Even after three years of marriage, I was still a virgin.

My husband, Dennis Perkin, claimed he was impotent until I caught him and his first love having wild sex on our bed.

That day, I had gone out in the pouring rain to bring them medicine, only to be hit by a car. Both of my legs were broken.

When I woke up after emergency surgery, Dennis showed up at the hospital with her—Faye Barrick.

"So what if your legs are broken? It’s not like they can’t be fixed. Do you know how long it’s been since Faye and I last saw each other?" he sneered.

"From now on, Faye's moving in with us. Move out of the master bedroom as soon as possible."

Then he walked out.

Through the closed door, I could hear his friends laughing and joking,

"Dennis, how did you train your wife to be so obedient? Teach me!"

Dennis chuckled proudly, "No training needed. She volunteered to be my dog."

Tears streamed down my face. I reached into the drawer and pulled out the divorce papers I'd already prepared.

It's been three years. It's time to let go.

***

When I got back to the house on crutches, he was throwing a welcome-back party for Faye.

I was heading upstairs to pack when he called out to stop me, "Faye wants some pastries from Ladurée. Go buy them."

The housekeeper unable to bear it, spoke up gently, "Mrs. Perkin's leg is still healing. Let me go instead."

I said nothing and kept walking, but Dennis wouldn't drop it, "Why are you acting so sensitive? Are you jealous of Faye?"

He looked me in the eye. "No matter what happens, Faye will always come first for me."

He grabbed me so hard that I lost my balance and fell in the hallway. My crutches slipped, and I hit the floor hard.

Decorations shattered around me, and the sharp pieces cut my leg.

"If she doesn't want to go, don't force her," Faye said, walking over casually with a glass of wine.

She was already wearing the emerald bracelet meant for the Perkin family's future daughter-in-law. It glittered beautifully on her wrist.

She smiled and squatted down to help me, but her sharp, manicured nails dug into my skin. I winced and pushed her hand away. Just then, her high heel twisted beneath her, and her expression changed instantly. "Davina, why did you push me?" she accused.

Without giving me a chance to speak, Dennis focused on Faye's swollen and bruised ankle with clear worry.

The very next moment, he grabbed my chin and shoved me into the wall so hard that his knuckles went white.

"Do you have a death wish? How dare you lay a hand on Faye?" he yelled.

I covered my head as warm blood trickled through my hair.

The housekeeper instinctively bent down, trying to stop the bleeding with a handkerchief, but froze in fear when Dennis shot her a chilling glare.

The other guests in the house heard the commotion and hurried over. One of his friends urged him, "Dennis, take Faye to the hospital now. Bone injuries take months to fully recover. Every minute matters."

Another voice added, "Davina's bleeding. This can't be ignored."

Carrying Faye in his arms, Dennis's face softened with concern, but when he turned to me, his gaze turned icy. "It's just a scrape and some blood. But Faye twisted her ankle!"

Then the door slammed shut, and the sound of a sports car engine echoed. Dennis had already driven off.

I felt my vision blurring and my eyelids growing heavy. Even leaning against the wall couldn't keep me on my feet. After a moment of hesitation, the housekeeper finally told the driver to take me to the hospital.

I lay on the stiff emergency room bed, the cold seeping up from beneath me. Blood still leaked from the stitched wound on my forehead, the metallic scent mixing with the sharp smell of antiseptic in the air.

The nurse was cleaning the wounds on my calf, where shards of glass had sliced through the skin. The pain was so sharp, I nearly ground my teeth to pieces.

"After a car accident, the patient needs proper rest. How could the family be so careless..."

The doctor glanced at my pale skin and teary eyes, seeming unsure whether to say anything. In the end, he just let out a sigh.

In the next ward, Dennis, the person I had listed as my emergency contact, was sitting with another woman.

I heard Faye's upset voice coming from the hallway, "Dennis, my ankle really hurts.

"Davina must be jealous of how good you are to me. Next time, please don't be so kind to me."

Dennis replied with a soft tone, "It's alright. I'll ask the director to make sure you get the best care. That foolish woman did it on purpose. I'll deal with her once we're home."

