From Fake Wife to Final Goodbye

No one knew that I, the one they called the Angel-Faced Executioner, had been tangled up with the heir of the Grahams more times than I could count. In the latest model sports car, Doug Graham pressed a marriage certificate into my hand, his teeth grazing my lower lip as he murmured, "The Grahams have enemies on both sides of the law. I found a shield, a way to protect you." I was ecstatic and completely swept up in it, giving him whatever he wanted. I never imagined it was the beginning of a nightmare. Doug publicly announced his engagement to the Sowles heiress, making a show of it, and he clarified that I was nothing more than a low-level enforcer in front of everyone. But that night, he left marks all over my body, whispering against my skin, "The less I care about you, the less anyone will suspect you're my real wife." From then on, he and Lindsey Sowle humiliated me at every turn. Only when we were alone would he finally show the truth, his voice strained with pain. "I know this isn't fair to you. Once I'm done using her, I'll kick her out for good." When Lindsey caused me to lose the baby, he dropped to his knees in front of me, slapping himself over and over. "That idiot keeps ending up kidnapped and abused. Serves her right!" Until one day, I was taken in a setup by Doug's rival, Chad Conner. He grabbed me by the throat and forced me to look inside the room. Lindsey was blindfolded and gagged, crying and gasping as Doug lashed her with a pink whip. "They've run this whole kidnapping stunt seven times already. You'd think they'd be tired of it by now." Tears poured down my face. So I was the fool all along, the one who got played by Doug's so-called love. Chapter 1 Doug Graham's rival let out a quiet, mocking laugh. "This kind of kidnapping seems fun. How about we try it, too?" I closed my eyes and kissed him. "I'll play along, but you have to help me disappear from his world." Chad Conner lifted a brow slightly, pressing a finger to my lips. "No rush. We'll play after you leave him." I let out a bitter laugh, my mind still spinning, like I hadn't fully come back to reality yet. Seeing the disbelief on my face, Chad scoffed. He picked up my phone and dialed the number pinned at the top. Doug answered instantly, his tone already impatient. "What is it?" My tears hit the tile floor with a sharp, audible tap. I forced back the sob in my throat. "Where are you? Who are you with?" Doug paused for a second, then answered without hesitation, "I'm at a business meeting. If you've got nothing better to do, figure out how to deal with Chad for me. I told you already, Lindsey's just a shield I'm using to protect you. Stop overthinking it." After the call ended, the faint, suggestive sound of running water came from behind the door again. Lindsey Sowle's voice trembled softly. "Doug, is your wife checking in part of today's roleplay?" My tears finally broke loose. I slid down against the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. The old injury in my lower back flared up, the one I got protecting Doug. The pain twisted through me until I curled into myself, trembling. I should've realized sooner how ridiculous that excuse about protecting me really was. He said Lindsey was my shield, but all his affection went to her, while all the real damage landed on me. I had broken seven ribs doing his dirty work. My left hand was permanently crippled. The truth was right there, soaked in blood. I wasn't naive enough anymore to believe love could numb that kind of pain. Chapter 2 Chad pulled me to my feet. "Come on. I'll take you home." The whole drive, I kept scrolling through the chat history with Doug, over and over, desperate to find some proof that he hadn't fallen out of love with me. But the further back I went, the clearer it became. The earlier the messages, the more he loved me. By the time we reached the villa we had lived in together for eight years, it finally hit me. I answered Chad a beat too late. "This isn't my home. It wasn't before. It won't be in the future, either." Chad simply said, "I'm giving you three days to clean up your mess. After that, I'll come back and take you." The butler came up to me, trying too hard to sound casual. "Ms. Sowle's been kidnapped again. Mr. Graham is already on his way to rescue her." A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. "I know." The staff all looked at me differently. Some with mockery, some with pity. Everyone could see it for what it was. Everyone except me, clinging to that last scrap of love, blind to everything else. The butler handed me a map, his tone firm, leaving no room to refuse. "Go wipe out the Chandlers' operations on Moonfall Island. Go alone." My whole body tensed. The Chandlers had been working with the Grahams. Why turn