Between the Dream I Don’t Need to Continue or the Old Friend I Never Expected

The day my husband was caught having an affair with his personal nurse in the parking lot by the New York media, everyone was speculating how much I would pay to suppress the news this time.

Over the years, cleaning up after Oliver Cerano had become routine for me. He believed it too, so when paparazzi swarmed him, he could still call out to me from afar.

His tone, casual yet confident, said, “She looks just like you when you were young. This time, I’m truly smitten.”

“Give me a bit more money, consider it a prepurchase of several years’ worth of passionate photos.”

The New York media relished the scandal, digging up footage from our wedding day.

Oliver, with red eyes, said to the camera, “I will only love you for the rest of my life.”

Now, paired together, it only resulted in a sarcastic headline:

[The LoveStruck Mr. Cerano, Ten Years Later, Still Loves His EighteenYearOld Mrs. Cerano.]

The calls came one after another. The media asked me how much I planned to pay this time.

I only said, “This time, I won’t be buying. But I have a more sensational story to sell you, only for just three hundred bucks.”

That was the money I used to buy the boat ticket when I fled to New York City with Oliver, who was being hunted down, exchanging the keepsakes my mother left behind.

Now I’m leaving. The return ticket should be returned to me.

——

“What big news is there for Mrs. Cerano? Is she pregnant? Getting pregnant without a uterus is certainly big news.”

They laughed with disdain. My heart grew utterly cold. I lost my uterus because of Oliver.

When Oliver first fought for territory and faced retaliation, his enemies kidnapped me, who was pregnant at the time.

After seven days and nights, my emaciated belly scarred all over, I was dumped at the crossroads of Queen’s Road.

Two words were carved into my skin: “Oliver’s bitch.”

The headline news, paired with my scandal photos, sold like hotcakes across New York. The first thing Oliver did after ascending to power was order the burning of every newspaper in the city.

He smashed all the magazines that had reported on me and beat up the mouths of those who gossiped. My womb was badly injured, and I could no longer have children. It was a taboo subject throughout New York.

Until three years ago, Oliver personally broke this taboo.

It was his first affair, where he lavishly spent on a nightclub hostess. The wealthy wives all urged me to rush to the media with hush money.

They told me to be sensible, that only then would my husband cherish me longer. I simply prepared a divorce agreement calmly.

When I found Oliver, he knelt before me, looking haggard and slapping himself across the face.

“Paula, I was just playing along. I really didn’t do anything. They’re just making things up.”

But the moment he saw the divorce papers, rage consumed him. He smashed everything in our marital home, then stood before me.

He asked me, “After all these years together, don’t I deserve even one chance to make amends for my mistake? Besides, haven’t you forgotten what your father said? If you divorce me, he’ll kill you.”

Oliver’s rage gradually cooled. Sitting across from me, he said, “Paula, you’ll never divorce me anyway. Stop making a scene, I promise this will only happen once.”

I remained silent, packed my things and moved out of the marital home and began living separately from him. That night, my explicit photos were displayed on LED screens throughout New York City.

Thugs broke into my door late at night, hurling filthy insults at me. Still, I stubbornly refused to return.

To force my complete submission, Oliver deliberately had my explicit photos dumped at my grandmother’s doorstep. She was the only woman who raised me.

My grandmother suffered a brain hemorrhage and fell into a coma due to the shock. Only New York City’s Sacred Heart Hospital, funded by Oliver, could save her.

Oliver came to pick me up, arm in arm with a nightclub girl. He casually asked, “Paula, have you learned your lesson now? Do you know how to be a good wife to me?”

I nodded. Only then did Oliver’s expression soften. He dismissed the nightclub girl and hugged me tightly.

“Paula, I only did this for your own good. How could you possibly survive in New York without me?”

“Besides, isn’t this how every family in New York operates? This truly was an accident. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Half a year later, he threw me a birthday party that caused a sensation throughout the entire city. While changing backstage, I stumbled upon him entangled with my makeup artist.

This time, I calmly closed the door and paid off the waiting media with a hefty sum.

That day’s headlines showed my lonely silhouette, with the caption:

[Promises Slapped in the Face, Mrs. Cerano Accepts Defeat.]

From that day on, Oliver began to revel in the company of women without restraint, hiding nothing. He knew that no matter how badly he treated me, I couldn’t leave him.

