Chapter 1

At home, I picked up an old family album. Inside, there was a sonogram photo with a note.

"Hi, baby, daddy loves you."

Following the address on the note, I ended up in a quiet, dimly-lit bar. There, I spotted Adrian Johnson.

I couldn't believe my eyes. This man, who always prided himself on being refined and respectable, was in a shirt that was half-open. He was sitting in front of a woman, her lips pressed against his chest in full public view.

He used to call me graceful and said I was the perfect wife.

But now, it seemed like those words had tied me down, while he was free to indulge in his desires.

His friends nearby backed off, giving the couple space to kiss without any interruptions.

They began to whisper among themselves.

"I heard Mr. Johnson loved his wife, but now he's got Rosie wrapped around his finger."

"Rosie had stayed a virgin and waited for Adrian for three years. She had it worse."

"Then why doesn't he divorce his wife? He should at least take responsibility for Rosie."

"Shh! Don't bring it up. I heard Mr. Johnson didn't really marry that 'dirty slut'..."

"'Dirty slut'? Is there tea?"

I stayed hidden in the dim bar with my face buried in a hoodie, listening to their conversation about my past with Adrian from a corner.

Across the room, Adrian and Rosie were still wrapped up in each other. From the way Adrian held her, he seemed to want nothing more than to consume her completely.

Rosie, with a flushed face, even took the time to send me a taunting message.

"Colleen, do you know why he hasn't touched you in three years? It's because he feels disgusted that you're a dirty woman now. He told me that every time he looks at you, he remembers the night you were kidnapped during your wedding."

I stared at the message until the screen went dark, my hands shaking.

So, that was the reason Adrian didn't want to marry me.

Three years ago, I suddenly received a message to help with an urgent rescue mission. The other party knew I had some skills and knew everything about me.

That night, there were reports of several women being kidnapped in the city, so I went undercover.

In the end, I managed to rescue the women, but the mastermind escaped, and they were still at large. Therefore, I couldn't show Adrian the video evidence yet.

I had tried to repeatedly explain to him that nothing happened that night. I was still me. I even brought in others who had been trapped with me as witnesses, but he wouldn't believe me.

Once doubt took hold, it was hard to shake it off.

Now, I felt nothing but exhaustion, both physically and emotionally. I was tired of trying, tired of loving, and too drained to care anymore.

Rosalind Muller, however, had a knack for twisting the knife. Her body was still entwined with Adrian's, yet she found time to mock me.

"I almost forgot to tell you I'm pregnant. Adrian promised me that once the baby's far enough along, we'll get married. At that point, you'll truly be nothing more than the third wheel."