Rumor had it that Old Man Silas, the billionaire tycoon, built a golden palace specifically to house a collection of one hundred wives. After forcefully acquiring ninety-nine women, he set his sights on me—pregnant and married. The day I was sent away, our housekeeper knelt on the floor, begging my husband. "Sir, please reconsider! They say Old Man Silas is a monster. If the Madam goes, the baby... the baby won't survive!" My husband, Julian, looked at her coldly. "Silas asked for her specifically. She has to go. If the baby dies, it dies. I won't divorce her. When she comes back, she'll still be Mrs. Sterling. We can always have another child." In my past life, I fought tooth and nail not to go. In the end, Julian's assistant, Chloe, volunteered to take my place. When she returned, she slit her wrists. The autopsy revealed she had been pregnant too. Julian held his rage until the day I gave birth. Then, he walked to the hospital rooftop and threw our newborn son off the edge. That was when I realized he had hated me every second of our marriage. Reborn into this moment, I didn't struggle. I calmly stepped into the luxury car sent by Old Man Silas. 1 "Did you hear? Silas demanded the Madam personally, or he'd bankrupt the company! The Master already agreed." "Silas is over sixty and a known pervert. Going to his 'palace' is a death sentence... How can the Master just watch her jump into the fire?" "Well, that's the power of a first love, isn't it? If it were Chloe going, the Master would let the company burn before handing her over!" The whispers of the maids drifted through the half-open door of the living room. Mrs. Potts, who was packing my clothes, couldn't hold back. "Madam, don't listen to them! Go beg the Master! You're husband and wife, he can't be that heartless!" I smiled helplessly. "It's useless." Everyone in our circle knew Silas was untouchable and ruthless. Julian would never offend Silas for me. I knew that much. In my past life, the moment Julian heard Silas's demand, he agreed without hesitation. To make me go willingly, he feigned deep affection, spinning lies about sacrificing the company for me. Just as my resolve wavered, I saw him kissing his "first love," Chloe, in the garden. So, I rebelled. I threatened suicide, holding a knife to my pregnant belly, forcing him to back down. Then Chloe stepped up, offering to go in my place. Julian's eyes turned red. The day he sent Chloe to Silas's villa, he promised her in front of me: when she returned, he would divorce me and marry her. But Chloe came back and killed herself the next day. The autopsy report stated clearly: Pregnant. Julian handled her funeral quietly. He didn't mention divorce. I thought that although he loved Chloe deeply, with her gone, he would honor our marriage and live out our days together. I never expected that on the day I gave birth, he would take our child and throw him off the hospital roof! Watching my baby turn into a broken heap on the pavement. I realized he had been acting all along! He never got over Chloe! He hated me! So, when I heard Silas demanding me again, I didn't fight. In this life, I'll let them be together. "Madam, the Master is back. He wants to see you." I nodded calmly. "I know." Downstairs, Chloe was there too. Seeing Julian holding Chloe's hand tightly without shame, I paused. Did he... come back too? "Lola, Silas expects you in two days. Go pack." "By the way, Chloe is moving in starting today." In the past, I would have screamed and fought. Now, I just nodded. "Okay." Julian avoided my gaze, guilty but impatient. "What game are you playing? Fighting is useless. Disobeying Silas is a fate worse than death." Chloe chimed in, "Yes, Mrs. Sterling. This is to save the company. Besides, catching Silas's eye is a blessing." I couldn't help but laugh. "Is it? Do you want this blessing?" Julian exploded. "Silas wants you. Why take it out on Chloe? Don't use that tone. Apologize to her!" I ignored him, but Chloe suddenly dropped to her knees behind him. A picture of self-sacrifice. "Julian, don't be mad at Mrs. Sterling for me. I'm just an assistant. It doesn't matter if she looks down on me." "If it saves the company, I'll go to Silas in her place!" Before her knees could hit the floor, Julian pulled her up tenderly. "Chloe, you're pregnant. Don't kneel to her." He looked at her with adoration. "I know you'd do anything for me, but Silas wants Lola." Then he turned his cold glare on me. "I'm warning you, don't touch Chloe. Or I won't let you off." "If you're worried I'll dump you when you get back, don't be. I promise I won't divorce you over this." I scoffed internally. I turned around, picked up a document, and handed it to him. Julian frowned. "What is this?" I smiled. "Stepping aside for the worthy. Julian, let's get a divorce." 