It was on Braeden's birthday two years ago.

Braeden was working late at night in the company, and Anna delivered the cake she had made herself.

On her way to his company, she was kidnapped by a group of thugs.

They took her to an abandoned factory where she was held for three days and nights. When she was finally rescued, her body was covered in bruises and wounds. The intense fear and trauma had left her with aphasia.

She desperately tried to explain what had happened, but she couldn't utter a word.

She could only repeatedly gesture, her hands trembling and eyes reddened, using clumsy sign language to vehemently deny that she had been raped.

But no one understood her gestures or believed she was still a virgin —not even Braeden.

Yet, he had once kissed her forehead with tears in his eyes and told her that she was the purest woman in his heart.

He had once done everything he could to comfort, protect, and accompany her.

"Everything is fake…"

Cold raindrops pelted down as Anna collapsed into the rain and became unconscious.

When she awoke, she found herself in the private hospital owned by the Hayes Group.

"What were you doing in the pouring rain?" Braeden's eyes were full of concern as he gently touched her forehead. "Luckily, your fever has gone down. From now on, I'd like you to stay on the estate. You're not allowed to go anywhere. Understand?"

Braeden's voice was gentle, and he sounded as if he felt sorry for her.

His eyebrows knitted tightly, and his eyes were red-rimmed. Clearly, he had spent a sleepless night taking care of her again.

Anna tried to say something, but her recovery from aphasia was incomplete. Her words seemed lodged in her throat. She failed to utter a single word.

In the past two years, there were various rumors about her.

Some said that when she was rescued, she was barely clothed.

Others claimed that she had been ruined during those three days in the abandoned factory.

Anna once wrote a long letter to clear her name, but in the end, she deleted it all after she finished it.

No one would believe her anyway.

Instead, they would dissect every detail of her existence as casual table talk.

Even Braeden had seemingly accepted the fact that she had been violated.

In the past two years, he barely touched her.

"Anna, I don't want you to stay trapped in the shadow. I respect you, and we'll have sex after we get married."

Anna always thought Braeden was restraining himself out of sympathy for what she had suffered.

Now she understood that he saw her as tainted.

Since that incident, Anna hadn't had the courage to face the judgmental stares outside.

To "protect" her, Braeden bought an estate on the outskirts for her.

Anna stayed there for two years. She only left for medical check-ups at the private hospital. Otherwise, she was like a bird trapped in a gilded cage and had never stepped outside the estate.

He imprisoned her in the name of love. In fact, he only thought she brought him disgrace.

A lump of raw emotion swelled in Anna's throat, thick and suffocating.

She turned her head away and forced back her tears.

Just then, Braeden's phone rang and snapped her back to reality.

He glanced at her. She had no reaction. Then he answered the call.

After a moment, he walked over to Anna and gently caressed her cheek. "There's an emergency at the company, and I need to handle it. After you finish this IV drip, the bodyguard will escort you back to the estate. Wait for me at home."

Braeden's footsteps gradually faded away.

Anna gritted her teeth while pulling out the needle from her hand.

She lifted her heavy legs and got out of bed. Then she walked to the window.

Downstairs, a woman wearing sunglasses saw Braeden get out. She smiled happily and walked to him eagerly. Then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Braeden looked flustered, and he hastily pulled her into the car.

Yet, the car didn't start for a while.

Anna watched from above as the car began to shake rhythmically.

She held her breath, and her eyes were stung and red.

It felt like an eternity before the car drove away.

Anna's heart sank heavily.

Blood trickled from the needle mark she hadn't properly bandaged.

She remained motionless for a long time before tending to her wound and returning to the hospital bed.

"Braeden, are you really so impatient?" Anna asked in her mind repeatedly. "Do you think I'm so blind that I haven't noticed your dirty secrets? Do you think I can't live without you?"

Taking a deep breath, she wiped away her tears.

She used her phone to schedule an appointment to cancel her ID card and household registration.

The cancellation period was seven days.

She then messaged her elder brother, Collin Briggs, who was abroad. "Collin, I need your help… Come and take me away seven days later."

He replied instantly. "Five years ago, you cut ties with our family to stay in the country with Braeden. What happened today? Has he done anything bad to you?"

Anna's throat tightened.

She wanted to hug Collin and cry.

After a while, she rubbed her eyes and replied, "No. I… I miss you all."

"Alright. I'll bring you home in seven days. Anna, if Braeden ever mistreats you, I won't let him off easily."

Anna put down her phone and felt a lump in her throat.

She was afraid that Collin had already seen through the love she pursued and found it was nothing but a shattered dream.

Over the past five years, she had been wrong.

Perhaps Anna's sudden departure from the estate had worried Braeden. When she left the hospital, some bodyguards closely followed her and feared that she might get lost.

She found it amusing.

She looked down, and a message from Braeden arrived. "Honey, things at the company are tough. I won't be back tonight. Go to bed yourself."

Anna couldn't be bothered to reply.

Just a month ago, Braeden was still planning surprises and gifts for their anniversary.

But he seemed to have completely forgotten about it.

Yet, it didn't matter anymore.

On a social media platform, Carol posted a new photo.

