Chapter 1

Alyssa Sonnet and her husband's childhood sweetheart, Nicole Hale, were both abducted. With knives pressed against their necks, the abductors forced Hendrix Ferguson to choose. He could take one of the women with him, but the other would stay and be violated. Hendrix chose Nicole. Alyssa's blood ran cold as she looked at him, disbelief written all over her face. "Hendrix Ferguson, I'm your wife!" A flicker of guilt flashed in Hendrix's eyes, but he held firm to his choice. "Alyssa, I owe Nicole my life. I can't just leave her." He paused for a bit. Then, in a soft, comforting voice, he said, "Don't be afraid. Even if you're violated… I'll still love you." This sentence was devastating. It pierced through Alyssa's heart like a sharp knife. "But I don't owe her anything!" Alyssa was so aggrieved that she was almost shouting. "If you take her with you, we're done!" Hendrix's eyes reddened with distress, but he still bent down and picked up the unconscious Nicole. "Bye, Mr. Ferguson," the abductors sneered as they unbuckled their belts. "We haven't had the chance to enjoy ourselves with the renowned Mrs. Ferguson yet!" The moment the warehouse door slammed shut, Alyssa's world collapsed around her. The abductors tore open her shirt, and their rough hands roamed across the bare skin on her waist. "They say Mr. Ferguson treasures his wife above all," one of them rasped a foul breath against her ear. "I guess rumors can't be trusted." Alyssa struggled desperately as tears blurred her vision. Just as an abductor yanked down her bra strap, the warehouse door burst open. "Police! Don't move!" Gunshots rang out. The man pinning her down collapsed with a thud. Someone lifted her into their arms, and a familiar scent of cedarwood cologne enveloped her. Hendrix said in a trembling voice, "It's okay now, Alyssa. It's all over. I had an ambush set up outside from the start. I wouldn't have let anything happen to you." His words did nothing to lift the chill Alyssa felt deep within. So what if there had been an ambush? Even when her life was on the line, he still chose Nicole. "It's over between us…" Right after uttering those words, Alyssa lost consciousness. When she awoke again, she saw the familiar ceiling of their bedroom. She moved her fingers and realized someone was holding her hand tightly. "You're awake?" Hendrix leaned in anxiously with obvious dark circles under his eyes. "Do you want water? Are you hungry? I had Pamela make your favorite—" Alyssa cut him off, saying, "Hendrix. Do you remember what I said when you chose to take Nicole?" Hendrix froze. "I want a divorce." Alyssa's voice was frighteningly calm. "You just woke up. Rest a little more. I'll get you some oatmeal," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes. Alyssa sat up and pressed, "Avoiding the topic won't help. Let's talk about the divorce." Hendrix's back visibly jolted. He quickly left the room and forgot to take his jacket with him. As Alyssa stared at the closed door, her thoughts wandered back to five years ago. Back then, Hendrix had just taken over Ferguson Group and was constantly busy. Still, he would cross half the city just to bring her some gnocchi from a very famous eatery. "Here, Alyssa. Open up…" he used to say, always wanting to feed her himself. His gaze had been so gentle that it was almost unreal. "Careful, it's hot." But now, he couldn't even look at her. Forcing herself upright, Alyssa opened her laptop and began drafting the divorce agreement. Once, she and Hendrix had truly been in love. They were so in love that when Nicole made a scene at the company, Hendrix had coldly told her off in front of everyone. "Nicole, I don't like you. Have some self-respect." They were so in love that when Nicole threw herself into his arms on purpose, he pushed her away instantly and texted Alyssa to explain the situation. He wrote, "Alyssa, I was taken advantage of again. I need a kiss from you to feel better." This persisted until the earthquake. Nicole had risked her life to save Hendrix, only to be crushed by a collapsing beam, suffering two broken ribs. From that day on, everything changed. "Alyssa, Nicki saved my life. She just wants to work at Ferguson Group." He spoke up for Nicole, for the first time. "Alyssa, Nicki's not feeling well. I'm taking her to the hospital." He bailed on Alyssa for Nicole, for the first time. "Alyssa, Nicki is…" After that, once, twice, and countless times followed. Alyssa could understand that he