My best friend and I signed up for the Dual Marriage System so the cancer wouldn't kill me. She and I managed to steal the hearts of the Hopkin brothers. Naturally, we became in-laws.

Seven years later, my husband's son told me I was dull and useless. Meanwhile, my best friend's husband slammed her behind bars for the sake of his old flame.

When she was released, the last thing she told me was, "Live on." Then, she rushed into the oncoming traffic and was crushed into a pulp by a speeding truck.

Useless Family

My best friend, Rachel Jennington, died. The shock shook me to my core. I saw her body split open into little chunks when the truck hit her, and I fainted.

When I woke up, I saw my husband sitting right next to me. He was a busy man and a famous scion in Imperia. Timothy Hopkin was the CEO of Hopkin Group. This was also the first time I saw him in two months.

He looked at me expressionlessly. "You're awake."

I ignored him and got out of bed. Then I rushed toward the door. Samuel Hopkin, my brother-in-law, was holding a picture of his lost love. The name of that girl? Jade Hopkin. She was his adopted sister, and he was smiling dumbly at her photo.

Jade was also there as well. The look of this disgusting couple blew me up. I could see nothing but the despair in my best friend's eyes before she died, and it made me snap.

Driven by rage, I lunged at Samuel and slapped him as hard as I could. And again. And again. And again, and again and again…

Jade screamed and tried to stop me, "Why are you hitting Samuel, Penelope?"

I slapped her as well, and she fell to the couch. Furiously, I growled, "Your turn will come. Get in the line."

Jade looked at Samuel tearfully, puckering her lips like she was the victim here. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was the one getting abused. Quietly, she said, "Sam…"

Samuel quickly came to her defense. "What are you doing, Penelope? Are you mad? I know. Jennington must've said something. She lied to you! That woman lied to you!"

He was defending his mistress and insulting my best friend? Calling these people animals would be an insult to animals. I slapped him a few more times, cursing, "You killed my best friend! How dare you insult her! You're a murderer! Rachel should've taken you when she killed herself! Both of you!"

Samuel was stunned, and all color drained from his face. "W-What'd you say? Rachel's dead?"

Of course, they didn't know she was dead. She just got out of prison earlier. She should've gotten a divorce, left Hopkins, and started a new life, free and happy. However, Jade went and taunted her. Thanks to that shameless woman, my best friend decided to take her own life.

Timothy came out and grabbed my hand. Frowning, he said, "Enough, Penelope. Have you gone mad?"

I slapped him without thinking. In his shocked gaze, I saw my reflection. I saw a madwoman. "Oh, you're stopping me because I hit your brother? Where were you when these people abused my friend? Dead?"

Timothy's face fell. "If your friend hadn't tricked Samuel and slept with him, he would never have even given her a moment of his time. She planned her scheme carefully so she could latch on to our family. She wouldn't kill herself, not when her plan finally came to fruition. Stop lying, Penelope."

Jade said, "Yeah. Someone told me they ran into Rachel a while ago. She must've lied to you, Penelope. You care so much about her, but she's using you to stir our family into chaos. She's evil…"

Samuel's eyes lit up. He obviously bought their story as he furiously said, "I can't believe her! She's a witch, I tell you! A witch! Penelope, tell her I'm going to get a divorce if she keeps trying to destroy our family!"

I looked at these shameless people, and fury flared in my soul. Yes, Rachel did use a loophole to get her marriage process onto the fast track, but she wasn't the one who drugged Samuel.

She only agreed to be his cure to save me. To finish our game task. She cared about saving me, not the Hopkins' money. Alas, the idiot fell in love with the bastard.

A long time ago, she told me shyly, "Marrying Samuel is the best thing I ever did, Penelope. I'm going to give him lots of children and grow old together."

All she got in return was a heartless bum and a head drenched with blood. My heart ached just thinking about him. I slapped Timothy again and furiously roared, "Insult her again, and I'll kill you!"

Suddenly, a petite silhouette cannoned over and crashed into me. I tumbled down to the ground. My son, Christian Hopkin, glared at me.

"How dare you hit Dad! Get the hell out of our house! You're not welcome here!"

Tortoise

Christian was looking at me with hatred, and I felt something crushing my heart. There was barely any love between me and Timothy. I knew he didn't really want to marry me. He just wanted to rebel against his mother.

I willingly became his tool to survive. Before my son came to be, our marriage was cordial and perhaps peaceful. I thought we would live as a couple until the end of our lives. Then everything changed when Chris came to be.

Timothy's mother took him away from me. She said I would never be able to educate her grandson well enough. She took my son to her residence and found a wet nurse for him. I was only allowed visitation rights at certain times.

I cried and begged for my son, but they only mocked me. I thought Timothy would help me, but when I told him why I came, he asked me in confusion, "You think you can teach our son better than my parents?"

He thought his children should be raised in business. They should only be machines that work perfectly. He never thought the boy would need me. He never thought I needed my child.

From that day onward, what little feelings I had for Timothy died. Chris' disdain and apathy for me killed all reason for my staying with the Hopkins. I'd have left this uncaring cage if not for Rachel.

With Rachel gone, I should leave these people behind. This was a house of monsters, after all. I stopped contacting the Hopkins after I made up my mind. I went to the funeral parlor and started the process for my best friend.

Unfortunately, they couldn't piece all the pieces of her body back together, but fortunately, the beautiful idiot's head was intact. After some embellishment, she was once again my beautiful friend. I cried and hiccupped. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm sorry. You'd never have married that man if not for me… I should've been the one who died, not you…"

I saw her body off into the crematorium. I paid to see her for the last time. I thought I'd accepted the fact of my best friend's death, but when the flames engulfed her, they ate up my heart as well.

Memories of my friend flooded my mind. I could still see her smiling at me. She'd sometimes act like a child around me. "We're going to be together for life, aren't we?"

And then, something in me crumbled. I got up and trudged toward the crematorium. "I'll be there for you…" I muttered.

I lost my mind and ran ahead, but the staff member held me back. He was a man in his forties, and he didn't want to see me kill myself. Quickly, he persuaded, "No, girl. Your friend wouldn't want this."

I snapped out of it and slapped myself. 'Yeah, what was I thinking? I haven't avenged her. I can't die just yet.'

An hour later, I traipsed into the funeral parlor, holding an urn that carried my best friend's ashes.

Then I heard soft cries and looked in the direction of that sound. Lo and behold, it was Timothy and his family. They were right beside Rachel's mourning hall.

Jade was crying her heart out. Samuel was holding her shoulder, consoling her softly. They must've believed that Rachel was dead. I couldn't believe Samuel had the audacity to bring Rachel with him.

'He still wants to humiliate her after her death?' Furiously, I strode up to him.

"How dare you bring this bitch here! Do you even have a heart, Samuel?" And I froze.

These people weren't here for Rachel's funeral. The photo in their mourning hall belonged to a tortoise. Jade was holding a small urn, bawling her eyes out.

Timothy said darkly, "What are you up to this time, Penelope?" He looked at the urn I was holding and frowned. "Why are you here? Is that an urn you're holding?"

I sneered. "No, it's your mother. Of course, it's an urn, you moron."

Timothy did not expect that attitude. He glared at me and tried to talk back, but Jade said with aggrievement, "Why are you here, Penelope? You're still on about that story about Rachel's death? No one will believe you. Leave. I don't want any uninvited guests at Didi's funeral."

Samuel quickly said, "Yes, Penelope. Leave, now."

White-hot Fury

I stormed up to them in a rage and flipped her urn away. Then, I hissed darkly, "You don't even care about your own wife's funeral! You mocked your dead wife, but you'd set up a grand funeral for a damn tortoise? A damn tortoise! You disgust me, Samuel!"

A heartbroken Jade cried, "Didi! Didi! How could you, Penelope? Have a heart!"

"My heart's broken, scum." I sneered. "You know why your tortoise died? Because its master is an evil witch. If you ask me, you and your bastard brother should be the ones who died."

Chris darted over and glared at me. "I won't let you talk to them like that, you witch! She cares about a tortoise as though it's family! She's a kind woman! How dare you insult her!"

I hissed, "Shut your mouth, idiot boy! To think my best friend treated you like her own. No, how dare you insult her, crotch goblin! You're every bit like your father and uncle. Stupid, blind, obtuse, has an ego bigger than the world, and beyond saving!"

Jade donned a heartbroken look. "How could you talk to Chris like that? I know you hate me, but love is love." She suddenly came up to me and grabbed my arm. Pleading, she said, "I know you hate me, but please, show me mercy. My baby's innocent.

"Just… just stop this. I'll leave Sam. I won't come back ever again."

Alarm bells rang in my head. I tried to shake off her hand, but she suddenly fell backward as if I was the one who shoved her. The shocked Samuel quickly put an arm around her back. "Jade!" He screamed.

A furious Timothy lunged and grabbed my arm.

I roared in agitation, "Don't touch me!"

He saw me holding the urn protectively, so he yanked it away from my hands. "You're still lying even now?" he yelled.

Horror crept up to my face. I couldn't stop him. All I could do was watch as he hurled the urn down to the ground. The ash spilled, and I snapped. "I'll kill you, Timothy!"

I quickly crouched and tried to pick up the ash, but Chris ran up and kicked the urn, toppling it over. The ash spread further across the ground.

I snapped and clasped my hand around the boy's neck, my grip tightening at an alarming rate. He looked at the crazed woman before him in horror.

Timothy pushed my hand down. Pain stabbed my mind, and I let the boy go. Then, Timothy dragged me back up. His eyes were filled with rage. I know that if looks could kill, I'd be dead.

"You'd hit your own son, Penelope? You're mad! You need to be taught a lesson!" He dragged me to the mourning hall next door, but it was dark and empty. Surprise caught him, and he froze.

He was holding my shoulder in a vice grip. My face was contorted in rage, and my arm was screaming out in pain.

Timothy thought I was the one in the wrong here. He pinned me against the ground, intent on delivering justice for Jade. "Last warning, Penelope. Apologize to Jade right now, or we're getting a divorce."

Samuel came in with the 'hurt' Jade. He looked at me coldly and said imperiously, "No matter what Rachel did, she's still my wife. Just apologize to Jade, and…"

I was trembling with white-hot fury as I chomped on Timothy's hand. Pain hit him, and he loosened his grip. I pounced at the altar and grabbed the covered portrait.

Then I stormed up to Samuel. "Damn you! Damn all of you!" I smashed the portrait on Samuel's head. "You think I'm lying? Then open those useless eyes of yours! See who's the one that died!"

Blood spilled down Samuel's forehead. The portrait hit the ground, and the cloth fell off, revealing the portrait of Rachel. A broken Rachel.