Chapter 1

"Angelica, do you know what you look like when you put on sexy lingerie?"

Reeking of alcohol, Elliot Quigley wore a look of sarcasm on his dashing face as he uttered the hurtful words, "You look like a fat pig in heat."

Angelica Thornton was still a virgin two years after she married Elliot. Her parents-in-law had urged her more than once to deliver an heir for the Quigley family, but Elliot had turned her down with different excuses every time.

How could they have a baby without any intercourse?

Angelica kept her grievances to herself. Knowing that she was upset, Rosie Morris, Elliot's elder stepsister, gave her an idea.

She passed some sexy lingerie to Angelica and smiled coyly. "Men love looking at these."

Despite feeling shy, Angelica was willing to give it a try for the sake of having a child with Elliot. So, she decided to put it on on the day of their wedding anniversary.

Unexpectedly, all she received was Elliot's indifference and ridicule. Even though the heating was turned on in the room, Angelica felt as though she was in a chiller, and even her fingers were shaking.

Suddenly, a maid banged on the door heavily. "Mr. Quigley, this is bad! Ms. Morris is injured and hospitalized. She needs an emergency blood transfusion."

Immediately, Elliot sobered up, and his eyes turned sharp again. Almost at the same time, he grabbed Angelica's hand. "Come with me!"

Angelica bit her lip indignantly and had the idea to resist for the first time. "E-Elliot, it's our second wedding anniversary today, and the hospital has my blood bag.

"Rosie will be fine. Can we skip this trip?"

Half an hour later, Angelica saw Rosie, who was in the pink of health. Why was she hospitalized out of the blue?

Angelica was a little puzzled, but she couldn't place a finger on it for a moment.

"Angelica, nothing is more important than Rosie."

Elliot's eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on Angelica, hurting her. "If anything happens to her, you can be sure that you won't remain as Mrs. Quigley anymore."

At three in the morning, Angelica sat alone in the phlebotomy room. After having her blood drawn once already, she was pale and dizzy.

When she was about to pull her arm back, the nurse held her down and said, "Ms. Thornton, Mr. Quigley had instructed us to draw two bags of blood from you for precautions."

Seeing that Angelica was unwilling, the nurse grew impatient, grumbling, "Don't act like it's a big deal when it's only 27 ounces of blood. You're 160 pounds. This won't kill you."

Blood flowed into the tube, and Angelica's vision turned black. Her heart pounded as her breath turned rugged. Her hands and feet were cold, and cold sweat blanketed her back.

Three hours later, she regained consciousness again.

The smell of disinfectant was strong in the ward, and she opened her eyes in a daze, listening to the nurses gossiping.

"Poor Angelica. She's been out for so long, but Mr. Quigley didn't even visit her once when he's on the same floor."

"There must be a reason he dislikes her so much. I heard that she used something to threaten Mr. Quigley to marry her back then."

"That's gross. Didn't she check herself in the mirror? She weighs 160 pounds. Even the swine in my hometown is about 200 pounds. She's a far cry from Ms. Morris."

After they ridiculed Angelica, they shifted the topic to Rosie, sounding envious.

"Ms. Morris is so lucky to have a brother who prioritizes her over everything. Every time she's hospitalized, Mr. Quigley is there to take care of her.

"This time, she merely pricked her finger a little, and Mr. Quigley asked for two bags of blood from Angelica. He spoils her so much!"

"Do you really think that they're siblings?" the short-haired nurse whispered.

"I heard they aren't related by blood. During my night shift the last time, I saw Mr. Quigley kissing Ms. Morris—Angelica, are you awake?"

The last few words left the nurse's lips in a sudden, high-pitched tone.

Guilt flickered in her eyes as she wondered whether Angelica had heard her or not. Hurriedly, she dragged the other nurse and claimed that they needed to look for the doctor, fleeing in a hurry.

In the quiet ward, Angelica stared at the ceiling absentmindedly, her thoughts in confusion.

After a long while, she struggled out of bed to look for Elliot.

Rosie was Elliot's stepsister. It was impossible that he'd do something so immoral. That nurse must be spreading rumors.

Dragging her clumsy and weak body, Angelica finally found Elliot in the last ward at the end of the corridor. Her hand was on the door handle, but before she went in, she stood paralyzed on the spot.

