Chapter 1

I marry Mason Longbright, my savior, at 24.

For five years, Mason's erectile dysfunction and bipolar disorder keep us from ever sleeping together.

He can't satisfy me when I want him, so he uses toys on me instead. But during his manic episodes, his touch turns into torment, leaving me bruised and broken.

On my birthday night, I catch Mason in bed with another woman.

Skin against skin, Mason drives into Amy Becker with a rough, ravenous urgency, his desire consuming her like a starving beast.

Our friends and family are shocked, but no one is more devastated than I am. And when Mason keeps choosing Amy over me at home, I finally decide to let him go.

I always thought his condition kept him from loving me, but it turns out he simply can't get it up with me at all.

I book a plane ticket and instruct my lawyer to deliver the divorce papers. I am determined to leave him.

To my surprise, Mason comes looking for me and falls to his knees, begging for forgiveness.

But this time, I choose to treat myself better.

Chapter 1

My husband, Mason Longbright, tried comforting me after he saw me crying.

"Don't cry anymore, Michelle. Just pretend like tonight never happened, and I will still treat you and spoil you the same as before."

One hour ago, I had just witnessed him pinning his psychiatrist underneath his body while he plunged his lower body into her, greedily claiming her body like he was a starving wild beast.

Meanwhile, whenever we were in bed together, he could never get it up with me because his lower half just wouldn't have any reaction toward me at all.

I wanted to know why he could get it up with other women but not with me. Was it really my problem after all?

I walked toward him and leaned my head against his chest, starting to feel him up.

"Mason, since you don't have that issue anymore, can you please take me now?"

Mason's eyes glimmered with a conflicted expression. Then, he pushed me away hesitantly.

I refused to give up and reached down to cup his bulge, trying to get him to react to my ministrations.

Mason frowned, and he sounded as though he was trying his best to hold back.

"Stop touching me, Michelle Armstrong," he said.

I refused to listen and leaned close, wanting to kiss him with my red lips.

However, Mason ducked and quickly grabbed me by my wrists. The look in his eyes suddenly became sharp as he said, "I can't get it up. Stop messing around."

His words made me feel very hurt. However, I still wasn't ready to give in. I just pushed him down and straddled him as I began to complain.

"No, I want you. You've already recovered. Why won't you want me?"

Instead, Mason shoved me off with all his strength, his voice suddenly a few times louder as he shouted at me, "I told you it's impossible! You're going overboard if you still won't let this go!"

I froze. Tears of sadness began rolling down my cheeks.

Mason refused to touch me. Did that mean he hated being intimate with me?

When he saw that I was crying, Mason got to his feet with a frustrated look in his eyes and grabbed a sex toy from the bedside drawer.

"If you want it, fine. I'll satisfy you with this."

I looked at the familiar toys and lowered my gaze in disappointment, suddenly feeling the pain intensify.

We had been married for five years, but it had simply been a nominal one.

Back then, I had been in a huge rush to get to an interview, so I was jogging along on the road. When I turned around the corner, I didn't pay attention to the cars on the road.

Just as I realized that I was about to be hit by a car, Mason had rushed out toward me and shoved me aside. Meanwhile, he was the one who got sent flying instead.

Mason landed on the ground, covered in blood, and was on the verge of dying.

When he was finally brought back to life, he was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, and he also suffered great damage to his manhood.

Mason, who had always been living life with much vigor, suddenly lost all of it and became listless instead, living life in the dumps.

As a form of gratitude, I began accompanying him to his physiology sessions every day to help him regain mobility in his lower body.

Although his legs eventually got better, he developed erectile dysfunction. However, the doctor had said that it would get better if he were willing to cooperate and continue receiving treatment for it.

We eventually fell in love with each other as we spent time together.

Ultimately, Mason proposed to me, and I married him in the end.

After becoming his wife, I did everything in my power to find him the best doctors for his condition. And two years ago, the doctor had told me that Mason's erectile dysfunction had been thoroughly cured.

