Chapter 1
In our seventh year of marriage, my husband, Julian Hawthorne, fell madly for an intern, Iris Ashford.
Iris was poor but determined. She refused the company shares Julian offered.
"I'll earn what I want," she said.
That sentence hooked Julian for good.
Everyone knew he chased the intern, forgetting me—the woman he once wooed with ninety-nine love letters.
I never confronted him. Whenever he chose her over me, I destroyed a letter.
When all ninety-nine were gone, I'd leave him for good.
*****
The day I destroyed the ninety-seventh love letter, the Azure Award winners—the top prize in architecture—were announced.
Julian stood by me as I prepared to receive the honor I'd longed for since childhood.
Just as the awards were about to be announced, he saw Iris arrive with her team.
Iris said softly, "I'm so envious." Julian immediately credited Iris for my design and gave her the prize.
"No need to be jealous. With me here, anything you want is yours," Julian said.
Iris pushed the trophy away.
"Mr. Hawthorne, I don't want to taken shortcuts. I only want to make it on my own. Nothing you do will change that, and I'm not going to be your mistress. Stop insulting me," she declared firmly.
She said that, then left in front of everyone.
Julian felt no shame and rushed to Iris, eyes full of longing.
My breath caught, and the room spun.
The team exchanged awkward looks, then tried to reassure me not to take it personally.
I only cared about the trophy in Julian's hands. I watched helplessly as Iris pushed it away, and it fell from the second floor.
Still dazed, I instinctively sprang after it.
Gasps erupted, but Julian ignored me and followed Iris without looking back.
As pain struck, I remembered Julian's wish to personally give me the Azure Award five years ago.
I held the trophy, tears falling as I saw Iris Ashford's name on the base again.
All my efforts couldn't match a single word from her.
After the banquet, my friend took me for a full hospital check-up.
Seeing my broken right leg, she sighed deeply.
"Why jump from a building for a trophy that isn't yours? Lucky you landed on grass—concrete would have been deadly," she said.
"But Julian went too far. He wasn't this dramatic when he was after you."
My heart ached, but I stayed silent.
Julian wrote me ninety-nine love letters and surprised me daily until I agreed to be with him.
Everyone said he truly loved me.
Since Iris joined the firm, Julian watched her argue with superiors over small issues and found her intriguing.
He chased her fiercely, offering cash, a car, a permanent job, and 30% of the firm's shares, but Iris rejected him outright.
She even marched up to me and said, "Please tell your husband to back off. I want to rely on myself."
Truth is, she could have just resigned if she wanted to.
Nanvia has many top firms, not just ours.
I asked Julian, but he just laughed.
"Nova, isn't she fascinating? I'm just playing. When I'm done, I'll come back to you. Don't worry, I only love you," he said.
I knew it was absurd, but I held on, giving him ninety-nine chances before I finally walked away.
After bandaging my right leg, my friend drove me home.
Julian wasn't there.
I dug out the ninety-seventh letter, pulled out my lighter, and set it ablaze.
As the flames consumed the paper, I thought silently.
"Only two chances left."