Every time my husband, Dave Tarrett, spent the night at his ex Maggie Gorringe's place, he bought me another building.

Two years into our marriage, I owned 285 commercial properties across the country.

Which also meant Dave had screwed me over 285 times.

After the deed to property number 286 landed in my hands, Maggie sent me another smug little video.

"So what if Dave throws money at you? I'm the one who gets his body and his heart. You might be some international supermodel, but you still can't get your own husband into bed."

I didn't bother arguing.

Instead, I mailed her the newest Victoria's Secret set from my latest runway show.

When Dave found out how "generous" I'd been, he rewarded me by taking me to some elite social event.

During a party game, Maggie lost three rounds straight and got dared to lick whipped cream off some playboy's thigh.

She grabbed a wine bottle, smashed it, and shoved the jagged edge against her neck.

"Dave, I'm not letting anyone humiliate me like this!"

Dave—usually cold as ice—instantly panicked. Then he turned to me. Of course he did.

"It's just whipped cream," he said softly. "Do this for her. I swear I'll go home with you after."

Everyone waited for me to lose it.

But I stayed calm and agreed without a word.

He didn't know this was the 287th time he'd hurt me.

And I was done being his pet.

Once I paid back the debt I owed him for saving my life, we'd be done for good.

"Oh? The international supermodel actually agreed to do it? Damn, Dave really knows how to keep women in line."

"If she refuses, then what? You think Maggie's gonna do it herself? Please. Maggie's the love of his life."

The laughter around me wouldn't stop.

Standing there in the middle of it all, I felt humiliated.

And while everyone kept throwing out disgusting comments that made my skin crawl—

Dave was crouched in front of Maggie, carefully bandaging her neck like she was something fragile. Then he looked up at me, ice-cold.

"Bianca, don't pull anything. Maggie's waiting to keep playing after you're done."

Maggie. Maggie. Always Maggie.

He never once asked if I was okay with this.

Somewhere along the way, he'd completely forgotten I was his wife.

Forgotten that a few days ago, I'd lost our baby because of her. I was barely managing to stay on my feet tonight.

When I didn't move, someone suddenly shoved me.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it. Don't tell me you're chickening out now?"

I stumbled, barely catching myself before I hit the floor.

When I looked at Dave again, his attention was already back on Maggie.

"287 times. This is the 287th time."

I repeated it over and over as I forced myself toward the man stretched out with whipped cream smeared across his leg.

Jared Decker.

The elite circle's favorite rich disaster.

But the second I bent down, Jared suddenly grabbed my chin.

He glanced at Maggie and smirked. "Maggie, this feels kinda unfair. You lost to me three times. One little lick seriously clears all that?"

His grin widened. "How about the egg challenge instead? If you can talk her into it, I'll call the whole thing even."

The egg challenge?

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Fear instantly twisted in my chest, and I looked at Dave without thinking.

Before Dave could even respond, Maggie was already hanging off his arm with those big, helpless eyes.

"Dave, it's just a dumb dare. Can't Bianca help me out this one time?"

With Maggie looking shaky and fragile, Dave turned to her with obvious concern. Then he looked at me.

"Bianca, you already agreed to the first one. One more dare for Maggie won't kill you, right?"

"Yes! Thanks, Dave!"

Maggie instantly lit up, looking way too pleased with herself.

Dave gently ruffled Maggie's hair, looking at her like she hung the moon.

And somehow, I laughed.

My dignity had already been ground into the floor, and these people still treated me like entertainment.

Dave, how could you still ask me to humiliate myself again for her?

Then again, I almost forgot.

Maggie was the girl he'd wanted for years but could never keep. He chased her forever, then their families tore them apart, and she disappeared overseas overnight.

Now that he finally had her back, of course he treated her like something priceless.

So how was I ever supposed to compete with that?

Swallowing the bitterness clawing at my chest, I forced the words out.

"Does this count as another forgiveness token?"

"Forgiveness token?"

The whole room laughed at the weird phrase, but Dave slowly lowered his hand from Maggie's hair and looked at me.

He knew exactly what I meant.

After a long silence, he nodded.

"It counts."

I gave a small, bitter smile.

"Okay. Then I'll do it."

Eight years ago, I'd just started modeling when some powerful old creep took an interest in me and locked me away on a private island.

A few other girls and I were treated like party favors for rich men during their business trips.

I got lucky.

Dave was the first man I met there, and apparently, it was love at first sight for him.

For me, he crushed those men's companies, sent them to prison, and pulled me out alive.

Later, I found out it was because I looked so much like Maggie. Funny how that worked out.

The night he saved me, I asked him how I could ever repay him.

He looked at me so seriously it almost felt real.

"Then be mine."

I pinched him lightly. "I'm serious."

His breathing turned uneven as he pulled me closer.

"Then... give me 290 forgiveness tokens."

"Forgiveness tokens?" I wrapped my arms around him, confused.

He laughed softly.

"Silly girl. If I ever hurt you 290 times, I'll use those tokens to ask for forgiveness 290 times. Once they're gone, we won't owe each other anything anymore."

For the next five years, he poured money, connections, and resources into me until I became an international supermodel.

Back then, he treated me like something priceless.

Then Maggie came back two months ago, and suddenly everything went to hell.

This was the 288th time.

Just two more, and I'd finally repay what I owed him.

The second Dave agreed, Jared dragged me toward his private suite.

The room was dim, silk curtains hanging everywhere like some wannabe luxury dungeon.

The table was piled with boiled eggs, and a few half-dressed women were collapsed on the floor nearby. The stench was bad enough to make my stomach turn.

A chill shot down my spine.

So this was the "egg challenge."

Before I could fully process it, Dave's expression suddenly changed. He shot Maggie a sharp look.

"Wasn't this supposed to be some dumb egg-eating game? What the hell is this?"

Maggie ignored him completely and shoved me forward instead.

"Jared, Bianca used to study dance. She's super flexible. Don't you wanna see for yourself? Push her a little."

The second those words left her mouth, panic crashed through me.

I started shaking uncontrollably and looked at Dave for help.

At the end of the day, I was still his wife.

He had loved me once. And no matter how many times he chose Maggie over me, surely he wouldn't hand me off to some sick creep.

But the next second, Dave walked over to the liquor table, poured a glass of wine, and shoved it into my hand.

"Why don't you give Jared a drink first? Loosen things up a little. Set the mood."

Set the mood.

That was what he wanted from me?

He... seriously agreed to this?

Through the shock, I caught Maggie shooting me a weird little smile.

"Bianca! Didn't you hear Dave?"

She walked toward me while I just stood there, frozen. Then suddenly, she kicked the back of my knee.

My balance snapped instantly. The wine flew out of my hand and splashed straight across Jared's face.

A second later, I hit the floor hard, crashing into broken glass. Sharp pain ripped across my arm as several cuts split my skin open.

My eyes locked on the woman lying on the floor beside me—her face pale and twisted.

Then Maggie's shrill voice cut through the room.

"Bianca, if you didn't want to offer Jared a drink, you could've just said no. You didn't have to act like a psycho on purpose just to piss him off. Is this how Dave's wife behaves? Or are you just trying to humiliate him in public?"

Jared froze.

Then realization hit him. His eyes went wide as he stared at me.

"W-Wait... you're Dave's wife?"

I didn't answer.

I just sat there on the floor, barely able to breathe under the crushing pain in my body and chest.

Jared reached for me, but Dave grabbed him first.

Dave glanced at the blood running down my face, his expression turning cold fast. Then he looked at Jared through gritted teeth.

"Get out."

Jared instantly backed down. Guess even he knew when to stop acting like trash.

He swallowed whatever attitude he had left and rushed out. Before leaving, he muttered, "Dave, what the hell is wrong with you? If I knew she was your wife, I never would've touched her."

The second Jared disappeared, I forced myself up.

Then someone grabbed my arm again.

"Bianca, you got what you wanted now, right? Did that time on the island teach you nothing? All you had to do was hand him a drink and this would've been over. Why did you have to pull that psycho stunt? You knew I was trying to shut this down. Can't you read the damn room for once?"

I looked at the furious man in front of me, my eyes burning red.

For the first time, I didn't hold back.

"Dave Tarrett, I'm your wife. If you'd just told them who I was, this would've ended the exact same way."

The meaning couldn't have been clearer.

He stayed quiet because protecting Maggie's ego mattered more than protecting me while they humiliated me like some party prop.

Dave got called out instantly.

A flicker of guilt finally crossed his face.

Maggie immediately tried to defend him, but Dave frowned and cut her off.

"That's enough. Shut up and wait in the car."

The second her footsteps faded away, he let out a tired sigh.

"I'm sorry, okay? But I still need to explain something. I honestly didn't know what that egg challenge meant. If I had, I never would've agreed to it. And Maggie..." He paused. "I hope you can understand. She just got back and saw that I was mar—"

He stopped himself fast, but I already got it.

Maggie saw he was married, got jealous, and decided to take it out on me.

And now he wanted me to forgive her for it. Of course he did.

Our eyes met.

Dave must've seen the sarcasm in mine because he sighed again.

"Fine. You're hurt, so I'll have the driver take you to the hospital. Maggie's emotional right now, so I need to go check on her. We'll talk when I get back."

Without waiting for an answer, he added,

"Even if you didn't finish those two dares, I'll still count them as forgiveness tokens."

Then he just walked away.

I watched his back disappear while blood kept running down my forehead.

And suddenly, I started laughing.

Because none of this mattered anymore.

Just two more times.

Once I paid back what I owed him, I was leaving.

And after that, he'd never get the chance to hurt me again.