He Fell into His Enemy’s Trap and Made Me Suffer for That Woman

Instead of a gift on our third wedding anniversary, Christian Leighton sent me the ninetyninth divorce agreement.

I never imagined that after just two years, the man who once swore eternal devotion to me would change his heart.

It all started a year ago, when Christian became infatuated with Jocelyn Stone, a female archaeologist.

In pursuit of her, he abandoned his company and ventured into the desolate Gobi Desert, boldly confessing his feelings. He even publicly declared that he would voluntarily transfer all his assets to Jocelyn.

When the secretary handed me the latest divorce papers, I glanced at them indifferently.

I knew this was merely Christian's tactic to appease his new flame. Every time they quarreled, he'd send me a divorce agreement—only to withdraw it at the very last moment, right before the coolingoff period ended.

I calmly signed my name and headed straight to my private lawyer's office.

"Hello, please help me draft a mandatory divorce agreement," I requested.

Since things had come to this, I decided I would voluntarily hand this hundredth divorce agreement to Christian.

The female lawyer worked swiftly, drafting the divorce agreement promptly after clarifying all my demands.

A few minutes later, she presented the final draft to me. "Ms. Clarke, once both parties sign during the coolingoff period, the application becomes irrevocable."

I didn't hesitate and resolutely took it. The paper in my hands still seemed to radiate a final warmth, but my heart had long turned as cold as a harsh winter.

Afterwards, I booked a flight for a week later, giving myself only a week to prepare for my departure.

When I first found out about his affair, I had thrown tantrums, cried and even sought out Jocelyn herself, offering money to make her leave Christian for good.

Yet that night, Christian stormed home, his hands tightening around my throat as he growled a warning. "I've given you the title. What more do you want?"

He continued, "My patience is limited. If you dare trouble Jocelyn again, don't blame me for being merciless."

That was the first time he laid his hands on me because of another woman.

After that day, Christian grew even more brazen. He disregarded his married status and pursued Jocelyn with frenzied declarations of love, making their affair the talk of the town.

I wanted to ask him what all these years of our relationship mean. What did my position as Mrs. Leighton even represent?

Sadly, all I got was Christian's icy reply. "Serena, I've known you too long. I'll eventually get tired of you. Besides, you're not as interesting, brave, or sunny as Jocelyn."

The moment he mentioned Jocelyn, the coldness in his eyes melted away, replaced by unmistakable affection and yearning.

Yes, we were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were young.

I met Christian when I was twenty years old. At that time, my brother's failed investment led to the Clarkes' bankruptcy overnight.

Upon learning this, Christian fought desperately to salvage the situation. Yet in the end, my parents jumped from a building in despair and my brother lost his mind.

Our oncegreat family collapsed in an instant.

The Leightons immediately moved to call off our engagement, but Christian refused. He knelt in the main hall for three days and three nights, his back torn and bloodied from whippings, insisting he would marry no one but me.

I had initially assumed Christian would return after his fun, but what I found was Jocelyn wearing my nightgown, sleeping in my bed, with my most beloved husband lying beside her.

That sight made me scream hysterically, only to be met with Christian's displeased rebuke. "You scared Jocelyn. She finally agreed to live with me to build our relationship."

"You should thank her. Seeing you helpless, she allowed you to remain here as Mrs. Leighton. From now on, she is the mistress of this household."

As the memories faded, the car gradually stopped. Looking at the incredibly familiar house before me, I only felt a deep sense of irony.

I sighed, seemingly mocking my own foolishness. How could I have trusted a man's hollow promises?

As soon as I reached the entrance, I heard Jocelyn's sobs. "You clearly know I don't like children, so why would you have a baby with her?"

Christian quickly argued, "I switched her sleeping pills for birth control months ago. Besides, I haven't touched her in half a year. How could she possibly be pregnant?"

My feet froze at those words. My eyes widened in terror, as if a sword had pierced my chest. The pain was so intense I couldn't breathe.

The shadow of my parents' death had haunted me for years. That was why all this time, I'd relied on sleeping pills to get any rest.

I was unaware that Christian had started replacing my sleeping pills with birth control tablets in an attempt to win Jocelyn's heart.

My body started to tremble violently and my face went deathly pale.

