Invisible Wife, Undying Love

For ten years, I was the invisible Mrs. Perry, the woman everyone mocked for clinging to a man who openly despised her. They called me pathetic, a social climber with no self-respect.

But they didn't know the truth. My devotion wasn't for Cameron; it was for his brother, Jessie, the man I truly loved, who supposedly died a decade ago. My ten-year pact to protect Cameron for Jessie was almost over.

Then, Cassandra Foreman, Cameron's ex and the woman he still loved, made a comeback. She was in an accident, and Cameron was ready to risk his life to save her. I stepped in, donating my rare blood, collapsing from the effort.

Cameron never came to my side. Instead, he brought Cassandra home, ordering me to care for her. She tormented me, framing me for her self-inflicted injuries, and Cameron, blind with devotion, punished me. He threw me out in the rain, accused me of trying to kill her, and even tried to drown me.

Why did I endure this humiliation? Why did I stay, even when he told me he would never love me, even if I died for him?

Because I had a promise to keep. But now, the promise is fulfilled. I' m going to find Jessie.

Chapter 1

The internet was buzzing.

Cassandra Foreman, the A-list actress who had vanished from the spotlight for three years, was making a comeback. Her face was plastered across every entertainment blog and social media feed.

Alongside her image, another woman' s name inevitably appeared: Claire Tanner.

The contrast was stark. Cassandra was the beloved star, the "unforgettable" ex-girlfriend of tech mogul Cameron Perry. Claire was the woman who had replaced her, the woman who had clung to Cameron' s side for ten long years.

Public opinion was not kind to Claire. They called her a desperate social climber, a pathetic replacement, a woman with no self-respect who endured Cameron' s open contempt just to hold onto her position. For a decade, she had been a joke, the ever-present but invisible Mrs. Perry.

They didn' t know the truth. They didn' t know that every cold glance, every dismissive word from Cameron, was a price she willingly paid.

Her devotion wasn' t for him. It was for his brother. The man she truly loved, Jessie Perry.

The ten-year pact was almost over. Tomorrow was the day.

Freedom.

Claire sat in a sterile law office, the scent of paper and old coffee thick in the air. She pushed a document across the polished mahogany desk.

"I'd like to have this notarized. The divorce agreement."

Her lawyer, a man who had handled her affairs for years, looked up, his glasses sliding down his nose. He was stunned.

"Ms. Tanner... Claire. Are you sure? After all this time, you' re the one initiating this?"

For ten years, the world had watched her chase after Cameron Perry. Everyone assumed she would never let go.

Claire looked at him, her face calm, her eyes holding a depth of sorrow that no one ever bothered to see.

"Yes. I' m sure."

The process was quick. She signed her name, the notary stamped the paper with a heavy thud, and a decade of her life was legally sealed away.

She walked out of the building without looking back.

She didn't drive home. Instead, she took the long, winding road that led out of the city, up into the hills where the old temple sat overlooking the ocean.

She bypassed the main prayer hall, her steps sure and familiar as she walked toward a secluded courtyard in the back. An old monk was sweeping fallen leaves, his movements slow and rhythmic.

He looked up as she approached, his eyes kind.

"You're here."

It wasn't a question.

Claire nodded, her gaze drifting to a single, ever-burning lamp on a stone altar inside the small hall. It flickered, its light soft and warm.

She knelt on the cushion before it, her posture straight and formal. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but steady.

"It's been ten years. I'm coming to find you, Jessie."

The monk sighed, a soft sound like the wind through the trees.

"The karmic bond is fulfilled. His spirit has been guarded by your promise. Fate will guide what comes next."

No one knew. No one understood that she wasn't Cameron Perry's pathetic shadow. She was Jessie Perry' s last love, his final protector.

The man she loved wasn' t the ruthless CEO. It was his older brother, Jessie, the brilliant, reclusive artist who had supposedly died in a studio fire ten years ago.

That fire had been a lie.

It was a cover to escape Armand Pitts, a business rival so dangerous that Jessie had to disappear to protect the people he loved most: his brother, Cameron, and her. Before he vanished, he did two things. First, he donated a lobe of his lung to save Cameron, who was dying from a genetic disease.

Second, on the operating table, his hand weak but his grip firm on hers, he made her promise.

"Claire," he had whispered, his voice strained. "Take care of Cam for me. Just for ten years. Protect him."

He knew Cameron' s arrogance would make him a target for Pitts. He knew the world would be a dangerous place for him alone.

She had sobbed, her heart breaking, but she had agreed.

Jessie' s request wasn't just about protecting Cameron. It was about protecting her. He knew if he simply disappeared, she would spend her life searching for him, making herself a target. The pact tied her to Cameron, keeping her in a gilded, public cage where Pitts couldn't easily reach her.

For ten years, she had honored that promise. She had stood by Cameron, enduring his coldness and the world's ridicule. The ten years were up. Her duty was done. Now, she could finally rest. Now, she could go to him.

She personally lit a fresh stick of incense, placing it before the lamp.

"Jessie," she murmured, her eyes fixed on the flame. "Wait for me."

The flickering light seemed to dance, and for a moment, she could almost see his face, his gentle smile.

Her phone buzzed, a harsh, unwelcome intrusion. She ignored it. It buzzed again, insistent.

She finally pulled it out. It was a call from one of Cameron' s friends, Mark. His voice was frantic.

"Claire! Where are you? Get to the hospital! It's Cassandra, she was in an accident!"

Claire' s breath caught in her chest.

"She lost a lot of blood, and she has a rare blood type. Same as Cameron! He' s on his way to donate! You have to stop him!"

Cassandra Foreman. Cameron's the one he never got over. For ten years, he had held a torch for her, and now she was back.

He had once told Claire, his voice dripping with disdain, "I would die for Cassandra. What would you do for me? Nothing."

He was wrong. She wouldn't let him die. Not for anyone. His life wasn't just his own. It was a part of Jessie's.

Claire stood up, her legs numb. She raced out of the temple, her heart pounding against her ribs.

She burst into the hospital corridor just as a nurse was preparing to draw Cameron's blood. His friends were crowded around him, pleading.

"Cam, you can't! Your lungs... you know your health isn't good!" Mark urged.

"Think about Claire! She' s your wife! What will she do if something happens to you?" another friend, Leo, added.

Cameron' s steps faltered for a fraction of a second. His eyes, cold and dark, flickered with something unreadable.

Then he sneered. "My wife? She' s done nothing but leech off me for a decade. She' d probably be thrilled to get my inheritance."

His gaze swept across the corridor and landed on her. He paused, his expression hardening as he saw her standing there, pale and breathless. Then, he turned away and continued toward the donation room.

A sharp pain shot through Claire' s chest. She couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe.

She pushed through the crowd, her hand landing on his arm. Her touch was light, but he stopped.

"Let go," he said, his voice like ice.

Claire looked down, her own voice barely a whisper.

"I'll do it. I have the same blood type. I' ll donate."

Mark and Leo immediately agreed. "Yes! Claire can do it! Cam, it's the perfect solution."

Before Cameron could argue, Claire pulled her arm away and followed the nurse into the room. She didn' t look back.

The needle was sharp. The feeling of her life draining away was dizzying. She felt cold, so cold.

When the nurse finished, Claire's body was weak. She stumbled out of the room, her hand pressed against the wall for support.

Cameron was still there. He saw her pale face, the blue tinge of her lips. For the first time in ten years, she saw something other than contempt in his eyes. It looked like... panic.

She tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay. You're safe."

The world started to spin. The floor rushed up to meet her.

The last thing she felt was a pair of strong arms catching her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

It felt like Jessie.

In the darkness, she smiled. I'm coming, Jessie.