Chapter 1

I was three months pregnant when my fiancé left me to marry his first love, Isabella Thompson.

Soon after, I was in a car accident. I survived, but our baby didn't.

My childhood friend, Daniel Smith, found out and insisted on marrying me despite his family's objections.

He spent a fortune on the best doctors to ensure I recovered fully.

Later, he arranged a grand proposal, confessing he had loved me for years.

I was touched and agreed to marry him.

But three years later, I overheard his conversation with his friend, Mike Perez.

"Remember years ago when Isabella stole Jessica's fiancé? To avoid any future trouble for Isabella, you married Jessica and even caused that car accident, which killed the baby she was carrying. Now, can she even get pregnant anymore?" Mike asked.

"No, I love Isabella," Daniel replied. "I just didn't want to have any babies with Jessica, so I put birth control in her water."

I trembled, unable to believe what I had heard.

It turned out Isabella was also Daniel's first love.

I figured it was time for me to leave.

Chapter 1

I almost lost my balance and had to steady myself against the bedroom door.

Mike Perez patted Daniel Smith on the shoulder, teasing him, "Come on. It's been three years, and Isabella is married. You still can't get over her?"

Daniel took a drag of his cigarette and bowed his head, struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"I've only ever loved Isabella," he said. "In fact, she's getting a divorce soon. I'll get to see her more often."

"What are you saying, man?" Mike gasped. "Are you planning to divorce Jessica and marry Isabella?"

Daniel didn't reply immediately. Instead, he looked out the window.

After a while, he finally said, "No, I'll spend my life making up for the pain I caused Jessica."

I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

But when Daniel turned around, I quickly wiped my tears and forced a smile.

He glanced at Mike nervously and came up to me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, cupping my face. "Your eyes are so red. Did you get something in them while showering?"

I nodded, still reeling from the shock. "Yeah."

Mike walked over and patted him on the back, giving him a playful look. "Alright, I'll leave you guys alone."

Once Mike was gone, Daniel scooped me up and carried me to the bed.

A gentle kiss landed on my lips, but what used to make me melt now only filled me with pain.

As he tried to undress me, I pushed him away. "Why don't you go take a shower first?"

He smiled indulgently and scratched my nose with his finger. "You like it clean as always. Alright. I'll be back in a minute."

I forced a smile. "Okay."

He went to the bathroom, but his phone rang on the bed.

I had never checked his phone before, but this time, I couldn't help myself.

I remembered Isabella's birthday and entered the numbers. Sure enough, the phone was unlocked.

My heart raced as I opened Facebook and saw messages from his other account to "Bella".

Bella: [Daniel, I'm divorced now. I'll come see you tomorrow. Pick me up at 9 AM.]

I marked the message as unread, but I couldn't resist checking out his posts.

Almost everything was about Isabella. It almost felt like a diary.

[Bella wore the dress I bought her today. She looked so beautiful. I miss her so much.]

[Bella got mad at me today over something I said. I had to write a love letter to cheer her up.]

[Bella never forgets me. She sent me flowers today. I'm totally smitten.]

...

As I read them, I felt a lump in my throat.

Daniel had never written any love letters to me. He always said, "I hate typing. It's all meaningless. Why do you care about that?"

I had thought it was just his personality, but now I realized that I was just not worth the effort.

I put the phone back and lay down, staring at the ceiling.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I suppressed the bitterness and called my best friend, Sarah Garcia.

"I'm coming to your studio in three days. Train me to paint," I said, giving myself three days to handle the divorce.

Daniel came out of the shower.

I ended the call and pretended to be asleep, not wanting his affection.

He checked if I was really asleep before sending a voice message to Isabella.

[I'm so happy. I can finally see you tomorrow. I'll be there on time.]

[I bought the necklace you love. It's your welcome gift.]

The day he had gone to buy the necklace was our wedding anniversary. For Isabella, he had left me behind.

I shut my eyes tightly, pushing my annoyance into the corner of my mind.

Daniel, on the other hand, was too excited to sleep and kept messaging Isabella.

Chapter 2

It felt like an eternity had passed before I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Daniel was up early.

I thought he was rushing to the station to meet Isabella. But when I got out of bed, I found him carefully preparing breakfast.

Seeing me in my pajamas, he walked over and gently helped me to the table.

"I made all your favorites today," he said gently. "The sandwiches and fried eggs are fresh, and the milk is at the perfect temperature. Try it."

He looked so sincere that I almost thought yesterday's events had never happened.

But soon, my head cleared. I understood this was just his way of compensating me before going to meet Isabella. In truth, his marriage to me was a form of compensation.

I took a small bite, but before I could say anything, he grabbed a napkin and wiped my mouth.

"Look at you. You got food on your face," he teased me.

I forced a stiff smile, hiding my bitterness.

"Why are you so quiet today?" he blinked, finally noticing it.