2 Julian didn't even look at the divorce papers. He threw them across the room. "Lola, have you lost your mind? I said I wouldn't divorce you." "I know you don't want to go, but if you don't, the company goes under! Do you want everything I've built to be destroyed because of you?" I marveled at his audacity. The moral blackmail was impressive. He made it sound like my refusal was a deliberate act of sabotage against his career. Did he think I was as easily manipulated as before? Reborn, I had already formulated a plan to deal with Silas. Seeing my silence, Julian's face darkened. "Lola, let me be honest. The baby in Chloe's belly is mine." "As long as you save the company... I can make you the child's legal mother in the future." "No need," I interrupted, kicking the papers on the floor. "I have no interest in being a stepmother, and I certainly don't want a bastard calling me Mom." "Lola!" Ignoring his shouting, I walked upstairs. Seeing me calmly packing, Mrs. Potts teared up again. "Madam, are you really going to Silas? I don't understand. When his parents died, you stayed by his side through the darkest times. Does years of devotion mean nothing compared to a gold-digger who came running back after failing abroad?" "He swore he'd only love you. How did that woman bewitch him?" I shook my head. "Don't call me Madam anymore. I have nothing to do with this family." Mrs. Potts wiped her tears. "But Madam, going to Silas... you'll be skinned alive..." My hand paused. Even she thought it was a death sentence. Before I could speak, a glass of cold water splashed into my face. "Oops, so sorry, Mrs. Sterling. My hand slipped." It was Chloe. Holding an empty glass, apologizing with a smirk on her face. "By the way, you shouldn't pack too much. Silas has everything. After all, you're not the first woman he's taken..." Mrs. Potts trembled with rage. "You are too much!" "Mrs. Potts, leave it." Chloe thought I was too scared to fight back. Her provocation escalated. Her gaze landed mockingly on my stomach. "I heard Silas has... unique tastes. Women who go there come back insane. Who knows how long you'll last..." "Even if you make it back, that little bastard inside you probably won't!" I wiped the water from my hair and slapped Chloe hard across the face, shoving her out of my room. "Save your worry. I didn't plan on keeping it anyway." As I turned, Chloe grabbed my arm. "Lola, guess what Julian will do if I fall down these stairs?" She whispered venomously in my ear, then threw herself backward. "Ah! Help!" Julian turned pale and rushed to catch her. "Chloe! Are you okay?" Chloe feigned kindness. "I'm fine... Julian, don't blame Mrs. Sterling. She's just jealous I'm carrying your child..." Her words fueled Julian's hatred. He stormed over and slapped me. Hard. "Lola, you disgust me!" "You treat her like this, and she still defends you. You're not worth a strand of her hair!" "You deserve to be used by that old man! I hope he kills you!" With each vicious word, he ordered the bodyguards to lock me in the basement. "No water until I say so!" Mrs. Potts knelt, begging. "Sir, you can't! She has severe claustrophobia! She's terrified of the dark! She'll die..." Julian ignored her. Chloe, clutching her head, whispered poisonously, "Mrs. Potts, you work for the Sterlings. Why do you always side with Lola?" "What did she give you to make you protect her like a daughter?" Mrs. Potts was furious. She tried to lunge at Chloe but was restrained by guards. She cried outside the basement door all night. Until the next evening, when Silas's men came for me. 3 Julian opened the basement door. Dim light spilled in, illuminating my curled figure in the corner. Twenty-four hours without water or light. My lips were cracked, my face paper-white, my breathing shallow. Julian stood at the door, pupils contracting when he saw me. "Lola!" He rushed in, hand hovering near my face, afraid to touch me as if I were fragile glass. "How did you get like this? I... I just wanted you to calm down..." Only now did he remember Mrs. Potts's words. I had severe claustrophobia. Two years ago, his competitors kidnapped me to force him out of a bid. They locked me in a pitch-black container for three days. I developed this fear because of him, yet he sent me back into the abyss with his own hands. "Lola, I..." Just as his voice trembled and he reached to hug me, Chloe walked in. "Strange. I checked the cameras. She seemed fine all day... how did she end up like this?" Julian froze, looking at Chloe, then back at me. His gaze cooled. He stood up, suspicion in his voice. "Acting?" Chloe feigned surprise. "Mrs. Sterling was an actress, after all. A waste of talent..." She paused, glancing at Julian. Seeing his dark expression, she added fuel to the fire. "Don't blame her, Julian. She probably just wanted you to feel sorry for her. A desperate move." Julian's face shifted. The last trace of hesitation vanished. He took a deep breath and shouted to the door, "Someone, get her out. Silas's car is waiting." Bodyguards rushed in, dragging me up. I didn't have the strength to stand. I let them drag me out. Julian didn't want to see me. He went straight upstairs. Then, Chloe walked over with a bottle of water. "Her lips are cracked. Give her some water!" She unscrewed the cap and ordered the men to force it down my throat. A sharp, chemical taste flooded my mouth. I choked, tears streaming, but Chloe made sure I drank every drop. Silas's assistant had been waiting. Seeing me pale and limp, panic flashed across his face. He ran over, taking me respectfully from the guards. "Ms. Lola, are you alright?" I shook my head. Just as I was about to get in the car, Chloe grabbed me. She whispered in my ear, voice low enough only I could hear. "Lola, don't worry. If you die at Silas's, I'll collect your body." She smiled like a flower. "As for our little family of three, we'll be very, very happy." She stuffed a signed divorce agreement into my arms. "He didn't want to sign at first. Felt guilty..." "But I told him I didn't want to be a mistress forever. I want to be Mrs. Sterling, the mother of his child. So he signed." Chloe patted my stomach. "Can't even keep a man's heart. Lola, you're such a failure." Holding the divorce papers, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. In this moment, I truly thanked her. "Thanks." As the luxury car drove away from the Sterling estate, I rolled down the window, looking back at Chloe's triumphant face. I smirked. The show was just beginning. 