felt guilty about Nicole getting hurt. But when that guilt repeatedly outweighed their marriage and even her life… She'd decided that enough was enough. The phone rang just as she put the signed divorce papers into an envelope and sealed it. She picked it up and saw that it was Hendrix's friend. The moment she answered, a frantic voice came through. "Come to the chapel, quick! Hendrix told us to lash him 99 times as an apology to you. He's covered in blood! He says he's not stopping until you forgive him…" Alyssa's lips curled up into a mocking half-smile. Hendrix was always like this. Every time he hurt her because of Nicole, he resorted to some extreme acts to prove his so-called love. The time he stood Alyssa up for Nicole, he bought an entire rose garden to apologize. When he had forgotten their anniversary because he was busy celebrating Nicole's birthday, he gave her a diamond necklace worth millions. Now, it was self-flagellation. Did he think a bloodied back could erase the fact that he chose another woman when it mattered most? Did he think 99 lashes could undo the terror she felt as the abductors tore at her clothes? Did he think his pain and suffering would soften her heart? Unfortunately, not this time. Clutching the divorce papers, Alyssa grabbed her coat and walked out the door. … Inside the chapel, Hendrix was kneeling on the floor in a blood-soaked suit. His back was torn and raw, and blood dripped down his waist. When he saw Alyssa, his lifeless eyes lit up. He reached out weakly and said, "Alyssa… Please forgive me. As I've explained, I would never let anything happen to you. You're the only one I love. I can't live without you…" As she stepped closer, she saw the obvious hickeys on his collarbone. Directing her gaze at the red marks pointedly, she chuckled and remarked, "Didn't you say you only love me? Then what's this?" Hendrix's face fell. Flustered, he explained, "Nicki said she'd never given a man a hickey before and begged me to let her try. She saved me, so I couldn't say no…" In a panic, he pulled out a dagger. "Don't be mad. I'll cut this piece of flesh off right now!" Before anyone could react, he plunged the knife into his skin. Blood flowed down his neck, soaking the collar of his white shirt. His friends rushed over to stop him. "Hendrix! Have you gone mad?" The chapel descended into chaos. Some scrambled for a first aid kit. Others turned to Alyssa, eyes red with emotion. "Seriously, Alyssa. Everyone knows how much Hendrix loves you. When you were hospitalized with an allergy last year, he didn't sleep for three nights and kept watch over you." "Last month, you casually mentioned that you loved the cherry blossoms in Suthvale. He spent millions to get 20 trees into your yard overnight." "Just forgive him already. This is just a minor issue, yet you're making such a big deal out of it. Is there a need for you to drive him to death over this?" Was this a minor issue? Was she making it a big deal over nothing? Alyssa laughed as tears of grief formed in her eyes. Hendrix shoved his friends aside and stumbled to his knees before her. Half of his shirt was soaked in blood at this point, but he didn't seem to feel the pain. He looked up at her and whimpered. "Alyssa, please forgive me…" As she looked down at the man she once loved with her entire being, Alyssa just felt exhausted. She took a deep breath and said, "Fine. I'll forgive you." Hendrix's eyes lit up instantly. Then, she took out a document from her bag and added, "I have my eye on a house. If you buy it for me, I'll forgive you." Hendrix felt a rush of hope. Just as he flipped it open to look, his phone rang. Nicole's tearful voice came from the other end. "I'm running a fever, Hendrix. It's over 103 degrees. I feel awful…" Hendrix's face paled. He didn't even glance at the contents as he signed the document in a rush before giving Alyssa a pleading look. "Go," she said calmly. Hendrix looked relieved. And as he stood up, he checked again. "Alyssa, you're not mad, right?" Alyssa shook her head and said in an even voice, "I'm not." Only then did he relax and hurry off with his friends. As the group left, Alyssa slowly unfolded the document in her hands. The bolded title "Divorce Agreement" came into view. And toward the bottom of the last page was Hendrix's fresh signature. Alyssa ran her fingers over his signature and smiled. She murmured wistfully, "Congratulations, Hendrix Ferguson. This time, you pushed me out of your life yourself."