Through the window on the door, she saw the six feet tall Elliot getting down to his knees. From where Angelica was standing, she could clearly see his sculpted profile with dark circles under his eyes.

He placed his cheek against Rosie's palm like a puppy seeking attention. "Rosie, I've never touched Angelica. Don't abandon me…"

"You're a good boy, Elliot. But don't you like the lingerie I gave Angelica?"

"You're the only one I love."

Angelica felt her ears ringing, and her eyes widened in shock. As though struck by lightning, her body swayed unsteadily. Blood drained from her face, and she seemed to have received a great shock.

Did Elliot just say that he loved Rosie a second ago?

All the details she had deliberately overlooked in the past were now being reconsidered in detail.

Since Angelica knew Elliot in high school, she was aware that he cared a lot about Rosie, and that remained unchanged even after they started dating.

Elliot would place every matter which concerned Rosie as the most important agenda.

As for Angelica, she would always be the secondary concern.

One incident which left a mark in Angelica's memory happened on her wedding day. She and Rosie both fell into the pool, but Elliot chose to save Rosie without hesitation.

After he got out of the pool, he picked Rosie up in his arms and left, making Angelica a joke in the upper class circle of Mubathro.

It didn't bother Angelica at that time as she simply thought that the situation was more dangerous for Rosie, who had hemophilia.

But the scene before her eyes now was a slap in her face, proving her wrong.

The lump in her throat throbbed, but she bit her lip tightly to stop herself from making a sound, drowning in her devastation.

Only when she saw Elliot kissing the back of Rosie's palm did the last glimmer of hope disappear from her eyes.

The man she had known for ten years—her husband of two years—had cheated on her with his stepsister.

Both of them had been having the affair right under her nose, but she had no idea about it at all.

A sharp pain pierced through her chest, and she felt suffocated. The man whom she thought was her savior had thrown her into the depths of an abyss.

A long while later, Angelica finally calmed down. When she looked at the adulterous couple in the ward again, she was numb from pain, and her mind was clearer than ever before.

Some mistakes were to be stopped before it was too late.

The sound of the door swinging open startled Elliot and Rosie in the room, and they separated immediately.

Elliot turned around impatiently. Upon seeing Angelica, he reprimanded, "Can't you knock before coming in? How many times have I told you this? Don't you understand me?"

Meanwhile, Rosie lowered her gaze, feeling guilty and unsure whether Angelica had seen the scene earlier.

After composing herself, she put on a smile and said, "Angie, don't mind what Elliot said. That's not what he means—"

"Elliot," Angelica uttered, interrupting Rosie's hypocritical words and staring at Elliot with bloodshot eyes.

She clenched her fists. Her voice shook as she spoke, but it was filled with determination. "I want a divorce."

Chapter 2

Silence fell over the ward. Tacitly, Elliot and Rosie wore a look of shock.

Elliot snapped out of it first, frowning deeply. "Angelica, stop with your nonsense. Are you doing this just because I didn't spend our second wedding anniversary with you?"

Angelica shook her head. She felt as though there was a hole in her chest, and chilling, cold air was rustling in. "No."

"Then, is it because I didn't visit you earlier?" Elliot said as he gave her a once-over.

"You're fine, aren't you? Only 27 ounces of blood was drawn from you. It's not that serious."

His tone was breezy, as though he was speaking about the weather today.

Only 13.5 ounces of blood should be drawn from an adult every time, and until the next time it happened again was six months later.

However, the nurse drew 27 ounces of blood from Angelica just because of an order from Elliot.

He didn't care about her life at all, and Angelica thought that he was a total stranger.

As she stared at him in disappointment, Elliot felt an inexplicable sense of frustration.

Sticking his hands into his pockets, he groaned and said, "That's enough. Use the card to buy anything you want after this."

His tone was condescending, as if he was handing out alms.

A sarcastic smile lifted Angelica's lips. Growing up in an orphanage, she was an orphan who had the worst food and clothing, often ridiculed and bullied by her classmates.

During her first year of high school, a group of guys surrounded and bullied her because she turned down a guy's confession.

