On the day of my difficult delivery, my husband abandoned me in the operating room, disgusted by the sight of childbirth. With no one to sign the consent forms, I nearly died on the operating table. After I finally escaped the jaws of death, he vanished entirely for a month. It wasn't until I brought our newborn son home from the hospital that I found my husband waiting with a table full of my favorite dishes. I comforted myself, thinking that perhaps, as a first-time father, his fear of childbirth was normal. But the very next day, a photo of me, bare-chested and nursing my baby, appeared in a private chat group of the elite. The caption read: [Freshly sourced. House calls available for direct mouth-to-mouth inspection.] ... 1 The chat group instantly exploded over that single sentence. And the person who posted the picture was the same husband who had tenderly washed my hair and bathed me just yesterday. "Gentlemen, my wife is a fresh, new mother. Only six slots available. Bidding starts at $70,000." A payment QR code was immediately dropped into the chat. More and more people joined this online auction. "Is this a scam? Who sells their own wife these days? Playing pretty hard, huh? But I like it." "This guy is legit. Just bid!" "I bid $70,000. I've tasted spicy girls and mature women, but never a new mom. It must be a unique experience." Listening to these men's degrading fantasies about me, a fleeting, almost imperceptible flash of guilt crossed my husband's face. "For those who are skeptical, you can inspect the goods before paying. If it's fake, I'll compensate you triple!" Before he even finished speaking, the wealthy men were eagerly throwing money around, fighting to sign up. "$70,000? Get out of here. I bid $170,000. I want to suck ten pounds." "$400,000. I want all of your wife's breast milk. Even your kid can't touch it!" As soon as those words were spoken, a gasp echoed through the speaker. My husband deliberately lowered his voice, but a hint of excitement still bled through. "Rest assured, Mr. Wang. The day after tomorrow, 3 PM, Room 888 at the Starlight Hotel... I guarantee she'll be drugged beforehand. She'll be responsive but quiet..." Amidst the collective gasps, I stood outside the study, my face already covered in tears. Liam Sterling's words, and the filthy remarks of those rich men, were like sharp blades carving my heart to bloody ribbons. Liam and I had an arranged marriage, one that I had eagerly hoped for. He, however, had no feelings for me. Before my pregnancy, he was always merely polite. But after I got pregnant, he suddenly started doting on me, staying home and never leaving my side to take care of me. Under his meticulous care and sweet words, I thought he had finally seen my worth, and I was overjoyed for a long time. Even while heavily pregnant, I personally cooked and did his laundry every day, refusing to let the nanny help. Now it seemed it was all just a grand performance, an act of deep affection just to sell me for a good price. But a question still lingered in my mind. The Sterling family was part of the elite circle. If he just needed a few million, he could have simply asked his family. Why hide his identity and use me to make money? Why grovel so pathetically to these people for an auction? Inside the study, immediately after Liam hung up the call, another one came in. "Liam, did you get the money for my medical bills? I feel so awful, my heart hurts so much." "Be a good girl, Mia. I've raised the money. Once the final payment clears, you can have your surgery." The girl on the other end let out an infatuated laugh. "I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Liam. But using Chloe's... thing to pay for my medical bills... is that really okay? A woman's purity is her most important asset." Liam sneered coldly. "Her purity being traded for your medical treatment is her blessing. In a way, she's accumulating good karma for herself!" "If Chloe finds out, won't she go to Grandpa and divorce you?" "Impossible. She loves me too much. Once your medical bills are covered, I'll just buy her a strawberry lollipop, and everything will be fine!" Listening to their flirtatious banter, the last shred of love I had for him vanished completely. I knew who the woman on the phone was. She was Liam's college junior, Mia. They had been in love for five years. In their sixth year, the Sterling family suddenly declared bankruptcy, and she vanished the very next day. Liam was devastated. It was then that I took the opportunity to bring up the childhood marriage arrangement between our families, successfully marrying Liam. After the wedding, I injected my entire inheritance from my father into the Sterling Group, bringing it back from the brink of death. I originally thought that if I gave enough, he would eventually let me into his heart. But in the