Chapter 1

The first thing the billionaire Jasper Price did after going bankrupt was to file for a divorce.

Holly Segal had received the divorce papers earlier on. She knew he only did that to shoulder the debts alone, not wanting to burden her for the rest of her life.

Therefore, instead of signing the papers, she took on over a dozen side jobs. In the day, she toiled away at those jobs, wanting to earn more money like her life depended on it. After work, she'd go around collecting recyclables for hours on end.

It was all to support Jasper during the toughest time of his life.

Even though her body ached all over from the exertion, she'd put on a good front once she returned to their rental apartment.

Knowing the enormous pressure Jasper was under, she eagerly kissed him back when he kissed her as she'd always done. As their clothes were strewn all over the floor, things started to get steamy in that narrow bedroom.

Jasper wrapped his arm around her waist. He was about to shift into another position when his phone rang from the bedside table.

He saw the incoming caller ID, and the desire in his eyes faded into a sense of clarity.

"Holly, I took on an interpreting job. Hold it in for a moment, and don't make a sound. Okay?"

Holly looked in the direction of the ringtone. If she remembered correctly, the number shown on the phone belonged to Tom Ellis, Jasper's assistant. But hadn't he resigned after Price Group declared bankruptcy?

Why would Jasper tell her that it was a call from his side job?

She was still puzzled when Jasper answered the call in Penrinese, "What's up?"

"Mr. Price, I saw Mrs. Price at the hospital today. Seeing how pale she was, I asked around. Then, I found out that for the past month, she'd been doing side jobs, collecting recyclables, and had even sold her blood to the hospital frequently for the money to pay off the debt.

"The doctor said her health may be at risk if she continued selling her blood. Do you think it's better to tell her that you aren't bankrupt and are only pretending to be so?"

Upon hearing that, Jasper frowned. "Who are you to tell me what to do? How am I going to get Holly to agree to the divorce if I don't put on this act?

"Naddy has cancer and doesn't have much time left. Her last wish is to be my wife, so I must marry her. After she passes, I will restore my status and my marriage with Holly. Stop worrying over that."

Tom couldn't help but sigh. "Mr. Price, you know very well that Ms. Fulton forged that cancer report—"

Jasper's tone became cold at his words. He snapped, "Enough!"

Tom didn't want to give up. "Mr. Price, it's been so many years, but you've never stopped thinking about Ms. Fulton. Then, what about Mrs. Price? Who is she to you?"

"I'm just making do with her!"

Suppressing his anger, he ended the call. Holly's heart sank at that sight.

Some time later, she felt someone embracing her.

Jasper kissed her gently on the corners of her lips. "Holly, let's get a divorce."

Holly finally snapped back to her senses. She looked up at him with eyes that were filled with shock and anger. Tears welled up in them as she gazed at the man before her.

She wanted so badly to tell him that she could actually understand Penrinese.

She was confused, and endless questions filled her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to voice them out.

Eventually, she decided not to ask anything. The metallic taste of blood choked her, and with much difficulty, there was only one word she could utter.

"Sure."

Jasper didn't expect her to agree so easily. He was stunned. Still, however shocked he might be, he was even more eager to get it over with.

He immediately got to his feet, went to the wardrobe, and handed her clothes. "The courthouse is still open. We can get the procedures done now."

His eagerness rendered Holly speechless. She got dressed and left with him.

On the way, Holly gazed out the car window at the streets, thinking how ironic everything was.

She met Jasper for the first time at a gathering with her college roommates. One of them, Nadine Fulton, was drunk and phoned Jasper, whom she addressed as her "uncle" to get her.

From the late-night conversations that they had had, all of them knew that Nadine was an orphan. Jasper, who was a family friend to her, was the one who raised her.

But it wasn't until Holly truly set eyes on Jasper that she realized Jasper was only several years older than them and had immensely good looks. He didn't look like a parent at all.

He prepared gifts for all of them for their first meeting and took them back to school. He carried himself with an aloof and elegant demeanor.

All Nadine's roommates took a liking to him, and Holly was no different.

However, Holly knew her place. She didn't badger Nadine for Jasper's contact number like her other roommates because she knew they were from two entirely different worlds. She could never be in a relationship with him.

So, she suppressed her feelings for him and would only gaze at him from afar to ease her yearning whenever he came to pick up Nadine.

In the year of her graduation, Holly secured an opportunity to pursue her studies abroad. Just as she was preparing to leave, Jasper approached her.

