Hei Baidong

My rehearsal dinner was meant to be the perfect prelude to marrying Silicon Valley' s golden boy, Ethan Hayes. The chandeliers of the Rosewood Ballroom cast a warm glow, but a sudden, sickening thud extinguished all light in my world. Ethan dramatically slipped, hitting his head, and when his eyes fluttered open, he looked straight at me, his fiancée, with chilling non-recognition. "Who are you?" he asked, sealing my fate and public humiliation. My world crumbled around me as "transient global amnesia" became the official diagnosis, conveniently erasing me from his memory. My own assistant, Chloe Vance, became his unwavering shadow, her public concern masking an undeniable triumph only I could see. The wedding summarily postponed, I was left to contend with the cruel whispers that followed me everywhere: "He faked it," "She wasn't good enough." I became a ghost in my own life, a pariah in Silicon Valley, branded as "the girl whose fiancé conveniently forgot her." Was his amnesia truly an accident, or was it a meticulously orchestrated betrayal, planned with Chloe, to destroy my life for her own ambition? This agonizing question haunted my every waking moment, fueling a silent despair deep within me. Five years later, having quietly rebuilt myself and secretly married the formidable tech titan Liam Knight, I unexpectedly faced Ethan and Chloe again. Their arrogant smiles and disdain were still sharp, but so was my strength, forged in the fires of past betrayal. This time, our paths crossing wasn't a tragedy, but the precise moment for an unforeseen reckoning.

For years, I lived a quiet life as Sarah, deeply in love with Beau Harrison, tirelessly helping him and his brother Clay rise through the ranks. I poured my heart into a protective Woven Ward for Beau, believing we were building a beautiful, shared future towards our sacred Haven. My Cinderheart sister, Ashlyn, found her own love with Clay, and our gentle Shadowfox, Whisper, curled at our feet, a constant comfort. Then, a knock on the door shattered our world into a million pieces. Clay stood there with a smug Crystal Thorne, his voice chilling as he callously abandoned Ashlyn. Crystal brazenly demanded Ashlyn's very essence, her Spirit-Spark, for her own selfish ascension. But the true horror struck when she casually confessed they' d already murdered Whisper, harvesting his spark for Crystal' s gain. Ashlyn' s raw scream tore through the cabin as untamed flames erupted around her, shedding her disguise like a burning cloak before she rocketed away in a desperate escape. My heart was a burning stone of grief and rage. Moments later, Beau arrived, his face a stranger' s, summarily dismissing our love as he told me I was too "gentle" and "unambitious" for the Haven. He stood there with Crystal, expecting me to hand over my own Spirit-Spark after witnessing my beloved sister' s torments and our innocent pet' s murder. How could they be so utterly blind, so incredibly callous? They saw only Sarah, the soft woman they thought weak and easily discarded. They had no idea I, Scarlett, held the keys to the very divine realm they craved, no idea about the Guardian Spirit they had just so heinously betrayed. But their triumph would be short-lived, their stolen glory a trap. A cold resolve solidified in my core; my own vengeful plan was already set in motion. With a feigned, heartbroken resignation, I handed Beau the Woven Ward again, knowing it was now not a gift, but a tether ensuring their destined fall. "Oh, I' ll be there," I whispered, as Sarah was irrevocably gone, and Scarlett, the ancient Guardian, returned, ready to make them pay.

"Her blood type is a match. It’s the only option." I froze outside the conference room door, the quarterly reports digging into my ribs. I knew that voice. It was Ben, my husband’s best friend and doctor. But the next voice, cold and devoid of warmth, shattered my world. "Then we do it," my husband Ethan said. "Chloe cannot wait any longer. If Ava is the match, then Ava is the solution." For the past month, Ethan had been obsessed with my health, insisting on daily "vitamins" and endless checkups. He called it love. Standing in that hallway, I realized he was actually shopping for spare parts. "She is your wife, Ethan," Ben argued weakly. "You can't just harvest her like a crop." "She became my wife because she was useful," Ethan replied, his indifference cutting deeper than any scalpel. "Now, she can be useful for this." The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow. The nausea I’d been feeling wasn't stress. I was pregnant. And those "vitamins" he fed me every morning? They weren't supplements. They were poisons designed to ensure I remained a viable donor. He was killing his own child to save his mistress. To him, I wasn't a partner. I was livestock. An asset to be liquidated for parts. I didn't burst into the room. I didn't scream. I walked away in silence, my hand hovering over my stomach. He wanted my kidney? He wanted to carve me up? I decided right then. I wouldn't just leave. I would terminate the pregnancy, fake my death, and burn his entire world to the ground.

