Modern Books for Women
Bestsellers Ongoing Completed
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The Obsessive Husband's Golden Prison
After three years as his secret, I finally got the fairytale wedding I'd always dreamed of. My husband, Addison Parker, was finally free from his family's control, and he chose me. Carrying his twin babies, I flew across the country to surprise him on a business trip, only to overhear him talking to his best friend. "She's too sweet," he said, his voice casual. "Like chewing gum that's lost its flavor." His words shattered my world. The man who knelt at my feet, tears in his eyes, promising me forever, saw me as nothing more than a bland convenience. The betrayal was so absolute, so cruel, that I walked into a hospital the next day and terminated the pregnancy. When he found out, his love twisted into a dark obsession. He locked me in our penthouse, a prisoner in a gilded cage. "I could give you something," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying light. "Something to make you forget. To make you happy again." He planned to drug me, to erase my memories and my pain, turning me into his perfect, smiling doll forever. But he underestimated me. I had a plan of my own./1/102080/coverorgin.jpg?v=8e73245c151a4f40c90475d936ef0f64&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Six Years Trapped In A Broken Vow
Aliyah Pollard POV: For six years, my husband, Chase, refused to divorce me, gaslighting me while he built a new family with his mistress, Faye. After 99 failed attempts, I was ready for my 100th try. But the man I met in the park wasn't my cold, cheating husband. It was Chase from ten years ago-eighteen, idealistic, and still madly in love with me. He didn't understand why I looked so sad, why I flinched from his touch. He didn't know about the affair, the miscarriage Faye caused, or the child they now had together. He saw the divorce papers and his world shattered. "I would never hurt you, Aliyah," he cried, his young eyes filled with genuine anguish. "I love you." His pain was a stark contrast to the cruelty of the man he would become. The older Chase had sneered, "You're mine, Aliyah. Who would want you?" But this boy, this pure version of my husband, saw my suffering and didn't hesitate. He took the pen, his hand shaking, and signed the papers his future self had refused for years. "If this is what you need," he whispered, "I'll do it."/0/86182/coverorgin.jpg?v=4acc675ee2bdd8a9cd6fd023bdbd9bed&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Wicked Game, Our Last Stand
My life was a picture of comfort and privilege, built on my parents' hard work. Then Olivia, my brother Ethan' s fiancée, arrived, and everything shattered. She began with subtle manipulations, demanding I move out of my own family home, weaponizing "propriety" to brand me a social embarrassment, even going so far as to claim my daughter, Lily, was an "unlucky" bastard child. Ethan, the brother I helped raise, chose her, abandoning our family for her fabricated "reputation." Why? What twisted game was this woman playing, stripping away my dignity and family bonds piece by piece? Refusing to let her destroy what my parents had built, and what I deserved, I chose to fight back./1/122196/coverorgin.jpg?v=98584eb47f599547ebb3eb27ac242225&imageMogr2/format/webp)
His Secret Wife is Leaving Him for a Better Life
Sharon had been married to Julio for two years, spending those two years feeling like nothing more than his housekeeper, gradually wearing away all her love for him. When the woman he had always cherished—Lillian, the one he had always idealized—returned from abroad, Sharon finally resolved to leave for good. From that moment on, they would be free of all ties to each other. While waiting for her divorce papers and her approval to join Doctors Without Borders, Sharon never expected Julio to repeatedly humiliate and hurt her, all for the sake of Lillian. This time, she truly lost all hope in him. And yet, it was only then that Julio began to deeply regret everything./0/87480/coverorgin.jpg?v=7eda8f627986dc5118985100f6261950&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Housekeeper's Deception
