Everyone knew Gabe was a "wife guy" during the ten years we were together. Back in high school and college, while I buried my head in textbooks, he wrote me a love letter every single week. Rain or shine, he delivered 365 letters before I finally agreed to be his girlfriend. That day, he hugged me and kissed me over and over again. "Sarah, I swear, in this life and the next... actually, in every life, I will only love you. I will give you the best things this world has to offer." After graduation, he started his own tech company. For three years, he slept four hours a night and drank himself into stomach ulcers at business dinners. In the fourth year, he made it. He became a tech mogul, a multimillionaire, the new king of Silicon Valley. Everyone said our hard work had paid off. Gabe held me tight, trembling with excitement. "Finally! I can keep my promise. I can give you everything." I cried, shaking my head. "Your love is already the best thing in the world." That night, we made love everywhere—from the kitchen to the bathroom to the bedroom. I thought we would be happy forever. But two months ago, I saw him pin my half-sister, Zoe, against his desk and kiss her passionately. Zoe’s eyes were glazed over. "Do I taste like your fiancée?" "No," Gabe growled, his voice husky. "You're younger. More exciting. You taste better." He kissed her again, harder this time. I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I just quietly started preparing for my grad school exams abroad. When Gabe searched the entire city and couldn't find me, that’s when he finally panicked. 1 "Just wait ten more minutes, okay?" I tugged at the hem of his shirt, tears already streaming down my face. My birthday was tomorrow. It was ten minutes to midnight. He had promised to always be the first person to wish me a happy birthday. "Be good, babe. There's an emergency at the office. I'll be back as soon as I handle it. Wait for me!" Usually, if I shed a single tear, he would drop everything to comfort me. But tonight, he didn't even seem to see it. He pulled his shirt from my grip, put on his shoes, and asked for the car keys. He acted like the sky was falling. At 5:00 AM, the candles had burned out, the cake had melted, and Gabe still wasn't home. I opened my phone and clicked on my chat with Zoe. Her tone was smug. "Sis, if I remember correctly, today is your birthday, right?" She added a giggling emoji. "What a coincidence. Today is my and Gabe’s two-month-minus-two-days anniversary. Guess who he chose?" Two-month-minus-two-days anniversary. I let out a bitter laugh. When I saw the message, I knew. Gabe wasn't stupid. He knew Zoe was making up a ridiculous occasion just to hurt me. But he agreed to it anyway. Tears fell like broken beads. Ding! A photo arrived. Under a sky full of fireworks, Gabe had her pinned against a railing, kissing her. It was a beautiful, romantic scene. "Sigh, my brother-in-law is so romantic. He prepared all this for me." I felt like a clown. While I was excitedly waiting for him to celebrate my birthday, he was planning his escape to romance another woman. I zoomed in on the photo. Around Zoe’s neck hung the "Heart of Africa" ruby necklace, worth $30 million. Rumor had it Gabe hired a top designer to customize it. He said it was for the most important woman in his life. I was such a fool. I thought he bought it to surprise me. My heart felt like it was being eaten by insects. The pain was excruciating. I clutched my chest, unable to stand straight. Good. Let it hurt. Remember this pain and humiliation. Don't be soft-hearted anymore. Cut out the rot so the rest of you can survive. Gabe, I'm leaving you. I stood up, went back to my room, and lay in bed, calculating my exit. 2 Not long after I lay down, Gabe came home. Seeing my red, swollen eyes, he apologized sincerely. "I'm sorry, wifey. I missed your birthday. I promise I'll spend it with you next year." I opened my eyes and met his guilty gaze. "Gabe, there is no next year for us." Panic flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it with a smile, tapping my nose. "Don't talk nonsense. We promised to be together for every lifetime. How could there not be a next year?" He leaned down to kiss me. I pushed him away and ran to the bathroom to vomit. He smelled like gardenias. That wasn't my perfume. His lips had just kissed another woman. It was disgusting. "Babe, are you pregnant? We aren't ready for kids yet," he said seriously, patting my back gently. I had been pregnant three times before. Each time, he said the timing wasn't right, that I should wait until he was successful so he could give our child the best life. Why it wasn't suitable now, I didn't know, and I didn't care. We would never have children. I cleaned myself up and walked out. I saw a slice of raspberry cake on the table. Gabe looked proud. "I know you love sweets, so I picked this up on the way home." I forced a smile. Bought at 5 AM? He couldn't even be bothered to lie properly. Or maybe he just thought I was stupid. This cake was clearly leftover from his "anniversary" with Zoe. He brought it home like a doggie bag for me. He chased me for seven years. We’ve been together for three. He knew better than anyone that I was allergic to raspberries. This just proved he didn't love me anymore. His heart wasn't here. I sat down, picked up the fork, and took a bite of the sweet cake. I smiled and asked, "Did you forget to give me the Heart of Africa? I've been looking forward to it." He froze. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously. He must be wondering how I knew. Finally, he laughed dryly. "Red is too old-fashioned for you. I bought that for my mom." "If you like gems, I'll buy you something more expensive and beautiful, okay?" My skin started to itch. I looked at him. "No need." I didn't need anyone's charity. He suddenly panicked. He grabbed the cake from my hand and threw it on the floor. "Sarah, you're allergic! We need to go to the hospital." I didn't move. He dropped to his knees and started slapping himself in the face. "I'm sorry, baby. I made you suffer. I've been so busy with work, my brain isn't working right. I forgot about your allergy." "Hit me, scold me, but don't joke with your health. It hurts me." "I really know I was wrong!" Before I could speak, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen, stood up, and said, "Sarah, go to the hospital yourself. I have something to do at the company." Watching his back as he left, I felt dazed. When did the boy who loved me so purely become such a good actor? One second loving me like his life depended on it, the next discarding me like trash. 3 To make it up to me, Gabe took me to a high-end restaurant. "There's a new movie out. Let's go see it if you have time," I said. He didn't look up from his phone. "Mmhmm." I smiled and tried another topic. "Someone from my graduating class just got their PhD and became a professor. Pretty amazing." "Mmhmm." His indifference extinguished all my enthusiasm. "Let's break up," I said. "Mmhmm." He paused, putting down his phone. "What did you say?" I sighed and smiled. "I said, go help me get some sauce." He relaxed and picked up his phone again. "You scared me. Go get it yourself, I'm busy." His impatience finally angered me. I raised my voice. "Did you not hear what I said?" I worked all day too. I was tired of coddling him. Gabe’s face went cold. He was angry now. "Sarah, stop being unreasonable. Every time we eat, you talk about celebrity gossip or obscure math theories." "It's boring as hell. I don't understand it, and I don't care. It's exhausting pretending to listen. Can you be a little more understanding?" His complaints left me speechless. Love and indifference are always clear. I pursed my lips and went to the sauce station. When I came back, I saw Zoe. She was squeezed in next to Gabe, hugging his arm, practically sitting in his lap. Seeing my gaze land on their touching bodies, Zoe smiled brightly. "Hello, Mrs. Gabe. I'm Zoe, Gabe’s personal secretary." She emphasized the word "personal." She had zero boundaries. I looked down at Gabe. He looked away guiltily. "Zoe just came back from studying abroad. She's a bit more... open and free. Don't overthink it." I looked down, sipped my coffee, and said nothing. Zoe leaned in and kissed Gabe on the cheek. "That's right. Abroad, even if we sleep together, it doesn't mean anything. Just sex, no feelings." Gabe sensed the hidden meaning in her words and quickly stood up. "I'll go get sauce." "Bring me some too! You know what I like!" Zoe laughed innocently. But the moment Gabe left, her smile turned cold. She touched the ruby necklace at her throat. "Stolen things really do taste better. Dad was like that, and so is your husband. Sarah, I'm going to steal Gabe from you." Even though my nails were digging into my palms, I kept my face calm. "If it can be stolen, it wasn't worth much anyway." She sneered. "Self-comfort of the weak. Let's see if you’re really as calm and unbothered as you pretend." With that, she ripped the necklace off and threw it on the floor. Then she picked up my coffee and splashed it on her own face. Finally, she slapped herself twice, hard. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabe running back. She covered her red face and started sobbing. Gabe’s slap landed on my face without hesitation. "Sarah, where is your grace? Where is your kindness?" "It's my fault. I spoiled you until you became arrogant and lawless. Today is a lesson. Learn what to control and when to turn a blind eye. You live in my house, eat my food, spend my money. Things are different now. You need to learn to compromise." He was warning me. Even if he cheated, I had to endure it. He was convinced I couldn't leave him. "Gabe, it hurts. I think I'm burned. Will it scar?" Zoe whimpered. Gabe withdrew his cold glare and tenderly checked Zoe’s face, then scooped her up in his arms. Watching his back, my heart filled with endless bitterness. My boy was just like my father. He had a new love. I was alone again. I stood up and walked aimlessly through the streets, my heart full of misery. 4 The next morning, I woke up to something cool on my face. I opened my eyes to see Gabe’s apologetic face. "I'm sorry, Sarah. Yesterday, anger went to my head. I didn't consider your feelings. I didn't give you enough security." I glanced at the ointment in his hand, turned over, and ignored him. He pressed against my back, hugging my waist. "Wifey, let's get married." My tears fell instantly. I waited four years for those words. Now that they were here, I only felt bitterness. I hummed a response, slipped out of his arms, and walked away. I couldn't stand the overpowering perfume on him or the red hickey on his neck for another second. Gabe, you're dirty. I don't want your marriage anymore. That afternoon at the market, I ran into a group of energetic college students. "Girls aren't necessarily worse at science than boys. Wasn't that math genius a few years back a girl?" "Yeah, too bad she was love-struck. Imagine what she could have achieved if she stayed in mathematics." "Nothing to pity. Just different choices. Her husband is really successful now." I clenched my fists and walked faster, afraid they would realize I was that love-struck fool. The year I graduated, I accepted Gabe’s proposal. For him, I scrapped my grad school plans. I worked as his data analyst and programmer for free. I did the work of three people. My mentor was furious. She said I would regret it. But I was young and reckless. I only wanted to help Gabe build his empire. Life was hard then, but we didn't have these petty dramas. Gabe truly loved me back then. Later, when his business took off, he wanted me to quit and be a housewife. He said it was for my health, that women shouldn't work so hard. In reality, he wanted to turn me into a dodder flower that could only live by clinging to him. Looking at the vegetables in front of me, I felt a wave of nausea. I didn't want this life anymore. I left the market and went to the library. Seeing the familiar formulas, the complex theories... I couldn't help myself. It felt so good to dive back into my passion. I devoured books like a starving person. The idea of going back to school took root in my heart. When the librarian told me they were closing, I walked out feeling satisfied for the first time in months. But before my smile could fade, I was hit by a familiar car. Just before I passed out, I saw the woman in the driver’s seat smirking. When I woke up, my mind was foggy. Gabe was hugging me. He stroked my face like I was a precious treasure. "You're finally awake. Do you know how scared I was seeing you covered in blood in the ICU? We promised to be together forever. Without you, I would die." My heart was still. Only my cheek felt wet. I looked up. Gabe was crying. How much of it was real? How much was fake? I asked flatly, "Gabe, did they catch the person who ran the red light?" He paused. "That doesn't matter. You're safe now." I smiled bitterly and pushed him away. "Give me my phone. I'm calling the police. I remember the car and the plate. The driver can't escape." His loving expression vanished, replaced by coldness. "It was me. I didn't see you clearly. It was dark, and you were looking at your phone. Are you going to sue me?" I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Forget it." He pushed his luck. "Next time, don't stay out so late. You worried me." I suppressed my grief and looked at him coldly. "Liar. Gabe, I saw her. It was Zoe. She hit me on purpose. I know you gave her that car. She stole my dad when we were kids, and now she's stealing you." Gabe didn't look shocked. He knew she was my half-sister. My father’s betrayal was a scar on my heart. Gabe knew that better than anyone because he spent seven years healing it. Now, he was ripping it open again. Gabe frantically wiped my tears. "For my sake, let her go this time. She didn't mean it. It was too dark." "If you mind us being close, I can transfer her to another department. Sarah, believe me, I only love you. I promoted her because she's capable." "Okay. I believe you." I looked away, picked up my phone, and started researching grad school applications.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "386186", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel