Three years of deception

I saw Ashley, Mark’s adopted sister, all decked out in a designer wedding gown on our wedding day.

I made a casual remark about it, and he dropped the ring right there, grabbed Ashley’s hand, and stormed out.

I became a laughingstock, and my mom had a heart attack and ended up in the hospital.

That night, I wanted to talk to Mark, to get some kind of explanation.

I found him in his study, masturbating to Ashley’s wedding dress.

Mark, always so cool and distant, his eyes were filled with lust.

“Jenny, I’ve never betrayed you.”

“In the three years I was with Ashley, I never touched her. Every time we were supposed to be intimate, I had another man take my place.”

“Jenny, I love you. Even though you couldn’t marry me, I was willing to remain celibate for you, forever.”

I froze, then slowly looked to Mark’s left.

Hundreds of DVDs. Videos of me, sleeping with different men, over the past three years.

After he was done, Mark casually dialed a number.

“Hey, Alex, it’s my wedding night with Ashley, but arrange for a guy to come over. I need to be with Jenny.”

Laughter erupted from the other end of the line.

“You’re really something, even on your wedding night you need a stand-in. Rather than let some stranger have all the fun, why not let your bro take care of it?”

Mark nonchalantly adjusted his clothes.

“Whatever, you’ve slept with her before anyway.”

“This time, no condoms. A few guys are fine too, my grandpa’s been bugging me for grandkids.”

The laughter on the other end became more vulgar.

One of them asked, “Mark, you and Ashley, isn’t that a business arrangement? Aren’t you worried about getting caught?”

“No way. Ashley’s so in love with me, she’s grateful just to be near me.”

“Besides, we have all those videos. Even if something comes out, everyone will think she’s the one cheating, the slut.”

Reassured by Mark, the guys got even more excited.

They started discussing my body, my performance, openly and disgustingly.

Their crude words filled my head, tearing at my nerves.

I covered my face and ran, burying my head in a pillow, biting back sobs.

Mark walked past the bedroom, glanced at me.

He mumbled, “It’s all your fault for being so difficult today, making Jenny upset.”

“I’m going to comfort her, I’ll be back soon. I warmed some milk for you in the kitchen. Go to bed early, don’t wait up.”

Before, I would have been touched by his thoughtfulness.

Now, I felt a chilling dread.

I trembled, tears streaming down my face.

After a long time, I dragged myself, cold and numb, to the study.

The room reeked of a sickeningly sweet smell.

It was filled with Ashley’s things.

Her wedding dress, used tissues, even a half-eaten apple, all carefully preserved.

The only thing related to me was that stack of DVDs, documenting my encounters with strangers.

Looking at the unfamiliar faces on the screen.

I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

I’d always loved Mark.

He was known for being clean-cut, almost aloof.

Always praying, his rosary beads never leaving his hand.

His friends even joked about him being some kind of religious zealot.

Three years ago, our families arranged our marriage.

Out of all the eligible men, I chose Mark without hesitation.

After the wedding, he remained distant, but we would still sleep together once a month.

Hoping to get closer, I tried everything to please him.

Blindfolds, turning my back to him, lacy lingerie.

I naively believed that as long as I satisfied Mark, I could slowly change his attitude towards me.

I never imagined that the man behind me was never Mark.

The marriage, even his pious persona, was all a lie.

All to cover up his forbidden desire for Ashley, his family’s adopted daughter!

I smashed all the DVDs.

I threw on some clothes and tried to leave.

As I reached the door, my head started spinning.

Then, a group of men casually opened the door and walked in.

Leading them was Alex, Mark’s best friend.

He was on the phone, his hand reaching for me with a sinister grin.

“Mark’s a genius. He spiked the milk and the incense.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she has a wedding night she’ll never forget, even if she won’t remember it.”

The drugs blurred my vision, weakened my body.

I struggled, panicked.

Then, I heard Mark’s cold voice on the phone.

“Do whatever you want with her. Just send me the video.”

“I need to prove my loyalty to Jenny. I can’t marry her because of family obligations, but my heart, my body, they belong only to her!”

Alex dragged me to the bedroom, set up a camera.

“This bitch stole Jenny’s place. Tonight, I’ll teach her a lesson!”

I don’t remember what happened that night.

I woke up sore, covered in bruises and bite marks.

I was shaking, reaching for my phone to call the police, when Mark suddenly pulled me into his arms.

“Jenny, last night… thank you.”

“I love you so much, I just lost control. I promise, it won’t happen again…”

He gently touched my wounds.

He looked like he truly loved me.

I was about to speak when the door burst open.

Ashley, in a red dress, stormed in.

She screamed when she saw Mark and me embracing.

“You shameless slut! How dare you touch my Mark!”

“Bitch, I’ll kill you!”

She swung her platinum bag at me.

Mark pushed me aside and held Ashley back.

“It’s not what it looks like, Jenny, calm down, don’t hurt yourself…”

Ashley turned to Mark, tears streaming down her face.

“Mark, ever since this bitch showed up, you’ve changed.”

“I’m not the most important person in your life anymore. Is the only way for us to go back to how things were… for her to be gone?”

While Mark hesitated, Ashley grabbed a vase and smashed it on my head.

Bang!

Blood splattered everywhere.

Even the usually composed Mark was startled. He rushed to call 911.

As soon as he left, Ashley’s demeanor changed.

She looked at me with a chilling glare.

She held up a phone, showing me the video from last night.

“Don’t think you can rest easy just because you married Mark. He only loves me!”

“I’m warning you, stay away from him. And don’t even think about calling the police, or I’ll release this video of you with all those men.”

“I’ll show the world what a disgusting whore you are. I’ll ruin you and your entire family!”

Ashley’s venomous words dripped with hatred.

But the moment Mark walked back in, she transformed back into a fragile, weeping woman.

She clung to him, sobbing.

“Mark, don’t leave me, please, I’m so scared…”

Mark looked at me for a moment.

“The ambulance will be here soon, just hang in there.”

“Jenny can’t stand the sight of blood, I’m taking her to the next room.”

When Mark wasn’t looking, Ashley deliberately showed me the phone again.

She zoomed in on my face.

The terror of last night washed over me.

Tears mixed with blood stained the sheets.

By the time the paramedics arrived, I was nearly unconscious from crying.

Shame and fear threatened to consume me.

Even routine medical examinations triggered panic attacks.

I saw the faces of the men from the video in every stranger.

I covered my head, recoiling from everyone’s touch.

I was terrified they had been with me, that they had seen my humiliation.

They had to sedate me to calm me down.

I got twenty stitches on my head, a permanent scar.

Mark spent his time in the next room, comforting Ashley, who had a small scratch on her finger.

He finally came to see me in the evening, urged by his friends.

Alex gasped when he saw me.

He whispered, “Damn, she’s ugly now. How can you even…”

“Mark, don’t ask me for any more ‘favors.’ She’s disgusting now.”

Another guy chuckled.

“So what? Lights off, it’s all the same. She’s got a hot body, right up my alley.”

Mark, who had been expressionless, suddenly snapped at him.

He glanced at me, his voice tight.

“Shut up.”

“Jenny wouldn’t be happy to hear you call her that.”

The others immediately understood.

“That slut doesn’t deserve to be called anything. Only a pure girl like Jenny deserves Mark.”

“Once Mark inherits everything, he’ll dump this bitch for sure.”

Mark walked towards me, seemingly oblivious to their words.

He gently stroked my closed eyelids, silent.

I opened my eyes, flinching back in fear.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me…?”

Mark’s eyes flickered, he avoided my gaze.

“Jenny’s spoiled, she has a temper, but she’s not a bad person.”

“She hurt her hand hitting you, she learned her lesson. Don’t be so hard on her.”

The guys behind him chimed in agreement.

Their slimy gazes lingered on me.

Seeing my脸色越来越差, Mark hesitated.

“You’re my wife, and Jenny’s older. You should be more tolerant.”

“Rest up, I’ll pray for you. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

He stood up and left with his friends.

Tears rolled down my cheeks.

Ashley stood at the door, her face a mask of malice.

She glared at me, eyes burning with jealousy.

“Bitch, I gave you a chance. You’re so shameless, still trying to seduce Mark!”

She slapped me hard.

Then she took out her phone, a cruel smile twisting her lips.

“I heard your mom’s getting out of the hospital soon.”

“I wonder if she’ll have another heart attack when she sees this video, sees how much of a slut you are.”

She turned up the volume.

The sickening sounds of last night echoed in the quiet room, constricting my throat, bringing back all the painful memories.

“No, please don’t…”

How could I let my mom see this filth?

Ashley’s smile widened, cruel and triumphant.

“Get on your knees and kowtow a hundred times. Promise you’ll never come near Mark again, and I’ll delete this video.”

“Otherwise… I’ll show the whole world what a disgusting whore you are!”

I covered my ears, shaking my head, unable to bear it.

