Ten Strikes and You're Out

Tracie Conner has saved my mom's life before, so I've given her ten chances to make mistakes. On the day of our engagement, Tracie fled the venue with her first love, Elton Stafford. I chose to forgive her. On the day my mom gets discharged from the hospital, Tracie and Elton can be seen making out passionately with each other at the main entrance. I merely ignore them. In the year after that, Tracie keeps making all sorts of mistakes because of Elton. But I treat her like the same and never take her behavior to heart. That's why Tracie begins acting out of hand, thinking that I will always love her. The tenth chance is used up when Tracie brings Elton to our marital home on our wedding day. When her best friend, Erica Frey, accidentally stumbles upon them during their deed, Tracie doesn't give a damn at all. "Elton is my first love. What's wrong with us using this bedroom to get closure? Besides, Jonas loves me so much. Even if he sees me cheating on him, he'll forgive me." I chuckle softly as I watch everything unfold from a corner. Tracie has used up her tenth chance. Now, I no longer owe her anything. Chapter 1 I unpinned the groom's boutonniere and pushed the door open. The two people locked in a heated kiss on the bed jumped in shock and sprang apart in panic. The moment she saw the look on my face, Tracie Conner hurriedly wiped the smear of saliva from her lips, guilt flashing across her face. "You're back, honey. Have all the guests left?" She forced a laugh. "Don't get the wrong idea. Elton and I were just playing Truth or Dare to kill some time while you were gone. If you don't believe me, ask Erica." She nudged her best friend, Erica Frey, who stiffly turned around and flashed me an awkward smile. "Don't misunderstand, Jonas Sawyer. I was the one who suggested the game." A game? A game that involved putting on a live show on our bed while Erica watched? "Sounds like quite a game. Why stop? We can stay and watch." My expression darkened, and Tracie secretly pinched Erica, who looked like she'd been trying to slip away. Her face flushed red as she said, "Look, Jonas. Here's what happened. I suggested the game, but Tracie didn't want to do it, so I told her that she was being a buzzkill and wasn't acting like a real friend. She was forced into it." She squeezed out her final words through gritted teeth, glared at Tracie, and bolted from the suite without looking back. Her hasty retreat practically screamed, "I did what I could." "Tracie, do you think I'm an idiot?" I stared straight at her. After all these years together, she knew exactly how much I despised cheating. When I was a kid, Dad brought his mistress into our home. Mom couldn't take it and tried to end her life more than once. My childhood was defined by a biased father, a shameless mistress, and a mother constantly on edge. I'd told Tracie that there were many things I could tolerate, but she shouldn't have brought her lover into our bed and desecrated our proof of love. That was a knife straight through my heart. "I already explained it, didn't I?" Tracie snapped. "Elton and I were just playing a game of Truth or Dare, and it was just a kiss. "It's not like I've never kissed him before. If there were really something going on between us, I wouldn't have married you, would I?" Elton Stafford immediately chimed in, "It's just a kiss, Jonas. Tracie's with you now anyway, so don't be so petty. Besides, that's how people usually greet others abroad. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Tracie nodded along with him, the guilt in her eyes slowly hardening into certainty. I felt sick. How could they shamelessly twist the truth? Even if some cultures greeted people with a kiss, it was never so passionate. I knew exactly why Tracie was being so bold; she was convinced I could never leave her. Fortunately, the marriage hadn't truly been finalized yet. Maybe this was fate giving me a way out. When I said nothing, Tracie suddenly grabbed Elton's arm and hissed at me, "Since we've cleared things up, you owe Elton an apology. He's a guest, and no one just walks in and starts accusing a guest like that! Do you even want this marriage to work or not?" Elton quickly waved his hands. "No need to apologize. Jonas just cares about you." He looked up with a stubborn expression, revealing the bright red hickeys on his neck. When Tracie wasn't looking, he shot me a smug, triumphant look, though his voice sounded pitiful. "Still, today was just a misunderstanding. I only came to deliver a wedding gift." He took out a photo album from his jacket. The moment it opened, page after page of photos spilled out, including close, intimate photos of them together from every angle. I punched him hard in the face. He cried out and immediately clung to Tracie. "I'm sorry, Jonas! I was in such a rush that I grabbed the wrong gift. These are my most precious memories, so please give them back and don't tear the photos. You can hit me or yell at me however you want. Tracie is all yours now. This album is all I have left." I looked down at the album torn apart in his struggle. He sounded so wounded, like he was the victim