end, I still couldn't compete with a single "It hurts" from his first love. Three years of wholehearted devotion, repaid with both emotional and physical betrayal... I silently retreated to my room, looked at my sleeping son, and dialed Liam's grandfather's number: "The day after tomorrow, 3 PM, Room 888 at the Starlight Hotel. That will be proof enough that he never had me in his heart. Grandpa, I have done everything I can for the Sterling family. Please allow me to leave!" I was woken up by my son's crying. Looking at him, I knew he was hungry. I immediately prepared to lift my shirt to nurse him, but right at that moment, Liam burst in and snatched my son from my arms. The baby hung upside down over Liam's shoulder. "What are you lifting your shirt for?! Nursing at the drop of a hat—what, are you trying to get off on the kid?" "You really disgust me, Chloe!" Remembering his conversation with those rich men last night, I instantly understood his intention. As expected, for his first love, he didn't even care whether his own son lived or died. Ignoring Liam's deliberate insults, I panicked seeing the baby's face turn purple and hearing his cries grow weaker. I immediately pulled my shirt down and begged Liam to put the baby down. But he completely ignored me. He reached out, stripped off my shirt and pants, and shoved me into the storage room. "You filthy bitch. Since your mind is so dirty, let's keep your body clean. Think about what you've done in here!" Hearing the baby's cries drift further away and grow fainter, I frantically pounded on the door, begging Liam to let me out. "Even if you don't want me to breastfeed him, please, Liam, at least give him some formula!" The only response was endless silence and darkness. I slid to the floor in despair, but then flashing lights from the window pierced my eyes. There were people in the building opposite... Only then did I realize that this storage room was completely empty, and it had a floor-to-ceiling window directly facing the balcony next door. Five men on the opposite balcony were snapping photos of me with their cameras. "So this is the nursing mom up for auction, Chloe? Looks like the kid wasn't lying. You can tell she's engorged just by looking at her. The taste must be fantastic." "Hahaha, so what if she's top-tier? The money we five pooled together only bought us viewing rights. The only one who gets to touch her is the guy who bid $400,000..." Hearing this, everyone looked at the man sitting to the side, but he merely put away his phone, turned, and left the balcony. I stared in disbelief as the camera flashes raked over my body. Every flash felt like a slap, numbing me to the pain, leaving me powerless to fight back. Listening to their filthy remarks, I could only hug myself tightly, curling into a corner, burying my head, and turning my back to the window. When the flashing finally stopped, I heard the front door open. Mia, wearing a sexy, tight corset dress, perfectly "tripped" into Liam's arms the moment he opened the door. "Liam, this dress is squeezing my chest so tight it hurts! Help me, please!" Looking at the curvaceous Mia, Liam casually tossed our still-crying son onto the dining table. Right in front of the baby, he threw Mia onto the table and started taking her. Listening to the baby's weak cries and the filthy sounds of those two dogs enjoying themselves... I pounded the door frantically, trying to awaken whatever conscience Liam had left. But the only response I got was Mia's louder moans and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. It wasn't until my hands were bloody and mangled from pounding the door, and my body covered in bruises from throwing myself against it, That Liam finally let me out of the storage room. One look at his eyes, and I instantly understood what that heavy thud had been... I used every ounce of my strength to shove Liam aside and run to the living room. Mia leisurely pulled up her panties, flaunting herself at me. And my child was lying under the dining table in an unnatural position. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. It's all my fault for making Liam lose control. We forgot the baby was still on the table..." Seeing Mia's fake, sorrowful expression, I didn't care that I was still naked. I lunged at her with all my might. Before I even touched a hair on her head, Liam kicked me to the ground. I landed right next to my baby. Looking at his already purple face and stiff body, all my grievances erupted in that moment. "Liam, he is your own biological son! Aren't you afraid of karma?!" Liam held Mia in his arms with a look of utter indifference and sneered: "Chloe, if Mia hadn't been misdiagnosed with a heart condition, I never would have let you get pregnant." "Just now, the doctor told me Mia's heart condition was a misdiagnosis. If the kid is dead, he's