When I returned to my senses, I found myself staring into Christian's dark, sullen face. His gaze was filled with disgust and contempt.

In the study, a medical report was slapped down hard onto the desk. The air around me seemed to solidify.

Christian's lips curved into a faint smile, but it chilled me to the bone.

"You're pregnant."

His eyes grew fierce after saying those words and a hint of anger seemed to linger deep within them.

Christian's words exploded in my mind like a clap of thunder. In disbelief, I snatched the pregnancy test report, which clearly stated I was six weeks pregnant.

My hands trembled slightly. This child had come at the worst possible time.

Before I could speak, Christian coldly declared, "I'll arrange for you to go to the hospital tomorrow. Jocelyn doesn't like children."

I couldn't believe that man could be so heartless.

The anger I'd bottled up for so long finally erupted at that moment. I couldn't hold back any longer, letting out a hoarse, furious roar. Disappointment was etched all over my delicate face.

"Christian, this is your child!"

The words had barely left my mouth when he scoffed with contempt.

"My child? I haven't touched you in half a year. You know perfectly well whose child this is."

His cold, cutting words pierced my ears, plunging me into utter despair. Now, tears poured from my eyes like a dam breaking.

Over a month ago, a drunken Christian had barged into my room. He had clung to me, crying, apologizing over and over.

It made me naively believe that Christian still loved me. Even with a high fever, I didn't stop his hands from roaming my body. But when I woke up the next day, that man had returned to his usual cold self.

I later learned that he had argued with Jocelyn that day and was completely drunk and I was merely a temporary tool for Christian to vent his lust.

I was about to open her mouth to explain when a sudden, fishysweet taste surged up my throat. My entire body immediately went limp and I felt as if I was about to collapse.

In the last moment before my consciousness faded, I looked helplessly at Christian.

I prayed that he still held a final shred of feeling for me, but he just sat there indifferently, not even deigning to spare me a glance. He even watched me fall, unconscious, in silence.

Later, the pungent smell of disinfectant, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, slithered into my nostrils.

The door to the hospital room opened, then the doctor came in with a report and informed me, "Madam, Mr. Leighton has scheduled an abortion for you shortly. Please prepare yourself."

Hearing this, I abruptly sat up, yanked the IV needle from my arm and rushed out without a word.

It was my child, too. How could Christian strip away my chance to be a mother with just one sentence?

Not only was I going to leave, but I was also going to take this child with me!

Alas, the bodyguards at the door heard the commotion and stood rigidly blocking the exit.

The doctor sighed at the scene. "Mrs. Leighton, because of your longterm use of birth control pills, the baby is already deformed. An abortion is the best choice for both you and the child."

"Moreover, your body is no longer suited for childbirth. This is likely your final pregnancy."

My steps faltered. For a moment, rage, despair and grief flashed through my eyes all at once.

The doctor's words utterly crushed my final defense. My legs gave out and I sank helplessly to the floor.

Right then, the silent ward echoed with my desperate sobs.

After a long time, my sobs slowly weakened and finally stopped. I felt like a marionette whose soul had been stripped away. My eyes were empty, while my face gradually returned to a terrifying calm.

The last tear slid down my cheek and brushed against my lips, its bitterness spreading deep into my chest.

I lowered my gaze, now the last of my defiance slipping away, leaving only a hollow surrender behind.

Soon, the blinding lights of the operating room burned my eyes. My vision blurred and my consciousness began to completely fade away.

I eventually fell into unconsciousness, as if plunging into an endless darkness—cold, terrifying.

Christian's stern features greeted me when I awoke.

That man sat at my bedside, exuding a cold and terrifying aura. His deep, dark eyes, like a desolate shore, stared coldly at my deathly pale face.

When he saw I was awake, Christian gestured to the bodyguard beside him. Afterwards, an open gift box was presented to me.

His face remained expressionless as he spoke, "This is a gift Jocelyn specially chosen for you."

I didn't move. My silence was frighteningly calm.

The gift he claimed was "specially chosen" was nothing more than an old, slightly yellowed pearl necklace that Jocelyn had already grown tired of wearing.

In the early days of our marriage, Christian would spare no expense, showering me with luxurious jewelry every day. He had even clumsily designed unique pieces exclusively for me.

