All Chapters of You Gave Me False Joy: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Dylan Jenkin’s mother, Meredith Jenkin, glanced at me and sighed softly.“Nina’s a good girl. It’s my own son who’s missing out.”She had always treated me kindly because she was grateful that I had saved Dylan four years ago when he fell into a lake.That incident had brought our working-class family into contact with their wealthy and powerful family.But I wished I had never saved him at all.Dylan scoffed. “What’s so good about her?” His eyes slid over me in disdain.“Mom, you’re being fooled by her looks.“She appears gentle and quiet, but she’s nothing like that in private. She drinks more than I do and goes to nightclubs.“Ivy, unlike her, is truly innocent and sweet. She never mixes with the wrong crowd.”Those words made my heart sink.I once drank until I ended up with a bleeding stomach because Dylan had provoked a thug who threatened to break his leg.I had gone to beg the thug for mercy, but he forced me to drink three full bottles of hard liquor before he agr

Chapter 2

This was the first time I had stood so close to Adrian. I looked at Dylan, silently pleading for help. But Dylan was focused on peeling crawfish and feeding them to Ivy. He looked tenderly at her.A rush of anger surged through me.I clenched my fists and smiled at Adrian.“How could I hate you? I always liked someone like you. You’re steady and dependable.”The moment I finished speaking, I heard a glass shatter. It was Dylan.He shot up from his seat with his eyes blazing in fury.“Mom, you can all carry on. We’ll step out for a bit.”With that, he grabbed me with one hand and Ivy with the other before storming out.Once we were outside, Dylan threw me into the back seat of his sports car.Before I could react, he floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward.The speed slammed me back against the seat.I had a heart condition, so I panicked. My voice shook as I said, “Dylan, slow down!”He struck the steering wheel and roared without looking back, “You think I’m no

Chapter 3

“H-How long was I out?”Adrian shut his laptop and handed me a glass of water.“Since yesterday afternoon… It’s been sixteen hours.”After a brief pause, he added, “Your family called. They said they had something to take care of and would visit later.”I took the glass of water. My eyes stung, and I let out a bitter chuckle.He was lying.Ever since Dad had brought Sheila and Ivy into our home a year ago, I had become invisible to everyone in the family.Once, I fainted from low blood sugar right in front of Dad, but he barely spared me a glance before leaving with Sheila and Ivy for shopping.I knew no one cared enough to come to see me.I forced out a smile and looked at Adrian. “Thank you.”He offered a quiet hum. “It’s what a boyfriend is supposed to do.”I froze.Adrian met my gaze.“You mentioned yesterday that you liked someone like me. So… let’s try dating.”I waved my hands in panic. “I-I’m sorry! I really wasn’t thinking straight yesterday! Dylan and I are actu

Chapter 4

I looked straight at Dylan. My gaze shone with a final glimmer of hope.“Dylan, I just need the truth from you. Tell me honestly. Are you single?”His hand froze midair before it could rest on my shoulder.The next second, his gaze sharpened with certainty.“Of course, I’m single.”I laughed and shook all over.“Very well, Dylan. Remember what you said today. We’re over!”He frowned and was about to speak, but I shoved him aside. I got out of bed and dropped to my knees on the floor.I first turned to Ivy.“I’m really sorry. It’s all my fault. Please forgive me, and… I wish you and Dylan every happiness.”Then, I turned to Dad as well.“Dad, since you hate having me as your daughter so much, maybe we should just cut ties once and for all.”Dad pointed at me. He gritted his teeth in fury as he yelled, “Fine! Let Dylan and Ivy be witnesses today. From now on, whatever happens to you, good or bad, has nothing to do with me! I’ll consider you dead!”Finally, I turned to Dylan

Chapter 5

Dylan’s grip was tight on my wrist when he froze completely.His voice sounded strained. “What did he just say?”I ignored him and pulled my hand free.My eyes drifted toward Adrian, who stood onstage in a black suit.Adrian’s gaze scanned the crowd and settled on me.“Nina, come up here.”His voice was calm, yet it carried unquestionable authority.Holding up the hem of my gown, I walked toward the stage.Behind me, Dylan snapped back to reality and rushed after me.“Nina, are you crazy?! Since when have you been involved with my brother?”Before his hands could reach my shoulder, someone stepped in between us.It was Adrian. He had walked down from the stage and positioned himself in front of me.He regarded Dylan with indifference.“Watch your behavior. She’s your sister-in-law now and my wife.”Dylan stiffened and instinctively stepped back.“That’s impossible! Don’t mess with me, Adrian! This isn’t something to joke about…”I took a deep breath, stepped out from be

