Chapter 1

On their fifth wedding anniversary, the gift Tessa Hill received was a phone call from a law firm. "Hello, is this Mrs. Frey? This is Brightwell Legal Associates. A young woman is suing your husband, Stanley Frey, for false imprisonment. Could you please come by to help us understand the situation?" Tessa's heart sank. Her fingers went cold. She had a rough idea of what was going on. Even so, she still grabbed her scarf and walked out the door. As the law firm was brightly lit, Tessa immediately spotted the young woman in the middle of the crowd. Pouting, the young woman questioned in displeasure, "What are you all doing just standing around? Why aren't you suing him yet? He kept me locked up in a presidential suite for seven days straight! I couldn't even get out of bed because of him! If that's not false imprisonment, then what is?" The woman sounded sweet and coy, clearly bragging as she spoke. The senior legal associates exchanged looks that said, "Here we go again." A fresh-faced intern, however, took her seriously, his face flushing with outrage. "T-That's outrageous! Mr. Hoffman, shouldn't we file the lawsuit immediately?" An older attorney quickly pulled him aside and hissed under his breath, "Are you out of your mind? That's Stanley Frey we're talking about! The wealthiest man in Nasterdam!" "So what if he is? That doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants!" the intern retorted, stubbornly holding his ground. The older attorney, Dean Hoffman, wanted to clamp a hand over the intern's mouth. "What nonsense are you saying? This is just Mr. Frey and Ms. Sutton's idea of fun! Ever heard of roleplay? Ms. Sutton practically shows up every other week. "Last time she was saying Mr. Frey showered her with so much jewelry, worth over a hundred million, that she couldn't wear it all and lost sleep over it. "The time before that, she claimed she ended up with hay fever because he reserved a whole rose garden for her. She's not actually trying to sue him. This is just another excuse to flaunt their love!" The intern was dumbfounded. After a few seconds, he stammered, "B-But isn't Mr. Frey married? I even asked his w-wife to come here just now…" At that, the other attorneys' expressions became complicated. Dean was about to say something when a sudden disturbance at the door, charged with tension, drew everyone's attention. Stanley had arrived. With black-suited bodyguards clearing the way, he strode down the center. His high-end suit highlighted his tall stature and sharp, forbidding features as his powerful aura brooked no approach. But the moment his eyes fell on the young woman, his gaze softened. He walked straight to her, bent down on one knee, and looked up at her. His voice was low and indulgent as he asked, "What's wrong this time, my darling?" The woman's eyes grew red when she saw him. Pounding his shoulder with a fist, she whined through tears, "You know exactly what! You kept me in there for seven days straight! I begged you to stop, but you wouldn't… You're awful…" The attorneys awkwardly looked away. Sighing helplessly, Stanley brushed away her tears with his fingertips. "That's my bad, Claire. I just love you so much that I couldn't control myself. And didn't you enjoy it, too?" Clarissa Sutton's cheeks turned crimson. She glared at him in embarrassment. "D-Don't say that!" "Alright, I won't." Stanley soothed her with a smile before producing a velvet box. "Here. See if you like it." When Clarissa opened it, her eyes lit up instantly. Inside lay the Tears of the Deep, a blue diamond necklace she'd coveted for months that was worth a fortune. Her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! How did you know I wanted this?" "When have I ever not known what you want?" Stanley answered matter-of-factly, as if remembering her every preference was the most normal thing in the world. For a moment, a smug look crossed her gaze. But remembering she was still supposed to be mad, she turned her head away with a huff. "Don't think this will make me forgive you!" Stanley asked, "Then what will it take for you to forgive me? Should I be locked up in jail for a few days?" As he spoke, he got up and made a show of walking toward the attorneys. Clarrisa grabbed him around the waist in a panic. "Don't you dare!" Burying her face against his arms, her muffled, tear-choked voice sounded. "Why are you being so good to me? I was about to sue you and have you arrested, yet you still spoil me like this…" Stanley stroked her hair, his voice unbelievably gentle. "Because I love you, my darling." Breaking into a smile through her tears, Clarissa leaned up to kiss his chin. "I won't make a fuss anymore. Let's go home." Standing up, he held her hand, saying, "Yeah, let's go." As Stanley turned and glanced over, he abruptly froze. There, standing pale and silent in the