"Miss Shelton, are you certain you wish to return to Milan for your studies and divorce Mr. Ryan Fulmer?"

I nodded without hesitation, yet a mocking smile touched my lips.

In three years of marriage, he touched me only once on our wedding night. After that, even brushing against a strand of my hair filled him with disgust. He said, "Since you married a heartless and loveless man, you have to bear the consequences."

I believed him, until another woman appeared and he tasted the sweetness of love for the first time.

I even overheard them flirting once. "Could you assign me that nanny you married as my assistant?" she asked him.

Hearing it, Ryan chuckled with indulgence. "As long as you like it, even making her your slave is fine. She's best at serving people anyway."

For this decade of loving Ryan Fulmer, I gave up my chance to study abroad and paid with my father's life, all to finally become his wife. Yet I was merely a joke to him.

Since that was the case, I would grant him his freedom. I immediately called my mother. "Mom, please help me apply to study abroad."

***

"You want to climb into my bed and make me fall for you? Wake up."

Those words were like knives slowly tearing at my heart. I clenched the hem of my clothes tightly, letting out a bitter laugh.

I knew this would happen before I married him, so why did my heart still ache so much? For a moment, I regretted loving such a heartless and loveless person.

On the day I got married, my neighbors openly showed their disdain and hurled abuse, while my mother nearly cried herself blind. Nevertheless, I chose to marry Ryan without hesitation.

But because he was inherently heartless and loveless, I got warned on our wedding night. He told me, "Our marriage is only an arrangement by our parents. From now on, whatever I do, you have no right to interfere."

Not only that, over the next three years, I was treated like I didn't exist at all.

Messages I sent him always went unanswered. When I had a full-body allergic reaction and foamed at the mouth, he simply walked past. Even after I shielded him from a rival's knife, bleeding profusely from my abdomen and suffering a miscarriage, all I got was his indifference. He ignored my feelings and refused to touch me.

Ryan played the character of the unfeeling, heartless man to the extreme; as a result, I broke down. In deep agony, I desperately sought a reason, but was met with mockery.

"You know better than I why I married you back then. This is the last time. Don't ever play the victim with me again."

With that, he disgustedly shook off my hand as he coldly warned me.

Suddenly, the villa door swung open. A woman briskly walked to Ryan's side, linked her arm with his and whispered something.

He nodded repeatedly and even affectionately pinched her nose, showing not a trace of displeasure.

My whole body trembled as I stared at the two of them in disbelief. Was this still my husband, Ryan Fulmer, the man known for being heartless and keeping me at a distance?

I remembered that he only made love to me once since our marriage and never shared a bed with me again.

Later, after three years of marriage, I couldn't even recall the exact location of the mole on his collarbone. Meanwhile, the woman before me skillfully lifted his collar and bit his neck.

It turned out his heartlessness had exceptions, too.

After a moment of flirting, the woman seemed to notice me out of the corner of her eye. "Is this the nanny you married?"

Ryan seemed to find me an eyesore, wrapping his arm around her to leave. Unexpectedly, the woman affectionately grabbed my hand, smiling innocently. "It's so lonely leaving her alone in the villa. Ryan, could you assign her to me as an assistant?"

My husband chuckled indulgently. "As long as you like it, even making her your maid is fine."

I unclenched my palm, which was raw and bleeding from being dug by my fingernails and forced a smile. "Didn't you say you wouldn't fall in love with anyone? Why … "

"Bodyguard, tie her to the car," Ryan cut me off and continued walking forward with the woman in his embrace.

When I was thrown into the back seat, I slammed heavily against the car window and a hanging ornament cut my forehead. A rush of bitter resentment welled up in my heart, but then a bandage suddenly appeared in front of me.

"My little dog got hurt earlier and Mr. Fulmer helped buy this," that woman said, then extended her hand to me in a friendly manner. "Hello, I am Annie Whitmore."

Seeing that I hadn't responded, Annie continued to smile happily. "You probably don't know this, but not only is my studio equipped with the best art supplies in the world, but also because I'm holding an art exhibition, Mr. Fulmer specially brought in experts from all over the world to support me."

"However, compared to all that, I envy you more, Miss Shelton. You occupy a position that no one else can steal."

I lowered my gaze, lifting the corners of my mouth in a self-mocking smile. "Is that so?"

It seemed that loving Ryan had long become something carved into my bones.

When I was little, I didn't understand anything; all I knew was chasing after him all day long. As I grew up, I even gave up my opportunity to study art abroad for him, even though he was naturally cold and indifferent to everyone.

Still, I never gave up. I believed that I could melt the ice and so I stayed by his side year after year.

Over the years of our marriage, I've been injured countless times. Yet no matter how deep the wound, Ryan never once cared about my pain. Even when my life hung by a thread, he showed not a trace of concern. Instead, he fawns over Annie's dog.

After marrying him, I wanted to continue my art studies, only to be mocked for dreaming.

Whenever this happened, I would always console myself, thinking he was a heartless, loveless person and treated everyone this way. But now, reality had slapped me hard in the face. I suddenly felt that my dream was far more important than my marriage.

By the end of her words, Annie lifted her innocent and adorable face as she smiled at me. "Do you think Mr. Fulmer really likes me?"

I snapped out of my reverie and politely agreed. At that same time, Ryan, in the driver's seat, glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

Once we arrived at the art exhibition, I immediately excused myself to use the restroom and called my mother. "Mom, please help me apply to study abroad."

My mother was somewhat surprised. "Honey, why do you suddenly want to study abroad?"

My nose stung with holdback tears.

