The Contracted Marriage Five-Years Lie

I developed the AI that powered Innovatech's meteoric rise, securing $50 million in Series B funding. My wife, Bella, our CEO, promised me significant public recognition and a hefty bonus for my pivotal role. But after calling me on stage, she handed me a flimsy envelope containing a $50 Amazon gift card. Hours later, I scrolled through her latest social media posts: Julian Vance, our new 'Chief Branding Officer' of two months, grinning beside a new Tesla Model S Plaid, sporting a limited-edition Audemars Piguet watch, all company-expensed, with Bella's caption praising his "contributions to our Series B success." The humiliation deepened when I discovered my generous bonus was withheld. Worse, my entire engineering team' s monthly performance bonuses were zeroed out, with a sub-note about "inefficient resource utilization"-a transparent excuse to cover Julian's exorbitant spending. To add insult to injury, Bella then brazenly demanded my late grandmother's cherished sapphire locket for Julian, promising to reinstate my team's stolen bonuses in return. The audacity was breathtaking. How could the woman I built this empire with, my partner, my wife, so completely devalue my work and our shared legacy for a charlatan who barely understood our product? The betrayal wasn't just personal; it was a professional insult, a systematic dismantling of integrity and respect. "I want a divorce," I told her, the words flat and final. This wasn't merely about meager compensation; it was about reclaiming my worth and liberating my brilliant team from a company spiraling into delusion. I would ensure Bella paid the ultimate price for choosing a fraud over the very foundation of her empire.

We woke up screaming. The cloying scent of lilies, the vivid, horrifying memories-Jessica. My older sister, a syringe in her hand, her eyes bright with a chilling mania, her obsession with "dark romance" novels, her fixation on tech mogul Damian Blackwood. We died once because of her twisted fantasy; we were just collateral damage. Now, we were back-my parents and I-with the chilling knowledge of our past. Then the phone rang. It was her. She' d damaged Damian Blackwood' s drone again, trying her pathetic "meet-cute." Just like before. My parents, once her enablers, now had pale faces and rock-hard eyes. This time, we wouldn't bail her out. This time, she would face the consequences alone. But Jessica' s delusion only festered. Arrests, lawsuits, public humiliations-she embraced them as "tests." She stalked him, got fired, and finally, drugged him. I watched, sickened, as she spiraled deeper into her twisted script, even after being assaulted. Her unshakeable belief that Damian was "testing" her, even as she was thrown out like trash, was maddening. How could someone be so utterly lost in a fantasy, even when faced with stark, brutal reality? What happened to the caring sister I once knew? This reawakening wasn't just about surviving. It was about breaking the cycle. This time, the monster wouldn' t win. I would dismantle the very source of her misguided obsession, Damian Blackwood himself, armed with the terrifying knowledge of his true nature from a life we already lost.

I was an elite operative, days from marrying the man I loved, ready for a life beyond the grit of Central Asia. Then, an IED ripped through my world. My legs were shattered, my career over. My fiancé, Kevin, abandoned me for my own sorority sister, leaving me broken and wheelchair-bound. My CEO, Marcus, became my charismatic savior, vowing love and a luxurious future. I married him, and soon, I was pregnant with 'his' heir. Eight months pregnant, I overheard his call. The ambush that crippled me and cost me everything? He orchestrated it, deeming my shattered body a 'necessary sacrifice' for his corporate ascendancy. But the true horror emerged: my unborn child wasn't 'ours.' He was planning to genetically alter my baby, making it resemble my ex-fiancé, all to appease my ex-sorority sister, Jessica, whose husband was infertile. Every painful 'vitamin injection' during my prenatal care? Part of his diabolical plan to replace my heritage with hers. I was a pawn, a vessel, my life and body utterly violated, all for a woman who wasn't even his mistress. They think I' m defeated. A crippled, heartbroken woman. But they forgot who I am: a soldier forged in fire. And this unwitting host is about to become their worst nightmare.

