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"Miss Jones, were you sure you wanted to be a tainted witness for Mr. Ackerson? This would put you and your family's lives in great danger." Wendy Jones clutched the diagnosis report tightly in her hand. After the lung donation operation, her health deteriorated rapidly. It was uncertain when God would take her life away. Besides, only Wendy knew the evidence that Paul had risked his life for justice. She was firm in her resolve, saying, "Paul could sacrifice his life for justice and so could I." After a long silence on the other end of the phone, a sigh came through and telling her, "After Robert Ackerson was arrested, we would restore Paul's police identity. During that period, we would do our best to protect your safety." After Wendy hung up the phone, she looked up and saw Matthew Burnett coming out of the obstetrics and gynecology department, carrying a college student in his arms. He kissed the girl's cheek and asked teasingly, "Fiona, have you decided on the location for your first night? How about my home?" She blushed. As she looked down, she reminded Wendy of her younger self. Then she looked up at Wendy, pushed Matthew with her hand and said with contempt, "Mr. Burnett ... No, your wife would be jealous." Wendy’s heart pounded and she blurted out, "No..." Matthew turned his head, his eyes sparkling with excitement and his tone full of uncontrollable expectation, "Wendy, I would give you another chance to explain." Two months earlier, at Paul's funeral, a video of Wendy and Paul "kissing" had become popular in Cambridge. Matthew had become a laughingstock in the entire city. The media mocked him by claiming that the woman he loved was actually having an affair with the underworld boss. Matthew could not accept it. His eyes became bloodshot as he forced a smile and said, "Wendy, this is fake, right? Speak up. I would believe whatever you said!" At that time, Paul had raided Mr. Ackerson. After that, Mr. Ackerson’s beloved mistress had jumped off a building with their son and died. Ever since that, Mr. Ackerson vowed to make Paul's family pay with blood. For the sake of the Burnett Family, Wendy had cooperated with the police to set a trap and agreed to use AI face-changing technology to generate fake videos of her kissing Paul. Wendy lowered her eyes and offered no explanation. What had not been made clear then needed no further explanation now. Suppressing her emotions, she said calmly, "Please do not enter my bedroom, okay?" The wedding room carried their loving memories and the hand-painted murals on its walls had been created by Wendy, with every bit of her effort. The sparkle in Matthew's eyes faded. His gaze filled with anger as he raised his fist in a murderous expression. However, instead of striking, Matthew picked up Fiona Ritter by the waist and walked straight to the Maybach waiting by the door. As he passed by Wendy, she noticed a pendant on Fiona's neck. It was widely known that Matthew had pursued the beauty from the dance academy. He had spent money on luxury cars and villas, but Wendy never questioned him. Yet that pendant was their wedding ring. Had he even taken away the beautiful memories they had shared? Wendy felt as if thousands of needles pierced her chest and the only lung she had left began to hurt. She clutched her chest and bent over, beads of sweat falling to the floor. Matthew glanced at her and although his frown softened slightly. His next words were as cold as ice, "Who were you pretending to be? Why do you pretend to look so pitiful? Wendy, this was all your karma!" Tears fell from Wendy's eyes. Matthew curled the corner of his mouth into a sneer and continued to rub salt into her wound, saying, "It did not matter that it was not in the wedding room. Fiona's first night was in the baby room!" Chapter 2 Watching Matthew's car leave, Wendy collapsed and then she got a black eye. She slowly opened her eyes and lay back on the bed. After taking a few deep breaths of oxygen, she struggled to get up. At the hospital, the doctor stopped her and asked, "Are you sure you do not want to tell Mr. Burnett about this? With his help, you are more likely to find a matching lung donor.” “The incident happened suddenly and you had to termination of pregnancy. It was also done to save him. Why did you and your husband make such a fuss?" Wendy smiled bitterly and shook her head. However, she also wondered. If her attitude had not hurt Matthew, how could he have had a car accident when he was heartbroken? How could he have pulled out his breathing tube and abandoned his surgery? At that time, Wendy was very scared. She only wanted Matthew to live. Without any hesitation, she signed the lung replacement surgery form and donated one of her lung lobes to Matthew. At the same time, she was forced to give up the tiny life growing in her womb. A bad premonition flashed in her mind. Wendy refused the doctor's suggestion to stay in the hospital. She took her medicine and caught a taxi home. As soon as she entered her house, she heard a girl's gasping coming from the baby room. It felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head. Drained of strength, she moved step by step toward the baby room. The baby tent that she and Matthew had built together swayed with every bump. Inside the tent, the two intertwined figures were reflected and the My Little Pony doll on the baby bed appeared to smile at the scene. Wendy’s pent-up grievances burst out suddenly. She stepped forward, ready to tear down the tent. But she then saw the baby