Claire knew from the start that Ethan was heartless. This marriage was a transaction where each got what they needed. It didn't matter that he didn't love her or that he allowed her to suffer abuse from his family. But cheating on her was crossing the line. After three years, she changed her approach and transformed into a fiery woman just to obtain a divorce agreement proposed by him. Once the dust settled, Ethan finally realized the true value of his unnoticed wife. She was the heir to the Black family. She was the mysterious poison expert and miracle doctor in the medical world. After careful consideration, Ethan said, "If you want to remarry me, I can consider giving you a chance." Claire, "??? Thanks, but no thanks."
"Renowned actress Janice Red exposes her new relationship, suspected to be with Ethan Scott, the powerful head of the Scott Family Group..."
The explosive news was being reported on entertainment news.
The busy figure in the kitchen didn't pause for a moment, as if the leading man from the gossip news wasn't her husband.
Two hours later,
Claire Black decisively gave up on continuing to cook and picked up her phone to order an exquisite dinner.
Just as she finished setting the table, the sound of the password lock came from the front door.
"Back already?" Claire approached and took the suit jacket he handed over.
Just as she turned around, the man behind her embraced her from behind, his refreshing breath enveloping her, as he forcefully pressed his lips against hers.
A faint scent of alcohol filled her nostrils, briefly making Claire daze, before she stiffly pushed him away.
The man held her waist, his gaze lowered onto her, his brows slightly furrowed. "What's wrong?" Normally, she would have complied with him, but today was an exception.
"Not convenient?" He said lightly, as if guessing.
Claire's eyelids trembled, hesitating before she spoke, "Is it true between you and Janice Red?"
Ethan, "..."
If pushing him away just now was unusual, now this "interrogation" was even more so.
He squinted his eyes, scrutinizing her, "You're questioning me?"
Claire weakly retorted, "Am I not allowed to?"
Though she said so, she knew the answer better than anyone else.
Of course, she wasn't allowed.
Three years ago, Ethan Scott had picked up a pitiful orphan girl and quickly married her, shutting up all the older members of the Scott family.
But because Mrs. Ethan came from a less privileged background, the Scott family kept this marriage a secret from the public.
In these three years, Ethan constantly had different scandals, while Claire turned a blind eye and kept quiet, content with playing the role of a virtuous wife. Because she knew that the only reason he married her was that she was obedient.
And now she also knew that what she was about to say would definitely cross his bottom line.
Sure enough, his blue eyes narrowed slightly, his fingertips caressed her cheek, said coldly, "When did my little pet gain the right to meddle in her master's affairs? Has she grown a backbone?"
"We're married!" Claire's voice trembled, her emotions that had been suppressed for so long suddenly bursting out, "How many times is this? You have no explanation whatsoever? Today, this actress, tomorrow, that model. Others don't know that you're married, do you not even know? Then what's the use of our marriage?"
"..." Ethan didn't understand why she had such a big change tonight.
But he had no interest in dealing with this shrewish Claire, silently observing her for a long time, "It is of no use, so let's get a divorce."
Upon hearing his words, Claire almost couldn't control the upward curve of her lips, desperately trying to make a shocked and panicked expression.
"What, what did you say?"
"Why did we get married three years ago, we both know. Have you been playing the role of Mrs. Ethan for too long and believed it?" His voice was cold and devoid of any warmth.
"But you've always been good to me! You never hesitate to spend money on me, you bring me gifts every time you travel, you help me out when your mother and sister give me a hard time, you..."
"That's because you've been obedient."
The man's gaze pierced into her, his voice colder than ice, "But being too greedy as a person will result in getting nothing."
"..." Claire seemed to be scared by him, unable to say a word. She just held onto his shirt tightly with both hands, her eyes welling up with tears but stubbornly refusing to let them fall.
Ethan treated her like a pet, and she indeed had the qualifications of a pet. With delicate facial features, a slender figure, and a pair of expressive eyes, especially with her current teary-eyed look, she looked pitiable.
Ethan grew annoyed looking at her like this.
"Tomorrow afternoon, I will have the divorce agreement sent by my lawyer. Don't get any funny ideas, or else the price will be a lot more than you can bear," he said coldly, pulling his hand away from hers and leaving without any mercy.
The door slammed shut.
Claire, feeling lonely with her frail figure, stood in the living room for a long while until she heard the sound of the car engine fading away from the yard. With heavy steps, she made her way upstairs.
