Xin Zhi

I made my husband, Damian, the youngest Chief of Surgery in the country. I built his career from scratch, defying my own family to marry him. Then, he asked me to give our au pair a six-figure salary and a company car. He called me a cold-hearted bitch when I refused, claiming she was a poor single mother of five. But I saw her wearing my missing diamond bracelet and carrying a Chanel bag worth more than my car. He flaunted their affair at a professional conference, calling me a "worthless capitalist princess" while she played the victim. For years, I'd spent a fortune trying to cure his infertility. It was our secret pain. Now, he was using it to justify his affair with a "hyper-fertile" woman he claimed could give him the sons I couldn't. As he stood on stage for his keynote speech, ready to accept an award, I walked past him to the podium. I had my own presentation to share with the live-streamed global audience-a slideshow of their eight-year affair, complete with hotel receipts and bank transfers.

My mother was dying, her last wish to see the man I'd secretly married three years ago. But as I frantically called his phone, which went straight to voicemail, he was busy marrying my childhood rival in a lavish ceremony right outside the hospital. He publicly denied knowing me, his wife of three years, the secret benefactor who built his entire tech empire from the ground up. To humiliate me further, he allowed his new bride to broadcast a video of my deepest, most private trauma to all their wedding guests, dismissing my pain as "gossip." My mother died heartbroken from his betrayal. But they made a fatal mistake. They thought I was just a poor, pathetic wife they could discard. They didn't know I was the anonymous, globally feared tech mogul they'd been trying to impress all along. And I just gave my second-in-command a single order: "Burn it all down."

The funeral director droned on about casket options, but Ethan Miller' s gaze was fixed on a TV screen showing Olivia Hayes, his Olivia, preparing for a lavish wedding. Just this morning, he' d been released from a clinical trial, given weeks to live-his body failing from experimental drugs. He was planning his own funeral, while she was planning her perfect life with another man, Daniel Stone. Three years ago, he' d shattered their world, staging a cruel breakup with a hired actress, making Olivia believe he was a gold-digger who never loved her. He watched her drop his engagement ring into a glass of wine, her eyes burning with hate. It had to be this way; he had to destroy their love to save her life, to force her to accept an organ transplant. Now, broke and dying, he tried to sell a painting of her, a last desperate act to repay kindness, but instead, he was humiliated by Olivia and Daniel, accused of being a thief, and left bleeding on the lobby floor. He was the villain in her story, despised for a secret sacrifice no one knew. Olivia dragged him to her mansion, forcing him into a claustrophobic shed, taunting him, and making him toil as a servant at her engagement party. He served champagne at the celebration of the life he' d given up for her, enduring the ultimate torture. When she confronted him, he delivered the final blow, denying any love, cutting her completely free. He sealed his fate, his death, making it his last gift to her. But a car crash swiftly brought Olivia to the brink of death once more, her transplanted kidney failing. With agonizing clarity, Ethan knew the horrifying truth: he was her perfect match, the ultimate price for the survival he' d signed away. He raced to the hospital, his dying body fueled by a desperate surge of adrenaline. "Use me," he rasped, his voice steady. He whispered his desperate confession into her ear on the gurney beside her, a truth she might never wake to hear. Olivia woke to whispers of an anonymous donor, Daniel' s lies, and a persistent unease. The puzzle pieces clicked into place: his feigned cruelty, the shed, the rain, and his final whispered words. Ethan wasn' t a monster; he was a martyr, and he had sacrificed everything for her. Fueled by grief and rage, Olivia exposed the corrupt pharmaceutical CEO who orchestrated Ethan' s fate. But the victory was hollow; it wouldn't bring Ethan back. She stood at their dream cottage, the deed in her hand, the truth a crushing weight. "My death. Now we' re even." His words, echoing in her mind, ignited a stark realization. With tears streaming, she made her final choice: to join him, completing their tragic love story on her own terms.