blanket draped over the area where the two figures were entangled, her fingers trembled. Pointing at the door, she shouted with all her strength, "Get out!" Fiona looked up at he with tears in her eyes. Matthew frowned slightly and after a few moments, he lazily got off Fiona. After fastening his belt, he resumed his aloof and detached demeanor, completely different from the man he had been just before. Matthew sat on the crib, lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. He casually threw a stack of reports at Wendy’s feet and said, "Fiona gave me her first time and this is the medical proof of her virginity." Wendy looked at him in confusion and asked, "What do you mean?" Matthew flicked ash from his cigarette onto his pants and replied, "Similarly, you must go to the hospital and get a certificate proving that you have not had sex with Paul and then I will keep you." Her fingertips dug into her palm and Wendy’s teeth trembled as he continued, " You did not give your first time to Paul a long time ago, did you?" Wendy’s eyes filled with deep grief and pain. She did not want to cry, but her voice trembled with tears as she said, "I'm not as bad as you think." Matthew’s brows relaxed slightly and a subtle flash of sorrow appeared in his eyes. He asked, "Wendy, are you giving in to me? Apologize and as long as you do, I will forgive you for everything." Wendy was stunned for a moment. Then she looked up and stared at Matthew with firm, sincere eyes and said, "I was wrong. I am sorry." Matthew smiled silently. The crack in his heart slowly began to fill. He did not ask for much. Wendy’s efforts were enough. Matthew stood up and was about to take Wendy’s hand as he had done before. But Wendy took two steps back, her eyes as cold as ice and said, "Matthew, if you are satisfied, can you give me back Paul's bracelet?" Chapter 3 Matthew was struck by lightning. The heart that had just been mended was shattered in an instant. Wendy thought to herself, ‘The bracelet was the only token Paul had left me. It was very important.’ The night before Paul acted, he had given Wendy a bracelet that matched her ring. The bracelet had a chip inside it, which served as evidence of his vow to protect. Matthew pinched her chin and asked, “Is this why you surrendered? Huh?” Wendy’s silence served as her answer. The light in Matthew’s eyes faded little by little as he chuckled, as if he were laughing at his own foolishness. Matthew walked past her to the front of the tent. He bent down, picked up Fiona and said, “If you want the bracelet, make me happy first.” The he kicked open the door of the master bedroom, threw Fiona onto the bed and suddenly remembered something. Looking back at Wendy, he said, “I remember that before you became Mrs. Burnett, you worked as a laundry worker for three years?” In the early days when she accompanied him to start a business, Wendy had worked three jobs at the same time to ease their burden. Her hands, which should have held a paintbrush, were soaked in cold water for long periods. It forced her to give up her dream of becoming a painter. Her hands suffered from severe rheumatism and the pain was so intense that she could not sleep on rainy nights. Matthew knew her past better than anyone else. But he wanted to humiliate her. He then said, “Wendy, you must not forget your roots. I want you to kneel by the door and wash the sheets by hand until Fiona is satisfied!” The housekeeper placed the red sheets and a basin before Wendy and whispered, “Ma’am, why are you doing this? Apologize to Mr. Burnett and you will not have to suffer this humiliation.” Wendy did not respond. Matthew left the door half-closed and soon heard Fiona’s gasping. Through the crack in the door, Wendy saw the familiar paintings, the bedside table and the silk four-piece suit and her heart filled with deep pain. As the bedside trembled, Fiona’s tender arms came into view. Adorning Fiona’s arm was the bracelet that Wendy wanted more than anything. Wendy’s fingers trembled as she gripped the bedsheet tightly. She lowered her eyes and wiped away Fiona’s bloodstains bit by bit. She remembered her first time in a damp, cold basement. In harsh winters and scorching summers, both she and Matthew had sweated profusely from nervousness. Matthew had desired her relentlessly, again and again. When she was drowsy, Matthew touched the calluses on her hands with sorrow and whispered in her ear, “Wendy, I swear I will let you live in a big villa and hire ten nannies to serve you so that you will never have to rely on hard labor to earn money.” Wendy knelt on the ground. In her left ear, she heard Matthew’s vows of love and in her right ear, she heard Fiona’s soft calls and chants. How ironic. With nowhere else to look, she lowered her eyes and stared at the bedsheet in the basin until her vision blurred with tears. After an unknown amount of time, Fiona’s voice quieted and then she spoke in a hoarse tone, “The bloodstains can only be washed away with cold water. Wendy has delicate skin and tender flesh; I am afraid she cannot endure this pain.” Wendy’s fingers froze. She had suffered a miscarriage and had not yet entered confinement. The doctor had warned her that contact with cold water could cause severe bleeding. Matthew laughed softly and said, “Isn’t this simple? Housekeeper, change the water to ice water and add more ice cubes!” After a while, the housekeeper replaced the water with ice water and reminded her, “Ma’am, your body has not yet recovered. You do not need to actually wash, just pretend washing it!” Numbly, Wendy