Forgiveness? Over My Dead Body

Hansen Holland fell for Nancy Shaw at first sight. He only won her heart after proposing a hundred times. However, shortly after their marriage, she received photos of him being intimate with a woman whose face had been blurred.

Hansen's lover even got ahold of Nancy's number and started sending her challenging messages!

On Hansen and Nancy's first wedding anniversary, Hansen's lover gave Nancy a live stream of herself being intimate with Hansen.

This time, Nancy abandoned her previous stubbornness and disappeared after erasing her identity.

After her departure, Hansen offered rewards worldwide to find her. When he finally did and came running in tears, he saw her in the arms of a younger man who was kissing her passionately.

The younger man said, "Cry louder, jerk. She's my wife now, and she kicked you to the curb ages ago!"

…

"Are you sure you want to erase everything about yourself, Ms. Shaw? If you cancel your citizenship, you'll cease to exist in Walveria. No one will be able to find you."

Nancy fell briefly silent as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line. She couldn't stop herself from looking at the empty foyer… The hope in her eyes died.

The clock on the wall chimed, signaling that it was midnight. It broke the silence of the night.

Her heart sank into an abyss, and bitterness washed over her. An indescribable heartache spread throughout her. Hansen didn't come home…

The employee on the other end of the line called her name when she didn't receive a response. "Ms. Shaw?"

Nancy returned to her senses and looked at the dishes she'd spent the whole afternoon preparing. The centerpiece of the feast was a cake commemorating her and Hansen's first wedding anniversary. She'd spent ages learning how to make it.

Now, however, everything had gone cold, like her love for him.

Self-deprecation was all that was left in Nancy's eyes. When she spoke, her voice was firm. "Yes, I'm sure. I want to wipe out everything about myself, including my citizenship. I don't want anyone to be able to find me."

Especially Hansen!

The employee was surprised by her determination but soon responded. "Understood, Ms. Shaw. The procedures will be done in about half a month, so please be patient. I'll contact you if there are any issues."

The call ended there. Nancy immediately purchased a ticket for a flight to Floria in 15 days. Once she was done, she felt like she'd been drained of all her strength. A wave of iciness washed over her soul.

She stared at her phone's dark screen until her eyes prickled. Only then did she return to her senses. She saw her reflection on the screen—her face was haggard, and her eyes were no longer bright.

She looked hideous. Her life was a mess.

Forget Hansen—even she didn't like the way she was now. What exactly had this marriage brought her?

Nancy stood up, and her face was devoid of emotion. She walked out of the room. When she got to the living room, she saw the TV playing footage from a week ago, when Holland Corporation had disclosed the necklace Hansen had made for her.

It was called "Only One".

The host excitedly introduced it. "Mr. Holland has named this necklace meant for Ms. Shaw 'Only One,' symbolizing that she is his life and his only one!"

The footage went on to show passersby who were abuzz over the necklace.

"I doubt there's anyone in this world who loves Ms. Shaw more than Mr. Holland does."

"Of course, no one loves her more than Mr. Holland does! Ms. Shaw was so strongly against marriage that Mr. Holland had to propose a hundred times before she agreed."

"Exactly! Mr. Holland planted a grapevine just for Ms. Shaw because he knows she loves fruits; he even threw himself before her to shield her in an accident! His love for her is pure and true!"

Nancy didn't know how to describe how she felt when she saw the footage. Then, she smiled bitterly. If this was what Hansen's love would ultimately become, she didn't want it anymore.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Hannah Sullivan. Nancy froze upon reading it before trembling uncontrollably.

Hannah bragged, "Looks like I've won this bet. Mr. Holland was seriously wild. He's only just fallen asleep after fucking me until now. It must feel horrible to be alone, Mrs. Holland. It's your first wedding anniversary, isn't it? Should I wake him up and tell him to go home to you?"

This was followed by a video of Hansen asleep in bed. The video ended with footage of torn clothes strewn across the floor and used condoms scattered everywhere.

Nancy thought her heart wouldn't hurt anymore. However, she lost all sense of rationality when she watched the video. Her heart ached, and her anger surged.

Photos could be faked, but videos sure couldn't. Hannah was Hansen's secret lover!

A month ago, when Hansen had gone on a business trip, Nancy had received a parcel from a stranger. Photos of Hansen in bed with a woman whose face had been blurred out had been in the box, along with tons of used condoms.

Nancy had no idea what the woman looked like, but it was clear Hansen had cheated!

The sender had even left a note to gloat. "I thought he was desperately in love with you, yet he's like a dog in heat whenever he sees me. He used all these condoms on me, you know. You'd better get lost if you know what's good for you. You only have yourself to blame for not letting Hansen touch you!"

