On Valentine's night, I treated a patient with a foreign object stuck in her vagina. Seeing her blushing face and anxious expression, I spoke softly to comfort her during the extraction process. But the next second, my movements suddenly froze. Because I saw something too familiar. My husband Ethan Moore's wedding ring. Looking at the ring engraved with my initials, my eyes flew wide open, and my blood ran cold. Claire's POV On Valentine's night, I treated a patient with a foreign object stuck in her vagina. Seeing the young woman's blushing face and anxious expression, I spoke softly to comfort her during the extraction process. But the next second, my movements suddenly froze. I saw something all too familiar. My husband Ethan Moore's wedding ring. Looking at the ring engraved with my initials, my eyes flew wide open, and the blood in my veins seemed to freeze. Just then, voices of several of Ethan's friends drifted in from outside. "Ethan! I just remembered. Your wife works at this hospital too, right? What if she runs into you?" "What are the odds? She's just a former heiress from a falling family, and she's been divorced before. She's lucky Ethan even married her! I bet even if she does find out, she'll make a fuss at most. Don't worry about it, Ethan." At those words, I looked up toward the man. Just an hour ago, he had texted me apologizing for not being able to spend Valentine's Day with me. Now he stood there with a darkened expression, taking it all in without saying a single word in my defense. A ringing filled my ears, and my heart sank bit by bit along with his silence. They weren't wrong. I had been married to someone else before. But that was for Ethan's sake. We had been together for years and should have smoothly entered marriage. But three years ago, his father suddenly passed away. Other members of the Moore family went so far as to harm Ethan in their fight for the inheritance, causing him to fall into a coma from a severe car accident. In that critical moment, the only man with a compatible liver who agreed to donate to him made me a proposal. Marriage. "Just one year. To deal with my family pressuring me to get married. After marriage, we won't interfere with each other's lives." To save Ethan, I agreed. A year later, the marriage was dissolved. When Ethan woke up, I confessed everything to him right away. Back then, he looked at me with reddened eyes and said, "I don't mind. My Claire suffered because of me. I'll make it up to you from now on." And he kept his word. After reclaiming the company, he not only married me in a high-profile ceremony but also spent an enormous sum to give me a lavish wedding that caught the world's attention. I thought our love had finally reached its happy ending. I never imagined that his claim of "not minding" was a lie. Deep down, he had always cared that I'd been married once before. Suddenly, the examination room door was pushed open. I looked up into that face I'd loved for so many years. Seeing me, Ethan's anxious expression froze. Then he noticed the ring on the tray beside me, and his gaze shifted away. "So you know everything?" Before I could answer, the curtain behind me was pulled back, instantly drawing Ethan's attention. He brushed past my shoulder and strode forward, his tone full of concern. "Rachel, are you okay?" The girl named Rachel Connors shook her head shyly. "Ethan, I'm fine. It's just... down there still hurts a little." At that, Ethan's expression grew tense. He turned to look at me suspiciously, his voice ice-cold. "I know you're angry, but take it out on me. You're a doctor. You shouldn't and can't make things difficult for Rachel." I froze, barely able to believe what I was hearing. He had not only cheated and betrayed our marriage and our relationship, but now he was also insulting the profession I took such pride in! Ignoring the hurt written all over my face, Ethan offered no explanation or apology. He wrapped his arm around Rachel and strode out. I took leave and returned home, staring at the wedding photos hanging on the wall that once represented happiness. Now they felt piercing. I still remembered how joyful Ethan had looked at our wedding. He had held me tight, his voice choked with emotion. "Claire, marrying you has been my dream since I was sixteen. And now it's finally come true." At that memory, tears had already blurred my vision. I wiped them away and let out a bitter laugh. Everything. It could never go back. I sent a photo of our marriage certificate to my lawyer and asked him to prepare divorce papers. The message was sent, and I quickly received a reply. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Moore. I can't process your divorce. The marriage certificate you have is fake."
