However, when Nova's menstrual blood leaked onto his car, Mason did not complain at all. This made me feel uneasy.

After he locked me in the car, I scrubbed the front and back seats over and over with wet wipes. Only when I was completely exhausted did I realize the doors had been locked from the outside and there was no ventilation.

Just before I passed out from suffocation, the butler found me and rushed me to the hospital.

Because of that incident, I forgot to wish Mason a happy birthday. To retaliate, he gave me the cold shoulder for seven full days and the apology texts I sent him were all marked “read,” but he never replied.

At this moment, he was holding Nova as they attended my art exhibition, but he projected everything onto the screen and started a live stream.

"Mason, can we talk?” I asked. “I wasn’t intentionally late that day. Will you forgive me if I wear your favorite outfit for you?”

Just as I was about to make a name for myself through my artworks, Mason released my pleading texts to the public.

In a matter of seconds, I went from being praised as a genius artist by countless media outlets to being mocked online as nothing more than a sycophant, lovesick fool.

As the viewer count on his livestream kept on soaring, my heart was crushed by this.

I just closed my eyes wearily for a moment, wishing to escape this farce, when a harsh curse echoed from the entrance of the exhibition hall.

“Emily, you ungrateful traitor! What's the point of holding this worthless exhibition and making money, but you won't buy your brother a wedding house?”  

“I must’ve done something evil in my past life to give birth to you!” my mother wailed. "What a heartless daughter! I only asked a little! It's just seventy-five thousand dollars. Why won't you give it to me?”

My mother, Madeline Wood, her face twisted with malice, roared as she charged toward me. Then she raised her hand and slapped me.  

Since I was caught off guard, I was struck so hard that my vision went black. I instinctively grabbed the table beside me, but Nova yanked the table back in a flash.

Off balance, I lurched backward, stumbled and crashed into a champagne tower over two meters high behind me.

Dozens of glasses and champagne bottles came crashing down on me and soaked my white dress in alcohol. I was in a complete mess.

I lifted my eyes and glared at Nova.

She immediately pouted and looked dejected as she burrowed into Mason's embrace. She said pitifully, "Mason, she fell on her own! Why is she glaring at me…? Sob, sob… She’s so scary …. Mason. protect me, please…”

Mason wrapped his arms around Nova and looked at me with disgust.

Seeing this, pain pierced my heart. The moment I was about to speak … a flood of comments rolled across the screen.

[What are you waiting for, female lead? Just apologize to the male lead now and he'll handle the female supporting character and your mom for you!]

[Speak up, female lead, please! The male lead revealed your location on purpose so your mom could find you! Beg him, don't let him down!]

[Come on, this is the perfect moment. Female lead …. Please, say something!]

So, Mason was the one who brought my mother here, huh?

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh as I read the comments.

Mason knew full well that I hated Madeline and every time I had nightmares about her, I would tremble uncontrollably and yet, he still brought her here just to hurt me.

Did he ever really love me?

Seeing that no one would protect me, Madeline picked up a shard of broken glass and jabbed it straight into my shoulder.

"Emily, give me the money now!" she shrieked. "If Caleb can’t find a wife and the Young Senior's family dies out, you can rot in hell!”  

Seeing blood kept pouring from my shoulder, Mason furrowed her brows slightly and raised his hand to stop her.

However, when Nova let out a soft whimper, Mason's attention immediately snapped back to her.

"Mason, she is so dirty …. I can’t stand the sight of blood… Can we go home, please?” she sobbed.

“Alright,” Mason did not say anything more after that. He simply scooped her up in his arms and walked away.

The comments reminded me.

[Female lead, stop the male lead! He's deliberately being affectionate with the female supporting character to provoke you. Can't you see that?]

[Female lead, all you have to do is beg him and he'll immediately dump Nova and comfort you! Hurry up and beg him!]

We’d known each other for seven years and every time we fought, I was always the one who apologized first. But this time … I was truly exhausted.

Since I refused to give Madeline any money, she spat a thick glob of phlegm on my face, ripped off my jade earrings and walked away.

As a result, my earlobe was torn open and my white dress was covered in blood.

Eventually, I managed to drag my exhausted body back home. But before I could even open the door, I heard wild laughter coming from inside.

"Mason, you embarrassed your wife in front of so many people today. Aren’t you afraid she’ll divorce you?”

Mason was leaning against the sofa, playing with his phone without saying a word. Meanwhile, Nova was leaning weakly in his arms. She said mockingly, "Emily had no friends and family. Without you, Mason, she’s like a stray dog with nowhere to go. Forget about divorce ... she doesn't have the guts to get mad."

Nova's words put Mason in a good mood and he smiled carelessly.

Amidst the crowd’s cheers, he sent me a message.  

[Emily, you missed my birthday and I ruined your exhibit, so we’re even now. Bring me my favorite wine in thirty minutes and I’ll let you stay as Mrs. Lawson.]

He slapped me with one hand and offered a sweet treat with the other.  Mason treated me like training a dog, alternating between hot and cold toward me.

I stared down at my phone and in my reflexes, I typed, [Okay.]

In that instant, a burst of laughter exploded from inside the house.

“Mason, you’re amazing! But just asking her to bring wine is too easy. How about making her wear black stockings to cheer you up?” Someone suggested with ill intention.