My hands clenched the blanket so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

Three years ago, when my father's business was about to collapse, the Perkin family suggested a marriage alliance to help my family survive the crisis.

My family had no other option, so they put all their money and property into the Perkin Group, hoping it would turn things around.

On our wedding night, Dennis handed me a document and said he only married me because his grandfather, Kieran Perkin, kept pressuring him to settle down.

I used to believe that if I treated him with enough care and kindness, I could melt his cold heart.

But three months ago, I saw him hugging Faye at a private lounge, and that's when it hit me, he could smile that warmly.

He wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth with such care, and when they danced, he wrapped his arm around her waist like she was the only one in the world.

A few minutes after the nurse walked out, the ward door burst open.

Faye sat in a wheelchair, her leg in an exaggerated plaster cast. Dennis leaned over to adjust her cushion and he looked so tender while doing it.

"Why are you putting on an act?" Dennis stood up and looked at me with that mocking grin. "Faye didn't even cry when she hurt her leg, but you're making a fuss over hitting your head."

"Dennis, don't take it out on your Davina," Faye said softly, lifting her wrist.

"Davina, I know you don't like me wearing this bracelet since I'm not the real daughter-in-law of the Perkin family. Fine, I'll return it to you..."

Then she suddenly shouted, "Wait, where's the bracelet? I swear I left it right on the bedside table!"

Dennis's face darkened immediately. "Davina Marino, did you steal Faye's bracelet?!"

I stared at him, shocked. "I was in the emergency room the whole time. I haven't even stepped out of bed."

He yelled, "Don't try to talk your way out of it! I gave you your hospital card, of course, it can unlock Faye's ward. Who else would dare take something that expensive?"

He stormed toward me and yanked my blanket off. The IV ripped out of my arm, and blood spilled across the clean white sheets. "Get up! Even if you didn't take it, you're going back to the house to help me find it, right now!"

As I stared at the angry look on Dennis's face, a memory suddenly came back to me, something I overheard near the study at the Perkin's residence two years ago.

Back then, Kieran shouted in rage, "If the Marino family hadn't helped us, our family would've been crushed by our competitors! That bracelet belongs to Davina. Don't you dare to give it to that shameless woman!"

However, Kieran has passed away, and Dennis was in charge of the company.

He no longer cared about what the Marino family had done for him. Instead, he blamed me for taking away his right to love freely.

That's why he despised me so much. He pushed my father, Erick Marino, aside in the company and made sure no one remembered our family's support.

I held my injured hand, trying to stop the bleeding, while tears slipped down my face.

Still, Dennis grabbed me roughly and forced me up. I met his eyes and managed to say with a shaking voice, "Let's get a divorce, Dennis."

He froze for a moment. "Davina, do you even understand what you're saying?"

He finally let go of me, and I stumbled back, crashing into the railing with a dull thud. Faye burst out laughing while trying to cover her mouth.

With a smug look on his face, Dennis said, "You were the one who suggested this."

I could tell he had been waiting to hear that for ages. I gave a bitter smile, tears forming in my eyes. "Dennis, you've been hoping I'd bring up the divorce all along."

Without saying anything more, he turned around and pushed Faye's wheelchair down the hall. He said, "My lawyer will send the divorce papers tomorrow.

"And by the way, you'd better hope your dad still has a job at the company."

I lay on the hospital bed, quietly sobbing and hugging my knees.

What he really wanted was to kick my father out of the Perkin Group. I understood this was just a warning.

Later, when Faye got back to the house, she was lounging on the sofa watching a film.

She wore my silk robe—the one I used to wear—along with the slippers I had just bought last month. She held a mug, containing an herbal drink.

That mug was special to me, it was one of the few things Dennis ever gave me in our three years together.

Back then, my father had helped save some important deals for their company. He did a lot to protect their profits, and the Perkin family had been deeply thankful to us at the time.

That year, for our wedding anniversary, Dennis was on a work trip in France and brought me this mug as a present.

Later on, I found out it was just a complimentary gift from an expensive jewelry shop, but I still treated it like a treasure.

