Chapter 1

I was an impoverished woman who came from the slums. On the other hand, William Blackburn was the son of the richest man in Wylland.

The two of us, with vastly different identities, would end up getting involved with each other. We secretly tried out various difficult positions in all sorts of secluded spots while engaging in physical intimacy.

William would torment me during every session.

Exhausted, I was about to fall asleep when I heard the chime of a notification popping up on William's phone. I glanced at the screen, only to see a text on the screen.

"William, my stomach hurts a lot. I'm in so much pain…"

The text came from a woman named "Ellie".

All traces of sleep vanished instantly, and my eyes regained their clarity. Almost immediately, I felt a sense of discomfort coming from my heart.

William exited the bathroom after his shower. He then picked up his phone and looked at the screen.

"You should rest. I'm leaving now."

When I saw him turning his back on me, I blurted out, "Are you going to meet your childhood sweetheart?"

William turned around to look at me. Suddenly, he lifted my chin, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"Don't peek at things you shouldn't be peeking at. I like my woman obedient and docile," he warned.

After that, he left the room hurriedly.

I lowered my gaze and thought for a few moments. In the end, I chose to tail him.

I followed him all the way to Royale Hotel, where I saw him knocking on the door of a particular hotel room. A sweet-looking woman opened the door afterward.

I recognized her as Elaine Moore, William's childhood sweetheart. I saw her photo on his phone a long time ago.

The delighted Elaine jumped into William's arms right away. Meanwhile, William began patting her on the back gently in order to soothe her discomfort.

"Don't be scared. Is your stomach still hurting?"

Elaine shook her head while nestling in his arms, but she was still crying softly.

Heartbreak was etched all over William's face as he coaxed Elaine gently, "Be a good girl now. No more crying, okay?"

Then, he scooped her into his arms protectively and entered the hotel room, as though she was the world's most precious treasure to him.

As I watched the door being closed behind them, I felt as though my heart was being stabbed over and over again. The pain went rampant in my heart, making me feel suffocated.

My hands had already curled into tight fists by then. I even dug my nails into my palms, hoping to use pain as a method to suppress my urge to look for William.

Since his beloved childhood sweetheart was back, did he still have feelings for me?

I had gotten to know William thanks to an accident.

That day, I stumbled down the road in a daze after I was done with my mother's funeral. It was raining at that time, and I didn't bother paying attention to the road ahead of me. That was how I ended up getting knocked down by a car that shot out from behind a corner.

William got out of the car hurriedly. When he noticed my bleeding leg, he scooped me into his arms and rushed me to the hospital right away.

He apologized to me, saying that he didn't pay attention when he was behind the wheel, which resulted in him knocking me over. He also told me that he'd take care of my medical bills.

William often dropped by my ward to visit me when I was hospitalized.

As time went by, we got to know each other better. Things between us were amicable and comfortable. In fact, we got so comfortable with each other that the atmosphere between us started becoming intimate.

On the day I got discharged, I took the initiative to treat William to a meal, as I wanted to thank him for taking care of me during my hospitalization.

We both had wine that day. Seeing as we were the only ones in the room, it didn't take long before the sparks between us grew into flames of passion.

That night, I kissed him.

William gave into his urges immediately. As he held me, he kissed me fervently and caressed every inch of my body. After that, we had a wild night together.

When I woke up, I felt sore all over. There were marks littering my body. William quietly cleaned me up and applied cream to my injuries.

I smiled at him brightly.

"From now on, you're my lover," I said, my tone laced with pride.

William gazed at me with mixed feelings. Finally, he replied softly, "Okay."

His response soothed me greatly. After all, I had fallen in love with him unknowingly when we were still getting to know each other.

Since then, we have been entangled in a secret relationship. Every time, we'd immerse ourselves in bouts of passion. I greedily enjoyed the love and affection William had showered me with.

I supposed it wasn't just because I longed for love, but also that I was unbearably lonely. But now, my love for William was tormenting me.

I slumped to the floor all of a sudden, feeling my energy draining from my body rapidly. I had no courage to question William in person, but I really wanted to know who he thought was more important—me or Elaine.

So, I called William and used the same tactic Elaine had used earlier.

"William, my gastritis is acting up again… I'm in so much pain right now… Please take me to the hospital…"

This time, he hesitated.

A few seconds later, he finally answered, "I'll have my driver take you there."

As I stared at my phone screen, which showed the call being disconnected, I felt sorrow tearing my heart apart. Still, I refused to give up.

I texted William, "I really need you right now. Can you please come over and keep me company?"