At her most desperate moment, Elliot showed up like a knight in shining armor saved her. After that, he stayed by her side and protected her like he was her guardian angel.

The delinquent in other people's eyes only revealed his true self to her. He publicly took her side when he found out that she was an orphan. Anyone who bullied Angelica made themselves an enemy of the Quigley family.

Elliot's favoritism was a ray of light to Angelica in her innocent teenage years.

She selfishly wanted to keep him for herself, but she was deeply aware of the difference between them. So, she could only keep her feelings to herself.

However, Elliot went on one knee and asked her to be his girlfriend on the day they graduated from high school, in the presence of all teachers and students.

He earnestly promised that he'd love her wholeheartedly and be her haven.

But now, everything had changed.

To better provide blood for Rosie, Elliot had coaxed Angelica into taking hormone drugs. Within a year, Angelica's weight exploded from 90 pounds to 160 pounds, and she became the person whom everyone made fun of.

Not only that, she even had to tolerate endless sarcasm from the Quigley family.

And now, Elliot and Rosie's forbidden affair was akin to a dagger in her heart, killing her slowly.

"Angie, it's my fault. Elliot would have visited you a long time ago, but he was by my side because he was worried about me. I'm sorry."

Rosie's voice jerked Angelica out of her reminiscences.

Angelica had always been a submissive person, and years of oppression had made her forget how she used to be.

Rosie was sure that Angelica would do as she was told. However, to her surprise, Angelica said, "Yeah, your pricked finger is a more serious injury than the 27 ounces of blood I lost."

The muscles on Rosie's face froze, and a shard of disbelief flickered in her eyes.

Elliot lost his temper first. He hissed, "Apologize to Rosie, Angelica! Don't attack her like you're a rabid animal."

Angelica was acting weird. In the past, she'd had to even take care of Rosie after giving her blood.

Furthermore, this wasn't the first time she had 27 ounces of blood drawn from her, so Elliot thought she had no need to overreact like this.

He had a feeling that the situation was spiraling out of his control, and it unsettled him deeply.

Tears welled up in Angelica's eyes, but she fought them back. "I'm telling the truth."

"Angelica—"

"That's enough, Elliot. Angelica is only a little mad, and you were wrong, to begin with.

"It's my fault for making a mountain out of a molehill and ruining your second wedding anniversary," Rosie said.

When Rosie brought up this matter, Angelica was reminded that she had also spent her first wedding anniversary in the hospital.

At that time, only 10 ounces of blood was drawn from her, and she had to take care of Rosie's daily necessities with her fatigued body.

Angelica's nails dug into her palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the piercing pain from her chest.

Alas, tears flowed down her cheeks, adding a touch of pity to her chubby and pale face.

Elliot's fury was stuck in his chest, but an unfamiliar emotion washed over him in a split second, so fast that he didn't even notice it.

Angelica wiped away her tears forcefully, looking even more determined. "Elliot, I'll prepare the divorce papers and send them to you."

…

It started to drizzle outside, and Lydia Jenkins was shocked when she found Angelica in a rugged state.

Hurriedly, she pulled Angelica into her house and rushed off to make her a cup of hot tea. "Angie, why are you looking like this? Didn't you spend your second wedding anniversary with Elliot?"

Angelica's hands were frozen red from the cold, but she slowly regained her senses under the warm water.

With her dry throat, Angelica croaked, sounding exhausted, "Lydia, will you draft a divorce agreement for me?"

It had been almost seven years since she befriended Lydia during college, and Lydia was the only person she contacted frequently after marriage.

Stunned, Lydia thought that she was hearing things. "What did you say? What do you want me to draft?"

"A divorce agreement," Angelica repeated calmly.

Seeing that Angelica was serious, Lydia put on a straight face and asked tentatively, "Were Elliot and his stepsister up to something again?"

Lydia was Angelica's only close friend, and she would speak to Lydia whenever she felt troubled.

During those times, Rosie's name kept popping up, and Lydia subconsciously became worked up when she heard the name. Furthermore, she always thought that there was something amiss with Rosie.

Two minutes of silence passed by, and the plastic cup in Angelica's hand was almost deformed from her grip.

She raised her swollen eyes and said, "Elliot loves Rosie."