When I arrived home, I saw the housekeeper open the door while a servant came over to help me walk inside.

Faye didn't even look up. Stretching as she had just woken up, she said lazily, "Dennis, I'm craving strawberries, go wash some for me."

I leaned against the wall, forcing my injured legs to move. Each step felt like sharp pain was spreading through my bones.

Then, out of nowhere, Faye looked up at me and smiled brightly.

"Davina, I've found the emerald bracelet. It's my fault, I left it in the car. Dennis got mad at you because of it, so I came to say sorry."

My fingers curled into a fist, my nails nearly piercing my skin from how tightly I gripped my hand.

Just then, Dennis walked over holding a bowl of strawberries. Hearing her talk, he frowned slightly, "What's wrong with you? Faye apologized. Are you not going to say anything?"

He picked up a strawberry and brought it to Faye's lips, speaking with a softness I hadn't heard in a long time. "Is it sweet?"

Faye took a bite and let the juice drip down, purposely leaving a red stain on her mouth.

Dennis gently wiped her lips with his fingers, brushing the corner slowly, his eyes growing darker.

I stayed quiet in the background, feeling like I didn't belong, like I was invisible.

"Dennis... can we not get a divorce?" I asked in a weak voice.

When I spoke with my father on the phone earlier, it hit me that he's not the same man I used to remember. The energy and strength he once had are completely gone.

During all his time with the Perkin family, he's worked just as hard as Kieran himself. He's always tried his best, just hoping they would truly accept him.

But Dennis used my father as a threat against me. I understood that if I agreed to divorce, he'd have no problem kicking my father out.

If he had done that, our family would never have survived in the business world. All he needs is for me to say I want the divorce first.

Once I do that, he can make up lies about me, ruin my name, and give the Perkin family a reason to cut ties and move on.

He laughed like I had told him the funniest thing in the world. Then he walked toward me, still smiling. "Davina, didn't you say you wanted a divorce? What now? Regretting it already?"

I said quietly, "I won't sign the divorce papers. But I'll move out tomorrow. You can do whatever you please."

Even though I was deeply scared, I finally chose to say what I truly felt and share what I planned to do.

For once, he didn't mock me or suddenly explode in anger.

He simply replied, "Do what you want. I won't kick you out. You can stay here if you like."

I gave a short laugh and shook my head.

We've been married for three years. Even if he never loved me, he knows the challenges I'm facing.

I have nowhere to go. I couldn't return to the Marino family.

My stepmother and half-brother never treated me well, and I didn't want to cause my father more trouble.

Most of our family's property is already in the Perkin family's name. For the past three years, I devoted myself entirely to being a housewife, and I barely have enough money saved to rent a decent place to recover.

I quietly walked into the bedroom that used to belong to me and Dennis. The wedding photo that once hung on the wall was already gone.

A sudden pain struck my chest. For so many nights over the past three years, I would lie awake staring at the ceiling, gazing at that beautiful but fake photo, dreaming about what it would be like if Dennis truly loved me.

I still remember how excited I was when I first found out my father was arranging for me to marry into the Perkin family. I was so thrilled I couldn't fall asleep that night.

I'd known Dennis since I was a teen.

Back then, he was incredibly popular at school, smart, charming, and admired by everyone. No wonder I had a crush on him. That secret crush during my school years felt like a joyful festival I kept to myself.

Even now, I don't understand why I've held onto these feelings for so long. I've never stopped liking him.

Inside the room, the servant was changing out the floral bedsheets I loved most, and the scent diffuser I used to keep by the bed had already been tossed in the trash.

I opened the closet, but none of my clothes were there. The entire wardrobe was packed with flashy, tight-fitting dresses, crammed right up against Dennis's neat shirts and suits.

The servant said, "Mrs. Perkin, your things have been moved to the guest room. Mr. Perkin said to decorate it just like this one, so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable adjusting."

I inhaled slowly. Maybe it's finally time to let go of this obsession.

The servant brought me toward the guest room, but Dennis stood in the hallway and wouldn't let me pass.

