Chapter 1

I loved Ethan deeply for ten years, yet I had to watch him play the husband to my brother-in-law's widow, Selene.

Selene publicly called me a homewrecker and infuriated my critically ill mother to death.

Yet in his office, he told his friend he'd fallen for Selene, and our ten-year marriage now held only duty and compensation.

I endured, I compromised, and even when Selene tried to murder me with a knife, he still protected her and locked me in the attic.

On the day of my mother's funeral, I publicly filed for divorce and exposed everything.

Later, Selene gave birth to a bastard child, Ethan went mad, kidnapped me, then became a vegetable in a car accident.

I boarded a plane to Europe, Adrian holding my hand, asking softly, "From now on, can I be your first priority?"

I nodded with a smile, and from then on walked alongside him toward my new life.

Tara's POV

I'm Tara, Ethan's wife, yet I had to watch helplessly as he played the husband to his brother Eric's widow, Selene.

All because after Eric's death, Selene suffered a severe shock, became mentally unstable, and insisted Ethan was her husband.

And she was pregnant with Eric's child.

Ethan's parents knelt and begged him to temporarily impersonate his brother to keep Selene stable until she gave birth.

"It's just an act. I absolutely won't touch her," Ethan swore to me.

"Once the baby's born, everything will end."

But the act became more and more real.

He moved into Selene's bedroom, took meticulous care of her, and the two looked exactly like a real couple.

What I couldn't accept even more was that Selene publicly accused me of being a homewrecker.

My mother was already critically ill, couldn't withstand the shock, and died on the spot.

I knelt on the ground, crying my heart out.

With trembling hands, I dialed Ethan's number once, twice, three times... but no one answered.

Like a wandering ghost, I walked to his office, only to hear him say with a bitter smile to his friend, "What do I do? I think I've gotten too deep into the role. I've really fallen for Selene."

That single sentence shattered my entire world!

Sharp pain shot from my heart straight to the top of my head, and I could barely stand.

Why?!

Wasn't he the one who said it was just an act, that once the baby was born, everything would end?

Could all these years of feelings not compare to his few months with Selene?

I endured, I yielded, my mother even died because of this...

Now, was I going to lose my husband too?!

I refused to accept this!

I was unwilling!

I had to ask him face to face!

Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard his friend ask, "What about Tara?"

My movement suddenly froze.

I wanted to hear what Ethan would say.

Would there be even a trace of attachment? Would he be reluctant to see me hurt? Would he turn back in time?

Ethan was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Tara and I have been together for ten years. I should be responsible for her."

"But do you understand? Ten years might really be too long. Touching her is like touching myself."

"Now I don't even want to answer her calls. Just hearing her name annoys me."

"I can only let her continue being Mrs. Lancaster as compensation for her."

I leaned against the cold wall, tears flooding out.

Ten years-a whole ten years!

I gave my entire heart, and in his eyes, it only earned me 'duty' and 'compensation'!

What about love?

Had all that intense love between us died?!

Outside the window, rain poured down.

I thought of that reckless rainy night so many years ago...

Ethan and I were high school classmates.

I hadn't wanted any entanglement with this man.

After all, Ethan was so unreachable.

Distinguished family background, excellent grades, and devastatingly handsome looks.

But unexpectedly, this dazzling Ethan had secretly loved me for three whole years.

I remember that night. Ethan stood in the pouring rain downstairs from my house, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Tara! I love you!"

On the day we chose universities, he didn't even look at other options, directly choosing the same school as me, and said with a smile, "Wherever you are, that's where my future is."

After entering university, we were a famously model couple, and even now the school still tells stories about our romance.

After graduation, I went to Europe for further studies, while Ethan went to North America for his MBA.

But not even the entire Atlantic Ocean could separate our love.

Ethan frequently flew to my school. Even with only one day free, he had to see me.

After graduate school, Ethan defied family pressure and decisively proposed to me.

This year marks our tenth year together, our third year of marriage.

I had been so certain we would be happy forever.

I never expected that the boy who once professed his love in the rain would never come back.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan's profile.

Still so young, so handsome. Time seemed to have left no trace on him.

But his eyes were so unfamiliar, so cold, they made me tremble all over.

His next words plunged me straight into hell.

"These days with Selene, I've experienced a joy I've never felt before."

"Once Selene gives birth, I'll send her abroad, then continue taking care of her under Eric's identity."

His friend asked, "Will Tara agree?"

"What right does she have to disagree?"

Ethan was dismissive.

"Her mother's still in the ICU. Several hundred thousand a month in expenses, and follow up treatment will cost even more. How could she afford it?"

"Besides continuing as Mrs. Lancaster and playing deaf and dumb, what other choice does she have?"

Word by word, each one pierced my heart.

I felt the air around me growing thin, couldn't catch my breath no matter what.

I stumbled out, rushing into the rain.

So it turned out my critically ill mother was, in his eyes, just leverage to control me!

The heavy rain soaked me through, but couldn't extinguish the flames of revenge in my heart.

Ethan, you don't know yet, do you? My mother is already gone.

She was driven to death by you and your beloved, working together!

There's nothing left to hold me back now...

I stopped in my tracks, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number.

"Transfer five million to my account. I need the best lawyer! I want a divorce!"