My husband's brother's wife, Vanessa Caldwell, was angry again.

Just because I kissed my husband at the wedding banquet, she burst into tears and wrecked the whole venue.

After the scene she caused, she locked herself in her room and went on a hunger strike.

My husband, Ryan Mitchell, left me at the wedding banquet to chase after her.

He brought her into our home to appease her. They lived together, and he treated her like they were husband and wife.

He even held a wedding for her.

"My brother passed early. She just wants a wedding, nothing more. I will hold another one for you later."

I stayed silent for a long time before replying.

"This is the 100th time you canceled our wedding for her."

He couldn't have cared less.

"When she feels better, I will come back to you."

A week later, Vanessa texted me with fake generosity oozing from every word.

"Ryan has been with me for so long, I will be more generous this time and forgive you."

That day, Ryan finally returned home with kiss marks all over his body.

Just then, the guard brought a letter. "Emma Torres, a letter from your husband just came in!"

***

Seeing the letter in the guard's hand, the look on Ryan's face changed.

He tilted his head and glanced over.

"What did he say?"

I took the letter and put it in my bag. "Nothing."

He stared at me for a while, took my hand, and walked home. He cornered me as soon as he got in the door.

"Emma, we've known each other too long for me not to notice. You still haven't dropped that habit of getting someone to put on an act just to piss me off when you're mad?

"Okay, stop this, please. I'm back now, no?

"Don't worry, there's nothing between me and her. I only held a wedding with her to fulfill her dream.

"What happened back at that wedding banquet was my fault. I came back today to make up for it with you."

"No need for that."

I evaded his kiss.

"If you miss it, you miss it. There's no need to make up for it."

That wasn't the first time the wedding had been canceled.

He slighted me right there and then, and now he tried to make amends.

But I had no intention of playing nice anymore.

Ryan didn't take my words to heart at all and came over to hug me.

"It's not a big deal. Vanessa has agreed to let us hold the wedding banquet again. Why are you still mad at her?

"Emma, you're not going to be that petty, are you?

"Trust me, I've made all the arrangements this time. No one will come to mess things up. Let's do this."

He took my arm and smiled.

But I felt a chill in my heart.

My wedding banquet with him can only be held with the consent of his sister-in-law.

It seemed too ridiculous for me even to say it out loud.

I pulled my arm free and took a deep breath.

"Ryan, cancel the wedding.

"I have already filed a divorce report with the authorities."

We have known each other and loved each other for eight years. I decided to just take it as if I were blind the whole time.

I thought we should just cut our losses.

After saying that, I took out the luggage that I had packed long ago.

But Ryan wore a gloomy look on his face and stopped in front of me.

"Emma, are you crazy?

"A few days ago, you were the one who cried and begged me not to leave. Now that I promise to hold the wedding banquet for you, this is how do you react to it?

"Don't forget this! You can't even stand here without me!"

My face turned cold, and I was about to speak.

That was when the phone in the room rang.

He walked over quickly, and the moment the call got through, his expression softened.

"Hello, Vanessa?"

It sounded like he was calling out to his lover.

Vanessa pretended to be mad. "Ryan, I've already set up the wedding banquet, and the guests are here. Why aren't you here yet?"

"I'll be there soon. Just chill."

He persuaded the other person with a smile on his face and was extremely gentle.

He did the same to me once upon a time.

But now, when he looked at me again, the look in his eyes immediately turned cold.

"I don't have time for this ruckus! Hurry up, we can't keep Vanessa waiting!"

He reached out and pushed me out hard.

I stumbled, tripped over the threshold, and fell. My face hit the ground. My forehead and nose started bleeding instantly.

I was seeing stars from the pain.

Ryan seemed not to see any of it. He just asked the bodyguard to come in, drag me up, and put me into the car.

He also sat in and said, "Get to the InterContinental Hotel."

He glared at me.

"Vanessa is kind enough to help us with the wedding banquet. Know your place."

As he said this, he threw the clothes and gauze at my face.

"Handle it yourself. Don't scare the guests or cause other people to misunderstand."

I looked at him through the bloody mist, and my body grew colder and colder.

"Ryan, I've already said it—the wedding is canceled!"

Whack!

He slapped me in the face with a fierce look in his eyes.

He exuded a cold and hard aura.

"Emma, I'll say it again! Know your place!"

"Even if you want to break up, you have to get through today. You can't let Vanessa think she's the reason for our divorce! She will be sad!"

I was almost laughing out of anger.

I couldn't believe we needed someone else's approval to hold our wedding.

I couldn't believe we needed her approval to cancel it.

It was just ridiculous!

I threw off the clothes and was about to speak.

Ryan touched the ring on his finger.

