Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
It was dark outside.
Laughter erupted from the living room of the Bryant family's villa from time to time. Different voices could be heard chatting heartily.
In the kitchen, the air was so hot. Loraine Torres was cooking alone. Her face was flushed and sweat dripped down her forehead as she stared at the boiling soup in the pot. Soon, her vision became blurry.
She had been down with a fever since morning.
However, she was yet to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine or have a good rest. She had been doing chores around the house since the crack of dawn.
"Hey, is dinner ready yet? Gosh! You are still not done. I can't believe that my brother married lazybones like you!" Marina Bryant shouted at her, standing at the kitchen door.
Loraine licked her dry lips. She was used to her sister-in-law's mean attitude.
"It will be ready soon."
Marina hissed. "Get it over with. My brother and Keely are waiting for the meal. Keely is different from a bumpkin like you. She had been receiving treatment abroad before coming back this time. Her health needs to be monitored well. We can't starve her. Otherwise, my brother won't let it slide."
Loraine's hand that was holding the cooking spoon tightened. She froze as her heart ached severely.
Since she was married to Marco Bryant three years ago, she had been nothing short of a dutiful wife. But he never appreciated her efforts. She was nothing in his eyes. To him, she couldn't hold a candle to Keely Haywood.
Marina sneered.
"Listen to me, Loraine. You wouldn't have been able to marry my brother if our grandma hadn't been in a hurry to have a great-grandchild. Had Keely been in the country at that time, my brother wouldn't have married you. You are just a useless woman. Three years have passed, but you haven't given birth to a child."
Tears welled up in Loraine's eyes at this moment. She fought them back as she watched Marina leave.
Just then, she heard a faint voice from outside.
"Marco, am I disturbing you and Loraine? Is she angry?" This female voice was so coquettish.
"No. Your welfare is the most important here," a deep and pleasant male voice said with tenderness.
Never had Marco spoken to Loraine with such loving care. It was what she longed for throughout the past years.
Loraine stood alone in the kitchen, and her aching heart sank. Her eyes fell on the candles and gift box in the trash can. The pain in her heart increased.
She had been trying to make this marriage work all these years.
Her so-called husband whom she always showered with love didn't remember that today was their third wedding anniversary.
Despite her sickness, she prepared a big dinner to celebrate. But it soon turned into a welcome dinner for Keely.
Everything seemed like one big unfunny joke. All her efforts, forbearance, and hope were reduced to nothing tonight.
"Miss Torres, I'm sorry to bother you guys. Let me help you." Keely walked into the kitchen with an apologetic smile.
With her face void of any expression, Loraine stared at the beautiful and feeble woman in front of her. "You should address me as Mrs. Bryant, not Miss Torres."
The apologetic smile Keely had disappeared in the blink of an eye. She eyed Loraine and said arrogantly, "Let me get this straight, Loraine. I'm the only woman in Marco's heart. He only married you because of his grandmother. Three years is enough for this sham of a marriage. Now that I'm back, I will take my rightful place in this household. Don't get your hopes up that you will win Marco's heart. How about you save yourself the shame and leave?"
Intense hurt tugged at Loraine's heartstrings. However, she still put up a strong front in the face of her rival.
"For your information, I'm still Marco's wife. I'm Mrs. Bryant. You are the outsider here."
Horror was written all over Keely's face as soon as she heard those words. They pierced her heart like a thousand knives.
"Stop being so complacent. The title of Mrs. Bryant isn't your birthright. It can be revoked. Besides, you will be in trouble if anything happens to me because of you. Just wait and see!"
An ominous premonition rose in Loraine's heart.
"What do you intend to do?" she asked, squinting her eyes.
Before Loraine knew what was happening, Keely grabbed a knife from the chopping board and tried to stab herself in the abdomen.
Loraine tried to stop her. Holding Keely's wrist, she roared, "Are you crazy?"
Keely shook off her hand.
During the struggle, the sharp blade slit Loraine's arm. She groaned in pain.
It was then she saw blood seeping through Keely's clothes.
Keely smiled at her evilly. The next second, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Marco, help! Loraine wants to kill me!"
Loraine's eyes almost bulged out of the sockets. A second later, Marco came rushing into the kitchen.
She tried to explain what happened, but no words came out. It seemed like her throat was blocked.
Loraine suddenly felt dizzy. Blood was gushing from her arm and her head was banging.
As she grew unconscious, she saw Marco walk past her. He picked up Keely and rushed out, leaving his wife on the ground unconscious.
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.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Despite being an illegitimate daughter, Lena bore a striking resemblance to the young lady of the Evans family. Faced with their threats, she was forced to take her half-sister’s place and marry Dylan. As an act of defiance, Lena seduced Dylan night after night, until she had him completely wrapped around her finger. Using his affections to her advantage, she set out to undermine the Evans family. Over time, Dylan began to notice something odd about his beloved wife...
Mia's life is spiraling out of control. Abandoned by her mother, bullied mercilessly at school, and thrown into a household of four dangerously attractive stepbrothers, she's desperate to find her footing. "You look absolutely edible," Sean growled, his eyes devouring her. Mia felt a rush of heat between her thighs "Oh, you think so?" she purred, turning to face him. She reached out and traced her fingers along the ribbon that wrapped around his waist. "Well, I've been waiting for this all day. And I'm starving." Sean's smile grew into a predatory grin. "Then let us feast," he said, and in a flash, the ribbon fell away, exposing his rock-hard length. He stepped closer, and Mia felt the warmth of his breath on her face as he whispered, "You're going to take every inch of us tonight, aren't you?" With Rolex's teasing smirk and Sean's quiet, hot stares, Mia doesn't know where to turn-or who to trust. Every glance, every touch leaves her breathless, confused, and craving more than she should. Will Mia survive their games, or will she lose herself in a dangerous world of secrets, seduction, and forbidden desire? One house. Four brothers. Endless temptation.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.