“I need you to fake a private jet crash for me. I need to get away from Julian Sterling.”
My best friend, Chloe, nearly dropped her jaw hearing my request. She thought she was hallucinating. It was just like when she first heard Julian and I were getting married.
A girl from humble beginnings and a privileged heir from an elite family—two people from entirely different worlds—somehow ended up together, defying everyone’s expectations.
Gossip swirled. Some said Julian was just infatuated, others whispered he had a forbidden love and I was merely a shadow. There were even rumors that he married me on a dare.
But after three years of marriage, Julian proved with his actions that there was no other reason for our wedding than his insane love for me.
Julian fell for me at first sight and launched a relentless pursuit. Besides showering me with endless gifts, he donated billions to various charities under Elara’s name. He also funded numerous educational projects worldwide, all bearing the ‘Elara’ title. He wanted my name to be synonymous with philanthropy, ensuring that if I ever faced hardship, kindness would always find me.
To spend more time with me, he joined me in my part-time jobs: waiting tables, handing out flyers, sorting packages… This pampered heir, who’d never even washed his own clothes at home, gritted his teeth and worked alongside me for two whole years. His long, slender hands, once only familiar with a violin, were now calloused.
His sincerity finally moved me. But the vast disparity in our families’ backgrounds meant his parents fiercely opposed our union. To win their approval, he endured sixteen brutal family punishments, beaten until he was a bloody mess, leaving scars that still marked his back. When he realized that wasn’t working, he renounced his entire inheritance and started from scratch – so no one could interfere with his right to choose his own spouse.
All our friends thought he’d lost his mind. He was always so sharp and rational, yet here he was, willing to give up a fortune that generations couldn’t exhaust, all for one woman. His family had no choice but to concede and approve our marriage.
After we got married, he replaced all his personal staff with men. Even though I never asked, he meticulously reported his schedule and even installed a GPS tracking system so I could check up on him. Netizens raved about our “fairy-tale love,” calling it the ultimate victory for true romantics. For a time, our online ship became an absolute sensation, even outshining major celebrities.
But no one knew, except me, that this “perfect husband” had secretly fathered twins with another woman and built a second family behind my back.
When I found out, my heart shattered, and I passed out, spitting blood. Hearing the news, Julian canceled a multi-billion-dollar deal and rushed back home, taking care of me nonstop for two days. When I woke up, he was anxiously watching over me by the bed, warming the IV fluids in his hand.
“You’re awake? You scared me senseless.” Julian pressed my hand to his face, almost in tears. The man who wouldn’t even bat an eyelid when a gun was pointed at his head during a business deal was so panicked when he heard I’d coughed up blood that his legs went weak.
Looking into his eyes, filled with worry and desperation, my heart felt torn to shreds. The love in his eyes wasn’t a lie; he genuinely loved me. But had this same devoted man also looked at Seraphina with those eyes? Had he whispered those same sweet nothings to her?
Seraphina was the woman he cheated with, his childhood sweetheart. After news of Julian pursuing me spread, Seraphina gathered her friends to bully me at school. She’d even deliberately caused trouble at my part-time jobs, leading me to lose several positions. She even hired some thugs to harass me, but Julian, who happened to be there to confess his feelings, caught them in the act. At that time, he didn’t care about their long-standing family friendship, ruthlessly driving Seraphina’s family into bankruptcy. If his mother hadn’t intervened, he would have killed Seraphina several times over.
So, if I hadn’t seen those disgusting videos and the paternity test results with my own eyes, I would never have believed Julian cheated, let alone that his children were already a year old.
I closed my eyes and turned my head, tears streaming down, soaking a large patch of my pillow. Julian didn’t see my tears; he thought I was just tired. “Elara, the doctor just checked you and said you’re two months pregnant! We’re having our own baby!”
The usually cold and dignified executive was now as excited as a child. “Our anniversary is in five days, and you’re pregnant! This is double the happiness!”
My eyes snapped open.
When I was little, my father kicked me into an icy river, and I stayed there for a long time. It damaged my body, and many doctors said I’d have great difficulty getting pregnant. Because of this, Julian’s family elders, who were already displeased with me, often gave me the cold shoulder. I endured it because they were his parents. But Julian didn’t want to see me suffer for his sake. He said coldly, “Elara is the woman I love. Her choosing to be with me is a blessing I earned in a past life. If you dare give her a hard time about not having children, then I’ll cut all ties with you. We’ll be strangers.”
I gently stroked my lower abdomen, unable to hold it in anymore, and burst into sobs. *This baby, why did you have to come at such a terrible time?*
Julian pulled me into his arms, cooing softly, “Why are you suddenly crying? Who upset you? Your husband will make them pay.”
