Chapter 1

Even though it's been three years since we held our weddings, Adrian Johnson refuses to get our marriage registered.

I overhear him venting to his best friend after he gets drunk.

"Colleen got kidnapped before. I keep thinking of her as a tainted woman. Plus, her family has already gone into bankruptcy. She has no idea that my company is about to get listed."

I feel my blood turn into ice in my veins. His confession leaves my feet rooted to the spot.

Then, Adrian pulls a woman into his arms before kissing her belly.

That woman is Rosalind Muller, the young and beautiful bar singer.

I'm still dazed when I receive a text on my phone. It's a photo of Rosalind's pregnancy bump. The caption writes, "You're just a tainted woman. How can you ever compare to me?"

What Adrian doesn't know is that I never got kidnapped three years ago. At that time, I had carried out a top-secret rescue mission as a secret agent.

Soon, I text my dad.

"Dad, where's your island? Can you send a helicopter over to pick me up?"

On the day I leave Adrian once and for all, it's time for my mysterious identity and the truth from three years ago to be revealed.

Chapter 1

At home, I picked up an old family album. Inside, there was a sonogram photo with a note.

"Hi, baby, daddy loves you."

Following the address on the note, I ended up in a quiet, dimly-lit bar. There, I spotted Adrian Johnson.

I couldn't believe my eyes. This man, who always prided himself on being refined and respectable, was in a shirt that was half-open. He was sitting in front of a woman, her lips pressed against his chest in full public view.

He used to call me graceful and said I was the perfect wife.

But now, it seemed like those words had tied me down, while he was free to indulge in his desires.

His friends nearby backed off, giving the couple space to kiss without any interruptions.

They began to whisper among themselves.

"I heard Mr. Johnson loved his wife, but now he's got Rosie wrapped around his finger."

"Rosie had stayed a virgin and waited for Adrian for three years. She had it worse."

"Then why doesn't he divorce his wife? He should at least take responsibility for Rosie."

"Shh! Don't bring it up. I heard Mr. Johnson didn't really marry that 'dirty slut'..."

"'Dirty slut'? Is there tea?"

I stayed hidden in the dim bar with my face buried in a hoodie, listening to their conversation about my past with Adrian from a corner.

Across the room, Adrian and Rosie were still wrapped up in each other. From the way Adrian held her, he seemed to want nothing more than to consume her completely.

Rosie, with a flushed face, even took the time to send me a taunting message.

"Colleen, do you know why he hasn't touched you in three years? It's because he feels disgusted that you're a dirty woman now. He told me that every time he looks at you, he remembers the night you were kidnapped during your wedding."

I stared at the message until the screen went dark, my hands shaking.

So, that was the reason Adrian didn't want to marry me.

Three years ago, I suddenly received a message to help with an urgent rescue mission. The other party knew I had some skills and knew everything about me.

That night, there were reports of several women being kidnapped in the city, so I went undercover.

In the end, I managed to rescue the women, but the mastermind escaped, and they were still at large. Therefore, I couldn't show Adrian the video evidence yet.

I had tried to repeatedly explain to him that nothing happened that night. I was still me. I even brought in others who had been trapped with me as witnesses, but he wouldn't believe me.

Once doubt took hold, it was hard to shake it off.

Now, I felt nothing but exhaustion, both physically and emotionally. I was tired of trying, tired of loving, and too drained to care anymore.

Rosalind Muller, however, had a knack for twisting the knife. Her body was still entwined with Adrian's, yet she found time to mock me.

"I almost forgot to tell you I'm pregnant. Adrian promised me that once the baby's far enough along, we'll get married. At that point, you'll truly be nothing more than the third wheel."

Chapter 2

Pregnancy. The third wheel. Those words kept swirling in my mind, causing my eyes to fill with tears.

I kept gulping down glass after glass of liquor, thinking maybe I could gather the courage to march up to them and throw it in their faces.

But my body wouldn't listen. I remained frozen on the spot, trembling with hurt, and my voice was stuck in my throat.

The people at the next table, tipsy from their drinks, suddenly started calling out to Adrian.

"Mr. Johnson, are you too scared to tell Colleen? Don't worry, we've got your back. We'll tell her about it. Just don't let Rosie and the kid suffer for it."

Adrian's hands, which had been holding Rosalind, fell away all of a sudden. Rosalind's face turned ashen as she shot a sharp, accusing look at the friend who had spoken.

Adrian stood up, calmly adjusted his clothes, and walked over. Then, he punched the friend in the face.

His voice was cold when he spoke.

