Seven Years of Love Broken

I clicked into the drafts folder and saw a glaring email.

[Aiden, I've prepared new pajamas. I miss you.]

Soon, this draft disappeared and a new one appeared.

[Get the ultra-thin condoms ready. Wait for me.]

The only people who knew this email password were my husband and me, and his first love...

Watching their increasingly explicit flirtatious messages, my tears fell uncontrollably.

So even the longest companionship means nothing when first love returns.

I held back my trembling fingers, sent the email, and cleared the records.

Then I dialed that number I hadn't touched in seven years. "I give up. I'm willing to come home for the arranged marriage."

The godfather's familiar, authoritative voice came through. "Clean up anything that shouldn't be left behind."

My trembling hand moved to my lower abdomen. "Okay."

"Someone will come pick you up in three days."

Chapter 1

I had just logged out of the email when I got a call from Aiden Landon.

"Honey, something came up at the company. I can't have dinner with you today. I'll bring you a gift when I get back."

"Okay."

He didn't remember—today was our seventh wedding anniversary.

After chasing Aiden Landon for seven years, it was time to stop.

Since childhood, the godfather had strictly trained me in countless skills. Computer skills were just one of them.

It was easy to track down the address and user information from the email login IP.

A riverside villa near us.

He'd had a second home right under my nose all along.

I sat alone in the five-star restaurant I'd reserved, having the chef shave white truffle for me. He kept going as long as my tears kept falling.

I gave myself only 5 minutes to be sad.

After 5 minutes, I had Aiden Landon's assistant come pick me up.

On the way home, I found Aiden Landon's first love's social media account and scrolled through her entire page.

[So what if he has a wife? As long as I come back, his body and heart are both mine]

[What does that woman have besides the title of Mrs. Landon? The funny thing is, she keeps working so hard for Landon Corp—she really is both a bed warmer and a money maker]

So I wasn't just his shield, but also a tool to make money for their happy life together.

My heart felt like it was being pierced by countless needles, a dense, spreading pain.

When I got home, I went straight to the study and exported all the contact records between him and Zoe Wilson from these past years from my work computer.

If I was leaving, I should at least give him a parting gift.

Just then my phone buzzed—a notification that Zoe had updated her account.

It was a photo of a brand new pack of 10 ultra-thin condoms, all used up.

I stared at my phone and suddenly started laughing.

Until I laughed myself to tears.

All these years, except for those few days during ovulation, he never touched me. And almost every time, it was exactly 33 thrusts, like clockwork.

I thought he was just naturally reserved in that area.

Turns out, he just didn't love me.

I heard the front door open downstairs, and a child crying.

"Maria, Zoe got divorced. I saw her struggling alone with a kid, and she has a fever, so I thought I'd have them stay with us for a while."

Aiden Landon pushed up his glasses with his index finger and touched his nose.

After following him around for so many years, how could I not know these were his guilty tells?

I stood on the stairs and sneered. "What, the child's father won't take care of them, so you, the ex-boyfriend, have to? Is that appropriate?"

"Maria, don't throw a tantrum." Aiden Landon looked at me with that familiar impatience.

"Dad... Uncle Aiden, I want a hug."

The three-year-old boy reached out to Aiden, who immediately bent down gently to pick him up.

"Sorry, Miss Maria. My son Joey is very close to Aiden. Sometimes he gets the names mixed up. Please don't mind."

Zoe explained with fake concern.

The warm family scene I'd imagined was now playing out before my eyes in this way.

"Oh, and Zoe's health isn't good. The doctor said she needs more sunlight. Let's give Zoe and Joey our master bedroom for now. You're always traveling for work anyway."

Since he didn't want me anymore, there was no point fighting over a room.

"Sure."

Aiden Landon frowned, which was rare. "Maria, something's off with you."

"Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

In the past, I would have fought with him about this.

When we first got married, I thought he'd finally been moved by me and was willing to be with me properly.

But he always kept a certain distance from me.

Because of his coldness, I cried, I fought, I even threatened to cut my wrists.

At first he would explain that this was just his personality, that he couldn't respond to me warmly.

Over time, he just treated me like an immature child, with nothing but impatience.

Zoe walked up to me, tears in her eyes, interrupting my thoughts.

She grabbed my hand. "Miss Maria, it's all my fault. If I hadn't suddenly gotten a fever while in the country with no one to turn to except Aiden, I wouldn't have disturbed you two."

How disgusting.

My lower abdomen started to ache faintly.

I shook off her hand. "If I blame you, will you leave?"

I clearly didn't use much force, but Zoe fell straight to the floor, covering her face and crying.

I instinctively reached out to help her, but was pushed away hard and hit the corner of a table.

Aiden nervously picked up Zoe and turned to leave. "Maria, you've really disappointed me! After all this time, you still don't have the grace and tolerance Mrs. Landon should have."

"Aiden Landon, let's get a div—"