No More Forgiveness Tokens

Every time my husband, Dave Tarrett, spent the night at his ex Maggie Gorringe's place, he bought me another building. Two years into our marriage, I owned 285 commercial properties across the country. Which also meant Dave had screwed me over 285 times. After the deed to property number 286 landed in my hands, Maggie sent me another smug little video. "So what if Dave throws money at you? I'm the one who gets his body and his heart. You might be some international supermodel, but you still can't get your own husband into bed." I didn't bother arguing. Instead, I mailed her the newest Victoria's Secret set from my latest runway show. When Dave found out how "generous" I'd been, he rewarded me by taking me to some elite social event. During a party game, Maggie lost three rounds straight and got dared to lick whipped cream off some playboy's thigh. She grabbed a wine bottle, smashed it, and shoved the jagged edge against her neck. "Dave, I'm not letting anyone humiliate me like this!" Dave—usually cold as ice—instantly panicked. Then he turned to me. Of course he did. "It's just whipped cream," he said softly. "Do this for her. I swear I'll go home with you after." Everyone waited for me to lose it. But I stayed calm and agreed without a word. He didn't know this was the 287th time he'd hurt me. And I was done being his pet. Once I paid back the debt I owed him for saving my life, we'd be done for good. Chapter 1 "Oh? The international supermodel actually agreed to do it? Damn, Dave really knows how to keep women in line." "If she refuses, then what? You think Maggie's gonna do it herself? Please. Maggie's the love of his life." The laughter around me wouldn't stop. Standing there in the middle of it all, I felt humiliated. And while everyone kept throwing out disgusting comments that made my skin crawl— Dave was crouched in front of Maggie, carefully bandaging her neck like she was something fragile. Then he looked up at me, ice-cold. "Bianca, don't pull anything. Maggie's waiting to keep playing after you're done." Maggie. Maggie. Always Maggie. He never once asked if I was okay with this. Somewhere along the way, he'd completely forgotten I was his wife. Forgotten that a few days ago, I'd lost our baby because of her. I was barely managing to stay on my feet tonight. When I didn't move, someone suddenly shoved me. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it. Don't tell me you're chickening out now?" I stumbled, barely catching myself before I hit the floor. When I looked at Dave again, his attention was already back on Maggie. "287 times. This is the 287th time." I repeated it over and over as I forced myself toward the man stretched out with whipped cream smeared across his leg. Jared Decker. The elite circle's favorite rich disaster. But the second I bent down, Jared suddenly grabbed my chin. He glanced at Maggie and smirked. "Maggie, this feels kinda unfair. You lost to me three times. One little lick seriously clears all that?" His grin widened. "How about the egg challenge instead? If you can talk her into it, I'll call the whole thing even." The egg challenge? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Fear instantly twisted in my chest, and I looked at Dave without thinking. Before Dave could even respond, Maggie was already hanging off his arm with those big, helpless eyes. "Dave, it's just a dumb dare. Can't Bianca help me out this one time?" With Maggie looking shaky and fragile, Dave turned to her with obvious concern. Then he looked at me. "Bianca, you already agreed to the first one. One more dare for Maggie won't kill you, right?" "Yes! Thanks, Dave!" Maggie instantly lit up, looking way too pleased with herself. Chapter 2 Dave gently ruffled Maggie's hair, looking at her like she hung the moon. And somehow, I laughed. My dignity had already been ground into the floor, and these people still treated me like entertainment. Dave, how could you still ask me to humiliate myself again for her? Then again, I almost forgot. Maggie was the girl he'd wanted for years but could never keep. He chased her forever, then their families tore them apart, and she disappeared overseas overnight. Now that he finally had her back, of course he treated her like something priceless. So how was I ever supposed to compete with that? Swallowing the bitterness clawing at my chest, I forced the words out. "Does this count as another forgiveness token?" "Forgiveness token?" The whole room laughed at the weird phrase, but Dave slowly lowered his hand from Maggie's hair and looked at me. He knew exactly what I meant. After a long silence, he nodded. "It counts." I gave a small, bitter smile. "Okay. Then I'll do it." Eight years ago, I'd just started modeling when some powerful old creep took an interest in me and locked me away on a private island. A few other girls and I were treated like party favors for rich men during their business trips. I got lucky. Dave was the first man I met there, and apparently, it was love at first sight for him. For me, he crushed those men's companies, sent them to prison, and