so I invited her to the company for a cup of coffee."

"I was just about to send her back."

If this had happened in the past, I would have lost my temper and started a fight with Sean.

But now, I swallowed my pain, forcing a smile.

"It doesn’t matter. We’re all family. You should take care of her. Don’t worry—I won’t be upset."

At my words, Sean visibly relaxed, letting out a quiet breath of relief.

I turned to leave, but before I could step away, a group of employees coming downstairs for a meeting caught sight of me.

They whispered among themselves, their words slicing through me like a blade.

"Isn’t that Mr. Hoffman’s wife? Did you see the video? She was raped by more than a dozen men for an entire day and night. No wonder the baby didn’t make it."

"I saw it too. But what I don’t get is—if they wanted money, the Hoffman Group could have given them as much as they wanted."

"If you ask me, maybe she was just looking for excitement and got tangled up with the wrong crowd."

"That sounds about right. What a shame though. Mr. Hoffman’s own wife, reduced to a scandal like this, and now she’s here handling damage control."

Their murmurs echoed in my ears, sharp and merciless, making my body go weak.

I felt myself sway, about to collapse.

But before I could hit the ground, Sean caught me, pulling me into his arms. His voice was laced with fury.

"All of you, listen up—fire every single person who dared to gossip just now!"

"From this moment on, if I hear anyone spreading rumors about my wife, you’ll all be packing your things and leaving!"

Sean rarely loses his temper.

The last time I had seen him this anger was during my pregnancy—when my morning sickness had been so severe that I could barely eat.

He had nearly torn apart the hospital in frustration and even went on a hunger strike with me for three days until he almost passed out.

Back then, I had been deeply moved by his devotion.

But now, watching his veins bulge in anger, I felt nothing.

Because to make room for Mandy and her son,

He orchestrated the destruction of my dignity, had me violated, stripped me of my ability to bear children,

and ensured I would forever be the target of public scorn.

So, who was he putting on this performance for now?

Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I whispered,

"Sean, I’m feeling tired. Take me back to the hospital."

Sean hesitated for a moment before nodding. His eyes were red as he lifted me into his arms.

But as soon as we stepped out of the company doors, a swarm of reporters descended upon us.

Microphones were shoved in my face.

"Mrs. Hoffman, the video of your assault has been circulating online. Do you have anything to say?"

"Mrs. Hoffman, we heard that due to trauma, your baby died in the womb. As a mother, do you think this was avoidable?"

"Mrs. Hoffman, will this incident affect your marriage with Mr. Hoffman? And now that you can no longer conceive, how do you plan to face the future?"

Flashes went off in every direction, the blinding lights making me tremble violently.

Seeing this, Sean immediately removed his suit jacket, wrapping it around me and shielding me from the cameras.

Then, with a firm expression, he turned to the reporters and answered—