For eight years, I was raised to be his queen. My entire world was built on the promise that I would marry Dante Moretti, the future Don of the city's most powerful family. But on the eve of our betrothal, I overheard his plan. He was going to cast me aside for another woman, Isabella, and a street orphan he would pass off as his heir. He publicly humiliated me at his party, introducing her as his true queen. When a crystal chandelier fell from the ceiling, he used his own body to shield her, leaving me to be crushed beneath it. Later, after falsely accusing me of attacking her, he shoved my head under the freezing water of a pool, hissing that my love for him was "disgusting." But the truth that finally destroyed me was worse. For ten years, Dante had been obsessed with a scent he thought was mine. It was all a lie—a custom perfume Isabella had been wearing all along. I was never the one he wanted; I was just a case of mistaken identity. After he broke my bones and shattered my spirit, I finally made a choice. I accepted my brother's offer to escape to the rival Falcone territory. As our jet prepared for takeoff, I blocked Dante's frantic calls without looking back. This time, I was leaving for good.

My husband, the real estate magnate Gregory Thompson, had a five-year affair and a secret son. When the scandal broke, he went on national television, his face a mask of sorrow. He swore I was the only woman he had ever truly loved and that he would spend the rest of his life earning back my trust. I believed him. That belief shattered tonight at a charity gala. I saw him speaking quietly with his mistress, Holly, and overheard their conversation. "The stupid bitch actually believed you," she whispered. Gregory chuckled. "Of course she did. It's what makes her so easy to handle." He promised Holly that he would break me slowly, first my heart, then my spirit, until the Thompson fortune belonged to her and their son. The champagne glass slipped from my fingers, shattering on the marble floor. My perfect marriage was an elaborate, cruel lie. Across the room, his eyes met mine, not with panic, but with cold calculation. He took the microphone and proposed a toast to me, his "beautiful wife," the "light of his life." The room erupted in applause for the devoted husband. I saw a monster hiding in plain sight. He leaned in close as I stood beside him on stage, his lips brushing my ear. "Smile, darling. The whole world is watching." I smiled as my world burned to the ground. But as soon as the ceremony ended, I slipped away and booked the first flight out of the city. I had to escape.

The city lights blurred, mirroring the chaos inside me. It was supposed to be our night, the gala where Jake, my fiancé, finally got recognition for a project built on my designs. But he was on stage, smiling under the bright lights, with my sister, Chloe, clinging to his arm. Just moments before, backstage, Chloe had stepped out of the shadows, a smug smile on her face. "He's with me now, sis." My world tilted. "The Skyline project… that was my work, Jake!" He had the nerve to look sad. "Ava, I took your concepts and improved them. I made them viable." I rushed to my parents' house for comfort, but found none. My father, with cold anger, declared, "Jake Peterson is now the most promising young architect in the city. And your sister is by his side. You made a scene. You embarrassed us." My mother dismissed my pain: "Chloe has always been better with people. This was bound to happen." My father added, "The Petersons are an old-money family. This connection is important for our business. You will not jeopardize that with your whining." It wasn't just Jake and Chloe. It was my own family, betraying me without a second thought. "They ruined me," I cried, "And you're worried about being embarrassed?" Their response was a brutal slap: "It's your own fault. You were always too trusting." I was completely alone, in the house I grew up in, a stranger in my own home. My career, my reputation, my love-all were gone. But then, a phone call. Jake, with fake sincerity, invited me to a dinner to show "no hard feelings." My response: "I have one condition. The engagement ring. I'll bring it to the dinner. I want to give it back to you in person." It wasn't just an ending; it was an exorcism.

