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My Husband Killied Five Children to Save His Mistress, He Regretted it.
On our fifth wedding anniversary, I found out my husband orchestrated my five miscarriages, resulting in the deaths of five of our children. The bone marrow from all five of my children was used to tr...
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第1章
Clara’s Perspective
It was our fifth wedding anniversary. I had told Liam I was traveling for work, but I came home instead, clutching an anniversary gift and a secret I couldn’t wait to tell him.
My husband Liam had always been interested in a collaboration with the Bennett Corporation, so I begged my father—who had insisted I go out and gain experience—for this project. Finally, he secured the deal. I put the document with the Bennett director’s signature into the gift box I had painstakingly prepared.
In my other hand I held a pregnancy test, tightly clenched. Two pink lines. I wanted to tell him good news: he was going to be a father again.
For five years we had been hoping for a child, but I had been pregnant five times and had five miscarriages. Finally, a child of ours was coming.
A brilliant smile on my face, I walked lightly into our house.
The living room was a mess—clothes scattered everywhere, a black dress, the belt I had carefully chosen…
My head spun. I crept up the stairs, my heart pounding.
The master bedroom door was half open. Liam was with my best friend Vanessa.
Vanessa lay on the couch I’d bought, a loose tank top slipping off her arm, her lipstick smudged. One of her legs was thrown over his shoulder, and he knelt between her legs, his shirt rumpled, one hand lifting her red-soled high heel.
I nearly blacked out. My God—what was I seeing?
My best friend… and my husband.
I opened my mouth to scream but the sound was trapped in my throat.
For a long instant I couldn’t move or breathe. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; my reason wanted to deny it, to pretend this was a twisted nightmare.
Because it couldn’t be real.
Vanessa—the woman who had stayed by my side through every bout of morning sickness, who had watched over me every time I miscarried.
And now she was here, panting softly in my husband’s arms.
Betrayal hit me like ice water.
My chest tightened, tears welled in my eyes, and I stared dumbly at the scene.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to rush in, tear her off him.
But my body wouldn’t obey. I stood frozen in the doorway, the gift trembling in my hand.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, Sean’s phone rang.
He frowned, stepped back from Vanessa, and answered, his hand still at her waist.
“Is the surgery scheduled?” he said into the phone. “Seven days from now. I’ll bring Clara to the hospital on time. You only need to make sure Clara’s kidney is given to Vanessa—nothing else to worry about.”
“That doesn’t violate your medical ethics,” the voice said. “The donation agreement bears Clara’s own signature. She’s too foolish—she didn’t even look. The recipient’s name was already changed to Vanessa.”
What? Wasn’t it Liam who was supposed to be sick and need a kidney?
A month ago Liam said he was ill and that only my kidney matched him. He knelt on the floor and cried, begging me to save him. He said he loved me and can't leave me alone in this world like this; he wanted to live to a hundred with me.
With tears all over my face, I signed the kidney donation agreement he handed me.
That kidney was actually for Vanessa?
The call ended.
Vanessa puckered her lips and traced a circle on his chest with her fingertip.
She laughed softly, syrupy: “Liam, you’re ruthless. If Clara found out the truth, would she hate you?”
Liam snorted. “Hate? A woman from the slums—what right has she to hate? I gave up the bone marrow and lives of five children; one of Clara’s kidneys is nothing. You’re the one who matters in my heart.”
Those words—“bone marrow transplant”—stabbed me like a knife. Five children? Bone marrow?
My ears rang, but I forced myself to keep listening.
I couldn’t hear the voice on the other end, but Liam’s reply was like poisoned ice: “Those five children shouldn’t have lived. You needed their bone marrow to treat the disease—that was their value. If not for you needing it, how could a woman like Clara ever sleep with me? Clara? She’s just a container.”
My legs went weak; I could barely stand.
The pregnancy test in my hand fell to the floor with a faint sound. They didn’t notice.
My five miscarriages… were they not accidents?
Vanessa had been with me each time I miscarried. She made soup for me, cried with me, told me those children had only temporarily gone back to heaven.
She said, “They’ll always be with us.”
It turned out to be true.
My children… their bone marrow flowed inside her body.
My husband and my best friend were the killers of my five children; those poor children never had a chance to see their mother.
