Tang Doudou

My fiancé' s mistress hacked off my hair in the middle of Van Cleef & Arpels while he laughed on the phone. He told her to "teach the stalker a lesson," having no idea the woman in the hoodie was actually the billionaire heiress he was arranged to marry. Ten minutes later, my brother' s private army shut down Fifth Avenue, and I picked up the scissors to return the favor. I had spent a year doing humanitarian work in war zones, so I arrived at the jewelry store in jeans and a worn hoodie to collect my custom engagement tiara. Glennie Kramer, a supermodel and Ashton' s "true love," sneered at my appearance and claimed the diamonds for herself. When I tried to stop her, she grabbed gift-wrapping scissors and violently severed my waist-length hair while the staff watched in terror. Desperate, I called Ashton, but he mocked me as a "pauper" and authorized security to hold me down while Glennie finished the job. They smashed my phone, thinking I was helpless. But the call hadn't disconnected before my brother, Ason Kane, heard everything. The King of Wall Street arrived with a fleet of armored SUVs and a rage that froze the room. Ashton collapsed when he realized he had just assaulted the sister of the most powerful man in New York. I walked over to the trembling supermodel, the scissors cold in my hand. "You said a nobody doesn't deserve beautiful hair," I whispered. I didn't just ruin their looks; I sent them to the Black Cell and erased their existence from high society forever.

My husband Dorian and I clawed our way out of the foster system together, building a software empire from scratch. He was my hero, the man who swore he' d always protect me. But he became obsessed with "saving" a manipulative single mother, draining our accounts and our marriage. I thought the baby I was secretly carrying could be the bridge to bring him back to me. Then, at my first prenatal appointment, her son attacked me. He rammed his head into my stomach, and a universe of pain exploded inside me as I collapsed, bleeding on the cold hospital floor. I begged Dorian for help. He looked from my pale face to the wailing child, and made his choice. "You need to get a grip," he said coldly, scooping the boy into his arms and walking away, leaving me to lose our child alone. He let our first baby die, and now our second. His love was a lie. So I sent him a final gift to remember me by-the divorce papers, and a small jar containing the body of the son he abandoned.

For three years, I was the wife of Damian Costello, a feared mafia underboss who I believed was my savior. I lived in a gilded cage, mistaking his possessive passion for love. Then, on the day my father was executed, I discovered my marriage was a lie. A photo proved my husband was in Paris, not for business, but to chase the one woman he had always loved: my aunt, Isabella. I was just a substitute, a younger version of her he could own. He had staged the ambush where he "saved" me, and he only wanted a child with me for my family's eyes. His obsession was absolute. When a tureen of scalding soup flew toward us in a restaurant, he didn't shield me, his pregnant wife. He threw himself in front of Isabella. He even screamed at me in front of everyone, "In my heart, Seraphina will never be as important as you!" I realized my child wasn't a product of love. It was the final piece of his collection—a living trophy. So after he carelessly signed the annulment papers, I had an abortion. On the day he went into surgery to donate his second kidney to her, I left him a box containing the surgical report and our annulment decree. Then, I boarded a plane and vanished.

My volunteer work was simple, a quiet act of kindness. For two years, I drove underprivileged students to their SATs, finding genuine joy in helping. Then my phone buzzed, and a sharp, high-pitched voice introduced me to Tiffany. She wasn't just demanding a ride; she was demanding a luxury SUV for five, not three, and a perfectly pristine car. "Make sure your car is clean. We don' t want to show up to the most important exam of our lives covered in dog hair or smelling like old takeout." Her voice dripped with an entitlement that left me breathless, and I knew this was different. I brushed aside the unease, telling myself it was just one difficult person. But from the moment they sauntered out, laughing, holding expensive coffees, the verbal jabs began, culminating in Tiffany grabbing my steering wheel on the highway. The car swerved violently. A truck narrowly missed us. "What is wrong with you? You could have killed us!" I yelled, my body shaking with rage. "Me? You' re the one who can' t drive! You almost got us killed!" she shrieked back, her eyes wide with indignation, not remorse. To my horror, Jessica, one of the others, nodded in agreement with Tiffany's outrageous lie. The unfairness of it all made me sick. My good deed had been twisted into an obligation, and I was being made the villain. My husband' s calm voice echoed in my head: "Don't give them a single thing they can use against you. Be polite, be professional…" I decided I would be a robot. A chauffeur. No emotion, just function. I would finish this, and then wash my hands of them forever.