Claire's POV "What did you say? The marriage certificate is fake? How is that possible?!" I thought it was absurd, but the lawyer's next message made my face go deathly pale. "Since you were referred by a friend, I'll tell you this. The Mr. Moore you mentioned is indeed legally married. But the registration date wasn't two years ago. It was one week ago. And the spouse listed isn't Claire, it's someone named Rachel Connors." Crash! Those two sentences hit me like a sledgehammer. My hand holding the phone began to tremble. For two whole years, my marriage had been nothing but a lie. From the very beginning, Ethan had never truly married me. He had even registered his marriage with another woman just days ago. I didn't know how much time had passed when the sound of the door lock turning snapped me out of my chaotic thoughts. Ethan was home. Seeing me sitting on the sofa in a daze, he took off his coat, sat down beside me, and spoke. "It's so late. Why aren't you asleep yet?" When I didn't respond, his tone softened. "What, still upset?" "Honey, men like novelty sometimes. You have to allow me to make mistakes." "Mistakes?" I repeated with bitter self-mockery. "How could you be wrong?" He was with his legal wife. How could that be wrong? Ethan assumed I was just throwing a tantrum. He continued. "Alright, honey. Yes, I really like Rachel right now. But I promise her presence won't affect your position. After all, you're my wife. That will never change. I promise." I looked up at him in disbelief. "Wife." "My position." How ironic those words sounded! He'd been lying to me for two whole years. And even now, he was still lying! I shook off Ethan's hand and went to sleep in the guest bedroom alone. As I lay in bed thinking about where I should go after this relationship ended, the door opened without me noticing. Ethan, breathing heavily, wrapped his arm around my waist. I jumped in fright. "What are you doing?! Don't touch me!" But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't escape being pinned to the bed. I was nearly exhausted when I saw something in the trash can by the bed. A used condom! We had never stayed in this guest room. The only possibility was that Ethan had used it with someone else. I felt all the blood in my body rush to my head. Rage gave me the strength to break free from his grip. "Get off me!" Ethan seemed surprised when I pushed him away, as if he hadn't expected such a strong reaction. His brow furrowed, and a flash of impatience crossed his eyes. "What's wrong with you now? Stop making a scene." My eyes turned red, and my voice cracked with emotion. "I've been with you since I was seventeen, Ethan. You didn't just betray me. You brought her into our home. How can you be so disgusting?" Ethan paused, then actually sneered and pointed at himself. "Claire, you're calling me disgusting?" He looked down at me and spoke words that stabbed into my heart like knives. "You think you're not disgusting?" "When I was in a coma, you climbed into another man's bed and stayed there for a year. Claire, what right do you have to call me disgusting?" As he spoke, he pressed my face into the mattress as if venting his anger, so hard that my vision went black. "Don't move." His voice was low and hoarse, laced with impatience. The moment he finished speaking, he roughly tore open my nightgown and thrust himself inside me. I had no strength left to struggle. I could only close my eyes and endure this prolonged assault, letting tears slide down from the corners of my eyes. After several muffled grunts from the man, the obscene sounds stopped along with his violent movements. After releasing, Ethan let out a long breath. Looking down at me curled up on the bed, he seemed to soften a bit. "Honey, you were married to another man for a year, so I'm just playing around for a year too. That's fair, isn't it? After a year, I'll come back to the family. We'll live well together after that." He pulled out and left to wash up, leaving me lying on the bed with dead eyes, the parts of my body he'd treated roughly aching faintly. But nothing compared to the pain in my chest. I stared toward the doorway and forced my lips into a bitter smile. "But Ethan, there can never be an 'after' for us anymore." I got up and called the hospital director. "The overseas training program. If I agree to participate now, is it too late?" I received an affirmative answer from the other end. "Good. I'll be ready to leave in one week."
