That night, Grace didn’t sleep. She sat on the living room sofa, waiting for Bruce to come home.

He sent only one text.

"Sweetheart, my parents insisted I have dinner at the family estate tonight. I’ll be back late. Don’t wait up."

After that—silence.

She didn’t need to guess. He was probably at the estate, sharing the joy of becoming a father. She was the last thing on his mind.

But then, the front door opened. Bruce walked in and froze when he saw Grace on the sofa.

"Sweetheart, why are you still up?"

Grace frowned and signed: *Don’t call me that.*

Bruce paused, then walked over and pulled her into a hug, his voice soft and coaxing. "Are you mad I’m late? You know how it is. My sister’s depression... I couldn’t get away until she was asleep. I really didn’t mean to be out this long."

Ever since Bruce married Nova, his routine had been rigid as clockwork. He’d wait until Nova was asleep, then come to Grace. To keep Nova from interrupting them, he’d even started slipping sleeping pills into her nightly milk. And every morning, he’d return to her side.

To ease Grace’s insecurity, he called her whenever he was at the estate, keeping her updated on his every move, assuring her he wasn’t being intimate with Nova.

Two years ago, Nova had drugged him, trying to force him into bed. He’d fought his way out of the estate and stumbled to Grace instead. They spent the entire next day lost in each other.

Unable to handle the rejection, Nova slit her wrists. The bathtub filled with blood. If Billy hadn’t found her in time and rushed her to the hospital, she would have died.

Billy and Helen were furious. They whipped Bruce’s back until it was raw and bleeding. He never cried out.

It broke Grace’s heart. Nova’s depression had nothing to do with him, yet everyone held her life over his head.

Whenever this happened, Bruce would just smile and comfort her instead. "It’s okay, Grace. Just three more years. Then I’m free. We’ll leave this place together and never look back."

Back then, Grace truly believed Bruce would choose her over everything. He’d rather be beaten bloody than give in to Nova.

But hearts change. Sometime, without her noticing, Nova had begun to take up space in his.

She didn’t blame him. She just couldn’t keep living this farce. Pushing him away, she signed: *We should end this.*

Just then, Bruce’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his expression turning grim. Without even looking at her hands, he grabbed his phone and headed for the door. "My sister’s awake. I have to go back. Sweetheart, lock up, okay? Don’t open the door for anyone."

With that, he closed the door and left.

Grace stared at the shut door, her eyes welling with a bitter, lonely grief.

Her own phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

*You think I don’t know you’re trying to steal my husband, you bitch? Bruce is mine. You’ll never take him from me.*

*You think he still puts you first? Let me tell you something. On your birthday, Bruce wasn’t locked up by my father. He was in my bed.*

Grace’s whole body jolted. Her phone nearly slipped from her hand.

So Bruce had started lying to her three months ago.

On her birthday, he’d promised to spend the night with her. She waited all night. He didn’t show up until noon the next day, claiming Billy had locked him in a storage room for refusing to bathe Nova—that he’d just been let out.

She’d believed him completely. Her heart ached for him, flooded with guilt. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have to suffer so much.

Now it felt like an invisible fist had clenched around her heart, squeezing the air from her lungs.

It took a long time before her trembling hands could type out a reply.

*Don’t worry. I’ll be gone soon.*

The next day, Grace packed up every gift Bruce had ever given her. She found a buyer online and arranged to meet at a nearby café to hand them over.

On her way home, she ran into Nova and a few close friends—completely unexpectedly.

The moment Nova saw her, she stormed over and slapped Grace hard across the face.

“You bitch! How dare you show your face in front of me!”

Grace’s ears rang from the blow, and a metallic taste of blood spread through her mouth.

“Nova, isn’t this the homewrecker who seduced your husband? Sluts like her need to be taught a lesson. We’ll hold her down—go on, hit her. Teach her something she’ll never forget.”

Before the ringing in her ears could fade, two of Nova’s friends pinned her down, leaving her helpless.

Another slap landed. Then a third. A fourth…

Grace’s face burned with a stinging heat, blood seeping from her split skin.

She tried to call for help, but as a mute, no words came—only helpless, guttural sounds. The onlookers erupted in laughter, whipping out their phones to record her humiliation.

Nova didn’t stop until she’d landed ninety-nine slaps. Finally, staring down at Grace’s blood-streaked face, she snarled:

“If I ever see you again, it won’t just be slaps. Now get out of my sight!”

By then, Grace was barely conscious, her hearing muffled, Nova’s words indistinct. Suddenly, she felt weightless—dragged from the café and thrown onto the roadside, her body hitting the pavement with a heavy thud.

