The Cost of Betrayal

Rhett Flynn's mistress Ruby Clark was a new actress signed by the company.

Gossip about Rhett and her frequently dominated the trending news.

Lorna Sanderson chose to ignore it all.

When headlines announced that the president of Flynn Enterprises visited a film set to see the lead actress, Lorna was at the stables with her son, Tommy, riding horses.

When reports spread about Rhett purchasing a rare pink diamond for his sweetheart, Lorna was sailing the Nevorian coast of a sunny peninsula with Tommy on a luxury yacht.

When his mistress sent Lorna a provocative video of their passionate sex in a car, she deleted it without watching.

However, while Lorna was away on a business trip, the mistress offered to pick Tommy up from kindergarten for Rhett. On the way, they were kidnapped.

The kidnappers contacted Rhett, demanding twenty million in cash for their release.

Rhett hurriedly arrived with the money.

He believed paying the ransom would ensure Tommy and Ruby's safe return.

At the abandoned warehouse in the outskirts, the kidnappers revealed a cruel condition. Twenty million would only free one of them.

To save both, they demanded fifty million in cash.

Flynn Enterprises had recently expanded overseas, leaving funds limited.

Rhett hesitated. As he began to say to release Tommy first, a kidnapper's menacing laugh interrupted. "This chick's a looker. The boys are gonna have some fun today!"

"She's a star, isn't she? We're in for a treat!"

Ruby's desperate screams followed. "Rhett, they're going to take turns assaulting me! You have to save me first!"

"Tommy's a boy. If you promise to get the money, they won't hurt him."

Rhett agreed to save Ruby.

When Lorna returned from her trip, four-year-old Tommy was covered in bruises and cuts from the kidnappers' abuse.

In the hospital, as soon as Tommy saw Lorna, he threw himself into her arms, sobbing. "Mommy, Daddy saved Ruby first, not me. Those bad guys hit me with a belt..."

Lorna stroked Tommy's scarred little face and battered back, tears streaming down her face.

She never imagined Rhett would treat his own son this way.

A tall figure entered the room.

Lorna turned to face Rhett, the man she loved for over a decade, her voice hoarse with rage. "Rhett Flynn, why would you do this to Tommy? He's your own son!"

Her eyes blazed with fury as she stared at him.

They had been married for seven years.

Before that, Lorna pursued him for nine years.

When he drank himself into a stomach bleed, she stayed by his side, nursing him with soup and appetizers.

When he was injured racing go-karts, she donated blood repeatedly until she was dizzy and could barely walk.

No matter what she did for him, he remained indifferent.

Then Flynn Enterprises was sabotaged by a rival, its finances collapsing in just two weeks, nearing bankruptcy.

To save his family's company, he reluctantly agreed to marry her.

On their wedding night, as Lorna, overjoyed at finally being his wife, reached for him, he pushed her away coldly. "You know this marriage is just a transaction. We'll live our own lives, keep the peace, and I'll keep the marriage going."

Her heart, once warm with hope, turned cold.

That night, he presented a contract stating they would live separately and not interfere with each other. They both signed it.

From then on, Lorna never questioned his affairs.

He was pleased with her compliance.

After Tommy was born, they added a clause to the contract. Neither could ever harm their child.

Meeting her piercing gaze, Rhett tried to explain. "Ruby meant well. No one expected this to happen on the way. She's a woman. If those kidnappers ruined her reputation, it would destroy her career. Tommy just suffered a bit more..."

Lorna's nails dug into her palms.

His words rang hollow, absurd.

Her lips trembled as she forced out, "Rhett, Tommy's only four, and you let him suffer to save your mistress! You don't deserve to be a father!"

Rhett's brows furrowed. He seemed about to speak but remained silent.

He left the room and lit a cigarette in the hallway.

The doctor entered and informed Lorna, "The boy's injuries are superficial. They'll heal in time. His fever is likely from shock."

Lorna looked at Tommy, lying still, his small face pale as paper, lifeless.

When she glanced back, Rhett had disappeared from the hallway.

He had clearly gone to Ruby.

Lorna grabbed a thermos to fetch hot water, intending to use a warm towel to ease Tommy's fever.

At the door, she overheard two nurses whispering in the corridor. "That Flynn guy is weird. His wife's leg has a minor injury, already healed, but he insists she stay in the hospital for observation. Rich people's lives are so precious!"