It was our third wedding anniversary, and I sat alone at a dinner table set for two, a positive pregnancy test clutched in my hand. I' d imagined telling Ethan a thousand times, picturing his joy, the final piece of our life together clicking into place. But then headlights swept across the living room window, and relief turned to ice as I watched him help Chloe, his college sweetheart and the ghost of our marriage, out of the passenger door. I knew, in that single, shattering moment, that it was over. Chloe had waltzed back into our lives months ago, claiming heartbreak, and Ethan had swallowed it whole, canceling our plans to "cheer her up." Now, she was in our living room, draped on our couch, with Ethan stroking her hair, a tenderness he hadn't shown me in months. He accused me of being selfish for pointing out it was our anniversary, twisting our wedding vows into a weapon against me, defending Chloe with a venom I' d never seen directed at myself. The fight left me, all hope draining away as I realized the man I loved was gone, replaced by a stranger who saw me with annoyance and disdain. Then Chloe, with a smirk, told me I was just a placeholder, sending a photo of Ethan asleep in a hotel room, a kiss mark on his neck, sealing my fate. My world went silent, the brutal truth hitting me: I had never stood a chance against her, the great love of his life. I found the hidden divorce papers, a secret escape hatch he'd prepared, and signed my name. When he finally stumbled in, smelling of whiskey and her perfume, I showed him the photo, and then he left again, for her, leaving me to pick up the shattered pieces of my life. I was done being the quiet, steady one, the convenient wife. I called my best friend, Sarah, determined to leave, ready to protect the tiny, secret life growing inside me from this poison.

Five years of silence, a ghost in Eastern Europe for the CIA, and all I dreamt of was coming home to my husband and our daughter. My handler gave me a burner phone, a sliver of connection to the life I' d left. With trembling hands, I tapped into my home security feed, desperate for a glimpse of them. The flickering screen showed my elderly, stroke-ridden mother being slapped and force-fed spoiled mush. Then, my eight-year-old daughter, Molly, on her hands and knees. "Lick it up, you little brat," the nanny, Jennifer, sneered, kicking Molly, forcing her to clean spilled food off the marble floor. My blood ran cold, a primal scream trapped in my throat. I stormed through the door, only to be branded an intruder by Jennifer and her mother, Debra. My husband, Matthew, paralyzed by his manipulative mother Rosalynn' s control, watched as I was humiliated and assaulted in my own living room. They beat me, in front of my daughter, in the very house I' d fought to protect. How could the life I sacrificed everything for have become this twisted nightmare, where I was a stranger, an outcast in my own home? Just as despair threatened to consume me, a fleet of black SUVs swarmed the property, and my CIA handler, Andrew Blakely, walked in. He held up a tablet, and the unedited footage of my mother and daughter' s abuse began to play on our living room TV.

My life was a carefully constructed story, and I was its star. Elara Caldwell, the graceful "American Princess" adored by the public. An investigative journalist, married to rising Congressman Julian, our life was a perfect Georgetown fairytale. Seven months pregnant, I believed I had it all. Then, one quiet night, a live stream from Julian's "charity poker game" changed everything. He wasn't betting money with senators and lobbyists. He was betting "the exclusive rights to a dossier. Kompromat. On my wife." My name, my life, was being auctioned off. He planned to leak fabricated dirt, declare me mentally unstable, seize my assets, and gain full custody of our unborn son. His chilling motive: "This is for Scarlett. It's time to collect the debt." Julian returned home, his face a perfect mask of affection, while taunting texts and media alerts painted me as unraveling. He forced sedatives on me, trapping me in our "perfect" home. The immense stress became a physical weight, and I collapsed in the nursery. I woke up in a sterile hospital room, my hand flying to a now-flat stomach. Our baby was gone. Through the slightly ajar door, I heard Julian' s furious voice, not grieving, but raging about political timing, eager to spin my tragedy for his gain. His "love" was a practiced act, his ambition a poison. I was not his wife; I was a placeholder. My unborn son, a final payment in a twisted game I never knew I was playing. The tears stopped. An icy resolve settled within me, replacing the hollow emptiness. I looked at the monster masquerading as my loving husband. And I began to plan.

For nine years, my life as Mrs. Ethan Vanderbilt was a gilded cage, perfect on the outside. Inside, it was a daily torment of his cheating, gaslighting, and relentless cruelty. Then came the divorce papers-not just another empty threat, but grotesque terms that demanded I serve his pregnant mistress, Brittany. He even snatched my mother's heirloom ring to give to her. Brittany, emboldened, then deliberately ran me over with a car, causing a devastating miscarriage. Ethan's response? A shrug. Later, he forced me to undergo surgery to provide skin for her minor scratches. My body and spirit were being systematically broken. The pain, the dehumanization, the monstrous audacity of it all was suffocating. How could anyone be so calculatingly cruel? He had taken everything-my music, my unborn child, my mother's last token, even my flesh. But he didn't know I had secretly reconnected with his older brother, James, my quiet protector from years past. He didn't know about the hidden prenuptial clause, nor the bakery shares I'd rediscovered-my leverage. And he definitely didn't know James's flight was booked, with a promise: "City Hall, 4 PM. Be ready." This wasn't the end of me; it was the beginning of his downfall.