Until yesterday, when the young nurse assigned to my grandmother’s care started flirting with Oliver, the girl pleaded, saying she was afraid I’d see her leaving her post on the security cameras and blame her.

Oliver immediately ordered the power to be cut off to the entire building. Along with the security cameras, my grandmother’s ventilator was also shut off.

By the time I realized something was wrong, I rushed into the ward. My grandmother was barely clinging to life.

Her last words to me were, “Paula, go home.”

At that moment, I knew it was time to leave. The media kept pressuring me for money.

I repeatedly calmly said, “Three hundred. I’ll give you a bombshell story. A bombshell that will make your magazine the top media outlet in New York.”

The paparazzi was stunned by my words and after a long pause, he chuckled and cursed, “Mrs. Cerano, have you been driven mad by Mr. Cerano?”

“Alright, I understand your situation. I won’t charge you this time. We’ll settle everything next time we catch you together.”

He hung up and Oliver returned. Seeing me, he instinctively walked over to embrace me.

I took a step back, leaving him emptyhanded. The warmth in his eyes cooled slightly.

“Are you angry? That little brat Quina Tivoli insisted on dragging me to the parking lot to make a scene. She even bragged about becoming the woman with the highest buyout price among my women.”

“She looks the most like you did when you were young. When she pouted, I couldn’t help but agree.”

“By the way, how is Grandma?”

I replied coldly, “Grandma passed away, Oliver. Don’t you want to know how she died?”

Oliver merely hummed in acknowledgment, dismissively saying, “Grandma’s illness was incurable. It’s only natural she couldn’t hold on. My condolences, sweetheart. I’ll have a grand funeral arranged.”

I closed my eyes, my clenched hands trembling almost beyond control. Oliver didn’t notice at all. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pushed me out.

I’ve had the auction house prepare a gift for you. I believe you’ll like it. Consider it my way of comforting you.”

Numbly, I let him lead me to the auction house. No sooner had I sat down than a video call came in. Oliver glanced at it, then sat bolt upright, his eyes bursting with delight.

He turned, embraced me excitedly and kissed me several times. “Honey. I have great news to share with you. Wait for me to return.”

With that, he left me behind and walked out. I remained in a daze for a long time. I had almost forgotten when Oliver last held me like this.

It seemed to be the day he found out I was pregnant. Before long, he returned, holding hands with the jeweladorned Quina.

Spotting me, Quina cooed in a sweet, delicate voice, “Mrs. Cerano, might I have a seat to rest my feet on? After all, I’m carrying two lives now. The doctor says I need to rest often.”

Even though I had long given up on Oliver, hearing that he had gotten Quina pregnant still sent a sharp pang through my heart.

After Oliver had completely indulged himself in his affair, he had made one promise to me.

He said, “Paula, I would never get any other woman pregnant. I owe you a child. It’s the thing I’m most sorry about in my life. Since you can’t have children, then I won’t have one either.”

Oliver tapped my nose, met my stunned gaze and said nonchalantly, “I’m getting on in years. It’s time for an heir.”

Quina peeked out from behind him. “Paula, Oliver worried someone might take advantage of me if I live outside. He wants to bring me back to Greenwich Manor to live with him. “

She stuck out her tongue. “This is Oliver’s love nest, crafted just for Madam Cerano. Outsiders aren’t allowed. Who’d have thought I’d get to live here too?”

“Madam Cerano, please take good care of me.”

Oliver gazed at her with indulgent affection, then turned to me. “You can help her manage her pregnancy diet and provide close personal care.”

He added, “Paula, this mother and child mean everything to me. They must never suffer the slightest hardship. Do you understand what I meant?”

I closed my eyes briefly and gave a soft hum. Only then did Oliver break into a smile, taking my hand. “Paula, I told you I owe you a child. Now I’m repaying that debt. This child will also call you ‘Mommy’ from now on. Are you happy?”

I said nothing, merely pushing his hand away. The auction items were brought up one by one.

I casually bid a few times, but each time I raised my paddle, Quina would try to outbid me. Later on, I remained silent throughout, watching Oliver lavishly spend to keep bidding for Quina.

Until the final piece was brought out, my face instantly drained of color. There was a cheap fake jade bracelet on the display stand.

The starting bid was a mere three hundred dollars. That was the keepsake of my mother, which I had been desperately searching for all this time, the one that had been pawned.

I jumped up, holding the number paddle, which I had almost crushed in my hand, high in the air.

“Three hundred thousand!”