took the basin, added the sheets and laundry detergent and immersed both hands. The instant cold felt like thousands of needles piercing her lower abdomen. She ignored the pain and rubbed mechanically until her hands became red and swollen, even feeling a slight warmth, as if her hands were heating up in extreme cold. Like the little match girl clinging to a fading flame, she depended on that illusory warmth to bring some comfort to her long-chilled heart. Suddenly, a slightly warm liquid began to flow from Wendy’s lower abdomen. The housekeeper gasped, “Blood … Ma’am, you are bleeding!” Chapter 4 Wendy lowered her head and saw scarlet liquid flowing on the floor. She was stunned. Matthew opened the door, barefoot and wearing a bathrobe, his eyes filled with worry. “Sister-in-law, why don’t you use a sanitary napkin when you are on your period? You are only washing the sheets; why are you making such a fuss?” Fiona, leaned behind Matthew and deliberately fanned her nose as she added, “The whole room smells of blood. You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” The concern in Matthew’s eyes was short-lived. He narrowed his eyes and said angrily, “Why don’t you change your sanitary napkin? Come back and continue washing!” Wendy felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Clutching her stomach, she gasped, “Send me to the hospital… Matthew, my stomach hurts so much…” Matthew hesitated for a moment, moved by her words. Then, suddenly, the child that Wendy had aborted flashed through his mind. How could she have let go of the bloody child who already had a heartbeat and was considered human? Matthew turned around with a gloomy expression, his voice as cold as ice and said, “Just bear the pain. This is your lesson.” With a bang, he closed the door. Wendy could no longer bear the pain; she fell to the floor, lost consciousness and fainted. Wendy had a dream. In her dream, she was taken back five years—to a time when she and Matthew lived in a basement and shared a bowl of instant noodles. Gently stroking her belly, she said, “You are going to be a father. Are you happy?” Matthew hugged her and spun her around in the basement, kissing her happily until she was breathless. A moment later, he looked around the cramped basement with a gloomy face and said, “Wendy, the child cannot be born. I cannot let our children live in a poor environment.” He continued, “There will be children in the future. Termination of pregnancy is not painful at all. Be good and come to the hospital with me.” Wendy shook her head and stepped back, crying and screaming, “There is no future; this is our only child!” “No!” she shouted. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and found herself lying on an operating table. The white woven lamp above her head hurt her eyes and she clearly felt the flesh in her lower abdomen being torn apart layer by layer. She trembled with pain. A doctor said, “Ms. Wendy, your uterus has been stimulated and is bleeding heavily. We are removing it. Please cooperate.” A chill quickly crawled along her spine and spread to her limbs. She was only 25 years old and had not yet become a mother. How could she lose her right to be one? Wendy struggled to get off the table and cried, “I don’t want surgery; I want to change hospitals!” The doctors and nurses held her down tightly and warned, “You will die if we do not remove it!” They injected a sedative into her body and she collapsed on the operating table, closing her eyes as if she had accepted her fate. But sedatives were not anesthetics. She clearly felt the pain as the doctor tore open her belly, cut tissue and removed her uterus. She thought, “Men were truly terrifying when they were cruel. Mr. Burnett did not even ask which surgery to perform; he only asked to reduce the dose of anesthetic so that Mrs. Burnett would remember it.” One of the staff members whispered, “What do you know? Wendy cheated on her husband—and the man she cheated with was Paul. Who could tolerate this? He deserved it!” The doctors and nurses could not stop gossiping as they performed the surgery. In their anger, they became even more cruel. They did not care that Wendy’s temples bulged with blue veins from the pain, or that she had torn the sheets into shreds. Before she lost consciousness, she whispered, “Matthew, falling in love with you is the biggest regret of my life.” The heart monitor beeped. Finally, the doctor noticed the bleeding scar on Wendy’s chest. The experienced doctor called out, “What’s going on? The patient had chest surgery—why did the family not inform us about her condition? Quick, notify the family and issue a critical illness notice!” Chapter 5 While Wendy was being rescued, Matthew accompanied Fiona to the mall. “Matthew, how about this ring? Do you think it looks good on my ring finger?” Fiona asked. Seeing that Matthew was in a daze, she put the same men’s ring on his finger. Matthew’s heart sank suddenly, as if his soul had been taken away and he panicked for a moment. After coming to his senses, he withdrew his hand and said gloomily, “Fiona, you have crossed the line.” Fiona, who had never seen him so fierce, pouted and replied coquettishly, “You asked me to give you a child. How can I have a child without being married?” Matthew took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly, saying, “I have never thought about divorce.” Then the phone rang and after listening to a few words, Matthew lost his mind in an instant. Cigarette ash burned the back of his hand and he shuddered in pain as he muttered. After hanging