corner, was Tessa. His gaze darkened briefly. An almost imperceptible flicker of emotion showed on his face before he regained his composure. "Why are you here?" Clarissa quickly explained, "I asked the attorneys to call her. You're not mad at me, are you?" Glancing at Tessa, Stanley said in a flat tone, "No." Dean patted the intern's shoulder, muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear, "See that? So what if he has a wife? Everyone knows Mrs. Frey is only his wife in name." His words sank into Tessa's heart like a knife, piercing deep and twisting mercilessly. That was right. For five years, she had been nothing but a wife on paper, a pitiful bystander who watched him love someone else. Who would even remember that five years ago, Stanley had once cherished her the same way? Back then, Tessa was Alexis Frey's best friend, and she visited the Frey residence practically every day. Among the wealthy, Stanley, Alexis' older brother, reigned at the very top. He was accomplished, cold, refined, and distant toward all. At first, Tessa was terrified of him, shrinking back like a mouse before a cat whenever she saw him. But gradually, she noticed that he treated her differently from the rest. He would remember her favorite desserts and had the staff prepare them in advance. When she broke one of his priceless antique vases, his first reaction was to check her hand for cuts. When she had a fever, he canceled an important meeting just to watch over her the whole night. She had naively said to Alexis, "Your brother isn't as scary as I thought." Alexis laughed. "Are you dumb? He likes you! He doesn't bother with anyone else." Tessa had been shocked and at a loss, but not long after, Stanley began pursuing her in an assertive yet gentle way. When a man like him devoted himself, no woman could escape his grasp. And truthfully, Tessa had unknowingly fallen for him long ago. They dated for three years. Stanley spoiled her endlessly, and soon, all of Nasterdam knew the heir of the Frey family had a beloved woman named Tessa. It was no surprise when they finally got married. Standing before the priest, Stanley held her hand firmly, his deep voice carrying a vow she thought would last forever. "I will only love Tessa Hill in this life." For a while, she had thought that her happiness would last forever. But not long after the wedding, she and Alexis encountered drunken thugs while they were out. Alexis had shoved Tessa behind her, shouting, "Run, Tess! Get help! I'll hold them off!" Tessa didn't want to leave, but Alexis pushed her hard. She had no choice but to run, intending to bring help back as quickly as possible. But halfway down the street, she felt a tightness in her chest. A metallic taste flooded her throat. As she coughed up a mouthful of blood, her vision went dark, and she lost consciousness. When she woke in the hospital, two devastating blows awaited her. The doctor told her she had cancer, then the police told her Alexis was dead. Alexis was brutally assaulted by those men, and her ruined body was only found at dawn. Tessa's world fell apart that day, and so did Stanley's. He lost his beloved sister, and his overwhelming grief turned into rage and hatred. With bloodshot eyes, he questioned Tessa, "Why? Why did you abandon her? And why didn't you go looking for help after abandoning her? Do you know how horribly Alexis died? Tell me why, Tessa!" Her heart splintered at the sight of his anguish. She wanted to tell him that she had collapsed and didn't mean to abandon Alexis, but what good would that do? Alexis was gone. And if he knew his wife was dying as well, he would be losing the two people he loved the most at the same time. Wouldn't that utterly break him? Thus, she chose to stay silent, keeping all her explanations and grievances to herself. To Stanley, her silence became an admission, a sign of heartlessness, and proof that she was afraid of facing justice. As he plunged straight into hell, all the love in his heart transformed into bone-deep hatred. He stopped coming home, treating her with icy indifference from then on as a way to get back at her. Eventually, he even brought Clarissa into their lives, who was a college student strikingly similar to Tessa in appearance. All the love, warmth, and indulgence he had once showered on Tessa, he now gave to Clarissa, only more intensely. Tessa knew this was all deliberate. He wanted her to watch helplessly as he transferred all his love to another woman who resembled her. He wanted her to suffer every single day. And she did. Little did he know that her time was already running out. At her most recent checkup, the doctor looked at her report while saying in a grave tone, "The cancer has spread everywhere… Ms. Hill, you have two more weeks left at most." Soon, Tessa would leave Stanley forever and join Alexis in the afterlife.