Chapter 1

On their fifth wedding anniversary, the gift Tessa Hill received was a phone call from a law firm.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Frey? This is Brightwell Legal Associates. A young woman is suing your husband, Stanley Frey, for false imprisonment. Could you please come by to help us clear a few things up?"

Tessa's heart sank. Her fingers went cold.

She had a rough idea of what was going on. Even so, she still grabbed her scarf and walked out the door.

As the law firm was brightly lit, Tessa immediately spotted the young woman in the middle of the crowd.

Pouting, the young woman questioned in displeasure, "What are you all doing just standing around? Why aren't you suing him yet? He kept me locked up in a presidential suite for seven days straight! I couldn't even get out of bed because of him! If that's not false imprisonment, then what is?"

The woman sounded sweet and coy, clearly bragging as she spoke.

The senior legal associates exchanged looks that said, "Here we go again."

A fresh-faced intern, however, took her seriously, his face flushing with outrage. "T-That's outrageous! Mr. Hoffman, shouldn't we file the lawsuit immediately?"

An older attorney quickly pulled him aside and hissed under his breath, "Are you out of your mind? That's Stanley Frey we're talking about! The wealthiest man in Nasterdam!"

"So what if he is? That doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants!" the intern retorted, stubbornly holding his ground.

The older attorney, Dean Hoffman, wanted to clamp a hand over the intern's mouth. "What nonsense are you saying? This is just Mr. Frey and Ms. Sutton's idea of fun! Ever heard of roleplay? Ms. Sutton practically shows up every other week.

"Last time she was saying Mr. Frey showered her with so much jewelry, worth over a hundred million, that she couldn't wear it all and lost sleep over it.

"The time before that, she claimed she ended up with hay fever because he reserved a whole rose garden for her. She's not actually trying to sue him. This is just another excuse to flaunt their love!"

The intern was dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he stammered, "B-But isn't Mr. Frey married? I even asked his w-wife to come here just now…"

At that, the other attorneys' expressions became complicated.

Dean was about to say something when a sudden disturbance at the door, charged with tension, drew everyone's attention.

Stanley had arrived.

With black-suited bodyguards clearing the way, he strode down the center. His high-end suit highlighted his tall stature and sharp, forbidding features as his powerful aura brooked no approach.

But the moment his eyes fell on the young woman, his gaze softened.

He walked straight to her, bent down on one knee, and looked up at her.

His voice was low and indulgent as he asked, "What's wrong this time, my darling?"

The woman's eyes grew red when she saw him. Pounding his shoulder with a fist, she whined through tears, "You know exactly what! You kept me in there for seven days straight! I begged you to stop, but you wouldn't… You're awful…"

The attorneys awkwardly looked away.

Sighing helplessly, Stanley brushed away her tears with his fingertips. "That's my bad, Claire. I just love you so much that I couldn't control myself. And didn't you enjoy it, too?"

Clarissa Sutton's cheeks turned crimson. She glared at him in embarrassment. "D-Don't say that!"

"Alright, I won't."

Stanley soothed her with a smile before producing a velvet box. "Here. See if you like it."

When Clarissa opened it, her eyes lit up instantly. Inside lay the Tears of the Deep, a blue diamond necklace she'd coveted for months that was worth a fortune.

Her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! How did you know I wanted this?"

"When have I ever not known what you want?" Stanley answered matter-of-factly, as if remembering her every preference was the most normal thing in the world.

For a moment, a smug look crossed her gaze. But remembering she was still supposed to be mad, she turned her head away with a huff.

"Don't think this will make me forgive you!"

Stanley asked, "Then what will it take for you to forgive me? Should I...be locked up in jail for a few days?"

As he spoke, he got up and made a show of walking toward the attorneys.

Clarrisa grabbed him around the waist in a panic. "Don't you dare!"

Burying her face against his arms, her muffled, tear-choked voice sounded. "Why are you being so good to me? I was about to sue you and have you arrested, yet you still spoil me like this…"

Stanley stroked her hair, his voice unbelievably gentle. "Because I love you, my darling."

Breaking into a smile through her tears, Clarissa leaned up to kiss his chin. "I won't make a fuss anymore. Let's go home."

Standing up, he held her hand, saying, "Yeah, let's go."