My wife, Sarah, started acting strange about a week ago. She was walking on eggshells, her smile never quite reaching her eyes. Then came dinner, where she sprung it on me: "I was looking online and found a great clinic that does comprehensive health check-ups. They have a couples' package." It sounded reasonable, but the forced casualness in her voice made my stomach tighten. We were both in perfect health. I looked at her, really looked at her, and saw not concern, but a desperate, calculating fear. "Sarah, what' s this really about?" I asked, and the pretense of a normal dinner shattered. She confessed, not with words, but with a flinch: this was about Mark, her childhood sweetheart, who was dying and needed a kidney. The "comprehensive health check-up" was a screening – for me. "He' s not my ex-boyfriend!" she cried. "He' s my friend! And I' m just asking you to get tested. That' s all. It' s just a blood test. It' s not a big deal." Not a big deal? My body, my organ, reduced to a spare part. Then came the ultimate bargaining chip: "If you' re a match… and if you decide to do it… I' ll do anything. We can finally start our family. We can have a baby, just like you' ve always wanted." The baby I wanted so desperately was now a reward for donating my kidney to the man she truly loved. In that moment, I saw her with soul-crushing clarity. Her priority wasn' t me. It was him. My parents, her unwitting accomplices, had already been brought in. My mother, trembling, begged me to go. My father simply said, "Son, listen to your wife." I was trapped, but I refused to be just a means to an end. When I signed that non-disclosure agreement, forced by threats against my aging father, I was bleeding, desperate, and completely broken. But when I saw Sarah and Mark, pregnant, together in the hospital hallway, something cold and clear ignited within me. They thought they had won. They thought I was broken and silent. They were wrong.

My whole life, I believed in a quiet promise: that the boy my parents took in, Daniel, the brother I never had, would one day be my husband. I spent years capturing his every moment through my camera lens, building a portfolio that was less art and more a diary of a love I thought was undeniably mutual. That belief shattered the moment he walked in with Sarah, a woman who radiated polished beauty that instantly made me feel clumsy and plain. "Ellie, meet Sarah," he beamed, a joy I'd never seen directed at me, "my fiancée. Your future sister-in-law." Sister-in-law. The word seared into me, branding a permanent boundary on the future I'd painstakingly built brick by brick. He was my protector, yes, but I realized too late he was protecting a sister, not a future wife. The ice spread through my veins, but the worst was yet to come. Sarah, sweet as syrup, accused me of assault, even tearing our childhood photo, a treasured irreplaceable, right in front of Daniel. He didn't hesitate; he chose her, his face a mask of cold disappointment as he told me, "Maybe this shouldn't be your home." My world fractured, yet in the wreckage, a chilling clarity emerged: I wouldn't fight for a love that didn't see me, or a home that no longer welcomed me. I would leave, taking my photography and my broken heart to Europe, to build a future that was entirely my own, a life without him.

For ten years, I poured my life, my youth, and every cent into building a tech empire with Alex. My desk, once beside his in the CEO' s office, was now a cramped corner, and my new job? Fetching coffee for his pregnant fiancée, Emily, who' d been with the company barely six months. Then came the brutal blow: Alex announced their engagement, glowing beside Emily, never once meeting my eyes. The next day, I was demoted to "Executive Assistant." My core designs for our decade-long project were presented to the board, but I wasn' t invited. Emily emerged, feigning sympathy, telling me Alex found my work "amateurish" and that the project had "evolved under her direction." That night, I quit, taking my secret AI chip blueprints with me, the ones Alex knew nothing about. He scoffed, "She\'s nothing without me. She\'ll be back begging in a week." He had no idea what was coming. Weeks later, at the annual tech gala, Alex cornered me, demanding the blueprints, accusing me of theft. Emily, ever the victim, tried to orchestrate a severe allergic reaction to humiliate me, but in a twist of fate, she triggered it on herself. As chaos erupted, security stormed in, targeting Alex' s company, and a chandelier crashed. Alex, with Emily in tow, fled, leaving me for dead. Injured and abandoned, I limped out, but Alex reappeared, cradling Emily, his eyes alight with murderous rage. He ordered his men to strip me in front of hundreds, exposing every scar from the battles I' d fought for him. As Emily feigned a worsening condition, he ordered my rare blood type to be forcibly harvested, seeing me not as a person, but a walking blood bag. I blacked out, believing he'd finally succeeded in destroying me. But the real story was just beginning. I woke up, not broken, but reborn, ready to claim a future where Alex was nothing but a painful, distant memory.