The launch party for my company was supposed to be the peak of my life' s ambition, but my eyes were glued to the door, waiting for my wife, Olivia. Just last week, she' d finally warmed up to me, hinting at starting a family after three years of a marriage that felt like a contract. Then the doors opened, and Olivia walked in, but she wasn' t alone; beside her, with a possessive hand on her back, was Dr. Marcus Thorne, her former mentor. He was a ghost from her past, and she was smiling at him in a way she never smiled at me. I watched them, trying to convince myself it was nothing, as he leaned in to whisper, and she laughed, an intimacy that screamed of a shared history I was not a part of. Dave, my business partner, clapped me on the shoulder, telling me we were "killing it," but my gaze was fixed on Olivia taking a glass of wine from Marcus, their fingers brushing. It felt like a punch to the stomach, seeing the effortless familiarity he had, everything I' d bled for in three years of trying. The anger and humiliation choked me, until I finally stumbled over to them, my voice hoarse. Marcus turned, looked me up and down, and with a condescending smirk, called me "the boy genius," belittling my entire existence. Then the room tilted, my chest tightened, and the world went black. I woke to the sterile smell of a hospital, Olivia asleep beside me, but the warmth turned to bitter self-mockery as I remembered her denial in front of him. Our marriage had been a transaction from the start-a deathbed promise to my father to "look after me." I was 21, grieving, hopelessly infatuated, and agreed, hoping forced proximity would blossom into love. Three years of trying to earn her affection, culminating in last week' s "validation," now felt like just another concession. A cold resolve settled over me; I couldn' t live as a child she was obligated to care for anymore. I disconnected the IV, and when Olivia stirred, I looked her in the eye and said, "Let's get a divorce." She was pale, shocked, but I had never been more clear; I signed the papers and walked out, leaving everything behind. For two days, I hid in a cheap motel, suffocating the voice that replayed her smiling at Marcus, until there was a loud banging on my door. It was Dave, and behind him, a pale and frantic Olivia, who pushed past him, calling me unthinking and childish. "I'm not a child, Olivia," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "Then stop acting like one!" she shot back, as I pulled the signed divorce papers from my bag and pushed them into her hands. "I'm letting you off the hook. You don't have to keep your promise to my father anymore. You're free." She stared at the papers, her eyes widening with disbelief, then she whispered, "No." And with a sudden, violent movement, she ripped the papers in half, declared she would not divorce me, and threw the shredded pieces at my feet. It was never about me; it was always about the promise.

My life with Victoria, a tech mogul with billions, was a gilded cage. I was her house husband, an artist reduced to chores, all to stay close to Emily, seven, and Josh, five, my children. Her protégé, Liam, a smirking young man with hollow ambition, made every day hell, spilling wine for me to clean, complaining about my cooking, even shrugging when he killed our cat. Victoria saw my suffering and encouraged it. Then came the day that broke the world. Victoria brought Emily and Josh downstairs, both terrified. "Get in the crate," she commanded, pointing to a new dog crate. "And bark." My blood ran cold. "They' re children. You can' t do that," I whispered. But she grabbed them, dragging them towards the door. "If they can' t make it a few days in the urban park downtown, they' re too weak to be my children anyway," she snarled, then sped off, leaving me screaming on the driveway. Three days later, the detective called. They found Emily and Josh, two small bodies under a pile of cardboard, dead from exposure. That same evening, Victoria was at a charity auction, laughing and buying Liam a three-million-dollar car. My grief turned to cold, hard resolve. I walked onto the stage at the auction, holding the two small urns. "I' m not here to bid on a car," I announced. "I' m here to buy two souls." Victoria tried to pull me off the stage. "They' re dead, Victoria," I whispered, louder than any shout. "Emily and Josh. They' re dead." She called me insane, a liar. Liam played the brave protector, faking fear. The public bought their story, condemning me, a pathetic, unhinged husband. But they didn't know the truth. They didn't know about Liam's cruelty, or Victoria's chilling threats to send my children away, a threat that had kept me captive. Now, that threat was tragically meaningless. With nothing left to lose, I set my purpose. I began attending auctions, asking a strange question that would change everything. My family's old money, long ignored, would now become my weapon.