up, Matthew snatched the driver’s keys and ran through a red light to the hospital, shouting, “What surgery did Wendy have? Check for me!” He stood at the door of the intensive care unit and yelled at his assistant on the phone, “Besides the termination of pregnancy surgery, has she ever had lung surgery? And who was the person that anonymously donated a lung to me that year?” Matthew traced Wendy’s silhouette on the glass with his hand and wondered, if the person who donated the lung was Wendy, was her cheating merely a misunderstanding? His mind tightened and he took a sip of coffee to clear his head. Soon, a red rash appeared on his arm. It was a sign of an allergic reaction. He remembered that Wendy was allergic to caffeine. Could it really have been her? Matthew felt as if a piece of his heart was missing and he panicked completely. He slammed his fist against the ICU glass and shouted at the unconscious Wendy, “Wendy, you cannot die. I am still waiting for you to surrender. I have not forgiven you yet. How can you die?!” A nurse interrupted him after a moment. While they argued, Wendy opened her eyes. They were half open and full of loneliness. At that moment, the assistant sent the investigation results, “The anonymous donor has been identified. It was not my wife, but a young man who had an accident. Before he died, he donated all his organs, including his corneas, lungs, kidneys, heart and liver.” The assistant then continued, “His organs saved five people. Since your wife was born with only one lung, she had undergone lung surgery and got a lung transplant from that man. So, she was not eligible to be a donor.” Determined not to let Matthew know the truth, Wendy had made full preparations from the start. Matthew hung up the phone with a wooden expression and his eyes cleared. “Wendy, you are the best at pretending to be sick, so I will let you pretend until the end!” Fiona, who had watched the entire process, leaned slowly on Matthew’s shoulder. She did not believe the secretary’s words but trusted her own feelings. Staring at Wendy, who was connected to an oxygen tube, she asked tentatively, “Was it Wendy who donated the lung to you?” Matthew curled his lips and said, “How could someone as cruel as her be willing to donate a lung to me? If it had really been her, I would have removed my lung and returned it to her. Who is Wendy? How could her organs be in my body?!” As soon as he finished speaking, Wendy’s medical monitor beeped an alarm. Matthew hugged Fiona’s waist and walked out of the hospital gate without looking back. He did not know that, to allow family members to encourage patients, sounds from outside the intensive care unit were transmitted inside. It meant that his words reached Wendy’s ears word for word. She had never thought of giving up her life despite donating a lung, suffering a miscarriage and having her uterus removed. But when Matthew spoke those words of disdain, she considered suicide. Medical staff rushed in to rescue her and her body felt lighter and lighter. In a trance, she saw Paul looking at her with a smile, saying, “Wendy, I am sorry for dragging you to this. Sleep when you are tired and wait for me to take you home when you wake up.” Suddenly, Wendy regained consciousness. The bracelet … and Mr. Ackerson, she couldn’t die yet! Chapter 6 Wendy had stayed in the hospital for a whole month. While she slept, she vaguely felt someone gently touching her mouth, as if giving her a loving kiss. She wanted to open her eyes, but she could not clearly see the person’s face. On the day she was discharged, the news overwhelmed her. Fiona had been announced as Matthew’s lover. Matthew had even booked the entire coastline of Cambridge to celebrate Fiona’s birthday. Her estranged husband had invested 10 billion to build a film and television city for her debut. Wendy laughed awkwardly. It all seemed so ridiculous. Wendy even imagined that the person who had kissed her silently might have been Matthew. Determined to find evidence, Wendy packed her things and deliberately went home on a day when Matthew was away on business. She took a deep breath before stepping into the master bedroom. Aside from the clothes, there was no sign of Fiona’s presence in the room. She searched through boxes and cabinets but could not find any trace of the bracelet, so she turned to the baby room. The simple search left Wendy exhausted. Her body was weak and she did not have much time left. She lay on the baby bed to rest and reached under the pillow. There, she finally found the bracelet. Wendy checked it repeatedly and saw the microchip hidden in a hollow gap, which relieved her. Smelling a hint of sunshine from the quilt, she took a deep, greedy breath and left the room. As she turned around, she bumped into a chest. “Where do you think you are going?” Matthew’s voice sounded above her head, accompanied by a strong smell of alcohol. Wendy felt as if she had been doused with ice water. She turned her head and replied coldly, “Go to where I should go.” Matthew became inexplicably angry. He pinched Wendy’s chin with tears in his eyes and said, “Where should you go? To Paul’s home in the slums? A home surrounded by thieves and homeless people?” “None of your business,” Wendy snapped, glaring at him as she slapped his hand hard and turned away. In an instant, Matthew kissed her lips, pushed her down on the bed and pressed his body against hers. “Kiss me, just like you and Paul kissed passionately. Give it to me, in the same way you and Paul did.” Snap! Wendy slapped him in the face and shouted, “Don't