Chapter 1 Stay Away, You Scumbag!
Morning light spilled into the opulent living room.
Sarah Ford sat motionless on the sofa, her expression blank with despair. A lavish spread of food lay untouched on the table, having sat there all night.
Today marked her third wedding anniversary, but her husband hadn't come home. She had sent countless messages, pleading for him to return, but there was no response.
It was all because his comatose first love had woken up.
For the past week, he had been by her side. Even when Sarah suffered a miscarriage after his mother pushed her down the stairs, he hadn't visited—not at the hospital, not even after her discharge. His indifference was absolute.
Bang!
Suddenly, the door slammed open with a thunderous crash. Sarah's head jerked up as Hugo Ford strode in, his tall frame exuding cold authority. His sharp eyes fixed on her, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Sarah, couldn't wait to call me back, huh? Are you that desperate for me?"
Before she could say a word, he stormed over, yanking her nightgown open with brutal force.
Her face turned pale as she tried to push him away, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. Panic surged through her, and her voice trembled with desperation as she cried out, "Hugo, you bastard! I just had a miscarriage barely ten days ago!"
In their three years of marriage, Hugo's insatiable desires had often led him to force himself on her, ignoring her protests. Even now, mere days after her miscarriage, he didn't hesitate.
Sitting there, Sarah felt like the world's biggest fool. Only now, after countless wounds, did she truly grasp the magnitude of her mistake.
Hugo only ever came back to her for s*x.
And she? She had given up her career, her brilliance, and her independence to care for him. She was determined to be the perfect wife hidden in his shadow.
Years ago, Hugo had been frail, his health shattered from stress and overindulgence. She had been the one to nurse him back to health, tirelessly tending to him day and night, even secretly adjusting his diet and lifestyle.
However, Hugo was nothing but an ungrateful bastard. Not once had he shown gratitude. His heart remained as cold as ever.
People had warned her; they had all told her he wasn't worth it. They called him a monster, but she didn't listen.
Hugo's bitter laugh sliced through her thoughts. He grabbed her wrists, his grip unyielding. Lust seemed to be burning in his eyes, but it was just a mask of his indifference.
"When my sister was on the brink of death, and her bone marrow only matched yours, you used her to force me into marrying you. You should have known this day would come. This is your duty as my wife!"
Hearing this, Sarah closed her eyes, surrendering to the bitter truth.
He was right. She had brought this upon herself.
Her father's infidelity had broken their family. Her mother died because of depression, and her stepmother had sent her off to a desolate town, forgotten and unloved. The rare times she returned home, the disdain from everyone was palpable.
Except for Hugo. He had shown her kindness once, and that was all it took for her to fall hopelessly in love.
When Hugo's sister was diagnosed with a terminal illness, Sarah seized the chance to negotiate. Her bone marrow was a match, and she made her demand: marriage.
Even as she saw the fury and disbelief in his eyes, she stood firm, believing that time would make him fall for her. Now, she knew she had been so very wrong.
The sound of his belt unfastening pulled her back to the present. The next moment, he invaded her, and Sarah trembled uncontrollably. Her face twisted in silent anguish, a wave of despair crashing over her.
Even now, after everything, she still struggled to accept that her husband harbored such deep resentment and loathing for her!
She knew his heart had always belonged to someone else: her half-sister, Jenny Shaw.
Hugo believed Jenny had saved his life and felt indebted enough to promise her his future.
But the truth was, Sarah had been the one to save him.
She was the one Hugo had been wishing to marry.
It was Sarah who had dragged his unconscious body out of a deadly mudslide, carrying him on her back until she collapsed from exhaustion.
Her hands had been covered in mud and blood, her body aching from the effort, but she had never given up.
Yet, by the time she woke up in the hospital, Jenny had taken her place by his side, weaving her own tale of heroism.
Sarah had told him the truth countless times, but he never believed her.
He chose to see only what he wanted to see, and Sarah's sacrifices were overshadowed by the lies and manipulation of her own sister.
Whenever she tried to get closer to him, her stepmother and Jenny would spin lies, painting her as selfish and conniving.
The worst was the accident. A truck had veered off the road, hitting Jenny and leaving her comatose. They all blamed Sarah, accusing her of orchestrating it out of jealousy.
Hugo hadn't doubted it for a second. He knew she loved him and used that knowledge to condemn her.
All of her protests and explanations never worked but only fueled their fury.
It was only Hugo's grandparents' intervention that saved her from prison.
But Hugo still punished her, forcing her to stay and care for Jenny as penance.
No matter how many times she had explained over the years, Hugo refused to believe a single word. His hatred for her was deep and unrelenting.
And when she forced him into marriage, that hatred turned into loathing so intense it was almost tangible.
Looking back now, Sarah realized she had only herself to blame. It was her own foolishness that led her here.
She knew he didn't love her, yet she still came to him, holding the slight hope that she might change his heart one day.
A solitary tear traced a path down her cheek, disappearing into her hair.
It fell onto Hugo's arm, making him freeze for a brief moment. Then, his sharp voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Do you think playing the victim will get you anywhere? If it weren't for you, the person I'd have married would be your sister, Jenny."
The words struck her chest like a dagger, driving straight into her heart.
Jenny. Her name was a constant whisper on his lips, a shadow that loomed over Sarah's every moment.
He would never know the truth about Jenny—how her kindness was a facade, hiding a heart full of malice and cunning schemes.
Tragically, even if Sarah tried to reveal it, he would dismiss her words as nothing more than jealousy.
In his eyes, Jenny was an untarnished angel, forever kind, innocent, and pure.
Sarah, on the other hand, was cast as the villain, her every action twisted into something conniving and cruel.
Her spirit, once strong and resilient, now felt shattered.
Sarah felt her last shred of resistance slip away, her body going limp as she surrendered completely to his disdain.
She stared up at him, her bright eyes filled with one final shred of hope. "Hugo, did you ever love me? Even for a moment?" Her voice trembled, a desperate plea for a glimmer of affection that she had longed for but never truly received.
Hugo's cold eyes narrowed as he gazed down at her. For a heartbeat, something flickered in his eyes. It was something that hinted at his hesitation and even fear, as if he thought admitting the truth would cause her to vanish completely.
But the next second, he let out a derisive laugh. 'This is just another one of her manipulative tricks,' he told himself. How many times had he brought up divorce? Had she ever agreed?
His piercing stare bore into her, his voice dripping with scorn. "You? You're not worthy."
Sarah's heart crumbled into dust. She closed her eyes, her body trembling. If she could go back, if she had even the faintest chance to rewrite her choices, she would never have married Hugo.
At the Ford Estate, Hugo's mother, Cora Ford, never respected her, constantly targeting her for her background. Even the servants refused to treat her as the lady of the house.
Maybe it was time for her to wake up.
Abandoning herself for this jerk had been the most foolish mistake of her life.
It was time to reclaim what she'd lost and rise from the ashes. And to begin with, she'd leave this scumbag behind.