I'd sent my secretary to find the last limited-edition "Starlight Princess" doll in the country for my daughter's birthday. It was the only thing she'd asked for. But that night, I saw a photo of my housekeeper's son holding the exact same doll. When I video-called home, my daughter’s teacher snatched the phone, accused her of being a thief, and hung up on me. When I rushed to the school, I found the teacher shoving my daughter, calling her a low-class brat. My housekeeper, Evalena, showed up wearing my Chanel jacket, claiming she was the mistress of the house and I was a fired nanny. Then my own husband, Austyn, arrived and sided with them. He publicly comforted Evalena's son, who called him "Daddy," while treating me like a delusional former employee. In front of everyone, they painted me as a poor, jealous mistress trying to ruin their perfect family. I finally understood this wasn't just a simple affair; it was a long-planned coup to steal my entire life. When my husband threatened me with divorce, smugly believing he was entitled to half of my family's fortune, I walked out, got into my car, and made a single phone call. "It's Kimberly Miller," I told the head of my family's board. "Suspend all of Austyn Hester's corporate accounts. Effective immediately."/0/50493/coverorgin.jpg?v=a4445f50095861155799548e1e9abf38&imageMogr2/format/webp)
My Baby's Daddy Is An Ex-convict
In the fiery aftermath of his past, Severin Feuillet emerged from the depths of confinement, his spirit ablaze with newfound zest for life. Thrown into the chaos of freedom, he found himself tangled in a web of passion and deceit, where the line between love and longing blurred with every heartbeat. Haunted by a lost love, Severin sought comfort in the arms of a woman whose betrayal cut deeper than any prison bars. Yet amidst the ruins of his shattered dreams, a glimmer of hope emerged-an enigmatic beauty, harboring a secret so profound it would unravel his very existence. As destiny weaved its intricate pattern, Severin embarked on a journey of redemption and revelation, navigating the perilous path of desire and despair. With each step, he delved deeper into the labyrinth of his own desires, wrestling with demons that threatened to consume him. But amid the chaos of his turbulent journey, a beacon of light emerged-a love so pure, so intoxicating, it defied all logic. United by fate and driven by an unyielding passion, Severin and his mysterious companion embarked on a whirlwind romance, their hearts entwined in a dance of ecstasy and yearning. In this captivating tale of love and redemption, Severin's quest for absolution takes him to the edge of madness and back again, as he confronts the shadows of his past and embraces the promise of a future filled with endless possibilities. With prose as vivid as it is compelling, this enchanting story will captivate readers from start to finish, leaving them longing for more./0/72880/coverorgin.jpg?v=41e81d04e5151363d1c648e582fe8683&imageMogr2/format/webp)
DEVIANT PRINCE
Hailey Astor-a sweetly attractive lady whose life became a cluster of thorns after she was forced to get married to Blake Augustus, a man old enough to be her father. It's the 21st century constitutional monarchy of New York where King Kaden Clifford rules the city, and Blake Augustus happens to be the prime minister who's also the king's best friend. Blake is endowed with wickedness, and he's always ready to unleash it on anyone anywhere. Hailey's parents threw her at him as an offering to make him pump them with money monthly. So far he gives them money, he's free to even kill her. And as for Blake, he didn't marry her without plans either. He has a girlfriend Judith who hates Hailey crazily for unknown reasons. Blake married Hailey to be Judith's maid and his own punching bag. Hailey's life turned bitterly sour, the two devils made everything hard. She was at the breaking point when she met HIM. Colt Clifford, the unhinged second prince of the city who'd stop at nothing till he claims her, own her, corrupt her and make her moan for him in every angle possible. What's it gonna be? With Blake and Judith around, will that ever come to fruition?/0/85858/coverorgin.jpg?v=2b039051a6ed837cac269f721325ff76&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Unraveling A Family's Poison
