My best friend Sophia's pregnant with my husband Ethan's child. She's already three months along. Meanwhile, I've just been beaten by him until I miscarried, now lying in a hospital bed. Ethan told me that as long as I accept it, Sophia's child can call me Mom. I smiled and nodded, then turned around and married the most dangerous man in River City. Everything they've inflicted on me—I'll make them pay back tenfold, a hundredfold. My best friend Sophia posted on Ins that she'd decided to put herself up for sale tonight, going back to that life. Cassandra panicked and rushed to the Blue Baron, determined to pull Sophia out of that hellhole again. When she hurried over, she saw a room full of familiar faces outside the private room door. Including her husband of three years since their remarriage—Ethan. He was gripping Sophia's arm, demanding answers. "Sophia, you've got some nerve coming here! Isn't the money I give you enough? Why would you degrade yourself like this!" In an instant, Sophia's eyes turned red. "Ethan, I told you I don't want you involved. Can't you understand that?" "I don't want to be entangled with you anymore. I don't want to be the other woman! I don't want to hurt Cassie anymore!" She trembled as she cried. Ethan forcibly pulled her into his arms. "It's my fault for putting so much pressure on you." He looked down at her, his usually cold eyes now filled with deep affection. "Let's tell her the truth, okay?" "No! I won't!" Sophia pushed him away violently, shaking her head in panic. "Please stop trying to take care of me. I can't hurt Cassie! Just go!" Ethan stared at her. "Tell me you don't love me, and I'll leave!" She looked up, her voice firm. "Ethan, listen carefully. I don't love you anymore. Not at all—mmph." The next second, the man pulled her forcefully into his embrace, dominating her lips with a kiss. Sophia cried while trying to push him away, but she couldn't. Gradually, she stopped struggling and kissed him back even more intensely. When the kiss ended, Sophia leaned against him, gasping for breath. A friend nearby spoke up. "Sophia, Ethan loves you so much. Can't you feel it?" "Three years ago, you said you were afraid of hurting Cassandra and insisted on breaking it off with Ethan. If he hadn't stood outside your building all night a year ago, you probably wouldn't even agree to see him again!" "Ethan loves you so much. If you keep degrading yourself in places like this, he'll go crazy." "Listen to Ethan. Tell her the truth. Cassandra's pregnant anyway—she can't leave Ethan! At worst, Cassie can be the first wife and you the second. You two sisters serving one husband—what's wrong with that?" Sophia refused. "No, don't tell her. Ethan, I'll do what you say. I'll stay by your side and stop degrading myself." Ethan looked down, gently wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You've suffered so much, Sophia." Outside the private room. Watching this scene, Cassandra felt like someone was choking her throat. She even forgot how to breathe. In the dazzling lights, she remembered her past with Ethan. She and Ethan were neighbors, from age five to thirty. Ethan had protected her for a full twenty-five years. The Wilde and Hart families were well-matched. They'd had an engagement since childhood. Ethan was dark and rarely smiled, but he gave all his tenderness and favoritism to Cassandra. She loved eating scrambled eggs with locust flowers. Every season, the germaphobic Ethan would personally climb trees to pick them for her. She loved dancing. He hated it, but still learned for a whole month before her birthday ball, just to dance the first dance with her. When she was bullied, he could appear out of nowhere, fight five people at once, and shield her behind him so she wouldn't get hurt. Sophia was a poor student she'd met in her junior year of high school. Her parents worked away from home year-round. She lived with her elderly grandmother. Even her tuition depended on school aid, and she barely scraped by for three meals a day. Cassandra felt sorry for her and took the initiative to befriend her, bringing her into her social circle. Later they became good friends. Ethan's attitude toward Sophia also changed from initial distance to eventually sharing his favoritism with her for Cassandra's sake. After college graduation, when Sophia was about to sell her body for money, it was Cassandra who rushed in to save her regardless of everything. Later she arranged work for Sophia, keeping her by Ethan's side as his secretary. On Cassandra and Ethan's wedding day, Sophia held the train of the wedding dress and cried her heart out. But in the first year after marriage, Ethan cheated. Cassandra didn't know who the woman was. When she arrived, Ethan had locked that woman in a room. No matter how hysterical she became, he refused to let her in. She could only break down and seek comfort from Sophia, saying she wanted a divorce. It was Sophia who convinced her to let it go since it was in the past. Later, she forgave Ethan. For the next three years, everything was calm. Ethan also treated her better and better, not daring to hurt her in the slightest. This morning, after getting the ultrasound results and learning she was pregnant, she'd wanted to tell the two most important people in her life this good news. But she never imagined that the woman Ethan cheated with three years ago was her best friend! Three years later, they were at it again! Sadness surged over her like a tide. She staggered back a few steps and accidentally knocked over a vase nearby. "Crash!" The vase shattered on the floor. The private room door was yanked open. "Who's there!" Seeing it was her, the person froze. "Mrs. Wilde..." Everyone in the private room looked toward her. One by one, until finally, Ethan looked at her too.