"She's not his wife. She's the mistress!"

"What? No way! I thought he was a rare catch-rich, handsome, powerful, and so devoted to his wife. Turns out it's true what they say. Money makes men rotten!"

Tears welled in Lorna's eyes, spilling over.

Hatred for Rhett grew in her heart.

That night, after Tommy fell asleep, Lorna, under the dim hospital room light, found the contract from their wedding night on her phone.

The agreement clearly stated that if either broke the contract, the other could demand a divorce, and the violator would leave with nothing.

Lorna sent the contract to her lawyer. "Is this still valid?"

The reply came quickly. "Absolutely."

The hospital room door creaked open, and Rhett's voice followed. "Is Tommy asleep?"

Lorna gave a soft hum and slipped her phone into her pocket.

Rhett stepped into the hospital room, his gaze settling on Tommy's noticeably thinner face. He let out a quiet sigh. "This was a complete accident. Thankfully, Tommy only has minor injuries. If Ruby had been left there, who knows what those kidnappers would've done to her."

He added, "I checked with the doctor. It's normal for kids to run a fever after a scare. No need to worry too much."

Lorna let out a cold scoff and fixed him with an icy stare.

Rhett shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I'm going out for a smoke."

He stood and left the room.

Lorna knew he was heading to Ruby Clark again.

In the past, she didn't care. Now, she cared even less.

While grabbing clothes for Tommy from home, she burned all the photos she had cherished over the years-pictures of Rhett, their couple shots, and their wedding photos.

On the fourth day of Tommy's hospital stay, his fever finally broke.

Rhett arrived at Tommy's room with Ruby.

Ruby put on a show of concern for Tommy, but before leaving, she nestled into Rhett's arms, kissed him, and playfully demanded a kiss in return.

Rhett eagerly complied.

The sight stung Lorna's eyes.

That night, she returned to the villa and quietly copied Flynn Enterprises' business files onto a USB drive.

A week later, Tommy's temperature stabilized, and he was discharged.

After dropping Tommy off at her parents' house, Lorna returned to the villa. Rhett arrived shortly after with Ruby in tow.

"Lorna, Ruby's leg is still healing. She needs proper care. Staying here is the best way for me to look after her."

Lorna looked at him with a pained expression. "Rhett, have you forgotten our agreement?"

He could do whatever he wanted outside, but he could never hurt their child or damage Tommy's young heart.

That was the final boundary Lorna set for Rhett.

Since Tommy's birth, Rhett had respected that boundary, never crossing it.

But now, he disregarded it entirely.

His brows furrowed with impatience. "Lorna, Ruby needs careful attention to recover quickly. Her whole film crew is waiting for her. Can't you be reasonable?"

Before she could respond, he added, "I promise you, she won't threaten your place as Mrs. Flynn."

"I won't agree to this!" Lorna said firmly. "I can't live under the same roof as another woman, and I won't let Tommy see his father betray our family!"

Rhett's eyes turned cold and sharp. "If you can't handle it, move out."

He grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the door. "Don't forget, this is a contract marriage. We agreed to stay out of each other's business."

The door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

In that moment, Lorna caught a glimpse of Ruby's smug face.

That night, heavy snow fell over the city.

Lorna stood outside, shivering as large, cold snowflakes pelted her body. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Glancing up, she noticed the bedroom window upstairs, its light glowing, curtains left open. Rhett and Ruby were entangled on the bed, their passionate embrace fully visible.

Seeing his tender, devoted expression, Lorna's heart felt as though it were being sliced by a dull knife, sinking deeper into despair.

Intimacy between her and Rhett was rare. Each time, he turned off the lights, closed his eyes, and rushed through it.

It never felt like love between a husband and wife-more like emotionless instinct.

Lorna preferred keeping the lights on, wanting to lose herself in a warm, intimate moment with him.

But he always switched off the light without discussion.

Each time he stiffly pinned her beneath him, she struggled to speak in the darkness. "Rhett, if you don't want this, you don't have to force yourself..."

But Rhett acted as if he couldn't hear her, pressing on with even fiercer intensity.

Over time, she grew silent, assuming that was just his way.

Yet now, as she watched a passionate, vibrant Rhett in bed with another woman, she realized he was capable of passion.

It just depended on who he was with.

