On My Fifth Wedding Anniversary, Bestie Almost Killed Me

Izzy’s POV “Bro, are you really planning to never touch Izzy again? You’ve been with her for five years, and she’s gorgeous, too. You really believe you can hold back?” Gavin’s buddies’ teasing voices drifted through the door that hadn’t been shut properly. The moment I heard them, my hand froze around the divorce papers. Gavin replied casually, “I promised Frankie. As long as she doesn’t agree, I won’t touch Izzy.” That voice—so familiar—sent a chill straight through me. Five years of marriage, and he’d barely touched me. So this was why. Every time he did, he had to report it to Frankie. Frankie let out a soft laugh, her hand sliding along Gavin’s arm, her face full of smug arrogance. “Gavin, look at them—they don’t even believe you. Why don’t you just find some people to take care of Izzy for you? You don’t even like her anyway. Let someone else enjoy her. Who knows—maybe Izzy would love that.” As she spoke, she gently brushed his cheek and giggled. “You wouldn’t feel bad about it, right, Gavin?” For a moment, he fell silent. My heart leapt into my throat. I gripped the divorce papers even tighter. Seeing he didn’t answer, Frankie tugged at his sleeve coquettishly. “Hey, didn’t you say you only like me? It’s just letting someone satisfy Izzy. Are you really going to embarrass me in front of your friends?” The next second, Gavin sighed helplessly. “Fine. Whatever you want.” My breathing stopped. And then, tears burst from my eyes. Meanwhile, the private room exploded with laughter. Frankie kissed Gavin, smug and pleased. “Then let it be that group in the middle of the bar. Might as well—Izzy should feel lucky.” That group in the middle of the bar was clearly a bunch of thugs. I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed toward the door. Before I even made it home, Gavin called. It was eerily quiet on his end—only his usual gentle voice. “Izzy, aren’t you still in the hospital? I sent my men to take care of you, but the hospital said you already checked out. Where are you now?” I dug my nails into my palm. He actually sent those fucking thugs to the hospital! He really listened to Frankie. He really wanted to destroy me completely! I bit down on my lower lip. The taste of blood forced me to calm down. “I’ve been discharged. I’m out right now. I don’t need anyone taking care of me. If you have nothing else to say, I’m hanging up.” I rushed to end the call. But I heard him chuckle. “Izzy, the villa security said they saw you. Don’t worry. I’ll have someone pick you up. They’ll take very good care of you.” With that, he hung up. My eyes widened in terror, and I sprinted toward the villa. Panic made me careless. Just before reaching the entrance, I tripped over a stone and slammed hard onto the ground. The next second, several shadows appeared behind me. Terrified, I didn’t even dare turn around. I crawled desperately toward the villa. But in the end, my legs were yanked back violently. The thugs’ disgusting laughter rang out behind me. “Hey, beautiful… If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being out so late.” I clawed at the ground with all ten fingers and screamed, “How much did they pay you? I’ll give you double!” But no one answered. I fought with everything I had, but it only made them rougher. Beating. Tearing. My clothes were ripped apart and scattered on the ground. Countless dirty hands roamed over my body. My terrified cries and helpless sobs were completely smothered by a large hand clamped over my mouth. Not far away, the lights of the villa suddenly went out. I heard the housekeeper’s sigh. “Ma’am… Please don’t blame me. Sir Gavin told me not to save you…” At that moment, my tears poured out uncontrollably. And the very last trace of love I had for Gavin vanished… completely.