Mason hesitated for a moment before sending me a screenshot of a maid outfit and texted, [Emily, wear this outfit, or don't even think about coming into the house.]

Since I wanted to see how far he would go, while swallowing the bitterness in my mouth, I replied, [Okay].

As soon as the message was sent, the jeering sound in the room nearly shattered the ceiling.

Mason, who was surrounded by the crowd, was laughing triumphantly. At the height of the festive atmosphere, Nova casually spoke up, "Emily is so obedient …. Is it because Mason is the only man she’s ever had?”

“Maybe if she slept with someone else, we’d know whether she truly loves Mason or not," she added.

As soon as she said that, someone immediately chimed in, "Nova is right. Why don’t you ask Emily, Mason? Asks if she’s willing to spend a night with someone else for you, okay?”

The moment the words were spoken, all the men present gleamed with anticipation. They hoped that Mason would choose them next. The condition was beyond disgusting.

I was so sure Mason would reject it, but he did not even hesitate when he sent me a message.

[Emily, Leon Anders just broke up and can't bear being without a woman by his side. Spend the night with him, okay?]

***

My hand instinctively moved to my slightly rounded belly. After being utterly disappointed in Mason, the well-being of my child started to gnaw on my mind.

What kind of father could Mason be? He doesn't deserve to be a husband or a father!

I turned off my phone and turned to leave. However, Nova had already spotted me through the door. She walked over quickly and flung open the door.

“Mason, Emily seems not to have seen the message. Why don’t you tell her in person?” she asked.

When Mason saw the blood-drained look on my face, he froze for a split second, but he did not want to disappoint Nova. So, he grabbed my wrist and shoved me into Leo’s arms

"Emily," he said. "Leon wants you to spend the night with him. You’re not going to say no, are you?”

[The male lead gave her a way out! I knew it! The deeply affectionate male lead will never give up!]

[The female lead, refuse him quickly! He's trying to keep you around! Don't be so stubborn!]

Leon had a particular habit that made women avoid him like the plague. As soon as I approached him, Leon couldn't resist touching the belt at his waist. So, if I spent the night with him, I would be battered and bruised after that.

And yet … the moment my eyes met Mason's, I kept my smile and said, "I agree."

Upon hearing this, Leon whistled, immediately wrapped his arm around my waist and prepared to take me away.

The comments section in front of me erupted once more.

[What the heck are you doing, Female lead? Can’t you see the male lead is testing you?]

[Female lead, stop it already! If you turn around and kiss the male lead, he’ll give you his life in a flash! Not only that, he won't let Leon touch you!]

I ignored their comment and quickened my pace.

Just as I was about to step out of the villa, Mason’s icy voice rang out behind me, "Emily, I, Mason, don't accept a slut. After you sleep with Leon, we'll meet at the City Hall right away!"

We had known each other for years and this was not the first time Mason had threatened me with the word "divorce".

Mason knew that because my biological parents didn’t love me, I cherished the love he gave me. So, every time he mentioned divorce, I would suffer inner turmoil and insomnia, constantly apologizing until I earned his forgiveness.  

However, this time, when Mason said divorce, I placed my hand over my heart …  not a flicker of sorrow there. There was only a sense of relief that things had finally come to this point.

So … divorce? Absolutely!

After all, the man that I had loved for seven years still could not love me back. So, wasn't divorce the only answer?

I turned around and gave Mason a look before smiling nonchalantly, then said calmly, "Alright then ….  See you tomorrow morning at the City Hall's entrance."

Mason's pupil suddenly contracted and a sudden unease gripped his chest. He felt as if something was about to leave him forever and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Emily …." His mouth moved, as if he wanted to say more.

However, the next second, Nova suddenly clung tightly to his arm and said loudly, “Mason, Emily's tactic of pretending hard to get is so low level!"

“If she divorces you, who else would want her?” Then she added, "She's just bluffing!"

The fleeting panic in Mason’s eyes vanished in a flash like a burst soap bubble without any trace and it was replaced with deep contempt and the irritation of being humiliated in public.

“Emily, did you hear what Nova said?”  he asked.

“Don't use such trashy tactics because I'm not falling for your tricks!”  

I didn't bother to argue with him. I was being led by Leon into the car, ready to turn around and leave when ….

Dozens of wedding photos of me and Mason fluttered out from the second-floor windows of the villa into the air. They were flung out one by one by Nova, after Mason handed them to her one after another.

The scene was too much for me, so I turned my head away.

However, the next second, my underwear landed directly in the convertible.

Since childhood, I was always the curvy one and I have always been conscious of the lewd looks others threw at me.

Yet, Nova picked up my underwear and held it up for everyone to see, then hung it on a flower pot.

"Emily, is this thing underwear or a tea cozy?" She added, "You're so curvy, it’s a shame you’re not working on a dairy farm.”

I looked at Mason, who was letting her be rude toward me and felt a wave of nausea.

It’s hard to believe that he was the same man who once sincerely proposed to me and swore on heaven that I would be the only woman in his life.  

He said I would be his one and only, his first and last woman.  

And this… this was how he protected the woman he claimed to love?

Leaning over the car window, I couldn’t help but double over and vomit.