Part 3Wasted Love for a Tycoon

A month later, on the day of our child’s one-month celebration, semi-nude photos of Donovan in bed with my own sister went viral.

The double betrayal from my husband and my family was like a dull knife sawing at my throat. I pointed a trembling finger at the sister I had adored since she was a child.

“He’s your brother-in-law! How could you be so shameless?”

My sister just hid behind Donovan, her eyes red, saying nothing.

Donovan, however, calmly produced a paternity test, crushing the last of my fight.

“Kiki, stop pulling rank as the older sister. You’re not even a real daughter of this family.”

“What right do you have to tell your sister who she can and can’t be with?”

Overnight, I lost my family and became the laughingstock of the entire city.

And then, Donovan made a public announcement:

“Although Kiki is not who we thought she was, we are married, and I will take responsibility for her. Regardless of her origins, I will continue to love her and protect her for the rest of her life.”

With one shameless speech, he not only erased the stain of his affair but also painted himself as a devoted, loving husband.

But in the shadows, away from the flashing cameras, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, his voice soft and indulgent, as if cooing at a misbehaving child.

“Kiki, I was very unhappy when you threatened me last time. Taking your family away from you today was just a small lesson.”

He sighed, his thumb stroking my cheek.

“As a reward for giving me a child, I’ve already gone a whole month without spending the night with Lila. But a man has to let off some steam. You have to be understanding.”

“After eight years together, I thought you would be more sensible. But you made such an ugly scene. I’m a little disappointed.”

“If you ever dare to threaten me again, you will regret it.”

The next day, to completely extinguish any hope I had left, and to appease Lila, Donovan forcibly took our child from my arms.

He said Lila’s cat was still missing, and she wanted a baby to replace it.

I knelt on the floor and begged him. I told him I would give up everything, just please, don’t take my child.

But he refused, his voice cold.

“Kiki, Lila is just curious. What’s the big deal if she looks after the baby for a few days? You’re my wife. You need to be more magnanimous.”

My mental state deteriorated. I began to suffer from crippling insomnia. Even with sleeping pills, all I could hear was the sound of my baby’s desperate cries.

One day, I slipped past the nanny and rushed to Lila’s apartment.

I threw open the door and saw Lila posing for selfies, while my child’s face was turning purple from lack of air, struggling alone on the sofa.

She even gave the baby a disgusted shove. “Stop crying, you’re so annoying.”

I went berserk. I lunged at her, tackling her onto the sofa, clawing at her face until it was a bloody mess.

When Donovan arrived, to punish me, and to solidify the narrative of my “illness,” he had me forcibly committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Three days of confinement. Three days of darkness and abuse.

When I finally returned home, before my hand even touched the doorknob, I could hear the sounds from inside, sounds that would make anyone blush.

“Kiki, just wait outside for a minute. I’ll be done soon.”

In that instant, I realized I was the other woman.

I secretly took out a safety pin I had hidden and began slicing open the veins on my wrist, over and over.

When I woke up, Donovan was sitting by my bed, a rough stubble covering his jaw.

He saw my eyes open and grabbed my hand.

“Kiki, are you insane? Are you really going to kill yourself over something like this?”

“I admit I went too far this time, but I never wanted to drive you to your death.”

“Just get better. Stop torturing yourself. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you, okay?”

Looking at him, my mind drifted.

The boy who once ran across half the city for me, the man who swore he would never let me shed a single tear… how did he become this monster?

We had been through so much together. We had survived the hardest of times. How did he change so completely?

I watched him quietly, my voice a near-whisper.

“Donovan, is there any part of me left in your heart?”

He froze for a second, then covered my face with warm, urgent kisses.

“Silly girl, what are you talking about?”

“From now on, I will only love you.”

For the two weeks I was in the hospital, it was like we were back in the honeymoon phase.

He fed me every meal, bathed me, and canceled all his appointments to walk with me in the garden.

But I knew it was just the calm before the storm.

Less than three days after I was discharged, he started staying out all night again.