pulled me out alive. Later, I found out it was because I looked so much like Maggie. Funny how that worked out. The night he saved me, I asked him how I could ever repay him. He looked at me so seriously it almost felt real. "Then be mine." I pinched him lightly. "I'm serious." His breathing turned uneven as he pulled me closer. "Then... give me 290 forgiveness tokens." "Forgiveness tokens?" I wrapped my arms around him, confused. He laughed softly. "Silly girl. If I ever hurt you 290 times, I'll use those tokens to ask for forgiveness 290 times. Once they're gone, we won't owe each other anything anymore." For the next five years, he poured money, connections, and resources into me until I became an international supermodel. Back then, he treated me like something priceless. Then Maggie came back two months ago, and suddenly everything went to hell. This was the 288th time. Just two more, and I'd finally repay what I owed him. The second Dave agreed, Jared dragged me toward his private suite. The room was dim, silk curtains hanging everywhere like some wannabe luxury dungeon. The table was piled with boiled eggs, and a few half-dressed women were collapsed on the floor nearby. The stench was bad enough to make my stomach turn. A chill shot down my spine. So this was the "egg challenge." Before I could fully process it, Dave's expression suddenly changed. He shot Maggie a sharp look. "Wasn't this supposed to be some dumb egg-eating game? What the hell is this?" Maggie ignored him completely and shoved me forward instead. "Jared, Bianca used to study dance. She's super flexible. Don't you wanna see for yourself? Push her a little." The second those words left her mouth, panic crashed through me. I started shaking uncontrollably and looked at Dave for help. At the end of the day, I was still his wife. He had loved me once. And no matter how many times he chose Maggie over me, surely he wouldn't hand me off to some sick creep. But the next second, Dave walked over to the liquor table, poured a glass of wine, and shoved it into my hand. "Why don't you give Jared a drink first? Loosen things up a little. Set the mood." Set the mood. That was what he wanted from me? He... seriously agreed to this? Chapter 3 Through the shock, I caught Maggie shooting me a weird little smile. "Bianca! Didn't you hear Dave?" She walked toward me while I just stood there, frozen. Then suddenly, she kicked the back of my knee. My balance snapped instantly. The wine flew out of my hand and splashed straight across Jared's face. A second later, I hit the floor hard, crashing into broken glass. Sharp pain ripped across my arm as several cuts split my skin open. My eyes locked on the woman lying on the floor beside me—her face pale and twisted. Then Maggie's shrill voice cut through the room. "Bianca, if you didn't want to offer Jared a drink, you could've just said no. You didn't have to act like a psycho on purpose just to piss him off. Is this how Dave's wife behaves? Or are you just trying to humiliate him in public?" Jared froze. Then realization hit him. His eyes went wide as he stared at me. "W-Wait... you're Dave's wife?" I didn't answer. I just sat there on the floor, barely able to breathe under the crushing pain in my body and chest. Jared reached for me, but Dave grabbed him first. Dave glanced at the blood running down my face, his expression turning cold fast. Then he looked at Jared through gritted teeth. "Get out." Jared instantly backed down. Guess even he knew when to stop acting like trash. He swallowed whatever attitude he had left and rushed out. Before leaving, he muttered, "Dave, what the hell is wrong with you? If I knew she was your wife, I never would've touched her." The second Jared disappeared, I forced myself up. Then someone grabbed my arm again. "Bianca, you got what you wanted now, right? Did that time on the island teach you nothing? All you had to do was hand him a drink and this would've been over. Why did you have to pull that psycho stunt? You knew I was trying to shut this down. Can't you read the damn room for once?" I looked at the furious man in front of me, my eyes burning red. For the first time, I didn't hold back. "Dave Tarrett, I'm your wife. If you'd just told them who I was, this would've ended the exact same way." The meaning couldn't have been clearer. He stayed quiet because protecting Maggie's ego mattered more than protecting me while they humiliated me like some party prop. Dave got called out instantly. A flicker of guilt finally crossed his face. Maggie immediately tried to defend him, but Dave frowned and cut her off. "That's enough. Shut up and wait in the car." The second her footsteps faded away, he let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry, okay? But I still need to explain something. I honestly didn't know what that egg challenge meant. If I had, I never would've agreed to it. And Maggie..." He paused. "I hope you can understand. She just got back and saw that I was mar—" He stopped himself fast, but I already got it. Maggie saw he was married, got jealous, and decided to take it out on me. And