A sweet smile instantly appeared on his face. I knew without thinking that it was a gift from Vanessa.

He wanted to hold a wedding banquet with me wearing a wedding ring given by another woman.

"How ridiculous." I thought.

As if noticing my gaze, he glanced at me coldly and said, "Emma, disobey me again, and I will throw you out of the car, tie you up behind, and drag you over there just like that. You know I can do this."

My heart felt stabbed.

I believed that he would really do so.

Last time we went to the movies, he threw me out of a moving car just because Vanessa was unhappy with my presence.

I rolled down the driveway and was hit hard by the car behind me, ending up with multiple fractures on my body.

I stayed in the hospital for half a year before I gradually got better.

I didn't want to suffer anymore, so I lowered my head to treat the wound and changed into clean clothes.

Ryan raised the corners of his lips in satisfaction.

The InterContinental Hotel was the most luxurious hotel in Chicago.

The car soon arrived at the hotel entrance.

Ryan booked the whole place. All kinds of flowers that Vanessa liked were placed outside the door.

There was a banner hanging above, and it had his and Vanessa's names on it.

If someone saw and didn't know any better, they might have thought that it was their wedding banquet.

I endured the pain and followed Ryan with an expressionless look on my face.

"Stop pretending! A little injury won't kill you, hurry up!"

Ryan grabbed my hand in annoyance and dragged me inside.

He was afraid that Vanessa would wait too long.

I stumbled.

The wound on my forehead seemed to start bleeding again.

It wasn't long before the gauze was soaked through.

Ryan looked at me with disdain. His expression became increasingly gloomy.

In the hall, all the guests were surrounding Vanessa.

They are all Ryan's colleagues and friends.

As soon as Ryan and I appeared, the originally lively place suddenly became silent.

Everyone looked at each other.

Someone shouted first.

"Mr. Mitchell."

"Ryan, Emma, you are here?"

Everyone had a smile on their face.

Yet, the scene felt very eerie.

As soon as Ryan got inside, he left me on my own and walked to Vanessa.

I stood there with blood all over my face, looking miserable.

"You and your wife are indeed quite a couple, Mr. Mitchell. This wedding banquet is very grand."

Some people laughed playfully, but those laughs had other meanings to them.

Hearing this, the people around Ryan snorted in dissatisfaction.

"I'm angry."

Ryan suddenly got nervous and tried to calm her down. "Vanessa, who made you angry again?"

Vanessa was wearing a gray long skirt with a blue Dacron shirt on top.

She was wearing a pair of calfskin shoes and had curly hair.

Her face was rosy, and she looked vibrant.

She looked nothing like a widow who had just lost her husband.

She was clearly Ryan's treasure.

She glanced at me and said unhappily, "I set up the scene, invited the guests, and worked hard for a long time. I should at least get credit for working hard, right?"

Ryan appeased her softly. "Yes, yes, thank you for your hard work, Vanessa."

He put his arms around Vanessa's waist and deliberately kissed the corner of her lips in front of me.

He didn't care about their actual relationship at all.

"Ryan, don't you think you should thank me properly?"

Ryan didn't even think about it. "How would you like me to do it?"

She moved her hands around Ryan's waist and said ambiguously, "I want you to kiss me again, Ryan."

"What's so difficult about this?"

Ryan did not hesitate and kissed Vanessa in public.

He didn't care at all that I, his legal wife, was there.

There were whistles and cheers all around.

Everyone looked at me with a sarcastic look on their faces.

Vanessa was Ryan's sister-in-law. Things hadn't been the same since Ryan's older brother passed away.

Ryan used the excuse of taking care of his widowed sister-in-law to run errands for her every day.

At that time, I already felt that their relationship was too close.

But as soon as I said that, Ryan thought I was crazy. He thought that I was jealous of my widowed sister-in-law and said that I had no heart.

I used to argue with him, and I ended up looking like a lunatic every time.

Even his colleagues and subordinates thought I was not worthy of him.

They thought that he and Vanessa should be a couple.

Every time I heard something like this, I would always go crazy.

But now...

I watched them kissing without reacting, completely numb.

"They love each other so much, so it should be easy for me to just leave, right?" I thought.

After a long time, Vanessa seemed to recall that I was around. She pushed Ryan away and said maliciously, "Ryan, Emma is still watching here."

She smiled and asked me, "Emma, you won't be jealous, will you?"

"Why would I?"

I laughed easily.

"Look at you two, a perfect couple. I am so happy for you."

I looked at Ryan again. "Since you two love each other so much, you should divorce me as soon as possible for the sake of your sister-in-law."

When Ryan heard this, he turned glum immediately.

Vanessa held his hand, a dark aura flashing in her eyes.