She was wearing a pristine white wedding dress, with a diamond-studded crown on her head.

"The guy who loves me stays up all night helping me choose my wedding dress."

Braeden was about to marry another woman, but he kept deceiving Anna.

Anna stared blankly at the photo, and her heart ached with a gnawing pain.

The style of Carol's wedding dress was once her favorite, too.

On the eve of the ninth time they planned to get married, Braeden had suddenly told her that her wedding dress had been accidentally stained by the wedding dress boss and that she couldn't wear it.

Anna had no choice but to pick another one, which was simpler and casual.

Now Anna knew that the dress had probably been reserved for Carol all along.

Anna clutched her phone tightly, and her whole body trembled with pain.

He had long decided not to marry her, but she foolishly awaited the tenth time he pretended to plan to marry her.

Carol continued to post more photos on her social media.

"A stunning sapphire ring, a gift from my husband, with a six-digit price tag."

The dazzling blue ring was around Carol's finger, and on the counter lay a diamond bracelet, tagged "Complimentary Gift".

Anna touched the promise ring she had worn for five years.

When Braeden had placed it around her finger, she couldn't stop her tears of joy.

Back then, she had treated the ring as a rare treasure and would feel uneasy even taking it off for a minute.

And now, he had placed a larger, more precious gemstone ring around Carol's finger and proposed to her.

He said she was his wife.

Anna couldn't understand how his heart could be split in two and how his love could be divided.

But she suddenly got it.

He just didn't love her.

Anna took off the ring and placed it on the bedside table.

Braeden returned the next morning.

As soon as he entered, he went straight to Anna and planted a deep kiss on her forehead. "Honey, I'm sorry. I just realized while signing documents that our anniversary passed two days ago."

Anna's heart ached dully as she listened to him continue, "I brought you a gift to make up for it."

With that, he took out a beautiful gift box from his pocket and slowly opened it.

It was a bracelet.

"Do you like it? This new pavé diamond piece from Cartier is perfect for you." Here, let me put it on for you."

Anna's heart sank heavily.

It was the same "complimentary gift" she had seen in Carol's photo the night before.

She controlled her trembling hands and let Braeden clasp the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Oh, by the way, the bracelet was a bit large, so I had them remove a diamond and make it into a ring. It's for me. Now we have a matching set of couples' jewelry, don't we? It's unique, just for us," Braeden said excitedly. He was oblivious to Anna's growing pallor. "I installed a discreet tracker in the bracelet and a receiver in the ring, so I can see what you're up to anytime. I'm sorry, honey. I'm too busy and often not at home, so this is my way of protecting you. You don't mind, do you?"

Anna held her breath

and gestured to reply to him. "I don't mind. Thank you."

Braeden smiled brightly and gently stroked Anna's hair. "My good girl."

Braeden didn't linger at the estate for long.

After he thought he had sufficiently appeased Anna, he quickly drove away.

Anna stood by the window and watched as Braeden's figure disappeared into the distance. Her heart was cold.

As she numbly removed her bracelet from her wrist, she noticed the indicator light was on.

Anna frowned.

Braeden truly didn't care about her. He even managed to get such an important gift wrong.

He had installed the chip incorrectly.

The receiver meant for the ring was mistakenly placed on the bracelet.

Anna gently pressed the switch of the receiver and heard a woman's sweet voice. "Braeden, hurry up. How can you have me waiting alone at City Hall for so long?"

"OK. I'm on my way."

It turned out that he was going to get married.

For the past two years, Braeden had always assumed the role of Anna's fiancé.

Sometimes, he even directly said she was his wife.

Anna thought sometimes that the marriage certificate and the wedding weren't so important.

As long as he loved her and always stayed with her, that was true happiness.

But he had become Carol's husband now.

Anna became the real hidden third wheel.

Next, she saw Carol and Braeden embracing and kissing.

She heard them vow at City Hall that they would love each other forever.

Those scenes had played out in Anna's mind thousands of times.

But she got nothing after five years.

Anna curled up on the floor and hugged herself tightly.

The pain was unbearable.

She felt so much pain that she couldn't breathe, and her whole body trembled.

Braeden had always known how much she would hurt, how much she would hate, so he never dared to get married to Carol openly.

But eventually, the truth would come out.

Anna heard Braeden, as he left, repeatedly instructing the photographer not to post the edited photos on social media.

Anna suddenly burst into laughter.

He was still hiding from her and deceiving her.

How long did he plan to keep her in the dark? Forever?

She could not speak only due to shock and fear, but she was not an idiot.

"Now you're my husband," Carol said happily. "I'll book the whole venue at a well-known luxury restaurant this evening to celebrate. What do you think?"

Braeden replied in an indifferent tone, "I don't think so. I have to spend the anniversary with Anna this evening. I'm afraid that she'll get suspicious if I am out for too long."

"Alright." Carol sounded disappointed. "On our wedding night, my husband will go to be with another woman. As your wife, can I make one request?"

Braeden asked, "What is it? Go ahead."

"I want you to set off the most beautiful, grand fireworks for me this evening."

Braeden was silent for a long moment. "Okay."