Chapter 2

Caleb and I were a real-life fairytale.

He was from the prominent Hayes family,

the sole heir to their empire.

My background was ordinary.

And I had a chronically ill mother who needed constant care.

Not long after Caleb and I started dating,

I confided in him about my family situation.

I thought he'd be like everyone else,

backing away once he heard about my bedridden mom.

But he didn't.

He just held my hand, his eyes filled with tenderness,

and whispered, his voice trembling:

"You must have been so tired all these years, right? I'll be by your side from now on."

He told me:

"Skylar, no matter where you go or what you do, don't forget I'm always behind you."

Back then, many people said that meeting Caleb was the greatest fortune of my life.

I thought so too.

No one imagined then

that a wedding I'd looked forward to with all my heart

would not only brand me with an unshakeable 'gold-digger' label,

but also shatter all his love for me.

To this day, I still remember.

After I got the money,

I rushed to pay for my mom's surgery.

But my mom's doctor, no longer looking urgent,

told me gravely:

"Ms. Miller, your mother is perfectly fine. Everything you just witnessed was a test from Mrs. Hayes. She wanted to see if you were truly worthy of being Mrs. Hayes."

"She asked me to tell you that she's not entirely satisfied with your performance. If you want to secure your place as Mrs. Hayes, you have more work to do."

"Also, Mrs. Hayes will arrange a better medical team for your mother, but on one condition: she expects your absolute silence on this matter."

Because of Mrs. Hayes's subtle and not-so-subtle threats,

I couldn't risk my mom's life.

No matter how much Caleb misunderstood me,

I never told him the truth about what happened.

But when I found out he was cheating,

and there was a new, bright, beautiful girl by his side,

I still went crazy and fought with him.

I clutched his clothes, sobbing uncontrollably.

Again and again, I humbly begged him:

"Caleb, please, I'm begging you, stop treating me like this!"

Facing my plea,

his cold face showed not a flicker of emotion.

He harshly pried my hands away,

and said, word by word:

"Skylar, the day you demanded money at our wedding, trampling on my family's reputation, you died in my heart."

"Now, you're just a woman I bought with money. What right do you have to make demands of me?"

After that.

He became even more brazen.

The women by his side changed constantly.

The sleeping pills in my nightstand.

Bottle after bottle, they emptied during my sleepless nights.

Now, I had no money for refills.

I could only turn and head home.

But when I reached the front door of the villa,

I found it tightly shut, with no lights inside.

I clutched my still aching stomach and struggled to press the doorbell.

"Maria, are you there? Could you please open the door for me?"

I gritted my teeth, shouting inside.

The next moment.

The butler's cold, impersonal voice came through the intercom:

"Mr. Hayes just set a curfew. No one is allowed in or out after 10 PM. That includes you, Mrs. Hayes."

"It's 10:01 PM now, past curfew. Mrs. Hayes, please don't make things difficult for us."