Chapter 1 Ethan and I were together for seven years, from high school sweethearts to walking down the aisle. He proposed at our graduation ceremony, promising to treat me like the happiest princess in the world. And after we got married, he did. I had unlimited access to his bank accounts, the villa was in my name, and when my little brother needed a heart transplant, he paid the $500,000 surgery fee without blinking. Everything was perfect. Until she appeared. Lily. A scholarship student Ethan sponsored. She came from a remote mountain village and was frugal to the point of obsession. Ethan found her penny-pinching adorable. He even handed over our household finances to her. On the day of my brother's surgery, Lily secretly swapped the matching donor heart for a pig heart. After the surgery failed and my brother died, she blinked her big, innocent eyes at me and said, "What's the difference between a human heart and a pig heart, anyway? They both beat." "$500,000 is way too expensive. I saved that money so Ethan could buy a new car. Isn't that better?" I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I quietly handled my brother's funeral. Then, I took my bodyguards and kidnapped Lily. She was terrified, screaming and struggling. "What are you doing?! Let me go! Ethan won't let you get away with this!" I wore a black dress, my face pale as paper, my eyes cold as ice. Looking down at Lily, pinned to the ground, I spoke softly, my voice devoid of emotion but filled with a chilling resolve. "Break every bone in her body. One by one." The bodyguards obeyed. The heavy thud of clubs hitting flesh mixed with Lily's agonizing screams and the sickening crack of breaking bones echoed in the empty warehouse. I don't know how long it went on. Suddenly, the warehouse door was kicked open. Ethan's tall silhouette appeared in the doorway, backlit by the sun. Seeing the scene, his face went pale. "Stop! What the hell are you doing?!" The bodyguards froze. Ethan rushed in, his eyes immediately landing on the curled-up, bloodied figure of Lily on the floor. Pain and fury flashed in his eyes. He grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard I thought he'd break it. "Sarah! I know you're grieving for Sam!" Ethan's voice shook with suppressed rage. "But Lily didn't mean it! She grew up poor, she's just too frugal! She saw the price tag and got confused! Her intentions were good! You have to understand her background, respect her lifestyle!" "Respect?" I laughed. It was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard. I looked at the man who once loved me more than life itself. Tears streamed down my face as I laughed. "Ethan, you're talking to me about respect?" I yanked my hand away and pointed at Lily. My voice trembled with pure rage and grief. "Since she came into our house, we've eaten stale leftovers every day because she thinks fresh food is too expensive. I buy a jar of face cream with my own money, and she nags me for three days about waste. And now... she killed my only brother! You want me to respect her? Today, either I die, or she dies! There is no third option!" Ethan frowned, about to speak, when Lily let out a pained moan from the floor. "Ethan... it hurts... so much..." That single cry tilted Ethan's heart completely to her side. He looked at me with disappointment and impatience. "Even if you're angry, this isn't how you vent! Guards! Lock my wife in the basement freezer! Let her cool off!" Pain ripped through my chest. I glared at him in disbelief. "Ethan! You wouldn't dare!" Ethan sneered, his handsome face colder than I'd ever seen. "Watch me. Lily might not be a rich heiress like you, but she has me backing her now! You hurt her, you pay the price!" The guards moved to grab me. "Wait!" Lily suddenly gasped, weak but determined. Despite her pain, she looked worried. "Ethan, the freezer... uses too much electricity. We have to save energy." Ethan looked at her helplessly, his tone softening. "Don't worry, it won't cost much." "No!" Lily insisted, even managing a pouting tone. "You said you'd listen to me! Electricity costs money! Every penny counts!" Ethan looked at her pale face and sighed, giving in. "Fine. Whatever you say. How should we punish her then?" Lily furrowed her brow, pretending to think innocently. "Hmm... I saw an old tractor at the junkyard today that still works. Why don't we tie Sarah behind the tractor and drag her? That doesn't use electricity, and she can feel the pain of broken bones like I did. Two birds with one stone!" I snapped. I screamed, "Ethan! Don't you dare! I'm Sarah! Your wife! We grew up together! You promised to protect me forever!" But Ethan just glanced at me coldly and ordered the guards, "Do as Lily says." I was dragged out of the warehouse and tied to the back of a rusted tractor. The engine roared to life, deafeningly loud, and the machine lurched forward. The rough concrete instantly shredded my clothes and skin. Gravel embedded itself in my flesh, sending searing pain through my body. I was dragged, my body leaving a long trail of blood. I screamed his name. "Ethan! Ethan, look at me! Look at who I am!" But the man who once cherished me