No one stepped forward to help. They’d heard Nova’s accusations and assumed Grace was the other woman.

Under the scorching sun, the heat seared her skin. She tried to rise, but her strength was gone. Finally, consciousness slipped away, and she collapsed.

When she woke, she was in a hospital bed, the sharp smell of disinfectant making her frown.

She lifted her head to see Bruce sitting beside her. He looked like he’d been keeping vigil for a long time—eyes bloodshot, exhaustion etched into his features. He gripped her hand tightly, his gaze full of anguish.

“I’m sorry, Grace. I couldn’t get there in time to protect you. I know you suffered. But please, don’t hold it against my sister. Besides her depression, she has severe bipolar disorder—her temper isn’t always under control. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the future, try to avoid her, okay?”

A lump formed in Grace’s throat. Her hands trembling, she signed: “Her illness isn’t my fault. Why should I hide after she hurt me? I’m reporting this.”

But as her hand reached for her phone, Bruce knocked it away, his voice tinged with irritation. “My sister is already suffering enough with her condition. Can’t you try to understand her?”

Looking at the man who had just raised his voice at her—for another woman’s sake—Grace felt, for the first time, that he was a stranger. He asked her to understand Nova. But who had ever understood her? Three years ago, she’d given up being the bride for Nova’s sake. For three years, she’d kept out of sight to avoid upsetting Nova. And now, after enduring insults and abuse, was that not enough? How much more did she have to give?

Bruce saw the disappointment in her eyes, and his expression changed. He grasped her shoulders firmly. “Grace, I know these years haven’t been fair to you. What happened today was wrong, and I’ll make it up to you. Tonight, some friends are getting together. I’ll take you—it’ll help you relax.”

Grace wanted to refuse, but Bruce didn’t give her the chance. That evening, he brought her along. What she hadn’t expected was that Nova would be there too.

Reacting the same way, Bruce instinctively stepped forward at the sight of Nova, placing himself between them.

His friends paused, their attention shifting to the scene.

Grace suddenly felt like the mistress caught by the wife—something soiled, a tangible shame.

And that was the reality: Bruce and Nova were legally married. She was merely the woman kept on the side.

But this time, Nova didn’t begin with insults or slaps. Instead, she adopted an air of magnanimity.

“Ms Grace,” she said, “I know it was wrong of me to take Bruce from you back then. And I know you’ve never stopped thinking about him. Don’t be afraid I’ll hurt you—I’m not that petty. You can stay by his side tonight.”

Grace’s lips twitched into something that wasn’t a smile. She said nothing.

Seeing her distress, Bruce guided her to a quiet corner. He ordered a plate of her favorite fruits and a glass of milk, his gestures almost tender.

Yet looking at the offerings, Grace felt only hollow disinterest.

A sudden commotion erupted from Nova’s direction—Bruce’s head snapped toward the noise instantly.

Seemingly triggered, Nova had grabbed a bottle of hard liquor and was trying to drink straight from it. Bruce’s friends rushed to wrestle it away.

“Sis, you can’t drink! Have you forgotten you’re pregnant?”

“Get off me! I’ll drink if I want to. No one can stop me.”

“Don’t make this hard. Bruce just warned us—not a single drop for you tonight, or he’ll skin us alive.”

Nova snorted, her voice rising to carry. “So you *do* remember I’m Bruce’s wife? Then stop bringing your trash to these parties. If I see another one of your tramps here, I’ll make sure Bruce’s child never leaves my womb!”

Grace knew exactly who the “tramp” was. With painful clarity, she saw the flicker of panic in Bruce’s eyes at the threat to their unborn child.

A bitter, self-mocking smile touched her lips. She signed to him, *So your wife is pregnant. Congratulations.*

Bruce frowned, his expression stern. “She’s just trying to upset you. Don’t listen.”

He said it without a hint of guilt, as if stating absolute truth.

Had Grace not seen the evidence herself, she might have believed him.

For the rest of the evening, Bruce sat beside her, but his gaze kept drifting. Whenever Nova leaned too close to another man, jealousy darkened his eyes.

Grace saw it all. Watching the man she once loved fill his vision with someone else, her heart twisted with uncontrollable pain.

She felt like an obstacle in their twisted dynamic. Making an excuse, she slipped out to the poolside for air.

She hadn’t been there a minute before she turned and found Nova facing her.

Nova’s eyes glittered with challenge. She jerked her chin toward the pool, a smirk playing on her lips. “Since I got pregnant, Bruce lets me get away with anything. If I pushed you in, do you think he’d still rush to save you like he used to?”

Then she lunged forward and shoved Grace into the water.