He said he needed a wife. He had fallen in love with her at first sight and asked if she'd like to marry him.

Being greatly and pleasantly surprised, Holly could no longer suppress her overwhelming feelings for him. On that day, she went with him to have their marriage registered, all while feeling giddy.

However, Nadine made a huge fuss at their house when she found out.

Crying, she questioned Jasper as to why he'd treat her that way. She'd only confessed her love to him the day before, yet he married someone else right after. She couldn't stop crying and even ruined their home.

Furious, Jasper sent her to Eustania to further her studies. Before Nadine left, all he said to her was, "No one would fall in love with someone who's like a niece to them. I'm a human, not a brute!"

With that, the commotion calmed down. Holly was still overwhelmed with the joy of being able to marry the person she loved and didn't think much about it.

During the two years they'd been married, Jasper had been extremely nice to her, and she poured her love on him. Even when Price Group went bankrupt a month ago, she never left him.

But today, Holly finally learned that the one Jasper had always loved was Nadine.

Perhaps he'd only married her back then so that Nadine could forget about him.

That was why the moment he learned that Nadine had cancer, he eagerly faked his bankruptcy so he could divorce Holly despite knowing the pathology report was a fake. It was all so that he could unleash the pent-up feelings he'd had toward Nadine.

With her hands over her eyes, Holly sobbed. Since Jasper was so desperate to divorce, she'd fulfill his wish.

The divorce procedures didn't take long. After leaving the courthouse, Jasper hailed a taxi. He wasn't aware of Holly's emotions.

"Holly, I've sent someone to move my things out. Wait for me at the rental apartment. I will settle my debts in a month and take you back to our villa. Then, we'll get married again."

As he spoke, he opened the car door. Before getting in, he seemed to remember something else. He stopped to stroke her head.

"We aren't really divorced. In the meantime, don't fall for other men. Do you hear me?"

Holly didn't answer him. In silence, her gaze followed the taxi as it sped off, and she responded to his request in her heart, "No, Jasper. The divorce is real to me, and we'll never get back together."

Chapter 2

After returning home, Holly retrieved a business card from a drawer and called the number on it.

"Emily, I'd like to go to Aldrike and join your interpretation team."

Emily Bane was elated to hear that. "That's great, Holly! A genius like you who's fluent in eight languages should showcase your extraordinary abilities at the international level. When are you coming over? I'll send someone to pick you up."

"I have to get my visa and passport ready. It'll take about two weeks."

"Alright, sure. Contact me when you've settled it all. Welcome to the team!"

After ending the call, Holly felt slightly reassured.

In the year of her graduation, she received an offer from Emily to join her team. She had a bright future ahead of her. However, she canceled her plans to study abroad and turned down Emily's offer because she wanted to marry Jasper.

Everyone else felt sorry for her, but she never regretted her decision. It wasn't until she learned the truth behind Jasper's lies that she had to admit that she had indeed made a wrong call.

However, no one could turn back time. She could only accept the consequences and start anew.

That night, she slept restlessly, flashbacks of the past resurfacing in her dreams.

She saw herself standing on the dorm balcony, staring intently after Jasper's silhouette. She saw herself in her wedding gown, blushing as she put on the ring for Jasper and became his bride.

She also saw herself juggling several jobs, saving up her hard-earned money while looking forward to the day when they overcame the hurdle.

In the end, her flashbacks ended with the image of a divorce certificate.

Tears streamed down her face as she woke up. She looked around at the empty room and slowly came to her senses. Lying on the bed, she took quite a while to regain composure.

Right after a simple breakfast, she received a message from Nadine.

"Holly, I guess you have no idea about the true reason behind your divorce. I'll kindly tell you why. Jasper divorced you because he was too eager to marry me.

"Look at our marriage certificate. Isn't it adorable? I've just received it."

Almost immediately, she sent Holly a photo of her marriage certificate. In the background, Jasper had one arm over Nadine's shoulder. He was smiling and looked pleased.

Holly gazed at his face. Suddenly, she remembered the times when they registered their marriage and had their wedding. Both times, he had never smiled.

She thought it was natural due to his aloof character, but the photo finally woke her up to the fact that she'd been self-deluding all this while.

If Jasper had truly fallen in love with her at first sight, how could he have never felt joyful when he finally married the person he had a crush on for four years?

It was something he never wanted, so how could he even smile?

Holly smiled, and her eyes reddened. She didn't reply to Nadine's message.