My mom' s cough was a constant reminder: ace everything, win that scholarship, or her medical bills would drown us. A top university was my only shot. But then, Jake gave me a "good luck" bracelet before the physics exam. I aced it, naturally. Except, my score came back a C-. Jake' s? An A+. "Coincidence," I thought, until I overheard Maya, my best friend since kindergarten, admit she'd gotten Jake the 'Swapper's Charm'-a cursed trinket designed to steal my success and bind me. That charm wasn't just stealing grades; it was destroying my life. My GPA plummeted, scholarships vanished, and I was forced to take the fall for a vandalized science project. Suddenly, I was a pariah, jobless, beaten within an inch of my life. Maya, the 'sister' I trusted, abandoned me for Jake, even poisoning my sick mother against me. My mom ended up in the ER, her fragile health shattered by the stress they inflicted. How could the girl who called me 'family' orchestrate such calculated cruelty? How could the friend I considered a brother betray me so completely? My life, my entire future, was crumbling around me, sacrificed for their ambition, all while a bizarre, cursed bracelet tightened its hold. Was this magic real, or was I losing my mind? But lying in the hospital, watching my mother fight for her life, a cold resolve settled in my gut. I had been their sacrifice, their pawn. With the help of a mysterious street vendor, I learned how to break the charm' s hold-and how to make its twisted magic boomerang. They wanted my success? Fine. Now, they' d get a taste of their own cursed medicine.

Michelle had only one longing in her heart: for love and peace. Ironically, she was completely unaware that her five-year-old son had become a billionaire because he was the world's greatest hacker. However, with an attack of amnesia, she had already lost her memory and didn't know who her son's father was. When she received a sudden new threat on top of her recent amnesia and pregnancy, she was caught up in a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue. After an absence of five years, she returned home to find out the truth. However, her romantic troubles had only begun.

Aurora woke up to the sterile chill of her king-sized bed in Sterling Thorne's penthouse. Today was the day her husband would finally throw her out like garbage. Sterling walked in, tossed divorce papers at her, and demanded her signature, eager to announce his "eligible bachelor" status to the world. In her past life, the sight of those papers had broken her, leaving her begging for a second chance. Sterling's sneering voice, calling her a "trailer park girl" undeserving of his name, had once cut deeper than any blade. He had always used her humble beginnings to keep her small, to make her grateful for the crumbs of his attention. She had lived a gilded cage, believing she was nothing without him, until her life flatlined in a hospital bed, watching him give a press conference about his "grief." But this time, she felt no sting, no tears. Only a cold, clear understanding of the mediocre man who stood on a pedestal she had painstakingly built with her own genius. Aurora signed the papers, her name a declaration of independence. She grabbed her old, phoenix-stickered laptop, ready to walk out. Sterling Thorne was about to find out exactly how expensive "free" could be.

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Vesper's marriage to Julian Sterling was a gilded cage. One morning, she woke naked beside Damon Sterling, Julian's terrifying brother, then found a text: Julian's mistress was pregnant. Her world shattered, but the real nightmare had just begun. Julian's abuse escalated, gaslighting Vesper, funding his secret life. Damon, a germaphobic billionaire, became her unsettling anchor amidst his chaos. As "Iris," Vesper exposed Julian's mistress, Serena Sharp, sparking brutal war: poisoned drinks, a broken leg, and the horrifying truth-Julian murdered her parents, trapping Vesper in marriage. The man she married was a killer. Broken and betrayed, Vesper was caught between monstrous brothers, burning with injustice. Refusing victimhood, Vesper reclaimed her identity. Fueled by vengeance, she allied with Damon, who vowed to burn his empire for her. Julian faced justice, but matriarch Eleanor's counterattack forced Vesper's choice as a hitman aimed for her.

