Chapter 1 Never Want To See Your Face Again

Katelyn Bailey pushed the door open and walked briskly into the villa.

Today was her anniversary with Neil Wheeler, and she had already planned the celebration.

"Neil? Are you home?" she called out.

Katelyn looked around but found no one in the large house.

Puzzled, she went upstairs to the second floor and was met with the unmistakable sounds of intimacy coming from the master bedroom.

A woman's voice moaned loudly, attempting to stifle her pleasure. "Stop it, Neil. This isn't fair to Katelyn..."

Hearing the soft moan was enough to drain all the color from Katelyn's face, and it definitely didn't help when she recognized the voice.

It was Lise Cooper.

She was Neil's old flame. Katelyn never expected her to return.

Yet there they were, in the master bedroom, engaged in an affair.

"Why is it unfair? Our families joined by marriage for mutual benefits. Katelyn is just my wife in name. I don't care for her at all. I'm not even interested in her body and I've never touched her since we got married."

"I pity her! Three years of marriage, and she hasn't won her husband's heart," Lise commented.

Katelyn began to tremble. Those words pierced her heart like invisible daggers.

Her marriage to Neil had always been one of convenience, and not by love.

For the past three years, Katelyn had devoted herself entirely to her family. She did the laundry, cooked meals, and tried her best to be a good housewife. Despite her efforts, Neil had never shared a bed with her.

Katelyn had believed she wasn't meeting his expectations and had failed to earn his approval. But now, she realized he had never cared for her.

The ongoing sounds of sex from the room made Katelyn's heart ache.

"Bang!"

All of a sudden, the door flew open.

The two people on the bed were entwined, and Neil quickly grabbed a blanket to cover both himself and Lise. When he saw Katelyn, he froze for a moment before his expression turned cold.

With disdain, he barked, "Get the fuck out!"

Even though he had been caught in the act of adultery, he still carried himself with an air of arrogance.

Katelyn felt a sharp pain in her chest. Staring at her husband, who showed no remorse, she asked in disbelief, "Neil Wheeler, why are you doing this to me?"

Lise leaned forward and deliberately pulled down the blanket a little bit, revealing the kiss marks on her collarbones.

With a soft sigh, she said, "Katelyn, you should understand that a mature man has physical needs. Neil doesn't love you, so he doesn't wanna sleep with you. I'm the only one he loves, which is why he can only be intimate with me. I'm sure you can understand our situation, right?"

Lise smiled. She had deliberately chosen to seduce Neil on their anniversary, relishing the thought of Katelyn being overwhelmed.

Katelyn clenched her fists tightly and glared at Lise with bloodshot eyes. "You're proud of being a home-wrecking bitch, aren't you?"

Lise's eyes turned red as she replied, "How could you say that? Would I have broken up with Neil if your parents hadn't threatened my family's safety? Katelyn, forcing love only leads to suffering. And remember, in any relationship, the one who isn't loved is the real outsider."

Katelyn stared at her in shock. So this was the story Lise had fed Neil.

It was now clear to her how Neil couldn't seem to move on from Lise.

The truth was that neither Katelyn nor her family had forced Lise and Neil apart.

"That's a lie!" Katelyn wanted to defend herself, but before she could speak, Neil cut her off.

"Katelyn, if it weren't for you, Lise wouldn't have suffered so much these past few years. How dare you and your parents treat her that way? I will never forgive the Bailey family."

Neil had already stood up and dressed, his gaze toward Katelyn as cold as ice.

Katelyn's heart continued to ache.

In that moment, she abandoned any attempt to explain and smiled bitterly.

She realized how blind she had been to love a man who cheated on her and felt no remorse.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Lise's eyes, but she sighed with a guilty tone. "Neil, don't be so hard on Katelyn. She overheard us at the door earlier. You haven't slept with her in three years, so it's understandable she's feeling unbalanced."

Katelyn trembled with rage. She stormed over to the bed and snapped, "You shameless slut! How dare you spew such nonsense? Didn't anyone in your family teach you any manners? I'll be happy to give you a lesson then."

She raised her hand and slapped Lise across the face.

"Smack!"

"Eek!" Lise cried out in pain.

Her head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.

"Katelyn, you bitch!"

Neil's eyes narrowed. Without a second thought, he rushed to defend Lise, and slapped Katelyn back.

"Smack!"

Caught off guard, Katelyn was struck and staggered back. A burning pain spread across her right cheek, and her ears buzzed as she struggled to regain her balance.

Anger flared in Neil's eyes as he growled, "Who do you think you are? How dare you hit Lise! Marrying you is my biggest mistake in life."

He turned abruptly, yanked open the drawer of the nightstand, and pulled out a divorce agreement. He threw it at Katelyn and shouted, "Sign it. I never want to see your face again!"

The divorce agreement had already been prepared and signed by Neil.

Katelyn fought back a bitter smile. The pain in her cheek was sharp, but it couldn't compare to the deep ache in her heart.

However, she knew it was time to let go of her marriage. He didn't love her and had even betrayed her. There was nothing left for her to hold on to.

Without hesitation, Katelyn picked up the agreement, quickly signed it, and threw it at Neil's face.

"Neil Wheeler, I'm done. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."

As soon as she spoke, her phone rang. Katelyn froze when she saw the caller ID. Ignoring Neil's reaction, she swiped to answer the call.

The voice on the other end sounded urgent. "Iris, when are you coming back to work? The orders at the studio are piling up. Someone has even offered a hundred million dollars for a chance to work with you."