That day, Anne introduced herself as Connor's colleague. From beginning to end, Connor never mentioned her name.Soon after, he sent Felicia home and did not take her to the office again in the following days.Anne was keenly aware that Connor would never mention her in front of Felicia, let alone tell Felicia her name.Facing Anne's sharp gaze, Felicia hesitated, her eyes flickering nervously before she adjusted her clothes. "Ms. Maddison, are you going to keep watching?"Anne stared at her for a moment before turning to leave.Once back in the car, she opened the surveillance footage.The recording showed Felicia allowing Connor to kiss her for a while before flipping him over and pinning him down.Unbuttoning his shirt, she kissed him inch by inch. "Connor, I'm back. Why don't you want to touch me? Have you fallen for Anne?"Even though she abandoned you, you still chose her. If it wasn't Anne you married, you would've divorced the moment I returned, right?"Anne's heart sa
"What did you say?"Anne froze, momentarily forgetting to resist.Connor grasped her chin, his expression dark with a sneer. "When I went abroad to look for you, a man was holding you in his arms and kissing you."Back then, I was actually planning to reconcile with you. And you? You left me without a word, and then, without a word, you got together with someone else."Did I deserve to be played like this?"Connor had gone to look for her?Anne suddenly recalled her first year abroad when a teaching assistant had pursued her persistently.Once, during her menstrual period, she had stained her pants, and the teaching assistant had taken off his jacket to tie it around her waist.When she thanked him, he had unexpectedly hugged her and kissed her on the lips before she could react. Despite her complaints, little came of it due to a teacher's intervention.To prevent such incidents from recurring, she avoided getting too close to any man and always carried pepper spray in her bag
Anne staggered to her feet.Her expression, filled with utter despair, made Connor's chest tighten with a suffocating pain.Half-kneeling, he grasped her hand, and tears began streaming down his cheeks without warning."Anne, let the past stay in the past, okay? Let's start over."Anne stared unfocused into the distance.Her lack of refusal gave Connor a glimmer of hope. He stood and pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly as if afraid she might slip away."Let's have a child, okay? Let's have a little girl who looks just like you, dear."In his mind, images of her flashed by, a little girl in kindergarten with braided pigtails, a high school student with a ponytail studying earnestly. Their years together played like a movie in his head.Back then, he would trail behind her every day, letting her spend his allowance. If he missed her, he would climb over the school wall to see her.Even though they were in different classes in high school, he always bought her favori
The next morning, when Anne opened the bedroom door, Connor—who seemed to have been waiting for a long time—carefully guided her to sit at the table."I made breakfast. Eat before heading to work," he said.He placed a bowl of oats in front of her.Connor nervously swallowed, his throat dry. Only when Anne accepted the oats and started eating did he let out a visible sigh of relief."Dear," Connor called her by a new title. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke, "When I was with Felicia, I did develop feelings for her."Seeing Anne pause mid-motion, he hurriedly added, "But now that she's back, I only take care of her out of responsibility."After all, it was because of me that she disappeared. Her parents are gone, and now she's lost her memory, remembering only me."I thought..." Connor glanced at Anne's expression carefully. Seeing no visible reaction, he continued, "I'll give her the apartment she's staying in."After clarifying our relationship, I'll keep my dist
As soon as Connor's car left, Anne hailed a taxi and followed him.The moment Connor got out of his car, Felicia rushed out to hug him.He pried her off and walked inside.Anne opened the surveillance feed on her phone, watching Felicia tearfully ask Connor, "Connor, why haven't you come to see me these past few days?"Connor loosened his tie, took a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it, inhaling deeply. "Felicia, do you remember where your first time was?"Through the hazy smoke, Felicia could not clearly see his expression.She remembered that it was this topic that had softened Connor's attitude toward her before. Lowering her head shyly, she replied, "At a hotel. Your friend called me, saying you were drunk. I took you to your room, and then you pinned me down..."Connor suddenly realized he might have misjudged Felicia.He had always thought of her as strong and resilient, never asking him for anything directly. She had worked two jobs, surviving on practically nothing, y
Felicia's eyes were bloodshot, and her palm was cut open, with blood dripping down her wrist."I told you I'd take care of you," said Connor, taking a deep breath, afraid to agitate her further."But you're already married!"Connor said, "I've told Anne. I'll transfer this house to your name."Felicia replied, "But I don't want the house. I want you. Connor, I just want to be with you."Crying, Felicia leaned in to kiss him. "Have you forgotten? You promised to marry me, to give me the grandest wedding. You said you'd become my family, protect me forever, and never let me be hurt again. Did you forget all that?"Connor snatched the shard of glass from her hand. He wiped away her tears and bandaged her wound. "I haven't forgotten.""Then divorce Anne and marry me, okay?" Felicia's lips brushed his chin as she leaned in again.Connor frowned and turned away. "Felicia, it's over between us."Felicia laughed bitterly, then suddenly ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife and pressing