Izzy’s POV I thought I wasn’t going to make it out. But then, very quickly, I heard the police shouting behind me. The thugs panicked and scattered in all directions. Someone helped me up. The torn pieces of clothing on the ground were draped back over me again, as if nothing had ever happened. But only I knew—something inside me had completely died. The police spoke to me with concern, but their voices sounded distant, like there was a layer of glass between us. Those disgusting men were arrested soon after. After all the procedures were finished, I returned to the villa in a daze. The moment I stepped inside, I heard laughter coming from the living room. Frankie was sitting in Gavin’s arms, holding a wine glass, acting as if nothing had happened at all. While they were enjoying a candlelight dinner, I had been assaulted not far from this very villa. And the real culprit was now brazenly occupying my home. The instant they saw me, their expressions changed. Gavin frowned reflexively. “Why are you back so late? And why do you look like such a mess?” How could he pretend so naturally—like none of this had anything to do with him? I clenched my teeth hard, forcing the hatred in my eyes back down. Before I could say anything, Frankie stood up and walked toward me with a bright smile. “Izzy,” she said softly, malice hidden in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I was busy ‘punishing’ Gavin, so I didn’t go to the hospital to see you. Weren’t you discharged already? Why are you only coming back now? And what happened to you…?” She reached out to touch me, but I immediately stepped back. Her smile stiffened for a moment, then she spoke with deliberate cruelty. “You’re in such a mess. Don’t tell me you were assaulted by a group of men?” After saying that, she covered her mouth, looking shocked. “Oh, Izzy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just joking. You don’t mind, right?” She reached out again, trying to grab me. This time, I slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me!” She stumbled back a couple of steps. Gavin immediately stood up and caught her, then shouted at me angrily, “Izzy! Are you crazy? Frankie was just joking! Or what—were you actually assaulted?” “What if I was, huh?!” My sharp voice echoed through the villa as I stared straight at him. His body stiffened for a split second. Then he put on an angry act. “Who dared to lay a hand on you? I’ll make sure they pay for it! Izzy, don’t worry. Even if you were assaulted, you’re still my wife. I won’t let this get out.” He looked at me with nothing but tenderness. Anyone else would’ve been deeply moved by his words. But the one who actually arranged for me to be assaulted was him. I looked at him with something like a smile, but my eyes were frighteningly red. “No need. I’ve already sent those people to prison. I believe it won’t be long before the monster who sent them is caught, too.” With that, the smile on his face froze instantly. He pulled out his phone. “They actually dared to hurt my wife. I’ll make sure they rot in prison. Izzy, don’t worry. I’ll find the mastermind behind this right now.” With that, he hurried out. Once he was gone, the smile on Frankie’s face completely faded. She tilted her head lazily and looked at me. “Izzy, you know, I used to really envy you. You had such a good husband. But slowly, I stopped envying you. After all, my lover would never make me sign a forgiveness letter for the real culprit.” She looked at me, her eyes filled with a twisted sense of satisfaction. A fake, pitying smile appeared in her eyes. “Hey, I can’t drink chowder soup lately. I might be pregnant. Your child had such a short life… You couldn’t even give birth to it. So… this bowl of soup should go to you instead.” “But don’t worry,” she added. “My child will be your child. I’ll make sure it takes good care of you.” At that point, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I grabbed the bowl of soup from the table and dumped it straight over that bitch. The next second, hurried footsteps sounded from outside. Gavin took in the scene before him and let out a furious roar. “Izzy!”