Chapter 6

As Ivy spoke, she glanced at me timidly.“Nina, please don’t do this! I know you love Dylan. If you wish to force him to be with you, just say so. I won’t compete with you. But asking Adrian to lie for you like this isn’t right…”Her words sliced through the hall like a blade and redirected everyone’s suspicion toward me.Whispers surged through the crowd like a tide.“I never heard of Mr. Jenkin even having a girlfriend, but suddenly he’s married! It seems like it was all just a setup to cover for some poor girl.”“How shameless! She’s trying to force the younger brother to be with her and dragging the older brother into it!”“She’s very cunning! Don’t tell me she has been involved with both the brothers! She sounds like someone who’s been around the block!”I stood onstage and listened to all of it. My nails dug into my palms.It hurt, but I endured it.When I did not respond, Ivy stepped forward again. Tears streamed down her face as she said, “Nina, please stop this! There

Chapter 7

My confrontational tone drove Dylan back step by step until he froze in place.Only then did he remember that in the past three years, he had never taken me to meet his friends. He had never even mentioned a girlfriend.Whenever I asked to take photos with him, he always refused. He said that his mother might find out about it.He even deleted our texts right after.Our three years together had been real, yet it felt like something imagined.I did not give him time to react and continued, “As far as I know, I’m just a university classmate who pulled you out of the lake at the start of school, and your so-called friend. Why do you object now that I’ve become your sister-in-law?”I looked at Adrian, and my voice faltered slightly. “Honey, is there anything you’d like to add?”Adrian walked over.He did not look at me but at Dylan.“Dylan, you’ve known her for four years, and so have I. There’s nothing strange about me marrying her. You have a choice. Either wish her happiness or

Chapter 8

“Let’s go. We’ll have breakfast, then I’ll take you to the company to familiarize you with things.”After a pause, he continued, “Tonight, we’ll have dinner at the villa. My mom wants to meet you.”I nodded and followed him.The design department at Jenkin Group was better than I had expected.The colleagues were friendly. They guided me through the workflow and explained the projects.No one treated me differently because I was the boss’s wife.To be exact, no one knew who I was, since Adrian only introduced me as a new designer named Nina Surridge.I was grateful for his discretion.Before I knew it, the workday had already ended.I was still refining my design draft when a voice sounded from behind me.“Your concept is innovative and original, so it should do well in the competition.”I jumped in surprise and turned around. At some point, Adrian had appeared behind me without me noticing.He glanced at my screen, then looked away.“There’ll be plenty of chances to work

Chapter 9

“Dylan, are you saying you liked Ivy while you were secretly dating me because you wanted both of us for yourself? You disgust me!”Dylan stiffened and instinctively shook his head.“What? Ivy wouldn’t lie to me…”I pulled several documents from my bag and tossed them in front of him.One was my hospital admission record and medical report. It clearly stated that I had been unconscious in the hospital for sixteen hours due to a heart condition.The other was a police report.The thugs who supposedly assaulted Ivy had confessed that she had paid them to stage the whole thing. Dylan’s eyes burned crimson with rage.The next moment, he raised his hand and slapped Ivy hard across the face.“You shameless woman! I must’ve been blind to think that you were sweet and innocent!”Ivy collapsed on the floor and clutched her cheek as she cried. But she dared not say a single word.Dad lost it.“Why on earth did you hit her? In what way is Ivy worse than Nina? Can’t the two of you jus

Chapter 10

Halfway through the ride, the car suddenly stopped.I was dragged out of the vehicle. My vision went dark, and I blacked out.When I woke up, I was tied to a broken chair in an abandoned warehouse.Dad, Sheila, and Ivy stood in front of me.Dylan was there as well.Their eyes were filled with a crazed, ruthless look.Dad swung a rod down onto my back.“You wretched woman! I raised you all these years! Now that you’re married into wealth, you won’t give me a single cent?!“I called Adrian and told him to bring a hundred million over. If he doesn’t, he’ll never see you again!”Ivy rushed forward and showered me with blows and kicks.“Did you push Dylan to me because you knew he wasn’t the Jenkin family’s biological son all along? You’re absolutely vicious! You deserve to be beaten to death!”Blows and kicks rained down on me like a storm.Yet, Dylan just stood there and watched it all unfold coldly.When the others grew tired and stopped, Dylan slowly approached me and regar

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