Claire's POV This training program would keep me abroad for three full years, so early the next morning, I began preparations for my departure. I first went out to handle my visa, then returned to the hospital to process my transfer paperwork. But as soon as I arrived at the hospital, a colleague called me over, saying a patient had come for a follow-up and specifically requested me. I quickly changed and rushed to the department, only to discover that the patient who'd requested me was Rachel Connors. In the examination room, I forced down the churning emotions inside and tried my best to treat Rachel as just an ordinary patient. But Rachel wasn't about to let me off that easily. After the examination, she spoke up. "Dr. Anderson, my body... it's okay, right?" "Nothing serious. Just some swelling. Just avoid sex for the next few days." Seeing my calm demeanor, a flash of surprise and unwillingness crossed Rachel's eyes. "How can that work? My husband has a very high sex drive. Last night we even had a video call and..." She trailed off as if embarrassed. "But I was considerate enough to suggest he find another woman." My hand froze as I removed my gloves. Thinking of what happened last night, disgust and humiliation swept through my entire body. "Dr. Anderson, are you alright? You look so pale." Rachel's words seemed concerned, but her eyes couldn't hide her smugness. "I'm fine. If there's nothing else, you can leave now." I gripped the edge of the desk to steady myself as I issued the dismissal, but Rachel acted as if she hadn't heard. She walked over to me, dropping the innocent and shy act she put on in front of Ethan. Her expression turned provocative as she spoke in a voice only the two of us could hear. "Dr. Anderson, do you know what Ethan says about you when he's with me? He says every time he thinks about you being married to someone else, he feels disgusted. He also said you're nothing but trash." The malice in her words was obvious. My eyes widened and my pupils contracted sharply. Just as Rachel thought she'd achieved her goal and turned to leave, I spoke. "If he finds me so repulsive and likes you so much, why haven't you made him kick me out? Is it that you don't want to?" Rachel choked on those words. The smug smile on her lips instantly froze, and her expression turned ugly. "Don't get too proud! I'll replace you sooner or later. Just you wait!" I didn't respond. Rachel slammed the door and stormed out. After finishing the paperwork and handing over my duties, the sky had already darkened. I stood by the hospital window, hesitating for a long time before finally dialing a number I hadn't contacted in ages. "Claire? What's wrong? Did something happen?" On the other end, my father's voice sounded clearly surprised. "Dad, I just wanted to let you know I'm about to move to another city for work. I probably won't be able to come home for the holidays." "Why so sudden?" My father's tone held a note of probing. "Ethan... is he going with you?" Hearing that name, I fell silent for a moment. "No. Just me. We're... not husband and wife anymore." We should never have been, actually. Silence stretched on the other end of the line. After a long pause, he simply responded, "Alright." After hanging up, I stood there for a while. I remembered how my father used to love me when I was little. But after my mother passed away and his company went bankrupt due to poor management, and after he started a new family, we grew more and more distant. That's why, from my teens onward, I learned to take care of myself. Later, when I met Ethan, I clung to him like a drowning person grasping at driftwood, loving him and giving everything for him. At that thought, I let out a self-mocking smile and got up to gather my things. But when I pushed open the door to my home, I unexpectedly heard Rachel's voice inside. Ethan didn't even bother pretending anymore. Seeing me return, he actually smiled and asked. "The girl was curious about where I live, so I'm letting her stay for a few days. You... don't mind, right?"
Claire's POV I stood in the entryway, looking at the man I thought I could rely on for a lifetime, and at this "home" I believed would shelter me forever. Suddenly, I laughed. "Of course I don't mind." I was leaving soon anyway. After that, whoever he wanted to bring home would have nothing to do with me. Hearing such an answer, Ethan froze, his expression blank for a moment. He probably expected me to fight, to scream, to break down crying. Not to agree so easily. Ignoring his searching gaze, I walked straight toward the bedroom and began packing. When my suitcase was filled, Ethan suddenly walked in. Seeing my luggage, his brow furrowed. "Honey, what are you doing?" "Packing." I didn't look back, my tone flat. "Creating space for you two." Ethan's expression darkened further. He slammed his hand down on my suitcase. "Can you stop making a scene? Besides staying with me, where else can you even go?" My movements stilled. My voice grew even colder. "That's none of your business." Ethan laughed in anger. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he released the suitcase, his tone taking on a confident edge. "Fine. You want to leave, right? Then what about this? Are you going to leave it behind too?" He pulled out a pendant from around his neck. My gaze fell on it, and I froze completely. It was the pendant my mother left me before she died. I'd given it to Ethan the year of his accident. I'd hoped the pendant would accompany him in my place. But now it was being used to threaten me. "Give it back." Seeing me finally react, Ethan's lips curved slightly. "I can. But you're not a child anymore. Running away from home is too immature, don't you think?" I stood there pressing my lips together, my nails digging deep into my palms. Ethan assumed I'd agreed to stay. His expression softened slightly as he walked out. Over the next few days, I watched with my own eyes how intimate Ethan was with Rachel. The meals he once swore he'd only cook for me in this lifetime were now made daily to make Rachel happy. The sweet words I'd heard in our youth were now spoken word-for-word to another woman. They kissed and embraced right in front of me without restraint. At night, I was forced to listen to the sounds of them having sex. Just one wall away, I buried myself under the covers, but it still couldn't block out those gasps and moans piercing my eardrums like red-hot needles. Every minute, every second of this life was torture for me. But Ethan wouldn't let me leave. Even that night, after they finished, he came to my door in his robe, his face full of satisfaction, and knocked. "Rachel wants foie gras. You make it well. Get up