“Kiara, the mistress is in your husband’s embrace, and you can still sleep?”
Right after her best friend finished speaking, all the phones at the banquet lit up one after another, and the breaking news was once again about Hugo Craig.
In the image, Hugo walked beside his new lover, Dorothy Hilton, as they moved in and out of the hospital’s pregnancy examination department, his hand settled on her belly.
Several tags hurt Kiara Chavez’s eyes.
[The Craig family welcomes an heir, Kiara is getting kicked out.]
[Mr. Craig’s first love comes back pregnant, and Mrs. Chavez keeps only a useless title.]
However, one month earlier, the man had knelt down before her and vowed, “Kiara, I swear I never cheat again in the future, believe me one more time.”
To show he was sorry, the man had knelt outside the door in the deep snow and had frozen enough to be hospitalized.
His knee bones had almost been ruined and had nearly made him crippled.
Back then, Kiara had trusted him, yet after just one month, he had betrayed her again.
During the banquet, the head editors from many news outlets had come up one after another to mock.
“Mrs. Chavez, this time I give you a discount. Taking down the trending topic costs only 880,000.”
Another person had stepped out and said, “Mrs. Chavez, I cost less than him. Five million, and I cover you for a year.”
The entire hall had broken into laughter.
Everyone had believed Kiara would fix Hugo’s trouble like she always did.
Yet against all expectations, she had replied calmly, “Thank you, but I don’t need that this time. Report whatever you wish. If your information is not enough, I can add more. But follow the market price, 880,000 each time.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the mockery around her had grown louder.
“Mrs. Craig, stop pretending. Everyone in this group knows you love Mr. Craig like your life depends on it. Three months ago, that young model next to Mr. Craig was still dealt with by you yourself.”
“Yes, Mrs. Craig, you are only an orphan. You should be grateful for marrying into the Craig house. Do not put on an act, or later you kneel before Mr. Craig and ask for mercy.”
Everyone thought she would never leave Hugo. During the past six months, he had cheated her again and again, and she had handled the aftermath each time.
The first incident was when Hugo joined a cocktail party. Paparazzi took photos of him holding and kissing a well-known actress on the rooftop of a hotel.
That time, Hugo said he had too much alcohol and was drugged by someone. Kiara trusted him.
The second event happened at an auction, where Hugo spent a large amount of money on a young model.
Later, Kiara slid the divorce agreement across the table to him and wanted to get a divorce.
To prove he felt regret, Hugo had knelt on the snow for an entire day and night, and gotten very sick in the intensive care unit.
Kiara’s heart had grown soft, and she had told herself that this was the final time she would forgive him.
They were childhood sweethearts after all, and had grown together in an orphanage.
Later on, she was adopted by a family. When they had reunited years later, it wasn’t happy.
Back then, Kiara had almost been raped by her adoptive father.
Hugo had protected her and had smashed a wine bottle over the man.
With that, the man needed many stitches, and Hugo served one year in prison.
While going inside, Hugo had reassured her, “Kiara, giving one year for your safety is worth it.”
So afterward, even when Hugo had done wrong things, she had decided to excuse him again and again.
She reminded herself that she would only give Hugo three chances, and this time was the third.
Hugo didn’t know that three months earlier, her biological parents had found her and told her she was the only heir of a mafia family. They had even arranged three future husbands for her.
Back then, for Hugo’s sake, Kiara refused.
But now, she regretted it.
Since Hugo had made another woman pregnant, she should also throw him away.
Kiara pulled out her phone and texted her father, who was abroad.
[Dad, I’ve decided to go back to the family and inherit what is rightfully mine. Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll return.]
As soon as the message went through, her father sent ten million dollars to her bank card.
[Good girl, take this money as your travel fund for coming back. The entire family is waiting for your return.]
Watching the amount her father transferred, Kiara smiled.
She and Hugo had built everything from nothing. Feeling sorry for him, she had never been willing to spend freely.
With so much money, Hugo had never used it on her, yet he spent generously on the women around him without a second thought.
Where affection went, money followed.
When Hugo’s feelings shifted, everything changed hands.
Kiara received the money and contacted a lawyer to draft her divorce documents.
After settling everything, she returned to the banquet and maintained her composure until the end.
Sadly, Hugo did not preserve her self-respect. He showed up before her in a very public way with Dorothy.
All the playful and mocking looks from everyone settled on them; she turned into the joke of the entire venue.
Hugo embraced Dorothy, his large hand placed on her lower belly, as though he feared others would not realize she was pregnant.
