Chapter 1

In the fifth year of her marriage, Natalie Shaw was taken to the police station for the 199th time after being mistaken for a mistress. Her face was swollen and bruised on one side, and she was pinned down on a cold iron chair.

A woman was screaming in her ear, "You slut! How dare you seduce someone else's husband! You deserve a beating!"

Natalie stared through the door at her husband, Adrian Carter. He was leaning against the car outside with a cigarette between his fingers. Wisps of smoke accentuated his devastatingly handsome features. He was upstairs when she was dragged down the street by her hair.

Even when she was curled up in the police station, covered in injuries, he merely glanced at her indifferently, as if he were looking at a stranger. He coldly instructed his assistant, Ezra Smith, "You handle it."

By the time Natalie finished giving her statement, Adrian's car had already disappeared. With one eye swollen, she asked, "Where's Adrian?"

Ezra frowned and replied somewhat impatiently, "Mr. Carter is busy!"

"What could be more important than his wife getting beaten up and ending up in the police station?" she questioned.

Ezra hesitated for a moment, but he still explained, "Mr. Carter wants to accompany Ms. Hart…"

Upon hearing this, Natalie looked down and smiled bitterly. Ezra seemed to put Olivia Hart's interests above all else, making her the true lady of the Carter family while reducing Natalie to a nobody.

At that moment, Natalie truly regretted her choice five years ago.

She and Adrian were young lovers who had been so devoted to each other. Natalie was an orphan, and Adrian was from a single-parent family.

Since neither of them had a complete family, the children in the communal apartment disliked them. Therefore, they only had each other for company. This companionship lasted for ten years and blossomed from friendship to love.

But five years ago, the wife of the richest man in Galton died in a car accident. Adrian's mother had grabbed Adrian's hand and told him, "Adrian, you're Timothy Carter's son. You have to go back."

Just like that, Adrian became the sole heir of the Carter family. However, the Carter family would only take him back on one condition. He had to marry the heiress of Hart Group to strengthen their position in the business industry.

Adrian had refused for Natalie's sake. He stayed outside the Carter residence for three days and even developed severe pneumonia from the fever. Yet, he still refused the absurd marriage arrangement.

He said, "Nat, you're the only woman I'll ever marry. I will never be with her!"

He even endured 100 lashes on his back as punishment, leaving him covered in blood.

Timothy relented when he saw his only son injured. He agreed to let Adrian marry Natalie, but the marriage could only be held in secret.

On the surface, Olivia was Adrian's fiancee. Natalie could only openly stand by his side when he took control of Carter Group.

Adrian said, "Wait for me, Nat. I will never let you down."

Moved by his sincerity, Natalie nodded with tears in her eyes. But after they got married, she had become very miserable. Even holding hands with him became a luxury.

As Carter Group's carefully fabricated romance between Adrian and Olivia gained more public attention, Natalie was branded a homewrecker after she was caught secretly holding his hand while they were out together.

The abuse, slander, and vicious attacks came one after another.

But Adrian remained silent throughout. The words he said most often were, "Just wait a little longer, Nat. Once I take control of the company, I'll announce our marriage. I'll make up for all the grievances you've suffered."

Just like that, five years had passed. She always thought that as long as he still loved her, she could help him by silently enduring the hardships despite her powerlessness and lack of influence. She believed she would eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But not long ago, she discovered a wedding invitation in Adrian's hidden drawer. The groom was Adrian, and the bride was Olivia. Underneath the invitation was a share inheritance agreement.

It turned out that he had already seized control of Carter Group, and Olivia was who he wanted to marry.

The last thread of hope holding Natalie together quietly snapped, completely breaking her heart. The heartache was so overwhelming that she could barely breathe.

After leaving Adrian's office in shock, she stood in front of the large screen on the street, looking up at the replay of his and Olivia's interview. Adrian was distinguished and handsome, while Olivia was gentle and radiant. They were a match made in heaven.

All Natalie could do was watch their perfect romance from the shadows in envy. She found the situation ridiculous.

But then, a passerby knocked her sunglasses off. Someone immediately recognized her as the shameless mistress who had gone to Adrian's company to see him.

"Why does she look so familiar? She looks like the shameless mistress who was exposed for harassing the CEO of Carter Group."

"How dare she show up here again! Is she causing trouble again? We should beat up this slut!"

Natalie was unexpectedly slapped in the face. She staggered back, clutching her bag tightly as she tried to explain herself, "No, I'm Adrian's real wife—"

"You delusional slut! Who do you think you are, trying to climb the social ladder?"

The furious women swarmed Natalie, knocking her to the ground and pinning her down. They yanked her hair and slapped her again and again. Their nails sank deep into her pale skin. The ground beneath her was cold, every inch of her body ached, and her heart felt as though it were being ripped apart. The pain was almost unbearable.

"You bitch! Call yourself Mr. Carter's wife again, and I'll rip your tongue out!"

As Natalie recalled the wedding invitation and the share inheritance agreement, she immediately gave up struggling. She lay resigned on the ground as she was beaten, tears streaming down her face.

She yelled, "Okay! I'm not Adrian's wife! I'm sorry! I swear!"

An hour later, they were taken to the police. When the officers saw Natalie, they looked at her with disdain.

"Her again? She's so desperate to become a rich man's wife. She always gets beaten up for being a homewrecker. I'm just speechless."