Izzy’s POV “Gavin, I only said I couldn’t drink soup. And then Izzy just…” Frankie immediately turned to Gavin, crying as she complained. The look in his eyes when he turned to me went ice-cold. “Izzy! What exactly are you trying to do?” he demanded, frowning hard. Frankie clutched his arm and spoke timidly. “Maybe it’s because she was assaulted before, so she’s more sensitive. I really didn’t mean anything by it.” Gavin’s brows knitted tightly. “That was just your bad luck. How can you blame Frankie for that? Izzy, when did you become this vicious?” He stepped forward and grabbed my arm tightly. “Apologize to her.” I yanked my arm free. “I won’t apologize. That’s not what she said at all. She mocked me for having a miscarriage—” But he didn’t even look at me before cutting me off. His voice was firm and cold. “Apologize to Frankie. Don’t make me say it a third time.” I stood there, silent, refusing to speak. Seeing how pale I was, he sighed, as if he was about to step closer and take my hand. But in the next second, Frankie suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain. “Ugh! My stomach hurts so much, Gavin… I think Izzy scared me. Can you take me to the hospital first? It’s okay if she doesn’t apologize.” Hearing that, Gavin looked at me with disappointment. He picked her up and walked out. As he passed me, he didn’t even notice when I was knocked to the floor. I fell hard, a dull pain spreading through my abdomen. I stayed silent, watching him walk away without ever looking back. He didn’t care about my injuries. He didn’t care about my explanation. In his eyes, I was practically invisible. Bone-deep exhaustion swallowed me whole. I wanted to scream, to tear apart every fake mask they were wearing. But in the end, all I did was slowly and painfully walk back to the bedroom. The moment I pushed the door open, my breathing stopped. Everything that belonged to me was gone. My clothes. Our wedding photos. The intimate pictures by the bed. The gifts he gave me every anniversary. Everything—gone. In their place were Frankie’s clothes and her makeup. In just one day, her perfume had completely taken over the room. The sheets on the bed were wrinkled and messy. They had actually slept together in my bed. My hands shook violently. I wanted to rip everything to shreds. Just then, my phone rang. Another message from my fake best friend popped up. [Sorry, Izzy. I punished Gavin a little too late last night, so I ended up sleeping in your room. You don’t mind, right? As for your stuff, the housekeeper probably put them in the storage room. You can look for them yourself.] Attached was a photo of Gavin gently feeding her chicken soup. I could almost see the smug look in her eyes. I had the urge to expose everything, to tear off her fake, innocent mask so she could never pretend again. But in the end, I held myself back. After retrieving my clothes from the storage room, I threw all the keepsakes and wedding photos into the fireplace. The flames quickly devoured everything. It wasn’t until after midnight that Gavin and Frankie returned to the villa. Maybe they thought I was already asleep because they became completely uninhibited. Frankie’s moans woke me up. I got out of bed and looked toward what used to be my bedroom. Her eyes were seductive, her arm draped over Gavin as her nails dragged deep scratches down his back. “Gavin, do you like me more, or Izzy?” she asked softly. “Can she ignite your passion more than I can?” Gavin let out a low laugh, full of mockery. “Don’t mention her at a time like this. Izzy isn’t even clean anymore. How could she possibly compare to you?” he said. “Even before, she was like a dead fish in bed. You’re the only one I’ve ever truly liked.” He kissed her deeply, and the two of them fell back into another wave of frenzy. I knew he wasn’t the same man he used to be. But hearing him say those words still made my chest ache unbearably. Just as I turned my gaze away, my eyes met Frankie’s. The look in those eyes… was full of provocation. Clearly, she had known all along that I was standing there. I bit down hard on my lip until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Izzy’s POV Gavin’s expression was dazed. When I saw him staring at the wedding ring on his finger, my mind went blank for a moment. I had always believed he loved me. After all, we had been married for five years, and he’d always treated me with care and consideration. No matter what I wanted, he would make sure it was placed in my hands as soon as possible. Even though, during those five years, he was rarely intimate with me unless I took the initiative myself. But I had only thought that was just the way he was by nature. I never imagined that he had simply been following my so-called best friend’s orders, saving himself for her. At that thought, I glanced at Frankie with open mockery in my eyes. Without