now he wanted me to forgive her for it. Of course he did. Our eyes met. Dave must've seen the sarcasm in mine because he sighed again. "Fine. You're hurt, so I'll have the driver take you to the hospital. Maggie's emotional right now, so I need to go check on her. We'll talk when I get back." Without waiting for an answer, he added, "Even if you didn't finish those two dares, I'll still count them as forgiveness tokens." Then he just walked away. I watched his back disappear while blood kept running down my forehead. And suddenly, I started laughing. Because none of this mattered anymore. Just two more times. Once I paid back what I owed him, I was leaving. And after that, he'd never get the chance to hurt me again. Chapter 4 By the time the driver took me home, it was already late. Dave still wasn't back, and I didn't bother asking where he was. The next morning, his executive assistant showed up with another gift from him—two storefront property deeds. He even made sure to explain them. One was compensation for forcing me to lick the cream. The other was an apology for the egg challenge. Without a word, I marked them No. 287 and No. 288, then tossed them into the safe like they were junk mail. The house staff beside me smiled brightly. "Mr. Tarrett really adores you. He's giving you gifts more and more often." I just smiled back without saying anything. She didn't know those "gifts" were compensation payments every time Dave hurt me. I looked at the safe stuffed with property deeds and knew I'd be leaving soon. But before that, there was still one thing I needed to take with me. A camera. There were things inside it that needed to disappear forever. Dave had always been into trying reckless stuff in bed. Sometimes, in the middle of it, he liked filming us. Back then, those videos felt intimate. Now they just felt dangerous. If those clips ever got leaked, my life would be over. I tore through the entire room searching for the camera, but it was nowhere. Just as I was about to start looking again, my manager Claudia called, practically screaming. "Bianca, have you lost your mind? Get online right now! Your sex tapes are all over the internet! You seriously slept with other sponsors behind Mr. Tarrett's back? If you want to ruin yourself, fine, but don't drag the whole agency down with you!" My mind went completely blank. All I could hear was Claudia screaming through the phone. "You better explain those videos right now! And if Mr. Tarrett loses it over this, none of us are letting you off the hook!" Then the call cut off. My hands shook as I grabbed my phone. The trending page was flooded with my leaked intimate videos. And right at the top was the headline— [International Supermodel Bianca Belmont Slept Her Way to the Top] Dave's face had been blurred out. Mine wasn't. My flushed expression was displayed front and center for the entire internet to stare at. Millions of people online ripped me apart, calling me a useless tramp who slept her way to fame. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor. But before I could fall completely, Dave suddenly appeared and caught me against his chest. "Don't look at it," he said quickly. "It's fine. I'll handle this. Trust me." The second he finished comforting me, his expression turned terrifyingly cold. He looked around the room and roared, "Who did this?! Tell me right now! Who the hell did this?!" I'd never seen him this furious before. My eyes instantly started burning. But then Maggie's casual voice drifted over from nearby. "Dave, you mean the videos? I uploaded them." The arm around my waist tightened instantly. Dave and I both looked at Maggie. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she said with a smile. "I just saw the videos and thought Bianca looked pretty hot in them. Wouldn't it be a waste if only Dave got to enjoy that? So I posted them myself. Beautiful things are meant to be shared, right?" My blood slammed straight to my head. I lunged at her without thinking, but before I could touch her, Dave grabbed my wrist. "Bianca! That's enough!" Overwhelmed by anger and humiliation, I snapped, "But she—" Before I could finish, Dave glanced at Maggie's smug face, then looked back at me with a frown. "I'll get the posts taken down. Let's just end it here. Stop going after Maggie, okay? You know that, after all, she's still—" Chapter 5 "No!" I shouted. "Dave, why should I let this go? She destroyed my reputation and my career! Why the hell should I just accept it? I'm suing her for defamation. She's paying for this." My eyes burned red as I stared at him, refusing to back down even an inch. "Bianca, you—" Dave exhaled sharply, already gearing up to defend her again. But Maggie grabbed his sleeve, her eyes instantly turning red. "Dave, stop. I know this is my fault. If Bianca wants to sue me, then let her." She sniffled harder. "I shouldn't have gotten jealous. I shouldn't have been upset that Bianca married you. This all happened because of me. Maybe if I'd just held on a little longer back then..." The more she talked, the harder she cried. "Bianca, I really know I messed