was carefully lifting Lily into his car, gently wiping her wounds, not sparing a single glance for his tortured wife. Chapter 2 Excruciating pain and humiliation blurred my consciousness. Before darkness took me completely, memories flooded back like a tidal wave. Ethan and I were true childhood sweethearts. Since we were kids, Ethan followed me around like a puppy, declaring to any boy who came near, "Sarah is mine!" Everyone said Ethan couldn't live without me. On my twentieth birthday, under a rain of cherry blossoms, Ethan proposed. He said, "Sarah, I can't wait anymore. I want to marry you and tie you to my side forever." After marriage, he spoiled me even more. He'd drive across the city at midnight just because I mentioned craving pastries from a specific bakery. When I was sick, he'd drop everything to stay by my bedside. Every anniversary was a carefully planned surprise, ending with him kissing away my tears of joy. I thought we'd grow old together, the envy of everyone we knew. But in our seventh year, I noticed changes. Lemon candies—which I hated—started appearing in his pockets. Cheap hair ties were on his wrist. And... in moments of intimacy, he'd whisper a stranger's name—"Lily." I was devastated. I investigated and found a girl named Lily. Ethan had met her once and immediately taken her under his wing, showering her with care. Digging my nails into my palms, I prepared to confront her. But the day I left the house, I was hit by a car and woke up in the hospital. Ethan stood by my bed. His first words weren't of concern, but of weary blame: "Sarah, I didn't want to hit you. But I hope you won't go trouble Lily." My blood ran cold. He caused my accident? Just to stop me from confronting her? I stared at the man I thought I knew. "What is she to you?" Ethan rubbed his temples, annoyed, but finally confessed. "I wanted to hide it from you forever, but since you know... I fell in love with Lily at first sight. I like her. A lot." He said "like" with more intensity than he ever showed when proposing to me. My heart felt torn apart. "You like her?! What about me? What about our twenty years together?!" Ethan was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly, cruelly. "Sarah, we grew up together. You were too perfect, like the moon. My feelings for you were probably just a desire to conquer, to own you. I mistook that for love. Until I met Lily. She's so pure, so real. That's when I understood true love." "It's my fault. I married you before understanding my own heart. So, as long as you don't hurt Lily, you can stay Mrs. Vance. You'll have the status you deserve." He turned and left without looking back. Lying in that hospital bed, I felt like I had fallen into an ice cave. I thought it was a nightmare. A joke. But Ethan's pursuit of Lily became public. Everyone gossiped about how he spent a fortune to make her smile, surpassing even his treatment of me. To reassure Lily, who felt "unworthy," he moved her into our home and gave her control of our finances. Once Lily arrived, our home changed. Everything was measured by her extreme frugality. Life became chaotic and miserable, until... it led to my brother's tragic death. The pain of being dragged brought me back to reality. As my consciousness faded, one thought burned in my mind like a poisoned vow— Ethan, I will never love you again. Never. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, my body screaming in agony. The room was empty. I struggled to sit up and discharged myself, expressionless. In the hallway, nurses whispered. "That Miss Lily in VIP is so lucky. Mr. Vance watched over her all night without blinking." "Yeah, just a scratch, and he acted like it was fatal. Meanwhile, his wife is practically broken, and she's all alone..." "Fate is cruel. They used to say he doted on his wife. Guess it's out with the old, in with the new." My heart stung, but I had no tears left. I went straight to a law firm. I pulled an old document from my bag and handed it to the lawyer. "I want a divorce." It was a prenuptial agreement I jokingly made Ethan sign years ago. I had said, "Ethan, I don't tolerate betrayal. If you ever wrong me, I will leave without looking back. You'll lose me forever. Even if you kneel and beg, even if you kill yourself, I won't come back." Ethan had hugged me, laughing, kissing the top of my head. "That day will never come. We'll never need this." Now, everything had changed. And the agreement was finally being used. Chapter 3 The lawyer reviewed the document, confirmed the signatures, and declared it valid. Legally, after a one-month cooling-off period, if neither party withdrew, the divorce would be final. Regret? I smiled coldly. My only regret was not seeing through this man sooner and marrying him. I returned to the cold villa. Ethan didn't come home for days. I didn't care. I wouldn't shed another tear for him. I started purging the house of Ethan. Photos, gifts, his clothes—everything went into the trash. I quietly packed my own things. Finally, Ethan returned with Lily, who was "recovered." Seeing me, Ethan spoke flatly, with a hint of blame. "Sarah, Lily was hospitalized for a week because of you. This