hesitation, I took off my wedding ring and tossed it into the sewer outside. When I returned to the room, I prepared both the divorce agreement and the resignation letter. As long as Gavin signed them, I would have nothing to do with him ever again. The next morning, when I went downstairs, both Gavin and Frankie were already gone. I took the divorce papers and resignation letter and went straight to the Armantrading Group. Before I could even reach Gavin’s office, I was stopped by a woman I didn’t recognize. She looked at me arrogantly, disgust written all over her face. “How can the security guards just let anyone in? A woman like you is obviously here to seduce the CEO. I’m not letting you go in. If you know what’s good for you, get lost. Now.” I frowned. I’d only been away from the Armantrading Group for a few days, yet the people around Gavin had already been replaced by someone like her. “I’m here to see Gavin. I’m his wife. Go inform him first. Otherwise—” Before I could finish, the woman burst out laughing. “The whole company knows the CEO’s beloved is my sister. Frankie. Who do you think you are? Where did you crawl out from? You must have a death wish—being a mistress and still daring to show up so openly.” “I’m calling security right now to throw you out!” As soon as she said that, she pulled out her phone and called the guards. I tried to walk past her and go inside, but she grabbed my arm tightly. Her long nails raked across my skin, leaving bloody scratches. I couldn’t take it anymore and shoved her away. The woman screamed. When she saw the guards arrive, she shouted sharply. “Security! Call the police right now! Send this psycho to jail! She’s insane! I’ll have my brother-in-law kill her!” Hearing that, the guard looked at me with a troubled expression. He clearly wanted to say something, but under the woman’s threat, he still walked toward me. “M-Ma’am… I’m sorry. The CEO told us to follow Miss Crane’s instructions.” As he spoke, he reached out to grab me. I was furious and deeply, painfully sad. I was Gavin’s wife. Yet in just a few days, he had already allowed Frankie to replace my position. He had even brought her younger sister in as his secretary. The guard clearly knew who I was and still dared to lay hands on me. That alone showed how much Gavin valued Frankie. So much so that, in the eyes of outsiders, I was already worth less than Frankie—less even than her younger sister. I lowered my gaze and was about to call Gavin. At that moment, he walked out of his office. Seeing what was happening, he frowned and barked, “What are you doing?” The guard immediately pulled his hand back and replied respectfully, “Sir… it was the secretary who told me to drive Ma’am Izzy out.” His body trembled violently. When Frankie’s sister heard that, her face instantly turned pale. Obviously, she had never imagined that I really was Gavin’s wife. Seeing this, she forced out a tear, looking pitiful and fragile—exactly like her sister. “Gavin, I didn’t mean to do it. I just didn’t recognize her. She tried to go straight inside, so I stopped her. Then she pushed me. I thought someone was causing trouble, so I called security…” Gavin’s face darkened instantly. “Izzy is my wife. When your sister sent you here, didn’t she tell you that? Go back immediately!” As he spoke, he pulled Frankie’s sister behind him protectively. With just one scolding sentence, all the humiliation and injustice I suffered was brushed aside. Even though I had long known he wouldn’t do anything to her, seeing him protect Frankie’s sister without a second thought, I still let out a cold laugh. He stiffened, then looked at me gently. “Izzy, she’s young. For Frankie’s sake—and mine—just forgive her.” The woman, seeing Gavin protect her, immediately looked smug. She shot me a mocking glance, then turned and walked back into the office. I stood there in silence, then I handed the two documents to Gavin. “Sign them.” He frowned slightly, subconsciously took the papers, and was about to open them.

Izzy’s POV Before I could even reach out to stop him, a sharp scream suddenly came from inside the office. “Gavin! Something happened to my sister!” The moment he heard that, Gavin’s expression changed drastically. He turned and was about to rush inside. I grabbed his arm tightly. “Sign it first. Then go.” He stared at me coldly, his eyes cold. “Izzy, when did you become like this?” Seeing that I absolutely wouldn’t let go, Frankie’s sister started shouting even more urgently. Gavin’s face darkened. Without even looking, he signed both documents, then turned and headed straight for the office. I looked down at the divorce and resignation papers in my hands and finally let out a breath I’d been holding. When I went through the resignation process, the HR staff kept looking at me like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. As I turned to