He used to say that I deserved the best and most expensive jewelry in the world. Now, it seemed utterly ridiculous.

Seeing that I remained silent, refusing to take it for a long time, Christian's halfraised arm looked incredibly awkward.

He frowned, his voice tinged with irritation as he warned again, "Serena Clarke, don't be ungrateful. Don't forget your brother is still in the hospital. Without my family, he would have died long ago."

The mention of my brother sent shivers through my body, my voice suddenly cracking. "What do you want?"

I struggled to sit up. My eyes were bloodshot, while my hands were clutching the hem of my clothes tightly.

I had planned to take my brother away the moment I was discharged. What I didn't expect was that just as I regained consciousness, Christian would already be using my brother to threaten me.

My brother was one of the few family members I have left in this world. So, I would fight with all my life to keep him alive.

Christian rose with disdain, a cold laugh escaping his lips. "Tomorrow night is Jocelyn's celebratory party. I want you to publicly apologize to her and transfer ownership of that island under your name to her."

"Jocelyn said there might be rich mineral resources on that island. It's a waste to leave such a valuable place to someone ignorant like you."

My eyes widened sharply. That island was the extravagant engagement gift he had once lavishly bestowed upon me. It was even named after both our names and my parents' ashes were buried there.

Christian had sworn before my parents' graves that he would never betray me, that he would protect me for the rest of his life. Yet now, he was giving away the island that bore witness to our love to another woman.

Under his relentless pressure, I gritted my teeth and finally agreed. "Fine, I agree. Just don't hurt my brother."

Having secured the answer he sought, Christian turned and walked away without waiting for me to finish speaking. With a thud, the ward plunged back into deathly silence.

My face was ashen, like a flower that had instantly withered.

It turned out that Christian's love hadn't vanished, but had simply shifted.

At that time, my phone buzzed repeatedly with notifications from the immigration bureau. It showed that my paperwork was complete. Once Christian signed the divorce agreement, I could finally leave this hellhole forever with my brother.

Accidentally, my finger brushed the screen and the first thing on my social media feed was a video of Jocelyn showing off their affection.

In the video, Christian's face was clearly visible as the two of them kissed passionately beneath the dazzling fireworks.

Meanwhile, I was lying in a hospital bed, enduring all the pain alone. That was the moment my heart died completely.

The next morning, Christian sent a car to pick me up. To my surprise, ten bodyguards were already seated inside.

A faint unease started to creep into my heart.

Had he found out something?

As the car gradually came to a stop, I was led into a garden overgrown with thorny bushes.

The leading bodyguard finally spoke. "Madam, Mr. Leighton said he won't send you back until you've picked ninetynine white roses."

As if I had long since given up, I obeyed with surprising calm.

"Give me the tools," I said coolly as I lowered my gaze.

"Mr. Leighton said Miss Stone only likes the ones picked by hand."

That reply made me momentarily frozen. I couldn't help but stare at the garden bristling with razorsharp thorns before me. I realized that I had no other option.

When I stepped out from the garden, covered in wounds, clutching a full 99 bloodstained white roses, my pristine white dress was already soaked crimson. My once delicate, pale fingers were now drenched in blood.

There was a time when Christian wouldn't even let me touch cold water and gently cradle my hands. "Serena, your hands are meant to hold a paintbrush, to create the greatest masterpiece in this world."

My vision went completely black. I couldn't stand it anymore and fainted.

Meanwhile, in the luxurious party hall, Jocelyn appeared arminarm with Christian, radiating the grace of a princess.

For a moment, everyone present was stunned.

"Isn't that the 'Star of the East,' a gem of which there is only one in the entire world? Mr. Leighton actually bought it for Miss Stone."

"Indeed. It seems Mr. Leighton truly spares no expense to win a smile from his beauty."

Whispers of admiration filled the room, every eye fixed on Jocelyn with envy. She naturally basked in the spotlight and her smile was exceptionally brilliant.

Nevertheless, only one person remained distinctly out of place. That was me, Serena Clarke.

Exhausted from blood loss and the recent abortion procedure, my body was severely weakened. As a result, I had fainted again.

The moment I opened my eyes, Christian forced me downstairs.