As Stanley turned and glanced over, he abruptly froze.

There, standing pale and silent in the corner, was Tessa.

His gaze darkened briefly. An almost imperceptible flicker of emotion showed on his face before he regained his composure.

"Why are you here?"

Clarissa quickly explained, "I asked the attorneys to call her. You're not mad at me, are you?"

Glancing at Tessa, Stanley said in a flat tone, "No."

Dean patted the intern's shoulder, muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "See that? So what if he has a wife? Everyone knows Mrs. Frey is only his wife in name."

His words sank into Tessa's heart like a knife, piercing deep and twisting mercilessly.

That was right. For five years, she had been nothing but a wife on paper, a pitiful bystander who watched him love someone else.

Who would even remember that five years ago, Stanley had once cherished her the same way?

Back then, Tessa was Alexis Frey's best friend, and she visited the Frey residence practically every day.

Among the wealthy, Stanley, Alexis' older brother, reigned at the very top. He was accomplished, cold, refined, and distant toward all. At first, Tessa was terrified of him, shrinking back like a mouse before a cat whenever she saw him.

But gradually, she noticed that he treated her differently from the rest.

He would remember her favorite desserts and had the staff prepare them in advance. When she broke one of his priceless antique vases, his first reaction was to check her hand for cuts.

When she had a fever, he canceled an important meeting just to watch over her the whole night.

She had naively said to Alexis, "Your brother isn't as scary as I thought."

Alexis laughed. "Are you dumb? He likes you! He doesn't bother with anyone else."

Tessa had been shocked and at a loss, but not long after, Stanley began pursuing her in an assertive yet gentle way.

When a man like him devoted himself, no woman could escape his grasp. And truthfully, Tessa had unknowingly fallen for him long ago.

They dated for three years. Stanley spoiled her endlessly, and soon, all of Nasterdam knew the heir of the Frey family had a beloved woman named Tessa.

It was no surprise when they finally got married.

Standing before the priest, Stanley held her hand firmly and vowed, "I will only love Tessa Hill in this life."

For a while, she had thought that her happiness would last forever.

But not long after the wedding, she and Alexis encountered drunken thugs while they were out.

Alexis had shoved Tessa behind her, shouting, "Run, Tess! Get help! I'll hold them off!"

Tessa didn't want to leave, but Alexis pushed her hard. She had no choice but to run, intending to bring help back as quickly as possible.

But halfway down the street, she felt a tightness in her chest. A metallic taste flooded her throat. As she coughed up a mouthful of blood, her vision went dark, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke in the hospital, two devastating blows awaited her. The doctor told her she had cancer, then the police told her Alexis was dead.

Alexis was brutally assaulted by those men, and her ruined body was only found at dawn.

Tessa's world fell apart that day, and so did Stanley's.

He lost his beloved sister, and his overwhelming grief turned into rage and hatred.

With bloodshot eyes, he questioned Tessa, "Why? Why did you abandon her? And why didn't you go looking for help after abandoning her? Do you know how horribly Alexis died? Tell me why, Tessa!"

Her heart splintered at the sight of his anguish.

She wanted to tell him that she had collapsed and didn't mean to abandon Alexis, but what good would that do? Alexis was gone.

And if he knew his wife was dying as well, he would be losing the two people he loved the most at the same time. Wouldn't that utterly break him?

Thus, she chose to stay silent, keeping all her explanations and grievances to herself.

To Stanley, her silence became an admission, a sign of heartlessness, and proof that she was afraid of facing justice.

As he plunged straight into hell, all the love in his heart transformed into bone-deep hatred.

He stopped coming home, treating her with icy indifference from then on as a way to get back at her.

Eventually, he even brought Clarissa into their lives, who was a college student strikingly similar to Tessa in appearance.

All the love, warmth, and indulgence he had once showered on Tessa, he now gave to Clarissa, only more intensely.

Tessa knew this was all deliberate.

He wanted her to watch helplessly as he transferred all his love to another woman who resembled her. He wanted her to suffer every single day.

And she did.

Little did he know that her time was already running out.

At her most recent checkup, the doctor looked at her report while saying in a grave tone, "The cancer has spread everywhere… Ms. Hill, you have two more weeks left at most."