…

For the next few days, Holly went out frequently. First, she went to apply for a passport and visa. Then, she quit her side jobs one after another.

Her side job at the bar was the last one she had to quit. She told the manager of her circumstances, and he requested that she finish her work for the day before quitting. She agreed.

She entered a private room and started clearing the wine bottles. It was then that she vaguely heard someone's thunderous voice coming from the bar.

"Mr. Price is paying for everyone here today!"

Soon, Jasper entered the private room surrounded by a group of men.

Someone asked, "Jasper, are you that delighted to marry Nadine? It's good enough that you'd treat us all to a drink. Why did you generously offer to pay for everyone else in the establishment, too?"

Another man answered, "You obviously don't understand a thing! Although Jasper solemnly told Nadine they'd only be married for a month for the sake of fulfilling her wish, marrying her was something he'd secretly always wanted to do all these years!"

"Since you're that happy, why don't you give out the sports cars you recently bought to all of us in celebration, Jasper?"

Jasper showed no signs of dissatisfaction when they teased him. He casually hurled a bunch of keys at them. "Take whichever car you want."

His friends gleefully divided the sports cars among themselves. Clicking their tongues, they continued remarking on the incident.

"I feel like I'm receiving a wedding favor. Jasper, you love Nadine so much. Now that you can finally marry her, won't you consider holding a wedding for her? Didn't you custom-make a wedding gown and ring for her many years ago?"

Someone else remarked, "That's right. You've always doted on her. That's something we all know.

"You'd push aside work matters to accompany her when she had a fever. You'd figure out ways to pressure the men who confessed their love to her to transfer to another school. You'd even secretly fly overseas every week to see her when she was studying abroad.

"Nadine has always dreamed of marrying you since she was a teenager. Now, she even faked a cancer report just so you married her. In turn, you pretended to believe and compromise. If that's the case, why don't you just hold a wedding and go on a honeymoon with her?"

Chapter 3

When Holly heard that, her hand that was holding a wine bottle shuddered.

She had just taken a deep breath when Jasper spoke in a deep voice, "We won't have a wedding. I promised Holly I would remarry her after one month."

His friends' eyes widened in shock. They looked at him in disbelief.

"You're thinking of remarrying Holly? Why would you do that? You finally get to marry Naddy, and it's proof that you've made peace with yourself on that topic. There's no need to concern yourself with Holly anymore. Don't tell me you're actually in love with her."

"Love?" Jasper retorted almost immediately in a flat voice. "I feel nothing of that sort toward her. I want to remarry her so that others won't see Naddy in a bad light. I'm her uncle, and she's my niece. To entertain her for one month is the limit. I can't let her go through further criticism."

His words pricked Holly so much that her heart ached. Feeling choked up, she felt her breathing becoming quick and shallow. She had to leave that place.

However, just as she reached the door, Jasper called out to her, "You there, stop. Turn around."

Thinking that he'd spotted her, Holly froze in shock.

At that instance, all the possible situations that might happen if she did as she was told crossed her mind. She hesitated whether or not she should just leave.

Before she could figure it out, Nadine entered. Their gazes met briefly and parted in silence.

Pretending as though she saw nothing, Nadine walked up to Jasper. "Sweetie, why didn't you tell me you were coming to the bar?"

The way she addressed him brought a frown to Jasper's brow. "I'm your uncle. It's inappropriate for you to address me as such."

However, Nadine didn't care. Acting coquettishly, she flung herself into his arms. "But we're already married, and that means I can call you 'sweetie.' If you aren't used to that, I'll just say it more frequently. Sweetie, sweetie, sweetie…"

Jasper didn't know how to respond to that. He kneaded his temple as he hugged her. "Listen to me, okay? The others are still here. You can call me that when we're at home…"

Seeing how affectionate they were toward each other, Holly knew, as Jasper's ex-wife, she had no right to interfere.

She gave up on the notion to turn around and talk things out with Jasper. Instead, she hugged the tray and strode off.

After working hard that night, she returned home exhausted. She might've worn herself out as she slept almost instantly after taking her bath.

Not fully asleep, she heard a noise coming from the doorway around midnight. She quickly got up.

A short while later, the bedroom light was turned on, and Jasper entered the bedroom drunk as a lord. "Why haven't you gone to bed?"

Holly's fists clenched tighter when she saw it was him again. "We're already divorced."