"Serena, you're here," greeted Jocelyn, who spotted me standing alone in the corner.

She feigned surprise, her voice soft yet clear enough for everyone present to hear.

I didn't want to get tangled up with her. But just as I was about to leave, Jocelyn grabbed my wrist.

Her eyes instantly welled with tears, giving her a pitiful, vulnerable look. Even so, beneath that gaze lay blatant provocation and undisguised smugness.

"I know you dislike me, but I came to join this family, not to tear it apart. Serena, you'll always be Mrs. Leighton. All I want is Chris' love."

Before I could even object, I was sharply rebuked by Christian, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion. "Serena, haven't you made enough of a scene? Today is Jocelyn's celebration party. Do you absolutely have to cause a commotion so everyone focuses only on you?"

"Apologize to Jocelyn immediately and hand over the gift you prepared for her," he barked.

I stared into Christian's unfamiliar, icy eyes. Though my heart boiled with refusal, the thought of my brother forced me to swallow back my words.

The bruises on my body ached faintly, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

In front of everyone, I held out the bloodstained bouquet of ninetynine white roses to Jocelyn.

Under Christian's cold gaze, I closed my eyes as if quietly awaiting death itself. I could only sigh softly, "I'm sorry. Everything that happened before was my fault."

As soon as I said that, the crowd murmured. A wife apologizing to the mistress was truly a rare sight.

Jocelyn looked at the flowers I offered and slightly frowned. "Thank you, but as much as I like this bouquet, I can't accept it."

Confusion clouded my eyes as I stared blankly at the lavishly dressed woman before me.

"White roses symbolize purity, yet this bouquet is stained."

As soon as she spoke, murmurs rose from the surrounding crowd.

"There's blood on it!"

"Doesn't she know receiving bloodstained flowers is the worst taboo in our line of work? I hear it brings a curse."

The mutters reached my ears, but before I could gather her thoughts to explain, Christian knocked the bouquet from my hands and onto the floor.

His expression darkened instantly. His eyes, fixed on me, were filled with fierce displeasure as he snapped, "Serena, I never imagined you could be such a vicious woman."

"Someone, take her to the main hall and punish her according to the family rules," he ordered.

Christian didn't spare me even a trace of dignity, publicly ordering my punishment. I knew how brutal his family's punishments were.

Years ago, when he insisted on marrying me, he was given one hundred strikes. His back was bloody and raw, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to give in.

It wasn't until the last strike that I couldn't bear to watch anymore.

Throwing caution to the wind, I cried out and rushed forward, forcibly taking the blow for him. That single strike knocked me unconscious for an entire day.

Now, they roughly forced me to kneel before Jocelyn.

I struggled wildly, resisting with all my might. "Let go of me! Christian, you can't treat me like this!"

Jocelyn, standing nearby, shook her head as if disappointed by my defiance. "Serena, Chris is doing this for your own good. I know you blame me for stealing his love, but you shouldn't resort to such underhanded methods to harm others."

I stared hatefully at the woman who had stolen everything from me, wishing I could rush forward and take her down with me.

I barely opened my mouth when the butler rushed over. He whispered something into Christian's ear and suddenly, every eye in the room was fixed on me.

"Who would've thought the seemingly noble and magnanimous Mrs. Leighton is such a promiscuous woman? No wonder Mr. Leighton fell for someone else."

"Mr. Leighton and Miss Stone share true love. Unlike her, who plays around so recklessly."

Hearing this, my heart lurched violently. It turned out someone had leaked the news of my visit to the hospital for an abortion to the media. Now, reporters and paparazzi swarmed outside the Leightons' residence.

In an instant, I became the focus of public scorn.

I looked at my phone, which was filled with hot searches bearing my name.

"Serena Clarke, the wealthy wife of Christian Leighton, couldn't stand the loneliness and got pregnant after an affair."

"Wife of capital's richest man is pregnant, but the baby isn't her husband's."

…

My mind went completely blank. My dull, empty eyes drifted to Christian, but he showed no intention of defending me.

Of course, even that man believed the baby in my belly wasn't his.

Soon, I was placed under house arrest. The servants roughly threw me into the basement.