The shriek that tore through the quiet afternoon wasn' t my daughter Lily' s, it was my mother-in-law Evelyn' s, a sound so sharp and theatrical it felt rehearsed. My heart instantly seized, not for Lily' s safety, but for Evelyn' s impending drama. Then I saw it: three-year-old Lily, floating face down in the community pool, her small pink swimsuit a sickening slash of color against the placid blue. Evelyn, instead of helping, was on the ground, clutching her chest and wailing, "Oh, my heart! This child will be the death of me!" I pulled Lily from the water, my hands trembling as I started CPR. But Evelyn scrambled over, grabbing my arm, screaming, "You' re trying to kill her so you can pin it on me!" She threw herself onto my back, trying to pry my hands away, just as my husband Mark arrived. He didn' t even look at Lily. His eyes were fixed on his mother, now hysterically weeping at his feet. "What did you do, Sarah?" he roared, his hand flying, a stinging slap cracking across my face. Neighbors whispered judgment: She' s always working, probably doesn' t even watch her kid. Mark is such a good son. Then, a small, choked sound. Lily coughed. Water gushed from her mouth, and she gasped for air. She was alive. But Mark' s fury didn' t subside. "Look what you did," he hissed, "You terrified my mother. Apologize to her now." I looked at his contorted face, at Evelyn' s triumphant smirk, at my shivering daughter, and at the whispering neighbors. Something inside me snapped. The love I thought I had for this man, the hope for our family, all turned to dust. My heart went completely cold. This wasn' t just a moment of neglect; it was a calculated campaign of emotional abuse, and Mark was her willing accomplice. I was done.

The sterile white walls of the hospital room were my first sight, a blinding canvas reflecting the nothingness inside me. Just days ago, I was Scarlett, a nurse, a wife; now, I was a widow, grieving the hero firefighter who died saving me from our burning home. My childhood friend, Liam, found me after my desperate attempt to escape the crushing silence left behind, dragging me back to a life I didn't want. As I struggled for water, voices drifted from the hall-Mark, my husband' s colleague, and then him. "You're a lucky bastard," Mark chuckled. "A hero's funeral, the whole nine yards." "It was a lot of work," came the casual reply. "Had to make sure the dental records were switched, get the right uniform on the dummy. The gas line explosion covered the rest." It was Ryan. My dead husband. Alive. My breath hitched as I heard him dismiss my suicide attempt as "unfortunate" before explaining his elaborately faked death: it was all to leave me for Ava, his brother's widow. The man I died for, the hero I mourned, was a liar, a coward, who hadn't saved me from a fire but thrown me into one. My love curdled into scorching betrayal. He didn't just abandon me; he erased me, making my deep grief seem like a pathetic joke. In the shattering silence, as Liam, with his kind, honest eyes, rushed to my side, a wild, desperate idea ignited in the ruins of my heart. "Liam," I rasped, "do you remember what you asked me, a long time ago, under the old oak tree by the lake?" "Is the offer still on the table?" I asked, looking directly at the man who had always been my anchor. This wasn't about love. It was about pure, unadulterated defiance. This was about proving that the old Scarlett was dead, but a new, unbreakable woman had risen from the ashes he left behind. I would not be his victim. I would live, and I would erase every last trace of Ryan Miller from my life.