Still, every time I asked him to make love to me, he would reject me with the excuse that he couldn't get it up. He even told me that he hated the thought of it.

In the end, he would resort to using sex toys on me to satisfy my hunger.

However, I had caught him and witnessed him doing such things with Amy today. That meant he didn't really hate the thought of lovemaking, but rather, the person he was making love to.

But why wouldn't he do it with me?

I was his rightful wife. I had been married to him for five years. And yet, I simply couldn't compare to a woman whom he'd just met for a month?

I felt the pain in my chest intensify at the thought of that. I began questioning Mason angrily, "Mason Longbright! You slept with another woman today! So why can't you do the same with me? Is it because you're tired of me? Is it because you don't love me anymore?"

Mason's eyes turned dark. He sighed heavily and walked up to me before giving me a tight hug and petting me on the back.

"You're overthinking things. You're my wife. Of course I love you. It's just that I can't get it up, and there's nothing I can do about it.

"Let's not talk about it anymore. Have a good rest tonight. I'm still busy with work, so I'm going back to the office tonight."

Mason then lowered his head and kissed me on the cheek. Then, he let go of me and turned to leave.

I watched him leave in a hurry as though some wild beast was chasing after him. I finally couldn't stand it any longer and burst into tears.

I was angry and indignant, but I had been holding it back.

I clenched my fists until my nails dug deep into my palms, and then a sudden, piercing pain shot through me. I realized they had pressed into a cut that was already there, left behind when Mason lost control yesterday and beat me.

Mason was cold and aloof in front of others, but nobody knew that he had bipolar disorder with violent manic episodes. Whenever he was triggered, he lashed out, harming and beating those around him.

I had endured five years of suffering at his hands, his manic episodes leaving countless scars across my body. And even though his violence broke me, I still felt pity when the mania subsided and he appeared helpless and remorseful.

I searched tirelessly across the world for a psychiatrist who might cure his mania. But his condition never improved—instead, he ended up having an affair with his psychiatrist.

A month ago, I managed to find Amy Becker, a famous psychiatrist, to treat Mason's bipolar disorder. Amy had even moved in with us so that she could treat him better.

She was always with him, taking care of his every need. And Mason, who had never opened up to anyone else, treated her quite well and was also willing to talk to her about everything.

They were practically glued together at the hip, and their interactions were quite intimate as well.

At first, I had gotten jealous of her, but Mason kept reassuring me that Amy was simply treating his condition. He also told me that I was just overthinking and overcomplicating things between them.

Yet, I never thought that they would eventually end up sleeping together.

I had caught them sleeping together on the night of my birthday banquet when I pushed open the door to the lounge in the hotel.

Their bodies kept moving against each other, Mason thrusting deeply into her as she let out lewd moans and gasps, completely enjoying themselves.

All of my friends and family members saw them too.

While I shut the door on them in panic, everyone immediately began murmuring and whispering among themselves. Meanwhile, I just ran away in fear and terror.

I felt my heart breaking again when I recalled the scene of Mason betraying me. The pain in my chest felt as if someone was slicing at my heart with a sharp knife with blood seeping everywhere.

I had vowed to take care of him for the rest of my life on the day I married him, so I did everything in my power to be the perfect wife for him.

But now, everything I did for him felt like nothing but a joke.

I cried all night, turning the betrayal over in my mind.

I wanted to give up on him, but I simply couldn't bear to let go of the relationship. I couldn't just break things off cleanly with him.

Finally, I came to a decision.

I was going to give him a final chance. And if I realized that he really didn't love me anymore, then I would divorce him so that he could get together with Amy instead.

Chapter 2

The next day, I went to Amy's room and gave her a proper once-over.

She liked wearing tight-fitting dresses that showed off all of her voluptuous curves. She also had a fox-like charm to her, perfect skin, and long legs to die for. In other words, she was a very beautiful woman.

I had seen her stark-naked body last night, and her skin was also flawless and perfect on every inch of her body. It was a lot easier on the eyes compared to my body, which was littered with scars and bruises.