dead. It'll be the same when you raise Mia's child later." Mia touched her stomach, a smile hidden on her lips, and feigned distress: "Liam, since I'm fine now, can we cancel the auction for Chloe's breast milk? Even if Mr. Wang has powerful backing, Chloe's reputation is still very important..." Anyone with a brain could tell she was passively-aggressively urging Liam to hand me over to Mr. Wang as soon as possible. Only that bastard Liam interpreted it as her being gentle, considerate, and kind. Liam's phone rang, and he answered it like a lapdog. An old, weak voice came through the speaker: "The naked video of your wife is good. I've transferred the final payment to your card. Make sure she's completely bare when you bring her to the room tomorrow." Because I was quite far away, I didn't catch the exact details, but from his expression, I knew it had to be about the auction. I picked up my baby, who had long stopped breathing, and stumbled toward the bedroom. "Tomorrow, come with me to the Starlight Hotel. There's a banquet, and the organizers require a female plus-one for entry!" Hearing this, I refused without thinking, "Mia is a woman. You can take her." Before I finished, Liam rushed over, snatched the baby from me, and dangled him by his tiny fingers like a plastic bag. "Who the hell do you think you are to refuse me? Mia even put in a good word for you! Don't push your luck!" Watching my baby's body sway, my heart felt like it was being sliced open. "Give me back my baby." A cold sneer curved Liam's lips. "You want the kid? Then accompany me to the auction tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll throw him to the wolves in Siberia so there won't even be bones left, and he won't be able to reincarnate even if he reaches the underworld!" Looking at his emotionless eyes, I felt desperate and helpless. "Liam, he is your child, and I am your legally wedded wife! Are you truly not afraid of retribution?!" Liam held the baby high in the air. "Chloe, cut the crap. If you don't agree right now, I'll tear your child apart piece by piece!" Although Liam appeared to outsiders as a gentle and refined gentleman, only I knew he was a terrifying demon who always kept his word. To ensure my baby remained intact and received a proper burial, I agreed to his terms. The child was already gone, my heart was already dead; there was nothing left for me to fear. Once he confirmed I wouldn't change my mind, Liam tossed the baby at my feet and left with Mia in his arms. After he left, I quickly cleaned myself up and arranged my baby's funeral. To preserve the last shred of dignity for the Sterling family, I didn't publicize his death. I simply hired a monk to perform a small ceremony, hoping that in his next life, he would be born into a normal family and no longer suffer with me. By the time everything was done, it was the next day. When I returned home, a row of colorful, sexy, and revealing evening gowns was lined up in the living room. Liam was sitting on the sofa in an odd position. Mia, with a look of pure enjoyment on her face, was sitting on his lap, subtly grinding against him. I wanted to ignore them and go straight upstairs. But Liam called out, pointing at the rack of dresses and telling me to pick one. Looking at the clothes—all plunging necklines, deep V's, or slits cut up to the waist—I flatly refused. Liam looked at me with disgust. "You have to wear one. Look at your fat, bloated body. Mia specifically found a designer who specializes in plus-size women's clothing to custom-make these for you. Don't be ungrateful!" I looked down at my bloated, protruding stomach and found it incredibly ironic. During my pregnancy, Liam treated me like a treasure. I once thought my love would finally bear fruit. But on the day I gave birth, when he saw my lower body, the disgust and revulsion in his eyes were unmistakable. He sneaked away, leading to me hemorrhaging with no one to sign the surgical consent form. I nearly died on the operating table. Since that day, I suffered from postpartum depression, trapped in constant self-doubt, which led to a hormonal imbalance that caused my body to swell. He was the cause of all this, yet he dared to blame me! I picked a dress that provided slightly more coverage and changed into it, just as they finished their filthy act. When we arrived at the auction, the five men who had been standing on the balcony that day were all present. Liam shot Mia a look. Mia pretended to be very affectionate, hooking her arm through mine and dragging me over to socialize with those scumbags. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. She's a mother now, and still looks like this. Definitely worth the price." "Mr. Wang is in for a treat tonight. $400,000 is a steal." "Hey gorgeous, if you can't take it, you can always run. Us five brothers will take good care of you." Listening to their filthy words, Mia offered a few haphazard excuses and dragged me away, terrified I would catch their underlying meaning and discover her and Liam's insidious plot. But as I turned around, I caught sight of Liam pouring a packet of powder into a glass of red wine, whispering something to a waiter. The waiter looked over with a guilty expression. I quickly turned my back, terrified Liam would realize I saw something. I always thought that even if Liam didn't love me, he would spare my life out of consideration for my three years of unwavering dedication to the Sterling family. At the very least, he wouldn't degrade me like this. Mia took the wine glass from Liam and handed it to me. "Don't be mad, Chloe. Those bosses were just complimenting you. Try this, it's very expensive!" I instinctively looked at Liam, but he guiltily turned his head away. Looking at the powder settled at the bottom of the glass, I sneered and pushed Mia's hand away. "I'm afraid of karma if I drink wine offered by a mistress!" Before the words had fully landed, Liam ground his teeth, suppressed his anger, and growled at me. "Chloe, I don't have time for your tantrums. Drink the wine right now. Isn't Mia tired holding it?" I feigned nervousness, inching toward the exit, and asked with a naive expression: "Honey, you know I'm allergic to alcohol. Why are you..." Before I could finish, my head started spinning and my vision blurred. But I clearly hadn't drunk or touched anything! "Looks like the drug in the earrings is working. Liam, hurry up and send her to Mr. Wang. The East City project will definitely be yours." "You really are a clever little thing, thinking of everything. I don't know why she suddenly became so cautious, wasting so much time." Mia leaned weakly against Liam, her venomous, snake-like eyes roaming over me. "Liam, are you sure you want to give Chloe to that seventy-something Mr. Wang? Doesn't your heart ache?" Liam lifted Mia's chin and kissed her deeply. "Why would my heart ache for her? She's just a lapdog. What trouble could she possibly cause?" I collapsed weakly to the floor, trying to grab Liam's pant leg. "I am your legally wedded wife... you can't do this to me..." Listening to my feeble pleas, Liam didn't even look at me: "Tonight is a charity auction. By making a contribution, you're accumulating good karma for your child. Isn't this what they call a win-win?" Thinking of my dead son, despair consumed me entirely. Seeing I was no longer struggling, Liam publicly stripped off my gown and underwear. He ordered a waiter to bring a transparent gift box, tied my hands and feet, and put me inside. "Send it to Room 888 on the top floor." Looking at their numb, indifferent eyes, I knew pleading was useless. Through the transparent packaging, I thought I saw a flash of heartache and guilt in Liam's eyes. As the scene before me grew increasingly blurry, I viciously bit my own tongue to stay awake. Until Grandpa Sterling sent someone to rescue me. "In the end, it is our Sterling family that has wronged you." He returned my mother's keepsake, had me sign the divorce papers, And sent me abroad. Watching the plane take off and Capital City shrink to a tiny dot, I finally dared to let my guard down and fall asleep. Meanwhile, Room 888 was in shambles: "Liam Sterling, where is the item I bought? All I got was a broken box?!" Mr. Wang, half-naked, was smashing things in a furious, red-faced rage. Liam yelled at his bodyguards, "Go find her right now! I want her alive, or I want to see her corpse!" Hearing this, the bodyguards rushed out of the room, but quickly backed in again. Liam looked at the person walking in behind the bodyguards, his jaw dropping in shock. Before he could speak, his grandfather slapped the divorce agreement onto his face: "From now on, Chloe has nothing to do with the Sterling family! You can use Mia to compensate Mr. Wang!" Hearing this, Mia instinctively hid behind Liam, looking at him with utter grievance. She signaled for Liam to speak up and protect her. But to her surprise, Liam ignored her pleading gaze, And instead asked why Chloe would have nothing to do with the Sterling family anymore. Furious, his grandfather raised his cane and struck Liam's leg. "You have the audacity to ask?! If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have given your own wife to someone else as a plaything, all for this insidious, gold-digging woman!" Seeing his grandfather's rage, Liam stubbornly replied: "It's just nursing! It's not like Chloe was going to lose a piece of flesh. She wouldn't have cared." "Besides, as long as she satisfies Mr. Wang, he'll give me the East City land outright! She'd normally jump at the chance to do something that helps me so much!" Seeing his grandson spout such shameless words with such self-righteousness, Grandpa