I used to talk endlessly around him because I loved him so much. Now my silence must have hit a nerve.

"Nothing, just still waking up," I replied.

He glanced at the time, frowning, and lost interest in my mood.

"Alright, well, finish your breakfast," he said. "I have an urgent matter at work, so I have to go."

He grabbed his coat and rushed out.

Losing my appetite, I hailed a taxi and followed him to the train station.

Daniel arrived early at 8:30, something out of the ordinary.

In the past, whenever I asked him to pick me up, he'd always arrive just in time, sometimes even making me wait.

I used to think he was a fan of time management. Now I saw the truth. I was just not important to him.

I hid in a corner, watching him wait for Isabella.

Honestly, I just wanted to see what kind of breathtaking beauty Isabella was to make both Daniel and my ex-fiancé fall head over heels for her.

At nine o'clock, Isabella stepped out of the train station. And yes, she was stunning, with a perfect figure and a flawless face.

Daniel couldn't take his eyes off her. The moment she got close, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Bella, I finally see you again," he muttered. "I missed you so much."

Isabella suddenly leaned in and kissed him, a move that turned him on.

Daniel took her to a secluded spot and tore at her clothes, indulging himself with reckless abandon.

Lost in the moment, Isabella started to moan, "Slow down, you're too rough. People might see us like this. How about we go to your place next time?"

Daniel, drowning in pleasure, didn't answer until he was satisfied. "I'll give Jessica a stronger dose of sleeping pills and take you home."

My nails dug into my palms, nearly breaking the skin. My teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Disgusted, I turned and vomited.

After that, I went home like a lost soul.

Chapter 3

Daniel didn't come home that day. He called me in the evening.

"Isabella is divorced now," he said. "She finally sees that scumbag for what he is. You both were victims of all this, and she wanted to invite you to dinner."

I wanted to refuse, but Isabella took the phone.

"Jessica, don't turn me down," she said. "Look, you're married to a good man. You're not holding a grudge about me taking your ex-fiancé, right? Now I'm just like you, a victim. Doesn't that make us friends?"

I didn't respond, and Daniel got impatient. "Come on. It's just a meal."

Finally, I agreed. "Alright."

I figured this was all Isabella's idea. She wanted to provoke me face-to-face, but I didn't fear her.

As soon as I arrived, Daniel stood up and trotted over.

Before I could say anything, he explained eagerly, "Don't misunderstand. I got to know Isabella at work. She has been running her own company and has business dealings with me."

He paused and added, "I knew things between you two were complicated, so I didn't tell you before. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

He lied so naturally. I wondered how many times he had practiced it.

I nodded in acknowledgement and followed him to the table. Ever since I arrived, Isabella had been eyeing me with a triumphant smile.

Without hesitation, Daniel sat down beside her and across from me. Under the table, his hand rested on her thigh.

I was still processing it when Isabella spoke up. "Mrs. Smith, you're lucky enough to get rid of a scumbag early and end up with a good man. It's envious."

She placed a hand on Daniel's chest, and he stiffened.

But when he realized I wasn't reacting, he relaxed.

"Thanks. You're amazing, too," he said smoothly. "Running companies requires talent. Jess doesn't have that."

His words hurt me deeply.

Even if he didn't love me, he had never belittled me like that. Now, just to praise Isabella, he was willing to tear me down.

I thought about how I used to speak so highly of him. That was only because I loved him.

Isabella smiled knowingly and placed a glass of wine in front of me.

"Let's drink and forget the past," she proposed.

I didn't take it, which annoyed Daniel. He tapped the table and urged me, "Just take it."

I looked up at him, realizing he had forgotten everything when Isabella was around.

The last time I had a sip of alcohol, I had an allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital.

Daniel had panicked so much that he dragged a doctor out of bed in the middle of the night to treat me. Now he no longer cared.

His patience wore thin, and he sulked, "Bella only wants to make friends with you. How can you be so rude?"

I took the glass with a smirk and tossed it off.

It was fine. Anyway, I would be leaving him tomorrow.

Once the wine went down my throat, my head started to spin. Before passing out, I heard their conversation.

"She really can't handle alcohol, huh?" Isabella snorted. "Let's not mind her and go on with our meal."

I wondered if Daniel would just listen to her and ignore my situation.

Chapter 4

An hour later, they finally finished eating.

Only then did they send me to the hospital. The little bits of love left in me were gone with that.

As soon as I woke up, Daniel was eager to take me home.

Isabella sat in the passenger seat, while I was left in the back.

Daniel didn't explain why he was bringing Isabella home, but I didn't care anymore.

Taking advantage of my grogginess, he kept whining, "I never thought you'd be like this. Now you're making me lose face by pretending to be allergic to alcohol."

I didn't bother arguing with him. It was pointless.

Isabella smirked and glanced back at me.