So, it was only natural for men to look at her and feel sexually attracted to her.

I sighed and handed her a check. "Leave."

Amy clenched the check before tearing it up under my nose.

I look at her in shock. Then, my expression turned hard. "You're fired as his psychiatrist. Please leave now!"

Amy just smirked and looked at me smugly. "You're scared."

I felt a conflicted expression arising in me, but I suppressed it. "He's recovered now. He doesn't need you anymore."

Amy shrugged and looked at me meaningfully. "No. He still needs me."

I glared at her coldly, rapidly losing my patience. "What is it that you want?"

Amy grinned lightly and looked like she was thinking. Then, she gloated and said, "I was up all night with Mazy for such a long time last night that I just want to rest properly today."

The pain in my chest kept growing. I suddenly recalled the look of happiness and relief on Mason's face when he'd finally engaged in sexual activities last night for the first time in ages.

Mason had told me he wasn't interested in lovemaking, yet with Amy, he no longer hated it. He didn't care about anything else when he was with her, and could even get a hard-on for her.

The pain and bitterness kept swelling in my heart. I could also feel the jealousy rising in me. Still, I forced myself to suppress it, struggling to maintain my composure.

"Amy, I don't care about whatever just happened between you and him. But it's all over now. Please leave my house."

Amy laughed in my face, sounding every bit disdainful. "I will never leave unless he's the one telling me to leave."

When I saw how shamelessly unreasonable she was, my temper snapped. I pointed furiously at the door and shouted, "Get out of my house! I don't like you, and neither does he!"

Amy thought nothing of it. She just replied in a nonchalant voice, "You're wrong. He told me last night was magical, and that he loved being with me!"

I had restrained myself until now, but at this moment, all hell broke loose. Rage surged through me, my chest heaving with fury. I lost every shred of patience and, without hesitation, called the bodyguards on my phone.

When Amy heard it, she finally began to panic.

"You can't chase me out! I heard that Mazy couldn't get it up in the past, but he can now, after sleeping with me! It's good news for you! You just need to put up with it for a while longer as I cure his bipolar! I'll leave after he's gotten better!"

I could barely keep my breathing even and just screamed at her, "Shut up!"

I really never thought that Amy could be so shameless.

I wanted to give Mason another chance, but I could no longer bear watching my own husband walk in and out of the house with another woman at his side.

Soon, two bodyguards appeared. In a cold, steady voice, I ordered, "Escort this woman out of my house!"

Without hesitation, the bodyguards advanced toward Amy and seized her.

Amy refused to leave and hugged a pillar tightly, stubbornly exclaiming, "I'm not leaving!"

I didn't want to bother myself with her anymore. Just as I turned to leave, my sharp eyes caught the necklace around her neck.

My eyes widened at once, and I trembled in disbelief.

The necklace was all too familiar.

I stepped closer for a better look and confirmed that it was the very necklace my mother had left me. Pointing at it, I asked sharply, "Where did you get this necklace?"

Amy answered smugly, "Mazy gave it to me."

At that moment, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. My eyes instantly welled with tears.

I lowered my gaze, trying my best to hide the hurt in my eyes, and kept my voice as calm as possible.

"He… He gave it to you?"

Chapter 3

Amy answered affirmatively, "Of course Mazy did!"

Suddenly, my belief in love crumbled, and my love for Mason also began to waver.

Back then, Mom and Dad had gotten into massive debt because their business didn't do well. After dying of overexhaustion, everything belonging to the family had been auctioned off, and the creditors also took away all of our assets.

This necklace of Mom's had also gone missing then.

I had been searching for this necklace for a very long time. I'd also told Mason about it. I told him that if he were to locate it, he had to buy it back for me no matter the price, because that was the only thing I had to remember Mom by.

I had even shown Mason numerous pictures of the necklace so that he would be able to recognize it instantly at all the auctions he went to.