Her words shocked Lydia the second time.

"He kissed her."

Lydia was shocked for the third time.

"He's Rosie's lapdog."

For the fourth time, Lydia was in stunned silence.

A long moment passed before she finally found her voice again. "That's inhumane!"

Then, she added angrily, "They're step-siblings! How can they do something like that? It's disgusting!

"Wait right there, Angie. I'll draft the document for you right now. I'll ensure that this divorce happens!"

Lydia stormed into her study in a huff. About 20 minutes later, she emerged with two bound copies of the divorce agreement and passed them to Angelica.

"Take a look at it, Angie. Let me know if any point needs to be amended."

Angelica read the document page by page. There were many lawyers in the city of Mubathro, but Lydia was the only one who could contend with the Quigley family.

As the beloved child of the influential Jenkins family, Lydia could always get her way.

After Angelica had calmed down, she knew that Elliot would never divorce her. After all, she was Rosie's mobile blood bank, and the marriage was her shackles, restraining her every move.

On the other hand, Angelica was unwilling to continue being silenced and submissive. She was a person with flesh and blood, not a cold object.

Deftly, Angelica signed her name on the agreement. When she thought about the cooling period of 30 days, she reminded Lydia in a worried tone, "Lydia, I hope you'll keep this matter a secret for me."

As long as she could divorce smoothly, it didn't matter even if she had to fool and coax Elliot into the divorce.

Chapter 3

That night, Angelica received a call from Elliot.

On the other end, Elliot said curtly, "Get over to Sunset Club. I'll make up for our second wedding anniversary celebration."

Without caring whether Angelica agreed or not, he hung up right after speaking, as a show of dominance and arrogance.

Worried that Angelica would be soft-hearted again, Lydia anxiously advised, "Angie, don't get soft-hearted! A jerk like Elliot will never have a change of heart."

She nagged for a while, and Angelica smiled softly at her. "Don't worry, I'm not pinning any hopes on Elliot anymore."

"That's great."

Lydia patted her chest, relieved. "Phew! You're going to do so well after this that he's not going to be good enough for you."

During college, Angelica had a mane of dark hair and dewy skin, coupled with a slim waist and curvy body.

If it weren't for Elliot, the jerk, standing in the way, Angelica would have had a long line of suitors. Unfortunately, her weight soared to 160 pounds after marriage, for some inexplicable reason to Lydia.

Despite gaining weight, her features were still beautiful and delicate.

However, society was prejudiced against people with bigger bodies. They were especially against Angelica because she was sitting on the title of Mrs. Quigley, sparking people's jealousy.

Angelica hung around Lydia's place for a while and was ready to leave when Lydia stopped her.

Worried, she asked, "Angie, are you going to look for Elliot?"

Sensing her worry, Angelica shook the divorce agreement in her hand. "I have to make him sign the agreement, right?"

This was the perfect opportunity to get Elliot drunk. Then, she could fool him into signing the divorce agreement.

…

At eight in the evening, Angelica had reached the 17th floor of Sunset Club when she received a text from Elliot.

"Are you here yet?" the text read.

Instead of replying, she followed the number on the doors and found number 1704.

The door was ajar, and light from the room poured out through the gap, along with the sounds of laughter and conversation.

"Kudos to Elliot, who has the spirit to sacrifice himself. You have my admiration for staying with Angelica the fatso for so long. Here's one to you!"

"By the way, isn't Rosie your type? Why did you marry Angelica back then? But I remember Angelica was quite a beauty during college and had all the right curves. She was so hot!"

"We shouldn't guess what's on Elliot's mind. I think he's just too soft-hearted. Look, Angelica is as fat as a cow now. Maybe she contracted some dirty disease during the year she went missing after college graduation.

"I heard that the old bachelors in rural villages aren't gentle at all. Was she destroyed during that time?" another jeered and chortled.

Their condescending comments rattled on, stabbing Angelica's heart with every word. Every laugh from them was enough to suffocate her.

Her palm gripped her shirt so tightly in front of her chest that her knuckles turned white, and her vision turned blurry from the anger.

The painful memory, which was buried in the depths of her mind, slowly emerged and gradually became clear.

Just as they said, she suddenly disappeared during the year she graduated from college. When she appeared in Mubathro again, a year had already passed.