and cook it for her." I was about to refuse when I saw the pendant hanging around his neck. The words stuck in my throat. "Fine." I got up and went to the kitchen. After preparing the foie gras, I turned to head back upstairs. I hadn't even fallen asleep when my door was kicked open. Ethan was furious. He grabbed me by the throat and yanked me out of bed. "You put something in the foie gras, didn't you? Otherwise why would Rachel keep throwing up?!" I instinctively shook my head in denial, which only made him angrier. "Still won't admit it? If not you, then who?! You're a doctor, and you'd poison someone out of jealousy. Get up right now. You're coming with us to the hospital." His voice roared as he dragged me outside without care. Even when my shin slammed into a cabinet and opened a bloody gash, he didn't spare me a glance. In the hospital corridor, I sat on a bench in my nightgown, barefoot. The blood from my wound had dried, but still the two of them hadn't emerged. I could only walk to the hospital room door to hear the results, but instead I saw Ethan, who'd been full of rage just moments ago, now wearing a completely different expression. He held Rachel's hand, his face showing undisguised joy. "That's wonderful, Rachel. You're carrying my child. I promise he'll be my only heir." Rachel's eyes flashed with wild delight, though she tried hard to hide it. "But when Dr. Anderson was pregnant, you arranged for her to have an accident and miscarry. I thought you didn't like children." Ethan's smile remained warm, but his words struck me like icicles, leaving me frozen to the bone. I watched the man I'd loved for ten years speak the cruelest words in that familiar voice. "How can she compare to you? Only you are worthy of bearing my child."
Claire's POV I stood outside the hospital room door, my face deathly pale at those words. So the child I couldn't keep wasn't an accident after all. That was half a year ago. I'd looked at the two lines on the pregnancy test with pure joy, thinking we were finally welcoming the fruit of our love. But then the maid knocked me down the stairs. When I woke up, Ethan looked at me with regret and told me the baby couldn't be saved. I grieved for so long, crying every day. It was Ethan who held me through the nights, softly comforting me. He said, "Don't cry, honey. We'll have more children in the future." But I still felt it was my own carelessness that cost us the baby. I'd felt guilty about it ever since. It turned out everything was arranged by him. Simply because he thought I wasn't worthy of bearing his child... But I'd told him that the one-year marriage was only on paper. I never lived with that man. He said he believed me. He knew better than anyone how desperately I longed for a family. Thinking of my pain back then, and Ethan's false tears. I suddenly felt nauseated. I covered my mouth and staggered into the restroom, collapsing over the toilet and dry heaving. Nothing came up. Just my stomach convulsing and tears streaming down my face. The sound drew the two people out of the hospital room. Ethan stood in the doorway. Seeing my state, he froze for a moment. "What's wrong?" He was about to step forward to help me when a scream suddenly came from behind him. Rachel ran off crying. Ethan immediately withdrew his hand and chased after her. By the time I left the hospital, it was already deep into the night. The night wind blew against me, making me ice-cold all over. I hadn't walked more than a few steps when a dull thud rang out. Pain shot through the back of my head and I instantly lost consciousness. When I came to, I found myself inside a burlap sack. My limbs were bound and my mouth was sealed with tape so I couldn't speak. Suddenly someone viciously kicked my stomach. The pain made cold sweat instantly break out on my forehead. But the beating was far from over. Several people began savagely punching and kicking me. I had nowhere to hide. I could only curl up helplessly on the ground and endure it all. It wasn't until the inside of my cheek was bitten through and bleeding, and my insides felt like they'd been ground to pieces, that the violence finally stopped. The thugs' words sounded like they were talking to someone. "She took such a heavy beating and there's no bleeding from down there. Looks like she really isn't pregnant." After a few seconds of silence, a familiar voice drilled clearly into my ears. It was Ethan. "Did you hear that, Rachel? Now you can relax." Rachel answered obediently, "Mm-hmm. You're so good to me, Ethan." The two of them walked away laughing. The surroundings fell silent. I lay on the cold ground, tears and blood mixing together and falling. But suddenly I let out a low laugh. That teenage boy who once said he'd protect me forever when I confessed. That lover whose eyes would redden with heartache if I even frowned. That man I'd loved for ten years. He died three years ago. ... After barely enduring that wave of severe pain, I struggled to untie the ropes. But even after my wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding, I still couldn't get the ropes loose. Just then, Ethan rushed over. He undid my restraints in a few moves and said urgently, "I just found out you were kidnapped and came to rescue you right away. Honey, are you okay?" I forced a smile at him, but didn't have the strength to expose his lies. Seeing me like this, Ethan suddenly grew flustered. He quickly looked away from my gaze. "Alright, it's over now. I'm taking you home." Perhaps out of guilt, he stayed in my room for the next two days, feeding me medicine and bringing me water. Until the third day, when Rachel insisted he accompany her on a trip. Ethan looked conflicted, but I said understandingly. "I'm fine. You two go." He paused. "You mean it? I knew you were the most considerate. Rest well at home while you recover. I'll be back soon." After seeing him off, I put on the pendant I'd secretly taken from him when he wasn't paying attention. I made up an excuse to send the housekeeper away, then threw off the covers and got out of bed. The training program's departure time was this afternoon. I couldn't be late. After packing my documents and essentials, I dragged my body to the door with difficulty. The moment I gripped the doorknob, I breathed a sigh of relief. All of this was finally ending. I took one last look at this home, then reached out and turned the knob. Clang! My suitcase fell to the floor. I stared straight ahead, my eyes trembling violently, all color draining from my face. Outside the door stood a crowd of people! At the front, Ethan wore a black suit, his expression twisted. "Claire, you didn't actually think you could leave me, did you?"
