Chapter 1

“Ms. Guzman, I hate to break it to you, but you have an ectopic pregnancy. You gotta have surgery to have it removed immediately,” a doctor said.

Madison Guzman’s face blanched at his words. She had actually seen it coming yet still hoped for the best.

The diagnosis undoubtedly shattered her last hope.

She was overwhelmed by the intense pain.

After some contemplation, Madison sent a message to her so–called husband, Neville Preston, trying to sound him out. [How about we get a child?]

Neville replied: [In your dreams.]

Madison smiled bitterly with red eyes. ‘Even if I had a healthy pregnancy, Neville would not let me keep the child, she thought.

“Do it now.”

“I’m sorry to tell you that we’ll have to remove your fallopian tube.” the doctor uttered.

Madison’s head buzzed and she couldn’t hear the rest of the doctor’s words.

She knew better than anyone that removing the fallopian tube meant it would be difficult for her to conceive in the future. It was equal to depriving her of the qualification to be a mother. This result was a devastating blow to her.

Suppressing the pain in her heart, Madison sent another message to Neville. [What if I can’t have children in the future?]

Neville, as cold as ever, replied: [Go see a doctor for your delusion, and get out of my hair.]

Madison felt heartbroken. She almost forgot that, for Neville, she was nothing more than a notch on his bedpost. He wouldn’t care if she could have children as long as she could satisfy him in bed..

She gripped the pen, her fingers trembling as she signed her name heavily on the surgical consent form.

Before entering the operating room, the doctor asked, “Do you want to inform any family members?”

Madison shook her head.

“The Guzman family only used her to climb up the social ladder, and the Preston family treated her coldly. As for her real family and friends, she didn’t want to weigh them down. Over the years, Madison was used to handling herself no matter what happened.

Due to her anesthesia allergy, Madison went through the surgery without anesthesia. She could feel the pain of the baby being removed from her body. Madison was not as strong as she thought she was, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

After the surgery, she found a deluge of missed calls and messages from Neville. Soon, one more call from Neville came in. “Madison, get your ass back home!” he huffed impatiently.

It was obvious that Neville had already been back to home. Despite the sharp pain, she made her way back to the Preston family.

The moment Madison got home, Regina Preston, Neville’s mother, bit Madison’s head off. “Oh wow, what a good daughter- in–law I have! Knowing nothing but leech off us. How could you keep Neville waiting for so long? You’d just be better off dead!”

Daisy Preston, Neville’s younger sister, couldn’t resist mocking when she saw Madison’s colorless face. “You look so haggard. Did you get caught cheating?”

Madison pursed her pale lips. Since she married into the Preston family, Regina had cut back on the number of maids due to budget concerns, leaving Madison to handle most of the chores by herself.

She couldn’t understand why Regina had the cheek to accuse her of being a sponge.

Even the servants didn’t treat her nicely, To be frank, Madison didn’t get an ounce of respect in this household.

Over the last three years, Madison put up with insults and humiliations because of her love for Neville.

But losing her child was the last straw, making her reluctant to swallow her pride anymore.

“Shut up!” Madison shouted.

The mother–daughter duo was struck dumb by her sudden change of attitude. Until Madison finally walked out of their sight, they came to their senses.

“What the hell? That b*tch even had the guts to yell at me!” Regina snarled.

“Heh, Neville gotta straighten her out later!”

In the study. Neville held a cigarette between his fingers, and the lingering smoke made his face look even more demonic.

Madison couldn’t help but cough as she entered the study.

Neville stubbed out the cigarette, his piercing eyes like cold knives as they scanned her face. His strong aura weighed heavily on Madison.

When Madison approached, he tightly grabbed her neck, and his voice was devoid of any warmth as he said, “How dare you ignore my orders?”

It seemed like he could easily break her delicate neck with just a little force. Memories of past humiliations flooded. Madison’s mind in an instant.

Despite being married for three years, they rarely saw each other, and this time, Neville had returned home after a two- month absence.

Madison never once voiced her frustration about Neville’s distant attitude toward her. Yet, she faced rude treatment from Neville for being fifteen minutes late returning home.

Initially, Madison chalked it up to Neville’s rude nature. Later, she realized he simply despised her. He took out all the anger of marrying someone he didn’t love on her, finding ways to humiliate and torment her.

Madison looked at him with red eyes, her voice trembling as she said, “Neville, don’t touch me!”

He glanced at her pale face, a hint of fierceness flickering in his cold eyes.

Neville was fed up with her scowling at him while beaming at other men. His anger boiled over as he sneered, “So, who’s the one you prefer to lay hands on you?”

Madison, convinced that he was just trying to stir up trouble, coldly responded, “I’m feeling unwell. I don’t want to argue with you.”

Neville coldly grabbed a stack of photos and slammed them into her face. “Madison, how low can you sink? It’s only been two months since we were last intimate, and you’re already running to other men!”

The sharp corners of the photos cut into Madison’s face, drawing blood from her flawless skin.

However, she felt no pain, only staring down at the scattered images on the ground.

The man in the photos was Ross Castro, whom she coincidentally ran into at the hospital. He was her college classmate and now her business partner.

Their interaction at the hospital was merely exchanging greetings, yet the angle at which the photos were taken made them appear incredibly intimate.

She was about to explain, but Neville didn’t intend to give her that chance and tightened his grip on her neck.

She was overwhelmed by despair, and a chilling sensation crept through her.

When the pain reached its peak, she had a complete awakening. Neville didn’t love her. He hated her for marrying him and taking his sweetheart’s place.

Just as Madison was about to collapse, Neville suddenly released her and said, “I kept you here to play the part of my wife. not to go around seducing other men.”

Neville picked up a tissue and wiped his fingers vigorously as if he had touched something filthy. His handsome face was filled with indifference and disgust.

Madison’s body gave out, and she slumped onto the cold floor. She fainted, remaining in a daze for the entire night.

She seemed to dream of the seventeen–year–old Neville.

In her dream, the young man wore a crisp white shirt and pulled candies out of his pocket as if by magic. “Hey there, have a candy. With sweetness in your mouth, bitterness fades away.”

The candy was so sweet that Madison smiled. She wasn’t sure if the candy could chase away the troubles in her heart, but she knew that Neville would remain on her mind from then on.

But now, Neville seemed like a different person. He became ruthless. His handsome face became fierce and glaring.

He said, “Madison, donate a kidney, and I’ll help the Guzman family. It’s a fair deal where we both get what we want. But don’t expect me to love you. You know, that’s just wishful thinking Faced with the person she had loved for ten years, Madison found it hard to accept this marriage as a mere transaction.

She gave her all to him, always hoping to warm his heart. But the more she showed him kindness, the more Neville tortured and humiliated her.

Madison felt suffocated, and her body was in unbearable pain.

“Neville, no!” Madison shouted in her dream.