leave, she finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Ma’am, Sir Gavin is just temporarily confused by that woman. At a time like this, you should stay with the company.” I tugged at the corner of my lips in a faint, bitter smile. Temporarily confused? Gavin wasn’t fucking confused at all. His entire heart already belonged to Frankie. For her, he’d killed my parents. For her, he’d killed our baby. But in the end, I still didn’t say a single word. I turned and left. As soon as I reached the first floor, the elevator beside me suddenly opened. Gavin’s bodyguards surrounded me in an instant. The man in front said expressionlessly, “Ma’am, Sir Gavin wants to see you.” My heart dropped. I turned and ran. The next second, they pinned my arms, ignoring my struggle, and dragged me back to the office without mercy. Gavin sat behind his desk, staring at me coldly. The veins on the back of his hand bulged violently. “Izzy, I know you’re unhappy with Frankie. But you shouldn’t have hired people to kidnap her—let alone arrange for her to be assaulted…” And then, he added, “Tell me where Frankie is right now, and I can still forgive you.” He grabbed my chin hard, his presence terrifyingly cold. My whole body trembled. My throat felt completely blocked; I couldn’t get a word out. “I didn’t do it!” I forced out hoarsely. His face darkened to something frightening. Then he suddenly let out a soft laugh. “You’re still being stubborn, Izzy. Frankie’s sister is panicking right now. You and Frankie used to be so close. If you just say it now, she won’t blame you. You were just confused for a moment. Now, be good. Tell me the truth.” His grip tightened even more. My jaw felt like it was about to crack. “I told you I didn’t do it! Believe me or not, I didn’t! This was all staged by Frankie herself! You—” “Enough!” Before I knew it, he had slapped me hard across the face, the sound startling me. I stared at him in disbelief. He pushed his phone in front of me and said calmly, “Izzy, if I pull the plug on your parents’ ventilators, then you’ll understand how it feels, right?” “I’ll give you three seconds,” he warned. “If you don’t tell me where Frankie is when the countdown ends, the hospital staff will unplug your parents’ life support.” Seeing my parents on the screen, I shouted hysterically, “Gavin! Are you insane?! Those are my parents! How could you—” “How couldn’t I?!” he roared. “You went after Frankie, so I go after your parents. That’s only fair!” I stared at him, suddenly finding the whole thing absurd. “Gavin… Do you even remember that I am your wife?” He froze for a moment, then expressionlessly began counting down. “Three.” “I told you I don’t know!” I grabbed his arm, trying to stop him. “Two.” “Gavin…” My voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human. “I’m begging you... Please go investigate it first... It really wasn’t me.” With my parents’ lives hanging in the balance, I finally lowered my head and begged him. He leaned forward slightly, looking at my pale face, his lips moving without a trace of mercy. “One. Do it.” The countdown ended. On the other end of the call, the bodyguard received the order and immediately pulled the plug. “No!” I screamed, my eyes widening in horror. I lunged forward, trying to stop it, but Gavin shoved me violently aside. On the screen, my parents convulsed a few times. The machines beside them began to beep in mournful alarms! Tears streamed down my face in panic. At that moment, Gavin’s phone rang. His expression instantly lit up with joy. “You found her? I’m on my way right now!” Just like that, he grabbed his coat and rushed out to look for Frankie. My tears. My desperation. My parents’ lives. None of it mattered to him—not compared to a single word from Frankie. Thinking of my parents, who could stop breathing at any second, I no longer had the strength to stop him. After he left, I staggered to my feet, ready to rush to the hospital. But before I could step out of the office, his assistant blocked my path. With a look full of pity, he said, “Ma’am, I’m so sorry. Sir Gavin ordered me not to let you leave.” “Get out of my way!” I shouted. “My parents are still in the hospital! Move!” My cries were raw with grief, but I was still blocked, helpless, until I collapsed to my knees. Frankie’s sister stood nearby, watching me smugly. “So you dared to kidnap my sister. Look how that turned out. My sister’s fine, but your parents paid with their lives instead. If you want to blame someone, blame the fact that Gavin doesn’t love you. Your parents were just unlucky!” Watching her laugh like a maniac, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My eyes red with tears, I charged at her. The next second, Gavin’s assistant knocked me unconscious. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the blurry image of my parents walking farther and farther away...