who'd lost love, while I was the villain who'd just suffered a little. Suddenly, Tracie struck me twice across the face. "If you're going to hit him, you might as well kill me too! I'm the one who let him take those photos. They are our shared memories, so what right do you have to destroy them? "That's just my past, Elton. You can't forbid me from having a past, can you? How can a man be so disgusting and controlling?" With that, she bent down to pick up the photos and carefully handed them back to Elton. "Don't mind him. He's just a rabid dog who bites anyone he sees." As Elton clutched the photos to his chest, the two of them locked eyes, lost in a world where no one else existed. My chest tightened. That was exactly how she used to look at me. I thought she loved me then, but it turned out that I was just a shadow of someone else. Perhaps this whole relationship was a mistake from the very start. "Let's get a divorce." Chapter 2 I kept my voice calm, but a sharp pain tore through my chest, as if something inside me had been ripped apart. It was almost suffocating. Tracie let out a mocking snort. She rummaged through her drawer for a set of divorce papers prepared in advance and signed her name without hesitation. "Aren't you tired of playing the separation card yet? Fine, I'll play along, but you'd better not regret this. I won't soften up, no matter how much you beg later." She kept her chin high, absolutely certain that I'd never go through with it. She believed that I was fully within her grasp and convinced that, for the sake of our years together and my financial situation, I'd never leave. I lowered my gaze, took the pen, and signed my name. "I won't regret this, Tracie Conner." Deep down, I swore that I was never coming back. With that, I turned and walked out of our bridal suite. It was starting to drizzle outside, soaking through my tuxedo jacket. People on the streets pointed and whispered, while Elton took a photo of me and posted it to his social media to mock me. The caption read. "Look at him slinking away like a stray dog." Tracie was the first to like it and wrote a comment. "He's just a rabid dog who might bite anytime. Stay away from him. Rabid dogs are dangerous." People in our circle quickly followed suit. When they learned that I'd been kicked out of my own home on my wedding day, they piled on with comments, laughing at my humiliation and misery. Only my best friend, Jason Smith, texted me, fuming with rage. "What the hell is wrong with her? You guys just got married, and she's already moving that piece of trash into the house and posting photos to humiliate you. I'm going to call her right now and ask her what—" Halfway through his rant, he suddenly yelled and sent a screenshot. "This is straight-up disrespect. She's telling everyone that you're not good enough, even though that villa was built for your marriage, and you're the one who designed it! "This is insane. How could she use a gift meant for you to suck up to someone else? I can't let this slide." I was sitting in a coffee shop and tapped on the photo. Tracie and Elton were posing in front of the gorgeous villa I'd poured my heart and soul into. The caption read, "You deserve the best things in this world, especially our little home." Right there on the gate, a polished sign gleamed under the light. "Elcie Cottage." Elcie, Elcie… I mulled over the word, and my eyes stung. For years, Tracie had been stringing me along and treating me like a dog she could call whenever she pleased. I never anticipated a future with her, so I never made our relationship fully public. But when a new coworker thought I was single and started sending flowers and making advances, Tracie immediately showed up at my office as soon as she heard. She brought with her 9,999 imported luxury roses—making a grand gesture— and slipped a ring onto my finger. "If you're trying to make me jealous, congratulations, it worked," she said. "Let's get married." She gave me the villa as a gift and had me design every inch of it myself. How ironic. "It's fine," I said to Jason. "We're divorced." Just after I sent the divorce papers to the courthouse for notarization, Tracie's father, Morgan Conner, called and warmly invited me to a family dinner. Over the years, her parents had never looked down on me. If anything, they treated me well, so I agreed and figured that I owed them an explanation for the divorce. But when I arrived, I ran into Tracie and Elton. Chapter 3 Tracie and Elton stood at the doorway like a picture-perfect couple, smiling as they waited for me to enter. When I turned to leave, Morgan stopped me. "Stay for dinner, Jonas. Caitlin was just telling me how much she misses you and your mother." I could hear the unmistakable threat in his voice. I froze and looked at them in disbelief. Morgan ushered me to a seat, smiling like a wolf in sheep's clothing. "Tracie is at fault for what happened at the bridal suite, but I heard you've slapped Elton, so let's just call it even. "A divorce isn't just about you, Jonas. The Conners have a reputation to uphold, and you can't afford to be this reckless, especially considering your mother's health. If