But then I caught a faint, unfamiliar scent of perfume on him, mixed with the smell of baby formula. I abruptly pushed Julian away and leaned over the bed, vomiting. Julian thought it was morning sickness and instinctively held out his hands to catch it, not worried at all about me getting sick on him. He looked at me with deep concern.
Of course, he was thrilled about my pregnancy, but he had been there for Seraphina’s entire pregnancy and delivery, and her post-partum recovery. He knew how much women suffered through it all.
I stared at Julian, stunned. I knew he had severe OCD, yet he was willing to go this far for me. He even hand-washed all my clothes and shoes. He had given me three years of unconditional love, and I had returned it in kind. I truly couldn’t imagine living without him. For a moment, I even thought about abandoning my principles, thinking that if Julian would just cut ties with Seraphina, we could go back to how things were.
But the next moment, he received a text, said he had an urgent company matter, and hurried away.
Half an hour later, I received photos from Seraphina. In them, Julian was holding the twins, kissing their foreheads. That picture shattered all my illusions.
After leaving the hospital, I went to Chloe and asked her to fake a plane crash. Because I knew Julian; he would never agree to a divorce, nor would he let me go. He would simply lose his mind.
After leaving Chloe’s, I immediately booked an abortion in another state. Julian’s family was too powerful. If I stayed in this city, he would find out about the surgery before I could even have it.
Just before I entered the operating room, Seraphina sent me another video. It was two and a half hours long. In the video, Seraphina was in seductive lingerie, Julian in a crisp suit, and on a nearby table, various aphrodisiacs. The kitchen, the desk, the entryway… they were having wild trysts in every corner of the room. The Julian in the video was a side I had never seen before—completely unhinged. Every scene tore at my heart, yet like a masochist, I watched the entire video.
“Ma’am, it’s time for your surgery. But, are you sure you’re okay?” The doctor asked, concerned. Only then did I realize I was weeping uncontrollably, shaking from head to toe. I wasn’t crying just from sorrow, but because I realized that even knowing Julian cheated, I still couldn’t let go of my love for him. He was a living, breathing person, not an item to be discarded at will. Tearing him from my life felt like tearing open my chest, ripping my bleeding heart to shreds.
I wiped my tears and decided to give Julian one last chance. I called him, “Where are you right now? I miss you. Can you come back?” Julian’s voice was tight, as if he was holding something back. “Honey, there’s a very important company matter tonight… Ugh!” He let out a muffled groan, his words suddenly rushed. “I won’t be back tonight!” With that, he hung up.
I stood there, stunned, tears flowing unchecked. He had never hung up on me before. This was the first time.
A few minutes later, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Let’s proceed with the surgery.”
Late that night, I dragged my exhausted body home. Chloe texted me, “Baby, everything’s arranged. Execution in two days.” I collapsed onto the bed. All night, I’d fall asleep only to wake up crying. In the latter half of the night, I sat in the dark, hugging my knees, until dawn.
The next morning, Julian returned. He took off his coat and waited for the cold to dissipate before coming to hug me. Then he opened his tablet, pointing to an island. “Honey, look at this island. I just bought it for our child. Also, I’ve started building amusement parks in cities all across the country, which will be named after our baby. When the baby arrives, I’ll throw a hundred-day feast, inviting everyone to celebrate!”
He finished speaking excitedly, only then realizing I hadn’t said a word since he walked in. Suddenly, he heard my soft sobs. He walked around to face me and saw my face was drenched in tears.
“What’s wrong?!” He’d never seen me cry like this before; for a moment, his voice even trembled. If I was even one percent unhappy, Julian would feel a hundred percent of the pain. Every mood I had was magnified exponentially in him. Now, seeing my tears, his heart ached as if someone were twisting and pulling it.
“I’m fine.” I avoided his touch. “Pregnant women are sometimes like this, they just suddenly feel like crying.”
“Really?” Julian finally relaxed. “I’ll stay home with you all day today, okay? What do you want to eat? I’ll make it.”
“No need. I’m going to a class reunion at noon, and then visiting some old teachers tonight. You go do your work.” I stood up. This time, I was leaving the country, probably never to return. Seeing them one last time was my way of saying goodbye.
Julian was uneasy about me going out alone and insisted on coming along. The moment we entered the class reunion private room, everyone burst into laughter.
“I knew it! If Elara’s here today, Julian will definitely follow. He’s terrified she’ll get lost.”