The police said that she was abducted by human traffickers to the rural villages in the mountains, but she had no recollection of it at all.

After a checkup at the hospital, the doctor claimed that she had intermittent amnesia due to a traumatic experience. As for when she could regain her memory, the doctor couldn't provide a certain answer, leaving it all up to fate.

Everyone assumed that she had married an old man in a rural village in the mountains and had lost her chastity, but Elliot didn't believe a word of it.

Ignoring everyone's objections, Elliot proposed to Angelica without hesitation. He said that a woman's chastity wasn't limited to her body and none of this mattered to him.

Angelica had no reason to turn him down, and her adoration for him ascended to another level.

Again and again, she put up with Elliot's changes after marriage, shifting all the blame on herself. She thought that she didn't do well enough, resulting in getting a cold shoulder from Elliot.

Tears rolled down from her eyes unwittingly, and her throat tightened.

Just then, Angelica heard a man asking Elliot, "Elliot, sorry for asking this, but how do you do it in this marriage? How could you do it when Angelica looks like that?"

Elliot sniggered sarcastically. "Nobody is interested in a swine. She's just a piece of used trash, and it grossed me out to touch her."

Another bout of disgusting ridicule echoed, opening Angelica's wound again after it had finally healed a little. She headed out in a trance, her feet as heavy as lead.

She was disappointed to find out about Elliot and Rosie's affair, but all she felt now was disgust.

Elliot had trampled on her sincerity and rendered it worthless. She could bear with it and ignore it when others criticized her, but how could Elliot do this when she had never done anything to betray him?

After she got into a cab, Elliot called her.

"Angelica, I've already offered to make up for our wedding anniversary. Why are you still making a scene?"

His tone was somber. "You only have five minutes to show up before me."

Even though Angelica was amused, she couldn't put a smile on her face.

"Elliot, I don't like your friends. So I'm not going over," she said.

"They don't like you. Why didn't you reflect on your actions? Angelica, get down from the high horse when you don't have what it takes—"

The sound of the dial tone cut Elliot off.

This was the first time Angelica hung up on Elliot. In the past, only Elliot had done this to her. Now that she wanted to divorce him, she had no need to yield and compromise anymore.

Angelica told herself not to cry, but she couldn't control her physiological reaction. Tears flowed freely, and she sobbed so hard that she could hardly breathe.

The driver saw this and handed her some tissues. "Miss, everything will pass. It's not worth it to spoil your body by crying this hard.

"Men come and go, and I'm sure a woman who looks as joyful as you will find a good man."

Angelica choked and thanked him. Before hopping off, she gave him a fat tip as thanks.

The villa was so silent at two in the morning that Angelica could hear a pin drop. The maids had already gone to bed, and Rosie wasn't home, either.

Angelica had calmed down in the 40 minutes after she arrived home, and Elliot was back by the time she washed up.

Reeking of alcohol, he burst into her room in unsteady steps, his eyes glassy. He was so drunk that he saw double when he looked at Angelica.

"R-Rosie…" he murmured.

Angelica was aware that he had mistaken her for Rosie. Instead of feeling upset, she hurriedly took out a pen from a drawer and pushed it into Elliot's hand before placing the signed divorce agreement in front of him.

Suppressing her disgust, she mimicked Rosie's tone, softening her voice and saying gently, "Elliot, will you do me a favor and sign your name here?"

Elliot's hand swayed while holding the pen, and Angelica had to hold his hand still, leading him as he signed his name.

During the process, Angelica was so nervous that she broke out in cold sweat. Fortunately, there was no accident, and both agreements were signed.

She released his hand and couldn't care less whether he was throwing up or not. As though holding something precious, she held the two divorce agreements to her chest with trembling hands.

The heavy load on her chest was lifted alas. All she had to do now was quietly wait for the 30 days to pass.

From then on, they would go their separate ways.

Chapter 4

The next day, Elliot woke up with a splitting headache. Using the side of the bed as support, he sat up and smelled himself. He was reeking of stale alcohol.

All of a sudden, he frowned and yelled, "Angelica!"

He was met with silence, so he called out to her again a couple more times. Still, nobody answered him. Instead, he caught the attention of a maid who was coming over to clean.

