My husband, an A-list Hollywood actor, and I are a fake, affectionate contract couple. In front of the cameras, he loves me more than life itself, even throwing punches at other men on the red carpet to defend my honor. Behind closed doors, he hates me to the bone, keeping a beautiful young mistress tucked away in a penthouse. He slipped a diamond ring on her finger and called her his "good little wife." His entourage of bros all respectfully called that girl "Sister-in-law." I didn't cry, and I didn't make a scene. I just silently deleted the old text messages where he swore he would love me forever. We were each other's first loves, our lives violently tangled together for years. Until I got sick, and piece by piece, began to forget everything about him. That was when he finally panicked. He exhausted his resources to create romantic surprises, trying every possible way to cure me. But all he could do was watch helplessly as I, in my final moments of clarity, fell in love with someone else. 1 In the seventh year of my toxic, love-hate relationship with Asher Montgomery, he met the woman he truly liked. Her name was Lily Thorne, a fresh-faced actress who had just graduated from drama school. She was innocent, adorable, and the way she smiled looked exactly like I did when I was younger. Friends in our circle whispered that Lily was just my stand-in. They said Asher’s obsession with her was just a fleeting novelty, just for fun. After all, Asher and I had a wildly public on-and-off history over the years. Everyone watched as a man that arrogant and proud laughed for me, cried for me, and broke his own unyielding spine for me. Everyone knew he loved me. They thought he couldn't live without me. I suddenly remembered the night we got back together after a particularly brutal breakup. Asher had torn my designer gown to shreds, relentlessly claiming me in the dark. I melted into a puddle in his arms. In a daze, I heard his lips press against my ear as he coaxed me in a low voice: "My sweet girl, we are going to entangle and torture each other for the rest of our lives." I genuinely believed Asher Montgomery would never love another woman the way he loved me. Until the third year of our marriage, when our relationship entirely shattered. And right on cue, Lily Thorne appeared. 2 At first, Asher acted like he hated Lily. They were co-stars in a blockbuster movie, playing romantic leads. Lily was a massive fan of Asher. Every time they held hands or hugged for a scene, her face would flush burning red. She couldn't hide her crush at all. Back then, Asher and I were still on good terms. He would constantly complain to me, saying he hated how starstruck and pathetic Lily acted around him. When Lily wore graphic cartoon tees, Asher called her childish and ridiculous. When Lily wore hot denim shorts, Asher called her tacky and tasteless. Whatever Lily did, Asher found it annoying. But, perhaps even he didn't realize it, every time he brought up Lily, he was smiling. During our nightly phone calls, his mind started to wander. Most of the time, it was because Lily was "too stupid" and was constantly bothering him with questions about the script. Asher would act disgusted, yet tirelessly stay up late explaining her scenes to her. Before hanging up one night, I asked him, "Tomorrow, can we please not talk about Lily Thorne anymore?" He flashed a wicked grin and asked me, "Is my wife getting jealous?" While teasing me, he pulled up his phone and blocked Lily's number. Until a few days later, when Lily posted a photo on Instagram: "A passionate kissing scene, two hearts moved. I can't sleep tonight. I want to talk all night with the person I like!" That night, Asher didn't come back to our hotel. I called him, but the line was constantly busy. I realized then that this time, Asher was blurring the lines between acting and reality. He had given her his heart. 3 After that night, it was as if Asher suddenly stopped loving me. We entered a cold war. He offered no explanations and made no effort to coax me. For an entire month, we completely ignored each other. Until the day the movie wrapped, and the cast did a live press interview. A reporter asked him, "Now that filming is over, what do you want to do the most?" He unlocked his phone, showed the camera a photo of me wearing an apron and smiling at him, and said tenderly, "Right now, I just miss my wife. I want to eat her home-cooked food." To some extent, Asher was my Hollywood safety net. If he didn't love me anymore, I’d just hide my true feelings away, play the obedient wife, and rake in the PR money. That was fine too. That night, I cooked a table full of his favorite dishes. But Asher never came home. I didn't wait up for him. I went to bed early. In the middle of the night, my phone rang. He sounded drunk, mumbling and whining into the receiver. "Be a good wife, my sweet wife, I miss you so much. Come pick me up and take me home." He hadn't called me "wife" in a long time. My eyes stung. I didn't say a word. In the background, I heard his frat-boy friends cheering: "Who is the A-lister calling? Is it Lily?" They yelled into the phone: "Sister-in-law! Tonight Asher made a wish to be with you forever, till the end of time..." So, Asher had dialed my number by mistake. He meant to call Lily. He called her his good wife, and his brothers called her sister-in-law. He had already seamlessly integrated Lily into his private life. A sudden, splitting migraine hit me. I aggressively hung up the phone, buried myself under the covers, and wrapped them tightly around me. It didn't matter. I could pretend I didn't care. My acting had always been flawless. 4 The rumors of my fractured marriage with Asher spread quickly through the industry. Insiders whispered that he had fallen madly in love with Lily. He took her to candlelit dinners, bought her a penthouse in Beverly Hills and a sports car, and occasionally rented out the Santa Monica Pier just to ride the carousel with her. He liked her so much he wanted to give her every beautiful thing in the world. Even the ruby necklace I had been dying for but couldn't secure at auction was recently bought by Asher. I assumed he was going to gift it to Lily. But one morning, I opened my eyes to see that very necklace resting quietly on my nightstand. Next to it was a note: "Happy Anniversary." It was Asher's handwriting. I stared at it in silence, then crumpled the note and threw it into the trash. I couldn't figure out Asher's mind anymore, and I didn't want to try. 5 A few days later, at a private charity gala, I ran into Lily for the first time. The moment she saw me, she smiled. Staring at my necklace, she said in her soft, breathy voice, "Mr. Montgomery bought me a mountain of jewelry a few days ago. I thought this necklace looked a bit old-fashioned, so I told him to give it to you. I knew it! Scarlett, you have a much more mature look than I do, so it suits you perfectly. In the past, Mr. Montgomery said he spoiled me like a child, and I always argued back because I'm already twenty-two. But standing next to you, Scarlett, I suddenly realize I really am just too young." I froze for a second, suddenly feeling incredibly pathetic. The anniversary gift I had cherished so much was just a hand-me-down that Lily didn't want. Seeing my expression darken, Lily’s smile grew sweeter. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued to show off: "Scarlett, don't feel embarrassed about taking the necklace. Wear it well. Mr. Montgomery buys me so much stuff I can't even wear it all. If you see anything else you like, just let me know. You can take whatever you want." I smiled along with her and asked softly, "As long as I like it, you'll give it to me?" Lily nodded smugly. I reached out, touched the dazzling diamond earring on her ear, and yanked downward with brutal force. Lily let out a blood-curdling scream. She clutched her ear and bent over as bright red blood seeped through her fingers. I looked down at her with heavy, half-lidded eyes, maintaining my smile. "Thank you for the gift. You have another earring... can I have that one too?" 6 Lily's pupils trembled violently. She looked terrified of me. Her blood splattered across the marble floor, causing a commotion among the guests. Asher arrived moments later. Seeing the blood on the floor, his expression turned instantly cold and ruthless. He yanked me into his arms, checking me over from head to toe. The concern and panic in his eyes looked so real. Lily lowered her hands, letting the blood drip down her ear and stain her white designer gown. She reached out to grab Asher, whimpering softly, "Mr. Montgomery... it hurts so much..." Asher lifted his arm, dodging her touch, and shot her a freezing, deadly glare. That single look froze Lily in place. She bit her lip, looking utterly humiliated. She didn't understand. Asher came from a powerful, old-money family. Keeping a mistress for fun was one thing, but making a public spectacle of it at a high-society event was a massive loss of face. In public, Asher could only ever love me. His thumb smoothed over my furrowed brow as he coaxed me gently, "Who upset you?" I didn't answer, and no one else dared to breathe. Two seconds later, Asher grabbed a crystal vase off the nearest table and smashed it against the floor. He roared, "Are you all fucking deaf?! Who upset my wife? Speak!" The atmosphere was suffocating. Lily clenched her fists and finally broke down, screaming, "It was me! It was me! Everything is my fault, are you happy now, Asher?!" She couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears rolling down her face, she stared stubbornly at Asher and choked out, "It's my fault for trying to be friendly with Scarlett and getting hated for it! It's my fault for falling for someone I shouldn't have, for risking everything to be with him even if they call me a homewrecker! It's my fault for being delusional enough to think he actually liked me. It's my fault for being a total idiot!" She lifted the glass of red wine in her hand and dumped it over her own head. The wine mixed with the blood, completely staining the front of her dress. Crying hysterically, she asked Asher, "Mr. Montgomery, is this enough? Is your beloved wife satisfied now?" Asher's grip on my shoulders tightened, his fingers digging into my skin. He was probably heartbroken for her. He asked me, "Are you satisfied?" I found it so funny I actually laughed until tears pricked my eyes. I asked Asher, "Pretending to love me must be exhausting, right? Asher, I have a great idea. I can give you a perfectly legitimate reason to go love the woman you actually want. Give me money. I want a massive settlement. And then, we divorce." Asher's eyes grew colder and colder. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear as he spat venomously, "Scarlett, I should have seen clearly long ago. You're nothing but a gold-digging liar. You betray genuine love, and you're going to die a miserable death." I smiled, pushed him away despite the throbbing in my skull, and turned to leave. Asher, you really have a cursed mouth. I hadn't told you yet. The doctors said there's a tumor growing in my brain. It will hurt. I will lose my memory. And I might... actually die. 7 Asher was right about one thing. In the beginning, I only agreed to date him for his money. Before him, I had loved another boy with everything I had. Asher knew all of this, yet he still desperately tried to treat me well, forcing his way into my life, taking us from dating to marriage. I still remember the rainy day Asher proposed. We were curled up on the sofa watching a romance movie. He suddenly leaned into my ear and whispered, "Scarlett, just tell me you love me, and I'll marry you right now. From then on, every cent I make is yours to control." My heartbeat was deafening. The words "I love you" were right on the tip of my tongue, but I felt a little unsatisfied. Who proposes this casually? So I shook my head, deliberately trying to annoy him. Back then, Asher was shameless and thick-skinned. I have no idea where he pulled out a massive diamond ring from, but he grabbed my hand and shoved it onto my finger. I tried to run, but he grabbed the back of my neck and pinned me into the sofa cushions. He bit my ear and threatened fiercely, "Keep acting stubborn and I'll strangle you." That day, Asher's kiss nearly melted me alive. I surrendered beneath him, repeating it over and over: "Asher, I love you." Once upon a time, I truly did love you. But it seems you never actually believed me. 8 My illness worsened by the day. I swallowed handfuls of pills, but the headaches were so severe I couldn't eat or sleep. Soon, I realized I was beginning to forget small details about Asher. My physical condition deteriorated rapidly, and the doctor prescribed even more medication. As I was leaving, he frowned and asked, "Why do you always come to these appointments alone? Where is your family? With an illness like yours, you need the care and support of your family." But I didn't have a family. What was I supposed to do? When I was six years old, my mother left me on a busy street corner in Chicago. She told me she was going to buy me cotton candy. She never came back. I thought I would never see my mother again for the rest of my life. Until I ran into Lily Thorne at the hospital. The ear I had ripped was heavily swollen, and she was there to get her bandages changed. The middle-aged woman accompanying her... I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. That woman looked exactly like my mother. I ran toward her uncontrollably, terrifying Lily into stumbling backward. My mother shielded her, shoving me hard and pointing at my nose, screaming, "You little bitch! Are you trying to bully my daughter again?!" She suddenly grabbed my hair and yelled, "If you dare bully my daughter, I'll beat you to death!" She slapped me across the face. I couldn't dodge in time. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, and my tears fell instantly. My mother didn't seem to recognize me at all. She had long forgotten me. She had another daughter now. Her daughter was Lily. 9 Actually, when I was thirteen, picking up plastic bottles on the street for recycling money, I had accidentally run into my mom. She was across the street, holding Lily's hand, laughing and talking, looking incredibly gentle. I used every ounce of my strength to run toward her, screaming, "Mom! Your little honeybee is right here! Mom, don't go!" She stopped in her tracks, turned around slowly, and looked at me in shock. Lily tugged at her shirt and insulted me: "Mom, it's a homeless kid. So dirty." We were both my mother's children. But she was wearing a beautiful little dress and holding a cute plush teddy bear. And I was wearing ragged clothes and a pair of worn-out, dirty canvas shoes. I envied her so much. I argued in a small voice, "I'm not homeless... I'm your big sister..." I reached out my hand, forcing an ugly smile, and called her: "Little sister." Lily suddenly burst into tears. She hid behind my mom and screamed, "Mom, chase her away! She's trying to steal my bear!" My mother finally snapped out of her daze and shoved me violently to the ground. Back then, she acted exactly like she did today. Pointing at my nose and cursing, "Where did this feral stray come from?! You scared my baby! I'll beat you to death!" No, no, Mom. I'm not a feral stray. I'm your little honeybee too. I'm just the honeybee you threw away. 10 This time, I didn't cry and scream for my mom like I did when I was thirteen: "Mom, I'm your honeybee." I shoved her back, just as hard as she had shoved me all those years ago. She took the opportunity to rip off my surgical mask, collapsing to the floor and screaming: "The big movie star is assaulting people! Scarlett Hayes is assaulting people!" Lily froze for two seconds, then suddenly pulled down her own mask, fell to her knees in front of me, and begged, "Scarlett, I know you've always hated me. You're more famous than I am. When you hit me and insult me, I can endure it. But my mother is old. Please, I beg you, don't make things difficult for her." Crowds gathered, pulling out their phones to record. Lily was truly putting on the performance of a lifetime. I should have protected my reputation, covered my face, and left immediately. But I couldn't control myself. I grabbed Lily by the hair. Staring into her eyes, I said coldly, "You really are a filial, wonderful child, little sister." "Then I won't hold back. Whatever your mother did to me, I'll pay it back to you." I swung my heavy designer bag and smashed it into Lily's face. Over and over. My heart was in so much agony. If I couldn't vent it, I probably would have found the roof of this hospital and jumped off. How could simply being alive be so excruciatingly painful? My mother lunged at me, clawing and tearing at me. Perhaps when she finally found out I was the honeybee she threw away, she would never forgive me for this. But that was fine. Mom, if you don't want your honeybee, then your honeybee doesn't want you either. 