Loving You Always And Forever

Mrs. Xia was the talk of the town again.

News of how Ella Sheng, otherwise known as Mrs. Xia, shamelessly cheated on her husband Raymond Xia had spread like wildfire throughout the city. It was scandalous, and the perfect topic for gossip sessions over breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner.

Their marriage had been controversial from the beginning. Raymond Xia had married Ella Sheng after a one-night stand, much to the dismay and disapproval of everyone. Now, the shocking news about Ella's infidelity had set every tongue wagging again; it was a scandal that had seemingly proved everyone right about Ella being unsuitable for Raymond. She had disgraced herself, and the entire city couldn't wait to eat her alive.

The public outrage had forced Ella Sheng to disguise herself with sunglasses and a mask whenever she stepped outside the safety of her house. But her flimsy disguise was no match for the seasoned paparazzi; they mobbed her from all directions, screaming questions in her face.

"Vicky, where are you? Help me!" Ella Sheng pleaded into the phone as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. To her surprise, her agent Vicky sounded just as out of breath on the other end. "Mr. Xia called me just now. He'll pick you up on South Circular Road. Got that? I have to go now, I have a paparazzo right behind me and I can't shake him off!"

Then Vicky hung up.

Ella Sheng stared at her phone in confusion. Why would Raymond Xia pick her up and save her from the paparazzi?

It was much more likely for her husband to want her to be mobbed and harassed by the paparazzi, given the circumstances of their marriage.

But she didn't have time to think. The paparazzi were still chasing after her, determined to twist every word she uttered into an admission of guilt. There was no better way out of this mess than to put on a show for the paparazzi and pretend to be in a loving, trusting relationship with Raymond Xia.

She had to sprint for several minutes before she finally spotted his car at the intersection. As soon as she saw it, she removed her sunglasses and mask and made a show of casually walking over to the car as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She opened the back door, got in, and settled herself next to Raymond Xia. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, darling, for picking me up." She then turned to the driver. "You can start the car now."

She had played the part of Raymond Xia's dignified wife to perfection, but the chauffeur ignored her. Ella Sheng turned nervously to Raymond Xia, and froze: if looks could kill, she would be dead by now.

Dressed in a smart black suit, Raymond Xia was the very picture of cool, aloof nobility. His handsome face clouded over as he glared at Ella Sheng with his dark, piercing gaze. Once upon a time, the sight of her beautiful face would have banished all rational thought from his head, but that time was long gone. He gritted his teeth as he spat out, "Ella, your job as an actress has muddled your sense of reality. What's gotten into you? Drop the act, it makes me sick."

He wiped the lipstick from his cheek with an expression of open disgust.

She looked at him, entranced. When was the last time she had seen her husband?

Had it been three days? Three weeks? Three months?

It had been so long ago she had lost all sense of time.

His strong, beautiful fingers continued to rub at his cheek as he tried to get the last of her lipstick off. She watched, fascinated, before catching his hand and quickly kissing the back of his hand to leave another lipstick mark on it.

"Ella Sheng!" His voice had risen in anger. He prided himself on his self-control, but somehow, he always found himself losing his temper in the presence of the impudent woman before him. He had avoided her as best as he could for fear of accidentally killing her one day in a fit of rage, but his efforts had backfired. She had become increasingly bold and cheeky with him; it was as if she had taken it as a challenge to test his limits and see what she could get away with.

Her heart soared. It had been so long since he had last called her name. Overcome with happiness, she hugged his arm and snuggled against him.

He had to keep himself from erupting in anger. He shot her an icy look as he said frostily, "Ella Sheng, don't forget your place."

"Oh, I know my place. I'm your wife." She began to rub lazy circles on his shoulder.

He sneered. "You've been my wife for the last two years. Well? How does it feel?"

It was every woman's dream to be Mrs. Xia and live in the lap of luxury. She could have whatever she wanted, but Ella Sheng knew something the other envious women did not: the Xia family was nothing more than a prison decorated in gold. Her marriage had come at the price of her freedom, her happiness, and ironically, the love of her husband.