touch me!” Matthew gritted his teeth, raised her hands above her head and prepared to attack, saying, “Do not forget that you are still my wife. So, you have an obligation to fulfill your marital duties.” Wendy yelled and screamed, fighting him, but her efforts were in vain. In despair, she gave up struggling, closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate and tears streamed down her face. Matthew stopped, kissed away her tears and choked as he said, “Wendy, let’s not torture each other anymore, okay? We are even.” Tears dripped down Wendy’s face as she replied, “Paul is dead, please look at me. If your love for me before was an illusion, can you continue to pretend to love me?” Matthew’s tears flowed and he begged her humbly, “If you do not want to pretend, then stay with me and never leave.” Yet, Wendy’s heart remained calm. How could he hurt her and still be so shameless, wanting everything? At the critical moment, Matthew’s cell phone rang and he answered it by mistake. “Matthew, I’m pregnant! You are going to be a father!” Fiona shouted over the phone, sounding overjoyed. “Where are you? I will find you now, come and see the child’s ultrasound; he is so cute!” Matthew casually took the phone away and kissed Wendy’s face passionately, saying, “Wendy, as long as you promise not to leave me, I will break up with Fiona immediately.” “Let’s get a divorce,” Wendy replied as she looked directly into his eyes. “You can give her your surname and give your child a home, so just give me my freedom.” Chapter 7 Matthew could not see any trace of nostalgia in Wendy’s eyes. After a long silence, he pressed his lips together and managed to choke out a single word, “Okay.” The divorce procedures went smoothly. When dividing the property, Matthew entrusted a lawyer to handle the matter and Wendy took away the property that rightfully belonged to her. On the day of the divorce signing, at the door of the City Hall, Matthew put his hands in his pockets with a proud look on his face and said, “With my current wealth, if you delayed for a few more years, you would have gotten even more…” “Go in,” Wendy interrupted him and walked into the divorce registration office without looking back. When she came out of the City Hall, Wendy held a large red divorce certificate in her hand. “We were husband and wife. If you need me in the future, call me. I will help you,” the ma said. Matthew actually wanted to say a few more words, but Fiona had already crawled into his arms, pouting and acting coquettishly, “Babe, the baby wants to eat Japanese food. Take us there quickly.” Matthew agreed, “Okay.” Yet, his eyes remained fixed on Wendy’s face. His affectionate gaze hurt Fiona, who was unwilling to get closer. Rolling her eyes, she sarcastically said, “Matthew, I think we should invite relatives and elders to witness our wedding. Since his parents and his eldest brother had passed away and now only you remain, Wendy. So, Wendy, you will come to witness our wedding and wish us happiness, right?” Passing by a young couple who had just received their marriage certificate, Matthew inexplicably remembered the day he and Wendy received theirs. They were poor but happy. On that day, he had taken Wendy to eat sweet potatoes casserole to celebrate. He had promised never to give her a grand wedding in the future. But that promise had become empty. In that relationship, he had also felt guilty toward her. Matthew’s voice then turned cold as he said, “Fiona, enough!” Wendy responded, “I will definitely attend when I am free. If I really do not have time, I will send a gift.” Wendy’s calm face remained polite yet distant. Suddenly, Matthew felt as if his heart had emptied. A cold wind rose and the chill spread to his limbs. On the way back, Fiona, immersed in the joy of becoming the soon-to-be Mrs. Burnett, excitedly showed Matthew the wedding plan. Matthew became extremely irritable and looked unhappy. “Fiona, why do you think you’re worthy of being the Mrs. Burnett?” he asked. Fiona’s smile froze and she said nothing. Matthew swallowed a mouthful of strong red wine and suddenly missed the downtown villa he had given to Wendy. “Is Wendy’s villa renovated yet? Contact her to have a look when you have time. If she is not satisfied, have the decoration company redo it until she is happy.” His assistant replied, “She has not visited the villa since it was transferred to Miss Ritter.” Matthew was puzzled, asking in response “She did not go to see it? Then where does she plan to live?” His assistant’s voice softened, fearing to anger him further, “I heard … she has moved to Paul’s rental house.” Bang! A red wine glass was crushed in Matthew’s palm. The glass shards cut his palm and back and blood dripped immediately. Wendy was truly a stone that could not be warmed. His chest heaved violently with anger as he declared, “Freeze Wendy’s property! Since she refuses to eat fine food and insists on dining at dirty roadside stalls, she must pay back her 100,000 surgery cost within a month, not a penny less!” The pleasure of revenge surged in Matthew’s mind. He vowed to continue torturing Wendy until she knelt and admitted her mistake. Matthew picked up the wedding plan from Fiona’s hand, flipped through a few pages and then closed it. “Hold the wedding according to your plan. Choose the most luxurious and expensive one. I want to show the world who is truly qualified to marry me, Matthew Burnett!” Chapter 8 Wendy had just dragged her luggage into Paul’s rental house when she received a collection letter for 100,000 dollars from her