And now they were planning to trick me into giving up my kidney seven days from now.
I braced myself against the wall and stepped backward, tears sliding down silently.
I went back to the bedroom, locked the door, my whole body shaking. My phone vibrated—Vanessa had posted.
A photo of two hands holding, captioned: “Thank you for everything. Soon, we’ll truly be together.”
On that wrist was the watch I’d given Liam for his birthday last year.
I ran to the bathroom and vomited until my body ached.
Seven days from now was the kidney operation I had signed up for.
It was also the day my five-year training period ended, the day I could return home.
I picked up the phone and dialed a number I hadn’t called in five years.
“Dad,” I said, “seven days from now my training period ends. Help me prepare the heir banquet and the suitor-selection banquet.”
“Why the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you say you’d go with Liam to the death?” he asked.
“He killed my five children,” I said coldly. “I want him to pay.”
My father’s voice grew serious. “I told you he wasn’t worthy. The heirs of those major families have been waiting five years for you to say that.”
I closed my eyes and let tears fall.
“Tell everyone I’m coming back,” I said.
After I hung up, I took one last look around the place I had called “home.”
Seven days from now the surgery would be canceled, and the marriage would end.
I would make Liam pay for what he had done.
He sacrificed everything of mine to save his lover. Now I would make him watch his world crumble piece by piece.
This was a mother’s vow.
And my father was no ordinary man. He was the real power behind the Bennett conglomerate—the richest man in Asia.
He had always cherished me above all.
第2章
I hung up and went straight to the hospital to cancel the kidney-donation paperwork.
The doctor told me the donor had to sign the revocation. I had seven days — seven days to make Vanessa sign the withdrawal and remove the threat to my life.
From the hospital I went to a law firm to have a lawyer draw up divorce papers.
“Oh, ma’am,” the clerk said, peering at the records on the screen, “your file shows you are unmarried. You and Mr. Liam Foster are not listed as spouses.”
Even after the shock I’d just been through, my brain blanked for a second.
Unmarried? But Liam and I had registered a marriage five years ago.
At the time I had just stepped away from the Bennett family. As an heir I needed to hide my identity and complete certain missions to grow stronger. I got sick soon after — I remember meeting Liam outside the hospital. He courted me feverishly; he said he loved me at first sight. We fell in love and were married quickly. Until today I’d believed he loved me back the way I loved him.
I asked the clerk to check Liam’s marital status again.
He looked at me with suspicion. “Liam Foster’s spouse is listed as Vanessa Cole — they were married five years ago.”
I laughed then, a sound that broke into bitter tears.
It was all fake from the beginning. The love was fake, the marriage certificate a sham. The only thing real was the suffering — and the five children I had lost.
I tore the counterfeit marriage certificate to pieces and left the law office reeling.
Back at the villa I dragged out a suitcase from the back of the closet. My fingers trembled but I forced myself to move — if I stopped, if I let myself feel, the truth would swallow me whole.
I shoved clothes into the case mechanically. When I picked up a canary-yellow dress, my hand froze.
Liam had taken me shopping for that dress when I lost my third child. He’d said bright colors would bring us luck. My throat closed and tears rose; I blinked them away hard.
“Clara?”
Liam’s voice came from behind me, threaded with a faint alertness. “You’re home? What are you doing?”
I snapped the suitcase shut and forced a nasty smile. “Just sorting out seasonal clothes,” I said, trying to sound casual.
He narrowed his eyes and scanned the slightly messy room and the open wardrobe. He was about to speak when another voice slithered in like a snake.
“Hey, Clara.”
Vanessa walked in with him.
My gaze landed on her without permission.My five children, whose bone marrow flowed within her, sustaining her life. The thought of it tore at me — my fingertips went numb and I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms.
I stayed silent. I was afraid that if I spoke, I would scream and destroy everything.
“Clara,” Liam said with repulsive entitlement, “Vanessa is pregnant and needs a more comfortable environment. Our house is quiet, the master bedroom is larger and has better light — it’ll be better for her recovery. You’ll move to the guest room starting today.”
I stared at him in disbelief, then at Vanessa with that small, satisfied smile. They were so brazen — pushing in, taking my last sanctuary.