The sterile hospital walls closed in on me, the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor a cruel reminder of the life I' d just lost. My late-term miscarriage had torn a gaping hole in my world. Reaching for my phone, I desperately needed to hear my husband Matthew' s voice. But then I saw it: Matthew' s new Instagram post. A tiny, perfect footprint, emblazoned with the caption, "Welcome to the world, little angel. Dad will always protect you." My world shattered anew. When I finally reached him, he was impatient, dismissive, and with Maria-his former intern-and their newborn, in the same hospital. He told me to "be strong," then commanded, "Don't let the one that's gone compete for attention with the one that's here." His words echoed, a cruel, mocking testament to my desolation. My own parents, his parents, and our entire social circle pressured me to accept his twisted lie – that it was just IVF, a "life debt." The final straw came at a lavish party meant to celebrate his new "family." His mistress, Maria, gloated, admitting their baby was conceived "the old-fashioned way" during a drunken company retreat. Then, she screamed, faking a scare, and Matthew slapped me across the face in front of everyone. In that moment, the grief, the pain, the confusion vanished. Only ice remained. I walked out of that house, his signature on divorce papers in hand, and called Ethan Scott, my childhood friend and Matthew' s biggest rival. "Marry me," I said, "I'll give you controlling shares of Jenkins Construction. All I want is for you to help me ruin Matthew Roberts."

"Stage IV lymphoma." Dr. Carter's words hung in the air. I had only months to live, and the treatment required a family member's consent. My powerful relatives were strangers, detached from my pain. My heart clung to one person: Liam, my husband. He was my last hope. But when I called, he rejected my calls. When he finally came home, he sneered, accusing me of "faking for attention." He walked out, leaving me alone, calling a cousin over caring for his dying wife. The next day, when I blurted out "I have cancer," he laughed, "That's a new one. You're getting creative." He refused to sign the forms, abandoning me. His callousness cut deeper than any illness. Then, my cousin Savannah showed up, admitting she had drugged Liam and framed me three years ago, destroying my life. Liam's life. But before I could react, she slashed her own arm with a letter opener, screaming that I attacked her. Liam burst in, embraced her, and glared at me with pure hatred, dragging me to the hospital to apologize. How could he be so blind? How could he believe her monstrous lies over his own dying wife? Didn't he see he was the fool, playing into her cruel game? The injustice, the betrayal, pushed me to my breaking point. But as the world faded to black, a desperate thought sparked: what if I confessed to her lies? What if exposing the monster he believed me to be was the only way to reveal the true monster lurking in the shadows?

I was heavily pregnant, carefully driving home, my husband David's forgotten paperwork beside me. Then, screeching tires, a violent crunch, and smoke billowing from my mangled car. Trapped and panicking after the wreck, I called my firefighter husband, David, expecting him to save me. Instead, he was preoccupied with his old flame, Chloe, dismissing my dire emergency for her child's "minor asthma attack." He hung up. My pleas and my terrifying situation were ignored as he played hero for someone else. His callous neglect led to the unspeakable: I lost our baby. Even worse, he gaslit me, claiming I was "dramatic" or "jealous." He was in the same hospital, with Chloe, while I was miscarrying. Later, I discovered he’d been living with Chloe for days, lying about his shifts. How could the man I loved betray me so completely, choosing a fabricated crisis over my life and our child's? Broken but resolute, I left David, beginning a grueling journey of healing and rebirth away from his toxic lies. But the truth about Chloe's manipulative game, and David’s blind devotion, was about to resurface. This is the story of how one woman rebuilt her life from ashes, while the man who abandoned her faced the devastating collapse of his own.

Six months pregnant, my heart swelled with love and dreams for the future. Jack, the ambitious game developer, was my world, and our baby, a girl, was going to complete our picture-perfect life. I poured everything into supporting him, my art echoing the passion in his studio plans. But then a phone call changed everything. Sophia, a ghost from Jack’s past, painted a venomous lie on the tiny phone screen, accusing me of sabotaging her stream, fueled by 'jealousy'. Jack, my Jack, turned on me instantly, his eyes colder than the Chicago wind outside our window. ‘This is your fault, Emily,’ he hissed, his voice a stranger’s. He advanced, seizing my arm, his grip bruising despite my swollen belly. Dragged to the musty spare room, I saw the old steamer trunk, a dark, heavy relic. ‘You’re going to feel what she felt,’ he snarled, forcing me inside. I pleaded for our baby, for our love, as he folded my limbs into the impossibly small space. The lid slammed down, and the metallic click of a padlock sealed my fate, extinguishing light and air. I died there, suffocating, my last thought of our child, our innocent daughter. He didn’t come back, even as my body decomposed within inches of his everyday life. Instead, Sophia moved in, wearing my robes, rearranging my life, celebrating her triumph on our sofa. My existence, erased; my memory, maliciously rewritten. How could the man I built a life with, the man who put a ring on my finger, leave me to rot, just a few feet from where he slept? But death was not an end, merely a new beginning for my silent wrath. My spirit lingered, an unseen tormentor in the home where I died. I would whisper in his dreams, shatter his carefully constructed lies, and guide new eyes to the darkness he hid. Jack and Sophia thought they could bury me, but they would soon discover that some truths refuse to stay buried. Justice would come, even if I had to orchestrate it from the other side.