"Mr. Quigley, Ms. Thornton has gone out."

"Out?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes in disgruntlement. "Where did she go?"

Whenever he was drunk in the past, Angelica would take care of him tenderly, no matter how late it was. He would never have a hangover or reek of alcohol.

Sure enough, Angelica was still throwing a tantrum.

After Angelica left the hospital yesterday, Rosie gave him the idea to make up for their second wedding anniversary.

Who would have guessed that Angelica would leave him on read after he sent her a text? She didn't even show up.

Something heavy formed in his chest, so heavy that it affected his mood, prompting him to drink more.

For a moment, he thought that Angelica didn't know better.

"Mr. Quigley, Ms. Thornton didn't mention where she's going. Why don't you…call her?"

The maid's voice jerked Elliot out of his thoughts.

He groaned impatiently. "I'm not calling her. Did she think of herself as a big deal? She better not ever come back!"

…

Meanwhile, Angelica had left the villa early in the morning. She had gathered the jewelry and branded bags Elliot had given her during their marriage to be sold to the secondhand market.

"Miss, are you sure you want to sell all of this? Honestly, none of them holds their value. It's better to keep them as a memento," the salesgirl in the luxury item store said tacitly.

A smile played on Angelica's lips. Her eyes were still swollen, and she looked rather haggard. "I'm sure of this. Please calculate the total value for me."

These things were given to her as compensation every time she donated her blood to Rosie. In reality, they were just trash which Rosie didn't like.

Sadly, Angelica had thought of them as treasures in the past and couldn't bear to use any of them.

"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll estimate their value now."

The sales girl deftly whipped out a calculator and began calculating the total value.

In the end, she paid Angelica 90 thousand dollars. As Angelica stared at the number in her bank account, she couldn't help but feel teary again, her fists tightening.

She had lost count of the blood drawn from her over the course of ten years. Still, she knew that selling blood in the black market was worth much more than this.

Elliot had never treated her as a human being.

Tears poured out of her eyes, and before the sales girl could offer her comfort, she fled the store in panic. Only when it was dark did she return to the villa with a securely wrapped gift box.

The maids were each busy with their own work.

When Angelica stepped into the dining room, she saw that they were keeping away the leftovers. Then she heard Elliot's and Rosie's voices from the living room.

"Elliot, does my massage feel good?"

"Yes. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Angelica was speechless.

Although she had already seen their shameless act yesterday, she still couldn't help but feel disgusted hearing their conversation now.

Blood drained from her face, and she tensed up.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Elliot sat up from Rosie's lap, his dark hair messy from the pressure.

When he raised his gaze, he happened to look into Angelica's eyes and groaned.

"I thought you had the guts to stay outside forever. Angelica, who gave you the permission to return so late?"

In the past, Angelica would not leave the house. Was she trying to display her disgruntlement to him? He was not a person who would fall for it and wouldn't coax her since he already decided not to.

Angelica looked down without a word and passed the gift in her hands to him. "Elliot, this is the gift I prepared for our second wedding anniversary."

The box was the size of an A4 paper and securely wrapped.

When Elliot saw it, the look on his face softened a little. Just as he expected, Angelica would never divorce him, given the love she felt for him. Everything she said in the hospital ward yesterday was said in the heat of the moment.

But the box was so light. What could possibly be inside?

Elliot wanted to tear it open, but Rosie stopped him and tossed the gift to a maid. "Elliot, nobody opens a gift right away. Go upstairs and take a shower. I have a surprise for you later."

The heater was turned on in the villa, and Rosie was draped in a thin nightgown with a split that revealed her fair thighs. With her wavy chestnut hair, she looked mature and alluring.

"Okay."

Elliot heeded Rosie's every instruction and said no more, rising to his feet.

Before going upstairs, he turned around and warned Angelica, "You better not make Rosie mad."

Angelica was expressionless, so calm that it was abnormal.

Rosie waited until Elliot had entered the room before saying, "Angelica, don't get the wrong idea about what happened earlier.

"Elliot had a headache. As his sister, I have to massage him. I know you're still mad at me for yesterday, but I didn't do it on purpose.