The soft glow of fairy lights was supposed to mark a perfect first birthday for our daughter, Lily, in the grand living room of the Vance mansion. Then the front door burst open, and in walked Brenda, the nanny we' d just fired, her face a mask of bitter resentment. "Quite the party," she sneered, "A party for my granddaughter." My husband, Liam, stiffened beside me, while I tried to process her insane claim: granddaughter? "Brenda, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. "You need to leave. Now." "This is my son' s house, after all," she declared, pointing at Liam, "Liam is my son. My long-lost son." My mind reeled at the absurdity, as she brazenly twisted reality. She then called me a "gold digger" and the "help," her words dripping with venom. Before I could even respond, her hand shot out, slapping me across the face with a painful crack. Liam roared, grabbing her, "Don' t you ever touch my wife again! Get out of my house!" But Brenda simply smiled, unhinged, before her son Ethan and his thuggish friends appeared, a silent, menacing reinforcement. "This is my real family," she declared, "And we' re here to stay." She pulled out a faded photo of herself with a young Richard Vance, Liam's father, announcing, "This is the proof! Richard was there, he knows the truth!" She spun a wild tale of a secret baby swap at the hospital, claiming Richard stole Liam from her. Then, Eleanor Vance, Liam' s formidable grandmother, descended the stairs, proclaiming, "Brenda is telling the truth. Liam, she is your birth mother." She denounced my mother-in-law, Lisa, as "too plain" and "not our kind," commanding Liam to "honor your true mother." She dismissed my marriage, declaring, "This family needs a proper heir, from a proper woman!" My plea for a DNA test was met with her furious command, "You will be silent! You are a guest in this house, and you have no standing here!" Eleanor then turned to Brenda, giving her an order, "Put her in her place!" As Ethan and his friends pinned Liam, Brenda advanced on me, her eyes gleaming. She slapped me again, harder, sending me crashing to the floor, my wrist screaming in pain. Lily' s terrified wail pierced the air, and Brenda snapped, "Shut that brat up." My blood ran cold as she approached my daughter, pulling a dark vial from her pocket. She forced a few drops of dark liquid onto Lily' s tongue, casually stating, "It' s just a little something to help her sleep." Lily' s cries choked off, her body went limp, eyes fluttering shut. A primal, icy fear seized me; my daughter was silent, still./1/106623/coverorgin.jpg?v=59411c46b2d782df12117e4f3202c05e&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Fallen Heiress's Debt to the Billionaire
I was once the princess of the Upper East Side, but now I’m just "debt wrapped in pretty skin." To keep my father alive in a federal penitentiary, I signed a contract I didn't fully understand. I thought it was about restoring my family's name, but producer Barnett Orr treated it like a bill of sale for my soul. Inside his limousine, the air smelled like gasoline and fear. Barnett didn't want a star; he wanted a victim. He bruised my jaw and ripped my vintage silk gown to shreds, laughing because he knew I couldn't fight back without signing my father's death warrant. "Don't forget who owns you, Felicity," he whispered. When he dragged me into Dewitt Knight’s penthouse party, I was a walking disaster. I huddled in Barnett’s oversized jacket, my lip bleeding and my spirit shattered. The elite crowd didn't see a victim; they saw a fallen girl selling herself for a role. A former rival poured red wine over me, and the room erupted in cruel laughter while Barnett told everyone he was just "testing my commitment." I looked up at the balcony, locking eyes with Dewitt Knight. He was a god in a bespoke suit, looking down at me with cold, lethal disgust. He didn't see the bruises or the desperation. He only saw a transaction he found beneath him. "So the rumors are true," he said, his voice cutting through the music. "The Aguilars really will do anything for money now. Even this." I was trapped between a monster who wanted to break me and a man who thought I was trash. No one cared that my father's life depended on my silence. When Barnett cornered me in a guest room later that night, his belt jingling like a death knell, I realized no one was coming to save a girl like me. I fought back with a crystal vase, shattering it against his shoulder, but I was drowning in my own terror. Just as Barnett lunged for my throat, the door was kicked off its hinges. Dewitt stood there, finally seeing the blood on the carpet and the map of purple bruises on my bare back. He chased the monster away, but I didn't feel safe. I locked the guest room door, wedged a chair under the handle, and slept with a silver letter opener pressed against my skin. When I crept into the kitchen at midnight and found him waiting in the shadows, I aimed the blade at his heart. "In this house, no one hurts you," he promised, his voice a low velvet rumble. But in a world where I had already been sold once, I knew that even protection came with a price I couldn't afford to pay./0/84885/coverorgin.jpg?v=87721bf6b838a407977a26af0dfa6126&imageMogr2/format/webp)