on them all of a sudden? I took the map back to my room, and only then realized that the files from the jobs I had handled for Doug over the past three months were stacked nearly three feet high. My body was worse. Old injuries were layered over new ones, one on top of another. I dug through the pile until I found the marriage certificate I had been holding onto like it was the only thing keeping me standing. The dark ink used to feel sacred. Now, it just looked like a joke. I would help him this one last time. Consider it as buying out the last eight years of my life. It was time to wake up. I tossed and turned all night. Just as I was finally drifting off, my bedroom door opened. It was Doug. My whole body went rigid. His lips brushed down against me, soft and familiar, his breath warm and close. "Why are you shaking?" His voice was gentle, as if the impatient and distracted man who was cheating on me a few hours ago didn't exist. I had always been like this. One moment of tenderness, and I would forget everything else. Until reality came crashing down again. I pushed Doug away without thinking. "The maid's room is freezing." He froze for a second, then rushed to explain. "If I treat you too well, people will get suspicious. I didn't want you getting kidnapped by those people, so I had you stay in the maid's room. We can warm up pretty quick if we just..." His lips pressed in again, lingering, but the faint scent of Lindsey's perfume clinging to him hit me all at once. I couldn't hold it back and gagged. I couldn't understand how a man juggling two women could pretend this well. Doug went pale right away. "Are you pregnant again? We need to check right now!" The moment he mentioned the baby, it felt like a blade drove straight through my chest all over again. Chapter 3 My body had always been different. The day I found out I was pregnant, Doug was over the moon. He fumbled around in the kitchen, trying to make me some kind of nourishing soup. He pressed his warm cheek against my still-flat stomach, his voice soft. "Let me hear it. What's our kid saying?" I laughed at him, called him childish. The baby wasn't even formed yet. How could it say anything? Not long after I started showing, Lindsey shoved me down the stairs. "You're pregnant and still hanging around Mr. Graham every day? You're just hired muscle! You really think you can sleep your way up?" After that, Doug moved me into the maid's room on the ground floor. He kneeled in front of me, slapping himself again and again. "I'm sorry! I didn't protect you or the baby. I won't let Lindsey get away with this. The more spoiled she is now, the worse it'll be when our enemies get their hands on her." I swallowed the bitterness and disappointment and accepted it. But now, I knew. Those so-called kidnappings were nothing but their twisted game. The thought hit me so hard that I shoved him away with everything I had. "We're not having a child. Ever." Doug froze for a long moment, then something in him snapped. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face. "I've had a long day. Who the hell are you giving attitude to? You've climbed way above your station just being with me! What more do you want?" Lindsey's voice drifted in from outside, shaky and soft. "Doug, I'm back. I was so scared." He pushed me aside without a second thought and walked out, leaving me standing there, one hand pressed to my burning cheek. My left hand slammed into the corner of the bed. The old injury from taking a blade for him flared instantly, pain shooting straight through me. Lindsey's sweet, clingy voice carried through the wall. Weren't they done with this kidnapping game yet? My pillow was soaked with tears again. I cried without a sound, barely able to breathe. On the other side of that door, Doug gave her a brand-new sports car, prime land, and even the gold bracelet his mother left him. Every memory of loving him felt like a dull blade carving into me, over and over, slow and relentless. I knew there was no way things between us would end on good terms. Back then, plenty of men wanted me, but I never believed in love. To win me over, Doug had gone to insane lengths. That kind of obsession wouldn't just disappear. He would never let me go easily. The next morning, I placed the divorce papers in front of him. "I'll take down the Chandlers for you. Sign it." Doug was on the phone, speaking gently to Lindsey, not even glancing at the document as he signed his name. "You must've been terrified of getting grabbed by the Chandlers yesterday, huh? I'll send people to deal with them right away." My chest tightened anyway. There was no kidnapping. He lied like it was second nature. After hanging up, Doug rubbed his temples, and the first thing out of his mouth was a scolding. Chapter 4 "Lindsey is acting