you hate that villa so much, I can buy a new home for the two of you. "As for Tracie and Elton, they grew up together. It's only natural for them to have such feelings. You can't be too demanding, and it's not like you caught them in the act. A man should learn to be content with what he has, don't you agree?" He was forcing me to swallow the humiliation and subtly reminding me that everything I owed came from the Conners, so I had no right to demand loyalty from Tracie. The Conners would never allow even the slightest scandal to surface. I'd always known that such affairs were common among wealthy families, but I never thought it'd happen to me one day. Elton smiled and raised his glass towards me. "I'll apologize for earlier, Jonas. It's my fault, and I shouldn't have taken the game so far. Don't worry. I promise it'll never happen again, so please stop making a scene." Morgan nodded approvingly. "That's more like it. Since Elton apologized, Jonas, why don't you two clink glasses and try to get along from now on? Take Tracie to your mother later so she doesn't worry." They were demanding that I swallow my pride and choke down the bitter pill. Smiling, I picked up my wine glass and hurled it at Elton. "If this were back in the old days, a man in your position would be bowing at my feet the second he stepped inside, so what makes you think this attitude is going to cut it? "Here's the deal. Get on your knees or give me a full bow, and I'll agree to let you in and maybe get along with you." With that, I dragged over a chair and settled into my seat, crossing my legs. Elton shrieked and stumbled back as shards of glass cut his skin. As he hissed in pain, Morgan slammed the table, his expression hardening. "Jonas! Are you sure you want to cross the Conners? Do you have any idea what that will cost you?" I scoffed and nonchalantly spread my hands. "Mr. Conner, you know what they say about a man with nothing to lose. You can threaten me all you want, but if I tell the world that Tracie spent her wedding night in bed with another man, I wonder if the Conners can afford that kind of scandal." I'd barely finished when a shadow flashed in front of me. Tracie clamped her hand around my throat and slowly tightened the grip as she fixed her eyes on me. "Human life is so fragile, Jonas. Tell me, which one do you think will happen first? You leaking a story or your mom dying?" My eyes widened in disbelief as my body began to tremble I knew she wasn't bluffing. People who'd threatened her the same way found their parents dead the next day, and they'd be thrown into the sea. It was easy to make someone disappear, but I never expected those words to come from the woman I once loved. "Have you thought it through?" She loosened her grip and waited for my apology, while Elton and Morgan stood behind her with eyes full of smug satisfaction. "Yes, I've thought it through." I obediently admitted fault and promised I'd never say a word of what happened. Chapter 4 After the dinner, Tracie placed me under surveillance. She immediately had Mom moved somewhere else, claiming to protect her in case someone sought revenge. They refused to let me see her or tell me where she was. The only updates I received were the occasional photos and videos Tracie sent of Mom looking well, provided when Tracie's frequent public appearances with Elton started fueling rumors. My job was to play her good husband. That only made Elton bolder. He frequently started mocking me in our social circles, calling me a "trophy husband" and a spineless puppet. He bragged that the Conners had only allowed a broke loser like me to marry into the family because I was soft and had nothing but a sick mother they could easily use against me. Late at night, he'd flood my phone with suggestive photos of hickeys covering his chest or Tracie lying exhausted in his arms. "Jonas, Tracie won't leave me alone. She says even the thought of you touching her makes her skin crawl. It's such a shame that you're my stand-in. "You don't know why she married you in the first place, do you? She needed a puppet, someone who'd perform when told and disappear when no longer needed. She couldn't bear to see me suffer, so she chose you. Do you get it now?" I knew. In fact, I'd long known. I blocked his number and chose the only peace available to me—out of sight, out of mind. But the next morning, Tracie and her bodyguards kicked my door open. They dragged me into the living room like a sack of potatoes and doused me with a bucket of ice water. Tracie's expression hardened as she snapped, "Is this what you meant when you promised not to spread rumors? Was I too lenient with you, Jonas? Did I give you the impression that you could hurt Elton like this?" She turned her phone toward me, showing the top trending headline exposing her affair with Elton. It featured intimate photos from multiple angles, along with an account written from my perspective, lamenting my wife's infidelity and the shamelessness of the other man. I was genuinely confused. "I didn't post that. I don't even have those photos. Just look at my phone and check the deleted folder—" Before I could finish, her