"If you dare tell my wife about this, you'll pay for it dearly."

Then, he sidestepped Rosalind, who was trying to cling to him, his gaze clear.

"That's enough for today. I've got to get home to Colleen."

With that, he turned and walked out of the bar.

Rosalind, filled with resentment, collapsed onto the table, sobbing uncontrollably.

I watched it all with a bitter smile, the calm slowly settling in my chest.

My father's reply came quickly.

"What's going on? Is Adrian coming too? Did you tell him about the island we're buying?"

I responded with another message.

"No, it'll just be me."

He typed for a long while before sending the message.

"Got it! Wait for me. In three days, I'll come get you, my princess!"

When I got home, a warm meal was already set on the table.

Adrian, wearing an apron, knelt to take off my shoes for me, then carefully carried me and placed me by the dining table. He even had wet wipes ready for me to clean my hands.

He had changed into comfortable home clothes, and the kiss marks on his body from before had disappeared. His freshly washed shirt was hanging by the window.

Everything was just like it always was. I couldn't find a single sign of his affair.

He cared for me like a good husband should, except when it came to sex.

I still remembered that not long after the kidnapping incident, Adrian had gotten drunk and pinned me to the bed. But before he took off my clothes, he had covered his mouth and rushed to the bathroom.

When he came out, he leaned against the wall, weakly speaking.

"Darling, I drank too much and couldn't hold it in. Let's save our first night for when we get the marriage certificate."

He turned and went to the study, and it had remained this way for three years.

For three years, the love I thought was real was nothing but a lie.

It turned out that he wasn't drunk at all. He just found me disgusting and was afraid of getting tainted by me.

But now, Adrian was picking up food and eagerly feeding me.

I stared at him blankly, and suddenly a wave of nausea hit my throat. I rushed to the bathroom, throwing up uncontrollably.

Adrian hurried over, looking extremely anxious.

"Darling, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

I replied coldly, "Oh, it's nothing. I had too much to drink just now while dining with my coworkers."

But what he didn't know was that now, he disgusted me.

The next day, I collected my thoughts and decided to resign from my nursing job at the hospital.

It wasn't a big deal. I was just an ordinary nurse, and a large hospital like that could do without me.

While I was carrying my things out of the hospital, Adrian came rushing in with Rosalind, his voice full of concern.

"Doctor, will you check on her? Please make sure my girlfriend and the baby are okay!"

He was in such a rush that he bumped into me. Upon seeing it was me, his face drained of color, and he forgot completely about Rosalind, who was being led away by the doctor and nurses.

"Colleen, please don't get the wrong idea. That's the wife of one of my friends. He's not here, and in my haste, I said she's my girlfriend without thinking," he explained quickly.

"Got it," I said quietly as I picked up my things from the floor.

He noticed the things I was taking with me and frowned.

"Darling, you're quitting?" he asked.

I didn't respond. He helped me carry the heavier things, then said to me, "It's fine, I can support you. From now on, you can stay at home and live a good life."

Chapter 3

After saying that, he wanted to accompany me to leave, but the nurse called out behind him.

"Hey, Rosalind's husband, we need your signature here."

Adrian gave me a hesitant look.

I looked up and smiled at him.

"Go ahead."

Seeing me smile, he felt relieved and left.

At night, Rosalind sent me a message asking to meet at the bar.

When I arrived, Adrian was, of course, there as well.

Rosalind's face was still pale from the scare earlier in the day. She stood on stage, looking at us and saying she wanted to thank us for our help.

Then, she sang a song, its melody soft and its lyrics sorrowful, with every word filled with unrequited love and overflowing with her feelings for Adrian.

In their world, it felt like I was the one who was the homewrecker instead.

The crowd cheered, and Rosalind smiled as she sat down at our booth.

Adrian was excitedly teaching me how to drink tequila.

Rosalind stroked her belly and smiled smugly.

"Adrian used to drink very little, you know. I was the one who taught him how to enjoy tequila," she said.

I looked up at her, thinking to myself that Adrian had once ruined his stomach from drinking too much during his business start-up days. What was Rosalind bragging for?

"Ms. Muller, you're quite the expert in nightlife, aren't you?"

Her face turned pale, and she gave Adrian a helpless glance.

Suddenly, Adrian stood up, saying he needed to go to the restroom.

As soon as he left, Rosalind dropped the pretense and sneered at me.

"Colleen, there's no need for those passive-aggressive remarks. Everyone knows Adrian finds you disgusting. Sure, I'm no stranger to the nightlife, but my body is his and his alone. As for you? Tsk tsk, you were kidnapped for a whole night. You're the only one who knows what went down back then."