lawyer. Frankly, she did not understand Matthew’s repeated threats. Moreover, she had no intention of getting entangled in his schemes. After transferring the remaining 30,000 dollars from her mobile phone to the lawyer, she changed her phone card and contacted the police directly, saying, “Mr. Howard, I have the bracelet. I am just waiting for the fish to take the bait.” After Mr. Howard replaced the bracelet, he assigned extra guards to watch over Wendy’s residence 24 hours a day. During the day, Wendy worked at the supermarket to earn money and made sure to return home before dark. Late at night, she felt both afraid and hopeful, not knowing when Mr. Ackerson would appear or if her plan would succeed. That day, the supermarket needed extra staff to restock. It was dark when Wendy finished work. As she crossed a dirty alley, she sensed someone following her. She quickened her pace and ran home. Just after taking a sip of water, she heard the sound of a door lock turning. Wendy grabbed the fruit knife from under her pillow and held it tightly, though she continued to tremble. “Who are you?” she asked. Taking a deep breath, she threatened in a hoarse voice, “My boyfriend is Paul. Get out if you want to live!” The door lock paused for three seconds, then resumed turning, its sound growing louder. Wendy flashed the table lamp a few times. This was her secret signal with the police downstairs. She stared at the door lock, her throat dry with fear. Bang! With a sound, the door was pried open. Wendy’s heart raced. A disheveled, drunk man with a strong smell of alcohol entered. He rubbed his hands, grinned widely to show his big yellow teeth, slammed the door and walked toward Wendy step by step. “Hi beautiful girl, I have watched you for a long time. Since your man is not home, why not let me keep you company? Don’t worry, I will make sure to love you,” he said. As soon as the drunken man finished speaking, he unbuckled his belt. Wendy rushed toward the door with her knife. Just as she opened the door, he grabbed her legs and pulled her back. He kicked the knife into a corner. When Wendy fell to the ground, he climbed on top of her. Tears welled up as she cried out for help. A neighbor, an old lady who was holding a bag of eggs peered in through a crack in the door. The criminal shouted, “What are you looking at, you old woman? Just wait! I will teach you a lesson after I teach this woman a lesson!” The old lady trembled with fear, quickly turned away and locked her door. After that, he grabbed Wendy’s neck and leaned close to whisper, “I advise you to cooperate with me. Perhaps I can spare your life if you behave. The death of one person is not a big deal here. Let’s see how you act next…” “Don’t move!” At that moment, the police burst through the door and easily subdued he. Wendy bit the back of her hand and cried loudly. After some time, a female police officer held her in her arms, crying, “Miss Jones, relax. You are safe now.” Wendy calmed down under the officer’s comfort. After drinking a cup of hot milk, she lay on her bed while the policewoman worked in the living room. Wendy vaguely heard the officer answer a phone call. The other end mentioned that Robert’s whereabouts had been found. After that, the officer hurried out. When Wendy learned that Robert was about to be arrested, her heart sank and she fell into a fitful sleep. In the middle of the night, she smelled a pungent odor. Just as she opened her eyes, before she could see clearly, a handkerchief was tightly placed over her mouth and nose. Her vision went black. She then lost her consciousness. Chapter 9 After being awakened by a basin of ice water, Wendy found that her hands and feet had been tied and her mouth was sealed with tape. A man in a black suit with a buzz cut and a frightening scar on his face stood before her, followed by two burly men. “It was not easy to tie you up. It took Mr. Ackerson to bait the police away from the mountain to catch you,” the scarred man said. Wendy glared at him fiercely. However, he didn’t seem to be scared. Instead, he spat out the cigarette from his mouth, pinched her chin, tore off the tape and slapped her twice. It caused blood to ooze from the corners of her mouth. “To make a long story short, take out the items,” he ordered. Wendy spat out a mouthful of blood and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” The scarred man bared his teeth, stood up and kicked her in the stomach. Wendy curled up in pain, unable to form a complete sentence. “You're being tough? Well, I'll see how long you can hold out!” The scarred man picked up a baseball bat and struck her hard on her stomach, back and waist. At first, Wendy felt the pain sharply, but soon he’s insults faded away and she gradually felt numb until she even sensed a strange pleasure in the thought of dying. Wendy smiled weakly and said, “The police didn’t catch Mr. Ackerson, did they? I want to see him!” When the scarred man swung the baseball bat again, an old, heavy voice sounded, “This cheap woman is smart.” Robert Ackerson then appeared, playing with his rings. “Hand over the items and I will leave your body intact,” he declared. Wendy spat in defiance. Robert or Mr. Ackerson took off his multiple rings, gritted his teeth and said, “Paul forced my beloved woman and youngest son to die. One life for another, so you must pay for my woman’s life!” He stepped on Wendy’s fingers and rubbed them until they bled, adding, “It’s okay if you don’t give me anything. If you give me 10 billion, I can keep your body intact.” Tiny beads of sweat formed