As I stared into the pitchblack, damp and gloomy space, my entire body trembled uncontrollably. I cried out in despair and helplessness, but Christian only watched me indifferently.

"When you're ready to admit whose child this truly is, I'll let you out," he said.

I knew he was forcing me to confess.

As the last glimmer of light vanished, I was engulfed by darkness and an overwhelming sense of terror instantly washed over me. Trembling, I curled up in the corner.

How could Christian not know that darkness was my greatest fear?

I couldn't help but recall how, in the past, Christian would keep every light in the house on 24/7 because I was afraid of the dark. Just to make me feel safe.

Today, he was personally throwing me into this endless abyss.

My hands and feet slowly grew cold, then numb and finally stiff.

But his words echoed relentlessly in my ears. "I've already contacted PR. We're going public with a live stream tomorrow."

I've known him for so long; I knew this was a notification, not a discussion.

I refused like a madwoman, screaming and questioning him. Still, all it got me was being locked in the basement, supposedly to "clear my head."

My consciousness gradually faded.

After a long while, the basement door opened. I didn't know how much time had passed, but that night felt impossibly long.

I was dragged out and taken to the study, like a lump of mud.

Christian calmly looked up. When he saw how exhausted and worn out I looked, a flicker of complex emotion crossed his eyes before vanishing swiftly.

He set down the documents in his hand, his sharp brows furrowing slightly as he leaned back into the sofa. That man spoke ruthlessly. "Have you made up your mind?"

His tone carried an unyielding authority, but I just closed my eyes in silence.

Seeing that I still wouldn't give in, Christian placed his phone in front of me. The person on the video screen was none other than my brother.

Because of that, I finally compromised.

Before leaving the study, I ended up asking the one question I had to.

"Do you love her?" I asked in a shaky, completely broken voice.

"I do," Christian answered without hesitation.

I smiled bitterly at those words, though my vision was already blurred. "What about me?"

The air instantly froze and it felt like we were locked in a silent confrontation. After a moment, Christian broke the silence. "I loved you once."

Loved me once. How ridiculous.

When we were in love, he would have given me the best of everything in the world. But now that he didn't love me, he wouldn't even let me go.

I sat in front of the phone, watching all the vicious comments scroll endlessly across the screen.

My heart twisted with pain, the agony intensifying with every beat. My limbs also began to tremble uncontrollably.

However, no one noticed that cold sweat had soaked my back.

After saying that last sentence, all my strength seemed to drain away. I stumbled to my feet and left.

Before I could even catch my breath, the first thing I saw when I walked out of the room was my brother tied tightly to a chair.

As soon as Jocelyn saw me, she barked an order to the servants to press the nearby button, without a word of explanation. Instantly, a surge of electricity coursed through my brother's limbs.

All my pentup resentment and rage immediately erupted at the sight. I lunged desperately toward her, but Christian firmly blocked me again.

"This is a crime, Jocelyn! I'll kill you! Let go of my brother right now! You deserve to die!" I roared in a hoarse voice.

Jocelyn, however, seemed oblivious. She buried herself in Christian's embrace as if hurt.

"Serena, I'm doing this for your own good. Electroshock therapy is the fastest way for a patient to recover their memory. Don't you want your brother to get better quickly?"

The smell of flesh scorched by electricity wafted through the air, mingling with my cries that shifted from furious curses to desperate pleas. "Please, Christian. Stop the shocks! My brother will die, he really will die!"

"I'll do anything you ask, just spare my brother," I begged.

Christian remained standing there, completely unmoved. He just said faintly, "Jocelyn is only doing this for your good."

The electrotherapy was indeed effective. That very night, my brother remembered everything. Unable to bear it any longer, he ran out despite everyone's attempts to stop him.

Then came the sound of a violent crash …

"No!" I let out a final, desperate scream, my hoarse voice cutting through the silent night like a sharp blade.

My brother died on the spot.

Cradling him in a pool of blood, I felt the last fragile shard of hope within me break apart. I had thought about calling the police, but Christian virtually controlled everything in the capital.

In the end, I didn't even manage to dial the emergency number before I got locked away again.

That day, Christian surprisingly came into my room.

"All of this was an accident," he said.

Accident? It was easy for him to say.

