In his heart, she was the woman, who tried by hook or crook, to marry him for the name, status, and position. Five years of humiliation, five years of disregard, and five years of torture. As that time went by, all these consumed her love for him, little by little. When his true love returned, she knew it was the right time for her to leave and end their marriage. Thoughtful about him, she signed the divorce agreement and left. She wanted it to be her last gift for him. However, what awaited her was boundless anger and silence. But this time she wanted to live for herself! Where will their story lead them?
A myriad of luxurious cars weaved in through the hotel gates as seamlessly as a shuffled deck of cards. A dazzling array of celebrities, socialites and those among the most powerful and influential people of A City had gathered here today to celebrate and honor the prestigious 30th anniversary of Soaring Group.
Soon after, a Volkswagen Phaeton, with a sleek metallic paint finish, stopped at the hotel driveway and the bellhop stepped forward to open the door.
Melinda Mo sprang out of the car, clearly in a hurry to go somewhere. In fact, Melinda Mo was rushing to get to a banquet that she almost missed, not because it was her own fault but because she didn't receive the invitation until much later.
"Where is Jonas?" she asked anxiously.
"Mr. Gu is already here. He is in the banquet hall right now."
Gently lifting the hemline of her red dress, Melinda Mo sped to the banquet hall. She was already very late. The banquet hall was a grand space, to say the least. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the carved oak table was a candelabra. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. The room was invaded by beautiful women, showing off their spectacular jewelries and dashing young men, laughing and chatting about business and politics.
Melinda Mo caught sight of the man in the crowd at first glance. He looked so cold, and yet there was something very appealing about the impassiveness on his handsome face. Although he was surrounded by a crowd, he didn't seem perturbed at all.
Melinda Mo smiled faintly, not looking to attract any unnecessary attention to her presence. All she wanted to do was slide through the crowd unnoticed and take her side next to Jonas Gu, but soon the smile on her face froze.
Wrapped around Jonas Gu' arm, was a voluptuous, dark-haired bombshell who intimately whispering words into his ears every now and then. No one could tell what she said to him but it seemed to soften his cold, hard expression.
As if stuck underwater, everything around Melinda Mo slowed down and warbled, her heart falling silent almost immediately. In a quick and nervous motion, she gathered herself and hid in a corner. As if things weren't bad enough, the slippery snake that was grinding her body up against Jonas Gu was wearing the same red dress as hers.
She stomped the floor in anger, realizing that the members of the Gu family wouldn't pass on such a good opportunity to humiliate her in public. Of all the people in the world, why did Jonas Gu have to pick Holley Huang, a woman whose greatest achievement in life was to become one of the most famous socialite divas of A City? And most of all, why did they have to wear the same dress today? It wouldn't surprise Melinda Mo if tomorrow she were to become the laughingstock of the entire city for having the same taste in fashion as a slutty model.
She ran into the ladies' room at first chance and locked the door behind her. As she stared at her own reflection on the mirror, the desperation on her face, she felt frustrating and heartbreaking at the same time. She tore off the shoulder strap of her dress and a bit of her skirt at the bottom that mopped the floor everywhere she went. Luckily, the interior linings of the dress were so delicate and minuscule that the changes would go unnoticed to the naked eye.
After a while, Melinda Mo walked out of the ladies' room, in a long, strapless dress and a pair of black silk gloves. Her lustrous black hair was loosely tied up and the combination of red and black colors added to the fine elegance that oozed out of her.
"Melinda? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Jonas?"
Melinda Mo immediately recognized the voice without even facing the speaker as it had just the right amount of upper class timbre to belong to the one and only Yulia Gu, Jonas Gu's young sister.
Melinda Mo forced a smile on her lips as she gave Yulia Gu a gentle nod. She noticed Jonas Gu looking closely at them before he walked away as if she was a stranger.
Yulia Gu approached Melinda Mo, raising her chin in an arrogant manner.
"Jonas, aren't you going to say hello to Melinda?"