When he married me, he promised that he would help me search for the necklace. But now, Mom's necklace was being worn around Amy's neck, and he was the one who had given it to her.

Had he already forgotten just how important this necklace was to me?

Or did he think that this necklace could be a way for him to keep Amy by his side?

No matter what, I had to get this necklace back. I instinctively reached out to grab it.

However, before I could even touch it, Amy suddenly broke free from the bodyguards and shoved me heavily backward.

I lost my balance and stumbled backward, while she toppled to her side.

Suddenly, someone rushed up from behind me, pushed me aside, and darted to Amy, catching her just before she fell.

Amy was caught firmly in Mason's arms, while I crashed against the bookshelf. Its sharp corners split my forehead, and blood began to flow.

Blood blurred my vision as I stared in disbelief—my own husband was holding Amy tightly in his arms.

He was looking at her gently and asked in an even gentler voice, "Does it hurt? Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

Mason's kind words snapped the last fragile thread holding me together. My heart clenched as if crushed in his hands, leaving me breathless.

I had been married to Mason for five years. His kindness and concern should have belonged to me alone. Yet when I saw him showing that same concern for another woman, I realized I had never been the only one in his heart.

For five years, Mason had treated me well, fulfilling me in every way except in bed. He knew how to lift me when I was down, protect me as his wife, and deliberately set aside time to keep me company.

But lately, I had begun to see how distant he had grown, and even the kindness and concern he once showed me were fading away.

I felt him beginning to turn away from me, and the reason was painfully clear—he was falling in love with someone else.

Just then, Amy began nuzzling him back and saying in a coquettish tone, "It doesn't hurt. Everything's fine now that you're here."

Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

The sight was piercing to my eyes.

He was a married man, and he was supposed to push her away. However, he did nothing of the sort and just allowed her to be intimate with him.

It was one of the bodyguards, Gus Jepson, who thought that it shouldn't be the case and reminded Mason of his identity.

"Mr. Longbright, the person you're hugging is Ms. Becker. Shouldn't you let go of her?"

Mason immediately glared at him.

Gus didn't dare to speak anymore and kept quiet.

I got to my feet and stared at the couple still hugging each other. Then I said in a cold voice, "Mason. Let go of her."

It was only then that Mason turned to look at me with a frustrated, complicated look on his face.

He finally saw the cut on my forehead. Concern immediately showed in his eyes as he let go of Amy and rushed over to me.

He suddenly was at a loss for what to do and just dabbed at my cut with his sleeve. "You're hurt. We need to get the family doctor to patch you up."

I looked at him with reddened eyes. Just as I was about to respond to him, Amy suddenly let out a huge cry.

She held a hand to her stomach and began sobbing loudly.

"Mazy! I think I hurt my stomach falling down… Hurry up and take me to the hospital. I have gastric issues. What if the fall caused me to bleed internally?"

At that, Mason turned to look at her and said in a comforting voice, "Then don't move."

He then looked at me and said nonchalantly, "I'm taking Amy to the hospital. Remember to get Dr. Hunter to take a look at your cut."

Then, he picked Amy up bridal-style and rushed her to the hospital.

I stood there, frozen to my spot, and began to cry uncontrollably.

I never thought that Mason would choose to protect her first and even bring her to the hospital himself before taking care of me.

He kept telling me that he loved me, but his actions told me otherwise.

At that thought, I felt an excruciating pain coursing through my body. My emotions turned bitter, and my heart felt hollow in my chest.

After the family doctor, Corey Hunter, was done patching me up, Mason came back from the hospital with Amy. They went straight to his study, and I didn't know what they were up to inside.

Out of curiosity, I ended up tapping on the live surveillance footage on my phone.

I had installed this camera in his study back when I had still been taking care of Mason so that I could check on his physical health anytime.

I could see what they were doing in the study. In the video, I could see Amy seated, while Mason crouched at her feet, massaging them.

He was very gentle with her, and his eyes were filled with concern.

"You have such beautiful feet. It would have been a shame if you sprained them."