Izzy’s POV When I woke up again, I was tied up in an office. Gavin was sitting in front of me, holding Frankie in his arms. She was crying her eyes out. When she saw that I was awake, she shrank back into his chest like she was scared of me. “Gavin, I really don’t know what to do anymore,” she sobbed. “Even though you saved me this time, what those monsters did to me… I’ll never be able to forget it. Never….” She cried uncontrollably, her tears falling nonstop. He lifted his hand and gently wiped away her tears, his eyes filled with pain and pity. “Stop crying. I’ll get justice for you. This time, Izzy was the one who did wrong. You can decide how you want her to apologize.” Frankie shot me a smug look, then pretended to be innocent as she said, “I want her to kneel down and apologize to me… a hundred times.” Gavin glanced at me and frowned slightly. “Frankie, apologizing is fine, but kneeling is unnecessary. And doing it a hundred times is too much.” Her eyes instantly turned red. “I knew it—you still care more about her. I almost got assaulted. When those men touched me, I wanted to die right there. I only asked her to kneel and apologize. Is that really worse than what I went through?” “If you’re going to take her side,” she added, “then we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Otherwise, she might hurt me again.” With that, she stood up and acted like she was about to leave. He immediately pulled her back into his arms, helplessness flashing in his eyes. “Alright, alright. I’ll do whatever you want.” The bodyguards moved fast, forcing me down onto my knees. I stiffened my neck, refusing to bow my head, refusing to apologize no matter what. Gavin only glanced at me coldly and said in a flat voice, “Izzy, if you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize. For every apology you skip, your parents will suffer one more minute.” The moment I heard that, all the strength drained from my body. I let the bodyguards slam my head down hard against the floor. Frankie gave the bodyguard a subtle look. He understood immediately and pressed down even harder on my head. After only a few blows, my forehead split open, blood pouring down my face. As I stared at Gavin’s indifferent expression, his past words suddenly echoed in my ears. “Baby, even the smallest injury to you breaks my heart. You have to protect yourself, and I’ll protect you, too. No one is allowed to hurt you.” Those promises still rang clearly in my ears. Yet the man who said them… was now the one hurting me the most. I lowered my head weakly, my ears ringing. Blood covered my face. I had already lost count of how many times I’d begged for forgiveness. When the bodyguards finally let go, I couldn’t hold on anymore and collapsed to the floor. Just before the world went completely dark, I heard Gavin’s assistant shout in panic. “Sir! Something’s wrong! Ma’am Izzy’s parents… They’ve stopped breathing!” Gavin’s eyes widened. His grip on Frankie’s hand tightened unconsciously. She cried out in pain, but he didn’t notice. His eyes were locked on the assistant. “Keep this quiet. Don’t let Izzy find out. If anyone tells her, don’t blame me for what happens next.” Frankie opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she immediately fell silent under Gavin’s dark, threatening stare. I weakly reached out, trying to stay conscious. But in the end, I was swallowed by endless darkness.

Izzy’s POV When I woke up again, I went to the hospital without telling anyone. The entire place had already been completely locked down by Gavin. Even though I was my parents’ biological child, I still wasn’t allowed to see them. But I knew the news I heard before I passed out couldn’t possibly be fake. And everything Gavin was doing now only proved it. My parents’ smiling faces… The birthday gifts they prepared for me every single year. No matter what I did, they supported me without hesitation. Scene after scene from the past flashed through my mind. And yet now, I couldn’t even properly take care of their final arrangements. At that thought, my tears burst out uncontrollably. After contacting Gavin’s sworn enemy, I secretly made my way into the hospital. When I saw the two familiar, pale faces in front of me, I collapsed to my knees and cried until I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, everything had already been reduced to ashes by the fire. Holding my parents’ ashes, I swore that I would make Gavin and Frankie pay for what they’d done! By the time I returned to the villa, it was already deep into the night. The villa was still brightly lit as always. Only now, the silence was terrifying. I didn’t call Gavin like I used to, asking him where he was. Just then, I heard the sound of a notification. At the same time, my phone buzzed. Frankie had sent me another taunting message. [Gavin won’t be going back anytime soon. We’re traveling together. You take good care of the house. When I get back, I’ll have Gavin toss you a bone to chew on. Hahaha!] Below the message was a photo of the two of them embracing, basking under blue skies and white clouds. Calmly, I blocked her, then deleted every single way to contact Gavin. After that, I placed the divorce certificate, the cremation documents, and all the recordings that exposed the truth onto the coffee table in the villa. Then I took my luggage—and my parents’ ashes—and left this place that used to be my home. One week later, at the Armantrading Group project signing ceremony, Gavin would finally receive the punishment he deserved. From this moment on, I swear—he would never see me again.