My Husband, The Stranger
The scent of coffee, light and clean, filled my bedroom, but the man holding the mug wasn't Liam. He had my husband' s dark hair, his height, but his face was wrong, his smile wasn' t Liam' s, and when I asked where Liam was, he calmly said, "Honey, I'm Liam." Panic seized me as I dialed my mom, who, to my horror, took his side, calling my confusion an "episode." He was a stranger in my home and everyone-my parents, the marriage certificate calling him Ethan, even a faded high school yearbook photo-insisted he was my husband, the man I' d been married to for seven impossible years. They twisted my memories, replacing the man I loved with this impostor, telling me I was delusional, breaking me down until I whispered, "Okay, I'm sick," and succumbed to a life that felt like a walking death. For ten years, I lived in a medicated fog, a silent prisoner in my own home, haunted by the ghost of Liam. The relentless patience and manufactured devotion of "Ethan" felt like a life sentence, an unimaginable cruelty cloaked in concern. Why would my own family participate in such a grotesque charade? What dark secret bound them to this lie? Then, ten years later, fate intervened. As my mother fumbled with my old jewelry box, a hidden compartment cracked open, revealing a death certificate for Liam Miller and a medical consent form revealing "Ethan Miller," Liam' s identical twin psychologist brother, had orchestrated a "full-immersion, manufactured reality" to treat my "Capgras delusion." The rage that surged through me was the most real thing I' d felt in a decade, ready to unleash a firestorm./0/79694/coverorgin.jpg?v=dc923103c8cb7cefe8f5b44bb4046af6&imageMogr2/format/webp)
From Pawn To Queen: My Sweet Escape From A Manipulative Lover
The moment Melanie grasped she was merely a clever piece sliding across Greyson's grand chessboard, she tore herself free without blinking. Not a day later, Greyson watched a swarm of suitors orbit her like moths around a flame; spite boiled over, and he cursed the urge to chain her wrist to his own. Bent on breaking his hold, Melanie threw everything she had at her escape, her heart aching for freedom. Greyson summoned a last reserve of strength to free her, yet five tortured minutes later he collapsed, hands shaking, begging, "If you're going, can you take me with you?"/1/102081/coverorgin.jpg?v=370e6c77e75cacb051a28ea1ebc53c0a&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Poisoned Love, A Friendship's Deadly End
To keep my boyfriend Alex in law school, I begged my father to pay his tuition. But the day I moved to the city to be with him, I found him cheating with my best friend, Ivy. The betrayal didn't end there. My father, a respected union leader, was framed for misusing funds-the very money he'd borrowed for Alex-and died in disgrace. My mother had a mental breakdown from the grief. As I cared for my mother, I neglected my own health, only to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. Returning to my hometown to die, I ran into Alex and Ivy again. Ivy, now pregnant with Alex's child, sneered at me. "Your father begged me to leave Alex alone," she said, a cruel smile on her face. "So I reported him. He died because of you, Clarisa. You're the one who killed him."/0/83263/coverorgin.jpg?v=d435dcaf561ded076b872ae9b7666a0a&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Jilted Wife's Ultimate Comeback
