Chapter 1
To get away from the insane Gavin Schmitt, the rich heir who wouldn't leave me alone, I pretended I had late-stage cancer and ran off overseas, hiding for five years.
I told everyone I had terminal cancer and disappeared abroad for five years, just to escape Gavin's crazy obsession.
When I finally came back, everyone in the circle was talking about it.
Word was, Gavin had spent a fortune buying an entire island to please his wife.
He was giving it to her for their fifth wedding anniversary.
I was quietly soaking up all the drama.
Suddenly, an old friend walked up and, with surprising respect, called me, "Mrs. Schmitt."
I got goosebumps all over.
Was I the "pampered wife" they were talking about?
But after five years of living it up overseas, I could barely remember what Gavin even looked like. How on earth did I suddenly become his wife?
*****
When Alice Loomer suddenly said I was the wife of Gavin Schmitt, the rich heir in Aeloria's elite, I instinctively shot back.
"Alice, are you sure you've got the right person? How could I possibly be Mrs. Schmitt?" I said.
"Huh?"
She looked dumbfounded.
She wasn't the only one.
Everyone else froze for a moment, then started shooting me these strange, curious looks.
"Oh, now it all makes sense," said Alice.
She gave me a knowing wink.
She teased, "Abigail, are you and Gavin having issues again?
"You know how it is with couples. Arguments are just part of the package."
She smiled at me with a hint of mischief. "But try not to stir things up too much, okay? Those business folks can't handle it when your husband starts causing trouble."
What she meant was that Gavin would raise hell for his wife if anyone messed with her.
She patted my shoulder and walked away with a grin.
The crowd knew better and quietly dispersed.
I was frozen in place, dumbfounded.
The goosebumps broke out all over me.
Alice didn't sound like she was joking at all.
And the looks everyone gave me... were full of envy, with a dash of jealousy mixed in.
What the hell is going on?
I didn't tell anyone that I came back home this time
When I got off the plane, my family chauffeur was already waiting for me at the airport entrance.
I didn't think much of it, just figured my parents must've found out about my trip ahead of time.
Exhausted from the journey, I fell asleep in the car.
When I woke up, I realized the chauffeur had taken me straight to the Loomer family's house.
He explained it was Alice's birthday party. My parents had sent me over to celebrate with her.
Looking down at my mismatched outfit, I instinctively wanted to make an excuse and leave.
But Alice, already at the door greeting guests, linked her arm through mine and, with a playful insistence, ushered me inside, not giving me a chance to refuse.
For the whole birthday party, I kept to myself in a corner, holding a slice of cake and listening in on all the juicy gossip.
Everyone was saying Gavin Schmitt, the rich heir of Aeloria's elite, was a legendary wife-doting maniac.
They'd been married for five years, and except for the second year when she had their child, Gavin never let her suffer or even feel the slightest bit of discomfort.
Luxury cars, mansions, limited-edition designer bags, Gavin'd hand them over with a casual wave, like it was no big deal.
Whenever she went out, he'd always be right there with her, claiming he just couldn't bear to be apart from her for even a second.
There were always three nannies working 24/7 at home, never off duty.
He wouldn't let his wife do a thing. Even feeding the baby or changing diapers was handled by the staff.
But that wasn't all.
His wife had to get his okay before posting anything online.
Whenever she went shopping, there were always two bodyguards following her around, because he said it wasn't safe.
He even stopped her from painting, saying the paint was "dangerous."
He picked out her meals, chose her clothes, and even told her when to go to bed. Gavin basically ran her whole life.
And now, their fifth wedding anniversary was around the corner.
Gavin had dropped a cool 60 million dollars to buy her an entire island.
I listened quietly, feeling nothing at all inside.
Everyone envied Mrs. Schmitt.
Was that all?
Just a so-called canary kept by Gavin?
But I never would've guessed that after all this time sitting back and watching the drama, I'd end up being the "Mrs. Schmitt" that everyone was gossiping about.
*****
I actually knew Gavin.
Back then, he was taken in by the Schmitt family as their illegitimate son.
Everyone in our social circle mocked him and kept their distance.
I couldn't take it, so I spoke up for him at a party with friends.
From that moment on, Gavin never forgot me.
He kept a low profile for years, eventually beating out all his uncles and cousins to become the one and only heir of the Schmitt family.
And after that, Gavin started pursuing me relentlessly, like I was the only thing in the world that mattered to him.
Bumping into me everywhere, "coincidentally" showing up, stalking me, and digging into my life...
Gavin was like some creepy, clingy ghost, haunting every corner of my life, never giving me a moment's peace.
I couldn't stand how ruthless he was, or that suffocating need to control everything about me.
So I faked having terminal cancer and bolted overseas, hiding out for five years.
While Gavin was hosting a grand wedding for his wife, I was shredding the slopes in Mornthal.
When Mrs. Schmitt gave birth to their son, I was learning to scuba dive in the South Pacific.
And while he was glued to Mrs. Schmitt's side at every fancy dinner, I was hopping on random buses in Pyrinne, munching on croissants, and soaking up the sun.
*****
While Gavin spent five years married, I was out there living it up overseas, doing whatever I wanted.
Honestly, I could hardly remember what Gavin even looked like.