Chapter 1

My fiance, Jeremy Anderson, and I had been together for ten years. We were the perfect couple in everyone's eyes.

I once took 99 bullets for him while shielding him from an enemy, and he gave me one of his kidneys to save my life.

I had promised him in tears, saying, "In this life, I'll repay you with 99 favors."

On the eve of our wedding, we agreed to climb the snowy Sheris Heights. But an avalanche struck, and we had no choice but to take shelter in a local farmer's home.

His first love, the expedition leader, was injured while saving him. Somehow, she had swallowed an aphrodisiac, mistaking it for painkillers.

My always traditional, seemingly pure fiance hadn't hesitated. Jeremy stripped off his clothes, intending to relieve her discomfort.

While everyone waited for me to lose my mind, I merely walked away calmly. I owed Jeremy three more favors, then we would be even.

Once that was done, it was time for me to return home and take over the mafia.

…

Tara Brooks flung Jeremy's boxers into my face before slamming the door shut. The thin wooden panel did nothing to block out the sounds of their moans.

My cheeks burned.

One of the fellow hikers shot me a sly look and sneered. "I didn't think you were this magnanimous, Ms. Graves. I can't believe you're willingly sharing your fiance. How about we have some fun too…"

At that, the rage I had been bottling up finally exploded. I lunged forward and landed a heavy punch square on his face.

Just as I was about to unleash more of my fury, Jeremy stopped me. As he dragged me hastily toward the room, his expression was filled with nothing but worry for Tara.

"Tara told me to lose my virginity to you before helping her with her condition. That'll do, won't it? I won't be breaking our promise to save our first night for each other."

I laughed in disbelief.

Jeremy froze before turning to glare at me, annoyance darkening his expression.

"Vera Graves, if you hadn't insisted on making such a big deal about our first time, I wouldn't have had to come up with this! Tara was being considerate of your feelings, yet you're so ungrateful!"

Tara's tone was apologetic, but the gleam of triumph in her eyes was unmistakable.

"I'm sorry, Vera… I don't want this either, but there's no better way now. The drug's taking effect… Forgive me."

With that, she tiptoed and kissed Jeremy right in front of me. The passion between them ignited instantly as they clung to each other with shameless abandon.

Their gasps and pants filled the air behind me as I turned and walked away numbly.

I could feel the crowd's gaze on me—some with pity, others with ridicule. My fists were clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. It was painful, but I hardly noticed.

It was half an hour later that Jeremy finally emerged. Even though I had steeled myself, the sight of him covered in marks of passion still sent a sharp pang through my chest.

Jeremy looked down at me. His voice was hoarse when he said, "Tara used up her oxygen. Give her your tank first. The drug's effect hasn't worn off much yet. She still needs my help. Surely you can understand?"

At once, all eyes turned to me. Laughter rippled through the crowd, and the dull ache in my chest sharpened into a stabbing pain I could no longer ignore.

My voice came out hoarse. "Jeremy, would this count as a favor?"

He rubbed his temples, looking impatient. He clearly didn't want to agree, but hearing Tara's ragged breathing behind him made him go pale with panic.

"Fine!"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I handed him the last oxygen tank. I watched him rush back to Tara's side, and my world went hazy.

There was a time when Jeremy always put me first, just like he was doing with Tara now.

I was the heir of the mafia, but I was born with a heart defect. Amid bloody power struggles, I had been hunted down and was gravely injured when I stumbled into Jeremy's house.

To save me, Jeremy had drained his own blood to replace mine. In return, I had promised him 99 favors.

Before his first love returned, Jeremy had only asked for two favors. One was that I become his girlfriend, and the other was that I marry him.

But the moment Tara came back, everything changed. He began breaking his principles for her, hurting me and humiliating me whenever he pleased.

But what Jeremy didn't realize was that with two favors left, my debt to him will soon be repaid in full.

Chapter 2

By the time the rescue team arrived, my face was already turning blue from the lack of air. I curled up in agony.

