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!"
Katelyn Bailey pushed the door open and walked briskly into the villa.
Today was her anniversary with Neil Wheeler, and she had already planned the celebration.
"Neil? Are you home?" she called out.
Katelyn looked around but found no one in the large house.
Puzzled, she went upstairs to the second floor and was met with the unmistakable sounds of intimacy coming from the master bedroom.
A woman's voice moaned loudly, attempting to stifle her pleasure. "Stop it, Neil. This isn't fair to Katelyn..."
Hearing the soft moan was enough to drain all the color from Katelyn's face, and it definitely didn't help when she recognized the voice.
It was Lise Cooper.
She was Neil's old flame. Katelyn never expected her to return.
Yet there they were, in the master bedroom, engaged in an affair.
"Why is it unfair? Our families joined by marriage for mutual benefits. Katelyn is just my wife in name. I don't care for her at all. I'm not even interested in her body and I've never touched her since we got married."
"I pity her! Three years of marriage, and she hasn't won her husband's heart," Lise commented.
Katelyn began to tremble. Those words pierced her heart like invisible daggers.
Her marriage to Neil had always been one of convenience, and not by love.
For the past three years, Katelyn had devoted herself entirely to her family. She did the laundry, cooked meals, and tried her best to be a good housewife. Despite her efforts, Neil had never shared a bed with her.
Katelyn had believed she wasn't meeting his expectations and had failed to earn his approval. But now, she realized he had never cared for her.
The ongoing sounds of sex from the room made Katelyn's heart ache.
"Bang!"
All of a sudden, the door flew open.
The two people on the bed were entwined, and Neil quickly grabbed a blanket to cover both himself and Lise. When he saw Katelyn, he froze for a moment before his expression turned cold.
With disdain, he barked, "Get the fuck out!"
Even though he had been caught in the act of adultery, he still carried himself with an air of arrogance.
Katelyn felt a sharp pain in her chest. Staring at her husband, who showed no remorse, she asked in disbelief, "Neil Wheeler, why are you doing this to me?"
Lise leaned forward and deliberately pulled down the blanket a little bit, revealing the kiss marks on her collarbones.
With a soft sigh, she said, "Katelyn, you should understand that a mature man has physical needs. Neil doesn't love you, so he doesn't wanna sleep with you. I'm the only one he loves, which is why he can only be intimate with me. I'm sure you can understand our situation, right?"
Lise smiled. She had deliberately chosen to seduce Neil on their anniversary, relishing the thought of Katelyn being overwhelmed.
Katelyn clenched her fists tightly and glared at Lise with bloodshot eyes. "You're proud of being a home-wrecking bitch, aren't you?"
Lise's eyes turned red as she replied, "How could you say that? Would I have broken up with Neil if your parents hadn't threatened my family's safety? Katelyn, forcing love only leads to suffering. And remember, in any relationship, the one who isn't loved is the real outsider."
Katelyn stared at her in shock. So this was the story Lise had fed Neil.
It was now clear to her how Neil couldn't seem to move on from Lise.
The truth was that neither Katelyn nor her family had forced Lise and Neil apart.
"That's a lie!" Katelyn wanted to defend herself, but before she could speak, Neil cut her off.
"Katelyn, if it weren't for you, Lise wouldn't have suffered so much these past few years. How dare you and your parents treat her that way? I will never forgive the Bailey family."
Neil had already stood up and dressed, his gaze toward Katelyn as cold as ice.
Katelyn's heart continued to ache.
In that moment, she abandoned any attempt to explain and smiled bitterly.
She realized how blind she had been to love a man who cheated on her and felt no remorse.
A flash of satisfaction crossed Lise's eyes, but she sighed with a guilty tone. "Neil, don't be so hard on Katelyn. She overheard us at the door earlier. You haven't slept with her in three years, so it's understandable she's feeling unbalanced."
Katelyn trembled with rage. She stormed over to the bed and snapped, "You shameless slut! How dare you spew such nonsense? Didn't anyone in your family teach you any manners? I'll be happy to give you a lesson then."
She raised her hand and slapped Lise across the face.
"Smack!"
"Eek!" Lise cried out in pain.
Her head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.
"Katelyn, you bitch!"
Neil's eyes narrowed. Without a second thought, he rushed to defend Lise, and slapped Katelyn back.
"Smack!"
Caught off guard, Katelyn was struck and staggered back. A burning pain spread across her right cheek, and her ears buzzed as she struggled to regain her balance.
Anger flared in Neil's eyes as he growled, "Who do you think you are? How dare you hit Lise! Marrying you is my biggest mistake in life."
He turned abruptly, yanked open the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out a divorce agreement. He threw it at Katelyn and shouted, "Sign it. I never want to see your face again!"
The divorce agreement had already been prepared and signed by Neil.
Katelyn fought back a bitter smile. The pain in her cheek was sharp, but it couldn't compare to the deep ache in her heart.
However, she knew it was time to let go of her marriage. He didn't love her and had even betrayed her. There was nothing left for her to hold on to.
Without hesitation, Katelyn picked up the agreement, quickly signed it, and threw it at Neil's face.
"Neil Wheeler, I'm done. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."
As soon as she spoke, her phone rang. Katelyn froze when she saw the caller ID. Ignoring Neil's reaction, she swiped to answer the call.
The voice on the other end sounded urgent. "Iris, when are you coming back to work? The orders at the studio are piling up. Someone has even offered a hundred million dollars for a chance to work with you."
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.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Evelyn Brooks' life has been completely transformed ever since her parents died in a terrible accident. She went from grieving to being forced into an arranged marriage to a man who never gave her a second look. After his disastrous relationship, Edward Richards vowed never to trust in love again-that is, until he learned to love his arranged wife. Before it turned out to be desired, the marriage was first arranged and unwanted. But will "love" be sufficient to preserve their union?
For seven years, Jillian pursued Bryan with unyielding passion, but he remained distant, his emotions tightly sealed. Disheartened, she left for overseas after graduating from college. Three years later, Jillian, now a successful attorney, sat provocatively on the lap of Bryan's competitor. She flashed Bryan a playful smile and taunted, "What's wrong, Bryan? Are you impotent?" Bryan's restraint shattered in an instant. In a swift motion, he scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. The next morning, as Bryan woke up, Jillian flashed a mischievous smile. "Let's keep things casual, okay?"
After a passionate night, Verena left some money and wanted to leave, but was held by her companion. "Isn't it your turn to make me happy?" Verena, always disguising herself as ugly, slept with her fiance's uncle, Darren, in order to escape her engagement with her unfaithful fiance. Darren had respect and admiration. Word of his romantic escapades circulated, some saying they saw him kissing a lady against a wall and others calling it gossip. Who could ever tame Darren's heart? Then, shockingly, Darren was caught bending down to help Verena with her shoes, all to score a kiss from her!