Soon, Tessa would leave Stanley forever and join Alexis in the afterlife.

Chapter 2

Tessa walked out of the law firm in a daze. Just then, a familiar black Rolls-Royce rolled to a stop in front of her.

The window slid down, revealing Clarissa's pretty face and Stanley's cold expresssion.

"It's hard to hail a taxi here, Ms. Hill. Hop in. We'll take you home," Clarissa said in a friendly manner, though a hint of arrogance could be seen in her eyes.

Tessa shook her head. "No, thank you—"

"If she wants you to get in, then do it," Stanley coldly interrupted her. "Can't you understand simple words?"

His harsh tone pierced her heart like an icicle. She clenched her fists, then she silently opened the door and slid into the back seat in the end.

"I just got my license, Stanley. Let me drive for a bit, okay?" Clarissa volunteered eagerly.

Stanley arched an eyebrow, his voice soft and permissive. "Alright. Just be careful."

He fastened her seatbelt for her before getting into the passenger seat.

Clarissa's driving was a little shaky, but Stanley showed not a hint of irritation as he guided her patiently, his gaze full of warmth throughout.

"Jeez, the brake feels really stiff," Clarissa complained in a sweet voice.

"Really? Let me see."

Stanley leaned over, his cheek almost brushing against her leg as he checked the brake pedal.

The scene in front was hard to watch for Tessa, who was in the back. She felt like her heart was being crushed, and it was so painful it hurt to breathe.

All that tenderness and attention he once reserved solely for her now belonged to someone else.

Suddenly, a stray cat darted across the road out of nowhere.

Clarissa screamed. In her panic, she accidentally stepped on the gas pedal instead of hitting the brakes.

The car shot forward like a wild horse, smashing through the roadside guardrail and hurtling toward the river below.

They were instantly hit by a disorienting sense of weightlessness.

"Claire!"

In that split second, Tessa clearly saw that Stanley's first reaction was to throw himself toward the driver's seat and use his body to shield Clarissa.

He didn't even glance back at her.

The freezing water poured into the car from all around, a suffocating pressure enveloping them.

Tessa felt her heart shatter with pain and turn ice-cold all at once.

Before, whenever danger struck, she had always been the first person he would rush to protect, but now…

The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her was Stanley clutching Clarissa tightly as they struggled toward the surface.

When she came to in the hospital, the pungent smell of disinfectant hit her immediately.

Tessa could hear Stanley's voice coming from outside.

His voice, heavy with barely controlled rage, seemed directed at the doctor. "She merely fell into the water! Why is she still unconscious? Do you even know how to treat her?"

With a cautious tone, the doctor answered, "Mr. Frey, please calm down. Ms. Hill's unconscious state isn't solely the result of drowning… The full examination report indicates she has late-stage malignant—"

The sentence was cut short as a nurse rushed over, saying, "Mr. Frey, Ms. Sutton has woken up and has been looking for you."

Stanley was about to speak when his eyes met Tessa's.

The worry that had been etched on his face because of her unconscious state vanished instantly, replaced by an icy calm.

He grunted in acknowledgment to the nurse. Without sparing another glance at Tessa, he decisively turned on his heel and strode toward the far end of the corridor.

Watching him walk away with unwavering resolve, Tessa felt a hollow opening in her heart, the kind that no warmth could fill.

Perhaps it was better that he didn't know she was dying.

With how much he hated her now, even if he knew she was about to die, he would probably just sneer, thinking it was exactly what she deserved.

The sunlight was blinding on the day she was discharged.

Stanley, unsurprisingly, didn't come for her. He was spending time with the shaken Clarissa on his private island.

Returning to the cold, empty villa she called "home", Tessa began getting her affairs in order.

First, she went to a long-established photography studio.

"Miss… Do you really want to have a funeral portrait taken?" the elderly photographer asked as he adjusted his glasses.

He confirmed it with Tessa three times, disbelief and sorrow written all over his face.

Tessa nodded calmly, offering a faint smile. "Yes, I do."

The camera captured her pale but still refined face, though her eyes, once bright, were now dull and lifeless.

Next, she selected an urn.

Rows of ornate containers made of various materials and expensive beyond reason lined the shelves.

In the end, she chose a simple, unadorned white porcelain urn. Its smooth, cold surface mirrored the chill in her heart.