as your shield. She got tied up and whipped all night, and didn't ask for a thing today. Can you not be so materialistic and be a little more reasonable? Every time you do something for me, you act like you deserve the world." I used to be worth millions per job. I had stayed with him for eight years and risked my life without a single complaint. Meanwhile, Lindsey had over a dozen sets of jewelry worth hundreds of millions, and he actually thought that the divorce agreement was me asking for money. A wave of helplessness crashed over me, but before I could say anything, my teammates were already crowding around, pulling me toward the helicopter. "What are you standing there for? Let's go to Moonfall Island." "I heard the Chandlers' cat scared Ms. Sowle, and she threw a tantrum over it." "Still, they shouldn't have kidnapped her over that. That's just petty." I closed my eyes, pain tightening in my chest as the truth pieced itself together. Lindsey wasn't satisfied, so Doug decided we should risk our lives to make it up to her. Moonfall Island was a death trap. A bullet tore through my left leg, the pain exploding through me like fire. It spread through my entire body. One by one, I watched my teammates drop. Despair gave way to numbness. I had underestimated how ruthless he could be. I had bet wrong on his love. If I didn't leave now, I would end up just like this, dying for him somewhere no one would ever know. When I made it back, I was the only one left, the most capable among the group. Fireworks burst across the river, lighting up the sky. On the two tallest buildings downtown, massive screens looped the same message over and over. [Lindsey, happy 100 days, my princess. Love, Doug.] I stood there covered in wounds, not even given the chance to mourn the people who died. A broken sound forced its way out of my throat. I clutched the divorce papers he had signed that morning and went straight to the courthouse. The place had just opened. I pushed the still-new marriage certificate through the window and spoke each word like it was carved out of me. "I want a divorce." The clerk glanced at the bruises and dried blood on my face, sympathy flickering in her eyes. "If you're being abused, you should really seek legal help…" I let out a hollow laugh. I couldn't even cry anymore. Doug lied to me, used me, and treated human lives like props in their twisted games. That went far beyond abuse. The next second, the clerk frowned. "Wait… This certificate is fake. You should take it back." Everything in me went cold. I stared at her, unable to believe it. "How is that possible?" So, the one thing that had held me together all this time was fake, too. I couldn't tell if my heart hurt more or my body. I laughed and cried at the same time as I walked out. That marriage certificate was just like his love, a lie from the start. And I had never questioned it. The river wind howled through the early morning, cutting straight through me. From the very beginning, Doug never planned to marry me at all. He just wanted both sides, lying his way through everything, taking whatever he wanted. Chapter 5 Tears streaming down my face, I tore the fake certificate apart piece by piece and tossed it into the river, along with eight years of my life. Then I called Chad. My heart felt strangely quiet, like it had finally gone numb. "I've changed my mind. Tomorrow, after you take me, make it look like I didn't make it out." If I were going to leave, I would make sure I became the deepest, most painful thorn buried in his heart. The moment I stepped into the villa, a bucket of filthy water came flying at me. It soaked me from head to toe. The sour stench clung to my skin as it ran down my hair, seeping into every cut and wound. The pain hit so hard that my fingers cramped, but I forced myself to stay upright, glaring at Lindsey. "What the hell are you doing?" She curled her lips into a smile, looking me up and down. "What? Do I need a reason to hit my pet? Besides, you're just hired help, and you think you can seduce the boss? I'm exposing you today." She dumped all my belongings onto the floor and stomped on them without mercy. My pupils shrank. Those were all the lingerie Doug had coaxed me into wearing. I couldn't even defend myself. Under the excuse of protecting me, Doug had never told anyone about our relationship. Lindsey shoved her phone right up in my face, filming me while smashing my belongings one after another. I swallowed the pain ripping through my body and the hollow chill in my chest as I begged her to stop. "You've got it wrong. Doug…" Her hand came down hard across my face. "I knew something was off about the way you looked at him. So I was right. And you still want to argue? As the lady of this house, I'll teach you your place today!" I raised my