"You know how dangerous it gets for a hemophiliac person when they bleed—"

"What are you trying to say?"

Angelica was exhausted and didn't want to listen to Rosie's long-winded story. She was too soft-hearted in the past, and that was why she got played by Rosie.

Rosie's words got stuck in her throat, her eyes widening in shock.

What was the matter with Angelica today? Why was she different?

She had always been submissive with Rosie in the past, but she clearly appeared impatient right now. Could she have discovered something?

Quietly, Rosie observed Angelica.

Standing at 160 pounds, Angelica was twice her weight. Furthermore, she looked especially plump with a thick fleece jacket wrapped around her wide shoulders and fat body.

Even though her face was rounded, her features were delicate upon closer inspection, and her skin was fair.

Anyone would say that she was born pretty. Once she lost weight, she'd be stunning.

An unnoticeable trace of jealousy flickered in Rosie's eyes when she realized this.

She asked, "Angelica, do you remember the clothes I gave you to conquer Elliot's heart? Put them on tonight and make him yours."

Angelica shut her eyes, balling her hands into fists unwittingly. As she recalled the scene in the ward yesterday, she said, "Elliot wants to see you in them, doesn't he?"

Pin-drop silence fell over the room after the words left her lips. Seeing the stunned look on Rosie's face, Angelica couldn't help but snigger sarcastically.

A few minutes passed before Rosie spoke again. "Angelica, w-who told you this nonsense? Elliot is my younger brother, and we're not what you imagine us to be."

The way she anxiously explained herself was incredibly hypocritical. But Angelica, who had come to her senses, caught the provocation and smugness in her eyes.

It suddenly dawned on Angelica how blind she had been, as she had never seen through Rosie's true colors back then.

If she had thought through some details in the past, she wouldn't have ended up in her current situation now.

She was too foolish.

"Rosie, you must be so smug. Under the pretense of a sibling, you are actually having an affair with your brother. I'm done with that used dog, Elliot. You can have him as you wish."

Chapter 5

The moment Angelica returned to her bedroom, she removed the bedsheets and put on fresh ones.

Next, she thoroughly disinfected every corner of the room. Only when she was sure that the room no longer smelled like Elliot did she relax.

Elliot had bought this villa in full cash after their marriage. He claimed that he was worried that she'd be uncomfortable living in his family house and be bullied. That was why he moved out.

From the looks of it now, he had planned to move in with Rosie and only brought Angelica along to make it official and avoid tongues from wagging.

Angelica felt her chest tightening. To keep herself occupied, she dragged a huge box from a corner and began packing her belongings.

The biggest room in the villa belonged to Rosie, while Angelica occupied the guestroom. She had decorated every inch of the room, but Elliot had never taken a look at it.

Accurately speaking, Angelica and Elliot had shared a bed during the first few days of their marriage. After that, Elliot came up with various excuses to avoid sleeping in the same room with her.

When Angelica's weight sprang to 130 pounds, he had said bluntly, "You're the size of two people. I can't fit in the bed with you."

It was precisely this statement that made Angelica feel more and more inferior, so much that she almost didn't leave the house.

If Elliot hadn't coaxed her into taking hormone drugs, she wouldn't have gained so much weight.

Angelica opened the wardrobe, which was filled with bright-colored clothes in simple styles. All of them were from Rosie, each perfectly displaying Angelica's physical flaws.

Her aim was to embarrass Angelica.

Angelica blinked, forcing her tears back. Then she quickly stuffed all the clothes on the hangers into the cardboard box.

In total, she cleared up two big boxes of trash. The wedding picture hanging above the bed was next.

Angelica strained herself to remove it. Without even taking a look at it, she placed it facedown on the box, prepared to have it taken away by the garbage truck.

All of a sudden, someone banged on her door, startling her. "Who is this?"

"Open the door, Angelica!"

It was Elliot.

Even through the door, his husky voice was clear.

Controlling her voice from trembling, Angelica replied, "I'm already in bed."

"I'll say it one more time. Open up!"

"I'm naked."

Elliot snickered. "Angelica, what do you think is so seductive about your body? It doesn't make a difference whether you're wearing anything or not."

Angelica was once again verbally insulted by Elliot. She shook from anger but couldn't find the words to retort.

