Chapter 1

I leaned against the hospital bed, my face drained of color, every breath laced with pain.

The night before, he'd humiliated me deliberately—not only injecting me with a muscle relaxant, but ordering the curtains removed beforehand.

All night long, the clicking of camera shutters outside the window never stopped.

Seeing how weak I was, Dahlia held up her phone and aimed it right at my face, her smile pretty and poisonous:

"Oh my, you're truly famous now. 'Billionaire's new wife turns out to be the ultimate slut'—how do you like that headline trending on social media?"

Something inside me snapped.

I clenched my teeth, pushed myself upright, and swung my hand at her face.

But Alexander was faster. He pulled Dahlia behind him and caught my wrist in midair.

"Wren, haven't you caused enough trouble? You clawed your way into this family, and now you want sympathy? Deal with the consequences."

"Is this what your parents raised? Because they'd be ashamed."

I let out a muffled cry of pain, gripping the sheets beneath me, and screamed until my voice cracked:

"I married you! I'm your wife—I'm a Sterling!"

Alexander's expression didn't waver. His voice didn't waver:

"It's just a piece of paper. You'll never be a real Sterling. I could replace you in a heartbeat."

With that, he shoved my hand away, wrapped his arm around Dahlia, and walked out.

The moment they left, a searing pain tore through my abdomen, and blood began pouring from between my legs.

That violent yank from Alexander had ripped my unhealed surgical wound wide open.

I fumbled for the call button in a panic. After a rushed examination, the doctor looked at me with an agonized expression.

"Ms. Alderton—I'm sorry, Mrs. Sterling—the repair surgery carries extreme risk. We need a family member's signature in person."

My whole body was shaking with pain, cold sweat beading across my forehead.

With the last of my strength, I dialed Alexander's number.

"Alexander, please—I need you here. The doctor says they need a family member to sign off on the surgery. Just ten minutes. Ten minutes, and after that you can go wherever you want..."

On the other end, Alexander let out a derisive scoff, his voice flat with irritation:

"Wren, my time is valuable. I don't have time for your theatrics."

"Drop the act, Wren. It's a shame you never won an Oscar. Nobody's buying it anymore. Give it a rest."

"Please, Alexander, it's just a signature..."

"I've got to take Dahlia to feed her rescue dogs. I have to go."

The line went dead. Above me, I heard muffled laughter.

When I looked up, I saw the doorway packed with people, all staring.

Blood was still pooling beneath me. In my ears, his mockery mingled with their gleeful whispers.

He would rather go feed a stray dog than spend ten minutes coming back to sign for me.

Despair crashed over me like a tidal wave.

With my last remaining strength, I called the Sterling Estate.

"I've made my decision. I'm calling in every favor you owe me for saving his life—in exchange for a clean break from Alexander Sterling. We part ways for good and never see each other again."