"Cassie, you saw everything." Ethan instinctively shielded Sophia behind him. "I couldn't control myself. On our wedding night, I said something came up at the company and didn't come home. Actually, it was because I saw Sophia crying so sadly at the wedding. I couldn't let her go, so I went to her apartment." "I took her three times that night. That's why I had a hickey on my neck the next morning. I told you it was a mosquito bite, but it wasn't." Cassandra froze. Before she could speak, Sophia had already broken down. "Enough! Stop talking! Ethan, if you say one more word, I'll never speak to you again!" After screaming, she turned and grabbed Cassandra's hand, crying and trembling. "I'm sorry, Cassie. I didn't mean to. I couldn't help myself. I really didn't want to hurt you!" Cassandra could no longer suppress her anger and slapped her across the face. "Why would you do this to me! I treated you as my best friend! I gave you everything, and you even had to steal my husband! Why!" "Cassie, we truly love each other... We just can't control it..." As soon as she finished speaking, Cassandra slapped her again. "You truly love each other? Then what do these ten-plus years between him and me mean!" This slap was harder. Sophia fell to the ground. Ethan rushed forward and shoved Cassandra aside. "Enough, Cassie. If you're angry, take it out on me. Sophia's health isn't good. Don't touch her again." Cassandra fell to the ground, sharp pains shooting through her lower abdomen. But he turned to pick Sophia up. "Sophia, are you okay?" "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Go check on Cassie!" "Why do you still push me toward her at a time like this! You've yielded for so many years. Don't push me away again!" Watching the boy who had once protected her growing up now protecting someone else. Cassandra finally understood everything. Actually, all the signs had been there. Later, when he made locust flower cakes, there was always a portion for Sophia. He remembered she liked sweet things and would add extra sugar. When going out shopping, he knew Sophia got cold easily and always kept a jacket in his bag. He said it was for Cassandra, but she never wore it because she was afraid of heat, not cold. That jacket was always on Sophia. She loved steak. Sophia didn't. So every time they went to a Western restaurant, Ethan would arrange for someone to bring Chinese food specifically for Sophia to enjoy alone. Sometimes Cassandra would get jealous. He'd just pinch her cheek. "Silly girl, they say your best friend is like a second mother-in-law. If I want to marry you, don't I have to win her over?" Cassandra had believed him. Now she realized she'd been a fool. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No need to keep pushing each other away. Since you truly love each other, Ethan, I'll fulfill your wishes. Let's divorce." "Cassie, I love you too. You know I won't divorce you." Ethan grabbed her arm, his eyes cold, his tone even colder. "As long as you apologize to Sophia, I'll forgive what you did today. Sophia has depression. She can't handle stress. If you don't forgive her, she'll do something to hurt herself again tonight!" "I should apologize?" Cassandra laughed. "She stole my husband, and you want me to apologize to her?" "Ethan, she's the mistress. I will absolutely never apologize to a mistress!" Hearing the words "the mistress," Sophia suddenly pushed Ethan away and grabbed a bottle from the table, smashing it hard against her own head. "I'm the mistress! I was wrong! I shouldn't have been the mistress! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Bright red blood flowed from her forehead, but she didn't stop. She grabbed another bottle and continued smashing it against herself. "Cassie, I was wrong, Cassie! Please forgive me." Again and again, her forehead became a bloody mess. Ethan grabbed her hand, his eyes full of heartache. "Stop! Sophia, stop! You're not the mistress. You're not! I love you, so you're not!" This statement dealt Cassandra a fatal blow. She never imagined that the Ethan who had announced at his eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony in front of everyone that he would marry Cassandra when he grew up. Now said he loved her best friend Sophia. Seeing this scene, their friends couldn't help but speak up. "Cassie, things have already come to this point. Why don't you just let them be together?" "Yeah, we've brought up divorce before, but they both refused. They didn't want to hurt you." "Aren't you two best friends? Can you bear to see Sophia suffer like this? She's been wronged for three years too, forcing herself into depression." Their friends looked at Cassandra with indignation, as if she were the only culprit behind everything. "Since you all think this way, I have nothing to say." She turned to leave, but Ethan immediately had someone block her path. "Stop! You think you can just walk away after doing this to Sophia?" Cassandra bit her lip, tears blurring her vision. "Then what do you want?"
"Sophia smashed herself four times. I want you to pay back tenfold." Ethan carried Sophia out of the private room. She trembled in his arms. "Do it. Forty bottles. Not one less." Leaving those words, he walked away without looking back. Sophia tried to say something. "Don't do this... Ethan..." "Don't plead for her anymore. Otherwise, I'll make it a hundredfold." Hearing this, Cassandra couldn't help but laugh. But as she laughed, she started crying. The man who'd sworn to protect her for life now wanted to hurt her! Seeing her cry, their friends didn't comfort her. They all left one by one. Only she and two bodyguards remained in the private room. The bodyguards looked at each other, reluctant to act. Cassandra knew Ethan too well. Whatever he decided, no one could change. If she didn't finish these forty bottles today, she wouldn't be able to leave the Blue Baron. So she accepted her fate. "Do it." "We're sorry, Mrs. Wilde." After apologizing, the bodyguard picked up an empty bottle and smashed it hard against Cassandra's head. "Bang!" The glass bottle exploded, shards cutting her face. The second time, her head was bleeding! The third time, shards pierced into her scalp, the pain multiplying! The fourth, the fifth... After being hit countless times, she could no longer feel the pain. But something seemed to be flowing down her thighs. She looked down in a daze and saw blood. In that moment, she didn't feel sad. She only felt relieved. The bodyguard quickly stopped and called Ethan in panic. "Mr. Wilde, Mrs. Wilde, she—" "Begging for mercy? Tell her—forty times, not one less! I'm with Sophia at the doctor right now. Don't call me again!" The call was cut off. The bodyguard froze. Just as he was hesitating whether to continue, the woman in front of him collapsed to the ground like a broken doll. "Mrs. Wilde!" When Cassandra woke up, the first thing she felt was pain from her forehead. Everything else seemed not to hurt anymore. The doctor was checking her IV drip. "Mrs. Wilde, you're awake? Don't be too sad. You can have another child." Cassandra didn't answer. Her dark eyes shifted around. The doctor thought she was looking for Ethan and quickly explained, "Mr. Wilde will be here soon. We've already told him about your situation." "How long have I been at the hospital?" "About six hours." Six hours? Ethan hadn't come. In his heart, she wasn't that important at all. Cassandra's nose stung, but she held back her tears. The hospital room door opened. Ethan walked in. The doctor left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. Seeing the injuries on Cassandra's forehead and her pale face, Ethan's heart ached. He choked up. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" "I wanted to tell you this morning. Didn't get the chance before you beat the child out of me." Cassandra's tone was flat, as if talking about something unrelated to herself. "Now it's fine. No need to say it anymore. The baby's gone anyway." "Cassie!" Ethan reached out to hold her, his voice still gentle. "If I'd known you were pregnant, I wouldn't have done that to you!" "You saw it yourself. Sophia really is sick. I've thought about not dealing with her. But all these years she's been between us. I can't ignore her. You understand, right?" "She's always loved me silently without asking for anything in return. Her life was hard enough before. I don't want her to suffer. You're her good friend. You should understand!" Cassandra had miscarried. The child was beaten out of her by Ethan. He came to the hospital to see her, yet every word was about how much he felt for another woman. Cassandra should have felt pain. But perhaps because this was her second time being betrayed, she didn't feel any pain at all. "I know. I understand." She pushed him away and asked softly, "How is she? Is she okay?" "You still care about her? Does that mean you accept her?" The hope in his eyes pierced her heart, but Cassandra still nodded. "Yes. You're right. She's sick. You should be with her." She turned away, giving him only her back. "I'm tired. Go be with her." "Cassie, you're so wonderful! My love for you isn't wasted. I'll go tell Sophia. She'll be so happy!" Ethan walked toward the door. When he reached it, he left one more sentence. "Oh, Cassie, don't be too upset about not having a child. Sophia's pregnant too, already three months along. She said as long as you accept it, her child will be your child." He left. The hospital room door closed. Inside was deathly silent. Learning that Sophia was pregnant with Ethan's child, Cassandra thought she would be shocked, heartbroken. But her heart was already like stagnant water, feeling nothing. She picked up her phone and called her lawyer. "The divorce papers I left with you three years ago can take effect now."
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