Just then, she vaguely heard Rosie's voice as she spoke to Elliot, and the sounds of footsteps gradually faded soon afterward.

Elliot was gone, leaving with Rosie.

This was just as Angelica expected. After all, Rosie had earlier said that she had a surprise for Elliot.

…

The next day when Angelica woke up, Elliot and Rosie had already left the villa.

"Mr. Quigley brought Ms. Morris to a press conference."

A press conference?

Angelica's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly fished out her cellphone. From the trending topic, she found Rosie's name.

"Chief toy designer, Rosie Morris, attends a new product launch today."

The picture attached by the media was a picture of Rosie getting out of an MPV.

Her figure was curvy, and her features were stunning. Every move she made was elegant as she smiled and nodded politely to the fans and journalists flanking her on both sides.

Meanwhile, Elliot was in a tailored suit, standing next to Rosie like the personal bodyguard of a lady from an elite family.

In the comment section, many people started shipping both of them, but someone corrected them. "Stop shipping them. Rosie Morris and Elliot Quigley are siblings, not lovers."

"But they look really compatible!"

This comment hurt Angelica's eyes, but she shouldn't focus on this point now.

Instead, she focused on the children's toy Rosie featured in the press conference. It was exactly the same as the best one Angelica designed years ago!

Angelica's irises contracted in disbelief. Quickly, she returned to her room and pulled a drawer open. Amongst a pile of paper, she searched through it over and over again but couldn't find the blueprint of that toy.

It was gone.

For a second, her mind went blank.

Since she graduated from college, Angelica had not drawn any more designs.

The designs in her hands now were completed by herself during college. However, they remained in her drawer and weren't released because of her disappearance and marriage.

When did Rosie steal it?

Angelica forced herself to calm down. In her memory, she recalled Rosie inquiring about her drafts.

Back then, Angelica was still in the dark and was unguarded against Rosie.

Could it have been that time?

Angelica clenched her fists. Blood rushed to her head, and even her fingers were trembling.

She had unknowingly paved the way for Rosie again!

Rosie was no chief designer. She was a thief, stealing other people's drafts.

The fury and injustice within Angelica brought a wave of pain with every breath she took.

A long while later, she made a call, "Douglas, may I ask a favor from you?"

The other end was silent for a few seconds before Douglas Osborn said, "Are you Angelica? I should cross you off the list of missing people.

"It has been four years, hasn't it? Are you finally taking the initiative to contact me? I thought that you've long forgotten about me, you ingrate."

Hearing the disgruntled voice brought tears to Angelica's eyes, and she said, "I'm sorry, Douglas."

"Hush now, don't cry. If our professor finds out, he'll think that I'm bullying you. Tell me, what's the favor?"

"Back then, I asked for your help to apply for copyright and patent rights for one of my designs. Do you still have the certificates? My email has been emptied," Angelica said, waiting nervously for Douglas Osborne's reply.

If he didn't have it, it would only make it more difficult for her to seek justice from Rosie.

"Let me search." Turning on his computer, Douglas searched the emails he kept from four years ago.

"I found it! Why do you need this, Angelica?"

"Someone r-ripped off my design," Angelica said in a shaky voice.

Douglas' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Which dumbass copied your design that was already patented? You'll win the case, for sure.

"Where are you now? I'll visit you and introduce you an amazing lawyer to help you win the case. How about it? Am I an amazing senior or what?"

Angelica caught sight of her plump body in the mirror and lowered her eyes, feeling inferior. "Douglas, I-I'm not in Mubathro now."

Before Douglas could say anything, she quickly hung up.

Back then, she turned down her professor's offer and married Elliot, giving up the opportunity to study abroad.

She had truly ruined the good hand she was dealt with, and she was reaping what she sowed.

Angelica closed her eyes in agony. There was no cure for regrets in this world, and it wouldn't change anything if she clung onto the past.

What she had to do now was seek justice.

With the patent certificate, Rosie was destined to be disgraced with no possibility to make a comeback.

Angelica started gathering evidence surrounding Rosie's plagiarism.

Suddenly, there was a beep—a message from Elliot. "It's Saturday today. Pick Holden up from the thermal resort at exactly three in the afternoon."