Chapter 1

"You have 19 chances to seduce Brandon and have him bed you. If you succeed just once, you win. "However, if you fail all 19 times, you must give up the title of Mrs. Slewman and divorce him." Roxanne Lesterfield watched as her husband's stepmother, Nicole Manther, slid the bet agreement toward her. For the newly married Roxanne, this wasn't a difficult bet at all, so she signed the agreement confidently. "Alright, I accept the bet." Unfortunately, the result was rather disappointing. She had failed her first 18 attempts. On the 19th try, Roxanne gave her husband, Brandon Slewman, a strong aphrodisiac, then climbed into his bed while wearing a sexy, see-through outfit. She was certain that she would succeed this time. Brandon, however, merely gritted his teeth and stopped himself from doing anything despite the agony he was in. He roughly kicked her out of bed. "If you dare lace my food with drugs again, don't blame me for doing things a husband shouldn't do to a wife." His handsome face was flushed crimson as he started to shiver because of the drug. However, he still held on to his principles and refused to lay a finger on Roxanne. Instead, he stumbled off the bed, called for his driver, and then left the house. Roxanne stared blankly at the car as it drove off. He had gone to find someone to be his "antidote". He had gone to find Nicole. She felt an ache in her heart. She sat on the cold bed and was lost in thought for the whole night. All she could think about was what Brandon had promised her when he had suggested they secretly get married. He had told her that he would treat her well in the marriage, but after they had gotten married, he hadn't even touched her once. The next morning, as soon as the first rays of sunshine shone down, Brandon's Bentley made its way back to the mansion. The person who stepped out of the car, however, was Nicole and not Brandon. With a radiant smile, she walked up to Roxanne and handed her a divorce agreement. "You've failed all 19 times, haven't you? And you were so confident you would win this bet a year ago. Did you think he'd spend every night rolling around in bed with you once you got married? Did you think he'd be able to let me go just because I'm his stepmother now?" she asked with a smile. Roxanne gritted her teeth. As Nicole had said, her marriage to Brandon this past year had been both loveless and sexless. No matter how much she tried to seduce him, there was never any fire in his eyes when he looked at her. The person he loved was always going to be Nicole—his ex-girlfriend, as well as the woman who had married his father for money. Roxanne finally lowered her head. "I lost. From now on, he's yours." The memory of the first time she met Brandon flashed across her eyes. That year, she was 19 years old, and he was 23. The Lesterfields and the Slewmans had a hostile relationship. For years, they had been at each other's throats. That day, however, they were required to attend the same banquet. Even from afar, Roxanne managed to catch sight of Brandon amidst the crowd. He was dressed in monochromatic colors. The way he carried himself was different from others. He rarely smiled and was always calm and collected. Everyone said he was a refreshing presence among the young and rich. He stayed away from women, and he neither drank nor smoked. He had an amethyst pendant with a portrait of Saint Maxworth carved onto it hanging around his neck. His gaze carried a sense of compassion that was reminiscent of that saint. That one glance was enough for Roxanne to fall for him. However, when Nicole appeared in front of everyone holding Kirk Slewman's arm, Brandon's eyes filled with sorrow. Later, Roxanne's sister, Bridget, told her, "Nicole is Brandon's stepmother. She married his father, Kirk, last year. Before that, however, she was Brandon's first love. They were together for six whole years. "There are rumors in our circle that the two of them are still going at it, too. That's why he wears the pendant with Saint Maxworth on it. He feels guilty and is worried about being punished, and Saint Maxworth is the patron saint of guilt and sins." Roxanne didn't believe this at first. However, when she went to the restroom that night, she heard Nicole's moans coming from inside, right before she opened the door. She carefully opened the door a crack, and she caught sight of Brandon and Nicole going at it like wild rabbits. Nicole was perched on the bathroom counter. Nicole turned her head and gave Roxanne a flirty smile. That was the day that Roxanne realized that the person Brandon loved was his stepmother. Despite this, she still tried to think of various ways to take Nicole's place. Keeping everything a secret from her parents, she got closer to Brandon, professed her love for him, tried to please him, and loved him in a way that forsook her dignity. Finally, on the day she graduated from university, she received a marriage proposal from Brandon. As the two families were rivals, Brandon and Roxanne had no choice but to keep their marriage a secret. On the day they went to the courthouse to get registered, Brandon promised that he'd be good to her for the rest of his life. That very night, however, Brandon left her alone in an empty room. From that day onward, every time Roxanne wanted to sleep with him, he would find some excuse to reject her. He would even tell her that he didn't like promiscuous women, and that he wished for her to be more reserved. Three months after they got married, Kirk died from a heart attack. After the initial mourning period passed, Nicole gave up on her act as well. She came to Roxanne and laid down her cards. "You already know what's happening between me and Brandon. You've seen it with your own eyes, after all. I'm free now that his father is dead, and you shouldn't cling to him either. "I'll give you 19 chances. If you manage to get him to bed you, I'll remove myself from the equation. But if you fail, you'll be smart and disappear forever." Roxanne naturally wasn't going to refuse this bet. If she won, Nicole wouldn't stand between her and Brandon anymore. However, in the 19 attempts at seduction, Roxanne only faced humiliation at Brandon's hands, over and over again. The first time, she simply sat in his lap. It only lasted one second before he frowned, stood up, and left for his study. The second time, she sprayed some perfume, wore a thong, and showed herself off to Brandon. Again, he walked away expressionlessly. From then on, Roxanne only grew more anxious. She gradually abandoned her sense of shame and even resorted to lacing his food with an aphrodisiac on the 18th try. She straddled him and swayed seductively, hoping to seduce him. Suddenly, Brandon pinned her down on the bed. Just when Roxanne thought she had succeeded, she heard Brandon say, "You're as slutty as a whore. It disgusts me." His words were like a sharp knife. They pierced straight through her heart while also slicing through all her hopes and love. She recalled the image she had seen that evening in the restroom, many moons ago. Nicole's legs were wrapped around his waist as she moaned while his hands were on her hips as he gasped with each thrust. Everyone said that Brandon did not have vices or urges. They said he stayed away from women, but that was just a façade to hide this taboo relationship of his! Marriage, too, was only a cover for him. And yet, because of him, she had been lying to her parents even to this day. How ridiculous. Roxanne finally came to her senses. She admitted her defeat and said to Nicole, "I'll leave Brandon. I've already signed the divorce agreement. I'll leave it out for him when I leave." Nicole didn't ask her where she was going. She merely reminded her, "You have 10 days maximum. Don't delay me from getting back together with Brandon." Roxanne nodded. 10 days would be enough for her to complete the paperwork needed for her to migrate overseas. She had only stayed in the country because she wanted to marry Brandon. And now, she decided it was time to go overseas to reunite with her family.