Vanessa stepped forward and casually rested a hand on her not-yet-prominent belly, feigning contrition with the tiniest edge of triumph. “Only temporarily, Clara. After I have the baby I’ll give it back. You understand me better than anyone, don’t you? Pregnant women need the best care.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So?”
Her smile froze, surprise flickered across her face, then she quickly replaced it with an acting pout. Her lower lip trembled. “Clara, I thought… I thought you’d be understanding. After everything we’ve been through…”
“Understanding.” The word felt like a branding iron.
She had taken my children’s marrow. Now she and my husband were trying to take my kidney, my home, even my last refuge.
“Clara!” Liam’s voice snapped, accusatory. “Look at you. She’s your friend. She’s pregnant and needs the best environment. This jealous, hateful face you’re making is sickening.”
I turned to him slowly and let a cold smile curve my mouth. “Jealous?” I repeated. “Jealous of what?”
His gaze flickered. “Because she can carry a pregnancy when you —” He cut himself off, but the implication stung like venom. Because I lost my children. Because he had killed them.
I drew a breath and suppressed the rising violence in my chest. “Liam,” I said, letting my eyes trace them both, “since you’re so eager to make room for her… is this baby yours?”
The air went still.
Liam’s jaw tightened. Vanessa widened her eyes in an exaggerated hurt.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” he snapped. “Of course not.”
“Is that so?” I raised my brow. “Then why are you more invested in this baby than the father might be? Why would you insist on kicking your wife out of her own bedroom?”
“She’s alone, Clara. She’s pregnant. What kind of monster would be petty about a room right now?” he almost howled.
What kind of monster kills his five children? The question hung in my mind, unspoken.
I swallowed the words back down. I stopped looking at him, zipped my suitcase with a harsh sound, and said, voice shaking, “…Fine.”
I was already packing. I didn’t want to spend another second in this room full of betrayal.
He looked relieved, as if a problem had been solved.
“Liam?” Vanessa prompted.
He started to walk away.
“Wait, Liam.” I called calmly and picked up a folder that had been on my bedside table. “There’s one document I need you to sign.”
He scowled impatiently. “Clara, I don’t have time—”
“It’s just our fifth-anniversary gift,” I cut in, soft, and handed him the paper and a pen. “Just sign here. It’ll be quick.”
He hesitated, then Vanessa called his name. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, grabbed the pen, and scribbled his signature where I pointed without looking.
I watched his final stroke with no expression while my heart hammered in my chest.
In that moment I was oddly grateful they’d already registered a marriage —After all, it would be much easier to trick Liam into signing the agreement to revoke the donation.
He left without a backward glance for the woman who’d taken my room. The door closed.
I immediately called my lawyer, my voice steady and cold: I would keep the revocation paperwork with me and wait until Vanessa was in surgery and I was out of the city before I handed it to the hospital.
Then I called Liam’s business partners. Using the Bennett name, I announced sanctions: in seven days, companies tied to Liam would stop cooperating with him.
Seven days. I was going to make sure the rest of his world began to crumble.
第3章
Over the next few days I split my time between preparing to leave and going through the paperwork my family had sent.
I should have left immediately, but I wanted to bring my five lost children home with me.
Because they were late-term losses, each child had been cremated; the tiny urns were at the cemetery and — according to procedure — wouldn’t be released until six days later. I didn’t want to risk doing anything that might draw Liam’s attention. My trial period would end in a few days; nothing could go wrong in that time.
I put the signed revocation agreement into the safe.
Then I took out a glass jar filled with ashes. When Liam courted me he once wrote me ninety-nine love letters — I burned them all, and the ashes just filled that jar.
I pulled our photos from the treasured album and set them on fire too.
I would erase every trace of myself from this house.
The flames roared, then slowly died down, just like our love. With every handful of ash I added, my disappointment grew heavier. When the jar was full, it meant my disappointment was full too.
When Liam came home he walked into the study and caught sight of the smoke. The smell of burning filled the house; it was impossible not to notice. He frowned. “What are you burning?” he asked.
I turned to block his view and said lightly, “Just some waste paper.”
His frown deepened. He glimpsed small fragments — they looked like photos — and took a step forward to see.
Panic flared inside me; I was about to invent a story to avoid explanations when a woman’s weak sobbing came from outside the door.
Liam bolted from the room.