4 Halfway there, a dull ache started in my abdomen. Soon, it turned into agonizing pain. I realized what was in the water Chloe forced me to drink. I thought she just wanted to humiliate me. But she was more vicious than I imagined! She was afraid that if I survived Silas, I'd threaten her stolen position. She wanted me and the baby dead before I even reached the "Golden Palace." That way, she could blame it on Silas. And with Silas's power, who would dare investigate? "My stomach hurts... help me..." I rasped to the assistant in the front seat. The assistant turned pale. "Ms. Lola! What's wrong? Mr. Silas said nothing can happen to you!" Thirty minutes later. The car stopped at Silas's villa. My consciousness was fading, each breath weaker than the last. I was carried into a room. The assistant stayed by my side, anxious. "Ms. Lola, you have to hang on..." I nodded weakly, face white as a sheet. The pill I swallowed earlier—an antidote I had prepared—meant I wouldn't die immediately. But it didn't guarantee survival. "Mr. Wang, please call someone for me. His name is Ethan Silas." "Tell him Lola is dying." The assistant rushed out. I don't know how much time passed. It was dark outside. I heard servants whispering. "Mr. Wang looked terrified. Who is this woman?" "Silas asked for her personally, and she's almost dead before seeing him. Of course he's scared. If Silas finds out, heads will roll..." I pinched my arm hard, forcing myself awake. Dragging my useless legs, I slid off the bed onto the floor. Footsteps approached. Silas was here. He pushed open the door. In an instant, he rushed over. Seeing me on the floor, his face went white. He roared at his men, "What happened?! What did the doctor say?" "Sir, please calm down. It was Julian's mistress, Chloe. She forced Ms. Lola to drink an abortion drug. She's stable now, just needs rest..." Before he could finish, I passed out. Panic filled Silas's eyes as he caught me. "Lola!" He screamed like a madman. "Doctor! Get the doctor!" I dreamed a long dream. I dreamed of meeting Julian. I was a rising actress; he was a passionate but penniless entrepreneur. He had just broken up with Chloe. His parents died, his company was bankrupt, and Chloe left him to go abroad. He was hollowed out, locking himself in a tiny office, writing plans with red eyes. I couldn't watch it. I turned down a role and went to him. "You still have me," I said, holding his hand. "I believe in you. You won't lose." I stayed up with him, met investors, learned accounting. I brought him lunch every day. I peeled apples while he worked. "Building a dream requires a body to hold it up," I'd say. He'd take the apple, complaining I was nagging, but his eyes would light up. Once, he didn't sleep for three days. I dragged him from the computer and forced him into bed. "Lola, you're annoying! I have a proposal to finish!" "Be annoyed then." I handed him warm milk. "If you don't sleep, I don't leave." He stared at me, then smiled. "Lola, with you, I feel like I can actually make it." His business improved. I faded from the entertainment industry. Friends said I was crazy to become a housewife for a man. I didn't care. I loved him. I wanted to be his support. I cooked for him every day. Soup, steamed fish, sweet and sour ribs. He'd eat until he was full, joking, "Lola, if you opened a restaurant, I wouldn't need to work." "You'd have to pay me wages. I only serve one boss." Days passed until the night his company went public. At the celebration, he stood on stage in a black suit, radiant. The applause was thunderous. I watched him with pride. Then he walked down, knelt on one knee, and pulled out a ring. "Lola, I thought I'd never believe in love again. You stayed with me through the bitterest days. You taught me to stand again." His voice trembled. "I can't give you the world, but I'll give you my everything. Lola, will you marry me?" I felt like I had the world. But the dream shifted. Our second anniversary. I waited two hours. He canceled, citing work. Later, an anonymous email revealed Chloe had returned that day. He threw her a massive welcome party. Flowers, music, luxury. From that day, he came home late. He even whispered "Chloe" in his sleep while holding me. I knew the name. But I played the turtle, hiding in my shell. Ignoring the monthly business trips, the receipts for luxury goods, the visits to the suburban villa... The dream shifted again. The past life. Julian, like a demon, holding our newborn on the hospital roof. I begged on my knees. "Please! He's your son..." He threw the baby without hesitation. The crying stopped abruptly. I suffocated in despair. Julian looked delighted. "Lola, you killed Chloe." "Do you know how long I've waited for this? I wanted you to watch your child die!" I strangled him. "Julian! He was your child too! Why?!" He glared at me, smiling hideously. "He wasn't mine! He was a bastard!" Nightmare after nightmare. As I was about to wake, I heard a man's anxious voice. "You said she was fine! Why isn't she waking up?"
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