Immediately, she spoke aggrievedly.

"Emma, do you dislike me so much? Ryan just feels sorry that I lost my husband, and you want me to bear the blame for causing your divorce?"

She let go of Ryan's hand. "If that's the case, I'd better leave."

Ryan hurriedly grabbed her hand and glared at me fiercely.

"Emma, you just refuse to understand this, no? Vanessa has a hard time living alone. I'm just helping my brother take care of her. Why do you have to cause her trouble and make her sad?"

I felt sad deep down.

I thought I wouldn't be sad, but I still felt sad.

"Sorry to bother you. I'll go home now."

I turned around to leave, but Vanessa rushed over to stop me.

"Emma, today is your wedding banquet with Ryan, how can you leave..."

I didn't want to pay attention to her and just wanted to walk away.

She suddenly cried out and fell flat on the ground.

"Vanessa!"

Ryan exclaimed and rushed over to help Vanessa up.

She seemed to have twisted her ankle and yelped. She then leaned into Ryan's arms and choked up. "Ryan, don't blame Emma. She didn't trip me on purpose. It was all my fault that I lost my footing."

Ryan suddenly turned his head and glared at me, the look in his eyes looking like he was wishing he could eat me up.

"Emma, why are you so vicious?

"Since I have warned you countless times and you just won't listen, then don't blame me for doing this!"

He gave a look, and immediately the guards rushed over and pinned me to the ground.

He glared at me hatefully, then turned around and asked Vanessa gently, "Vanessa, did she hurt you. What do you have to do to forgive her?"

"I can do whatever I want? This won't be appropriate, no?" Vanessa was worried.

He didn't hesitate. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

When everyone heard this, they all looked like they were enjoying a good show.

I felt a chill in my heart.

I felt myself being even more ridiculous.

I actually loved such a person for eight whole years.

He had taken care of Vanessa for the past two years, under the pretext of taking care of his older brother's widow. I repeatedly tolerated him, thinking that I could make him change his mind.

But now, it was time for a reality check.

"Ryan, since you said so, I will naturally have to do something..."

Vanessa smiled strangely and looked at me.

"Emma just tripped me. So, Ryan, break one of her legs and we'll call it even. Sound good?"

Ryan frowned slightly.

I was shocked and shouted, "No!

"Ryan, I couldn't afford to have damaged legs!"

As soon as Vanessa opened her mouth, I knew what she was up to.

She and I were in the same dance troupe, and I was the lead dancer. I would also be taking part in a performance in a few days.

If things went well, I would be promoted soon.

If I ended up injured and couldn't perform, the opportunity would go to Vanessa.

And Ryan knew exactly what I cared about most.

If my legs were broken, I would never be able to go on stage again!

My dreams would all be ruined!

He looked at me with a complicated expression.

Vanessa cried out in pain. "Ryan, my foot hurts so much..."

Ryan felt distressed instantly, and his eyes turned cold when he looked at me. "You hurt your sister-in-law's leg, so a leg for a leg then!"

I looked at him in disbelief, as if someone had ripped a piece out of my chest, leaving air leaking from every direction.

He used to protect my dreams carefully.

He would stand beside me and tell me not to worry about anything. He told me that as long as I wanted to dance, he would always support me.

During my last performance, I injured my leg and almost couldn't dance anymore.

He was so anxious that he cried and was more worried than I was. He even went all the way to New York and begged everywhere, just to get me the most capable doctor to perform surgery on me. All of that just to protect my dream.

But now...

He watched coldly as Vanessa gave the order. "Mr. Mitchell already gave the order. What are you waiting for?"

Several men in black pushed me to the ground.

Ignoring my struggles, they pinned me down and held my legs in place.

I screamed and tried to call for help.

The scene was full of Ryan's people, and no one dared to help.

"Mrs. Mitchell, please be quiet and don't move!

"The sooner we get this over with, the less you'd suffer!"

Someone took a hammer and smashed it hard on the bone.

Snap!

The bones seemed to break all at once.

I screamed miserably, and the blood on my forehead gushed.

Ryan's voice was icy, completely void of emotion.

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being such a troublemaker. Vanessa only wants one of your legs, which is a bargain for you."

I raised my head with difficulty, my eyes looking like they were stained with blood.

His face was hidden behind the bloody mist, looking like a demon.

My eyes went dark, and I was twitching in pain, but I couldn't stop feeling cold in my heart.

He knew how much I valued my dreams.

Yet, with just one word from Vanessa, everything I had was easily destroyed.

He was right.

He was right, I have been a troublemaker in love all these years!

"Ryan, I wish I'd never met you."

When he heard what I said, his face trembled.

He was furious, as if his tail had been stepped on.