Before I could gather myself, he rushed back in, grabbed my hand and shoved me against the table. His palm pushed into the still-warm ash pile; the heat made me flinch. My hip struck the corner of the table — a sharp, spreading pain bloomed across my lower back.
I tried to lift my head. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, hungrily furious. He squeezed my wrist until my knuckles went white. “Tell me! Did you drug Vanessa?!” he demanded.
Pain stole my breath; my wrist felt like it would snap. “What are you talking about? I’ve never even met her!” I gasped.
“Never met her?” He shoved me to the floor. I hit the cold tile hard; the table leg knocked into my lower back and the world swam black at the edges. He glared down at me, disgust in every syllable. “She started bleeding this morning — almost had a miscarriage. Someone gave her an abortifacient. Who else could it be besides you? You’re jealous that she’s pregnant and you want to ruin her!”
“Jealous?” I pushed myself up on my elbows; hot tears slid down my face, not from the pain but because his words were knives. “Liam, do you forget our five children? You know what it’s like to lose a child. How could I ever hurt a pregnant woman?”
“Don’t you dare bring up those children!” he snapped, kicking a chair so it clattered over. “If you hadn’t been sick, those kids wouldn’t have died! Now you see Vanessa might be carrying my child and you’re jealous — you want to destroy her, right?”
“I didn’t!” I shouted, chest heaving. “Have you even seen her prenatal record? Are you sure she’s pregnant? She hasn’t had one proper check-up. What proof do you have that this is your child?”
At that moment, footsteps came to the doorway. Vanessa stood there, clutching her belly, pale, red-rimmed eyes pleading. She rushed to Liam, grabbing his arm. “Liam, don’t be angry. Maybe it was my fault — I must have been careless. It’s not my sister’s doing…”
“Not her doing?” Liam immediately softened and shielded Vanessa with his body, holding her waist like a sacred thing, but his glare cut back to me like a blade. “Look how kind Vanessa is — she still speaks up for you! And you? All you do is spread jealousy and sabotage. What else are you good for?”
I watched Vanessa’s eyes peeking from behind Liam. There was no panic there — only a faint, almost imperceptible triumph. Suddenly the pieces clicked: she wasn’t pregnant at all. This whole thing was her trap.
“Vanessa,” I said, stepping forward and pinning her with my gaze, each word deliberate, “are you willing to go to the hospital with me right now for a check? Let’s see if you’re actually pregnant.”
Vanessa’s face changed in an instant. She clutched Liam’s shirt and sobbed, voice breaking, “Sister, how can you force me? I just had a miscarriage; I’m still weak…”
“Weak?” I let out a cold laugh and pushed myself to stand, the back of my hand pressed to my bruising hip. Pain made me wince. “If you were truly pregnant and had just miscarried, why won’t you go to the hospital? Liam, wake up. She’s lying to you.”
But Liam believed I was trying to corner Vanessa. He scooped her up into his arms and turned toward the door. At the threshold he paused and, with his back to me, said, “Consider this a warning: from now on you are not to come within a foot of Vanessa. If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you.”
I watched their retreating figures and felt a bitter, absurd amusement. Five years of my love, given away to the dog.
第4章
I woke up again to find myself lying in my familiar bed, my lower back burning with pain.
Liam sat by the bed. Seeing me awake, a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. He explained, “Clara, you’re awake? I was in such a rush that day. I’m sorry, don’t be angry with me…”
I closed my eyes, turning my head away, not wanting to give him even a glance.
What was there to explain? I knew the truth all too well: he simply didn’t trust me, didn’t love me.
Once upon a time, no matter where I was, no matter how far away I was, he would always find me immediately and protect me.
But now he’s changed.
His heart belongs only to the woman who drained the marrow from my five children.
During my recovery, Liam seemed to want to make amends, often staying by my side, but I remained silent.
Soon, Vanessa’s so-called banquet arrived, and Liam insisted I attend.
Liam hosted a grand banquet at the villa, with guests in droves; even his parents had come all the way from the old house.
Watching Liam's parents shower Vanessa with such warmth and care, I couldn't help but recall the first time Liam took me to meet his parents.
Back then, when Liam's parents learned I was an "orphan from the slums," their smiles vanished instantly, their attitude turning cold and indifferent, as if I were a complete stranger. The meal was incredibly oppressive.