Erin had been engaged to Jacob since childhood. The two grew up together. No one knew him better than her. However, he cheated on her with her half-sister and even dumped her on their wedding day. Because of the scar on her face, she lost everything. After making up her mind, she left away and rose like a phoenix from the ashes. Coming back as the nemesis, she turned the tables and won back what belonged to her. As for the ones who betrayed her, she would let them pay for the price they deserved.

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Aurora woke up to the sterile chill of her king-sized bed in Sterling Thorne's penthouse. Today was the day her husband would finally throw her out like garbage. Sterling walked in, tossed divorce papers at her, and demanded her signature, eager to announce his "eligible bachelor" status to the world. In her past life, the sight of those papers had broken her, leaving her begging for a second chance. Sterling's sneering voice, calling her a "trailer park girl" undeserving of his name, had once cut deeper than any blade. He had always used her humble beginnings to keep her small, to make her grateful for the crumbs of his attention. She had lived a gilded cage, believing she was nothing without him, until her life flatlined in a hospital bed, watching him give a press conference about his "grief." But this time, she felt no sting, no tears. Only a cold, clear understanding of the mediocre man who stood on a pedestal she had painstakingly built with her own genius. Aurora signed the papers, her name a declaration of independence. She grabbed her old, phoenix-stickered laptop, ready to walk out. Sterling Thorne was about to find out exactly how expensive "free" could be.

Vesper's marriage to Julian Sterling was a gilded cage. One morning, she woke naked beside Damon Sterling, Julian's terrifying brother, then found a text: Julian's mistress was pregnant. Her world shattered, but the real nightmare had just begun. Julian's abuse escalated, gaslighting Vesper, funding his secret life. Damon, a germaphobic billionaire, became her unsettling anchor amidst his chaos. As "Iris," Vesper exposed Julian's mistress, Serena Sharp, sparking brutal war: poisoned drinks, a broken leg, and the horrifying truth-Julian murdered her parents, trapping Vesper in marriage. The man she married was a killer. Broken and betrayed, Vesper was caught between monstrous brothers, burning with injustice. Refusing victimhood, Vesper reclaimed her identity. Fueled by vengeance, she allied with Damon, who vowed to burn his empire for her. Julian faced justice, but matriarch Eleanor's counterattack forced Vesper's choice as a hitman aimed for her.

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

Serena Vance, an unloved wife, clutched a custom-made red velvet cake to her chest, enduring the cold rain outside an exclusive Upper East Side club. She hoped this small gesture for her husband, Julian, would bridge the growing chasm between them on their third anniversary. But as she neared the VIP suite, her world shattered. Julian's cold, detached voice sliced through the laughter, revealing he considered her nothing more than a "signature on a piece of paper" for a trust fund, mocking her changed appearance and respecting only another woman, Elena. The indifference in his tone was a physical blow, a brutal severance, not heartbreak. She gently placed the forgotten cake on the floor, leaving her wedding ring and a diamond necklace as she prepared to abandon a marriage built on lies. Her old life, once a prison of quiet suffering and constant humiliation, now lay in ruins around her. Three years of trying to be seen, to be loved, were erased by a few cruel words. Why had she clung to a man who saw her as a clause in a will, a "creature," not a wife? The shame and rage hardened her heart, freezing her tears. Returning to an empty penthouse, she packed a single battered suitcase, leaving behind every symbol of her failed marriage. With a burner phone, she dialed a number she hadn't touched in a decade, whispering, "Godfather, I'm ready to come home."