My life was simple. I worked double shifts at a greasy diner, aching from cleaning. I handed over every cent to my supposedly struggling parents. I believed their stories about hardship. I believed in my mom's messy divorce. I believed my sister lived far away. This was my duty. Then, strange comments started flashing in my vision. They were like overlays on a screen. "LOL, he's not even trying to hide it anymore." My world spun. "Her 'dad' is an actor." Was my whole life a social experiment? The truth hit harder than any physical blow. My "broke" family lived in a mansion. They were raking in money from my misery. My sister, Jessie, whom I thought was miles away, was complicit. She deliberately lured me into a trap. I was mugged. My arm was broken. My college dreams were shattered. Their betrayal was undeniable, a physical ache. How could they? How could my own family turn my entire existence into a performance? They profited from my pain and poverty for strangers. The coldness that settled in me was absolute. Every act of kindness, every sacrifice, had been a lie. Their cruel show demanded I stay trapped. They even tried to buy my silence. They offered me luxury if I covered for Jessie. They thought I was still their 'manageable' victim. But they were wrong. With a hidden recording and newfound resolve, I looked them in the eye. I demanded my freedom. This wasn't just my story anymore; it was my fight.

My husband, Mark Vance, built a tech empire from our garage – mostly with my money, my ideas, and my tireless support. We were the Silicon Valley power couple, or so I thought. Tonight, at a lavish charity gala, I planned to buy him a special anniversary gift, a rare NFT. My paddle was raised, ready to bid. Then, I watched in horror as Mark, smirking, used our joint high-limit credit card to snatch the very same NFT – not for me, not for us, but for Tiffany Hayes, his flashy ex-girlfriend, right across the room. My blood ran cold, but my mind was clearer than ever. I quietly froze our joint card, watching Tiffany's public meltdown as her payment for our NFT was declined. Mark was furious, his fake smiles turning chillingly real. He then twisted my arm into a "business trip" to a lavish private island, only to drug me upon arrival. I woke up disoriented, locked in a luxurious cage. Then I found myself on a stage, an auctioneer booming about selling me – my "services" and "future commitments" – to a room full of leering strangers. He announced all our assets were liquid, offshore, and now "his." The man I built, the man I trusted, was auctioning off my life, my dignity, as payback for a declined credit card. Was this truly the depths of his betrayal? The ultimate degradation? But as despair threatened to swallow me, a flicker of memory, a whisper from my grandmother, ignited a cold, hard rage. He thought he broke me. He thought he had won. He had no idea what I was truly capable of. With my voice steady and clear, I looked him in the eye and made my own bid: "$200 million. I'm buying myself."

Thanksgiving Day in our brand-new, dream condo, and my wife Sarah and I were finally settling into our freshly renovated home. Everything felt perfect, a fresh start. But the holiday cheer vanished when an HOA email popped up: "Improperly parked vehicle." My car. In my own deeded parking spot. Then I saw the neighbor's post on Nextdoor, claiming my spot even though he had no right to it. The guy, Kevin, was instantly entitled and rude. The very next morning, my car had a deep, deliberate scratch running down the side, and the HOA cameras were "conveniently" offline for maintenance. This wasn't random; it was a brazen act of vandalism. Then Kevin's mother tried to physically block me from my own spot, followed by his father, who smashed my taillight with a sickening crunch. Even after police got involved, Kevin' s family staged a chaotic scene, and Kevin himself destroyed my phone. What started as a parking dispute quickly escalated into outright war: while we were away, my condo was intentionally flooded, and Sarah' s jewelry stolen. My home, violated. I stared at the water damage, a knot of cold fury twisting in my gut. How could a simple parking disagreement lead to such malice, such calculated destruction of our property and peace? The perpetrators were clear, yet the system seemed to turn a blind eye, allowing their escalating vendetta to spiral out of control. This wasn't merely about property anymore; it was about our safety, our sanity, and fighting back. With my influencer friend Mike, I decided to take this fight public. The gloves were off, and I vowed to expose every single one of their twisted acts, no matter the personal cost.

Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."

To fund her father's medical bills, Helena stepped in for her half‑sister and wed the city's notorious deaf heir. On their wedding night, as she bared herself, he dismissed her hope with, "This is strictly business." Living beneath the weight of his unpredictable moods, she learned to fear every moment. When everyone bet on her ruin, he became her fiercest protector. But as their contract expired and she gathered her things, tears shimmered in his eyes. "Please… don't leave me."

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.

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!"

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.”

Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.