Chapter 1
Married for five years, Katniss Astor's husband, Cedric York—who just days ago was flirting with his childhood sweetheart—had now entered a hotel with his first love.
The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other, kissing passionately as they walked, their intimate sounds intertwining in a way that would make anyone envious of their connection.
The woman in his arms had flushed cheeks and captivating eyes glazed with desire—innocent yet seductive.
If one could ignore the flash of malice in her eyes, she'd be even more alluring.
As the wronged wife, Katniss stood frozen in place, her manicured nails digging painfully into her palms.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.
The cold wind lifted her long hair.
Katniss suddenly felt exhausted.
Five years of marriage.
She decided to free him—and herself.
Instead of confronting them in a dramatic scene befitting a betrayed wife, Katniss quietly walked to stand outside Cedric's hotel room.
The hotel walls weren't particularly soundproof.
She could hear snippets of a woman's playful whining and a man's gentle reassurances.
Though unable to make out their exact conversation, her mind painted vivid pictures of the intimate scene unfolding in the next room.
A bitter smile crossed her face.
Even though she'd long been aware of Cedric's numerous rumored affairs, those had always been media speculation without concrete evidence.
She'd been deluding herself, wondering if perhaps they were malicious rumors spread by business rivals trying to damage his reputation.
But now, with his infidelity laid bare before her.
Katniss felt as though she'd been slapped across the face, her last hopes and illusions ground to dust.
Cedric was an exceptional man, but also a serial romantic.
He had his childhood sweetheart, his "one that got away," and his first love—Lillian Watson, the woman he'd just escorted inside.
All these years, Katniss felt like she'd been playing a never-ending video game.
After defeating one rival, another would immediately appear.
Each woman approached with fierce determination and competitive spirit, draining Katniss's energy, time, and love for Cedric.
The room next door had gone quiet.
Katniss thought cynically that the two wouldn't want to waste their precious time together on conversation.
She sat in the hallway all night, replaying their entire relationship in her mind like a slideshow—from their first meeting through marriage and everything that followed.
Their marriage was indeed a business arrangement.
Cedric would come home to be with her on a regular schedule.
But it wasn't out of love or husbandly duty.
The York family had stipulated that producing a firstborn grandson would earn a 10% stake in the company. The non-negotiable condition was that the child must come from the legal wife. That's why, despite Cedric's countless women, he'd never fathered a child with any of them.
In Cedric's eyes, she was merely a tool. Even their most intimate moments were only means to acquire those shares.
Her phone chimed with a notification.
After unlocking it, Katniss found a spiteful message: [You thought you got rid of me and could finally be happy with Cedric? Dream on! Let me tell you the truth—Lillian will always be the most important person in his heart!]
[Now that Lillian's back in the country, he's definitely going to divorce you. I can't wait to see you kicked to the curb!]
The sender was Cedric's childhood sweetheart.
The woman had ambitious plans to take Katniss's place, and it had taken considerable effort and strategy to block that possibility.
Unfortunately, Cedric hadn't even given her breathing room to recover before facing the next adversary.
These women would never stop coming.
She no longer wanted to waste herself on this endless battle.
She was too tired.
Katniss hadn't slept all night.
As she prepared to leave on weary legs, she suddenly felt an icy gaze fixed upon her.
She instinctively turned and met Cedric's cold stare.
His expression was dark, his intimidating presence sharp and frigid.
"What are you doing here?"
Katniss immediately caught his implication.
Was he accusing her of stalking him?
Her eyes hardened with frost.
"If I hadn't come, were you planning to spend another night with your first love, Lillian?"
Cedric's brow furrowed in irritation. "Lillian was drunk. I was just taking care of her."
"Taking care of her? What an enlightening explanation," Katniss retorted, arms crossed defensively. "A married man, gone all night, alone with another woman—and it's just 'taking care' of her?"
As she spoke these words, Katniss fought against the intense pain spreading through her chest.
She remembered they'd had many sweet moments together.
She'd believed that even a business marriage could evolve into something genuine.
Cedric had indeed been good to her sometimes, but he was good to many others, too.
His expression darkened further.
His narrow eyes narrowed even more, suppressing his anger.
"First stalking, now false accusations. Katniss, you should get to a hospital soon—mental illness requires early treatment."
Cedric's disgust was undisguised. Katniss recalled the gentle tone he'd used to comfort Lillian.
His attitude toward her versus Lillian—completely different people.
The last glimmer of light in Katniss's eyes shattered.
After delivering those words, Cedric strode away, not even noticing Katniss's unsteady stance or the dark circles beneath her eyes.
Her vision blurred as the world seemed to rotate in slow motion.
Katniss steadied herself against the nearby wall to avoid falling, her chest aching terribly.
Despite catching him in the act yesterday, she hadn't even found the courage to enter the room.
She'd already endured enough pain and shock—she couldn't face scenes that would devastate her further.
Just thinking about it drove her mad.
Just then, light footsteps sounded behind her.
Lillian approached leisurely, her face wearing a smug smile. But more noticeable than her expression were the obvious passion marks covering her neck, vividly suggesting how intense the previous night had been.
Katniss's pupils constricted.
Remembering Cedric's explanation, she suddenly felt like a complete joke.
Lillian spoke with thinly veiled hostility, "Katniss, you're looking awful. Is it because your empty bed has left you physically weak?"
Katniss barely suppressed her wavering gaze, gave Lillian one long look, then turned to leave.
No wishful thinking remained.
Cedric had truly been unfaithful.
Supporting herself, Katniss returned home. Her first action was to have her lawyer draft divorce papers, which she signed and sent directly to Cedric via courier.
She'd had enough.
She refused to waste away any longer in this marriage that had become nothing but a prison.
