Chapter 1

Emily Johnson thought she was the happiest woman in the world because she married the man she deeply loved, Lawrence Parker.

But she never imagined that the man she once adored would turn her life into a living hell.

After their wedding, Lawrence became cold and distant. He frequently humiliated her and refused any form of intimacy, leaving them without a sexual relationship.

Lawrence often stayed out late, leaving Emily to spend her nights alone, like a widow in her own home.

Loneliness was the greatest torment for a young woman like her.

To make matters worse, Lawrence's mother, Sophia, often abused her for not being able to bear children. Sophia would hit her and berate her mercilessly.

Emily found it laughable. "Your son doesn’t come home, won’t even touch me. How am I supposed to get pregnant? Am I some kind of asexual creature?"

Every day was a struggle for Emily.

She began to seriously consider that marrying Lawrence might have been a mistake…

On this particular day, Emily faced another beating from Sophia.

Today was the birthday of Lawrence's grandfather, James Parker, and Sophia ordered Emily to bring Lawrence to the celebration.

Emily reached out to Lawrence, but he ignored her request, choosing instead to attend a friend's birthday party.

Though it was Lawrence's fault, Sophia blamed Emily, accusing her of being unable to control her husband.

Sophia even kicked Emily out of the Parker Villa, demanding she bring Lawrence home.

With no choice, Emily set out to find him. She learned that Lawrence was at a hotel celebrating with friends, and she quickly drove there, her heart heavy with dread.

When she arrived, the clock struck midnight.

As Emily was about to enter the hotel, brilliant fireworks burst into bloom in the sky.

The dazzling colors of the fireworks made Emily squint.

She pressed her lips together and pushed open the door to the banquet hall.

The lively noise hit her in the face, and the crowd was cheering.

"Kiss! Kiss!"

No one noticed Emily's sudden appearance.

A long table was set in the center of the hall, with four people sitting at each end.

Each person had a seductive girl in their arms.

Her husband, Lawrence, sat at the head of the table, holding a girl with long, flowing hair.

The girl's innocent and pure face was blushing from the crowd's teasing, and she looked up at Lawrence with big, watery eyes.

Lawrence looked back at her with a gentle and affectionate gaze.

He had a faint smile on his lips, but it was clear it came from the heart.

In the three years Emily had been married to him, he had never smiled at her like that.

"Who would've thought, Lawrence, undefeated in the casino, would lose on purpose just to kiss Olivia Johnson!"

"Yeah, Olivia. Lawrence has been faithful to you all these years while you were abroad. Now that you're back, you can't let him down!"

Hearing this, Olivia's face turned even redder, and her gaze at Lawrence was filled with pure affection.

The girl in Lawrence's arms was named Olivia, his ex-girlfriend. But there was more to Olivia—she was also Emily's half-sister.

Originally, Lawrence had intended to marry Olivia, but the Parker family looked down on her background and forced him to marry Emily instead.

On their wedding day, Olivia had left heartbroken. If it weren't for James's pressure, Lawrence might have abandoned the wedding to chase after her.

The sight of their deep, loving gaze pained Emily.

As their heads got closer...

Emily cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention.

She leaned casually against the doorframe, her voice lazy, "I was wondering which woman had such charm that he couldn't even attend his grandfather's birthday. Turns out it's you!"

"Long time no see, my shameless... sister! Your mom was a homewrecker who gave birth to you, and now you're here to be a homewrecker and seduce my husband. What, is being a homewrecker genetic?"

"Losing on purpose just to kiss you, you're really something."

Olivia, still as good at playing the victim as three years ago, immediately teared up at Emily's harsh words, looking as if she had suffered a great grievance.

"Emily, you misunderstood. We were just playing around. It was a friends' gathering, and we thought gambling with money was boring, so we decided to bet on something else."

Emily curled her lips into a cold smile. She knew Olivia's little tricks.