in Wendy’s eyes. She took a deep breath and said, word by word, “You are dreaming.” Mr. Ackerson laughed awkwardly. He took out his mobile phone, dialed a number at random and turned on the speaker. “Who?” At the sound of Matthew’s voice, the hardest part of Wendy’s heart softened. “Listen, Wendy is in my hands. Give me 10 billion and I will consider sparing her life.” Matthew was stunned for a moment and his hand holding the phone trembled slightly. But he soon regained his composure, snorted and taunted, “How much money did Wendy give you this time? She asked for 1 million before, but now she is greedy and dares to ask for 10 billion?” Since his divorce from Wendy, he had received dozens of calls for kidnapping and ransom. At first, he believed these calls and deposited the money into account. But then more calls came until he finally called the police and arrested a man who claimed that it was Wendy’s instruction. “Tell Wendy that if she is willing to go home and be my nanny, I will give her all 10 billion.” Robert became furious, holding a knife to Wendy’s neck and ordered, “Tell him to give the money, or I will kill you.” Wendy glanced at the scarred man who was staring at her chest and felt very scared. “Matthew, I-” she began. Before she could finish, Fiona’s coquettish voice came from the other end of the phone, “Babe, the baby just kicked me! Come and touch him! It must be that the wedding dress is too tight and is squeezing my stomach.” Wendy’s heart tightened. Yes, Matthew had started a new life. He was about to marry a beautiful wife and have children of his own. And what about her? She felt like a rotten life destined to die anyway. So, why would she bother fighting? Wendy closed her eyes and said coldly, “Matthew, you promised to give me 10 billion in property when we divorced. It was because you broke that promise that I kept asking you for money. I did not want to break up over money, but you forced my hand.” She continued, “I slept with you for eight years. Asking you for 10 billion in mental damages is not too much. After all, I treated you as your substitute-” Matthew, on the other end of the phone, was struck by lightning. He smashed the glass table at the wedding dress shop with one punch and shouted, “Shut up!” The anger of being deceived made him lose all judgment. A string of blood beads dripped from the back of his hand as he roared, “Wendy, I will fight you to the end in this life. If you can take even a penny from me, I will admit that I lose! So, you’d better remember that I’ll never give you any money! Never!” Chapter 10 After Matthew hung up the phone, his anger did not subside. He had believed that Wendy loved Paul, but he had not expected that she valued money more than anything else. He had been blinded by his love for a heartless woman. He did not know that after he had hung up the phone, Mr. Ackerson had pushed Wendy toward the scarred man, saying, “After you guys have fun with her, kill her and throw her into the sea without leaving any traces.” The scarred man’s eyes slid down Wendy’s collarbone. The sight made him swallow hard. When Wendy struggled with all her strength to no avail, she shouted as loudly as she could. “Shut up, damn cheap woman!”The scarred man had grabbed Wendy’s neck with one hand so that she could not shout. Amid the men's taunts and Wendy’s sobs, Robert laughed. He had taken out his mobile phone and snapped a picture of the three men humiliating Wendy. He had heard that Matthew cared deeply about his reputation. Although he did not care about the life or death of his ex-wife, the spreading of a video showing her humiliation would ruin the image he had built for many years. Robert had raised the corner of his lips and jeered at the other men, “Can you three finish it? If not, let me do it.” As soon as his voice fell, he’s laughter echoed through the warehouse like a demonic sound claiming its victim. Wendy had aimed a kick at the possessed scarred man and suddenly stood up to hit his head. He had been stunned for a moment as she struggled with every bit of her strength and rushed toward a nearby pillar. With a loud ‘bang’, Wendy fell to the ground. Scarlet blood slid down from her head, quickly blurring her vision, while tears of despair streamed down her cheeks. In her fading consciousness she had thought, ‘Matthew, we will never see each other again.’ Before she closed her eyes, she had vaguely heard an alarm sounding outside the door. Robert and the scarred man had turned their heads, left through the door and disappeared. A few seconds later, the dilapidated door had been kicked open by a man. A familiar figure ran toward her and called out in distress, “Wendy, I’m here. Don’t be afraid.” It was a week later when Wendy woke up, surrounded by police. Mr. Howard had handed her a document and said, “Mr. Ackerson has been arrested, but his eldest son is abroad and has not been caught yet. To protect your safety, I suggest you activate your new identity. Cynthia Jameson.” Wendy thought of that familiar figure and wondered, “The person who saved me that day … could it have been Paul?” Mr. Howard smiled and looked out the door, replying, “Paul is dead. The person you are looking for is Greg Harrow.” Wendy stared as Paul or Greg approached. He had lowered the brim of his hat in embarrassment and said, “Wendy, I’m sorry. I dragged you down.” In the next moment, his downcast eyes lit up and he added, “I can explain everything to Matthew. There should be no misunderstandings between us…” But Wendy’s eyes drifted away from him. On the TV in the