I curled my lip.

"Ms. Muller, don't be so quick to mock me. I was indeed kidnapped for a night, but at that time, I also saw a woman who looked like a dog in the criminal's room. Oh, come to think of it, she looked just like you, Ms. Muller."

Rosalind shot up from her seat, her lips trembling.

"What are you talking about? I don't know anything about that. You have no proof. Don't you dare spread lies about me."

Seeing her panic, I became more certain.

But there was no rush. Exposing her right now would be pointless.

Rosalind, seeing that I wasn't saying anything more, relaxed a little.

Adrian's figure appeared from the restroom. At that, Rosalind suddenly tilted her head back and took a swig of tequila.

When Adrian walked over, she crouched by the table and started vomiting, weakly speaking in discomfort.

"Colleen, I'm pregnant, and I really shouldn't have any alcohol. Please don't force me. I swear, there's nothing going on between Mr. Johnson and me."

Adrian glared at me, and for the first time in his life, he shouted at me. "Colleen, how could you force a pregnant woman to drink?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't. Do you believe her, or do you believe me?"

Adrian snorted.

"No pregnant woman would ever risk their child's life like that. I never thought jealousy would make you this vicious."

I stood up and noticed a full glass of tequila on the table.

So, I grabbed it and, without a word, poured it all over his head before turning and walking away.

I walked all the way home, only to find the front door to my house wide open.

The moment I stepped inside, Adrian's mother, Juliet Ferrell, threw a mug onto the floor in front of me.

"Hmph! Colleen, how dare you lay a hand on my son?"

I was confused. When had I ever hit Adrian?

Then, Adrian's father, Thomas Johnson, flung his phone before me. On the screen was a video taken from the bar, recording the moment I splashed Adrian with the tequila.

I unlocked the phone and glanced at the chat history. When I saw that it was Rosalind who had sent the video to them, I couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Adrian's sister, Jessie Johnson, looked me up and down with open disdain.

"Colleen, you were already defiled by someone else three years ago. My brother didn't mind that and married you out of love despite everything. How dare you resort to violence against him, you slut?"

Adrian's parents sat on the couch arrogantly with their legs propped up, glaring at me coldly.

"The Johnson family has been cultured and well-educated for generations. We welcomed you into our family despite all the terrible rumors about you. Is this how you repay us?"

Chapter 4

"Since your dad went bankrupt, we've had to take you in. You're just used goods. Poor Adrian, he's been suffering all these years."

I sneered.

"You're a cultured and well-educated family? Yet, you allowed your son to cheat and marry a bar hostess?"

Jessie shouted angrily, "Shut your mouth! How dare you call my future sister-in-law a bar hostess? Rosalind may sing at the bar, but she's independent and doesn't rely on men. She has remained faithful to my brother by staying a virgin. A shameless slut like you can never measure up to her."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"She's a virgin? What, did you witness that when they had sex the first time?"

Hearing this, Adrian's father was so enraged that he lifted a trembling finger at me.

"You vulgar woman! Get the hell out of my house."

I was about to say that I paid for this house, and if anyone should leave, it should be them.

Before I could say anything, the door opened, and Adrian walked in with an arm around Rosalind.

When he saw everyone there, he was momentarily shocked.

Groaning, Rosalind lay on my favorite couch, casually draping my scarf over herself.

Before I could say anything to tell her to put it down, Adrian rushed over and yanked the scarf off her.

"Don't use that."

His eyes showed obvious disdain. Rosalind's lips curled into a smirk.

"Adrian, I don't mind if it's filthy. After all, Colleen didn't ask to be sexually abused three years ago…"

I stared at them coldly.

Rosalind stood up once more, as if trying to adjust her position, but she intentionally let her bag slip, and out fell the property deed.

Covering her mouth, she exclaimed, "Ah, sorry, Adrian's gift fell out."

As she bent down to pick it up, I snatched it away.

That was when I saw that this home of ours had at some point been transferred to Rosalind's name.

For the past three years, I had never cared about these things. But now, he didn't seem bothered that I had sullied the house by being there and had, in fact, given it to Rosalind as a gift.

I picked up the property deed and asked Adrian, “Do you have anything to say?”

A flash of guilt crossed his eyes. He stammered, unable to speak properly, while his parents spoke up behind him.

"Adrian, what are you afraid of? You've been defending this slut for three years. Look at what others have been saying about you. Let's just sever ties with her once and for all."