Olivia was subtly showing off that Lawrence's friends included her but not Emily, implying that as Lawrence's wife, Emily was nothing.

But no matter what, Emily was still Lawrence's wife. No matter how much Lawrence loved Olivia, she would still be labeled a homewrecker. Moreover, Emily was the one originally engaged to Lawrence. Their love had been illegitimate from the start!

Emily, with her striking features and commanding presence, exuded an air of cold elegance when she sneered. Olivia, with her delicate demeanor, was completely overshadowed by her.

"If you like playing around, come to me. I know plenty of tricks that will leave you begging for more!"

Olivia pursed her lips, hiding the disdain in her eyes. "Emily, you might not understand... Lawrence and his friends play cards differently from what you learned in the countryside... It's very complicated. Lawrence spent a whole night teaching me, and I still didn't get it."

Everyone knew that Emily wasn't favored by their father, Michael Johnson. When she was young, she made a mistake that angered Michael, and he sent her to the countryside. She wasn't brought back until she was an adult.

"You couldn't learn because you're stupid, too busy thinking about how to seduce men," Emily retorted mercilessly. "I grew up in a pile of cards. No matter how complicated the game, it's as easy as eating and drinking to me."

Humiliated repeatedly, Olivia was on the verge of breaking down. She looked at Emily with tearful eyes, "Emily, I know you never liked me, thinking I stole Dad's love. When we were kids, you pushed me down the stairs, almost making me a cripple for life. Now you're jealous of my past with Lawrence, accusing me of seducing him..."

"I stayed abroad for three years to give you space. Today is just a normal friends' gathering. Are you going to restrict Lawrence's basic social interactions just because you're his wife?"

She then looked at Lawrence with teary eyes, "Lawrence, if that's the case, we shouldn't meet anymore. I don't want Emily to misunderstand."

From the moment Emily appeared, Lawrence hadn't spared her a glance. Only now did he look at her coldly, "She has no right to control me. She's just a nobody. Don't worry about her."

Olivia's lips twitched, but she tried to hide it. "Lawrence, don't say that about Emily..."

Lawrence patted her head and looked at Emily with eyes as cold as knives. "Get out. This isn't a place for you."

Emily laughed in anger, her eyes icy. "This shabby hotel doesn't suit my status anyway."

"Lawrence, you should've chosen a better place for your lover's birthday."

"What, Olivia isn't good enough for the Starlight Grand Hotel's top banquet hall?"

The Starlight Grand Hotel was the most luxurious hotel in Emerald City. The top banquet hall was reserved for VIPs. Though Olivia knew she wasn't worthy, being told so bluntly by Emily still stung. Olivia felt miserable but couldn't say anything, feeling utterly humiliated.

Lawrence frowned and glared at her, "Shut up!"

"Fine."

Emily obediently shut up, walking over in her high heels. She looked disdainfully at the crease in his pants, left by Olivia. "Throw those pants away. They're so wrinkled, even a dog wouldn't wear them!"

With one sentence, she insulted both of them. Everyone around gasped. Emily's sharp tongue was legendary!

Emily didn't care how angry Lawrence looked. She pulled up a chair and sat next to him. Elegantly crossing her legs, she said, "The fireworks are done, the cards are played. Time to go home?"

"Go home?" Lawrence's deep eyes flashed with sharp mockery. He was a head taller than Emily, exuding an oppressive aura. "Go home for what? To watch you act like a bitch in heat, trying to seduce me?"

Calling her a bitch, Emily was furious. But her personality was such that the angrier she got, the brighter her smile. No matter how much it hurt inside, she would never show weakness.

"As my husband, isn't that your duty? If you can't do it, then I'll just have to work a little harder."

Emily smiled and said, "Grandpa said that as long as you and I have a child, he’ll grant you the inheritance! If you’re impotent and can’t perform, I wouldn’t mind trying IVF. Oh, and there’s another option—I could cheat on you and find another man to have a baby with, just like you."