Sne sпriekea, a raw, desperate sound, ner composure completely snattered.
“It was you! If it wasn’t for you, why would I be like this? Because I was already bound to… bound to a system!”
But her words caught in her throat. She clamped her mouth shut abruptly.
After all, something as fantastical as a ‘system‘ was utterly unbelievable. No one would ever believe her, even if she managed to articulate it.
She stopped shrieking at me, turning instead to Brandon, her eyes pleading for rescue.
“Brandon,” she wailed, her voice desperate, “it’s all Skylar Vance, that bitch! She did this to me! Quickly, help me punish her!”
Even now, in her agony, Serena still believed her status as a mother would elevate her, that Brandon would value his children enough to help her.
Alas, she was gravely mistaken.
While it was true Brandon had desperately wanted Serena to conceive his child….
…he was afflicted with a low sperm count! How could a man with such a condition possibly cause a woman to carry that many children in a single pregnancy?
No matter how confident Brandon usually was in his own virility, even he, now, had to harbor undeniable suspicions.
He looked at Serena, a sneer twisting his lips, his voice laced with biting humiliation.
“Where did this desperate tramp come from?” he spat, his voice laced with utter contempt. “Get out of my sight! Don’t you dare delay me from making it official with Skylar!”
At his words, Serena’s face contorted in disbelief, her eyes welling with fresh tears.
She shrieked, her voice piercing, a desperate, broken sound.
“You promised me!” she wailed, her voice cracking with fury. “You promised that as long as I conceived before Skylar Vance, you would absolutely marry me!”
Brandon let out a cold, dismissive laugh.
“Children?” he scoffed, his voice dripping with scorn. “Are you certain those are even my children you’re carrying? Who knows where you’ve been whoring around, collecting all these bastard offspring?!”
“I’ve heard whispers of your promiscuous lifestyle for years, your frequent abortions! You must have deliberately consorted with other men, plotting to pin all these bastards on me, planning to exploit my name!!”
Desperate to rid himself of Serena, he even went so far as to produce his own medical diagnosis for low sperm count, waving it like a flag of defiance.
“Open your damn eyes and look closely!” he roared, shoving the report closer to her face. “I don’t possess the virility to make you pregnant with this many, all at once!”
Serena stared at the diagnosis report, her eyes wide with shock. The pieces clicked into place, a horrifying realization dawning on her. She shook her head frantical- ly, desperately trying to explain.
“No, it’s not true! The promiscuous one is Skylar Vance! Not me! It’s her!” she screamed, her voice shrill with panic.
}
“She must have deliberately sought out other men, conceived all these bastards, and then, with malicious intent, framed me! Brandon, you have to believe me!”
She reached out, attempting to grasp Brandon’s sleeve, but he violently shook her off, as if disgusted by her touch.
“Absurd!” he bellowed, his voice dripping with incredulity. “If my wife truly had illicit affairs, how in God’s name would the children end up in your womb? You’ve clearly gone insane
With that, Brandon shook off Serena, then abruptly turned, seizing my hand, his grip tight.
“Wife,” he said, his voice instantly shifting to a forced, sickeningly sweet tone, “I was just kidding earlier. Believe me, Serena Hayes, that bitch, means absolutely not- hing to mer
“Let’s go inside and make it official now! You’ve always wanted to be Mrs. Sterling, haven’t you?”
Brandon forcibly yanked my wrist, attempting to drag me into the County Clerk’s office.
He knew that once news of his low sperm count spread, no woman from an equivalent social standing would ever agree to marry him.
Even though I hadn’t conceived within two years, there were always other methods to try. Rather than endure public humiliation, he’d rather settle for me, his suppos- edly obedient puppet.
But I had long since seen through his true nature, his callous, self–serving core. I remained utterly unmoved, my resolve unshaken.
Seeing me stubbornly rooted to the spot, defiant, Brandon’s parents–who had just moments ago openly scomed me–rushed forward, their voices now filled with urgent persuasion
“Skylar dear,” Mrs Sterling cooed, her voice saccharine, “don’t be silly Brandon was just joking earlier, you shouldn’t take it seriously!”
That’s right” Mr Sterling churned in, equally placating in our hearts, we’ve long recognized you as the Sterling family’s one and only daughter in law Hurry, go make it official with Brandon!”
Chapter 2
BAR IN VITI VIRITUNE
1214
They pushed me toward the County Clerk’s office, while simultaneously glaring at me, their eyes burning with a silent, threatening pressure, demanding my complia-
nce, my silent obedience.
They expected me to have the good sense, the cunning, not to cause the Sterling family any further embarrassment.
But I had no intention of granting these despicable creatures their wish!
My face set in a cold, determined mask, I instantly yanked my hand free from Brandon’s grasp, then, without a shred of hesitation, delivered a swift, brutal kick to his
shin.
“I have no desire for the ‘fortune‘ of marrying into the Sterling family!” I spat, my voice ringing with contempt. “Marry whoever you please, but never dare to sicken
me with your presence again!”
Having said my piece, I turned to walk away, but Brandon lunged, blocking my path.
He closed the distance in a few quick strides, leaning in, his voice a low, venomous threat whispered against my ear.
“Skylar Vance, what do you think you are?” he hissed, his breath hot against my cheek. “A nobody from a dying family like yours? You marrying into the Sterling
family was a stroke of ancestral luck, a blessing you don’t deserve!”
“Think about your grandmother in the hospital,” he continued, his voice laced with menace. “Think about whether your entire family can withstand the Sterling fami-
ly’s wrath. Then, you can choose to speak respectfully!”
In my past life, I had actually harbored a genuine affection for Brandon Sterling.
After all, a wealthy, handsome, influential man had descended from his gilded tower, pursuing me with a relentless fervor, giving me everything, no matter the cost.
He showered me with gifts, arranged countless amenities, and crucially, took care of Grandma’s exorbitant medical bills.
Back then, i truly married him with a heart full of hope, brimming with expectations for a loving marriage and a future filled with genuine affection.
But it was only after our marriage that I stumbled upon the chilling truth: he was afflicted with low sperm count, and his relentless pursuit of me, a woman of proven
fertility, was solely for the purpose of producing an heir, nothing more than a transaction.
While it was true he provided me with substantial funds after our marriage, and Grandma’s health had stabilized because of that money…
…he spent his days womanizing, utterly disregarding my feelings for him, seeing me as nothing more than a soulless breeding machine.
My life became an agonizing torment. I endured so many ovulation stimulant injections that my ovaries eventually atrophied.
The damage escalated, tragically turning into cancer, forcing me to undergo a hysterectomy.
My body and soul were shattered, I suffered a brutal, unjust death, and my entire family paid the ultimate price, sacrificing their lives, all because of my connection
to him.
I realized, with absolute certainty, that I owed him nothing. Absolutely nothing.