In the end, Adrian made his decision. He pulled Rosalind close, intertwining their fingers together.

"Colleen, I'm sorry, but as you can see, Rosie and I are together now. I can't keep dragging this on with you. Given your current status, you won't be allowed into the Johnson family. I hope you understand."

I stared at him.

"Why, Adrian? Do you really think I'm tainted just because of that kidnapping incident? But I've proven otherwise to you. Besides, if you truly love me, these things wouldn't matter…"

Adrian suddenly interrupted me harshly. "Enough!"

"Colleen, that's enough. I did love you, so I've tried my best, but I just can't bring myself to touch you. Every time I do, I feel like I'm going to puke. I've seen a psychologist, and I've suffered for three years. Why can't you understand?"

I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"Jerk! If that's really how you feel, you could have told me. But instead, you chose to hurt me with betrayal."

Adrian's parents were taken aback, stunned by what I had done. They charged toward me, ready to strike.

But then, I stepped back and opened the door.

A group of burly men stormed in from outside, forming a protective circle around me and glaring menacingly at the Johnson family.

I smiled and spoke.

"Adrian, take your family and get lost. I never want to see you again."

At my threat, Adrian spat out harshly, "Colleen, you're the one without money now. I wonder how long you can afford to keep these people around. If you have the guts, don't spend a dime of my money."

Chapter 5

I slammed the door shut. Whatever feelings I once had for Adrian were completely gone.

Outside, I could hear the Johnsons talking. "Hmph! Once she runs out of money, she'll come begging Adrian anyway."

By the floor-to-ceiling windows, the bodyguards finished packing everything up for me.

"Ms. Lamb, Mr. Lamb's helicopter will arrive on the rooftop tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience of having you stay here for the night."

…

On my last day there, just as I was about to head out, my best friend called and told me to turn on the TV immediately.

It was still early. I opened my laptop, and a live interview featuring Adrian popped up.

Turns out that after I kicked them out last night, Rosalind had suddenly developed severe stomach pain and was rushed to the hospital.

A reporter recognized Adrian as the rising star of the industry and immediately sensed a juicy story.

Rosalind was inside the hospital on bed rest, while Adrian was being interviewed right outside her ward.

Clearly exhausted, he said, "Sorry, everyone. Please keep your voices down. I don't want to disturb my wife."

The reporter looked surprised. "As far as I know, your wife is Ms. Colleen Lamb from the family that went bankrupt, isn't that right?"

Adrian shook his head, looking as if the words were stuck in his throat.

Suddenly, Jessie stepped forward. "Actually, Colleen was abducted before. She's not exactly clean anymore. Everyone knows that. Our family kept her afloat for three years. That was more than generous."

Adrian shoved Jessie aside and snapped at her, "Shut up. Don't talk about Colleen like that. She was your sister-in-law."

Then, he turned back to the camera and said, "Thank you for your concern, but Colleen is history. Ms. Rosalind Muller is the woman I want to protect now. She's suffered too much because of me."

On camera, Adrian looked remarkably sincere. I noticed that the online comments were filled with nothing but praise for him.

Behind me, a bodyguard stepped forward with a blank expression. "Ms. Lamb, would you like us to strike now?"

I smiled and told him to stay calm. It wasn't time yet.

The next second, a clipped video appeared in the comments.

It showed me huddled in a corner after being abducted, looking small and helpless, while a group of men stood before me with leering, sinister smiles.

The footage was blurry, but someone confidently commented that it was definitely me.

I was scrolling through the comments when my phone rang.

Rosalind's venomous voice came through. "Colleen, how do you like my gift? Get out of my house right now. With you being as powerless and penniless as you are now, you don't stand a chance against me."

I replied calmly, "You really surprised me. Since you gave me a gift, it'd be rude not to return the favor. Just wait for your big surprise."

Rosalind panicked, demanding to know what I meant.

But I hung up without another word.

Before shutting down my laptop, I saw a statement released by the Johnson family.

"To prevent anyone from falsely claiming the title of the Johnson family's daughter-in-law in the future, we hereby declare that Rosalind Muller is our only officially recognized daughter-in-law. All others are impostors."

It was strange.

Just days ago, Adrian's betrayal still hurt. But now that he had openly cut ties with me, I actually feel a sense of relief.

The helicopter had been waiting on the rooftop for a long time. I headed upstairs, surrounded by bodyguards.

Just before boarding, one of them handed me a laptop. "Ms. Lamb, the kidnappers from three years ago have been caught. That mysterious person says you're free to reveal the truth now."