A severe cold struck Lorna after she caught a chill.

Barely recovered, Rhett dragged her to the Flynn Enterprises tenth anniversary celebration.

Stepping out of the car, Lorna spotted a familiar figure.

Ruby wore an identical misty purple gown, her gaze toward Lorna brimming with defiance.

"Mrs. Flynn's dress is stunning! Wait, why is that woman wearing the exact same one? Who is she?"

"They're wearing the same outfit!"

"No way! She just got out of Mr. Flynn's car. What's her deal with him? His mistress?"

Hearing this, Ruby threw herself into Rhett's arms, pouting. "Rhett, I don't want to be the other woman."

Rhett frowned. "Why care what people say?"

Ruby squeezed out a few tears. "Rhett, don't treat me like this..."

An assistant approached, informing Rhett the ceremony could begin.

Lorna instinctively smoothed her hair.

At past events, Rhett always escorted her onstage for a brief speech.

But as her eyes scanned the room, Rhett was nowhere to be found.

"Now, please welcome Flynn Enterprises' president, Rhett Flynn, and his wife!" the host's voice boomed.

Where was Rhett?

The next moment, thunderous applause erupted.

Lorna froze. Rhett stood onstage, arm linked with Ruby.

A wave of shock hit her, her body trembling violently.

The crowd buzzed with whispers.

"At such a big event, the mistress is stealing the spotlight, and the real wife's left in the dust. What's going on?"

"When Flynn Enterprises nearly went bankrupt, it was Lorna's family that saved them. And now, just a few years later, he's replaced his wife!"

Each word pierced Lorna's heart like a needle.

Watching Rhett speak confidently into the microphone, Lorna felt suffocated by humiliation.

She quickly arranged for old company celebration videos to play on the big screen.

Someone gasped. "The woman in those videos with Mr. Flynn is the real Mrs. Flynn! The one today is the mistress!"

"Mistresses are this bold now? Parading onstage at events?"

"Get her off the stage! Make her leave!" several well-dressed women shouted in unison.

A splash sounded as someone threw a drink at Ruby's head.

Yellow liquid mixed with fruit bits dripped down her face, ruining her makeup.

Ruby, sobbing, buried her face in Rhett's shoulder.

Rhett wrapped his arms around her protectively.

His gaze turned venomous as it landed on Lorna. "Are you happy now, Lorna? Humiliating Ruby in public? You got what you wanted?"

Lorna bit her lip. "Those videos showed past celebrations. What's wrong with revisiting history?"

Rhett muttered a few polished words, then escorted Ruby off the stage.

The crowd whispered, casting sympathetic glances at Lorna.

Unable to bear it any longer, she hurried out of the venue.

Just outside, darkness enveloped her as a large sack was pulled over her head.

Dazed, she felt herself thrown into a vehicle.

When her vision cleared, she found herself in a basement.

A black-clad bodyguard dumped a bucket of ice-cold juice over her.

Her hair and clothes were soaked.

She shivered violently.

Before she could react, a bodyguard approached with a whip.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, but her phone buzzed.

Rhett's voice came through, cold as ice. "Now, do you see what you did wrong? You went too far today, humiliating Ruby. Don't blame me for returning the favor tenfold."

She heard him order the bodyguard cruelly. "Do it! Ninety-nine lashes. Teach her a lesson!"

The whip struck her mercilessly, blood splattering.

The first lash hit her knee, doubling her over in pain, her teeth tearing into her lip, blood filling her mouth.

The second lash struck her ribs, making her feel as if they snapped.

The third lash sliced her face, splitting her skin.

...

Pain overwhelmed her like a tidal wave, drowning her senses. She felt close to death.

Ninety-nine lashes. She lost count of how many times she passed out or struggled.

Finally, she lay motionless on the floor, despair closing her eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, the basement door slammed shut.

Relieved to still be alive, she struggled to rise when her phone rang again.

It was Rhett.

His voice was chilling. "Stay in the basement and reflect. You'll stay there until Ruby forgives you."

Lorna tried to speak, but her throat felt blocked, no sound escaping.

Ruby's voice came through. "Rhett, they hit her so hard. She won't die, will she? She's still your wife."

"She made the woman I love suffer. I had to teach her a lesson. Don't worry, she won't die. Just a warning to keep her in line."

His words left Lorna's heart cold and lifeless.