Finally, she went to the Evercrest Cemetery.

She wanted to be buried beside Alexis.

When Alexis was still alive, they often joked about sharing a retirement home in their old age, going on long walks together, and even being neighbors in the afterlife so they could keep playing cards.

It didn't take long for Tessa to find Alexis' gravestone. The woman in the photo smiled radiantly, eternally frozen at the peak of her youth.

Tessa knelt, gently brushing away the dust on the photo with her fingertips. Her throat tightened.

"Alexis, I'm here."

Her soft murmur echoed the countless nights they had spent whispering to one another. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come visit you… I'll be there with you soon… Are you lonely over there?"

She talked about her illness, her regrets, Stanley's hatred toward her, and his indulgence toward the woman who resembled her. Tears fell silently, striking the cold stone.

Suddenly, a steady and familiar set of footsteps could be heard.

Tessa stiffened, slowly turning her head.

Stanley and Clarissa stood nearby. He had a bouquet of white lilies, Alexis' favorite flowers.

Chapter 3

The moment Stanley spotted Tessa, the gentle expression on his face was instantly replaced by a frighteningly dark and furious look.

"Tessa! Who allowed you to come here?"

Stanley stepped forward, his voice ice-cold and dripping with undisguised contempt. "Get lost! You have no right to be here!"

Supporting herself on the gravestone, Tessa rose slowly. Her eyes were red, and her voice was hoarse with emotion. "I came… because I miss Alexis…"

"You miss her?"

Stanley laughed as if he had just heard the most absurd joke. He abruptly grabbed Tessa by the neck with a strength that could have crushed her bones. "You've got some nerve saying you miss her.

"Alexis trusted you so much that she gave you the chance to escape, and what did you do in return? You bolted! You left her with those monsters! Do you even know how miserably she died? Do you?"

As Tessa couldn't breathe, a stifling wave of airlessness overtook her, and darkness closed in on her vision.

She didn't try to struggle. She even closed her eyes.

Maybe dying like this wouldn't be so bad.

Perhaps dying at his hands in front of Alexis' grave could be her way of atoning and finding peace.

But just as her consciousness began to slip away, Stanley suddenly let go.

She collapsed to the ground. Clutching her neck, she coughed violently as she gasped for air.

When she looked up, she caught a fleeting glimpse of an utterly complex mixture of pain and inner turmoil in his expression.

Her chest ached sharply.

After everything that happened, could it be that he didn't really want her to die?

"Stanley!"

Clarissa approached right then, looping her arm through his. She whined in a soft voice, "It's really hot right now. Let's go pay our respects to Alexis and not waste time on unworthy people."

Stanley closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, the icy detachment had returned.

He took the bouquet from Clarissa and placed them gently on Alexis' grave without glancing at Tessa on the ground.

"Let's go," he murmured to Clarissa.

They had barely taken a few steps when Clarissa complained about her foot hurting.

Stanley knelt at once, hoisted Clarissa onto his back carefully, and made his way down the stone steps of the cemetery slowly.

Seeing them cling to each other, Tessa felt her heart being ripped apart.

Once upon a time, he had carried her just like that.

They were on a hike that time. She had stubbornly refused to go on. Stanley had chuckled at her stubbornness and called her sly, but he still knelt steadily in front of her and softly said, "Get on."

His back had been broad, carrying a faint scent of pine.

Tessa had clung to him, refusing to get down, teasing that she wanted him to carry her forever.

Laughing in a low voice, he had spoken with tenderness. "Alright. Then I'll carry you forever, Tess."

Alexis had stomped around beside them, complaining, "Can you both stop acting all lovey-dovey in front of me?"

Back then, the sunlight had been warm, the wind gentle, but that was all in the past now.

Suppressing the catch in her throat, she trailed behind them in silence.

When they reached the car, Stanley shot her a cold glance. "Get in."

Tessa froze at his words.

"You will only be desecrating my sister's resting place if you remain here a moment longer," he uttered, his words cutting like a knife.

Tessa silently opened the car door and got in.

She wouldn't be able to come here again anyway.

The car wound along the mountain road.

As if on purpose, Clarissa clung to Stanley, her fingers tracing restless circles on his thigh while she breathed softly by his ear.