Sterling trembled with anger. It was only then that Liam clearly saw what his grandfather had just slapped onto his face. "A divorce agreement?" "How do you have this?!" Liam dropped his cynical attitude, his expression turning serious. Grandpa Sterling sighed deeply and recounted the events following the Sterling family's bankruptcy. Three years ago, when the Sterling family went bankrupt, I found out and brought my father's inheritance and the notarized documents to Grandpa Sterling. I told him I could save the Sterling family from ruin, but I had two conditions. The first condition was that I had to become Liam's wife. Grandpa Sterling, a seasoned businessman, naturally wouldn't believe in the "love" of a girl in her early twenties. So he confiscated my mother's keepsake to keep me in check. Later, as the Sterling family returned to its peak, he witnessed everything I did for his grandson. Ultimately, feeling a pang of conscience, he prepared a divorce agreement, pre-signed by Liam, as my ultimate escape route. As for the second condition... I asked Grandpa to hide the real reason Mia left Liam. I was truly afraid that a proud man like him would suffer a complete breakdown if he knew the truth. But I never expected that my well-intentioned concealment would become the sharpest knife to stab me today. Liam had actually offered me to a seventy-year-old man with a nursing fetish, just to amuse Mia. After the story was told, some were shocked, some felt guilty. Looking at my signature on the divorce agreement, Liam collapsed onto the floor. "She couldn't have signed it. She loves me so much; how could she bear to divorce me?!" "It must be fake. Grandpa, you're joking with me, right?!" Seeing the man so completely lost, Mia couldn't suppress her jealousy and pretended to defuse the situation: "Grandpa, don't blame Liam. Actually, Chloe also wanted to experience nursing again because the baby died. As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango, right?" Smack~ Grandpa stood right up and slapped Mia hard across the face, saying ruthlessly: "It seems to me, this slap sounded pretty loud!" "I'm not my idiot grandson, whose brain has been replaced by hot air. Your little tricks don't work on me. You know exactly how many schemes you used to auction off Chloe and kill the baby!" Knowing she was in the wrong, Mia ducked back behind Liam and said nothing more. Liam finally realized his grandfather wasn't joking. He plastered on a fake smile and crawled to his grandfather's feet. "Grandpa, I won't sell her. I'll return the four hundred thousand, and then I'll go home and find Chloe. I'll apologize to her. We'll just tear up this divorce agreement, it doesn't count..." The man's nonchalant attitude only made Grandpa angrier. "Liam Sterling, you truly are a piece of work! Let me tell you, I've already sent Chloe to her childhood friend. Their families originally had an arranged marriage." "I hope that boy can bring Chloe true happiness!" Hearing this, Liam stood up agitatedly, his eyes turning red. "Impossible! Chloe is mine, alive or dead. Marrying someone else? In her dreams!" Grandpa sneered coldly. "If she really becomes a ghost, she'd better be a vengeful spirit coming for your life, dragging you and this woman to hell to be deep-fried!" Finally, Grandpa looked at Mia and sighed deeply. "Since you were willing to go this far for this woman, then just marry this disaster. Consider it accumulating good karma!" With that, Grandpa left the room with his bodyguards. Hearing those words, Mia was thrilled. She happily wrapped her arm around Liam's. "Grandpa finally let us be together! I told you good deeds are rewarded. From now on, my son will officially be a member of the Sterling family!" The man radiated a chilling aura, completely contrasting with Mia's joy. Looking at Mia's raised lips, Liam asked coldly: "When my family went bankrupt back then... what is the real reason you left me?" Mia's smile froze. She hadn't expected Liam to ask this question now. Her eyes darted around, trying to find a suitable answer. But Liam's gaze was too sharp, as if it could see right through her soul. "Liam, don't listen to Grandpa's nonsense. I had my reasons for leaving you back then." Mia's voice carried a slight tremor. Liam sneered coldly. "Reasons? What reason could make you leave me when I needed help the most?" Mia's face turned pale as she hurriedly tried to cover up her panic. "When your family suddenly faced that crisis, I knew your burden had gotten much heavier. But I also knew you loved me deeply. I couldn't bear to be a stumbling block for you, so I forced myself to leave, allowing you to focus entirely on your career." "I was in agony too, but for your sake, I chose to bear it silently. Yet here you are, questioning me."
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