Julian smiled amiably, accepting their teasing, and personally distributed the gifts he’d prepared to everyone. Everyone gasped, “Oh my god, this is the latest full set of Chanel jewelry! That’s seven figures! Mr. Sterling always gives us such expensive gifts. We’re really basking in Elara’s glow!” I had always been popular in college, and everyone present was a good friend. Julian was also willing to go out of his way to please them. Because if they were happy, I would be happy too. Everyone secretly marveled at the immense power of love, capable of transforming the unapproachable CEO, Julian, into a cheerful sunflower who smiled at everyone.
“Elara, I really envy you, having such a loving husband!” Hearing those words, I didn’t smile blissfully as before, just offered a polite smile.
As the private room filled with laughter, the door suddenly swung open. Seraphina, dripping in jewels, appeared before everyone. “How come no one told me about the reunion? Aren’t we in the same class?”
Seraphina’s appearance immediately dampened the atmosphere. She seemed oblivious to their unwelcoming stares, casually sitting across from me, and then scanning the gifts in everyone’s hands with a smirk. “Chanel, a very famous brand. But I guess not everyone knows that it’s *my* brand.”
*Hers?* Everyone whispered amongst themselves. Her family had been driven to bankruptcy by Julian back then, unable to make a living anywhere in the country. How could she have founded such a luxury brand?
“My family did face some difficulties back then, but then I met my husband. Two years ago, he invested billions and used a lot of his connections, working tirelessly to set up companies for me. And it’s not just this one, oh no. He’s opened twenty-six companies for me.” As she spoke, Seraphina’s gaze subtly drifted to Julian, then she flashed me a challenging smile.
My breath hitched. I remembered two years ago, there was a period when Julian was especially busy. He’d said the company was expanding into overseas markets, which explained his workload. But it turned out he was busy setting up companies for Seraphina. A sharp pain spread from my chest, and I instinctively clutched my heart.
“What’s wrong, honey? Are you feeling unwell?” Julian immediately stood up, alarmed. “I’ll call a doctor.”
Seraphina sneered, “Elara, Mr. Sterling dotes on you, treats you like a queen, yet you still look half-dead all the time.”
The moment her words fell, Julian’s face instantly darkened. He slapped her hard. “Shut up and get out, or I’ll make sure you can never speak again.” Seraphina clutched her face, grunted, and reluctantly left the room.
As soon as she was gone, the room’s atmosphere livened up again, but my face remained pale. Julian anxiously squeezed my hand. “Honey, where does it hurt? The doctor will be here soon.”
I pulled my hand away. “I’m fine. I need to use the restroom. Don’t follow me.”
The moment I stepped into the hallway, Seraphina blocked my path. She sneered, “Don’t think you’re so important just because Julian hit me for you. I’ve given him a son and a daughter. His heart is already shifting towards me. Do you believe me if I say the kids have a fever, he’ll rush straight to me?”
When I returned to the private room, Julian’s expression was indeed abnormally anxious. He walked over and kissed my forehead. “Honey, I have an urgent company matter and need to go back. I’ve already told the manager, all your expenses are on my tab. You and your friends have fun.”
I clutched his sleeve tightly. “Didn’t you say you’d spend the day with me? Stay, please?” Looking into my half-pleading, half-calm eyes, for some reason, a wave of panic suddenly rose in Julian’s heart. He felt that if he left today, he would lose something incredibly important.
But Seraphina said the children were sick, and they were his flesh and blood. He had to go see them.
Ultimately, he peeled my tightly clasped fingers from his, one by one. “Honey, I promise I’ll be back tonight to be with you, okay?”
I took a deep breath. So, Julian’s heart truly was shifting.
Half an hour later, Seraphina sent me a video. Though I knew what I’d see, my hands trembled as I clicked play. In the video, Seraphina was weeping plaintively. “I can’t bear to be without you for a moment. I missed you so much I couldn’t stand it, that’s why I came to the reunion. But seeing you and Elara so affectionate, I got so incredibly jealous that I said those bitter things. And you hit me.”
Julian gave a faint smile. It was clear he was flattered. He used a warm egg to soothe her swollen face. “There, there. Stop crying, or you’ll turn into a little mess. You can ask for anything you want, as compensation.”
“Then… the children’s birthday is coming up. I want that new island you bought, as their birthday gift.”
Julian frowned. “No. That’s for my and Elara’s child.”
“Please, darling~ I had an astrologer look at it, and that island is like a lucky charm for our children, it’ll bring them good fortune! You promised to compensate me!” This time, he agreed.
Seraphina flashed a challenging smile at the camera, then sent a voice message. “See? Even something he promised you, if I ask for it, he’ll still give it to me. You lose.”
I held my phone, sitting numbly. I remembered how Julian had soothed my pain when I got hurt working part-time. It turned out, everything he did for me, he would also do for another woman. In that moment, I felt utterly drained.
But as long as I left Julian, everything would be fine. Tomorrow, I could finally leave.
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