Chapter 4

Amy chuckled shyly. "You protected me. Of course, I'd be fine."

Mason's eyes turned deep. His voice, though sounding nonchalant, was mixed with a hint of tender lovingness.

"I just can't bear to see you hurt."

He rose to his feet, gazing at her with raw feeling, before drawing her tightly into his arms.

Amy hugged him back, leaning against his shoulder and looking like she was enjoying every second of it.

"I'm really happy to know that you have a place for me in your heart."

Mason lowered his head and lightly kissed her on the nape, his hands slowly slipping under her shirt to grab her chest. "Of course there's a place for you in my heart. You're mine, after all."

I turned off the video at once, unwilling to watch or listen any longer. Anger boiled over until I laughed out loud, though the bitterness in my heart remained.

Everything proved that Mason no longer loved me. He could only get a hard-on with Amy because he had feelings for her. He had even shoved me aside to catch her before she fell, showing his care for her and his disregard for me.

I bet that he didn't even love me anymore. So, was there really a need for me to give him another chance?

I felt lost.

Tears wouldn't stop slipping from my eyes, revealing the despair and sadness I felt.

A while later, Mason walked into my room. He sat down next to me and held my hand between his fingers, gently caressing it. He asked in concern, "Does the cut still hurt?"

I shook my head.

The cut on my forehead didn't hurt. It was my heart that hurt the most.

And yet, Mason's next words would only make the pain in my heart grow tenfold if not a hundredfold.

"Sweetie, you're a very understanding person. You shouldn't make things hard for Amy anymore. You also shouldn't be chasing her out of the house."

I looked at him in shock.

He then pulled me into his arms and began comforting me with his words.

"Be good and behave yourself. You're the only person I love. Amy still needs to cure my condition, so you shouldn't offend her. Next time, just look the other way and forget about certain things that you see."

After that, he slid a note into my hands and began talking to me in an enchanting voice, "You and Amy both like the clothes designed by fashion designer Vinny Fang. I remember that Vinny's making you another dress next month, right?

"Tell him to make a few more gowns and dresses in Amy's size. I'm going to give them to her as her birthday gifts."

I shoved Mason away angrily and crumpled up the paper in my hand.

"What are you taking me for? How could you even want me to do such a thing?"

I found it simply ridiculous that he was asking me to help him woo another woman.

Just then, Amy walked in and pretended to say, "Forget about it. Since Mrs. Longbright refuses to do it, I won't wear them anymore."

I glared at Amy with a displeased expression on my face.

Amy was doing this on purpose. She was deliberately destroying my relationship with Mason.

After all, Mason was always very busy with work and rarely ever cared about what I wore. He also wouldn't have thought about asking me for this favor on his own.

Suddenly, I caught sight of the diamond ring on Amy's finger.

I immediately rushed up to her, grabbed her wrist, and stared at the diamond ring.

This was Mason's wedding ring! To think that he had also given it to her!

I looked at Mason in disappointment, raising my voice and questioning him, "Did you just give her our wedding ring?"

Mason didn't think much about it. "She said she liked it."

I retorted angrily. "But this ring is a symbol of our love!"

Mason shrugged, still thinking that it wasn't a big deal. "We've been married for years. What's there for it to symbolize anymore?"

Mason's nonchalant tone triggered all the anger I'd been repressing for a long time. Everything exploded at once.

My eyes burned red as I let go of Amy's hand, as though I had completely given up on him.

I suddenly wanted to know what Mason truly thought of me, and where I ranked in his heart.

I fixed my gaze on him, each word deliberate and heavy as I spoke.

"Mason Longbright. Have you ever thought of me as your wife? If so, who is she to you?"

Mason answered at once, "You're my wife. She's my soulmate."

I was stupefied.

His soulmate? How ridiculous was that?

They had only known each other for a month, and suddenly, they were soulmates who didn't mind sleeping with each other.

This was ridiculous.

I chuckled coldly and made it clear to him.

"No. You're treating her like your lover. She is your mistress!"