Jasper hugged her tightly. "Haven't we just gotten married? Naddy, we're husband and wife, and we'll stay that way now and forever."

When she heard Nadine's nickname, Holly realized he'd mistaken her for Nadine.

She struggled to break out of his arms. In an upset tone, she called out, "Jasper Price, take a good look at who you're talking to!"

Jasper's hands closed around hers. His voice was seductive and deep. "You're my wife. You even called me sweetie. Naddy, do you know how happy I was to hear you call me that? Can you say that again?"

Jasper held her tight and smothered her with kisses. For the rest of the night, he murmured sweet nothings to her while calling out Nadine's name.

Holly's aching heart slowly grew numb as the night wore on.

…

At noon the next day, a sudden phone call woke Jasper up with a start.

When he saw Holly, he was clearly surprised. "Holly? What am I doing here?"

Chapter 4

Holly looked up at Jasper with reddened eyes. "You were drunk and came here by mistake."

Jasper rubbed his temples—his head felt heavy. He frowned. "I overdrank yesterday and came here out of habit. Did I say anything while I was drunk?"

Holly was about to speak when his phone rang again. As he answered the call, she said nothing else and entered the restroom.

She had just squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush when Jasper suddenly pulled her out. He briskly headed to the roadside and hailed a taxi.

Holly only realized what was happening after the car door was locked. "Where are you taking me?"

"Holly, Naddy has been in an accident and urgently needs 30 ounces of blood. You both have the same rare blood type. You're the only one who can save her!"

Seeing how anxious he was, Holly fell silent. 30 ounces… Taking that amount of blood from her could easily cost her her life.

However, that didn't bother Jasper at all as long as he could save Nadine.

Holly knew that even if she didn't give her consent, he would go to extreme measures just to save Nadine. In the end, he would still force her into donating her blood. Her eyes reddened.

"I can donate my blood to her, but I want 100 million dollars in return for that amount of blood."

Jasper was stunned. During their two years of marriage, Holly had never asked him for anything.

When he'd been pretending to be bankrupt, she'd even worked as hard as she could to help him pay off his debts. That was why he didn't know how to react when she suddenly made such a request.

However, Nadine's life was on the line. Unable to think it through, he replied, "Sure. I'll write you an IOU. When I bounce back, I'll wire you the money."

Even under such circumstances, he remembered to keep up his bankruptcy act. Holly laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

She shook her head. "I want it now."

Stunned, Jasper quickly dialed a number and said something into the phone. Soon, Holly received 100 million dollars.

Her lips curled up into a smile. "Did you borrow it from someone in the same circle?"

Jasper went along with that excuse. "Yes, I did. Will you donate your blood to Naddy now?"

Holly nodded. "Sure."

Her odd attitude aroused suspicions in Jasper.

Even though he was never bothered about her, he knew she'd secretly had a crush on him for a long time. After they got married, she was head over heels in love with him. She even sold her blood to help him repay his debts when he pretended to be bankrupt.

Why would someone who loved him so deeply suddenly request remuneration?

As a seasoned businessman, Jasper naturally sensed that something was off. He was just about to probe further when the taxi stopped before the hospital.

At the same time, the hospital called again, urging him to hurry. Flustered, he didn't have the leniency to pursue the topic further.

Holly had lost track of the number of times she'd been at the hospital that month.

Previously, she sold her blood to help Jasper repay his debts. She had sold 30 ounces of blood and only received ten thousand dollars. But now, she received a staggering 100 million dollars for the same amount.

And the person who gave her that money was the same person she had wanted to give the ten thousand dollars to.

How ironic.

She watched the needle as it pierced her skin. Then, she closed her eyes. As crimson blood flowed through the tube into the blood bag, her complexion paled indefinitely.

After the targeted amount was achieved, Holly felt dizzy, and her mind became fuzzy. She scrambled to her feet, wanting to leave. Suddenly, someone barged in.

"Mr. Price, the operation theater sent word that those five bags weren't enough. They need one more!"

The next second, Holly was pressed back onto the seat.

Jasper ordered, "Then, get them what they need!"

The nurse hesitated. "But the donor would die if we were to draw too much blood from her."

"Then, let her die. Naddy's well-being is my only concern!"

Chapter 5

At that moment, Holly was dumbfounded.

A couple, once married, should share a special connection. However, although their marriage lasted for two years, Jasper disregarded her life like it was nothing.

She wanted to fight back, but Jasper held her down with a firm grip. Unable to resist, she fell into a hazy state of mind and eventually fell unconscious.