Quina lifted her hand, her voice sweet as honey and said, “Three million.”

Meeting my furious glare, she shrank fearfully into Oliver’s embrace. “I’m sorry, Madam. It was my mistake. Oliver said to reward me for getting pregnant, I could have anything I wanted today.

“I just wanted to buy it as a teething toy for my baby, Ronald. But since you want this trashquality jade bracelet, I won’t compete. I passed it.”

Ignoring her taunt, I pressed my lips together and raised my paddle to bid again. “Thirty...”

“Thirty million.”

Oliver cut me off, “I promised Quina that I’d give her anything she wants today. It’s just a broken bracelet, so let her have it.”

“The Royal Auction has several imperial green jade bracelets tomorrow. I’ll bid for them and give all of them to you.”

I said firmly, “Oliver, this is my mother’s keepsake!”

My voice trembled. “You can do whatever you want! But Oliver, you absolutely cannot take this away from me.”

For the first time, I begged him humbly, “I’m begging you, Oliver. For the sake of our past, for the sake of when I sold the only heirloom my mother left me to buy a ticket to New York.”

“Please, just let me have it.”

Oliver looked at me silently, saying nothing more. I rose to my feet recklessly, shouting with all my strength, “Three million three hundred thousand.”

It was all the savings I had accumulated over the past ten years. If Oliver raised the bid again, I would have no other choice.

To my surprise, Oliver put down the bidding paddle and didn’t raise the price again. I was still in disbelief and shock when the bracelet was presented to me.

My hands trembled as I handed over my card and reached for the jade bracelet. But someone grabbed my hand.

“Mrs. Cerano, there’s no money left in your account.”

I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. “How could that be? There’s clearly…”

Quina walked over with the jewelry and jade she had just bid on, smiling sweetly at me. “Mrs. Cerano, I just used your card to pay. Thanks for the apology. I won’t hold it against you for scaring me earlier.”

Something inside me broke at once, instantly. “Give it back! Give me my money back!”

I grabbed her hand and shouted at the auctioneer, “I didn’t bid on these jewels! Go collect payment from Oliver! Give me my money back.”

Quina pushed me in fright, the jewels in her hand striking my cheek and eyes, leaving bloody scratches. I released her hand in pain, covered my eyes and squatted down.

Through the blur of blood, I saw Quina slip and fall to the ground, clutching her stomach and wailing. Oliver pushed through the crowd and rushed to her side.

“Quina, what happened to you?”

Quina pointed at me through tearfilled eyes. “Honey, she tried to snatch the jewelry from me! But these were gifts from you! I refused to give them up, so she pushed me. Please help me get justice!”

I staggered to my feet, wanting to explain I hadn’t pushed her, but she’d slipped on her own.

The enforcer hesitated, explaining, “Mr. Cerano, the one who pushed her was.”

Quina clung to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. “It hurts so much, honey, it hurts! Is the baby going to be okay?”

In that instant, Oliver lost all sense of reason. He scooped her up and turned to leave me.

His voice, cold and decisive, said, “Whoever dared lay a hand on my woman won’t get away with it today. Whichever hand pushed her, I’ll break that arm. If anything happens to the baby, I’ll make his entire family pay.”

I lay on the ground, pinned down by the thugs like a dead dog. I cried out his name, “Oliver!! It’s me!”

Before my words faded, the baton struck both my arms, pain surging through my entire body. I couldn’t utter another sound, collapsing limp on the floor. Oliver’s gaze darkened sharply as he turned to look.

“Who just called my name? Was it Paula?”

Before he could get a clear look, Quina, in his arms, began crying again. Oliver didn’t dwell on it, striding away quickly.

Passing guests stared at me, discarded like trash at the doorway with my broken arm limp and limp, their jaws dropping.

“And we thought Mr. Cerano was madly in love with her. Turns out it’s nothing special.”

“I heard Mrs. Cerano’s father is that mining tycoon surnamed Frassinetti, who’s got deep connections with the newly appointed anticorruption chief in New York.”

“Don’t you think Mr. Cerano is risking a crackdown and retaliation by treating her like this?”

A wave of snickering rippled through the crowd. “You didn’t know? Mrs. Cerano ran away from her wedding for love years ago. Her father disowned her long ago.”

“He hated her disobedience so much he declared she’d be chained to Oliver for life. If she ever regretted divorcing Mr. Cerano, he’d kill her.”