The roasted lamb was cold, a reflection of her marriage. On their third anniversary, Evelyn Vance waited alone in her Manhattan penthouse. Then her phone buzzed: Alexander, her husband, had been spotted leaving the hospital, holding his childhood sweetheart Scarlett Sharp's hand. Alexander arrived hours later, dismissing Evelyn's quiet complaint with a cold reminder: she was Mrs. Vance, not a victim. Her mother's demands reinforced this role, making Evelyn, a brilliant mind, feel like a ghost. A dangerous indifference replaced betrayal. The debt was paid; now, it was her turn. She drafted a divorce settlement, waiving everything. As Alexander's tender voice drifted from his study, speaking to Scarlett, Evelyn placed her wedding ring on his pillow, moved to the guest suite, and locked the door. The dull wife was gone; the Oracle was back.

My wealthy husband, Nathaniel, stormed in, demanding a divorce to be with his "dying" first love, Julia. He expected tears, pleas, even hysteria. Instead, I calmly reached for a pen, ready to sign away our life for a fortune. For two years, I played the devoted wife in our sterile penthouse. That night, Nathaniel shattered the facade, tossing divorce papers. "Julia's back," he stated, "she needs me." He expected me to crumble. But my calm "Okay" shocked him. I coolly demanded his penthouse, shares, and a doubled stipend, letting him believe I was a greedy gold digger. He watched, disgusted, convinced I was a monster. He couldn't fathom my indifference or ruthless demands. He saw avarice, not a carefully constructed facade. His betrayal had awakened something far more dangerous. The second the door closed, the dutiful wife vanished. I retrieved a burner phone and a Glock, ready to expose the elaborate lie he and Julia had built.

Her sister is marrying her ex. So she brings her best friend as her fake fiancé. What could possibly go wrong? Savannah Hart thought she was over Dean Archer-until her sister, Chloe announces she's marrying him. The same man Savannah never stopped loving. The man who left her heartbroken... and now belongs to her sister. A weeklong wedding in New Hope. One mansion full of guests. And a very bitter maid of honor. To survive it, Savannah brings a date-her charming, clean-cut best friend, Roman Blackwood. The one man who's always had her back. He owes her a favor, and pretending to be her fiancé? Easy. Until fake kisses start to feel real. Now Savannah's torn between keeping up the act... or risking everything for the one man she was never supposed to fall for.

The acrid smell of smoke still clung to Evelyn in the ambulance, her lungs raw from the penthouse fire. She was alive, but the world around her felt utterly destroyed, a feeling deepened by the small TV flickering to life. On it, her husband, Julian Vance, thousands of miles away, publicly comforted his mistress, Serena Holloway, shielding her from paparazzi after *her* "panic attack." Julian's phone went straight to voicemail. Alone in the hospital with second-degree burns, Evelyn watched news replays, her heart rate spiking. He protected Serena from camera flashes while Evelyn burned. When he finally called, he demanded she handle insurance, dismissing the fire; Serena's voice faintly heard. The shallow family ties and pretense of marriage evaporated. A searing injustice and cold anger replaced pain; Evelyn knew Julian had chosen to let her burn. "Evelyn Vance died in that fire," she declared, ripping out her IV. Armed with a secret fortune as "The Architect," Hollywood's top ghostwriter, she walked out. She would divorce Julian, reclaim her name, and finally step into the spotlight as an actress.

My husband Julian celebrated our five-year anniversary by sleeping with his mistress. He thought I was a clueless trophy wife, too dim to notice the vanilla and tuberose scent on his expensive suits. He was wrong. For years, I played Mrs. Vance, hiding my brilliance while Julian claimed my patents. An anonymous email confirmed his ultimate betrayal: photos of him and Scarlett Kensington in ecstasy. My heart didn't break; it solidified into ice at five years wasted. I activated "The Protocol" for a new identity and escape countdown. Playing the doting wife, I plotted his downfall, catching him with his mistress selling my work, and publicly snapping his credit card. His betrayals and stolen work ignited a cold, calculated fury. He had no idea the monster he'd created. I was dismantling his empire. I shredded his patent papers, stripping him of his ill-gotten gains. With a final tap, I initiated "Identity Erasure." Mrs. Vance was dead. Dr. Evelyn Thorne had just begun her counterattack.