When Holly opened her eyes, she was lying on a hospital bed. She didn't think she'd still be alive. After all, the moment she blacked out, she'd even had flashbacks of her life, like someone on her deathbed.

And she wasn't totally wrong about that. When the nurse saw that she had regained consciousness, she let out a long breath of relief.

"Thank goodness! Are you finally awake? How are you feeling? Do you feel any discomfort? You donated a total of 40 ounces of blood and almost lost your life. If you feel something is wrong, you must tell me."

All Holly felt was a deep sense of exhaustion. She shook her head. "I'm fine."

She stayed in the hospital for three days. Jasper never visited, not even once. Nadine was the only one who texted her every day, showing off nonstop.

She flaunted the expensive jewelry Jasper bought her. She sent Holly videos of Jasper feeding her medicine and massaging her legs. She sent her photos of her and Jasper's hands, fingers intertwined, as they slept together.

Holly read each and every one of her messages. Her heart pounded, but it no longer ached. It seemed she was about to move on.

On the day she was discharged from the hospital, she took care of the discharge procedures on her own.

She had just reached home when she received a gathering invitation from her friend. Thinking that she might never come back after going abroad, she wanted to bid them farewell. So, she agreed to attend.

In the evening, when she arrived at the clubhouse, she realized there were more attendees than she'd expected. Her close friends, coursemates, roommates, and even lecturers from her college days were there.

And the one at the center of attention was none other than Nadine.

The moment her gaze fell on Nadine, Holly instantly knew Nadine was the one who organized the gathering.

It was true. Not knowing all that had happened between her and Nadine, her friends led her in as they explained, "Holly, Naddy organized this gathering and invited many of our old friends, so I hit you up."

Holly wouldn't want to spoil the mood before all those people, so she sat in a corner.

Nadine approached her with a smug look and a glass of wine in her hand. "Aunt… Oh, no! I forgot you and Jasper are divorced. Holly, look at you. We've been roommates for four years, yet you didn't tell me when you got a divorce.

"I could've helped you put in a word with Jasper so he'd have given you some compensation. You wouldn't have to work so hard then. I heard you took up more than a dozen side jobs every week and even had to sell your blood."

Her words fell like a bombshell. Everyone in the room perked up their ears and looked at Holly in disbelief.

Those who didn't like Holly started snickering and speaking in a sarcastic tone.

"She was dumped after only two years? I told you beggars wouldn't become princesses no matter how hard they tried to."

"The Price family would still have some assets left even if they had gone bankrupt. They must have seen through that materialistic woman and kicked her out without giving her a single penny."

"She'd always boasted about her wits and even said she'd further her studies abroad to be an interpreter. Turns out she's just a bringer of misfortune! She ends up washing dishes and delivering takeouts every day. She won't have a chance to use those eight languages she's fluent in at all!"

Holly remained silent as they blatantly mocked and ridiculed her.

She stopped her friends who wished to stand up for her. Leading them to the restroom, she told them in private that she was going abroad.

Her friends were happy for her and wished her well.

When they returned to the private room, everyone's attention was now on Nadine.

"Naddy, your ring is gorgeous. How much does it cost? You have it on your ring finger, so does that mean you're married? Who's your husband?"

Nadine raised her hand and gracefully showed it to everyone. "It cost a few billion dollars, I think. I didn't ask my husband its exact price.

"Anyway, he custom-made this wedding ring for me eight years ago when he went to Eustania. He designed it himself. He also picked this diamond personally. It's one of its kind."

Admiration glowed in everyone's eyes. They were deeply moved.

"Oh, dear! Is it that expensive? Naddy, when's the wedding? Your husband loves you dearly. I believe your wedding will be truly grand."

"He prepared my wedding gown and ring himself, so I don't have to bother about those. As for the wedding, I'm thinking of holding a private one and inviting only my family and close friends. I may not be able to invite all of you, but I will send you all wedding favors timely."

As Nadine boasted, she glanced at Holly with a meaningful smile. She continued, "Still, I need one more bridesmaid. Holly, could you attend my wedding as my bridesmaid? Jasper will be there."

Holly knew she said that on purpose. Looking down, she calmed herself down. Then, in a composed manner, she said, "Congratulations, but I'm quite busy. I won't be attending your wedding."

Right after she said that, the door to the private room opened.

Jasper looked around with a stern gaze. "What wedding?"