Mason's expression darkened. He yelled at me and said, "Stop spouting bullshit!"

Chapter 5

I knew that Mason was trying to deny it and escape facing the music. However, I wasn't going to let him do it. I had to burst his bubble for him.

"You are the one who's bullshitting me," I exclaimed. "I am your wife! And yet, you had sex with Amy and called her your soulmate! Sure, you may think that she's just your soulmate, but you've already fallen in love with her, haven't you?"

Mason frowned deeply, suddenly at a loss for words to say.

I walked closer to him and raised my voice again, tearing down his facade.

"You loved her, which is why you slept with her. You hate me, so you've always refused to even lay a finger on me!"

I then lowered my head helplessly and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "After five years of marriage, I still ended up losing to her."

I felt exhausted all of a sudden. I took a few steps back and took a deep breath after pointing out his wrongdoings.

"Actually, you could have just told me the truth. You could have also divorced me. Why did you have to betray me and sleep with her behind my back instead? And why did you also tell me that I was to pretend I didn't know anything about it?"

Mason looked at me darkly and denied everything.

"You're overthinking again. I love you. I could never bear to divorce you."

I shook my head, not believing him anymore.

"You're lying to me."

Mason frowned. He looked very displeased. "You've been acting erratically lately. We won't discuss this any further. We will only resume after you have calmed down."

Then, he left.

However, I no longer wanted to suppress my emotions or pretend none of this had happened. I rushed toward the door and blocked his path, my feelings more inflamed than ever.

"If you could only pick one person between me and her, Mason Longbright, would you choose me? Or her?"

Mason glared at me angrily, his eyes reflecting that his patience was at its limits.

"Get out of my way!"

I refused and challenged him head-on. "I need to know your answer."

He refused to answer and tried to walk past me, but I grabbed his arm.

Suddenly, Mason's face twisted into a wild expression, his eyes turning cold and sharp. In an instant, his hand closed around my neck, his grip tightening as if he meant to kill me.

His sudden change sent me into shock, but I glared back and struck his arm. He wouldn't let go. His bloodshot eyes blazed with fury, his chest heaving with rage.

He continued tightening his grip around my throat. I couldn't breathe anymore, and my face also turned as red as a tomato.

Mason's condition was all too familiar yet terrifying. He was having another manic episode.

Just as I thought I was about to die from suffocation, the maid standing next to me, Daisy Fletcher, realized that something was wrong and rushed up to me to shove me away from him.

I fell to the floor and began coughing and gasping for air.

When Mason saw that Daisy had helped me, he kicked at her in a rage and even grabbed a nearby vase before smashing it against her head.

Daisy couldn't avoid it in time, and she immediately passed out on the floor.

Still, Mason wouldn't stop. He grabbed everything within his reach and continued smashing everything against her body as if he was venting out all of his anger on her. His expression was horrendous and vengeful.

I watched him coldly as he continued with his manic episode. This time, however, I didn't rush up to him to hug him and try to calm him down anymore.

In the past, I had always been worried that he would hurt himself during one of his rage fits, so every time it happened, I would still throw myself at him and try to calm him down even though that meant I would get beaten black and blue.

Eventually, every time his condition acted up again, he would always need me by his side. I would just have to hug him, and he would eventually calm down after throwing a fit or two.

Just then, Amy, who had been shocked to her core, suddenly shuddered and yelled at me, saying, "Leave now! He's acting up again. I need to calm him down."

I laughed coldly and asked her in return, "How are you planning to calm him down?"

Amy narrowed her eyes at me, a sly, calculating look gleaming in her eyes.

Then, she looked at me confidently and said, "Let me show you who he actually needs."

Chapter 6

Just as I thought Amy was going to give Mason a sedative, I saw her throwing herself at him, caging him between her arms, kissing him deeply.

He stopped lashing out at once, freezing in place. Even the anger and twisted expression on his face quickly melted away, replaced with calmness and quietness.

Mason dropped all the things he was holding and hugged her back, deepening the kiss even more.