On our tenth wedding anniversary, I believed I would finally become a true wife to Pastor Caleb Hughes, the man I dedicated my life and my "Voice of an Angel" to. But as I approached his study door, I heard voices that shattered my world. His mistress, Maria, demanded my voice for her unborn child, and Caleb agreed to steal it through a "medical procedure" after a staged accident. My blood ran cold, realizing my decade-long marriage, my faith, my entire life, was a calculated lie to steal my sacred gift. The next morning, humiliation became physical torment as Caleb paraded Maria as the "First Lady," giving her my mother's heirloom locket and watching impassively as my voice, my very essence, was brutally taken. My loyal friend, Debra, rushed to help, only to be thrown against the marble stairs by Caleb' s guards, dying for trying to save me. What monster plots such a betrayal, then callously lets my only friend die for it? In my desperation, I signed divorce papers in my own blood and leaped from the bell tower, seeking an end to the unbearable pain. But I didn't die; instead, I woke in a hidden convent, discovering my "angel voice" was actually a birthright, a divine power to heal and to judge. Now, as the Matriarch of the ancient Cantors, I will return to claim justice and unleash my reborn voice upon those who stole everything from me.

My family has a secret, a curse: our condemnations come true. To protect everyone, I chose silence, living as a janitor, assumed to be mute. My wife, Nicole, a ruthless pharmaceutical heiress, married me only because her superstitious grandfather believed a "silent man" would protect their fortune. I accepted my humiliating role for my devout mother, who just wanted to see me settled. Then, my mother, trying to help a pregnant Nicole, baked her a pecan pie-a seemingly innocent act. But Matthew, a family protégé now Nicole' s lover, intercepted the pie, knowing he had a deadly nut allergy. I tried to warn him, but my silent throat failed me as he took a bite, then collapsed in agonizing anaphylaxis. Nicole screamed, pointing a trembling, accusatory finger at my mother, who stood frozen with terror. The next day, Nicole ordered my frail mother taken to a state nursing home with a dark reputation, dismissing my desperate plea as an accident. When I confronted Nicole at Matthew' s hospital bedside, she scoffed, revealed my life was a charade based on a fortune teller's whim, and had her bodyguards brutally beat me. As I lay broken, years of silence shattered, and a raw condemnation tore from my throat: "May you lose what you love most and live a life of bitter loneliness." This curse, a power I had tried to bury, was now loose, and it was only the beginning of their downfall.

My husband, Andrew, told me he was dying from an inoperable brain tumor, then drove his car off a pier, a grand gesture to spare me, his unassuming librarian wife, from a long, painful goodbye. In my first life, I believed him. I jumped into the freezing bay, screaming my secret – I' d just won ten million dollars in the Powerball, enough to save him. But his eyes met mine in the dark water, cold and calculating, utterly devoid of hope. He didn't swim to the surface; he swam to me, his charming smile replaced by a grimace of pure greed. He held my head under the water, stealing my life and my fortune as my lungs burned. Then, I woke up. I was back on the pier, the screech of tires echoing, Andrew' s car once again sailing into the bay. It was happening again, but this time, I knew. My love for him had drowned, replaced by a cold, hard resolve. He wasn't taking anything from me ever again. This time, I was the one in control, and I started to scream, not from grief, but from a white-hot rage ready to burn down everything they had built.