At the time, Nancy couldn't bring herself to believe Hansen would do something like that. She'd even thought the photos had been edited to frame him; she'd hired a private investigator to follow Hansen.

In the past month, she hadn't found anything suspicious about his actions. He'd only come into contact with a woman once—he'd presented an award to Hannah in a perfectly normal ceremony.

But that wasn't strange at all. Hannah was the newest star in the entertainment industry backed by Holland Corporation. She was also the one that the company had supported with plenty of money and resources.

Just as Nancy started suspecting that the photos had been edited, Hannah managed to get ahold of her number and suddenly texted her on WhatsApp. She'd goaded Nancy into making a bet with her on whether Hansen would spend their wedding anniversary with her.

Nancy had ignored Hannah's provocation but had made a bet with herself. She wanted to see who Hansen would choose on their wedding anniversary. What if Hannah was wrong? What if she'd misunderstood Hansen? They were so deeply in love, after all.

However, the reality was that Nancy had waited until past midnight after her and Hansen's anniversary was over. He wasn't home; he'd even fallen asleep by Hannah's side.

Nancy had lost. In hindsight, many things made sense.

Half a year ago, Hansen had asked her to quit her job and be a stay-at-home wife. He'd claimed it was because he was afraid she would attract attention from other men because she was so captivating, but she now knew that had just been a cover.

He'd actually been afraid of her finding out about his affair with Hannah—the latter had joined Holland Corporation half a year ago.

Nancy had been kept in the dark for so long, like a fool.

Hansen knew about what had happened back then and had assured her that he was willing to wait. Yet, in the end, he'd still fallen into bed with someone else.

Love, ultimately, boiled down to one having a conscience.

Hansen had severed the bond he and Nancy once shared the moment he'd slept with Hannah. And so, Nancy didn't want him anymore.

Nancy took a deep breath before looking at the divorce agreement on the table. She strode toward it and flipped to the last page to sign it. Then, she put it into a gift box.

After that, she sat on the bed dazedly. She felt like her heart was being crushed.

"I know you don't believe in love because of your parents, Nance, but I'm different. My heart beats only for you, and you're the only woman I love. You're my only one; I only have a home with you.

"Thank you for agreeing to marry me and be my wife, Nance. I, Hansen Holland, will love you forever."

Nancy's nose prickled. She couldn't control her tears anymore and started crying noiselessly. She held herself tightly and mumbled, "Things should've been like this long ago, Nancy. You should know no one can be with you forever."

The rest of the night passed without sleep. She only slowly drifted off when dawn was about to break. Suddenly, she felt the other side of the bed sink under someone's weight.

Nancy's eyes instinctively flew open. Before she could react, she felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace. A deep voice rang out above her head. "I collected 'Only One' yesterday, but the Chamber of Commerce stopped me from leaving over a problem.

"I've only just dealt with it and returned. I'm sorry I missed our first wedding anniversary. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

She looked up, and her guileless eyes met Hansen's deep ones. When their gazes met, she saw the love in his eyes. "Look, this is it. I'll put it on for you."

Nancy's stomach turned at the thought of him being in bed with Hannah just the night before. She was about to dodge him when she caught sight of the hickeys on his neck—there was even lipstick smudged on it. He also reeked of a sweet perfume.

Nancy's eyes were bloodshot. He'd been busy dealing with a problem with the Chamber of Commerce, huh? He'd actually been busy fucking Hannah!

Hansen was an asshole!

He was so focused on putting the necklace on for Nancy that he missed the hideous look on her face. Once he was done, he admired how it looked around her neck. The more he looked at it, the more pleased he felt.

"It's gorgeous, Nance. It shouldn't be too much to ask for a reward, right?" He tilted his left cheek toward her. His meaning was clear—he wanted a kiss.

Nancy's expression darkened. She gnashed her teeth as she looked at Hansen and took in his expression, which betrayed nothing. How dare he act like this with her after just getting out of Hannah's bed! How had she never realized what a good actor he was?

She didn't want to look at him anymore, so she grabbed the gift box from the table and stuffed it into his hands. "This is for you."

"What's this? An anniversary gift?"

Nancy stopped him before he could open it. "Don't open it now. Wait for half a month."

Hansen chuckled indulgently. "I don't know what you're up to, but I do know you like obedient men. I'll open this in half a month, then."

Nancy's tone was mocking. "That you are. Remember to wait for half a month."

He was so obedient that he could put on such an act around her after sleeping with someone else!

Hansen put the gift box into the safe like it was a precious treasure before returning to the bed and holding Nancy's hand. His tone was tender, but it carried a hint of command. "Let's go to an amusement park, Nance. I missed our wedding anniversary last night; I have to make it up to you today."

She was about to turn him down when he continued teasingly, "Or do you want me to carry you there? You know I'm more than willing to do that."