The Unwanted Wife's New Dawn

Madelyn's delicate fingers gripped the bedsheet so tightly that her knuckles turned white. At the peak of her climax, she bit down on the pillow in front of her, stifling her moans.

The man kissed her neck and behind her ear with tender affection, his voice trembling with emotion as he murmured, "My love..."

Madelyn bit harder into the pillow, her tears flowing uncontrollably and soaking through the fabric, a physical reaction to the overwhelming emotions.

But the ache in her chest was far more unbearable than the physical sensations.

For years, she had deluded herself into believing he had feelings for her. Yet just days ago, she learned the truth-his heart had always belonged to another woman.

When it was over, she curled up, wrapping herself tightly in the blanket. Her eyelashes were still damp.

"Crying again?" Jason leaned down, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek. "Next time, I'll be gentler."

"There won't be a next time, " Madelyn replied, her voice hoarse.

"What?" Jason froze.

"Jason, let's get a divorce."

Ignoring the dull ache in her waist, Madelyn sat up and looked at him, her gaze clear and resolute.

Jason stood there, his robe loosely draped over his body, the open neckline revealing his toned chest and abs. "You're joking, right? That's not funny, " he said casually, turning toward the bathroom.

"Jason, " Madelyn raised her voice slightly, "when you're in bed with me, who are you really thinking about?"

Jason stopped in his tracks and turned back, his perfectly chiseled features showing a flicker of surprise.

Madelyn leaned against the headboard, her pale face exuding a fragile beauty, but her expression was unwavering.

"When we're together, is it me you're thinking about-or Rebecca?"

Her tone sharpened, her words almost accusatory.

"I've seen your private social media account, Jason. You've commented on every single one of Rebecca's posts. You've been in love with her for ten years. You married me only to ensure her happiness wouldn't be compromised."

It wasn't until last week, when she stumbled upon Jason's secret social media account, that Madelyn realized her entire marriage had been a cruel joke.

She began listing everything, one by one.

"On my birthday, you said you had to work late. But in reality, she wanted desserts from a specific bakery, and you took her there."

"On our first wedding anniversary, you claimed you had a client meeting. But you were actually on a date with her."

Jason's face darkened, his expression stormy, but he didn't deny a single word.

"And when you married me..."

Madelyn's voice faltered, her throat tightening as if something was lodged there.

"The Powell family and the Clark family had agreed that their eldest son and daughter would marry. When I returned to the Clark family and became their eldest daughter, the engagement fell to me. But Rebecca also wanted to marry into the Powell family.

To ensure her happiness, you volunteered to marry me. That way, I couldn't marry into the Powell family, and only she could."

By the time she finished, Madelyn couldn't hold back her tears. They streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Even though she had learned the truth a week ago, bringing it up now still felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

She had thought she married for love, only to discover she was nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game.

"And what do you expect me to do about it now?"

Jason finally spoke, his voice as indifferent as ever, as though the passionate man from moments ago had been a completely different person. "What's done is done. Why don't we both just pretend none of this ever happened?"

Madelyn let out a bitter, tear-streaked laugh, her pain etched into every sound. "So you don't feel even a shred of guilt?" she choked out.

"When I was brought back to the Clark family at eighteen, I was just a naive girl from the countryside, completely out of place in their world. Every one of my brothers doted on Rebecca and treated me like an outsider.

But you... you didn't hate me. You were the only one who was kind to me. Was all of that just an act?" She straightened her back, the blanket slipping down to reveal her thin shoulders.

She had once believed this marriage was her salvation.

When the Clark family brought her back, she hadn't wanted to return.

But her biological sister had died because of her, and her adoptive parents' love for her had changed after that.

They still loved her, but seeing her reminded them of their lost daughter. Their love was tinged with sorrow, and it broke her heart.

Unable to face them and their grief, Madelyn reluctantly agreed to return to the Clark family.

But she hadn't expected them to think she came back for their wealth. Over time, resentment and hatred grew between them, and she eventually lost contact with her adoptive family.

When the Clark family rejected her, she thought Jason's kindness was her only refuge, her only salvation in this life.

But she had been gravely mistaken.

This marriage, far from being her salvation, was a terrifying abyss she could never escape.

When her words fell silent, Jason's only response was a dismissive, impatient remark, treating her pain as if it were nothing more than baseless drama. "That was years ago. Why bring it up now?"

"There's nothing left to say, " Madelyn replied, her voice trembling. "Today marks three years since we got married. Do you even remember?"

Jason said nothing, his silence deafening.

Madelyn's lips curled into a mocking smile, tears still glistening in her eyes. "Let's get a divorce."

"Suit yourself!"

Jason shot a deep, piercing look at Madelyn before slamming the door and storming out.

Madelyn wiped the tears from her face with a fierce swipe. She swore to herself that she would never shed another tear for this man again.

She got up, took a shower, and began packing all her belongings into a suitcase. Just as she zipped it shut, she heard a noise downstairs.

At first, she thought it was Jason, but moments later, a woman's voice echoed down the hallway. "Madelyn, are you there?"

It was Rebecca.

Madelyn ignored her, finishing the zipper on her suitcase before standing up. Her face was icy and distant as she opened the door.

Rebecca stood outside, looking startled.

She had never seen Madelyn so indifferent. For a moment, she froze, cautiously studying Madelyn's expression.

"Madelyn, are you upset?"

"If you can tell, then don't bother me," Madelyn replied, shooting her a glance before brushing past her and heading downstairs.

"Madelyn, wait! I know you're upset, but I want to explain," Rebecca called after her, her voice tinged with sadness and fragility, as if she were the one being wronged.

"Madelyn, there's nothing between Jason and me. If you're thinking of divorcing him because of some misunderstanding, please don't do it."

Madelyn's grip on the suitcase handle tightened, her heart aching once again.

So Jason had already told Rebecca about the divorce.

Rebecca continued, her tone soft and innocent:

"That time, I had a terrible stomachache and was craving something sweet, so Jason took me to get dessert. We went to this bakery that holds special memories for us from high school. It wasn't that he didn't want to take you-it's just that we didn't want to upset you, knowing you went to a small-town high school... "

Her voice was gentle, almost pitiful.

"And that time we went out together? It was just a misunderstanding. Some of our old college friends had come back from abroad, so we all went out for dinner. It wasn't intentional to leave you at home. It's just that you didn't know them, and we didn't want you to feel awkward."

Her explanation seemed reasonable on the surface, but every word was laced with subtle condescension.

She was flaunting it-her shared history with Jason, their countless memories, the things Madelyn could never have.

"Do you take me for a fool? What exactly are you trying to say? Do you really think I can't see through you?"

Madelyn sneered, her voice icy. Without another word, she raised her hand and slapped Rebecca across the face.

She was done pretending to be the perfect sister.

Rebecca stumbled to the side, clutching her cheek in shock. She couldn't believe Madelyn had actually hit her. She stood there, utterly stunned, unable to believe Madelyn had actually hit her!

"What are you doing, Madelyn?"

At that moment, Connor appeared at the top of the stairs.

He had just arrived, only to witness Madelyn striking Rebecca. His anger flared instantly, his fists clenching as he glared at Madelyn. "How dare you lay a hand on your sister? She owes you nothing! She knew Jason before you did! It's only natural for them to be close!"

Madelyn's expression remained cold as she retorted," And what exactly do I owe you all?"

"How can you say that?" Connor's fury boiled over, and he looked as though he was about to lash out.

Rebecca quickly grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. "Connor, I've already explained everything to Madelyn. She'll calm down once she comes to her senses. Don't blame her!"

Though she appeared to be mediating, her words only added fuel to the fire. Madelyn let out a bitter laugh.

"Enough! Are you still not satisfied? Rebecca has already explained herself," Connor scolded Madelyn again. "Stop stirring up trouble! At home, you're always picking on your sister, and now that you're married, you're still the same!"

Madelyn's cold, indifferent eyes turned to Connor, filled with disappointment.

Whenever she made a reasonable request at home, Rebecca would twist it into her causing trouble, and everyone would gang up to lecture her.

The Clark family always sided with Rebecca without question, leaving Madelyn feeling isolated and resentful.

She turned her gaze to Rebecca. Being taller, she looked down at her with a condescending air, her eyes filled with disdain. Her voice was sharp as she asked, "Does your husband know about all this?

Does Evan know that Jason only married me because of you? When you went to those college reunions with Jason, was Evan there? Does Evan know Jason married me because of you?"

Her smile was mocking. "You and Evan don't plan on divorcing, do you? So, is Jason supposed to be your lover?"

"Madelyn, what are you saying?"

Connor instinctively stepped forward, disbelief written all over his face.

Rebecca was even more stunned, her face pale with shock. "Madelyn, how could you think that? Jason and I are just friends!"

Rebecca stammered. Madelyn's icy gaze swept over the two of them. Without another word, she picked up her suitcase and turned to leave.

Whatever relationship Rebecca and Jason had, it no longer mattered to her.

She just wanted to escape this place that filled her with pain and disgust.

As she descended the stairs, she was startled to see Jason standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor.

His silhouette exuded a profound loneliness, and she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. At eighteen, it was that very profile that had drawn her to him, made her want to get closer, to warm his heart.

But the moment he turned to face her, his eyes fell on the suitcase in her hand, and his expression darkened.

He had clearly been standing there for a while, long enough to hear every word of their earlier conversation.

Madelyn continued walking forward. So what if he had heard? She hadn't said a single lie.

"Rebecca has already explained everything. What more do you want?"

Jason's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"So, I'm just supposed to forgive you both because she explained?" Madelyn shot back.

"Fine." Jason let out a cold laugh. "What do you want this time? A designer bag? Jewelry?"

Every time she was upset, he would buy her something to appease her. But that was never what she truly wanted.

Madelyn's fingers curled slightly at her side. She reached into her bag and pulled out a document. "Sign it."

Jason took it casually, but when his eyes landed on the words "Divorce Agreement" on the cover, his face turned grim.

"Madelyn, are you really going through with this? If you make this choice, don't even think about coming back to me."

"This marriage was a mistake from the very beginning. I'm just setting things right," Madelyn said calmly, her gaze drifting to the side.

She had prepared the divorce papers a week ago but had hesitated to hand them to Jason until now.

Jason let out a bitter laugh, his anger barely contained. "How long are you going to keep this up? Don't forget, you were the one who wanted to marry me in the first place!"

Madelyn took a deep breath, finally voicing the truth she had buried in her heart. "Because back then, I had no idea your reason for marrying me was so revolting!"

"Revolting?" Jason's face darkened further, his voice icy. "What did you think? That I married you for love?"

His expression didn't change much-still the same cold, emotionless mask-but deep in his eyes, there was a flicker of disdain, faint yet unmistakable.

Madelyn caught it instantly.

Even if he didn't say it outright, she understood. She wasn't worthy of his love.

To him, she was just an unrefined girl from the countryside-someone with the bloodline of high society but none of its refinement.