Chapter 2

Wendy hadn't even taken a single step forward before bodyguards by the door lunged toward her. They shoved a black hood over her head and violently dragged her into the private room. Julian barely glanced her way. "It's just an eavesdropper. Beat her up and throw her out. Let's not ruin the mood." Adrian nodded in agreement. Neither of them spared Wendy another look. It was as if the woman crumpled on the floor were nothing more than a piece of trash. The bodyguards obeyed immediately. Soon, their fists landed on Wendy's head and back, hitting her as if they meant to shatter her bones. Eventually, a sharp pain exploded through Wendy's body, and she curled up tightly. Suddenly, Julian's gaze landed on the ring finger of her left hand just as her consciousness began to fade. The diamond ring glinted in the light. It was oddly familiar. Julian was about to step forward to take a closer look, but his phone rang, and his expression shifted when he saw that it was Bianca calling. Adrian immediately leaned in. His tone carried a hint of nervousness when he saw the name on the screen. "Did something happen to Bianca?" Both men had completely forgotten about the woman lying bloodied on the floor. They merely rushed out without even looking back, lowering their voices as they answered the call. Meanwhile, Wendy lay motionless on the cold ground. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as their footsteps faded away. In that moment, she silently vowed to herself that she would make both Julian and Adrian regret and pay for what they had done. Eventually, her consciousness faded away. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying beside a garbage bin in the alley behind the bar. Wendy slowly pushed herself up against the wall. Then, she hailed a cab to the city's top law firm to look for the best lawyer that specialized in marital disputes. She took a photo of every bruise and wound on her body before handing them, along with the marriage certificate, over to the lawyer. Her voice was calm and resolute as she said, "I'm filing for divorce from Julian Gray on grounds of domestic violence." The lawyer examined Wendy's injuries and reviewed the evidence before promising to complete all the necessary procedures within seven days. The next thing Wendy did was buy a one-way plane ticket to depart in exactly seven days. She intended to leave this place forever and never returned. Then, she pulled out her phone and played an old audio recording she had saved years ago. She watched the jumping audio track and took a deep breath. In seven days, she would send Julian, Adrian, and Bianca—and the woman who had destroyed her life—a huge gift that they would never forget! After making all the arrangements, Wendy returned home. Julian—no, Adrian stepped forward as soon as she opened the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist as usual, his hands restlessly wandering around her body. "You're back? You sounded so sexy last night. I want more tonight…" His warm touch sent a wave of nausea rolling through Wendy's stomach. His voice always lazily rose at the end of each sentence, while Julian's voice always remained deep and restrained. Adrian would tell her dirty jokes and make inappropriate physical advances, while Julian had always kept a polite and measured distance even in his affection. The difference was so obvious. How could she never have suspected anything before? A dull ache spread through Wendy's chest, and she shoved his hands away. "Don't touch me." Adrian was slightly stunned. "What's wrong, babe? Who upset you?" Suddenly, the memory of the conversation in the bar hit her like a truck, and her heart clenched. She made up an excuse. "It's nothing. My period came earlier. I just don't feel very well." With that, Wendy returned to her room and locked the door. She then grabbed the photo albums, the dried roses, all the little keepsakes, and threw them into the trash. Her body finally gave way when the last wedding photo was torn in half. She slid down the wall as tears splattering against the back of her hand. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a new post from Bianca. The caption read, "Cut my finger, and both my parents came to keep me company. There are also two mystery guests here." In the picture, their mother held a plate of fruits, while their father was feeding her soup. There were also two blurry male figures peeling an orange for her in the corner. Wendy stared at the image, her heart aching as she did so. No one had cared about her when she was beaten nearly to death and dumped like garbage behind the bar. However, Bianca only needed to scrape her finger for everyone to revolve around her. Neither romantic love nor familial love had ever belonged to Wendy for a single moment. Soon, the pain in her chest grew unbearable. She wrapped herself in the blanket, hoping to ease the pain for a moment. She would always wrap herself up like a cocoon whenever she was called a bastard as a child—as if that could shield her from the world's cruelty. Before Wendy knew it, she had fallen asleep in the blanket with tears streaming down her face. When she woke up, her throat was parched. She was about to go to the living room to pour herself a glass of water when Adrian's voice suddenly rang out, "Julian, Wendy's medical report just came in. She's pregnant again. Should we follow the same plan?" Wendy instantly stopped in her tracks. Julian's reply came from the other end of the phone, but she couldn't hear it. She only heard Adrian reply, "Don't worry, I have everything planned out. Nothing will go wrong. After all, all those tonics Bianca has been taking for years were made from the placentas we took from Wendy's miscarriages."