She schemed meticulously, provoking the most powerful man in the capital, Mr. Remington! They signed a contract, and whenever he summoned, she had to serve him at his will. When the contract ended, she smirked, "I take the money, and you get lost; we're even." He was Mr. Remington, who dominated the capital, controlling the empire's commerce by day and ruling the existence of an entire city by night. He would never let his prey escape, but she was the exception. Pointing a gun at her heart, he said, "Die with me or love me, which do you choose?" She pouted, turned around, and shoved a child into his arms, "Hmph, this is my answer."
In the winter night of 2024, the biting cold wind pierced through the stillness, casting an eerie silence over the land.
It was past midnight, around two in the morning, and the streets were deserted, save for the occasional gust of cold wind.
Suddenly, a black van appeared from the distance, coming to a stop by the riverbank. Two men got out of the vehicle, cautiously looking around before quickly dragging something out of the van.
"Hurry up," one of the men urged. "Stop dawdling. The boss said to get rid of this woman quickly."
The other man sighed regretfully. "Such a pity... She's so beautiful, and now she's going to be drowned. Isn't that right, Sam?"
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to," Sam snapped. "Put those thoughts away. Just get it done. Once we get the money from this job, you can have any woman you want."
"Alright, alright... No need to rush me, Sam... But is it true? Is the person who wants her dead really her fiancé?"
"Are you looking for trouble? Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Just get her into the sack and tie her with the stones!"
"Yeah, I know..."
Emily's body was weak and powerless, but her mind was clear. She could hear the conversation between the two men distinctly, yet she couldn't move a muscle.
The words exchanged between them made her heart plummet into an icy abyss...
Fiancé...
Fiancé...
Ha...
An hour ago, she had been celebrating at a bar with her "fiancé" and close friend, happy about their upcoming wedding next week. She had genuinely believed she was finally going to be with the person she loved.
Then her best friend had pulled her to the bathroom and... everything went black.
When she woke up, it was now, facing death as her last awareness of the world. Her heart was filled with desolation and the despair of betrayal.
Emily couldn't understand how the love of a moment ago had turned into this.
She felt herself being stuffed into a coarse burlap sack, then bound tightly with rope along with the sack.
She felt her body being lifted, weighed down by stones. The two men chanted as they heaved her: "One... two... three, throw!"
With a splash, the sack was tossed into the icy river, creating a high spray of water. Emily quickly felt the freezing water enveloping her, seeping into her mouth, nose, and ears. The breath of death surrounded her, and the darkness grew heavier.
Emily thought she was certainly going to die this time.
But after an eternity of darkness, she opened her eyes once more.
She found herself lying in a rundown rental room, staring at the familiar yet strange surroundings. She pinched herself hard, confirming she was indeed in her old rental from two years ago.
How did she end up here?
There was a calendar on the bedside table. The date was March 2022...
A thought flashed through Emily's mind. She had come back to life... She had been resurrected and returned to two years ago...
Emily sat on the rickety single bed for a long time, stunned.
Suddenly, she burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face as she laughed.
Her tear-filled eyes were fierce and cold, colder than the river water, like a vengeful spirit crawling out of hell, consumed by a single, relentless desire: destruction.
---
For Alexander, the name "Emily" meant "new lover."
For Emily, the name "Alexander" meant "patron."
Their relationship was clear from the start: one provided financial support, and the other was the beneficiary. It was a transactional arrangement, devoid of love.
---
Two months later, in London
The night was dark and heavy, carrying the weight of suppressed pain, shattering the silence of the evening.
A man's voice, cold and ruthless, echoed with intense hatred. "You'll regret this, woman..."
"No, I've never regretted any decision I've made, no matter the outcome. I will never regret it," the woman's voice trembled slightly, betraying her fear, but it was resolute.
"I'll make you understand the meaning of regret," the man snarled, his hand suddenly gripping her throat.
In the darkness, the stifled sound of suffering resembled the desperate whimpering of a wounded animal, fighting a losing battle for survival on the brink of death.
The man gritted his teeth. "Does it hurt? Feel like you can't breathe? Like you're about to die?"
"I've never had any pity for self-degrading women... You deserve this. Today, you'll taste what it's like to be on the edge of death!"
No matter how harsh his insults, the woman made no sound.
The black night mirrored her despair, thick and impenetrable, engulfing the land in darkness without a hint of light.
It was a battle of unequal forces, a fight to the death with no suspense.
---
Under the cover of night, the Empire Tower was brightly lit.
This was the favorite haunt of the city's elite, a symbol of status and privilege.
In the penthouse suite, always reserved for one person and never open to outsiders, the atmosphere was eerily suffocating.
The air was filled with tension, mingled with the sweet and fresh scent of Anna Sui perfume, pure yet tainted with the deep decay of post-chaos.
The sound of running water from the bathroom echoed through the silent night, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
Emily sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a bedsheet. Her long hair was disheveled, her cheeks flushed, her breathing unsteady. She looked like a delicate flower just beginning to bloom in the spring breeze. Her exquisite features, her beautiful face, shone like a pearl in the night, finally ready to reveal its luster after being polished.
But her eyes were vacant, devoid of any light, with a layer of lifeless gray, making her beautiful eyes appear doll-like.
Her hands, wrapped around her knees, trembled slightly, her pupils dilated as if she were scared.
Yes, she was scared, more scared than she had ever been.
Because today, she had done the most reckless thing of her life.
She had set herself on a path of no return, like opening Pandora's box, leading to a new beginning filled with uncertainty, leaving her in a state of constant anxiety.
But...
She would not regret it!
"God, if you have given me a miracle, then please let me continue smoothly on this path. Let me hold this man in my hands, make him my unbreakable scepter, and allow me to conquer all."
---
Emily's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening. Alexander emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist, his wet hair glistening under the dim light. He walked over to her, his expression unreadable.
"Did you enjoy your little act of defiance?" he asked coldly.
Emily looked up at him, her eyes still empty. "I don't regret anything," she repeated, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
Alexander's lips curled into a cruel smile. "We'll see about that," he said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I can make your life a living hell, Emily. Don't forget that."
Emily met his gaze, her resolve hardening. "Do your worst, Alexander. I've faced worse demons than you."
Alexander straightened up, his smile fading. "You're playing a dangerous game, Emily. And in this game, I always win."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Emily alone in the dimly lit room. She let out a shaky breath, her body still trembling from the encounter.
But she knew she couldn't back down now. She had made her choice, and there was no turning back. She would fight, no matter the cost, to take control of her destiny.
Andrew's father's company went bankrupt and he owed a large amount of money so Andrew had to agree to marry Emma and come live with her family. During his time living with Emma and her family, Andrew was constantly bullied and humiliated by his wife and parents-in-law. One day, a system called "The rich son-in-law system" appeared, he just had to follow its requirements and he would be rewarded with a lot of money. Since then, Andrew escaped poverty and became a billionaire, his ex-wife Emma also knelt down begging him not to leave her.
"After waiting for four years, what Daisy received was a divorce petition. Looking at the man she had given her heart to standing in front of her, Daisy asked, "Is it really over between us? Were all these years of emotions fake?" Matthew smirked. "You brought it all upon yourself. If you hadn't schemed to drive Jazzie away, this position of Matthew's wife would have been hers." Daisy collapsed in despair, realizing that he had never truly forgotten his first love. All these years, she had been dancing around like a clown. How ironic. "Fine, let's get a divorce." After a moment... Matthew: "Daisy, I know I was wrong. Don't marry someone else, don't leave me. Can we go home?" Daisy: "Home? That home has already been destroyed by you. Matthew, I don't want to reconcile. Just go away."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”