slap landed on my face. "I'm done believing you, Jonas. Do you have any idea how much money the Conners lost because of this? Do you know how much Elton is suffering? Even if your mother has ten lives, she can't pay for the damage you've done." I looked up in shock and frantically shook my head. "It wasn't me! You have people watching me, didn't you—" Before I could barely explain, Elton dropped to his knees and banged his head against the floor. "This is all my fault!" he cried. "I shouldn't have hoped to be with Tracie, but all I wanted was to be by her side! "I'm not like you, Jonas. You want your mother's medical bills paid and the Conner family shares, but I want nothing." A chill ran down my spine when I realized that Elton was playing a masterstroke. He was the strategist putting himself in harm's way to gain shares and everything. By playing the victim, he'd still come out on top. "Trust me, Tracie. Elton did this to himself," I said urgently. "We've been together for years, so you know me best. I'd never risk my mother's safety for a stunt like this…" Tracie shot me a look of pure disgust and pulled out a set of share transfer agreements. "You'll transfer the shares to Elton. "As for your mom's treatment, we're pausing it for a while since she won't die anyway. Think of it as a punishment so you'd learn your lesson." Chapter 5 "What did you say? You can't stop her medication! Please!" I lunged at Tracie like a madman and banged my head against the floor until my forehead started bleeding. When she remained unmoved, I crawled over to Elton and slammed my head against the floor, over and over again. "It's my fault! I did it. I'll apologize however you want, as long as you don't stop my mom's medications. She'll die!" Knowing that Mom would actually die, I knew that I now had nothing left to lose. "You should've done that from the start," Tracie said coolly. She fished out her phone from her pocket and kindly held it to my face. The security footage showed Mom thrashing in agony on her hospital bed. Her face was twisted in pain, her fingers digging into her palms, her body covered in scratches she had inflicted on herself. She was critically ill. The medication was the only thing keeping her alive. Stopping the medication meant she would have to suffer constant pain until she died. I collapsed onto the floor, tears mixing with blood dripping from my forehead. Still, I remained stubbornly on my knees and begged. "I'm sorry, and I'll apologize. Just don't stop her meds. I'll do anything you want me to." When Tracie handed me the shares transfer agreement, I swiftly signed my name. Then, she demanded I clear their names on a livestream, so I did as told. My face was deathly pale as I explained, "I'm here to address the recent viral rumors circulating online. I admit to using old photographs to falsely accuse my wife, Tracie Conner, and Mr. Elton Stafford of an affair. "While they were once in a relationship, that was ages ago, and they're currently nothing more than friends. I was jealous of Mr. Stafford's success and terrified my wife would go back to him, so I acted out in these extreme ways. "I offer my sincerest apologies to both of them and am prepared to make full amendments for the harm I've caused to Mr. Elton Stafford." Following their instructions, I got down on all fours and barked like a dog. It was a public livestream, open to the entire internet. As thousands of viewers watched, they couldn't help but curse out loud. "Ha! Look at him getting what he deserves for lying!" "Of course he's jealous. Elton is a self-made man, while this guy sold his soul to get into a rich family." "No wonder he mimics a dog so well. I guess he had plenty of practice begging for scraps from the Conners. Unfortunately, he can't compare to Elton, no matter how much he tries to please them." "Honestly, if I were him, I'd just die." When the livestream ended, the entire narrative flipped against me. People who'd been lashing out at Elton online turned on me instead. Even details of my past, Mom's illness, and distant relatives were dragged through the mud. Tracie looked down at me lying lifeless on the floor and slightly softened her tone. "Don't worry. Public opinion moves fast. I'll have PR leak a celebrity scandal to bury this incident tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll have my men protect you and your mom…" "No need," I said in an eerily calm voice. "Can I see her now?" She nodded and pointed to the wounds on my body. "I'll have my men take you there. They can treat the wounds on your head on the way." I didn't resist. The car drove deep into the secluded countryside to a nursing home. When I finally saw Mom, I threw myself into her arms. "I'm taking you out of here, Mom." I'd planted a tracker on myself just to find where she was, so my uncle, Hubert Braun, could take us away. Now, it was time. Half an hour later, Uncle Hubert arrived with his men. They knocked down the bodyguards following me and rushed us onto a private jet. As the familiar city faded into a tiny dot below us, I took out my SIM card and snapped it in half. May we never meet again, in this life or the next.