Ad copy

"She was the unloved fake heiress. After discovering her husband's affair, he kicked her out publicly. Just when everyone was waiting for her to be a joke, three big shots appeared— Her brother, the richest man, froze her husband's assets, Her first love, a mafia boss, arrived with his men and sealed the gates. Her uncle, a hacker, cut all the surveillance. Everyone was shocked. And her husband? He fainted from fear!" Chapter 1 A Wedding for the Woman He Loved "Lily, you must marry that comatose man James in place of my daughter. This is what you owe the Ginger family! You—" "I will." Lily’s reply made her foster mother gasp in disbelief. “What did you say?” Lily could understand her shock. After all, in this massive capital city, who didn’t know how madly she was in love with John Jones? She’d loved him so much she’d given up her future, her dignity—everything. She had refused her foster mother many times before, all because of John. Her foster mother clearly hadn’t expected her to actually agree this time—to marry a total stranger who lay in a vegetative state. Calm and numb, Lily repeated, “I’ll do it.” Once it was clear Lily was serious, her foster mother let out a breath of relief before snapping at her again. “One month from now, the Luke family will register your marriage with their eldest son. They have decided on that day, and it's final. Someone will come to pick you up for the wedding that day. I’ve already accepted the bride price from the Luke family. It’s what you owe the Ginger family, and I’m not giving it back. If you dare go back on your word or stir up trouble, I will...” “I won’t,” Lily cut her off coldly. “The Luke family is rich. I trust the bride price was generous. You took me in from the orphanage and raised me for sixteen years. Now I’ll take your daughter’s place and marry into the Luke family. That settles my debt to you and the Ginger family. From now on, we owe each other nothing.” With that, she hung up. Sitting quietly at the dining table, Lily couldn’t help but reopen the news article she’d just seen. It was everywhere—videos of John and Elsa Quinn’s wedding flooded the internet, dominating the trending charts. In the video, he and Elsa stood hand in hand, surrounded by their friends, vowing to spend their lives together. The entire internet was offering their blessings, rejoicing that the two had reunited and wishing them a lifetime of happiness. Everyone except Lily. Because John was her boyfriend—the man she had loved with all her heart. Four years ago, he’d been paralyzed in a car accident. The cold-hearted Jones family had abandoned him, and Elsa had gone abroad and married someone else. Back when Lily was being bullied, he was the one who had pulled her out of it. She had loved him in secret for so long. On that freezing, snowy night when he had tried to end it all, she brought him home. She did everything she could to take care of him, to lift him out of the darkness one step at a time. She’d heard about a hospital overseas that could help him walk again. To raise the money, she sold her blood, became a punching bag for rich people, ending up with three broken ribs… She suffered endlessly, but finally, two years ago, she scraped together enough for the surgery. It was a success. He could walk again. He kissed her and promised he would treat her well for the rest of his life, that he would never let her down. She had believed that everything they’d been through was finally behind them, and from then on, it would all be smooth sailing. She never expected things to fall apart the moment Elsa came back. Word had it Elsa was gravely ill and only had six months to live. Her last wish was to marry John. He couldn’t bear to see the woman he once loved suffer, so the wedding Lily had spent six painstaking months preparing became Elsa’s. The wedding dress Lily had sewn with her own hands—Elsa wore it. The diamond ring John had custom-ordered for her—Elsa wore it on her left ring finger. Through blurred vision, Lily saw a pendant around Elsa’s neck. She recognized it instantly. It was the keepsake her parents had left her. She had lost it while trying to save John. He had once told her he found it and would give it to her on her birthday. But now, just because Elsa had said she liked it… he gave it to her instead. Suddenly, Lily realized there was no point in loving someone like John. She didn’t call him. Didn’t beg him to come back. She simply lit the candle on her birthday cake and stared blankly as it slowly burned down. The whipped cream cake melted into a mess—just like her love for John, which had burned to ash overnight, leaving not a trace of warmth. It was nearly dawn when John finally came home. When he saw her sitting at the dining table with red eyes, clearly having stayed up all night, his brows furrowed tightly. “Why haven’t you gone to bed?” Lily ignored his question and said calmly, “John, let’s break up. And tell Elsa to return my parents’ keepsake as soon as possible.” John immediately understood—she must’ve seen the news about his wedding with Elsa and was feeling jealous. He didn’t like it when women