Chapter 2

"Sam, is Kristen hiding because she doesn't want to donate her bone marrow to me?" Violet asked pitifully. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Samuel ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't worry. It's just leukemia. Even if Kristen doesn't donate her bone marrow to you, I'll search the entire country to find you a match."

Violet pouted and said, "My body didn't show any signs of rejection upon receiving Kristen's bone marrow. The doctor said he's never seen two people with such a high level of compatibility."

Samuel glanced at the locked gate. His tone was resolute as he promised, "I'll find her for you, even if I have to dig her up from the ground!"

At that moment, I felt a pang of intense pain in my heart.

As I watched the two people standing before me, memories from years ago resurfaced. Samuel and I were college classmates. Back then, he was like the sunlight piercing through the chilly morning mist. His presence was warm and dazzling.

I was the one who fell for him first. After graduation, we ended up together.

I once saw him as my salvation, and my world revolved entirely around him. I stood by him as he ventured into entrepreneurship. Then, I endured hardships by his side.

He promised to take care of me for a lifetime. In the beginning, he kept his promise.

But ideals could never truly withstand the harsh reality.

During the early days of setting up his business, I often accompanied him to negotiate deals with other parties. It was during this time that I met Daniel Jones, the heir to Glorious Group.

Daniel was a privileged scion who only worked for the sake of experiencing life. Ever since he met me, he stuck around like a fly I couldn't shake off. There were times when he touched me inappropriately under the guise of being drunk and wasted.

Finally, things turned ugly one day. When Daniel tried to hold me in his arms while he was drunk, Samuel grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it over his head.

Because of this incident, we lost the contract with Glorious Group. Not only that, we also had to forfeit all our savings to keep Daniel from sending Samuel to jail.

Of course, what we paid went far beyond just money.

That night, Samuel held me in his arms and apologized profusely. He kept telling me how sorry he was and that he would never let anyone bully me again when he became successful.

True to his words, he became a successful businessman. No one else bullied me anymore—only he did.

I didn't want to remember any of this anymore.

I looked at the face that had only become more unfeeling and ruthless after all these years. The stifling summer wind tousled his hair and deepened the already furrowed lines of his brows. He looked immensely troubled.

He held Violet in his arms. His gaze was fixed on the weeds that had grown half a foot tall at the courtyard gate.

The year I "betrayed" Samuel was during the second year of our marriage. At that time, I was already over a month pregnant. But neither of us knew about this.

By then, Samuel's business had started to flourish. It even attracted several investors. It should have been a period of steady growth. However, everything fell apart without warning.

Deals that had been finalized were abruptly canceled. The capital funds dried up, and product issues kept cropping up one after another. Bank loans were cut off. Even the mortgaged properties, cars, and factories were all set to be repossessed and auctioned off.

During those days, Samuel could not eat or sleep. To make matters worse, his mother was diagnosed with cancer that year. An enormous sum of money was needed for her treatment.

I pulled some strings and looked into the odd circumstances surrounding Samuel's business. Soon, I discovered that the person sabotaging his company was none other than Daniel, the man he had once hit with a wine bottle for my sake.

At this point, Daniel sought me out. He said he could have Glorious Group's investment firm inject some funds into Samuel's business and cover his mother's medical expenses.

I knew he had his conditions because let's be honest—would a devil ever do charity?

If he didn't want my life, he would certainly take something even more valuable than life itself. So, I asked him what his true purpose was for making this offer.

Daniel sneered disdainfully. "I do it because I want to. What purpose do I need? I just enjoy watching you worthless insects struggle and seethe with anger, yet you're completely helpless against me.

"Besides, I haven't paid Samuel back for the time he smashed a wine bottle on my head. It's time for him to suffer the consequences of his reckless action."

I couldn't understand Daniel. He had a hundred ways to make Samuel's life miserable, yet he chose me.

Even after all these years, I vividly remember that day.

In the dimly lit private room, Daniel held me on his lap with a contract in his hand. When Samuel pushed open the door and saw us, he froze.

His eyes reddened as he rasped, "Why?"

I said to him, "You can't give me the life I want, but Daniel can…"

In response, Daniel laughed heartily and pinched me with his greasy hands.

My heart bled with agony, and I felt a sense of crushing humiliation. Nevertheless, I forced myself to laugh and evade his touch shyly.

"Isn't this great, Samuel? I help you secure funds, and you seal the deal with Glorious Group. It's a win-win situation," I said.

Disappointment clouded Samuel's eyes bit by bit. Still, he extended his hand toward me with determination. "Come back to me, Kristen. I don't need you to do this. Whatever life you want, I'll work hard to give it to you."

He was pleading so humbly, and his expression was full of sorrow.

At that moment, my heart shattered, and I could scarcely breathe.

Samuel went on, "Kristen, I can walk away from today's deal. Please just come home with me…"

He had once been so confident and proud. In fact, he was proud enough to smash a wine bottle over the head of Glorious Group's heir without hesitation. With a cruel twist of fate, he was now reduced to begging.

Daniel chortled smugly. "The woman you cherish is nothing special. All it took was for me to beckon with my finger, and she willingly climbed into my bed. So tell me. What was the point of smashing that wine bottle on my head back then?"

Samuel ignored his words and fixed his gaze on me.

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around Daniel's neck. "That's right, Samuel. Don't take things so seriously—just let it go."

I don't remember much about what happened after that. I only remember that Samuel signed the contract with bloodshot eyes.

He said to me, "I'll forever hold a grudge until one of us dies, Kristen."

After that night, he threw himself into his career with a vengeance. In just a few short years, his fledgling company went public. Furthermore, his company grew to become the industry leader just last year.

He pulled through and made his way to the top of the pyramid.

And I became the greatest stain that ever marred his life.