Chapter 1 The Broken Promise

The sharp smell of antiseptic made Keira Lynn's eyes sting.

In the hospital, she lay on the operating table, her forehead covered with tiny beads of sweat, as sharp, distinct waves of pain radiated from below.

She bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from whimpering.

"Just hang in there, it'll be over soon," the doctor said flatly, as if handling an inanimate object rather than a human being.

Outside the operating room, her mother, Martha Lynn, was on her phone, her tone sycophantic yet tinged with urgency.

"Of course, Justin. The procedure is almost complete. We've been complying with all of Aiden's demands. About next quarter's investment funding..."

The words seeped through the door crack, piercing Keira's already shattered heart.

Her pain, her dignity—in Martha's eyes, they were merely bargaining chips to secure Aiden Coleman's investment.

The acute pain below dragged Keira back to that nightmarish wedding night.

She had given herself to him with all her love.

But after a night of passion, his expression had turned dark with contempt.

He gave Keira no chance to explain before condemning her. "You weren't a virgin. You're soiled."

From that day forward, Aiden was convinced she was impure, promiscuous.

No matter how she pleaded, he responded only with icy scorn.

He even had her brought to the hospital for a hymenoplasty without anesthesia.

That piercing pain served as a constant reminder that she was soiled.

Keira had no right to object.

After their marriage, whenever she unwittingly offended Aiden, she would be dragged to that operating room and locked in for a day and night, forced to relive that agony.

Now, for the sake of the Lynn family and their pitiful, dependent existence, Keira had once again angered Aiden.

And Martha personally delivered her to this operating room to revisit that suffering.

Keira's face was deathly pale.

The memory of excruciating pain made it impossible to stand straight.

She could only lean against the wall, inching her way out of the operating room.

Martha had just ended her call.

Seeing Keira emerge, her brows immediately furrowed.

"Be more careful in the future. Don't defy Aiden again. The driver is waiting at the entrance. Zoey's coming home today. We need to hurry back."

Keira lowered her eyelashes, concealing the bitterness in her eyes.

Zoey Lynn, her half-sister, was the jewel of the Lynn family, everyone's darling.

She, Keira, was merely evidence of her father's affair, a pillar of shame in Martha's failed marriage, a tool the family could trade for benefits at any time.

Returning to the elegant yet cold Lynn mansion, the atmosphere was noticeably different.

"Zoey! You're finally back! Did you suffer abroad? You've lost weight!" Martha immediately embraced Zoey, who had just entered, with a warmth Keira had never witnessed.

Dressed in an exquisite outfit, Zoey smiled sweetly, basking in the adoration.

When she spotted Keira standing by the door, a subtle curve formed at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, Keira's home too."

Only then did Martha remember Keira had returned with her.

Her smile faded. "What are you standing there for? Go help Zoey with her gifts! You have no sense at all."

Keira silently stepped forward, taking the not-so-heavy gift bag.

The laughter and joy behind her had nothing to do with her. She was like a superfluous shadow, out of place.

Fortunately, Martha was busy playing the devoted mother, leaving no spare time to mock Keira.

She disgustedly had the driver take Keira back to the Coleman estate, handing her over like completing a task.

But that evening, an even greater torment awaited her.

Her husband, Aiden Coleman, had organized a grand welcome party for Zoey.

The ballroom sparkled with champagne and elite society.

Keira sat quietly in a corner wearing a simple, elegant gown, trying to minimize her presence.

She didn't want to face those prying, gossip-hungry eyes.

Rumors about her being loose and manipulating her way into the Coleman family had already spread throughout high society.

Whenever she appeared in public, she inevitably became the focal point of whispers.

However, Aiden clearly had no intention of allowing her to remain inconspicuous.

He approached with a wine glass, surrounded by a group of admirers, his handsome features cold as ice.

"Why are you sitting here alone?"

Keira looked up at him. This was their first encounter in two weeks, yet his expression remained hostile.

Before Keira could answer, Aiden smirked. "I suppose all you know is how to entertain men with drinks and smiles. Though today's gathering doesn't require your services. Staying out of the way shows at least some sense."

These words struck Keira like a slap.

The surrounding gazes instantly shifted from curious to mocking.

Keira clenched her fists.

"Aiden, don't talk to Keira like that." Zoey stepped forward, smoothly slipping her arm through his, though her eyes flashed with triumph.

Looking at Zoey, Aiden's expression softened slightly.

"Zoey, you're too kind. Some people don't deserve your words. Her presence here is already my mercy."

With burning eyes, Keira stood abruptly. "Excuse me, I'm not feeling well."

She stumbled toward the restroom, desperately fighting back tears.

After composing herself, she forced an awkward smile at her reflection and turned to leave.

Passing the terrace corner, she suddenly froze.

On the terrace, Zoey and Aiden stood face to face.

Zoey looked up at him with shy adoration. "Aiden, I've always liked you. Even knowing you married Keira, that we could never... I couldn't help myself. What happened back then—the Lynn family wronged you. And I couldn't help you."

Her voice broke as she took Aiden's hand.

Aiden had his back to Keira, his expression hidden.

But he didn't pull away.

He only sighed, his tone gentle. "It wasn't your fault. I know you tried your best."

At this sight, Keira's heart felt crushed by an invisible hand, suffocating pain spreading throughout her body.

Once, she believed Aiden's coldness stemmed from the feud between the Lynn and Coleman families, or perhaps his obsessive "virginity complex."

But now, the truth lay naked before her—his cruelty toward her existed because his heart belonged to someone else.

And that someone was her sister, the perpetually adored Zoey.

Keira's fingers unconsciously dug into her palms, the pain bringing slight clarity.

She watched as Aiden gently raised his hand to fix a strand of Zoey's wind-blown hair, his movements as tender as if handling a precious treasure.

In that moment, her heart broke into a million pieces.

'Aiden, you're the soiled one. This time, it's me who doesn't want you.' she silently vowed.