I pressed the blade against my dad's neck and left a faint mark resembling the outline of a necklace on it. When my mom saw it, she silently laughed for a long time.Athena, eager to see me, had been pestering my friend to bring her over first thing in the morning.When I got the message, I rushed to pick her up.I had been up all night dealing with my dad, so I dozed off at the airport.When I opened my eyes, I realized I had slept for half an hour.Athena's flight had landed 15 minutes earlier. A sense of unease crept up in my heart. I called Athena's phone, but it was out of service. I tried my friend's phone, but there was no answer too.Panic hit me, and I immediately called Xavier, demanding, "You promised not to come near my daughter! Give her back to me now!"Xavier's voice sounded weary as he asked, "What are you talking about?"My heart sank. "You're not the one who took Athena?"Suddenly, there was silence on the other end of the line. I heard hurried footsteps and t
Out of the ten dates arranged by the Sullivans, I only ever saw Robert Sullivan and Maisie Corbus, but never Xavier Sullivan himself.He always had countless excuses over the phone—he was in a meeting at work, drinking at a bar, or in bed with a woman.I thought that our agreed marriage would automatically fall through due to his lack of cooperation.But Xavier's parents, Robert and Maisie, looked at me with determination and said, "Once he sees you, he will agree to marry you."When Xavier finally met me, he seemed completely entranced and agreed to the marriage right away.I thought he had fallen in love with me at first sight. But later, I discovered that I was merely a stand-in for his first love, Elsa Zermeno.The first time I saw Elsa was in a photo I found hidden inside one of Xavier's books. She looked very much like me, except for her eyes.I had round doe-eyes that looked innocent and unassuming, whereas Elsa had upturned eyes that were seductive and alluring.So, I c
For the next few days, there was always a hint of joy in Xavier's eyes. But the moment he saw me, his expression would turn frigid.My dad, Brock Joffrin, lived next door. He often came over to check on things. So, he quickly noticed that something was wrong.He hurriedly came over and asked, "Did you and Xavier have a fight?"I stayed silent, not wanting to respond.My dad anxiously tried to persuade me, "If he's upset, just appease him. What good can come from angering the Sullivan family?"I was so angry that my eyes reddened as I snapped back, "Does our entire family have to bend over backward to please him?"Five years ago, my dad's investment failed, so he ended up owing the Sullivan family millions of dollars. He cried and begged me to sign the marriage agreement to save him.After Xavier and I got married, my dad often said to me, "Now that you're married, take good care of Xavier. Do you know how many people dream of being a part of the Sullivan family? You've gotten lu
I thought it was some kind of rare antique. But when I took a closer look, it was just a scrunchie. It was yellowing around the edges, showing its age.The more I looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. It looked like the one I used to wear all the time as a kid but had lost.Xavier grabbed it from me in one swift motion. He said harshly, "This belongs to her. You're not allowed to dirty it with your hands!""That looks like a scrunchie I once had."The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them, and Xavier looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I grew more and more confused and couldn't help but try to grab it back from him to take a closer look.Xavier's expression became glacial, and he shoved me to the ground with one hand. My already injured hand hit the shattered glass again. The pain was so intense that my vision blurred.When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital bed.Upon seeing that I was awake, Maisie held my hand and said, "Don't worry, the baby
In Robert and Maisie's eyes, we were nothing more than lowly peasants they could beat as they pleased.When Xavier heard what my dad said, his anger flared even more. He picked up the kettle, lifted my dad's shirt, and poured boiling water onto his back ruthlessly.I grabbed Xavier's leg, begging him not to be so cruel. However, Elsa kicked me toward the door.My dad screamed in pain. He took one look at his own back and fainted out of sheer terror.Xavier left behind a check for ten million dollars and walked out with Elsa.After he left, Robert and Maisie reminded me that the marriage agreement that I signed was about to expire. They pressured me to sign the agreement renewal. Otherwise, they threatened not to treat my dad and let him fend for himself.The divorce agreement Xavier sent me sat quietly on the table in the hospital room. The Sullivans chose to ignore it and pretended that they didn't see it.As I touched my growing belly, I wondered how Xavier would treat this ch
The next day, the Sullivan family arrived at the hospital eagerly to welcome the newborn. To their utter dismay, the only thing they saw was my corpse.Vincent regretfully informed them, "She took two whole bottles of sleeping pills last night. We couldn't save her."Xavier glanced at me briefly and scoffed, feeling disgruntled. He then left with his parents with a gloomy expression.Only my mom, Esther Todd, stayed back with me. She wept mournfully by my bedside, keeping vigil over my body.I opened my eyes and gently patted her head to comfort her. I whispered, "I'm still alive. Don't cry."My mom's face blanched due to the extreme shock. With a smile, I explained everything to her. Vincent had injected me with a special drug that caused a state of apparent death. I slept for a full day and night. Then, I woke up perfectly normal again.After giving birth to my daughter, I left with her and settled down in Clearwater, a nearby city. Xavier had once said he would never set foo
The next day, I walked out of the airport alone, dragging my suitcase behind me. This place was too dangerous, so I left Athena in the care of a trusted friend.To avoid involving my mom, I didn't tell her I had returned. After renting a place, I spent day and night tailing Elsa and shadowing her every move.When she went on dates, I stood by a food stall helping an elderly lady grill skewers. When she went shopping, I hid behind billboards, observing her every step. When she went to try on wedding dresses, I borrowed a bear costume and pretended to hand out flyers from across the street.Suddenly, someone stood in front of me and forcefully tried to yank off my costume's headpiece. I resisted, ready to shout. But the moment I saw the familiar man, I froze.Xavier hadn't changed at all. He still had that sharp, hawk-like gaze that penetrated through everything.He sneered as he growled, "Stop hiding, Halyna!"I stood stiffened in place, allowing him to pull off the headpiece.Xa
It turned out that Xavier had a careful, nurturing side I never knew about. Whether a man loved a woman or not, his actions revealed everything.Elsa shot me a smug glance and boasted under her breath, "All you're doing is making Xavier feel even more sorry for me. Is any of this helping you?"Of course, it was.For the next few days, Elsa had to stay home, and that was the moment I'd been waiting for.As dusk approached, I saw her parents leave in their car. Soundlessly, I snuck into her room.Elsa was doing her makeup. When she saw me, she was so startled she almost jabbed the brush into her eye.I smiled darkly and said, "Don't recognize me? It's me—the one you killed."I had dressed myself in Maisie's clothes and hired a special effects makeup artist to make me look just like her.Elsa went completely pale in one second and started trembling all over. She panicked and threw whatever she could get her hands on at me. She muttered anxiously, "It's impossible. You're dead!"