"I'll choose the best burial plot for your brother and make sure he's properly laid to rest. I advise you to abandon any thoughts of reporting this."

I knew I couldn't win against him.

I let out a selfmocking, bitter laugh. As the last tear slid down my cheek, I felt my crying run dry and with it, our marriage had come to an end.

One blow after another had nearly shattered me. Yet before I could recover, Jocelyn came knocking.

"You saw it yourself. Chris loves me now. I advise you to leave while you still can," she whispered.

The Jocelyn before me was a different person from the innocent girl she was in front of Christian.

"I'm willing to leave," I said expressionlessly, as if I were talking about something that had nothing to do with me.

That woman stared at me in shock, seemingly unprepared for such an immediate acquiescence.

Shortly after, I placed the divorce agreement in front of her.

"As long as you can get Christian to sign this agreement, I'll immediately give you the position of Mrs. Leighton."

I had long been tired of being in that position, anyway.

Jocelyn worked quickly. That very afternoon, she placed the signed agreement right in front of me.

How ironic, even I found it incredibly difficult to meet Christian now.

I felt in a daze as I stared at the divorce agreement in my hand.

The promises we once made, the memories of our love—it all feels like a lifetime ago. No matter how deep the love, it seemed the outcome was always the same.

I booked a ticket for the earliest flight to France, the place I'd always wanted to visit most.

Right after we got married, Christian had just taken over the company and there were so many undercurrents swirling within it. On top of that, his family had suffered significant losses just so he could marry me. We hadn't even had time for a honeymoon before Christian was swallowed by work.

Back then, he promised me, not just once, that he would take me to France.

I waited and waited, but what finally arrived was a divorce agreement.

After mailing the signed papers, I started packing. I only took some personal belongings and my documents.

As I was about to leave, I passed the study and heard Christian's voice.

"Mr. Leighton, this is so wrong. This will ruin Madam's reputation. She has already done so much for you … "

The secretary's sentence was cut short by Christian's dismissive interruption.

"Just do what I tell you. Her reputation isn't worth much. Jocelyn's archaeology team needs funding. That lady was so kind, she already donated the assets I 'voluntarily gifted' her to charity."

My steps froze. A chill ran up from my feet and a familiar feeling of suffocation washed over me.

I took a bracing breath before finally turning to go.

As soon as I arrived at the airport, I received a message from Jocelyn. [Christian really loves me. Don't you want to see what everyone online is saying about you right now?]

My expression tightened.

[I just casually mentioned that the archaeology project lacked funds and Christian immediately put your photos up for auction online.]

[Tsk tsk, who would've thought you could fetch such a high price?]

I clicked on the livestream link she shared.

The first thing that caught my eye was my photographs. There were countless images from every conceivable angle, even my seminude pictures, all laid bare for the world to see.

At that moment, my mind went blank, like a kite with its string cut. My hands and feet went icecold as if submerged in icy water and my fingertips shook uncontrollably.

So, that's what Christian had been talking about—auctioning my photos online.

I turned on my phone in a panic. The live auction was still running and the bidding had already soared to fifty million.

My head suddenly spun. I had no idea when Christian had taken any of these photos.

Just as the final hammer was about to fall, the livestream was suddenly shut down. My private photos, which had been spreading like wildfire across the internet, were instantly deleted.

I quickly regained my composure. I didn't know who had helped me behind the scenes and I certainly didn't believe Christian had suddenly grown a conscience.

However, I had no time to dwell on such questions now.

I swiftly compiled all the evidence and chat logs Jocelyn had sent me, forwarding them to my divorce lawyer. Then I contacted the top PR team in the industry.

I had nothing left to hold me back anymore, driving me not only to avenge my brother but also to reclaim my own justice.

After that, I removed the SIM card from my phone and threw it in the trash can.

Before boarding the plane, I took a final look at this city, which was filled with all my pain and terrible memories. I thought to myself that I would probably never return in this lifetime.

On the other side, Christian discovered that all the videos and photos related to the auction had been taken down. Even the pictures of me on his own computer vanished without a trace.

With a muttered curse of frustration, he burst into my room, but all that greeted him was an empty space.

Before he could react, the butler rushed in breathlessly. "Sir, it's terrible! Madam has publicly posted a divorce statement online!"