They looked like lovers with the way they got lost in the kiss.

I felt my heart shuddering hard as I balled my hands into fists.

The scene cut deep into my heart, dragging out every ounce of pain and bitterness I carried. It crawled across my skin, gnawed at my chest, and struck so hard I could almost hear my soul shattering into pieces.

When I comforted Mason, I had to endure getting beaten black and blue. However, when Amy comforted him, she only needed to give him a kiss.

She used her actions to prove that Mason never needed me. He had always needed her instead.

For five years, I had managed every detail of his life, freeing him to focus on work without a single worry about the household.

When he lay paralyzed in bed, I devoted myself to him, waiting on him hand and foot. I even took care of his excrement by myself.

When his condition flared, I endured it all, gritting my teeth even when it meant getting hurt.

I never asked for his love in return. However, I had hoped that he would remember my sincerity and everything I'd done for him.

But now, Mason has crushed my heart beneath his foot.

The five years I'd given him were nothing but a joke.

I'd lost completely to Amy.

They were made for each other, just like how God must have meant for them to be.

They could only finally be together once I was out of the picture. Maybe, that way, Mason's mania would finally be cured.

I laughed bitterly. Eventually, I began crying in spite of myself.

Initially, I had thought of giving Mason another chance to try to salvage our marriage. But he had already fallen in love with somebody else and forgotten me long ago.

Even if he still held me in his heart, he had betrayed me.

If that was the case, should I really still continue trying to salvage this marriage he had already betrayed?

I didn't think so.

He wasn't worthy of my love anymore. I was going to give up on him and stop forcing him to love me back.

I numbly turned around and went back into my room, giving them space.

After managing to calm myself down, I called my lawyer, Philip Lawson, and got him to settle the divorce paperwork for me.

Then, I bought a flight ticket, planning to leave this city for good. I wasn't going to return for the rest of my life.

The next day, Mason walked into my room and sighed heavily.

"Sweetie, I need to discuss something with you."

I look at him curiously.

He hesitated for a while. Finally, he said, "Moving forward, you will be my wife, and Amy will be my mistress. The two of you should get along together to take care of me. Okay?"

I looked like he'd just told me the joke of the century.

How could he even say such vile words to me?

I laughed coldly and couldn't stop myself from asking him, "It's been five years, Mason. Do you still love me?"

Mason nodded at once without hesitation.

I smiled bitterly at him. "But you've also fallen in love with her, haven't you?"

Mason looked away from me and glanced at the scenery outside my window instead. His eyes turned dark, and I didn't know what was going on in his head.

I lowered my gaze with unexpected calm and said, "I’d be honest—my gratitude was a big reason I agreed to marry you. But love is a two-way connection, and marriage is a lifelong vow. We were only together for five years when things changed. Or perhaps we both had already changed."

I had put in a lot of effort so that Mason would fall in love with me. When he finally agreed to marry me, I thought that he would love me for the rest of our lives.

Even though he had never once touched me with desire, I still looked forward to the day when we would finally be joined as one.

But now, it was evident that everything had simply been wishful thinking.

He'd changed. His love for me was gone.

So I no longer wanted him either. I refused to give him any more chances to hurt me and break my heart again.

His footsteps drew closer to me until he stood before me, gazing down at the crown of my head.

I could see from the shadows that he had lifted his hand as if to pat me on the head, but he suddenly stopped mid-air.

A long while later, he finally spoke.

"You should be more gracious with her. As long as you agree to get along with Amy, this family is still an unbroken one. I will still treat you like I did in the past. We just need to continue living like this."

I couldn't stop myself from chuckling coldly.

I finally saw his true colors and his hidden intention now. He was greedy and wanted to continue basking in both my attention and Amy's.

He knew that doing so would be cheating on me, but he still did it anyway.

He was also telling me now, using my love for him and my reluctance to leave him as a leverage so that I wouldn't kick up a fuss and that I would cave and accept Amy into our lives.

