Chapter 3

As soon as I reached the door, I heard bursts of laughter coming from inside.

The private room was filled with smoke. William was leaning back on the sofa with Karen snuggled up beside him.

His friends were teasing him playfully, "William, you've been with Karen these past few days. Hasn't Lily thrown a fit?"

"Thrown a fit?" William flicked his cigarette ash, his tone casual. "She's stubborn as hell. She dragged Karen into trouble and still won't apologize. Locking her up for a few days is getting off easy. I don't know how she can be so cruel."

"Well, women from that kind of place, it's normal for them to be a bit harsh," someone said to comfort him.

Someone else joked, "You went through so much trouble to marry her back then. Do you regret it now? I bet she must be pretty good in certain ways, right?"

A wave of suggestive laughter spread through the room.

William said nothing, just took a long drag on his cigarette.

Karen spoke softly, "It's all my fault. If I had agreed to the arranged marriage with William back then, he wouldn't have had to marry her specifically to make news, so the Smith family would be willing to invest money to save the Mason family's cash flow. People from that kind of place, who knows how dirty they are..."

Standing outside the door, I dug my fingernails into my palm.

So that's how it was.

I only knew that William had spent two million dollars without hesitation to buy me from the black market when the Mason family was at its lowest point. I never knew he was just putting on a show for the Smith family, who had always valued charity.

Crossing half the globe to marry his savior. What a touching story!

Only today did I understand that from beginning to end, this was just a script designed for money.

Not only were the roses Karen's leftovers, but William was, too.

But if it weren't for that ridiculous misunderstanding back then, how would I have risked my life to save him in that heavily guarded black market, and how would I have agreed to marry him?

I thought he loved me. He would cry when he heard about my past, and late at night, he would kiss every scar on my body, one by one. He bought me a mansion, gave me gold, silver, jewelry, and wealth, and even put me in complete charge of the gun business. I thought this was love and trust.

Turns out he just treated me as a tool, for putting on a show, for keeping the books, for having sex.

Maybe from start to finish, this was just a wealthy family's act for money, and Karen's appearance was simply a reminder that it was time for me to wake up.

I let out a soft sigh.

Once I finish this last big deal, Mark will take me away.

"Enough." William cut them off and stubbed out his cigarette. "Lily did save my life after all. When she gets here later, everyone calls her Mrs. Mason..."

A few of them jeered, their voices full of mockery.