"That night at the hotel, why did you lie to me?" Connor asked. "And what really happened during the three years you were missing?"Felicia hugged her knees, looking terrified and refusing to speak.Connor sighed, exhaustion evident as he closed his eyes briefly before reopening them. "Felicia, whatever you're hiding, you can tell me. You know I'll help you."Felicia wrestled internally. She had thought about confessing to Connor, but the moment she told her first lie to get close to him, she had sealed her fate. If he found out about her calculated approach, he would never forgive her."I'll transfer this house to your name. After this, stop calling me. I don’t want my wife misunderstanding things again.""Connor, are you really saying you’ll never see me again?"Felicia curled up in the corner, her eyes hollow and lifeless.Seeing her like this, Connor feared for her mental state and could not harden his heart completely. "I’ll transfer money to you every month and visit you o
"I really don't want a divorce," Connor murmured as he leaned against the wall, his expression vacant. Slowly, he sank to his knees and his face tilted slightly upward, revealing a clear streak of tears."Anne, give me another chance. Love me again, please?""I'll give you a week to think about it," Anne replied coldly. "If you don't want those videos reaching our parents or causing a scandal about your affair, sign the papers quickly."Anne did not want the situation to escalate. Their company was in a critical phase of collaboration, and she could not let their divorce affect the stock price."The prenuptial agreement is crystal clear. Even if you go to court, you won't get a single cent.""I don't care about leaving with nothing. I don't care about the money. I care about you, Anne!" Connor knelt and wrapped his arms around her waist, pleading. "I don't want to be apart from you.""You claim you can't live without me, yet you can't let go of Felicia. Your love is truly all-enc
The moment the divorce cooling-off period ended, Anne finalized her divorce with Connor.After the divorce was finalized, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.Connor, standing beside her, noticed her smile and felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest."How about a farewell meal?"Anne shook her head. "No need.""We’ve been married for three years. We’ll likely run into each other in the future."Connor did not finish his sentence. He was still clinging to the hope of a new beginning with her.Anne gave him a meaningful look.Moments later, Walter pulled up in his car. He rolled down the window, waved at Anne, and peered at them with slightly narrowed eyes behind his sunglasses.Just as Anne was about to get in the car, Connor grabbed her wrist. "My parents are going abroad. They wanted to invite you to the house for a meal.""I already ate with them yesterday."Connor froze, his expression betraying his surprise.Anne sighed. "If you hurry home now, you might still catc
Anne immediately instructed her assistant to remove all trending topics about her and Connor.Realizing he had been used by Anne once again, Connor slumped to the ground in defeat. "Anne, you're too ruthless."Ruthless? Anne did not think so.Felicia had already tried to take her life. All she wanted was her money back and to see Felicia in prison.Watching Felicia being taken away by the police, Anne quietly breathed a sigh of relief.She was not entirely sure Felicia would show up.When pushed to the brink, desperate people were often willing to take risks.Instead of living like a rat in the gutter every day, Felicia had gambled on Connor's lingering feelings.It turned out Connor did, indeed, still soften for her.Back home, Connor locked himself in his room.Anne did not bother with him. She waited a few days until the verdict for Felicia was out before forcing the door open.Connor had barely eaten for days. He looked utterly desolate and lifeless."Most of the money h
Felicia pulled Connor into a corner."Connor."It had been a long time since they last met, and Felicia looked much more haggard.She looked around nervously, and when her eyes met Connor's gaze filled with hatred, her body trembled."How dare you come find me?"The police and her father's creditors were all looking for her. Felicia was clever enough to know how dangerous her sudden appearance was.She knew that, of course.However, it was not just these people looking for her.Anne was also searching everywhere for news about her and was sending her information in real time to those creditors.Felicia could not think of anyone else who could help her except Connor.Seeing the two of them returning to school together for the speech, so affectionate, Felicia could not sit still.If she begged Connor, maybe he would relent.On the other hand, once he reconciled with Anne, he would only side with Anne and push her further down."Connor." Felicia grabbed Connor's arm. "I had n