My marriage to Harrison Sterling III was a political merger, a meticulously designed union between two powerful D.C. dynasties. I was Ellie Vance Sterling, the poised, pragmatic wife, dedicated to power and legacy, not fleeting romance. Everything changed when Harry was "rescued" by Skyler Reed, a common waitress who boldly followed him back to our world. She was loud, disruptive, and claimed Harry's love, threatening to expose our family's carefully crafted image. When Skyler triumphantly announced her pregnancy, I calmly declared my own, ensuring my son's place as the legitimate heir. But the true horror unfolded when I discovered a secret: an "heirloom" bracelet, given to me and other Sterling wives, actually contained compounds to suppress fertility. It meant my accidental breakage of the bracelet allowed my conception, revealing a chilling family conspiracy to control who bore heirs. Then came the fire, deliberately set in my wing of the house-a terrifying attempt to erase me and my unborn son from existence. How could my own husband, bound by contract and public duty, attempt such a heinous act? The revelation shattered any remaining illusion of family loyalty, replacing it with a burning certainty of cold-blooded betrayal. With my son's life and our dynastic future at stake, I made my decision: I would invoke the Vance family's formidable protection, rise from these ashes, and secure my child's legacy, no matter the brutal cost./1/105650/coverorgin.jpg?v=f335127dc3ef40a00a6b5af645cef54a&imageMogr2/format/webp)
From Beggar To Billionaire, From Princess To Prisoner
At their first meeting, Vanessa dazzled as the heiress of an elite family, while Shawn survived as a broke, hardworking student. He fell for her-then she shattered his illusion with a sneer. "Do you think you're even in my league?" Years later, Shawn returned as a rising attorney and heir to a powerful family, backed by wealth and influence. Disgraced and frantic, Vanessa fought to free her parents, framed and jailed. She dropped to her knees and begged for his help. He said coolly, "Be my lover-until I'm done with you." To her, it was his revenge. But Shawn knew it was the love he'd wanted./0/86832/coverorgin.jpg?v=c6a4938ac3f335e916c0e1138d997e9f&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Wife He Sacrificed
Five times, I had felt the flutter of life inside me, only to have it stolen away. Five times, I bled and cried. This sixth time, pregnant again, I held the secret tight, terrified Emily would find a way to blow it out. Then, the storm hit: Emily was sick, leukemia, and I was the only perfect bone marrow match. David, my husband, the man who' d seen me through five losses, told me it was just "a collection of cells" and forced me to terminate our baby. He had it all planned out: my body, my child, my future, all sacrificed for Emily. He called it a "medical necessity," even as he destroyed the one locket I kept, a memento for our lost daughter, because Emily "needed symbols of hope." I laid on my hospital bed, having survived severe anaphylaxis after he forced me to consume shellfish I was deathly allergic to, a soup Emily had deliberately requested. I realized he had tried to kill me, for her. The man I married, who promised to protect me, had systematically dismantled me. He saw my pain as an inconvenience, my children as obstacles. I was trapped, isolated, with nowhere to go. But in that moment of absolute devastation, a cold, hard certainty was born. While he was planning how to use my body to save his sister, I was planning my escape. Olivia Clark was gone for good, and Ava Miller was about to be reborn./1/115708/coverorgin.jpg?v=af6aa2421bb917490e8b0fe4071433e5&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Substitute Marriage: Marrying The Disabled Billionaire
To save my toxic family's bankrupt company, I was sold for fifty million dollars to marry Arch Rush III, a notoriously ruthless and paralyzed billionaire. Because of my severe face blindness, I couldn't even recognize my new husband. I was just a cheap, replaceable pawn. Yet, while my own parents physically abused me and treated me like livestock, my terrifying new husband actually protected me. But entering the Rush family estate was like stepping into a snake pit. His aristocratic relatives mocked my cheap clothes and even tried to disfigure me with boiling tea. To further humiliate me in front of a world-renowned neurologist, his grandmother pointed a bony finger at me. "Go massage his muscles, this is your daily duty now." Arch glared at me with a lethal warning, but I had no choice. Trembling, I pressed my hands into his thigh. My heart instantly dropped. Beneath his expensive suit, there was no soft, withered flesh. The muscle contours were tight, dense, and incredibly firm. How could a man completely paralyzed from the waist down have the legs of an athlete? Before I could process the terrifying truth, my strong fingers dug into a nerve cluster. Under my touch, his "dead" muscle violently twitched. The doctor dropped his pen in absolute shock, and I realized I had just accidentally exposed the ruthless billionaire's deadliest secret./0/83912/coverorgin.jpg?v=128c2c329f466f0e8b3603a6a2a22218&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Left for Dead: A Quarterback's Revenge