The female partner of Jonas Gu who was a married man was a small model, so outsiders knew it clearly that Melinda Mo had no status at all. Looking at Melinda Mo's face, they were full of sympathy.
Nevertheless, Melinda Mo didn't allow any of it to sadden her. Even the sight of her husband and his lover together did not manage to bring her down. However, no one could tell what she was plotting behind that unwavering smile on her face.
"Never mind. Besides, it's better for someone like him to be seen with someone like Miss Huang on these occasions." With just a few words Melinda Mo reduced Holley Huang's entire character and personality into something that befitted trash.
Yulia Gu snickered bitterly, but just as she noticed Melinda Mo's dress she abruptly burst into laughter, pointing at the lose thread on her waist.
"Oh sweet Melinda, where did you buy this dress? Did my family not give you enough money to shop at a decent place? You're such a simpleton!"
Yulia Gu said sarcastically. Most people knew that Melinda Mo had come from humble beginnings and that her family wasn't very well off, which led people to think that she had married into the Gu family by foul means. The only people who found Yulia Gu's hateful words were unsurprisingly a group of rich people who covered their mouths to stifle their snide laughter.
Melinda Mo turned her eyes away without saying a word, and remained indifferent. She had suffered more humiliation than this from the Gu family over the years. Compared to that, this was going to be a walk in the park.
"Enough!" screamed Jonas Gu. Perhaps he was afraid that Yulia Gu would say something shameful so he stopped her immediately. "Don't cross the line."
With a displeased look on Yulia Gu's face, she cast a disdainful glance at Melinda Mo and pushed her aside.
Melinda would have been utterly devastated, if not for her unyielding mental strength and fortitude. When she noticed the loose thread dangling from her dress, she felt so embarrassed that she couldn't even speak.
At first, Melinda thought that perhaps Jonas wasn't aware of Yulia's behavior, but now the arrogance in Yulia's voice was suggesting that she wouldn't have the guts to do anything if it weren't for Jonas' acquiescence.
Melinda slowly raised her head and smiled faintly at Jonas.
"I'm going to get some rest," she said, turning around to leave and not waiting for Jonas' response. Besides, she didn't want to shed another tear for this man, at least, not in front of him.
She tried to spit out the sadness inside her chest, but it was like a fishbone stuck inside her throat. Looking back at the days she had spent with the Gu family over the years, Melinda smiled bitterly.
Indeed, without Jonas' approval, who would have the courage to humiliate the daughter-in-law of the Gu family?
Melinda found herself a corner seat in the lounge where she avoided making eye contact. As such, in her attempt to hide from others, Melinda failed to notice that Holley Huang was sitting beside her.
"Miss Mo, it's nice to see you here." Holley Huang smiled and raised her glass at her.
Melinda didn't seem troubled by the way Holley Huang addressed her. Instead, curtly lifting the corners of her lips into a smile, she said, "Your reputation precedes you, Miss Huang."
Holley raised an eyebrow at Melinda's comment. She didn't expect to find such eloquence from a woman she had just insulted.
"No matter how famous I am, I can never compare myself to the fabulous Miss Mo. If people notice how indifferent you are to seeing your husband with other women, they might think that you are only interested in the Gu family's wealth."
"And what of you, Miss Huang? Dangling around a married man, dancing to his every word. Are you willing to be his mistress because you love him, or because you love the Gu family's money?" Melinda sneered and thought, 'Did she think that I was going to let her talk down to me just because I let Yulia off so easily?'
Holley's face darkened almost instantly.
"Miss Mo, that's quite low, even for someone like you. Then again, such crass behavior is to be expected from someone who does not understand what dignity means."
"I would advise you to choose your next words very wisely. Don't forget that I am still legally married to Jonas. Besides, even if we do split up one day, what makes you think you have the chance to be his wife?" A wry smile emerged on the corners of Melinda's mouth. She had shared the same bed with Jonas for several years, which was why she knew that there was someone else in his heart. However, that person was neither her, nor Holley.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?