up. I'll do anything if it means you'll forgive me. Please don't make things difficult for Dave. If it'll make you feel better, I'll go turn myself in right now and clear your name. Worst case, my reputation gets ruined too. Just don't let this destroy your relationship." Maggie's pathetic little act worked instantly. Dave's expression turned cold again. "Bianca, Maggie already admitted she was wrong. Don't drag this out any further." His voice hardened. "Besides, your reputation's already destroyed anyway. Why not just retire from modeling, stay home, and enjoy being a rich housewife instead?" I stared at him in disbelief. Even now, he was still protecting her. I opened my mouth to argue again, but the next second, his hand slammed across my face. Pain exploded through my cheek. His palm was red. His breathing was rough. Rage twisted in his eyes in a way I'd never seen before. Then he threw a waiver at me. "Be good and sign it. Once this blows over, I'll help you go back to the industry." His voice turned icy. "But if you call the cops, don't even think about leaving this house." "I'm not signing it!" I gritted my teeth and glared at him. But no matter how hard I fought or how fiercely I refused, Dave still forced my wrist down and dragged my hand across the waiver until my signature was written on it. The second I collapsed onto the floor, a pain I'd never felt before spread through my entire body. Helplessness. Misery. Like something sharp ripping straight through my chest. The two of them walked away, still chatting casually while my world burned down around me. Their voices drifted into my ears like poison. "Dave, will Bianca be okay...?" "She'll be fine. As long as she still wants a comeback, she has to listen to me." He sounded completely unconcerned. "Worst case, I'll just count this as another forgiveness token. There are still plenty left anyway. She'll behave." No. There weren't plenty left anymore. There was only one. Dave, I'm done being your puppet. I sat there for a long time before finally going back to my room and pulling out my diary. People always said the modeling industry was just as dirty as the entertainment world. Maybe it was. But I really loved this career. The confidence I felt standing under the runway lights—that was the only time I ever felt like I truly mattered. And now all of it was ruined. Maybe this was fate telling me to let go already. To stop holding on to something that was dead. Crying silently, I wrote down everything that happened today in my diary. Then at the very end, I added: [289] Every time Dave hurt me, I wrote it down to remind myself not to go soft on him again. Then suddenly, his voice came from behind me. "What does 289 mean?" *** The second I saw him reaching for the diary, I snapped it shut and shoved it into the drawer. "It's nothing." He caught the panic on my face and seemed to realize something. "You girls are all the same. Always keeping little grudge journals. This is that revenge notebook thing you talked about before, huh?" He meant the time after our marriage registration, when he lost our rings during the wedding ceremony we held later. Chapter 6 He'd used soda can tabs as replacement rings just to get through the ceremony with me. That night, I got so mad I kicked him out of bed. "Dave, you're seriously the worst. I'm writing you into my grudge journal." Instead of getting upset, he laughed. "Write whatever you want. I'll win you back every time." I knew he'd misunderstood what the diary really meant, but I didn't explain. I just gave a vague nod. Dave was probably thinking about our newlywed days. For once, a rare smile showed up on his usually cold face. "See? Told you I'd win you back eventually. So quit holding grudges. Here." He handed me another property deed, then casually pulled me into his arms. "It's a new downtown development. I saved one just for you to mess around with. PR already handled the videos, and next month I'll help you get back into the industry, okay?" The staff outside the door peeked in, their faces full of envy. But I stayed stiff and blank. "Whatever you want." When neither kindness nor pressure worked on me, his expression darkened. "Are you seriously still fighting me over this?" I looked up at him calmly. "No. How would I dare, Mr. Tarrett?" My tone instantly set him off. "Bianca, I was the one who filmed those videos, and I'm the reason Maggie ever got her hands on the camera. If you're angry, take it out on me. Got it?" A heavy pressure slammed against my chest. For Maggie, he would do anything. Even lower himself in front of me. Even sacrifice himself for her. Suddenly, I felt drained. I didn't want to keep fighting them anymore. So I answered quietly, "I understand." When I didn't argue like he expected, Dave stared at me with clenched teeth for a long moment before slamming the door on his way out. *** The next day, Dave texted me and told me to come to the golf course. I was about to refuse when another message popped up right after. [Come over. Count it as a forgiveness token.] I looked at those words and realized this would be the last one. So