He gestured toward Kiara. “Dorothy is pregnant and cannot wear high heels. Go bring her a pair of flats and help her put them on yourself.”
“Dorothy is in poor health. Besides, you enjoy doing servant tasks the most. From now on, you will be responsible for looking after her.”
“Remember to stay careful. If anything happens to Dorothy, I will hold you fully accountable!”
Hugo said this naturally, as if convinced she would accept.
Just as the guests at the banquet were convinced she would once again handle Hugo’s trouble.
Yet this time, Kiara did not spare a look and walked away.
Hugo’s expression hardened, and he lifted his hand, signaling the bodyguards to block her.
The bodyguard said, “Ma’am, without sir’s permission, you are not allowed to leave.”
After Kiara had once been in danger, Hugo assigned bodyguards to follow her whenever she went out.
Those men were meant to protect her, but now they were used against her.
Kiara scoffed and looked at him directly. “Hugo, do not forget the promise you made to me before.”
Last time, Hugo had knelt before her and vowed, “Kiara, in the future, I won’t cheat you again. I love you. Believe me, this final time.”
Those promises before echoed in her ears, yet Hugo now denied them.
“Kiara, don’t cross the line. The times before, I only sweet-talked you so you could get used to it. In our circle, who doesn’t keep one woman at home and another outside? I’ve given you enough face all these years. That should satisfy you.”
“Some things are better left unsaid. An actual divorce, do you dare?”
“I’ve supported you all these years. Other than staying home and waiting on me, what else are you capable of?”
“This is Utah. If I so much as move, the ground trembles. What right do you have to challenge me?”
Each sentence Hugo spoke felt like a small knife stabbing into her chest.
In his eyes, she had long been someone who could not exist without his support.
Because he believed she was an orphan, he hurt her without holding back.
Gwynne Curtis, her closest friend, could not tolerate it and stepped forward to defend Kiara.
“Hugo, how can you be this heartless? When you came out of prison with nothing, Kiara spent all her savings to buy you clothes.”
“You said you wanted to build a business. Kiara drank with clients until her stomach bled just to secure investment for you.”
“When you were burning with fever in the hospital, Kiara even sold her blood to cover your treatment.”
“You asked her to stay behind the scenes, and she even gave up her company shares. She sacrificed everything for you. Have you no conscience?”
The entire place fell silent.
It was her deep love for Hugo that made everyone certain she would never truly leave.
After Gwynne finished speaking, Hugo looked at her coldly and sneered. “Why did I land in prison? Wasn’t it because of her? Everything she did was driven by guilt. I never forced her anyway.”
Kiara’s entire body trembled as she looked at him, stunned, her heart feeling as if it had been carved open.
So the love she cherished was, in his eyes, nothing but guilt.
She held back her tears and laughed softly with sarcasm.
“Rest assured. From now on, I won’t do those things again.”
She was ready to live her own life.
She no longer wished to be involved with these disgusting people or events.
Kiara held her best friend and prepared to leave when his threatening voice sounded once more.
“Kiara, try leaving today, and I’ll make sure Gwynne has no place in Utah.”
Her body shook, and she turned back, staring at him with anger.
“Hugo, you’re bullying people too much!”
Hugo towered over her. “Kiara, you fail to understand the truth. I am your husband. If I feel generous, you may lose your temper. If I’m displeased, you obediently stay in line. When I’m unhappy, no one else will be comfortable.”
At that instant, the man before her felt completely unfamiliar.
Was he truly the man she once loved?
For a woman he had only known for a few months, he could treat her this way.
Kiara’s heart slowly dropped. Her nails pressed into her palm, and her eyes turned red.
“As long as I change her shoes for her, that’s enough?”
Hugo gave a careless nod.
“Okay.”
Seeing Kiara about to lower her head, Gwynne grabbed her in distress. “Kiara, my life doesn’t matter. Don’t lower yourself because of me.”
Kiara smiled and shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just helping her switch shoes. It’s not a big deal.”
The bodyguard handed her the flat shoes. She accepted them, knelt down, removed Dorothy’s heels, and put on the flats.
Where no one noticed, tears still rolled down Kiara’s face.
Once, Hugo felt sorry to see her rushing around in high heels for business deals. Each time she left, he would bring flats for her.
In the end, he would personally help her remove the high heels.
After just three years, his heart still softened the same way, just no longer for her.
Just a little longer. Once the divorce was settled, everything between her and Hugo would truly end. Then she would leave this place forever.