Ethan Miller, a meticulously dedicated executive assistant, harbored a quiet, consuming love for his brilliant, cold CEO, Seraphina Croft, for a decade, meticulously executing their long-standing, seemingly playful pact: he would propose 99 times, and on the monumental 100th attempt, she promised to finally say yes. On the highly anticipated 100th proposal day, standing hopeful and alone on the iconic steps of the New York Public Library, Ethan didn't receive a message from Seraphina; instead, his phone exploded with viral images showing her radiant and passionately kissing her trendy fitness influencer boyfriend, Chase Dubois, at a Silicon Valley gala. Left utterly humiliated and publicly scorned, Ethan became an overnight internet sensation, dubbed "The Library Groom," a pitiful figure against the grand facade as speculation, pity, and cruel mockery flooded online forums about the woman who had so callously stood him up. His heart, which had swelled with unwavering hope through countless rejections, now reeled from the brutal reality: was his decade of silent devotion and tireless support nothing more than a convenient tool for her public image, a disposable accessory to her soaring career? As a violent thunderstorm mirrored the turmoil within, and Seraphina then casually suggested a "101st proposal" purely to fix her tarnished PR, Ethan, finally seeing her true manipulative nature, made a decisive, life-altering choice: he severed all ties, resigned from AuraCorp, and vanished into the pouring rain, determined to build a new life from the ashes of his shattered love.

Seven years ago, I secretly gave Michael, my then-boyfriend, a life-saving kidney. I faked a cruel betrayal, vanishing to manage my deteriorating health and mounting medical debt, ensuring his future. Now, I watch him, a celebrated CEO, accept an award on TV. My old phone buzzes. It's him. "Seven years," he says, "you chose money over me. Any regrets?" My bitter laugh is my only reply, as I clutch my $2000 overdue dialysis bill. Weeks later, we collide at a clinic. He's vibrant, with a new fiancée, Jessica. I, frail and scarred, try to ask for a loan. His fiancée, Jessica, stages a fall, scattering my medical reports at his feet. He reads my kidney failure reports, sneering, convinced I'm faking for cash. At a gala, he forces me to chug a bottle of whiskey for thirty grand. I comply, knowing it's poison. I collapse, vomiting blood, the room erupting. Everyone sees the greedy ex getting her comeuppance. The internet savages me, labeling me a gold-digger. Yet, the vitality in his stride – that was my sacrifice. The man I saved now believes I’m faking illness, mocking my pain. As I lay dying, my best friend finally cracks, screaming the truth: "She gave you her kidney, you bastard! That anonymous donor? That was Emily!" His face, once sneering, turned to horror. But would this revelation be enough to save me, or would his ultimate atonement demand an even greater sacrifice?

Ethan, the heir of the Firman Family, was forced to marry Sophia, no matter how rich and powerful he was. What made things worse was that his newly-married wife was no other than the one his sworn enemy loved. Their affection was as transient as a flash of an eye. His gentleness was replaced by cruelty, which pushed her down into the abyss of despair. It was hard to tell right from wrong in the battle of love. However, winner takes all. Being involved in this competition, she had no idea whether she was the one they truly loved or just a pawn that they used to restrict each other.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Vivian clutched her Hermès bag, her doctor's words echoing: "Extremely high-risk pregnancy." She hoped the baby would save her cold marriage, but Julian wasn't in London as his schedule claimed. Instead, a paparazzi photo revealed his early return-with a blonde woman, not his wife, at the private airport exit. The next morning, Julian served divorce papers, callously ending their "duty" marriage for his ex, Serena. A horrifying contract clause gave him the right to terminate her pregnancy or seize their child. Humiliated, demoted, and forced to fake an ulcer, Vivian watched him parade his affair, openly discarding her while celebrating Serena. This was a calculated erasure, not heartbreak. He cared only for his image, confirming he would "handle" the baby himself. A primal rage ignited her. "Just us," she whispered to her stomach, vowing to sign the divorce on her terms, keep her secret safe, and walk away from Sterling Corp for good, ready to protect her child alone.

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."

Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins-a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."

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.