The contrast now is stark and ironic.
At the banquet, Liam presented Vanessa with a set of priceless, rare pink diamond jewelry.
The gift Liam's parents gave him was a jade pendant of exceptional quality. Liam's mother, holding Vanessa's hand, said affectionately, "Vanessa, this is a family heirloom passed down from our Foster family to our daughter-in-law. Today, we're giving it to you."
Vanessa feigned surprise and declined, but Liam's mother glanced coldly at me standing in the corner, her voice just loud enough for everyone around to hear: "In our hearts, we've long considered you our own daughter-in-law. Some people are simply not good enough for our Liam."
Liam, noticing my dejected mood, leaned close to my ear and whispered comfortingly, "Clara, don't overthink it. My parents are old-fashioned; they don't know how good you are. You're the only one in my heart, really."
I sneered inwardly. Only me?
Then when he killed five of us children for Vanessa, didn't he think of "only me"?
I said nothing, only feeling the air in the room was suffocating.
Seeing my pale face, Liam asked softly, "Are you a little cold? I'll go upstairs and get you a shawl."
He had barely left when Vanessa suddenly exclaimed from the center of the banquet hall, "Ah! My jade pendant! The heirloom Aunt Liam just gave me is gone!"
The whole room erupted in commotion!
At that moment, one of Vanessa's best friends jumped out, pointing at me and shrilly, "I just saw Clara sneaking around Vanessa! She must have stolen it!"
Another chimed in, "Yes! We saw it too! She's definitely jealous that Vanessa is pregnant with Liam's child and is deliberately causing trouble!"
As she spoke, Vanessa's best friend, accompanied by several women, rushed forward, attempting to forcibly search me!
"What are you doing! Get away!"
I was terrified and furious, struggling desperately, but how could one person fight against several?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, my dress was roughly torn open; humiliation and anger made me tremble!
Sure enough, someone had "felt" the cold jade pendant from the lining of my underwear!
"She really stole it!" A gasp and scornful whispers erupted from the crowd.
Liam's parents, their faces ashen, demanded sharply, "Clara! We, the Foster family, have treated you well. Why did you steal?! Someone from such a poor background like you is bound to be dishonest!"
I clutched my torn clothes, my nails digging deep into my palms, but my voice remained unusually calm: "I didn't steal it."
"You're still trying to deny it!" Vanessa suddenly stepped forward, her eyes red-rimmed, her hand gently touching her lower abdomen. "Clara, I know you're upset, but this pendant means a lot to me. It's a token of Liam's mother's affection… Even if you hate me, you can't joke about a child like this."
Her words, seemingly gentle, actually confirmed my jealousy of her pregnancy and my deliberate sabotage.
I couldn't bear it any longer and instinctively took a step back, trying to avoid her insincere gaze.
Unexpectedly, Vanessa seemed to have been pushed by me, staggering backward and knocking over a stack of champagne glasses!
Crash—!
The sound of shattering glass and a woman's scream rang out simultaneously! Vanessa landed amidst the broken glass, her skirt instantly torn in several places, blood seeping from her exposed calf. She clutched her stomach and wailed, "My baby! Will my baby be alright?!"
"Vanessa!" Liam rushed downstairs with a shawl, his face changing drastically upon seeing the scene. He immediately rushed over, picked her up, and turned to glare at me, "Clara! What are you trying to do?!"
第5章
Liam's mother immediately embellished the story, pointing at the blood-soaked, weeping Vanessa and my disheveled state: "Liam! Look at this! This wicked woman! She stole Vanessa's family heirloom and tried to harm her unborn child! She mustn't be let off so easily!"
Liam's gaze fell on me, a complex mix of emotions—shock, suspicion, and a barely perceptible hint of… annoyance.
Finally, his Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't ask me anything, didn't defend me, but simply held Vanessa and sternly told the bodyguard, "Take Vanessa to the hospital!"
He actually… didn't stop them!
He just tacitly accepted that his parents could do whatever they wanted with me, that I was the culprit!
Watching his resolute, unwavering departure, I felt my entire world collapse before my eyes.
My heart felt like it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, then crushed. The pain was so intense I could barely breathe; even my fingertips felt icy cold.