How could he be such a selfish person?

I suddenly realized that I didn't know who Mason was anymore. I felt as though I had never known him in the first place.

I looked up at him in disappointment. Just as I was about to say something, someone knocked on the door, and Amy's crying voice could be heard.

"Hubs, I just had a nightmare. I got such a fright. Can't you please stay with me?"

Chapter 7

I was shocked to hear Amy calling Mason "Hubs". However, I let it go just a split second later.

Mason was slightly stunned. He glanced at the door.

I could see the hesitance in his eyes. However, his legs were already moving, ready to take him to her.

A few seconds later, he walked toward the door, opened it, and walked away with Amy.

I smiled bitterly.

How could he still hope that I would get along well with Amy? That was impossible! I simply couldn't see myself fighting with another woman for his attention.

Even though my heart was hurting, it was becoming numb.

I decided to leave as early as I could and end all things with Mason. I didn't want to let myself continue getting tortured by him anymore.

After Mason came clean with me, he grew bolder, flaunting his intimacy with Amy right under my nose.

However, it was obvious that she didn't like sharing him with me. She deliberately challenged me over the most minute of things, and somehow always managed to make Mason give her whatever I liked or had set my eyes on.

When Mason attended charity events, Amy would put on my dresses and attend the events with him. This was akin to declaring their relationship to the world.

Their affair sent shockwaves through the industry, and soon people began to treat me as a joke. But I no longer cared. I didn't waste my anger on anyone; I had already decided to leave him anyway.

When the time finally came, I walked away without a single suitcase.

No one even noticed my absence as I boarded the flight that carried me out of the city.

Mason noticed nothing amiss in the first three days after I left. It wasn't until a week had passed that he finally realized I was gone.

He searched everywhere, but there was no trace of me.

He tried calling me on my phone, but his calls never went through. He sent my text messages too, and that was when it finally hit him that I had blocked his number.

A bad feeling rose inside of him, though he dared not admit it aloud.

At that very moment, the divorce agreement I'd prepared was delivered into Mason's hands by the postman.

Mason's face turned white when he received the divorce agreement. He froze in place, yet the hand clutching the document trembled uncontrollably.

He held a hand to his heart and felt his heartbeat racing wildly. He also felt a pang of hurt spreading in his chest.

Suddenly, it dawned on him.

Panic flickered across his face as he snatched his phone and dialed my number again and again, like a madman.

But every call failed to connect.

Amy drew out the letter I had mailed to him and read aloud.

"Let's get divorced, Mason Longbright.

"I've loved you for five years, but everything in the past five years passed just like a game, and now, it's time to end things.

"You've changed, and I'm exhausted. You asked me to get along with Amy and stay with you, but I'm unable to do it. I'm a jealous person, and I cannot accept the fact that my husband has accepted another woman into his heart.

"Since you've fallen in love with Amy, I won't continue pestering you anymore. You already have her, and she can treat your mania and bipolar disorder. I'll just step out of the picture and wish you both the best instead.

"I'm stepping out of your life for good. See you, never."

Mason's expression fell as Amy finished reading my letter aloud. The despair in his eyes shifted into a hollow confusion, as though he no longer knew what to do.

A few seconds later, he snapped back to his senses, snatching the letter from Amy's hands and ripping it into shreds. In a fit of rage, he overturned the table and roared, "How dare you leave me, Michelle Armstrong? How dare you abandon everything?"

Amy was shocked. She hugged him instinctively and said, "Don't get mad. I'm still here with you."

However, Mason shoved her off and yelled in her face, "Don't touch me!"

Amy was dazed. She trembled and curled up like she was a frightened little kitten.

Mason's chest heaved as blood rushed to his head. A sudden wave of dizziness struck, and he collapsed to the ground.

He struggled back to his feet, only for his legs to give way again moments later. He looked as though he had been dealt a devastating blow.

His lips wouldn't stop trembling. He was in utter disbelief.

"She left… She doesn't want me anymore! This can't be real!"