I couldn’t look at Ashley, couldn’t listen to those vile sounds.

Impatient, Ashley dialed a number.

“Alex, is Jenny’s mom in the next room? Can you deliver a little gift for me…”

“No!”

I scrambled off the bed, trying to grab her phone.

She kicked me to the floor.

The image of my mom, frail and sick, flashed through my mind.

I closed my eyes, and knelt at Ashley’s feet.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

“I shouldn’t have loved Mark, shouldn’t have married him.”

“I swear I’ll divorce him, I’ll disappear from your lives forever.”

I kowtowed repeatedly, numbly.

The stitches on my head reopened, blood blurring my vision.

I don’t know how many times I bowed.

Finally, Ashley relented.

She tossed the phone at me like a bone to a dog.

“Remember what you said today. You’re just a puppet Mark married to cover up for us. Don’t you dare try to steal my Mark.”

She called Mark to take her to dinner, laughing as she left.

After she was gone, I picked up the phone, the phone that held my shame, and smashed it.

I scrubbed my skin raw with alcohol, trying to erase the filth, the memories.

But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the disgusting images wouldn’t leave my mind.

My skin red and burning, I finally broke down.

I smashed the alcohol bottle, holding a shard to my wrist.

Then, my phone rang.

“Sweetheart, how are you? My research is finished, I’ll be home soon.”

“I’m so sorry I missed your wedding, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Hearing my dad’s loving voice, I finally broke.

Like a drowning person clinging to a lifeline.

Sobbing, I told him everything, poured out all the pain and humiliation.

His voice hardened.

“Bring your mother home. I’ll take care of this.”

I nodded through my tears.

Ignoring my bleeding hand, I stumbled out of the room to discharge my mom.

In the lobby, people were pointing and whispering.

Men were catcalling me.

Some even asked me how much I charged.

Confused, I looked up.

The video from last night was playing on the hospital’s big screen!

“Look, it’s the busty bride from the video.”

“Cheating on her wedding night, wow, she’s wild.”

“I heard she’s a homewrecker, got beat up by the wife. What a slut!”

“I slept with her last year, she was a freak in bed…”

Seeing myself on the screen, my blood ran cold.

The camera zoomed in on every part of my body, exposing my humiliation to the world.

My phone buzzed with countless messages.

My personal information had been leaked.

Someone reported me to my work for misconduct.

Former colleagues and friends hurled insults at me.

Guys who used to like me offered me money for sex.

My boss told me I was fired.

“I can’t believe you, Professor Smith’s daughter. You’ve disgraced our company, shamed your parents!”

I confronted Ashley.

She sent me a picture of Mark massaging her feet, a smug look on her face.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I made a few thousand copies of that video. The one you smashed? Just one of them. Whether or not others get released… isn’t up to me.”

I froze, numb with shock.

Then, a familiar voice came from behind me.

“Jenny, is that you in the video?”

“How could you… how could you be so disgusting!”

I turned around.

My mom, pale and trembling, stared at me in disbelief.

She raised her hand, but before she could slap me, she collapsed.

I screamed, begging the doctors and nurses for help.

But they just shook their heads, covering my mom with a sheet.

The whispers around me grew louder, sharper.

“What a disgusting animal, cheating on her wedding day, killing her own mother.”

“Look at that slutty face, I knew she was trouble.”

“I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole!”

People spat at me, threw trash at me.

I collapsed on the floor, my world shattered, unable to even cry.

I don’t remember how I got home.

I don’t remember what happened next.

I just remember the stares, the judgment.

I was a clown, stripped naked and paraded for the world to see.

When I finally got home, my dad’s lawyer was waiting.

He calmly collected evidence, drafted divorce papers.

Then he handed me a document.

“This is an agreement signed by Mr. Smith and Mr. Carter three years ago. It states that if Mark wrongs you in any way during the marriage, there will be severe consequences.”

“Miss Smith, you just focus on recovering. I’ll handle everything.”

My heart sank as I read the document.

I finally understood. They had prepared an escape route for me, three years ago…

I gave a bitter laugh, looking towards the garage.

Mark’s car was parked there.

The car was rocking, two figures entangled inside.

Numbly, I nodded, and boarded a plane to my dad’s research facility, escorted by the lawyer.

Shortly after I left, reporters swarmed Mark’s car.

The scene was live-streamed, instantly trending online.

“Get the hell away from me! Do you know who I am…”

Before Mark could finish his rant, the lawyer handed him the divorce papers.