"Emma, you haven't learned your lesson then, eh? It seems that you deserve worse!"

He grabbed the hammer and smashed it on my other leg.

"In that case, I guess you don't need your other leg anymore."

The sound of breaking bones was heard again.

I rolled on the ground in pain, blood mixed with sweat soaking my whole body, looking miserable.

He still felt it was not enough, so he dragged me in front of Vanessa and pressed my head down.

"I have to teach you a lesson! Today, you shall kneel in front of Vanessa and apologize!

"This doesn't end until I say it does!"

I endured the pain and looked up at him.

"After this, I want a divorce."

Upon hearing this, Ryan became furious.

He didn't understand what I was making a fuss about.

I lost count of how many times this had happened before, and it always ended with me admitting defeat.

I was done with sucking things up.

All I had to do was admit my mistake to him.

But this time, I no longer wanted to compromise.

"I'll do it—just agree to the divorce."

Ryan gritted his teeth.

Before he could say anything, Vanessa hugged him.

"Ryan, just agree to it. She is quite pitiful."

He looked at Vanessa, his expression softened instantly, and he no longer hesitated. "Okay, I'll do as you say."

There was a gleam of triumph in Vanessa's eyes, and she looked at me like she was taunting me.

"Emma, please just apologize quickly and don't waste your chance."

Ryan stared at me closely.

My legs hurt so much that I had no strength left. I could only lie on the floor, barely lift my upper body, and begin to bow.

The blood quickly spread on the floor tiles.

I seemed to have no sense of pain. I continued numbly and mechanically.

Seeing the blood on my body, Ryan clenched his hands at his sides. The look in his eyes was terribly cold.

I was in a daze.

Someone said something.

"What a disgrace. The legal wife is going through all this. I would just die if I were her."

"Look at her, she really looks like a dog."

Vanessa became even prouder when she heard this.

She deliberately kissed Ryan in front of me.

I turned a deaf ear to it.

I wasn't getting through the ordeal any faster.

Seeing this, Vanessa grabbed his hand.

"Ryan, let's not make it hard for Emma. How about this, as long as she licks my shoes clean, we'll let this matter go, okay?"

She raised the corners of her lips and smiled wickedly.

"It would look better than whatever she's doing now, no? Wouldn't doing this be a waste of everyone's time?"

Before I could say anything, Ryan spoke.

"Stop."

I thought he was going to ease up.

The next second, he said, "The guests don't have time to wait for you.

"Just do as Vanessa said. Lick her shoes clean, and the matter will be over."

He spoke in a condescending tone.

I laughed at myself deep down. I laughed at myself for still having a little hope for him.

Now, in order to please Vanessa, he was trying every possible way to humiliate me!

I was a fool to have believed that he still had some conscience.

Seeing my cold and empty eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

It was as if some treasure was about to be lost.

He pursed his lips and said impatiently. "Hurry up, as long as you admit your mistake, I will pretend as if nothing happened.

"Good days await us."

"Good days?" I thought.

I almost laughed out loud.

He humiliated me like this in front of everyone for some outsider, and still thought we could have good days together?!

How ridiculous!

I didn't want to tangle with him any longer.

I summoned every bit of strength I had and struggled to crawl away.

Vanessa, who had been staring at me, kicked me over.

"Where do you think you're going? My shoes haven't been licked yet!"

I fell to the ground, unable to make a sound due to the pain, and could only groan.

There was a buzzing in my ears.

It seems like the sounds were moving away from me.

"Why don't you guys do something?" Vanessa glared at the guards impatiently.

Several guards dragged me over and pressed me against Vanessa's shoes.

Laughter erupted all around.

"This is hilarious! Is this still that haughty Ms. Torres we know?"

"This is worse than a dog."

"If I were her, I would just hang myself."

I struggled hard, but it hurt so much.

That little bit of force was like a tickle to the bodyguards.

I saw a bodyguard trying to pry open my mouth and make me lick her shoes.

The intense feeling of humiliation almost made it difficult for me to breathe.

Ryan looked at me, his brows furrowed, and then relaxed.

His tone softened rarely.

"Finish licking it quickly, and I'll take you to the hospital. Your legs may still be saved."

I gritted my teeth and was about to speak.

The door of the banquet hall was slammed open.

Everyone turned their heads in astonishment.

Then rows of well-trained men in black rushed in and quickly held down everyone at the scene.

The rest of the guests were lined up in the hall.

Ryan was completely stunned.

At this time, a tall and slender figure strode towards them from the crowd.

When he saw my injuries, the look on his face became terribly gloomy.

Kicking the bodyguards away, he carefully and gently helped me up. His tone was full of remorse.

"Honey, I'm late."