It was only then that Jeremy noticed me. I could smell Tara on him as he pulled me into his arms.

"Vera, what's wrong? You—"

The nauseating stench of mingled fluids filled my nose. My stomach churned violently, and I instinctively shoved him away.

Jeremy's expression froze before twisting into a scowl.

"Vera Graves! It's just sex. What's with your attitude? Tara already said you should go first. You were the one who refused! You have no right to be mad at me."

My heart twisted in pain, and a broken laugh forced its way up my throat.

"You're right. I have no right." The words had barely left my lips when I felt a hot stream trickle from my nose.

"I told you. I'm only doing this to help Tara, you… Vera? Vera!" Jeremy's panicked voice echoed dimly as the world spun around me. My vision went black, and I collapsed.

…

I was jolted awake by a sharp slap across my face. When I opened my eyes, Jeremy hurled his phone at my face in a fit of rage.

"Vera, how could you be so petty?"

The force of the impact nearly made stars dance before my eyes. Fighting through the stabbing ache in my chest, I forced myself to look up at him.

Jeremy's brows were furrowed as he shouted furiously, "Were you the one who spread those posts online? Do you know Tara has lost her job because of you?"

My gaze dropped to the glowing screen, where headline after headline flooded his notifications.

"Scandal on Sheris Heights: Fiancee Betrayed in Public—A True Emergency or Cold Reality?"

"Man Sleeps With Another Woman Even as Fiancee Collapses on Sheris Heights."

Jeremy seized my arm and yanked me off the bed.

"Let's go. You'll apologize to Tara at our wedding. You'll set the record straight in front of everyone and tell them it's not like those tabloids made it out to be!"

I tore my arm free, a mocking smile tugging at my lips. "Apologize? What for? I wasn't the one who posted those things! Besides, isn't it the truth?"

Jeremy turned back and landed another slap across my face. He shook out his stinging hand and sneered.

"That's enough! What's the big deal if I lost my virginity to Tara? We're not married yet. I can give it to whoever I want! And so what if we made a promise? Can you honestly say you've kept every single one of yours?"

I said nothing. I only looked at him, long and hard. Over the years, I had kept every promise I ever made to him. How could he even say that?

The sight of my anguish seemed to jolt Jeremy back to himself. Realizing what he just said, he pulled me into his arms and tried to explain.

"Vera, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that… Please, help Tara. Think of it as helping me too. You don't want to see me despised by everyone, do you?"

Jeremy was about to continue pleading when I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat and cut him off calmly.

"Fine, I'll do it."

He hadn't expected me to agree so easily. Stunned, he stared at me for a moment before breaking out in delight.

Phone already in hand, he made a call to Tara as he left my ward, not once asking about my injuries. But I no longer cared. After this, I only owed him one last favor.

I rushed to the wedding venue, only to find the entrance already swarming with reporters who had caught wind of the scandal. The place was packed so tightly it was almost impossible to squeeze through.

The moment I appeared, every camera and microphone swung toward me in unison.

"Ms. Graves, is what they're saying online about your fiance true?"

"Why didn't you stop him at the time? Did he really cheat on you?"

"How did you feel as you watched your fiance sleep with another woman?"

The barrage of questions caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily stunned.

Jeremy was supposed to be waiting in the dressing room. Instead, he forced his way through the crowd, clearly unable to wait any longer.

He was dressed in the custom suit I had ordered for him. It was worth tens of millions. Taking my hand, he looked at me with pure happiness on his face.

"All those stories online are lies! Tara and I are just friends. How could anything like that ever happen? My wife and I are deeply in love. If I had really betrayed her, would she still be willing to marry me?"

As Jeremy spoke, he clenched my hand tighter. As I watched him lie without the slightest flicker of guilt, my chest tightened with a sharp ache.

If that was what he wanted, I would fulfill his wish.

