Chapter 1His First Love Faked Her Death, So I Faked Mine And Ran Away

After catching my husband cheating with a financially struggling student, I live-streamed the affair and filed for divorce on the spot.

Julian Carter dropped to his knees, stabbed himself through the abdomen with a knife, and begged for my forgiveness.

"I'll never betray you again. Please, give me one more chance."

I touched the swell of my belly, where new life grew, and my heart softened. I said yes.

But on our wedding night, he erased every trace of my identity and forced me to become the lowliest servant in the Carter household.

"Chloe jumped to her death because of you. You'll spend the rest of your life atoning for her!"

After six months of torture, I lost the will to live. Desperate, I climbed to the roof to jump.

Yet halfway up, I glimpsed two entangled figures through a window.

Julian Carter was holding the woman who was supposed to be dead, locked in a passionate embrace.

"Darling, I've been 'dead' for half a year. I'm tired of playing games."

"Good. Tomorrow, I'll restore your status and make you my wife."

I clenched my fists.

I'm done playing along with this charade.

* * *

As I dragged myself up to the second floor of the massive five story villa, I suddenly saw two figures entangled in the glass conservatory.

"When are we finally going to tell her the truth? I am so sick of being your secret little mistress."

"Be patient, baby. We can do it whenever you want."

The man responded with raw passion. The sight of his back swaying back and forth made my heart physically ache.

Suddenly, my cloudy, chaotic brain cleared up. Memories I had lost came flooding back.

I am not the maid of the Carter family.

I am Julian Carter's partner of six years. I am his legally wedded wife.

Our happy days lasted right up until the afternoon I caught him in bed with another woman.

For months, our lives devolved into total chaos. We fought, we screamed, and we tore each other apart.

Until the day Chloe threw herself off a building and died. That was when Julian completely lost his mind.

He put on a brilliant performance, playing the deeply remorseful husband, begging me on his knees to remarry him. But on the very night we signed the papers, he erased every trace of my identity and locked me in the basement of his villa.

"From now on, you are the lowest piece of trash in the Carter household. I am going to make you pay for her life with your blood!"

He ignored my desperate pleas and forced a memory altering drug down my throat.

For the last six months, I genuinely believed I was a worthless slave working to pay off a massive, unforgivable debt. I lived in absolute misery.

I bit my lip so hard the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.

"What the hell are you doing standing around? Go prepare dinner right now!"

The head maid glared at me, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and violently dragged me down the stairs.

In this house, my status was lower than the dirt on their shoes.

"Tonight we have flown in fresh sweet shrimp for Madam," I said, bowing deeply, keeping my head completely lowered.

Chloe, covered in fresh hickeys, lazily opened her eyes.

"Why aren't you serving me on your knees today?"

My blood ran cold. For the last six months, every single day, I had to carry their plates from the kitchen and crawl on my knees to serve them.

"I am sorry. I forgot."

I had no way to contact the outside world. I had to swallow my raging fury and force myself to drop to my knees at her feet.

With a sharp crash, the porcelain plate shattered right next to my ear.

Chloe kicked me hard, sending me sprawling directly into the jagged shards.

"You have zero manners. Beg for forgiveness!"

I twitched in pain.

"I am... I am so..."

Now that my memory was back, the words physically refused to leave my throat.

"Why is she acting up tonight?"

Julian gave me a suspicious, razor sharp look. His dark eyes scanned me, trying to see right through my pathetic facade.

"Up her dosage before bed."

"Understood, sir."

The newly hired butler bowed respectfully.

With my skin bleeding from the broken porcelain, I served them their meal while they ate in absolute luxury.

"Analyze all of these and give me the breakdown."

Julian tossed a thick stack of corporate contracts onto the floor in front of me.

"Just like before. You are only allowed to analyze them. Do not memorize anything."

I nodded submissively, but my stomach churned with violent disgust.

Even though he hated me this much, he still needed to use my brain to run his empire.

I flipped through the pages, frantically memorizing every single clause, loophole, and project detail.

When Julian first married me, it was precisely because of my intellect.

"I love a partner who can fight alongside me. I love your fire and your brilliance."

He used to be completely obsessed with me. Our wedding was so extravagant it felt like he was announcing his love to the entire planet.

"Are we hosting the lawn wedding here tomorrow night? If you need anything, just tell Stella to get it ready."

Chloe snuggled deeper into Julian's chest. A cheesy romantic drama played on the massive TV.

"Yeah! I want to wear her custom wedding dress, and I want her diamond ring!"

"You have to transfer this villa to my name, and the lawn decorations have to be top tier!"

"Of course, baby. Everything is yours now."

My pen stopped moving. I had heard those exact same promises a million times before.

For years after our wedding, we were insanely in love. I thought I had secured a lifetime of romance and partnership.

Until he dragged my dignity through the mud for a broke college student.

"I sponsored your education for seven years. I saved you from human traffickers. And this is how you repay me?"

I had screamed at them, staring at the two bodies still tangled together in my marital bed, feeling like I was dying.

"Do not you dare touch her! If you make a scene, get the hell out of my house!"