11 The video of me beating Lily quickly went viral online. Netizens flooded my Twitter mentions: "Are you just jealous that Lily is younger and prettier than you? Look at how viciously you hit her face!" "Someone needs to dig up Scarlett's background. She acts like someone who grew up bullying people. Typical spoiled, malicious rich kid." "Don't cry, Lily. I know where Scarlett lives, I'll go get revenge for you." I was reading these comments in my apartment's underground parking garage. I had just parked my car and was preparing to go upstairs. Suddenly, I heard a voice call out: "Excuse me, are you Scarlett Hayes?" I turned around to see a man holding a baseball bat. His eyes were murderous as he swung the bat down toward my head. Before I could react, I was suddenly yanked into a firm embrace. Asher held me tight, and the baseball bat slammed brutally into his back. He spun around, kicked the man to the ground, and roared viciously, "You touch my fucking wife and I'll kill you!" Asher lost his mind, beating the man half to death without any regard for the consequences. For a fleeting second, I almost forgot we were in the middle of a messy divorce. I foolishly thought he still loved me very, very much. But I had already forgotten what Asher looked like when he actually loved me. 12 Asher hadn't been home in a long time. He only came to find me because of Lily. The house was a disaster. I suffered from migraines every day and had absolutely no energy to clean. Asher rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning the apartment. He picked up my bra from the sofa, laughing as he scolded me: "Scarlett, you really aren't cut out to be a wife. You really need to learn how Lily takes care of people. She's so sweet. How could you bear to hit her? Go apologize to her. She cries every single day, and it breaks my heart to watch." Right. Because Lily was sweet, her mother loved her. Because Lily was sweet, Asher loved her too. And what about me? Because I wasn't sweet enough, I deserved to be abandoned by everyone, time and time again? I suddenly felt an intense surge of rage. I grabbed all the clothes Asher had neatly folded and threw them onto the floor. I tilted my head back and screamed at him: "I'd rather you stab me to death than apologize to her!" Asher leaned back against the sofa, yanked me into his lap, and locked his arms around my waist so I couldn't escape. He laughed and insulted me: "I knew you wouldn't listen. You were never any good." He pulled out his phone, made a call, and told the film festival committee to strike my name from the Best Actress nominations for the end of the year. I had been in the industry for ten years. Nominated for Best Actress three times, walked away empty-handed three times. Finally, this year, I was a lock to win. For that award, I had tumbled down a rocky hillside, cracking my forehead open, yet I still refused a stunt double and finished the film. That golden trophy was bought with my blood. I slapped the phone out of Asher's hand. A tear smashed against my arm as I cursed him: "Don't be so fucking despicable, Asher!" He was completely unfazed. He rested his chin on my shoulder, smiled, and asked, "Are you going to apologize or not? Think carefully before you answer." I finally broke down and cried. I screamed at him: "Asher, I'm sick! I can't ever act again! I will never have another chance to win an award! You love Lily, you want to get revenge for her, so you crush my Achilles heel! But I refuse to let her win! I will never apologize! It's just an award! I don't want it!" My face was covered in tears, my heart bursting with a million grievances and nowhere to vent them. I grabbed Asher's hand and bit down as hard as I could. He furrowed his brows and endured it in silence. When I was done crying and looked up, Asher's eyes were red too. He cupped my face and said softly, "Scarlett, rather than saying I love Lily, it's more accurate to say I hate you. I used to be madly in love with you, but you only ever loved my money. You scammed my money to fund another man. You're really something. But if I'm blaming anyone, I blame myself for being pathetic. Even knowing you're a master at playing the victim, I still fell for it. I still went soft. Stop crying. It's just a trophy. I'll give it to her." He pulled me into his arms and kissed my ear. Like he was making a final farewell, he said slowly, "Scarlett, this is the last time I'm ever going to be good to you." But this time, Asher lied to me.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "436716", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel