She drove hurriedly away from the hotel and made her way to the highway. The car stopped abruptly and her head banged slightly against the steering wheel. She gasped as a tear rolled down her cheek. Looking around, she saw that she was on the road. A second later, she heard car horns blaring right behind her. She tried to start the car again, but it refused to respond. Sniffling, she kept trying again and again.
Other cars sped past her, and she could hear the drivers cursing at her, but that wasn't her main concern. She needed to get the car out of the way. When she tried to start it again and it still wouldn't work, she slammed her fists on the wheel in frustration. Suddenly, the car jumped to life. She hurriedly parked it by the roadside, got out quickly, and rushed to the walkway. She leaned on the rails and looked down, seeing the rocks far beneath the bridge.
Her long hair flowed in the breeze, and tears crept down her beautiful porcelain-white face. She gasped, beating her chest as she sobbed aloud. A few moments later, she let her body bend and sat down dejectedly; her long, thick dark hair cascaded down her back and swept the ground. She watched the cars pass by, feeling as though she was alone in her own world, invisible to the people walking past and those driving by.
Her name was Alexia Rivas, a twenty-four-year-old woman. She had married the love of her life when she was twenty. After graduating university, she had wanted to be a model, but then she met Edward Frank, a millionaire. When he proposed, she had been so overwhelmed with joy that she didn't stop to think about why a billionaire would marry her—yet another Cinderella story.
She was an orphan without a notable family background, but Edward was so charming that she lost her ability to think rationally. She naively believed that her marriage to Edward was a gift from God, who had finally seen her suffering.
So, she said yes to his proposal. However, she had no idea her marriage would not be the start of happiness, but rather days of hell...
Flashback
She woke up excited, a wide smile sewn on her face. She laughed and shouted,
"Four years ago that was the best day of my life, because I married you."
But her expression changed, and she sighed,
"But every day since has become a living hell. Still, I believe he will change for the best. He even brought me flowers yesterday—the first I've received from him in all these years. I thought I would see hope in the future. I should get ready."
Later that day, after finishing her chores, she hurried to her room and got dressed. She called a restaurant and booked a table. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw that the red, sleeveless dress looked wonderful, complementing her fair skin. She smiled and nodded to herself, whispering,
"Everything will be alright. He'll be pleased with my appearance."
At nine in the evening, she picked up her phone and sent him a text:
"Honey, I know you might be busy at work so I booked a restaurant for us to celebrate. The location is the Downtown restaurant in town. I hope to see you there."
She looked eagerly at her phone, waiting for a reply, but thirty minutes passed without a response. She dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail. She sighed, thinking,
'He might already be there waiting for me. Maybe his phone battery died, so he couldn't reply or call. I should go there.'
She got up, picked up her purse, and thought,
'If he sees this purse, he'll remember what day it is, without me saying anything, since I used it on our wedding day.'
A few minutes later, she was walking out of the mansion when she ran into her sister-in-law, Jane, who was coming in. When Jane saw her, she stopped and looked her way, her eyes flickering with wickedness and a trace of jealousy as she took in the fine figure of the beautiful woman before her. Alexia tried to go past her, but Jane grabbed her hand and asked,
"Alexia, where do you think you're going, dressed in such a seductive dress? Have you forgotten that you're a married woman? Or is it because my brother has neglected you so long that you decided to look elsewhere?"
Alexia shook her head slowly, freed her hand, and answered wearily,
"I have a date with Edward. Please move aside. I don't have time to deal with your mischief."
Jane squinted at her, then asked,
"Are you talking about my brother Edward?"
Alexia nodded, and Jane started laughing, clutching her stomach. When Jane saw Alexia becoming upset by her laughter, she stopped and smugly said,
"I see... My brother may not have told you, but let me spare you from embarrassment and inform you now. My brother left yesterday with Cecelia—they went to honor her deceased brother. Today, they're at a party in his memory, and they're the hosts. So, sister, just forget about him tonight."
Alexia's purse slipped from her hand. Jane picked it up and inspected it, realizing it was unique. A sly smile appeared on her face as she said, with no concern for Alexia's feelings,
"Alexia, see? I just saved you from embarrassing yourself at that restaurant. So how about I keep this for helping you out?"
"You can't have this." Alexia fought back her heartbreak and snatched her purse back from Jane. She turned to return to her bedroom, foolishly thinking yesterday's bouquet was a turning point in their relationship, never realizing she was making a fool of herself again. How could this man suddenly change after ignoring her for four years?
"How can you let such a small matter hurt you this much? You're just too weak. My brother shouldn't have married someone so weak..."
Behind her, Jane's sarcastic voice rang out again.
She knew everyone in the mansion disliked her, thinking she was a gold digger and everything she did was only for profit.
However, she never understood why her husband had married her, only to turn so cold.
Maybe it was time to find out the truth.