I faced the reporters and barely eked out a smile. "That's right. Those rumors are false. My husband and I are very much in love."

The smooth progression of the wedding seemed to dispel everyone's doubts. But before we even got to exchange vows, Jeremy was already gone.

Surrounded by the guests' hushed whispers, I quietly dialled a number.

"I've made up my mind. Begin preparations for the succession ceremony."

Chapter 3

I tilted my head back and downed glass after glass of wine. I had poured my heart into decorating every corner of this hall, all so Jeremy could have the most beautiful memory of his life.

I had pictured him countless times in a suit, wondering what he would look like as he walked down the aisle. Never once did I imagine he would cruelly destroy it all the day before.

I tightened my grip around the wine glass when suddenly, my phone buzzed with an urgent ring.

"Vera, Jerry fell into the lake in the backyard! You—"

Hearing what Tara said, I instinctively stood up and hurried toward the backyard. After all, Jeremy had once saved my life.

While I searched frantically for him, I heard Tara's voice not far away.

"Jerry, I wasn't fortunate enough to marry you in this lifetime. But in the next one, promise me you'll marry me first."

I followed the sound, and with one glance, I was frozen stiff. Tara was leaning against Jeremy's chest, her voice dripping with affection.

"Jerry, I really love you—so much more than Vera ever could."

Jeremy's eyes reddened, tears spilling as his voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry, Tara. If only I had waited for your return."

Tara's eyes flickered deliberately toward my hiding place. During the brief moment our eyes met, I caught the provocation in hers. Then, she pressed a brazen kiss to Jeremy's lips.

"Jerry, can you at least let me be the first to wear your ring today? Even if we're not truly wed, I'll have no regrets if I can have you, just for this moment."

Jeremy nodded without hesitation, clutching her hand as he sobbed uncontrollably. "Yes, I will."

He pulled out two rings, and my vision contracted in shock. Those were the wedding rings I had commissioned in a faraway country just for the two of us.

It had taken several master jewelers an entire year to craft them, and they were the only pair in existence. No one understood their significance more than Jeremy.

How could he put them on her?

Without thinking, I lunged forward and ripped the wedding ring from Tara's finger.

She fell to the ground with a shrill cry. "Vera, I know you're angry at me for taking Jerry's virginity. You can hit me, scold me, or do whatever you want, but please don't be mad at Jerry."

Tara had barely finished her sentence when Jeremy kicked me hard.

"Vera Graves! If you're angry, take it out on me! I was the one who insisted on giving her my virginity and the ring. Besides, didn't Tara already say you could have my virginity first? You're the one who didn't want it!"

My body slammed against a stone behind me, and I curled into a ball from the pain. Even breathing felt like a luxury.

But all Jeremy did was look down at me with cold disdain.

"You could tolerate me sleeping with her, so why can't you do the same over a stupid ring? I'll just buy you a thousand more! I've got money to burn!"

I scoffed. Money?

I was the heir to the mafia. Wealth, power, status—there was nothing I lacked. No one had ever dared flaunt their fortune before me.

If it weren't for the mafia resources I had secretly funneled to support him, his company would have never reached its current heights.

I had planned to tell him everything on the night of our wedding. But I never expected him to give me such a big surprise right before.

Tara clung to Jeremy, putting on a pitiful act. "Vera, this all started from my foolish fantasies. I'll leave right now. I swear I won't ruin your wedding."

Jeremy shot me another glare before sliding the ring I had fought for back onto her finger. "Don't mind her! She's learned to push her luck because I've spoiled her far too much."

I glanced coldly at their clasped hands and spat out icily. "Jeremy, since this is what you want, I'll grant it."

With that, I forced myself up despite the searing pain in my back and staggered toward the rear exit of the wedding hall.

"Vera, this wedding isn't over! Where are you going?" Jeremy's arrogant voice rang out behind me.

I didn't look back. My steps only grew more determined. "There is no more wedding, Jeremy. It's over between us!"