"Daniel, don't blame her," she said sweetly. "If she doesn't want to drink, that's fine."

"You're so understanding," he replied. "Jessica is probably still holding a grudge against you. She's too petty."

When we got home, Daniel handed me a glass of water. "Still feeling unwell? Here, have some water."

I knew the water was laced with sleeping pills, so I secretly poured it out and pretended to fall asleep.

Daniel then carried me to the guest room. Soon after, Isabella came in.

"I knew you didn't drink it," she started. "You heard everything at the train station, didn't you?"

I opened my eyes, saying nothing. She continued, "So, you should know that Daniel only loves me. In fact, he married you because of me."

Taking advantage of my weakness, she tied me to a chair and placed me by the bedroom door.

"Sit here and listen to his passion for me tonight," she grinned. "Be a wise woman and leave him."

"Actually, you don't need to do this," I said calmly. "I've already decided to leave him. He's all yours."

Isabella snorted and slammed the door shut.

Inside the room, Daniel's breathing was heavy. He had never shown such passion to me.

But then again, it totally made sense because he never loved me.

"I can't believe we're doing this in your house with Jessica right outside," Isabella said. "This is thrilling."

"Be patient, my dear," Daniel grunted. "The real thrill is yet to come."

Their moans grew louder and louder, the bed creaking with every movement.

I couldn't cover my ears because I was tied up. But honestly, I felt nothing about it.

Suddenly, Daniel stopped. "Keep it down. If Jessica wakes up, I won't know what to say."

"Keep going," Isabella urged. "She won't wake up. Besides, who cares if she hears?"

Daniel slowed down anyway to avoid making too much noise.

Their passion went on until 2 AM.

Half an hour later, after Daniel fell asleep, Isabella came out to untie me. She gloated, "Heard all that? Ready to give up now?"

"Don't worry. I'll leave," I replied calmly.

Back in the guest room, I stretched my body and fell asleep instantly.

The next day, I woke up early, left the divorce agreement in the room, and headed to the airport.

On the way, I texted Sarah. [I'll be joining you soon.]

Chapter 5

Right before I boarded the plane, Daniel called me.

I rejected it without hesitation, but he was persistent, calling me again and again.

I simply turned off my phone and closed my eyes to rest.

Maybe it was exhaustion or relief of finally letting go, but for the first time in a long while, I slept soundly.

By the time I woke up, the plane had already landed. I stepped out of the airport and saw Sarah waiting for me.

I had packed lightly, with only important credentials with me.

She waved at me, and I ran straight into her arms.

"Girl, it's been a long time. I missed you so much," she said, hugging me tightly. "Ugh, it's all Daniel's fault. If he hadn't forced you to give up painting, you'd have been a famous artist too."

Her words brought back those painful memories. Painting used to be my major and passion. But after marrying Daniel, I gave it up.

"Wait a second," Sarah said, pulling back to look at me. "Daniel did everything he could to stop you from coming here. What made him change his mind?"

I told her everything that had happened.

After she heard me out, her face was flushed with anger.

"That's insane," she fumed. "How could he treat you like that? I'm going back with you now and demanding answers from him."

She grabbed my wrist and tried to drag me back inside the airport.

I stopped her. "It's okay. I don't want to see him ever again. Let's not waste our time on people like that."

I had already moved on. Out of the misery, I needed to start fresh.

After a long, exhausting journey, I settled into the room Sarah arranged for me.

Just as I was about to hit the sack, my phone buzzed.

Daniel blew up my phone with messages.

[Jessica, where are you? Why did you leave so early in the morning?"

[I called you countless times. Why weren't you answering? What the hell are you doing?]

[Rely to me.]

[What kind of game are you playing?]

...

I stared at his messages without responding.

When my phone finally went silent, I closed my eyes again.

But then, he sent me more messages.

[What's that agreement in the guest room? You want to divorce me?]

[What are you even mad about? Just because of the allergic reaction yesterday? Seriously?]

[I don't get it. You couldn't handle a little alcohol. Or maybe you were just pretending to embarrass me. How is that my fault? How is that Isabella's fault?]

[How did you become like this? Do you have to pull a stunt like this?]

[And who told you to leave the divorce agreement behind like that?]

[You'd better come back now. If you don't, don't think about stepping foot in this house ever again.]

[If you're not back within an hour, I swear I'll sign it and be done with you.]

I read through his messages and finally replied.

[I'm not going back. Go ahead and sign it.]

For a moment, he didn't send anything back.

Maybe he was in shock. After all, I had always clung to him. He had never thought I'd leave him one day.

For a moment, he didn't believe it. But soon, the reality set in, and he started to panic.

[Jess, are you seriously mad? If you don't wanna drink next time, we won't, okay?]

[Just tell me where you are. I'll come pick you up.]

[Where could you even go? Just send me your location. I'll come right now.]