ward, news had been playing that Matthew and Fiona were about to get married. Their grand wedding was scheduled to take place in three days. Wendy pulled at the corner of her mouth and smiled bitterly, “No need to. I accept the new identity. The original Wendy is dead.” Three days later, on the day Wendy was discharged from the hospital, Matthew and Fiona’s wedding took place. Wendy removed the ring from her hand and sent it to Matthew along with her death certificate. She had promised Fiona that if she failed to attend the wedding, she would also give her a gift to end their relationship. Before the plane took off, Wendy looked back at Cambridge. This place had carried her struggling youth and the beautiful memories of love. Eight years earlier, Wendy had fallen in love with Matthew at first sight. She had given her life to love her husband and be by his side. It was a pity that their love had been deep, yet their fate was shallow. Both of them were doomed never to reach the end together. After that, Wendy removed her SIM card, threw it into a trash can at the airport and embarked on a new journey without looking back. ‘Matthew, we’ll never have to see each other again,’ Wendy said to herself. Chapter 11 At the same time, the ring on Matthew’s finger broke inexplicably. For a moment, he had been stunned. When he bent down to pick up the ring, tears had sprung from his eyes. This was the wedding ring he and Wendy had worn together. So, how could it have broken out of thin air? A bad premonition had come over him. He had taken out his mobile phone and called Wendy, but the line had been busy. He had tried again, but it remained busy. Feeling flustered, Matthew had pushed open the door to find Wendy. “Mr. Burnett, all the reporters in Cambridge have arrived at the wedding party. Are you sure you want to announce the news of the company’s listing today?” a voice had asked. Matthew had hesitated, then retracted his foot from the doorway. As the founder of Burnett Corporation, he had worked hard to bring the company public and needed the media to build momentum. He had placed the broken ring in his pocket and declared, “The wedding will proceed as planned.” When Fiona had walked toward him in a white veil, he thought he saw Wendy for a moment. Matthew felt that he owed Wendy a proper wedding. After treating her coldly for so long, she should finally face the truth. He had planned that after Fiona gave birth to the child, he would offer Wendy another way out. If Wendy apologized, he would marry that man again. In this new arrangement, she would not have to struggle so hard to have a child and he would love her properly. Then, a voice had come from the crowd, “Excuse me, Mr. Burnett, are you willing to marry Miss Ritter in front of everyone and stay with her no matter how old, sick, or even dead she is?” Matthew had remained silent. Fiona’s smile had frozen and the guests had whispered among themselves as if they were watching a spectacle. Suddenly, the big screen at the wedding party had lit up and a video had started playing. In the video, a disheveled woman was shown being grabbed by a man by the neck. She had cried desperately and shouted angrily, “Mr. Ackerson, you’re a coward for trying to torture me. If you dare, give me a quick death. Even if I turn into a ghost, I won't let you go either!” Wendy’s voice had reached Matthew’s ears and his head had buzzed with shock. The noisy wedding scene had suddenly grown so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone had stared at the display screen. “Isn’t that woman Wendy? How could she be humiliated like this?” someone whispered. “Could it be Mr. Burnett who did it? She cheated on him and now that everyone knows, she must be taking revenge.” Another voice had replied, “I don’t think so. Fortunately, Mr. Burnett divorced her. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing if this were exposed. Being humiliated by three men, damn …” The guests had whispered to each other in the audience. On the stage, Matthew had grown pale, his fingers buried deeply in his palms and he had not cared about the blood on his hands. Fiona had pulled off her veil and roared, “Who did it? Turn off the video!” Matthew had seemed to lose all his energy and spirit as he slowly walked toward the door. Fiona had held him back and whispered, “Matthew, stop causing trouble. Today is not only our wedding party but also a good day for you to make a public statement. If you have anything to say, we can talk later.” But he had brushed his bride aside without looking back and had walked straight for the door. Although it was only 50 meters away, every step had felt extremely heavy. Regret, annoyance, anger and sorrow had weighed on his chest as he had slapped himself hard, wondering why he had not believed the kidnapper that day. Matthew thought that if he had given her everything, even if it was not 10 billion, Wendy might have been spared. She had always prized cleanliness, but those three rude, men had taken everything from her. How cruel! Matthew did not cry, yet tears had streamed down his face. “Mr. Burnett, your package!” an assistant had called out, stopping him and handing him the express parcel sent by Wendy. With trembling hands, he tore it open. A ring had bounced out and fallen to the ground, breaking just like his wedding ring. A bad premonition had filled his mind as he glanced at the death certificate and unfolded it with trembling hands. [Name: Wendy Jones Sex: Female Age: 28 years old. Cause of death: Tortured by three, the cervix was severely injured and died.]