At the end of the day, "Mrs. Xia" was just a title.

It didn't change the fact that Raymond Xia hated her from the bottom of his heart.

But Ella Sheng kept her miserable thoughts to herself. She shut her eyes before the tears could fall, and turned to bury her face in his shoulder. She mumbled vaguely, "Oh, it's not too bad. What about you? How does it feel to be Ella Sheng's man? I bet it makes you so happy you can die right now with no regrets."

"Whatever." Raymond Xia rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for her nonsense. He pulled his arm out of her clutch and moved to open the door.

But she was having none of it. She threw herself on him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered threateningly into his ear, "The whole city is after my blood because of you.

Make any move to get out, and I'll jump you right here, in full view of the paparazzi!" Raymond Xia was speechless. This woman was utterly shameless! And he had married this shameless woman. She was his wife.

He wished he hadn't married her. It was hands down the worst decision he had ever made in his life.

He put his hands on her waist and held her in place. They locked eyes, and she felt her confidence wilt under his domineering gaze. "If that's the way you want to do it, fine. Let's see which one of us gets thrown out of the car first."

She knew she had already lost the battle. The paparazzi were still outside, and the last thing she wanted was to be thrown out of the car and into the sea of cameras. With a sigh, she let herself fall against his chest as she mumbled meekly, "Alright, I admit I was wrong. Take me home, darling."

She was physically and mentally exhausted.

She had barely closed her eyes when she was unceremoniously shoved aside by her husband. He brushed the imaginary dirt off his shirt with a look of contempt as he said to the chauffeur in his deep, booming voice, "Start the car."

Her back throbbed with pain, but she kept her eyes firmly shut. She refused to cry in front of him. He would only look at her tears with cynical contempt.

She had endured his icy treatment for the last two years. Somehow, the knowledge that she had already hit rock bottom comforted her.

Her position as Mrs. Xia was safe, as long as a certain person never came back.

Much to her surprise, the car pulled over half an hour later, and she jolted awake from a sudden, desperate need for air. Raymond Xia had pinched her nose shut.

She gasped for air as she slapped his hand away. She sputtered indignantly, "Are you trying to kill your own wife?!"

"I'd love to, but I have better things to do." Raymond Xia got out of the car with his long, powerful legs and stood before the open door. He towered over her with a calm expression.

Her heart trembled uneasily at her husband's placid, matter-of-fact attitude. What was going on? She craned her head to look behind her husband, and her heart sank. They had stopped in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau instead of the Xia family house.

She didn't have to ask Raymond Xia why they were there. It was clear as day that he wanted a divorce.

Her blood ran cold. A divorce? Never!

She seized the handle of the door, afraid that he would try to pull her out of the car. Her eyes were wide with terror as she pleaded desperately, "Raymond, I'm your wife. We've been together for two years. How can you divorce me without even discussing it over with me?"

"Ella Sheng, you cheated on me. You're no longer welcome in the Xia family." Raymond Xia made no attempt to pull her out of the car, but Ella Sheng could feel the temperature drop around him as he fixed her with his icy glare. She shuddered involuntarily. She was seven years younger than him, and the age difference alone was enough to make her feel inferior and helpless in his presence.

"The paparazzi are always making up fake news. You don't actually believe them, do you?" She was frantic and close to tears. She had had too much to drink at the dinner party, and the next morning, she had found herself in a hotel room. When she had left the hotel, she had been swamped by the paparazzi. She didn't even know the man she had supposedly slept with, a man named Charles Lin, and she couldn't for the life of her remember how or why she had ended up inside his hotel room.

The events of that night made no sense to her.

She saw his expression darken, and before she could react he had tossed a stack of photos in her face. The photos were a lot clearer than the paparazzi shots, and the evidence was damning. It was obviously Ella Sheng in the photos, fleeing the hotel in wide-eyed panic with Charles Lin behind her.

"You broke your promise. You have only yourself to blame. It's time for you to leave, Ella."

As soon as he said this, it suddenly occurred to her that she had one last ace up her sleeve.