One moment, I was a star quarterback, riding high on campus, about to marry my beautiful fiancée, Nicole. The next, I was zip-tied and dumped on a desolate island, a canvas bag yanked from my head, blinding sun in my eyes. My fiancée Nicole, her best friend Tara, and my so-called "little brother" Caleb stood offshore, watching, their faces devoid of pity as they left me for dead, framed for a crime I didn't commit. Every desperate call home was met with betrayal: my own father, easily manipulated, disowned me, convinced I was responsible, leaving me utterly alone to face the snakes and starvation. As I lay dying in the sand, abandoned and cursed by everyone I thought cared, a cold, burning rage ignited within, sparking a singular thought: I would not just survive, I would return, and they would pay./1/116357/coverorgin.jpg?v=02d069d7edf4eaf17dca68e5e1a90880&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Reborn Heiress: My Cheating Husband's Downfall
In my past life, my billionaire husband Julian brought a frail, "traumatized" earthquake survivor named Ava into our home. I didn't know she was his mistress until I was bleeding out on a sterile delivery bed. While I fought for my life and our unborn child, Julian coldly signed a Do Not Resuscitate order. In that life, I had cried, screamed, and begged for his love. He just called me hysterical, slept with her in the guest wing, and secretly drained my pre-marital assets to buy her mansions and priceless pink diamonds. I died completely broken, stripped of my dignity, listening to the flatline of my own heart monitor. I couldn't understand how the man who promised me a perfect life could condemn me to death so easily. Why did my blind love only earn me a tragic end while they lived happily ever after on my family's money? Opening my eyes again, I was back on the exact day he brought Ava home. This time, I didn't shed a single tear. "Ava will be staying in the guest wing," Julian stated, expecting me to explode. I smiled perfectly, welcomed her in, and secretly called my divorce attorney to trigger my prenup's exit clause. This time, I chose to live for vengeance./0/85859/coverorgin.jpg?v=b0b8f0501a515a2f3107652f349ea6c1&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A Husband's Fatal Choice
Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. My husband, Mark, walked in with a woman who was young, Chinese, and very pregnant. He introduced her as his assistant, Mei, as she surveyed our home with an air of ownership, her eyes pointedly avoiding mine. Mei' s gaze finally landed on me, laced with cold condescension. "Sarah, right?" she purred. "Hand-wash my lingerie. And later, when Mark and I are together, you can kneel and serve us." My heart turned to ice as Mark just smiled, seeing nothing wrong. I saw the tech-neck, the calculated cruelty in her eyes - this wasn' t just an affair; it was a deliberate humiliation. Then, Mark scoffed, "Oh, here we go again. This tired act. Honestly, Sarah, I' m more bored of this than I am of sleeping with you." Their cruel laughter echoed, and I knew: something inside me had finally snapped. I walked forward, took their hands, forced them together. "For people from such a 'cultured' background," I said, my voice low and clear, "you both sure act like animals." "Since the 'Mrs. Miller' title is so great, you can have it. You two enjoy your happily ever after. Just leave the rest of us out of your mess." I turned my back, walking out, remembering my father' s forgotten warning: Men change, Sarah. Be careful who you give your heart to. I barely stepped onto the cold pavement when Mark' s voice cut through the air. "Come back here and sign the divorce papers." He thrust them at me, demanding I sign for Mei' s peace of mind, promising to remarry me later. His words were hollow, a broken record of lies. Then, his eyes landed