got jealous over nothing, but he had never once thought of leaving her. So he softened his voice. “Don’t be mad. I didn’t forget your birthday. This is your gift.” He opened a sleek burgundy velvet jewelry box in front of her. Inside lay a pink diamond necklace. The exquisite gem shimmered under the light. The centerpiece—a pink diamond the size of a pigeon’s egg—sparkled brilliantly. It was far more expensive than the pendant her parents had left her. But it wasn’t what she wanted. Just like how she no longer wanted him. John knew better than anyone how deeply Lily loved him, how she couldn’t live without him. When she stayed quiet, he thought it meant she was done throwing a fit. He reached for the necklace, intending to put it on her. “I don’t want this necklace! I just want my parents’ keepsake!” Lily slapped the necklace away and said stubbornly, “That pendant was left to me by my parents. How could you give it to Elsa? I only want that pendant!” Still throwing a tantrum... John’s patience snapped. His chiseled face turned cold and hard, like it had been carved from ice, filled with a sharp, suffocating pressure. “Elsa really likes that pendant.” “She’s so sick—how much longer do you think she’ll even get to wear it? Why must you fight over something with someone who's already dying? Lily, when did you become so selfish and heartless?” Chapter 2 She Bloomed Like a Rose and Entangled Him Without Mercy Selfish. Cold-blooded. Fighting a dying woman over a pendant… But that pendant was hers—left to her by her parents. What was so wrong about wanting it back? Did he really expect her to keep sacrificing everything for him after being betrayed so completely? Was she supposed to grovel after being humiliated like that? She wasn’t that pathetic. Before she could even say a word, John’s phone rang shrilly. It was a call from Elsa. Her voice was weak and pained. “John, I just threw up blood. I feel awful… Can you come be with me?” John paused. He hadn’t even managed to calm Lily down yet. But he figured Lily would never really leave him, and Elsa was already seriously ill. So he made his decision. “Elsa, don’t cry. I’m on my way.” Hearing her choked sobs, he didn’t bother explaining to Lily anymore. He turned around and left the room without looking back. As the front door slammed shut, Lily let out a cold laugh and kicked the diamond necklace into a corner. It had been like this ever since Elsa came back a month ago. Every time Elsa felt a little uncomfortable or upset, he would drop everything to run to her. Rain or shine, day or night—he was always there for her. It was like all those sweet whispers he’d once murmured to Lily, all those promises of eternal love, had been nothing but a dream. But luckily, it was all about to end. In one month, she’d marry James. Then John could stop worrying about her clinging to him, and go be happy with his precious crush. What a perfect outcome. Funny thing was—her wedding day would be on John’s birthday. His birthday, her wedding. Two celebrations on the same day. Poetic, really. As far as Lily was concerned, once she broke up with John, he was no longer her boyfriend. She had no reason to stay in his villa. And it just so happened to be a Sunday. She spent the whole day packing everything she owned. She sold what she could, tossed the rest. She’d contacted the biggest luxury resale company in Capital City. The staff came straight to her door, and her used bags and jewelry sold for a total of twenty million. She didn’t transfer a cent to John. She kept it all. She earned that money. It was hers. As night fell, Lily shredded the last tie she’d ever made for John, threw it away, and returned to her room. She was just about to leave with her suitcase when she noticed the photo on her nightstand. In the picture, she leaned against John’s shoulder, smiling brightly. He was gazing down at her with what looked like affection. John had always hated taking photos. This one was taken on her birthday last year, after she begged and pestered him nonstop. It was the only photo they had together. She had treasured it like gold. As soon as it was printed, she placed it on her nightstand and looked at it every single day. Even on business trips, she would take it with her. Now, all she felt was mockery. She smashed the frame against the floor and tossed it in the trash. … By the time John came home, it was late at night. He parked in front of the main house and immediately noticed the living room was dark. The sight made him vaguely uncomfortable. He often came home late from social events. But no matter how late it was, Lily would always leave the lights on for him. That single light in the night had always guided him home. So before Elsa returned, he had never once stayed out all night. He figured Lily was still sulking. Knowing her, she was probably curled up on the couch waiting for him to coax her. “Lily.” He snapped out of his thoughts and walked quickly into the living room, flipping on the lights. To his surprise, she wasn’t there. She wasn’t dozing on the couch like usual, struggling to keep her eyes open after waiting so long, ready to stumble into the kitchen and make some ginger tea for him. The living room felt… emptier. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was missing, but it felt cold. “Sir, you’re back.” Hearing him, Mandy rushed out of her room. “Did you drink, sir? I’ll make you some ginger tea.” “No need.” John wasn’t in the mood. He rushed upstairs and headed straight to Lily’s room. She wasn’t there. The room itself was empty. The potted plants by the windowsill were gone. Even her pillows and bedding had vanished. The space used to be so cozy—plush toys, crystal bead curtains, whimsical wall stickers… Now, it was nothing but cold black and white. The sterile atmosphere irritated him. He turned around and asked Mandy in a chilling voice, “Where’s Lily?” His presence was so cold, it made Mandy shiver. She drew in a deep breath before answering honestly, “Miss Lily said… she broke up with you. And that she’s not coming back.” John was stunned into laughter by the nonsense Lily had left behind. So she was still throwing a tantrum? Running away from home? She really thought she had guts now, huh? “Mandy, leave.” Once she was gone, John dialed his assistant Wayne, face still cold, and ordered him to find out what hotel Lily was staying in. She had no family in Capital City. In such a rush, she couldn’t possibly have found a proper place to live. Running away in anger—she could only have gone to a hotel. Wayne worked fast. It didn’t take long before he confirmed she was at Capital City First Hotel. “Lily, how long are you going to keep this up?” John typed the message into the chat app—but then he stopped. And deleted it. Because he realized the photo frame on the nightstand was gone. He knew better than anyone how much Lily had treasured that photo. Even if she was throwing a fit, she must have taken it with her. No way she’d just walk out for good. He didn’t need to message her. Four years ago, the Ginger family kicked her out. Her biological parents had died when she was six. She’d had no home since then. If she didn’t come back to him—where else could she go? Since Elsa returned, they’d argued countless times. And every single time, she was the one who apologized first. This time would be no different. It was only a matter of time. … In the month since Elsa came back, Lily had been plagued by so many negative emotions that she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. But now that she was free of that cage, she slept like a baby. Packing up the day before had drained her energy. Her calves were sore and aching—she really wanted to stay in bed. But it was a weekday. She had to go resign from Jones Corp. All those years with John, she’d built her life around him. When he was struggling, she worked herself to the bone to pay for his treatment. After he became successful, she became his personal assistant and cared for him in every detail. Now that she was done with him, there was no reason to keep that job either. She wanted to chase her childhood dream—to become a great voice actress. “Lily, my stomach hurts so bad, I can’t hold it anymore!” Lily had just arrived at the secretarial department when the new girl, Yulia Xander, ran up to her in a panic. Yulia looked absolutely pitiful. “Mr. John needs this file urgently. Can you please bring it to the CEO’s office for me?” She was clearly in crisis mode. Before Lily could even agree, Yulia had already dashed off toward the restroom in a very awkward pose. Lily didn’t want to see John. But it was obvious Yulia was desperate. She had a good impression of the girl and didn’t want her getting chewed out by the boss. So she took the file and headed for the CEO’s office. The door was slightly ajar. Lily raised her hand to knock—then froze. She heard Elsa’s coy, flirty voice. “John, my ankle suddenly hurts so much!” Her hand hovered over the door, then lightly pushed it open a crack. Through the narrow gap, she saw Elsa’s body suddenly go limp—and fall into John’s lap. “Elsa…” John seemed startled and instinctively grabbed her waist, probably afraid she’d get hurt. But even after regaining her balance, Elsa didn’t move. She hooked her arms around his neck, bright and alluring like a rose in full bloom. “John, I suddenly want to kiss you. What should I do?” As she spoke, her dewy red lips slowly pressed toward his— And John didn’t move away. Chapter 3 Spiraling, Unraveling, Lost in Her Wake "Lily..." Wayne Hunter had come to the CEO's office to give his report. Most employees at Jones Corp had no idea about Lily and John’s relationship. But Wayne, trusted by John for years, knew everything. Seeing Lily, he instinctively greeted her—only to catch sight of what was happening inside the office. He froze, horrified. Then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. He looked at Lily, his eyes full of awkwardness and sympathy. "Elsa, I’m sorry." John had been momentarily distracted, stunned for a good ten seconds before he quickly pulled away from Elsa. "I'm not blaming you," Elsa said coyly, cheeks flushed. "My shoelace came undone." Hearing that, Lily’s dull gaze dropped to Elsa’s shoes. Elsa was