Anne left early and came home late every day, sometimes staying at the company overnight.It was only at Connor's home that he finally experienced what loneliness felt like.Even when she saw Connor applying medicine to his wound, Anne did not give him a second glance, only reminding him indifferently, "Don't make a mess of the house."She endured until the day of the speech. Connor changed into a sharp suit and waited for Anne in the living room."I've sent the speech to your phone.""Okay."Once they got into the car, they exchanged the first words in three days.Right after speaking, however, Anne lowered her head to look at her notes.Connor, frustrated, swallowed his emotions. When they got out of the car and saw reporters, he immediately grabbed Anne's hand.Anne instinctively tried to pull away, but something seemed to occur to her, and she froze, instead waving enthusiastically at the reporters.Their childhood marriage, paired with their matching looks and family bac
"Didn't you eat?" Anne asked casually, looking at the untouched meal box on the table."No." Connor clutched the bedsheet tightly under the blanket, forcing himself not to ask her accusatory questions.Anne nodded and did not say anything further.Sitting in the chair, she took out her phone. For the past few days, this was their routine. Connor wanted her company, and she would sit with him for an hour without saying a word, then leave when the time was up.What Connor longed for was the way they used to be, spending time together as before."Anne, I want to be discharged."Anne glanced at his wound, indifferent. "Do as you wish."Connor could not bear her attitude and complained, "Can't you care about me even a little?"He had been thinking about her eating with Walter, so he had not been able to eat a single bite. He was still hungry, too.Anne looked at him sincerely. "Don't forget, I still have two and a half million with Felicia. I've been more than patient with you."C
Connor remained hospitalized, so Anne temporarily stepped into his role at work.Although she had agreed to stay with Connor for a month, she clearly did not take it seriously. She could not bring herself to care for him as she once had.Connor sent her messages every few hours.[Remember to eat breakfast.][Have you had lunch? I had oats again. It's too bland. I don't like it.][Can you come to the hospital to have dinner with me after work?][My wound hurts.][Anne, I miss you.]Anne read every message but did not reply to any of them.At the end of the workday, Connor immediately called her."What is it?" she asked, rubbing her tired forehead, her tone impatient.Connor trod carefully. "Anne, will you come to the hospital and have dinner with me?"Still unable to leave the hospital, he did not dare to bother her too much, afraid of annoying her. Yet, nearly a week of the month had passed, and every day, Anne only visited briefly before leaving.The lack of interaction l
Anne visited her father first. She felt relieved when she confirmed his injuries were not that serious.She had already asked her assistant to inform both families of everything that had transpired.Seeing the worry etched on her parents' faces, Anne forced a small smile. "Mom, Dad, don't worry. I will divorce him."After a few more reassurances, she made her way to Connor's hospital room."Anne." Connor's mother, with reddened eyes, held Anne's hand but could not say a word.Knowing the mess her son had created, she could not bring herself to ask for Anne's forgiveness. She could only feel grateful that the one injured tonight was not Anne. Otherwise, they would not have known how to face her."Mom, Dad," said Anne, patting Connor's mother's hand and glancing at Connor's father, who looked as if he wanted to speak but could not.She tried to return the bracelet Connor's mother had given her. "Don't worry. After the divorce, I'll still visit you often."Connor's relationship wi
Anne's birthday party had only close friends and family in attendance.The parents of both families finally gathered together, and Connor's mother gave Anne a diamond bracelet.In the past, she would not have thought much of it. However, as they were on the brink of divorce, accepting such an expensive gift felt inappropriate.Connor noticed her hesitation and held her hand, subtly preventing her from removing it.He had a hunch that Anne would bring up the topic of divorce that evening.So, when someone asked when they planned to have children, he preemptively replied, "As soon as Anne agrees, we'll have one immediately."Anne smiled ambiguously, about to deny it, when a man suddenly burst into the room with a knife.The incident happened so abruptly that no one had time to react.The man charged straight at Anne, the knife poised to strike her shoulder. Amid panicked screams, Connor turned and shielded Anne in his arms.Blood splattered everywhere.Anne used all her strengt
"Have you met him?"Anne calmly pushed the coffee toward Felicia, but Felicia slapped it away, spilling a few scalding drops onto the back of Anne's hand."What do you want, Anne?"The sight of that house had dredged up terrifying memories for Felicia, causing her to shiver uncontrollably."The house Connor gave you, give it back to me."The house worth millions was not something Anne was willing to part with so easily."And before our divorce is finalized, you're not allowed to take any money from him.""Fine." Felicia's demeanor shifted entirely, shedding her previous frailty."After we divorce, you cannot marry Connor within a year."Remarrying so soon after the divorce would inevitably draw attention. Anything that could impact the company, Anne was determined to nip in the bud."I thought you'd tell me not to marry him at all."Anne smiled indifferently. "You and he are a perfect match. Both of you are ungrateful and fickle."Besides, if they truly intended to marry, C