I was roughly dragged to the backyard by Foster's bodyguards, the cold whip lashing my body repeatedly, old wounds compounded with new ones, the pain nearly making me faint.
Liam's parents stood by, watching coldly. Liam's mother was particularly scathing, saying, "We've investigated your background! An orphan with no parents, relying on your looks to cling to our Liam! You're such lowly trash, you're not even worthy to shine Vanessa's shoes! If you know what's good for you, get out of here! Don't force us to take action, or we'll make you lose all your dignity!"
My consciousness gradually blurred amidst the excruciating pain and humiliation, finally fading completely into darkness.
When I awoke again, I was still on that cold bed. My wounds had been hastily treated, but the pain was still unbearable.
As soon as I opened my eyes, Liam pushed open the door, grabbed my wrist without a word, and tried to drag me out.
"Liam! What are you doing! Let go of me!" I struggled weakly, the pain pulling at my wounds and sending cold sweat down my face.
Liam, however, seemed oblivious to my suffering. Without a word, he half-dragged, half-carried me to the hospital and shoved me straight into the blood collection room!
"Draw her blood. Vanessa lost too much blood and was traumatized. They have the same blood type; she needs a transfusion to stabilize her condition." He commanded the nurse coldly, his tone brooking no argument.
I stared in disbelief, my voice hoarse and broken with weakness and shock: "Liam! Can't you see all these whip marks on my body?! I just escaped death! How can I have my blood drawn like this?!"
Liam took a deep breath, trying to suppress his agitation, and said in his usual coaxing tone, "Clara, be good, just a little, it'll be fine. Vanessa is pregnant, she can't be hurt, you can't just leave her to die..."
"I won't! Why should I use my blood to save her?! Why?!" All the pent-up grievances, anger, and despair exploded at that moment, and I screamed in despair.
She carries the bone marrow of my five children in her veins, and now she wants to drink my blood? What kind of absurd thing is this?!
My resistance completely enraged him.
Liam lost his last shred of patience, gripping my wrist tightly and roaring, "Why?! Because Vanessa was injured because of you! You owe her this! It's your fault! You're going to draw blood today, whether you like it or not!"
He forcefully restrained my struggling body, forcing the nurse to draw blood.
The needle pierced my vein, and I convulsed in pain, my already weak body suffering even more.
The nurse, observing my condition, hesitated, "Mr. Liam, this young lady is too weak, we can't draw any more..."
"Keep drawing! Not enough!" Liam's voice was icy.
Finally, due to excessive blood loss and excruciating pain, I fainted again.
When I woke up, I was still alone in the room.
The nurse told her that Mr. Liam was in the next room taking care of Ms. Vanessa.
He hadn't come over, only sent me a message.
[Clara, I know you're still angry. But Vanessa's injury was your fault, and you must take responsibility for it.] "Calm down first. Stop making a scene, I'll love you forever." Love you forever?
Seeing those words, I suddenly laughed.
I laughed until my whole body trembled, until my wounds burst open and bled, until I couldn't even cry.
His love was to allow his parents to whip me until I was covered in bruises.
His love was to force me to donate blood to save the woman who killed my child, even though I was on the verge of death.
His love was to say "forever" while conspiring with another woman to take everything from me!
This kind of love is too cruel, I, Clara… cannot afford it.
I've already accumulated enough disappointment; now even despair seems superfluous.
After a few days of recuperation, my body had recovered somewhat. I didn't tell anyone and quietly completed the discharge procedures.
Just as I returned to the villa, my phone rang.
“Miss, is everything settled over there? We can collect the ashes today. The cancellation of the donation agreement has been submitted to the hospital, and Liam should receive the news soon. The heir's banquet is all prepared. It's time to go home.”
I stood in the empty living room, looking around, my gaze calm and unwavering.
This was once what I thought was home; now, only betrayal and filth remained.
I took a deep breath, my voice clear and calm: “Yes, everything's taken care of. I'll be right back.” Hanging up the phone, I quickly packed a few of my belongings, placed the glass jar filled with the ashes of love letters on the living room table, took one last look at this place that held five years of nightmares, and turned away without hesitation, leaving no trace.
I'm going home with my children.
And what Liam and Vanessa owe me, I will make them repay a thousandfold.