Back then, giving up studying abroad to marry Ryan was the one thing my mother opposed the most. We'd even had a huge fight over it. That's why I drowned in regret.

I sniffed back tears. "It's just that I realize now you were absolutely right back then."

After exchanging a few more words, I returned to the event. Reporters swarmed around the couple, snapping photos frantically as flattering whispers filled the air.

"A business tycoon versus an innocent art muse, they look made for each other!"

"Mr. Fulmer has remained unmarried all this time, probably reserving the position of wife for Miss Whitmore!"

I forgot that no one knew that Ryan and I were married. The outside world simply assumed the head of the Fulmer Corporation had never taken a wife and that the position was being held in reserve for his true love, Annie Whitmore.

My heart slowly tightened and I forced myself not to shed tears. Even though I was telling myself to let go just a second ago, my chest was now filled with bitterness once more.

After Annie finished her interview, she handed me everything she was holding, rubbing her wrists. "These things are so heavy, could you please help me carry them? And remember to buy me a bottle of water too."

I took a deep breath, but when I turned back, my eyes accidentally caught one of Annie's paintings.

Although it was her work, I could tell the artistic approach was exactly the same as the mentor who taught me to paint years ago. Wasn't this plagiarism?

My heart raced and the water cup in my hand slipped, shattering on the floor. A staff member shoved me, saying, "How can an assistant like you do your job? What if you ruin Miss Whitmore's painting?"

"I'm sorry." I frantically gathered the shards when a startled gasp erupted nearby.

"Look! Annie's painting has been exposed online as plagiarism!"

As a commotion broke out among the crowd, I was jostled back and forth. Losing my balance, I ended up kneeling on the broken glass and tears streamed down my face from the pain.

Even then, Ryan only focused entirely on Annie, his brow furrowing as he gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. "It's okay. I'm here."

Sensing the shift in momentum, the reporters immediately turned their cameras toward them, closing in step by step.

Ryan wrapped his hands around Annie, then spoke with a resounding voice.

"I pledge the integrity of the Fulmer Corporation to guarantee Miss Whitmore's innocence. This incident is nothing but a fabrication and we will pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading these rumors."

I stared blankly at the wound on my knee.

There was a time when Ryan left important, confidential documents at home. Even though I had a high fever, I dragged myself out to deliver them to him, only to be drugged and knocked unconscious halfway there.

When I woke up, my clothes were disheveled and my body was covered in hickeys.

Because of this, Ryan flew into a rage and punished me by making me kneel on the tile floor for three days and three nights. Furthermore, he forced me to recall the details of the rape and even sent people to collect evidence from my body. Throughout the entire ordeal, he never once asked if I was afraid or in pain.

I had always thought he was simply cold-hearted and accustomed to being loveless, with only profit in his eyes. It never occurred to me that he, too, could feel heartache for someone.

The art exhibition ended abruptly and I was dragged back to the villa.

Before the wound on my knee could even begin to heal, Ryan had his men pin me to the ground again. The leftover glass shards dug deep into my flesh, causing me to scream in agony.

"Didn't I tell you not to interfere in my affairs?" he demanded.

"It wasn't me!"" I bit my lip and looked up, stubbornly glaring at him."

Ryan merely let out a cold scoff. Immediately, the bodyguard beside him took the cue and grabbed my head, slamming it against the ground.

"It doesn't matter if you don't apologize. I'll have someone apologize on your behalf."

Annie's eyes welled up with tears and she blinked her innocent eyes repeatedly. "Miss Shelton, just hurry up and admit it. I'll beg Mr. Fulmer for mercy and ask him to go easy on you!"

I felt the world spinning violently, as if my brain were about to be churned to pieces. Even so, I suppressed the nauseating turmoil in my stomach and shouted hoarsely, "I'll say it one more time. It wasn't me. I won't admit it!"

Annie's sobs grew heavier as she whimpered, "I'm begging you, Miss Shelton. Whatever grievance you have against me, I can apologize for it. I just hope you'll stop targeting me, alright?"

As she spoke, Annie dropped to her knees with a thud, yet her eyes shone with stubborn tears. She looked exactly like a picture of utter resilience.

At the same time, my nausea intensified and I finally vomited on the floor.

Almost instantly, Ryan pulled Annie into his embrace. He shielded her, while staring at me with utter disgust. "You're married into the Fulmers now. Can't you show some dignity?"

Annie cried, her face streaked with tears. "My dress … My mom sewed it for me herself."

Ryan hurriedly kissed her forehead, patiently coaxing her in a low voice. "It's alright, Annie, I'll buy you whatever you want later, okay?"

Soon, a spasm wracked my stomach and I collapsed uncontrollably to the floor.

My heart was filled with nothing but regret and sorrow. After loving Ryan for so many years, I had finally reached the point where I could no longer love him anymore.

Ryan's gaze was like daggers aimed at me.

Without warning, the bodyguard suddenly stepped on my finger.

That's when I finally showed fear. "Ryan, what are you doing!" I screamed.

"Apologize," Ryan repeated that word, his voice cold and threatening. "If you don't apologize in a minute, I'll break one of your fingers. Now, you have ten minutes."

My face turned pale and my lips trembled uncontrollably. He knew better than anyone how dazzling I was in the art world because of these hands. How could he destroy the very hands he used to be so proud of?

"Ryan, you're a lunatic!" I could no longer restrain myself and roared in fury.

If I had another chance, I would rather never have met him.

Then, the housekeeper walked over cautiously and said, "Mr. Fulmer, your father just called. They said to come over for dinner tonight."