As the door closed, she clenched her fist in front of her chest and let out an excited whisper, "Yes!"
Her face lit up with a radiant smile, showing no signs of heartbreak from moments ago.
She took out her phone and sent a message reporting the situation, saying: Done! Come help me move my things tomorrow!
She had finally made it after three years!
Three years ago, she was forced into a marriage by her stepmother, Betsy Green, to an elderly man in his sixties. When she heard the news, she escaped, which coincidentally pleased Betsy. She decided to find someone to kill Claire.
Amid her desperate escape, Ethan happened to find her. She still remembered the way he looked at her back then, as if he had found a piece of merchandise he liked. Then he began negotiating, "If you marry me, no one in the City N will dare to bully you." He thought she was just a lonely girl who had nowhere to go.
Betsy wanted her dead, and Claire had recently discovered that her health was deteriorating, making her return to the Black family equal to certain death. So she agreed to marry Ethan.
The next day, Ethan swiftly helped her establish a new identity and they obtained a marriage certificate.
In these three years, Ethan had been lenient with her. Setting aside the inexplicable rumors, he was indeed a qualified husband and their lives were peaceful, resembling that of a privileged couple. However, she knew deep down that this man was better suited for business transactions than emotional connections.
Now it was time to end everything and go back to settle the score with Betsy.
On the other end of the phone, Owen White was also excited to see the message: [So fast? He didn't suspect anything? That's too easy, isn't it?]
Easy? Claire scoffed.
Before Ethan returned home, she had rehearsed her facial expressions silently multiple times, making sure to appear restrained and miserable. It was only when she let her anger get out of control that she could reveal her scorned woman side.
Did he really think her diva-level acting skills required no honing?
She didn't bother to say much to him anymore and replied: [I'll pack my things first. Let's talk in detail when we meet tomorrow. ]
Just as she was about to put her phone down, another message flashed on the screen: Honestly, I'm a little curious. Ethan is handsome, wealthy, and has long legs. Does the position of Mrs. Ethan really have no attraction to you?
Claire's finger paused for a moment, thinking about the treatment she received in the Scott family, she smirked and replied: [You might have some misconceptions about Mrs. Ethan.
In these three years, she was treated worse than a servant in the Scott family. In front of Ethan, she had to play the role of a virtuous wife, not arguing or causing trouble, just obediently going along with his requests. In front of Ethan's mother, she endured endless insults and oppression and had to obediently keep quiet.
And while she worked hard to maintain family harmony, she wasn't even worthy of having a name. Everyone assumed Ethan was single, and countless fangirls threw themselves at him like they were going after a rare find. This man never spoke up or clarified anything.
Ugh! It's disgusting to even think about!
If it weren't for the letter that her grandfather left behind before he passed away and the Black family's estate...
The first time they met, Juliet shot William and left him half-dead. She chased him all the way back to Country A, and then she became an ordinary college student. He ran, she chased-he couldn't escape. The world's No. 1 mercenary? That was her. The senior member of the hacker alliance? Also her. The genius doctor behind the International Medical Research Institute? Yep, her too. The top veteran in the esports world? You guessed it-her again. The internationally acclaimed genius concept artist? Yep, that's her as well... The high society? They all thought the girlfriend of the country's richest man, Mr. William, was just a gold digger he was supporting to get into the upper class... William, "I'm not! I didn't! Baby, don't listen to them!" Please-when other guys upset their wives, they just sweet-talk them to make it up. But when he made his wife mad, he took a bullet! Juliet gently touched William's handsome face, "Be good, I'm still pretty gentle~"
Lillian had stayed by Conrad's side for three years, betting everything she had, only to end up losing it all. He mocked her, saying she had no sense of reality-who was she, a kept woman, to think she could be his wife? However, the night before his engagement, she vanished without a trace. No one could have predicted that the all-powerful Conrad would go completely off the deep end. He tore the world apart looking for her, swearing he'd find her if it took him to the ends of the earth. When they met again, she was someone else's fiancée. He used every trick he knew, pulled every string he could, and forced her back to him, trapping her in marriage. "Mr. Conrad, if you keep chasing me like this, I'll lose all respect for you." He replied, "I fell into hell because of you. Why should you get off so easily? In this life, we're together till death." He wanted her, even if it meant until death took them both. All he asked for was to hold her captive in his heart forever-even if it meant paying the highest price, he'd never let her go.