Stanley swallowed before saying in a low, hoarse voice, "Stop messing around, Claire. I'm driving."

Clarissa daringly kissed his earlobe. "I don't want to stop. I want to make it now. We haven't done it in the car before…"

Stanley's gaze darkened. With a sudden turn of the steering wheel, he pulled the car over onto the emergency stopping lane.

He turned sharply, his icy gaze landing on Tessa. "Get out."

Tessa turned pale. She gripped the hem of her shirt.

"Didn't you hear me? Get out!" Stanley repeated in annoyance, his eyes devoid of warmth.

Trembling, Tessa opened the door. The instant she stepped out, the door slammed shut behind her with a loud bang.

Immediately, the car started shaking violently and rhythmically. Then, the sounds of a woman's playful moans and a man's suppressed groans could be heard.

Chapter 4

To Tessa, hearing those sounds was like red-hot steel driving into her ears and piercing straight through her heart.

She turned her face away in devastation, tears pouring out.

She recalled how gentle and restrained he had been when they did it for the first time in the marital home he'd meticulously decorated.

He had asked her over and over if she was scared or if it hurt, treating her like the most precious, fragile thing in the world.

Yet now, just a few steps away from her, he was forcing her to watch a scene she could barely bear.

She wanted to run away, but there was no way she could hail a taxi here since this was an overpass.

Tessa could only stand by the road like discarded trash, listening to the sounds that broke her heart as the autumn wind dried her tears.

Five whole hours later, the car window slowly rolled down, revealing Clarissa's flushed, satisfied face. She languidly flipped her hair. "Get in. It's windy out there."

Tessa numbly got back into the car. The strong musky scent mixed with perfume made her close her eyes in pain.

Right then, Clarissa softly complained, "Stanley… You finished inside me… What if I get pregnant?"

Stanley chuckled, his voice full of an indulgence and anticipation Tessa had never heard directed at her. "Then we'll have the baby. We'll have a child who looks like you."

Tessa's mind went blank from the shock.

A child…

They had once passionately discussed having children.

Back then, he would always hold her from behind. With a warm hand on her stomach, he would whisper, "Let's have two children someday."

If they had a boy, the boy could protect her, and if they had a girl, he was going to spoil her like a princess.

But he had said that he would still spoil Tessa the most no matter what.

Those tender promises, happy whispers, and the hopes and dreams that had once been so real now felt as distant as something from a past life.

She was still in a daze when Clarissa's cloying voice rang out. "Sure, then let's pick up where we left off at home, but this time, we can do it as much as you want."

Sure enough, back at the villa, they shamelessly did it everywhere possible.

The living room, the kitchen, even the stairwell had become their playground.

Their lascivious sounds seeped through the door day and night, torturing Tessa mentally.

She shut herself in her room, the pain from the cancer constantly gnawing at her.

Hunching over the toilet, she vomited bright red blood.

It was as if two worlds coexisted in the same house.

Beyond the door was a riot of pleasure and the hope of new life. Inside, there was nothing but silent deterioration and the countdown to death.

…

The noise outside finally quieted that day.

Tessa dragged her weakened body out of the room and found Clarissa in the kitchen in an apron, fumbling with utensils and ingredients as she tried to cook.

Stanley was at the table reading the paper.

Clarissa's eyes lit up the instant she saw Tessa. She spoke in a tone of patronizing charity. "You came out just in time. I made a lot of food for Stanley. Have some. Consider it my little act of kindness."

Tessa shook her head. "No, thanks."

Stanley snapped the newspaper shut, his face darkening. "Don't be ungrateful, Tessa. Come here."

She had no choice but to go.

Most of the dishes on the table were burnt and unappetizing, but Stanley ate with no change in expression.

"Is it good?" Clarissa asked expectantly.

He set down his spoon before tenderly patting her head. "It's delicious."

Tessa's heart lurched as a wave of memories flooded her mind.

The first time she ever cooked for him had been just as much of a disaster, yet he ate every bite, ruffling her hair with a smile. "Anything you make tastes good to me."

The gentleness in his eyes back then, when recalled now, was like a dull knife slicing into her heart.

"Why aren't you eating?" Clarissa asked, feigning concern.