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

The roasted lamb was cold, a reflection of her marriage. On their third anniversary, Evelyn Vance waited alone in her Manhattan penthouse. Then her phone buzzed: Alexander, her husband, had been spotted leaving the hospital, holding his childhood sweetheart Scarlett Sharp's hand. Alexander arrived hours later, dismissing Evelyn's quiet complaint with a cold reminder: she was Mrs. Vance, not a victim. Her mother's demands reinforced this role, making Evelyn, a brilliant mind, feel like a ghost. A dangerous indifference replaced betrayal. The debt was paid; now, it was her turn. She drafted a divorce settlement, waiving everything. As Alexander's tender voice drifted from his study, speaking to Scarlett, Evelyn placed her wedding ring on his pillow, moved to the guest suite, and locked the door. The dull wife was gone; the Oracle was back.

My husband Julian celebrated our five-year anniversary by sleeping with his mistress. He thought I was a clueless trophy wife, too dim to notice the vanilla and tuberose scent on his expensive suits. He was wrong. For years, I played Mrs. Vance, hiding my brilliance while Julian claimed my patents. An anonymous email confirmed his ultimate betrayal: photos of him and Scarlett Kensington in ecstasy. My heart didn't break; it solidified into ice at five years wasted. I activated "The Protocol" for a new identity and escape countdown. Playing the doting wife, I plotted his downfall, catching him with his mistress selling my work, and publicly snapping his credit card. His betrayals and stolen work ignited a cold, calculated fury. He had no idea the monster he'd created. I was dismantling his empire. I shredded his patent papers, stripping him of his ill-gotten gains. With a final tap, I initiated "Identity Erasure." Mrs. Vance was dead. Dr. Evelyn Thorne had just begun her counterattack.

Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins-a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."

The acrid smell of smoke still clung to Evelyn in the ambulance, her lungs raw from the penthouse fire. She was alive, but the world around her felt utterly destroyed, a feeling deepened by the small TV flickering to life. On it, her husband, Julian Vance, thousands of miles away, publicly comforted his mistress, Serena Holloway, shielding her from paparazzi after *her* "panic attack." Julian's phone went straight to voicemail. Alone in the hospital with second-degree burns, Evelyn watched news replays, her heart rate spiking. He protected Serena from camera flashes while Evelyn burned. When he finally called, he demanded she handle insurance, dismissing the fire; Serena's voice faintly heard. The shallow family ties and pretense of marriage evaporated. A searing injustice and cold anger replaced pain; Evelyn knew Julian had chosen to let her burn. "Evelyn Vance died in that fire," she declared, ripping out her IV. Armed with a secret fortune as "The Architect," Hollywood's top ghostwriter, she walked out. She would divorce Julian, reclaim her name, and finally step into the spotlight as an actress.

Betrayed by her fiancé and stepsister a day before her wedding shattered all Lina's dreams about love. She was heartbroken and in pain. Being drugged and unknowingly loosing her virginity to a stranger is not as painful as being betrayed by her loved ones. She promised to make her pretentious step sister and her unfaithful fiancé pay back hundredfold for what they did to her. On her journey to seek revenge, the stranger she had a one night stand with, came knocking at her door with a marriage contract in hand. Without her knowing he was the one she has that blissful one night stand with, she agreed on the marriage contract for some reasons. Will she find out he was the one she had that blissful one night stand with? Will she fall in love with him after being betrayed? Will she be able to get her revenge on those that betrayed her? Find out in this amazing book "Contracted After Being Betrayed"

Vivian clutched her Hermès bag, her doctor's words echoing: "Extremely high-risk pregnancy." She hoped the baby would save her cold marriage, but Julian wasn't in London as his schedule claimed. Instead, a paparazzi photo revealed his early return-with a blonde woman, not his wife, at the private airport exit. The next morning, Julian served divorce papers, callously ending their "duty" marriage for his ex, Serena. A horrifying contract clause gave him the right to terminate her pregnancy or seize their child. Humiliated, demoted, and forced to fake an ulcer, Vivian watched him parade his affair, openly discarding her while celebrating Serena. This was a calculated erasure, not heartbreak. He cared only for his image, confirming he would "handle" the baby himself. A primal rage ignited her. "Just us," she whispered to her stomach, vowing to sign the divorce on her terms, keep her secret safe, and walk away from Sterling Corp for good, ready to protect her child alone.