"You are the noble and stunning second female lead, married to the CEO of a multinational corporation. But you couldn't help but fall for the childhood sweetheart male lead, plotting against the innocent female lead. In the end, the male lead and female lead live happily ever after, while you are abandoned by your husband and family, dying miserably." After traveled into the angsty romance novel she was reading and became the same-named supporting character, Sarah didn't want to follow the original plot. She stayed away from the male and female leads and moved back to her husband's place, establishing her role as a married woman. She only knew that the multinational CEO Holden was a steady and mature business tycoon, with a stern and noble demeanor, ruthless and unscrupulous in his actions. Their marriage was purely a business arrangement, and he gave her a black card to spend freely, as long as she didn't bother him. To Sarah, Holden was her "sugar daddy", more important than anything, and she was terrified he might overwork himself to death one day. Ronald, the male lead, realized that the once-adoring Sarah no longer paid him any attention, he called to confess his feelings, but she refused to answer. Then one day, Holden pressed Sarah down on his lap, his voice low and husky, "If you keep loving Ronald, I'll make sure his entire family goes bankrupt."
She was one of the most renowned thieves in the world. She was the true racing queen of the black market. She was a woman like the wind, coming and going freely, living life to the fullest. He was the mafia king, the richest man in the country. He was ruthless and cold-blooded. Their fates got tangled up over a red ruby. Mutants in the forest, underground pyramids, deep-sea whirlpools... he brought her into his world. Aerial battles, sea battles, ground battles... she went through life and death with him, never leaving each other. Was it love, hate, or hurt? Everything was shrouded in mystery...
Sylvia was the adopted daughter of the Clark family. In her childhood, the Clark family would make her take various drugs that caused continuous pain. When she turned eighteen, the Clark family forced her to marry an elderly man. She resisted with all her might but failed to escape. Shortly after, the Clark family sent her to Ash Island--a slum. Sylvia vowed to take revenge on the Clark family Hiram was the CEO of the First Consortium, the richest and most influential man in the country. Hiram took Sylvia back to his home, and she pretended to be insane to bide her time. Because of his tragic childhood, Hiram indulged Sylvia. Their story of mutual redemption and plans for revenge gradually unfolded from there. "Sylvia is just an abandoned girl with mental issues, and she looks so poor." Then they saw Sylvia signing over dozens of mansion deeds, signing so much she started to nod off. "Sylvia has no backing at all. I don't know why she's so arrogant." Hiram, "As my wife, having me as her backing is more than enough. She doesn't need any other."
A conspiracy by her best friend led to Shirley losing her first time to a strange man. The once-sweet relationship was ruthlessly destroyed by her boyfriend. "Since you are carrying my child, let's get married. It just happens that I don't love you, and you don't love me either," Mr. Billionaire said heartlessly. He threw a contract on the table, saying, "We are just contract spouses." They got secretly married. None of their colleagues knew that Shirley was the wife of their CEO, and they envied why Mr. Billionaire treated this little assistant so specially. Just as Shirley was about to relax, she unexpectedly found out that the man who signed the contract completely ignored her resistance and declared to the whole world that she belonged to him. "What are you trying to do?" "My dear wife, I love you! Let's have another child."
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..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
Warning: This book has high sexual assault displays, but does not support any form of rape. I, Alpha Edward Parker, swear that I will keep you tied to me until I make you pay for what you did to my mate," he swore, gripping my chin in a bruising hold. "Not only will you wish for death, but you will beg for it, and it will be too far from you." I could feel the eyes of the whole pack on us. They probably came to experience a normal wedding, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I was being married off to a groom because he wanted revenge. Tears welled, and I wanted to scream, "I am your mate; I'm the one who saved you, not her." But I knew no one would believe me. I was his mate, how could he not recognize me? Four years ago, Amanda happened to save a total stranger, but due to a string of misunderstandings, her sister took her place. The stranger then promised a vow of betrothal to his savior. Not seeing any use in correcting the error, Amanda allowed it. That was her biggest mistake because the stranger ended up being her own mate. Caught in a web of lies and confusion, she decides to set herself free by speaking the truth. But her plans are thwarted when her sister turns up dead, and she is pinned as the main suspect. A mate out to seek revenge for another, a forced marriage, an underlying plot, a web of lies, and many dark secrets. How can Amanda navigate all these without losing sight of herself? How will she speak the truth when she has already lost her voice and has been destroyed by her own mate?
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?