stunning. Bright, bold, beautiful in an almost aggressive way. Today, she wore crisp designer white sneakers, paired with a white blouse and a pleated pink skirt. Youthful and radiant, she looked exactly like a campus sweetheart. John didn’t say anything. But his actions spoke louder. He gently lifted Elsa onto the desk, then knelt to tie her shoelace. His movements were so careful, they almost looked reverent. Watching his long, elegant fingers slowly and intently tie the lace, Lily couldn’t help but remember something. Back then, when their love was still new, he had once said to her, “Lily, meeting you is the happiest thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ll protect you, treasure you, never let you suffer. Never betray you.” She had believed him with all her heart, like a fool, thinking she was the luckiest girl in the world. One day, while they were walking hand in hand, they saw a guy bending to tie his girlfriend’s shoelace. She’d snuggled into John’s arms and teased, “Would you tie mine if it came undone?” He had answered that it was pointless to compare things like that—too childish. It was obvious what he meant: no, he wouldn’t. John was like a cold, distant mountain capped with snow. She thought his aloofness made sense—it wasn't in his nature to stoop for something so small. As long as she had a place in his heart, it was enough. But now, seeing him so tenderly kneeling for Elsa, Lily finally understood. Love could win anyone over if their love was with the right person. All his so-called principles, all his “can’ts,” were never about principle. He just didn’t love her. And that was fine. They would both start new lives. It was fine. She stood outside the door, quietly watching as he tied Elsa’s laces, then began to massage her ankle. Watching the way they looked at each other, the unspoken affection sparking between them... She watched as the boy she had once loved so deeply blurred into a vague, unfamiliar shadow. When Elsa threw herself into John’s arms again, Lily didn’t linger. She turned and walked quickly toward the stairwell. "Ms. Lily!" Wayne had seen everything Lily had done for John over the years. The moment she turned to leave, he ran after her, worried. Normally quick with words, he found himself at a loss. That scene just now had been too damning. He didn’t know what to say to comfort her. Pushing his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, he finally spoke awkwardly. “Don’t… don’t read into it. Honestly, the boss still really loves you. The last time you two fought, he got drunk and kept calling your name. He—” “Wayne, I’ve already broken up with John.” Lily knew Wayne meant well, but she didn’t let him finish. Ignoring the shock in his eyes, she continued, “He loves me? He loves me, so he married Elsa on my birthday? He loves me, so he’s tangled up with her like that, unable to let go? That kind of love—I don’t want it. Wayne, I’ve already written my resignation. Please sign it when you have a moment.” Wayne was the head of the secretary department. Lily didn’t need John’s signature to quit—but she did need his. “You’re really sure about this? Does the boss know?” Wayne had always been loyal to John. He didn’t want John getting back together with Elsa, not after she abandoned him when he was at his lowest. But after Elsa came back, he saw how John had treated her, and he knew it wasn’t fair to Lily. Deep down, Wayne understood—leaving John might actually be the best thing for her. That night, John got drunk after arguing with Lily; he hadn’t just called her name. He’d insisted she was his wife. When Elsa came in, John had pushed her away. Wayne knew John felt guilty that Elsa was dying. But somewhere along the way, he’d fallen for Lily too. Still, not wanting to make a move without permission, Wayne decided to speak with John before signing anything. “Ms. Lily, you’re giving this directly to the boss? I’ll bring it to him. I’ll talk to him first. If he agrees, I’ll sign it.” Lily had wanted to finalize her resignation as soon as possible. But she didn’t want to make things difficult for Wayne. She handed over the file and returned to her office to wait. Even if John didn’t approve it, she wouldn’t be coming in tomorrow. She liked finishing what she started, but there was no point dragging out something that no longer mattered. … That afternoon, after confirming Elsa had left, Wayne went to John’s office. As soon as he stepped in, he saw John’s face was thunderous. “Boss…” “Who made this coffee?” John glared at the cup on his desk like it had personally offended him. Wayne instantly understood what was going on. He hadn’t signed Lily’s resignation yet—but she’d already given up and stopped working. The coffee John used to drink was always brewed by Lily herself. Wayne had tasted it before—so good that even top baristas would struggle to replicate it. Compared to hers, anyone else’s brew might as well have been sewage. Of course John hated it. Wayne swallowed hard and said honestly, “Boss, it wasn’t Ms. Lily. She just… she submitted her resignation. Should I sign it?” Resign? John’s expression darkened even further.