第6章
In the hospital, Vanessa was still pretending to rest and recuperate, when Liam suddenly remembered me.
He frowned, pulled out his phone, and his fingers flew across the screen, sending one text message after another:
[Clara, is the whip mark on your back healed? Does it hurt?]
[Are you still angry with me? I had my reasons for what happened that day. Let me explain.]
[Why aren't you replying to my messages? Is your phone dead? Reply as soon as you see this.] The messages were like pebbles thrown into the deep sea, not even causing a ripple. Liam's finger hovered over the screen, a strange unease creeping into his heart for the first time—even when things got really bad, a few coaxing words from him would always soften him, but this time…
“Stop sending it,” Vanessa said, grabbing his wrist. Her voice was as soft as cotton, but her eyes held a calculating glint. “She’s just throwing a tantrum. Think about it, she’s all alone, she’s had five years of good life with you, how can she possibly adapt to the hardships outside? She’s probably already regretting it somewhere, but she just can’t bring herself to come back.”
She paused, deliberately emphasizing her words: “You’ve spoiled her too much these past five years, that’s why she dares to be so willful. I think it’s better to leave her alone for a few days, until she’s hungry and scared, she’ll naturally come back begging you.”
These words were like a thorn, piercing Liam’s hidden sense of superiority—he had always felt that Clara couldn’t live without him. He gripped his phone tightly, suppressing his unease, and said coldly, "You're right, I was too hasty. She's just taking advantage of my feelings for her."
A few days later, Vanessa's "health improved" and she was discharged from the hospital. When Liam took her back to the villa, he was still planning how to "teach" me a lesson before making amends. But when he pushed open the door, the living room was empty, and my room was spotless—clothes, my usual water glass, everything was gone, and on the table was a glass bottle filled with the ashes of love letters.
A note was on the coffee table, the handwriting cold and devoid of warmth:
"Liam, between us, this is the end."
Liam stared at the note, stunned at first, then his anger surged. He crumpled the note and threw it on the ground, growling that he was calling the bodyguards to search for her! “Don’t go!” Vanessa quickly grabbed him, her face full of “concern for him.” “If you go now, isn’t that like admitting defeat? If she knows how worried you are about her, she’ll only take advantage of you more! Besides, she doesn’t have much money. Life out there isn’t easy. She’ll only last a week at most; she’ll definitely be back.”
Liam took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Looking at Vanessa’s “concerned” eyes, and remembering my past compliance, he finally nodded: “Okay, I’ll wait for her to come back on her own.”
But in the following days, while he outwardly stayed with Vanessa, he grew increasingly agitated—the people he sent to secretly inquire hadn’t even found a trace of me. On Friday afternoon, several of his business partners suddenly showed up at his door, excitedly patting him on the shoulder:
"Liam! Don't stay home! Something big is happening tonight!"
"Have you heard? The Bennett Group's mysterious heir, who's been shrouded in secrecy for five years, is officially making his debut today, completing his probationary period! The inheritance ceremony is on the top floor of the Bennett Building, with a husband-selection banquet as well!"
"It's said that all the top talents in the continent have received invitations. This kind of spectacle is something you'll only see once in a lifetime! Come on, let's go and join the fun; maybe we can even get in touch with the Bennett family!"
Liam frowned, showing no interest whatsoever—his mind was preoccupied with the whereabouts of the heir, and he instinctively repelled such business occasions. Vanessa's eyes lit up, and she took his arm, softly urging, "Liam, please go! I've heard so much about the Bennett Group's power. Getting to know the heir would benefit your company. Just come with me to broaden my horizons." Unable to resist Vanessa's persistent pleading, Liam finally agreed.
That evening, the Bennett Building was brightly lit, the crystal chandeliers in the rooftop banquet hall sparkling like a galaxy, filled with elegantly dressed celebrities. Vanessa was mesmerized, pulling Liam around to look for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with the dignitaries. Liam, meanwhile, sat in a corner with a glass of whiskey, his thoughts already wandering—Clara had been missing for almost ten days; where was she?
Just then, all the lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on the top of the spiral staircase. The emcee's voice, trembling with excitement, carried throughout the hall through the microphone:
"Distinguished guests, let us welcome with the warmest applause Ms. Clara Bennett, the sole heiress of the Bennett family!"