Chapter 4

"Granting your wish to be with Tara will be the last thing I ever do for you. Once we get a divorce at the courthouse, we'll never see each other again!"

Jeremy froze. But soon, he was rubbing his temples with disdain.

"Stop with your tantrums, Vera. Weren't you the one begging me to marry you? Tara just made one tiny request. You already have me, don't you? Can't you at least grant her this?"

His tone shifted, softening as if coaxing a child. "Don't be like this. I'll buy you a bigger diamond that's even more beautiful, alright?"

My steps faltered, and I turned to look at him. "Jeremy. You've used up your 99 chances."

For a moment, he looked confused. "What 99 chances are you talking about?"

My fingers curled tightly into a fist, and a bitter laugh escaped me. For the sake of my promise to Jeremy, I had forgiven him again and again for hurting me. But he never even remembered it.

I wiped away the tears at the corner of my eyes and steadied my trembling voice. "Jeremy Anderson, it's over between us. I wish you and Tara a happy marriage!"

With that, I refused to stay a moment longer and suffer his humiliation.

Tara struggled to suppress her laughter, feigning concern as she said, "Jerry, could she be acting this way because she found out?"

A look of sudden understanding crossed Jeremy's face, and he ran after me. His voice rose sharply.

"Vera, you knew Tara was pregnant all along, didn't you? You only agreed to marry me to humiliate me in front of everyone—to let the whole world know I got another woman pregnant, isn't that right?"

It was as if a bolt of lightning split my head in two. Tara was pregnant? Jeremy had just lost his virginity to Tara yesterday, so how could that be possible?

My body went cold, and a brutal, absurd thought clawed its way into my mind.

Jeremy had given himself to Tara long before. From the very beginning, they had been together behind my back. I was nothing but a fool they happily toyed with.

"Wow, Jeremy, I must have been blind to ever believe in you!"

I pulled out my phone and made a call to my men. "Yes, come here immediately! Right away!"

Tara's eyes widened in shock as she pointed at me. "She's not calling reporters over, is she, Jerry? You barely managed to send them away!"

Without hesitation, Jeremy slapped my phone out of my hand. His nail grazed my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake.

A violent spasm tore through my heart, the pain radiating as I pressed a trembling hand to my chest. Yet Jeremy acted as though he saw nothing.

He only jabbed his finger in my face and roared, "Vera, it was just one night! Are you really going to ruin me over this?"

His words hit me like a hammer. I took a deep breath. "I don't care about your filthy affairs with Tara! Let go of me!"

My defiance left Jeremy completely enraged. He grabbed me by the collar and dragged me toward the lake, shoving my head mercilessly under the water.

The lake rushed into my nose, searing my lungs and crushing out what little air I had left. He forced my head down again and again.

"If you walk away now, how are we supposed to explain her pregnancy? Everyone at the foot of the mountain saw you go up. I don't care—you're taking responsibility for this child!

"Vera Graves, apologize right now! Say you were wrong! Say you'll never leave me!"

My lungs felt like they were about to burst. The taste of iron rose to my throat, and I choked out a mouthful of blood that disappeared into the water. Still, I clenched my teeth and refused to talk.

Jeremy's gaze flickered to a boat by the shore. With a frightening expression, he clamped down on my neck and spat. "Seems like I've been far too good to you. Who do you think you are?"

He dragged my weakened body and bound my wrists with a rope from the stern.

"I'll release you when you realize your mistake!" Jeremy kicked me hard on the back, hurling me into the lake.

The water swallowed me whole, crushing the air from my lungs. I thrashed desperately, but all it did was pull me further down.

"While you're 'swimming,' reflect on your mistakes!"

In the last moment before my eyes shut, the love I once saw on his face twisted into a cruel smile.

Just as his fingers reached for the boat's ignition switch, a squad of armed mercenaries stormed in. The leader fired a shot that barely missed Jeremy's hand.

"Stop right there!"