"You've been in secret contact with Lionel, haven't you?" he asked coldly, holding my phone tightly.

"Is he the reason why you agreed to the divorce so easily?"

"This doesn't concern you," I replied, staring straight at him and speaking slowly.

In the blink of an eye, he slapped me hard, and a sharp ringing filled my ears.

"Are you asking him to save your family or run away with you? Stop kidding yourself, Davina."

Dennis grabbed my neck roughly and shoved me hard into the wall. "On our wedding day, Lionel sat in the crowd and watched us say our vows. His entire family moved overseas for better chances, why didn't he bring your family too? That's because you never mattered enough."

I could barely breathe. He leaned in, his voice low and hot against my skin, making me shudder. "Are you just lonely and looking for any guy to keep you company now?"

I tried with all my strength to get away, but Dennis just lifted me off the ground and carried me like I was weightless.

The servants tried to stop him, but he shoved past them, dragged me into the guest room, and locked the door behind us.

I couldn't understand why he got so angry seeing me contacting other men, especially when he clearly didn't care about me anymore.

For three years, he had treated me decently, but today he had completely lost control.

The pain from my injuries worsened with each second. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, my hands leaving bloody scratches on his back.

"Why are you doing this to me? Is it only because I love you?" I sobbed, my voice broken.

He stopped for a second, but instead of answering, he pressed his lips against mine, his kiss rough and wordless.

His eyes looked strange, both calm and mad, like a beam of sunlight suddenly breaking through storm clouds.

There was a knock on the door. It was Faye. "Dennis, where are you? My ankle really hurts. Can you come to stay with me?"

But Dennis didn't stop.

I don't know how long it lasted, but eventually everything ended.

I was left lying there, drained and sore. He tossed his clothes over me, opened the door, and walked out without a word.

The next morning, I woke up hurting all over.

Every part of me felt crushed, with dark bruises forming all around my neck.

On the table was a cold breakfast and a cup of milk. Underneath the cup was a divorce paper.

His handwriting was as neat as ever, but reading the last page made my eyes sting.

"The Perkin Group is reclaiming all the shares held by the Marino family. The only thing left was this house we once shared."

My phone buzzed under the pillow. Lionel Fissolo had tried to call me so many times, but I hadn't picked up. Instead, he left another voice message, "Davina, wait for me."

I was just about to answer him when Faye barged into the room.

She was dressed in one of Dennis's shirts, which was so short it barely covered her legs. Holding a cup of coffee, she said, "Davina, I think this package is for you."

She tossed the box in front of me on purpose, and several photos scattered across the bed.

They were all surveillance screenshots from last night, showing Dennis carrying me into the room. My clothes were messy and pushed up around my thighs, revealing a lot.

"Dennis told me to pass along a message. What if these pictures end up with the people who used to work under Sir Perkin at the company?"

She bent down and picked up the most explicit photo, her manicured nail grazing the fading bruise on my neck. "Do you really think those old board members would still support Mr. Marino staying on the board after seeing their chairman's wife looking like this?"

I clutched the bedsheet tightly, my fingers trembling.

Apparently, the reason Dennis slept with me was just to snap those photos.

Just last month, my father had undergone heart bypass surgery. The doctor kept warning us that he must avoid getting upset.

"Oh, by the way," she said, then without warning, she spilled the hot coffee onto her own hand. "What do you think Dennis will do if he finds out you hurt me again?"

Her loud cry brought people running from downstairs.

I nearly leaped forward to grab her, but the second my fingers brushed her arm, she yanked it away.

My lower back slammed into the edge of the table, and I caught a look of victory flashing in her eyes.

"Davina!" When Dennis burst into the room, Faye was already on the floor crying, and the red, puffy mark on her hand made Dennis's face twist with pain.

I struggled to stand, gripping the table for support. My back throbbed so badly that my voice shook. "Faye, are you going to accuse me of burning you with coffee again? You and Dennis really are alike, both sneaky and low."

Just as Dennis lifted his hand to hit me, the housekeeper stepped in and stopped him. "Mr. Perkin, Mr. Fissolo is here."