Tessa forced herself to pick up a fork and try a bite of the burnt food. Just as she swallowed, a metallic, sickly taste rose in her throat.

She clapped a hand over her mouth and stumbled for the bathroom, where she bent over the toilet, coughing out blood until the water turned red.

She quickly flushed the toilet, trying to wash the blood away.

Clarissa followed her to the bathroom.

Leaning in the doorway, Clarissa said in a hurt, sharp tone, "Is my cooking so bad that it made you want to vomit? Tessa, do you have a problem with me?"

She started to sob.

Stanley came at the sound. His face darkened when he saw Clarissa cry.

He pulled her into his arms and soothed her. "It's alright. Don't cry."

Then his cold gaze landed on Tessa. "Since she doesn't like to eat, she doesn't have to eat for the next few days. Guards, come and dislocate her jaw."

Chapter 5

Tessa's eyes widened in disbelief. In the next second, a bodyguard approached her and clamped her cheeks in his rough grip until a crack sounded.

A blinding pain tore through her head.

She nearly blacked out from the pain. She couldn't even scream, only a guttural wheeze escaping her throat.

Stanley didn't spare her a glance. He simply wrapped an arm around the still-weeping Clarissa and led her back to their room.

For the next two days, Tessa could neither eat nor speak. She was also forced to watch as Stanley and Clarissa flaunted their intimacy before her eyes.

The pain in her body and the humiliation in her soul made dying seem far more bearable than life.

Only when Clarissa's birthday drew near did Stanley finally order someone to set her jaw back in place.

He ordered, "You will plan Claire's birthday party. If anything goes wrong, you know what will happen."

Without a word, Tessa carried out the order as if she were nothing more than an empty husk.

On the day of the party, the villa's garden was transformed into a fairytale wonderland.

Stanley clasped the hundred-million-dollar Sea of Stars bracelet onto Clarissa's wrist, cut the towering nine-tier cake with her, and took her into his arms for the first dance under the envious gazes of the crowd.

Hidden in the darkest corner, Tessa watched in silence.

Her heart was numb now. She was too numb to even cry.

She recalled the past birthdays when Stanley and Alexis would surprise her. The three of them would laugh together, promising they'd be together forever.

Clarissa unexpectedly approached, wine glass in hand, her smile sugar-sweet but edged with malice. "Where's my birthday present, Ms. Hill?"

Tessa lowered her gaze. "I didn't prepare one."

Clarissa's eyes fell on the thin silver chain around Tessa's neck, its pendant a tiny moonstone. "That necklace looks lovely. I like it. Give it to me as your gift."

Clutching it tight, Tessa stepped back. "No! This is the only keepsake my mother left me!"

"Is that so?"

Clarissa instantly became teary-eyed.

Stanley was at her side in a heartbeat, frowning at her pitiful look. "What's wrong?"

"Stanley… I only admired her necklace and asked if I could have it for my birthday, but she wouldn't…" Clarissa trailed off, tears threatening to fall.

Stanley's gaze hardened as he turned to his bodyguards. "Take it off her."

"No! Stanley, you can't do this!"

Tessa's voice broke as she struggled like a cornered, desperate creature.

This was all that was left of her mother. He knew that better than anyone. Back then, he had held her after her mother died, saying, "Don't be afraid, Tess. You'll always have me."

But now that he didn't love her anymore, was he really going to take away the last memory she had of her mother?

One of the bodyguards yanked the necklace off her neck and handed it to Stanley.

Stanley didn't even look at it before putting it around Clarissa's neck.

"It looks good," he murmured, taking Clarissa's hand and leading her back into the bustling crowd.

Tessa dropped to the ground, the void in her chest leaving her trembling from head to toe.

She staggered to leave, but Clarissa's friends blocked her path and dragged her to a secluded corner.

"How dare you show Clarissa attitude when you're just an unwanted woman?"

"Exactly! Don't you know your place?"

"Mr. Frey's sick of you! You'd better disappear on your own!"

Their fists, kicks, and insults rained down on her. Tessa curled up, too broken to fight back.

The assault lasted until she could take no more, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The women froze, startled, their faces blanching at the sight of the blood on the floor.

"What are you all doing?" Stanley's icy voice cut through the air. He must have come looking for Tessa after realizing she hadn't returned.