arms to shield my face on instinct, my already shattered heart taking another brutal hit. Doug's lies had turned me, his real girlfriend, into the other woman. My vision snapped sharply when Lindsey knocked over my mother's keepsake. I forgot about everything else and lunged forward, grabbing the worn wooden box. "Don't!" Lindsey stepped down on my injured left hand. Her high heel ground into my fingers. Pain shot straight through me. I cried out without meaning to. Right then, the door slammed open. Doug strode in. "Stop!" Tears poured down my face, my voice breaking apart. "Doug! You tell her. Who met you first? Who's actually your wife?" But he wouldn't meet my eyes. He only moved to shield Lindsey. "Hey, don't get upset. She wears stuff like that because… It's her personal taste." My vision went dark at the edges. Right in front of everyone, he had painted me as someone who would sleep with anyone. I could already imagine what people would say about me. My face flushed a deep, mortified red. Lindsey's smile widened, smug and satisfied. Then she raised the wooden box and slammed it down hard. Chapter 6 Shards scattered everywhere. The last thing my mother left me was gone just like that. I couldn't hold it in anymore. The humiliation, the grief, and the rage all crashed together. I pushed myself up off the floor and slapped Lindsey across the face. Doug stared at me, stunned. "Have you lost your mind?" Before he even finished, I swung back and swung at him, too. My hand stopped just short of his face for a split second. That face had whispered endless sweet words to me. And now, he was humiliating me like this for his so-called shield. That brief hesitation cost me. Doug's furious slap came down hard. "I'm your boss! How dare you hit me! You've got some nerve!" Eight years of love, every last bit of hope I had held onto, shattered with his words. I stared at him, disbelief flooding in. "What did you just say?" His fingers trembled, something like regret flashing in his eyes. In the end, he still kicked the back of my knee. I dropped hard, my knee slamming into the shattered pieces of my mother's keepsake. Blood smeared across the floor. "You like acting crazy, huh? You slapped Lindsey once, so you'll take a hundred in return. I said it before. Anyone who lays a hand on her pays it back a hundred times over." Even now, he didn't hesitate. He chose her without a second thought. My body was already at its limit. The slaps kept coming one after another, and a sharp ringing filled my ears. My mouth tasted of blood, and my vision grew more and more blurred. The world spun violently, then everything went black. When I woke up, Doug was sitting by my bed, carefully applying ointment to my swollen cheeks. "Why didn't you put those clothes away? You really couldn't let go of them?" Just moving my lips sent a burning pain through my face. My voice came out hoarse. "So she went through my things, and somehow that's my fault?" Doug fell silent for a second, then fell back on the same excuse. "I had to keep up appearances in front of everyone. If I defended you, our enemies would figure out how much I care about you. Try to understand. I'm here putting medicine on you, aren't I? What more do you want?" My heart didn't hurt anymore. All that was left was an endless, hollow cold. He was still lying to me, still claiming it was for my safety. But every job he sent me on was more dangerous than any so-called kidnapping Lindsey went through. All the injuries I had taken, all the people who died, he didn't care about any of it. I didn't call him out. The truth was, the only person he cared about now was Lindsey. My nails dug deep into my palm. In the end, I still said quietly, "Let's get a divorce." Doug immediately snapped, grabbing me and forcing a kiss on me. "You want a divorce over something this small? Stop making a scene. You're mine, dead or alive!" I curved my lips into a faint smile. It didn't matter. The marriage certificate was fake anyway. And soon enough, I really would "die" right in front of him. Two hours later, Chad came and took me from the house. When Doug rushed over, disheveled, Chad was calmly wiping down his gun with a white glove, his tone lazy. "Forty-six thousand and six hundred. Cash only." Doug frowned, confused, but still moved fast to get it done. Chad took the suitcase, then fired a shot straight into my chest. Blood burst out. Pressed against him, playing dead, I heard him lean close and whisper in my ear, "The weight of a human heart, converted to gold, comes out to exactly 46,600 dollars. I got your heart back for you." When Doug saw me lying there in a pool of blood, his voice broke in a way I had never heard before, full of panic and fear. "I paid the ransom! Why did you kill her? Give her back to me! Give her back!"