Chapter 1
In the year Leon Payne loved me most, he had my name inked on his wrist. The Payne family punished him severely, breaking five of his ribs.
But he still gave up his right to inherit the Payne family in Lapoville to marry me, a nobody from the streets.
The year Leon hated me most, he shot me in the right hand at our wedding, shattering it.
The very next day, he brought home a woman, Sylvie Wallace, who looked eerily similar to me.
He hated me for three years, and I spent those years living in humiliation.
It all came to a head when Sylvie hit me with her car the day I found out I was pregnant, making me miscarry.
"Whatever, Leon's in a hurry to see me. If you're not dead yet, I'm leaving," she sneered, barely glancing back.
Flat on the ground, I used the last bit of strength I had to dial Leon's number.
All I got was his unmistakable moans, tangled with the playful giggles of some woman I'd never heard before.
"Mr. Payne, aren't you afraid your wife will flip out with all these women around?" the woman joked.
"Why bother? She's been clinging like a stray dog for years. No matter how hard I try, she won't go. She owes me this," Leon said, his tone full of contempt.
I never really understood what he meant by "she owes me this," but by then, none of it mattered.
After all, Leon's mother, Kathy Payne, had already booked my flight out of Lapoville, with just seven days left.
*****
I hauled myself home, my body still weak from the miscarriage, and started packing my things.
Just then, Sylvie came in and idly picked up the ceramic doll from the table.
Leon and I made it together back when we first got together, our names carved into it.
It was one of the few memories we had left, and I always took care to wipe it clean with a soft cloth.
Sylvie spotted the names and scoffed, her contempt obvious.
"Not bad. Bobby's missing a toy," she said, casually.
Bobby was her dog. I reached out, trying to grab the doll back.
She gave me a smirk and then dropped it. The ceramic doll hit the floor and shattered into bits.
"Oops, sorry, Mrs. Payne. My hand slipped," she feigned innocence.
That nasty grin on Sylvie's face pushed me over the edge. I lost it and slapped her right across the cheek.
Leon rushed in after hearing the noise, only to find the floor covered in broken pieces and Sylvie holding her face, looking like she was about to cry.
She said, sounding all innocent. "Sorry, Leon. It's my fault. I told Mrs. Payne the doll was important to you and shouldn't just end up in the trash. I didn't think she'd freak out.
"I don't mind if she takes it out on me, but she actually broke your stuff."
At first, Leon's face was calm, but when he heard the last part, his expression darkened instantly.
He said coldly, "Is it really that hard for you to see my things around?
"Don't forget this. If it weren't for me, your mom would've been dead a long time ago, and you would've been ruined at that club.
"You'll never be able to pay back what you owe me. Not in this lifetime."
Five years ago, Leon dragged me out of that club. He paid for my mom's insanely expensive surgery, covered my education, and stood up to all the rumors and pressure to marry me.
Back then... Just remembering all that made my eyes grow misty. Honestly, I was done explaining. All I wanted was to leave.
When Leon saw me crying, he froze for a moment and then looked at me with pure disgust.
He barked, "Why are you crying? Am I really making your life so miserable?
"Say sorry to Sylvie!"
Over the years, I'd apologized so many times that it was practically mechanical. I bowed and muttered "sorry," barely feeling anything anymore.
"If you're going to apologize, at least try to sound sincere. Are you really just going through the motions with Leon?" Sylvie sneered.
As soon as Sylvie finished, the bodyguards on either side, following Leon's signal, kicked me behind the knees.
My legs buckled, and I collapsed to my knees, shards of broken ceramic digging into my flesh. Blood pooled on the marble floor, glaringly bright.
Leon's expression shifted, and he said coldly, "You can get up when Sylvie says you're forgiven."
Watching Leon walk away with his arm around Sylvie, I swallowed the sour ache in my heart.
I took out the divorce papers, creased from all those times I'd stared at them.
Kathy's words from earlier that day still echoed in my mind.
She said, "Back then, Leon insisted on marrying you. It caused a huge stir in Lapoville. No one had imagined that things would turn out like this.
"I tricked him into signing these papers. His father had forgiven him. If you sign, he'll be back as the heir to the Payne family."
As I finished signing the last line, I knew this was the last thing I'd ever do for Leon.
And from now on, I didn't owe him a damn thing.
My lower belly kept aching from the recent procedure, and my knees were numb from kneeling for so long. Then, I caught the maid, Tina Hood, whispering with the other servants.
"I never expected Mr. Payne to be so fickle. Before the wedding, everyone could see how much he adored Mrs. Payne," Tina murmured.
"Yeah, it looks like even rich people's love isn't permanent either," another servant added.
I'd been hearing comments like that for three years. It felt like everyone except Leon was mourning the epic love story we once had.
I once believed Leon loved me like his own life, but in the end, it turned out to be nothing more than a foolish fantasy.
He was always Lapoville's infamous playboy from the Payne family, charming on the surface, but cold and heartless underneath.