I went anyway. The second I stepped onto the private golf course, I realized Dave wasn't there. Then someone slammed a kick to my back, sending me face-first onto the ground. Maggie's voice floated over, cold and smug. "Stop looking for him. I'm the one who called you here." Two bodyguards grabbed me before I could move. Then the golf clubs came down on my leg. Hard. Again and again. Blood sprayed across the grass. Pain ripped through me so badly I screamed. Fighting through it, I shouted, "Maggie, are you actually insane?!" She gave me a fake-sweet smile, poison practically dripping from her eyes. "Why? Everyone already hates you, but Dave still won't divorce you. He even said he wants to make it up to you and help you come back. So tell me. Why?!" Dave treated her like a queen. Apparently, one little comment meant to brush me aside was enough for her to lose her mind like this. I looked at her coldly. "I was never competing with you." Guess that satisfied her ego for a second, because she let out this smug little snort. "But I still can't stand looking at you. You're some big international supermodel, right? Then let's see how you seduce Dave after I ruin one of your legs." Her eyes dropped to the blood soaking through my pant leg, disgust flashing across her face. Then she noticed a golf ball nearby. A weird smile curled across her lips. "Take off her pants!" Her voice turned sharp. "Too bad the egg challenge didn't happen last time. Lucky for us, there's a golf ball right here. Bianca, trust me—you're gonna have the time of your life today." Rolling the golf ball around in her hand, she ordered the bodyguards to strip me. I fought like crazy, screaming until my throat felt shredded raw. Maggie just giggled next to my ear. She grabbed my face, her fake nails scraping bloody lines across my skin. Chapter 7 "Stop screaming. You'll love it soon enough. Better than sleeping with a man, honestly. I guarantee you'll be begging for more after this." Looking at her twisted expression, all I could think about was every time Dave had taken her side. The disgust in his eyes. The way he looked at me like I was the problem. Tears spilled down my face, but weirdly enough, they made me stop caring. I was leaving anyway. Why the hell should I keep letting her bully me? Right as they grabbed my pants to rip them off, I shoved one of the bodyguards back and lunged at Maggie. Then I sank my teeth into her hand as hard as I could. Maggie let out this high-pitched shriek and clawed at my face, trying to pry me off her hand. I didn't let go. Blood filled my mouth, metallic and thick, right before half her finger tore free between my teeth. "What the hell is going on?!" Dave's furious shout exploded across the course. The second he ran over, he froze. My face was covered in blood, and my pants had been half ripped off. And just like that, he finally figured out Maggie had been hurting me. His face changed instantly. He kicked the bodyguard off me, yanked my pants back up, then grabbed me like he was suddenly scared. "Bianca, what happened? Don't be scared. I'll—I'll take you to the hospital." But Maggie suddenly screamed again, holding up the severed half of her finger. "Dave, she bit off my finger! My finger's gone! It hurts so bad! Save me!" Dave froze. Then he looked at me, shock and hesitation flashing across his face. Only for a second. He only said one thing. "Fingers only have a short survival window. I need to get her to the hospital first. Call an ambulance yourself. I'll come back for you after." Then he picked Maggie up. My heart dropped into a bottomless pit. So it wasn't that he didn't know how cruel Maggie was. He just always chose her. I looked up at him. "Dave Tarrett, this is the last time." Something in his face shifted. Like he was losing something for good. But when Maggie trembled in his arms, he still chose her without hesitation. Before leaving, he looked at me seriously. "I know you suffered because of this. I promise I'll give you an explanation. Just... don't call the police. Please." I watched him disappear into the distance. I didn't go to the hospital right away. Dragging my injured leg behind me, I made my way back to the mansion. Sure enough, the second I got home, one of the staff handed me the property deed Dave had already prepared. The deed to this mansion. I locked it in the safe. Then I placed my diary, the divorce papers, and the contract termination agreement together on the table. Finally, I grabbed a note and left him one last sentence. [I've paid back everything I owed you. We're done. Dave Tarrett, let's get divorced.] With my only bag in hand, I boarded a flight out of Hawthorne Bay, headed for Southvale. Dave, this is where we end. *** Third-Person POV After the plane lifted into the sky, Dave dragged himself home, dead tired. The house was quiet. Empty. Frowning, he called Bianca. Then he spotted a note on the bedroom desk. Just as he reached for it, a cold robotic voice came through the phone. "Sorry, the number you dialed is unavailable..." His eyes dropped to the bold words on the note. His pupils shrank instantly.