Claire's POV He walked up to me and gripped my chin, forcing me to lift my head. His voice was ice-cold. "You actually wanted to leave me. How dare you? If your father hadn't told me in time, you really would've gotten away." I froze completely. The news of my departure. My own father had told Ethan?! Just then, my father's figure emerged from the back of the crowd, his expression a mixture of flattery and guilt. "Claire," he began, unable to meet my eyes. "I'm doing this for your own good. Instead of living well with Ethan, what are you throwing a tantrum for?" "Just think about it. You're a woman who's been divorced. What else can you do? Ethan is so capable. He can take care of you, take care of us. What more could you want?" I closed my eyes in utter disappointment. I understood everything now. In the past, to pave the way for his son, my father had come to me more than once asking me to appeal to Ethan. Now it seemed he'd achieved his goal. Even if the price was selling out his own daughter. "Dad... he lied to me... betrayed me, threw away years of our relationship, even brought another woman into our home... hurt and humiliated me at will. And you think I'm ungrateful?" My throat felt like it was choked with razor blades. Those two short sentences left my heart unbearably bitter. Seeing my grief, my father turned his face away as if unable to bear it. Ethan's brow furrowed too. Finally, a phone ringtone broke the deadlock. It was Rachel calling to hurry him along. That brought Ethan back to his senses. "I have to go. Rachel's waiting for me. Anyway, you should calm down first. We'll talk about whatever it is when I get back." For some reason, his eyes looked somewhat panicked. He gestured to the bodyguards to confiscate my bag and phone. "I'll keep these for you to prevent you from running around." Ethan turned and walked out, then suddenly paused. "Oh, right," he said as if remembering something. "I already handled your resignation at the hospital. You won't have to work so hard anymore. Just rest well at home from now on." My head snapped up. "No, you can't do this... You have no right to make decisions for me." Hearing that only made him walk faster. Everyone assumed he was rushing off to meet his mistress. After Ethan left, my father quickly ran off too. A bodyguard opened the villa door. "Please, Mrs. Moore." I looked at this house that once held my happiness, then witnessed all my suffering. The thought of being imprisoned here made it impossible to breathe. But now I had no documents, no phone, no money. I couldn't go anywhere. I walked through the door in despair, only to be pinned to the sofa by two bodyguards the moment the door closed. "What are you doing? Let me go!" But my struggles and shouts. They ignored everything. When I scratched one of their faces, he actually slapped me hard. Smack! The blow sent my face to the side, my vision going dark in waves. Just then, I heard their conversation. "Miss Connors only told us to film her. Hitting her isn't good, right?" The one who'd struck me sneered. "What are you afraid of? Miss Connors said once Mr. Moore sees the video, he'll definitely never be with her again. By that time, do you think anyone will speak up for her?" After hearing that, the previously worried man laughed. "You're right. Let's have some fun with her tonight." He busied himself setting up the camera while the other started undressing. I seized the chance and jumped up, running out desperately. My clothes were disheveled. I didn't dare look back, afraid danger would catch me at any moment. I could only run forward with all my might. Just when I was most desperate, a car suddenly pulled up and stopped in front of me. The rear window rolled down. I saw a familiar face and was filled with immense surprise. Adrian Sinclair. The man I'd once had a brief marriage with. My ex-husband.
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