on my jade pendant, a gift from our first anniversary. "Mei has been having nightmares," he said, demanding it. "She needs it." I hesitated, clutching the last symbol of the man I thought I married. "What, you can' t even pretend to be composed now? It' s just a necklace." With a sharp movement, I tore it off. Mei snatched it, her triumphant glint turning to feigned clumsiness as she let it shatter at her feet. "Oh, dear," she cooed, then gasped, pressing her leg. "Ouch! A shard… it cut me." Mark panicked, fumbling for his phone. Mei looked up at me, her voice just loud enough, "Sarah… I know you' re upset. But you didn' t have to do that. I know you weren' t trying to curse my baby on purpose… right?" Mark' s head snapped up, his fury now blazing at me. "What did you say?" he snarled. "It' s nothing, Mark," Mei sobbed, clinging to him. "Sarah didn' t mean it." His hand swung through the air. SLAP. I stumbled, falling onto the shattered jade. A sharp pain shot through my hand as green shards embedded themselves in my palm. Blood welled. Mark stood over me, chest heaving. "Apologize! What the hell is wrong with you, Sarah? You were never like this!" He roared for an apology, for a crime I didn' t commit. The man who once defended me was now a stranger, consumed by hate. I laughed, a bitter, broken sound. Slowly, I pushed myself up, ignoring the intense pain. "I can' t do it," I said, my voice steady. "I can' t apologize." His face turned a dangerous red. He grabbed my other arm, fingers digging in. "Fine! If you won' t apologize, then you' ll compensate her. Give me that bracelet." It was my mother' s, my last connection to her. "No! You can' t have this!" I clutched my wrist, pulling back. Just as he lunged, a terrifying grinding sound came from above. The huge chandelier swayed, then plummeted towards me. There was no time to think. So this is how it ends. Mark yanked Mei away, shielding her, not even glancing at me. "Sarah!" he screamed, but it was too late. The world exploded in a crash of shattering glass. I was alive, somehow. Mark, seeing Mei was safe, scrambled over, his panic replaced by cold suspicion. I woke in a sterile hospital room, Mark by my bed, his face stone. "You' re awake? Stop pretending. It didn' t even hit you." "The chandelier…" My voice was hoarse. "Don' t bother," he cut me off. "The servants confessed. You paid them to loosen the screws. You wanted to hurt Mei." It was a complete, fabricated lie. Mei was wheeled in, dabbing her eyes. "Oh, Mark," she trembled. "Don' t be so hard on her. I' m sure she didn' t mean for it to be so… dramatic. I forgive her." Her flawless performance painted me as the crazy, jealous wife. I wanted to scream, but what was the point? The truth didn' t matter. It was whatever Mei said it was. I just laughed, a dry, bitter sound. Exhaustion washed over me. It was hopeless. Mark took my silence as admission. "Since you refuse to apologize," he said, chillingly matter-of-fact, "we' ll have to find another way for you to compensate Mei." He gestured to Mei. "Her leg was scratched. The doctor said it might leave a scar. We' ve arranged a small skin graft surgery. We' ll use some of your skin to repair the damage." Skin graft? From me? "You… what?" I stammered. "It' s just a small patch," he soothed, "from your inner arm. A doctor will be here soon." He was serious. My body, to punish me. A primal scream tore from my throat. "NO!" I thrashed wildly. The IV needle ripped out, blood trickling. "You can' t do this! What did I do wrong? Why are you bullying me?!" He grabbed my shoulders. "Sarah, stop it! Mei is all alone here. She' s been crying nonstop!" His pathetic excuses blurred. He knew I had no one, having rebelled against my family for him. He was using it to destroy me. "Sarah, just calm down," he pleaded. "After the baby is born, I' ll divorce Mei. I' ll remarry you, I swear it!" The same old promise. The same meaningless lie. This lie, finally, gave me clarity. My screaming stopped. My thrashing ceased. "Get out," I said, my voice eerily calm. I reached for my phone, hands shaking, and scrolled to a single entry untouched for seven years: "A." I pressed call. He answered on the first ring. "Come and get me," I whispered, then hung up. My life was about to change forever, but first, I had to survive./0/57632/coverorgin.jpg?v=e2f48eed89a46e424c9cb52014c76aa7&imageMogr2/format/webp)