ends here. She feels guilty about Sam's death, but we can't bring him back. I bought him the best plot in the cemetery as compensation." Lily walked in then. "Yes, Sarah, I'm sorry about your brother. But honestly, spending that much money on surgery was unnecessary. Five hundred thousand dollars? That could feed my whole village for a lifetime! Where I come from, if someone gets a disease that expensive, they just jump in the river to save their family the burden." I dug my nails into my palms, using the pain to stay calm. "Are you done? If you're done, move." I didn't want to waste words on them. Lily stepped forward. "Actually, there is something. You put me in the hospital, so I couldn't buy discounted vegetables all week. We wasted so much money. We need to make it up. I know a spot by the river outside the city with lots of fish and shrimp. We can catch them and save on groceries for a month." I couldn't believe my ears. "Lily! That's a Buddhist release pond! People buy animals to set them free for good karma! If we get caught..." Lily interrupted, self-righteous. "Animals are for eating! Releasing them is a waste of money! It's stupid!" She grabbed my arm. "Let's go!" I yanked my arm back. "I'm not going! I have money! I don't need to save on groceries! Get out!" Ethan’s eyes turned cold. "Sarah, you are the heiress, yes. But you are also my wife. And don't forget, your parents are gone, your brother is gone. I've been managing your family's business. I am your only support! In this house, what I say goes!" My only support... The pain was unbearable. I remembered when my parents died, Ethan kneeling before their graves, vowing to protect me forever... Now, he used that against me. I shook, holding back tears. "If I refuse, will you kill me?" Ethan’s lips thinned. "I won't kill you. But... I can't guarantee Sam's grave will stay peaceful." I stared at him, horrified. "Ethan! What did you say?!" The man who said he couldn't live without me was threatening my dead brother's grave? Ethan looked away. "Sarah, just be sensible. Accept reality. Get along with Lily. Listen to me." Devastated and threatened with my brother's resting place, I had no choice but to submit. He was right. Grief-stricken and focused on Sam's illness, I had ignored the family business. Ethan had taken over, merging our companies and becoming a tycoon. My assets were tied to him. I had no control. If I fought now, I'd lose everything. I had to endure until the divorce was final. Then I could take my share and leave. Ethan intended to come with us, but Lily stopped him. "Ethan, go to work! Your time is worth thousands a minute! Catching shrimp isn't worth your time! Go make money!" Ethan agreed helplessly. Before leaving, he warned me, "Sarah, Lily just recovered. Take care of her." My heart died completely in that moment. Chapter 4 Lily dragged me to the mountain behind a busy temple. Seeing the signs—"Release Pond," "Infinite Merit"—I realized this was her "free seafood" spot. Lily jumped into the shallow water and started grabbing fish and turtles people had just released. "Lily! This is sacrilegious! If people see us..." "Food is food!" she retorted. "Buying this just to throw it back? Wasteful! Idiots!" She grabbed more. I turned to leave. Too late. Worshippers saw us. "Hey! What are you doing?! Those are sacred lives!" A crowd gathered, surrounding us, cursing us for our "sins." An elder stepped forward. "You have desecrated this place. You must atone! Either kneel and bow every step up the 999 stairs to the temple to ask for forgiveness, or donate $100,000 in merit money!" I opened my mouth to pay, but Lily shrieked. "$100,000?! Are you crazy?! Robbery!" She grabbed me. "Come on! Let's kneel! I'm not paying that!" I shook her off. "I'll pay! Leave me out of it!" Lily held on tight. "No! We didn't catch anything, and now we pay? No way! Money is more important than life! Sarah, you rich girls don't know hardship! You have a lot to learn from me!" I raised my hand to slap her. Lily stepped back and pulled out her phone. "Don't! If you don't kneel, I call Ethan! See what happens to your brother's grave!" My hand froze in mid-air, then dropped. Humiliated and trapped, I gritted my teeth. Under the scornful gaze of the crowd, I followed Lily, kneeling and bowing up the 999 stone steps. Knees on stone, forehead on dirt. Every movement was pain and shame. By the time we finished, we were bloody and exhausted. The crowd finally let us go. It was dark. Lily, refusing to spend money on a cab, insisted we walk home. I was in agony. I walked to the road to hail a taxi. Lily rushed to stop me. "No taxis! Too expensive! Walk! It's good exercise!" "Let go!" I struggled. We fought on the shoulder of the road. Lily yanked my injured arm. I screamed in pain and shoved her away. Lily stumbled and let go. But the momentum threw me backward, straight into the middle of the road! Headlights blinded me. Tires screeched. Impact. I flew through the air, slamming onto the asphalt. Vision fading, the last thing I saw was Lily's panicked but unrepentant face, and the cold city lights in the distance.
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