I Gave Him Three Chances

After Adrian cheated on me, he got on his knees and begged for forgiveness.

I gave him three final chances to cut ties with his mistress.

The first time, he bought her a custom-designed necklace.

The second time, he purchased a beachfront villa for her.

The third time, he cooked her one last romantic dinner.

When he came back, he threw away everything connected to that woman and took my hand again.

"Trust me. I'll never betray you again."

Until I got into a car accident with a woman.

The woman called someone, crying for help, and I heard my husband's friend answer.

"Adrian, I'm telling youdon't go. You've used up all three chances. Lydia's definitely going to file for divorce this time."

Then I heard Adrian's arrogant voice:

"Lydia's an orphan. She's never had anyone who loved her. She's more afraid of divorce than I am."

"Just keep this between us. I know what I'm doing. This is the last time."

I lay in a pool of blood, my whole body turning cold.

The woman crying in front of me was the mistress he'd been protecting all along.

Twenty minutes later, Adrianwho had sworn to devote himself completely to our marriagerushed to the hospital in a panic.

Through the thin curtain, I heard Adrian's voice, mixed with heartache and reproach:

"Why didn't you call me immediately? Is the number I gave you just for show?"

Vanessa struggled to sit up, her face the picture of obedience.

"You said your wife only gave you three chances. I didn't dare..."

"What three chances?" Adrian's emotions flared. "If you need me, call me! What would I do if something happened to you?"

I listened quietly from the next bed, my vision blurring.

When the accident happened, I was conscious. I called him first.

Twenty-six calls in a row. No answer.

Vanessa called once. He picked up instantly.

Because Adrian knew I had no one else. No matter how long it took, I'd wait for his delayed callback.

Just then, a doctor came in to change my bandages.

The moment the curtain opened, Adrian's anger toward methe driver who'd hit his mistressvanished from his face.

He froze, but the words that came out were:

"Did you secretly investigate Vanessa? Did you hit her on purpose?"

I hadn't expected his first reaction wouldn't be checking if I was injured, but accusing me.

Ever since I discovered his affair, he'd been fiercely protective of any information about Vanessa.

"Her background isn't great. If you dig it up, it'll affect her."

But my orphan status? He'd broadcast it to everyone in our social circle.

Just to make sure everyone knew how much I needed him.

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and gave a bitter laugh.

"That's four times now. You broke your promise."

When I'd insisted on divorce, he'd climbed onto the rooftop of our home.

"If you divorce me, I'll jump! I can't live without you. I told youyou're the only person I'll ever love!"

My heart had softened then. I gave him three chances to end things with his mistress.

He'd cleaned up all traces of the affair. I'd naively thought I'd won this battle for my marriage.

But today, cruel reality had slapped me hard across the face.

"What's the difference between three times and four? She was in an accident. Are you really heartless enough to expect me to abandon her?"

Adrian kept his voice low, afraid the girl would hear.

What could I say?

That I was also in an accident? That she only had a scraped knee while my shoulder required ten stitches?

Vanessa suddenly called out to him.

"How did the negotiation go? Do we have to pay damages?"

The man rushed to soothe her anxiety.

"That person's fine. Just focus on recovering."

I lay in my hospital bed listening to that mocking term"that person"and I laughed.

Even though my wounds hurt, it was nothing compared to one ten-thousandth of the pain in my heart.

Adrian's only act of mercy was signing a stack of hospital bills on the table while I slept.

If he'd cared about me at all, if he'd actually read what he was signing...

He would have seen the divorce papers I'd signed, tucked among them.

That night my wounds became infected and my fever spiked to nearly 104 degrees.

I went to find the doctor alone. Paid the bills alone.

Behind me, nurses whispered:

"Vanessa only has superficial injuries, but her boyfriend moved her to a VIP room. That woman's in this condition and she's all alone."

I gave a self-mocking smile and turned around.

Adrian came toward me and slapped me across the face.

"Lydia, you've gone too far!"

"Who told you to use my credit card? Vanessa will find out who you are!"

"I've made myself very clearI'm definitely going to end things with her. I just need time. I've already done this much. What more do you want?"

My already weak body swayed.

The burning handprint made my eyes turn red.

Only then did Adrian soften his tone and pull me into his arms. "I'm the only person in this world who truly loves you. You should be able to feel that."

"As long as you're willing to wait, I'll definitely come back to our family completely."

When I was an orphan everyone looked down on, and Adrian proposed on one knee, I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world.

People in our circle couldn't believe it. They often remarked:

"You're so lucky!"

I'd been drowning in that love, unable to pull myself out.

Until...

When Vanessa threw tantrums, he openly used videos of me being bullied to amuse her, leaving me ostracized by the wealthy wives.

For one phone call from Vanessa, he abandoned me in the middle of nowhere to walk home, where I nearly got mauled by wild animals.

Later it escalated. He let Vanessa call me in the middle of the night, playing sounds of them having sex, which caused me to miscarry the baby I'd just conceived.

Then he turned around and blamed me for being petty, for not being able to keep a child.

My face felt frozen, and I was drenched in sweat from the pain.

Adrian pressed his car keys into my palm.

"Vanessa can't recover peacefully with you here. Check yourself out immediately."

My whole body was burning up, and my vision kept going dark.

But I still murmured my agreement.

Adrian's expression grew complicated.

Just then, I got a call from Margaret Collins, the orphanage director.

Hearing she'd had a heart attack, I stumbled upstairs.

Margaret's face had turned purple, and she was struggling to breathe.

As the doctor worked on her, he explained:

"A young woman came over and argued with her, even hit the old lady and said terrible things!"

My pupils constricted instantly.

For someone like me with no parents, Margaret wasn't just like familyshe was better than family.

I turned around shakily. Vanessa threw herself into Adrian's arms, crying pitifully:

"That old woman called me a homewrecker. I only tried to explain, and she fell down trying to frame me..."

Rage surged through me. "You're lying!"

Vanessa glanced at me and revealed several crude pinch marks on her body, crying louder.

Meanwhile, Margaret's exposed skin was covered in scratches from fingernails and obvious bruises.

Seeing Vanessa's secretly taunting expression, I couldn't hold back and slapped her across the face.

But the next second, an even harder slap landed on my face.

Instantly, a metallic taste spread through my mouth.

Adrian held up his trembling hand, guilt flashing briefly in his eyes.

"What gives you the right to hit Vanessa? Your so-called family member verbally attacked her first. Is this the kind of manners you have?"

I blinked away the tears in my eyes, unable to believe he'd said such a thing.

Everyone thought orphans, with no parents to raise them, had no mannerswere wild children.

He used to smash bottles over people's heads to shut them up, to protect me from mockery.

Seeing my tear-filled eyes, Adrian's eyes flashed with pain, but Vanessa clung to him, trembling:

"Adrian, if you hadn't arrived in time, they would've ganged up and beaten me to death..."

Adrian seemed to imagine her being hurt, and disgust colored his gaze.

"Tomorrow at the charity gala, you'll publicly apologize to Vanessa! Don't think I don't knowif we don't clear this up immediately, Margaret will definitely spread rumors about Vanessa everywhere!"

I shook my head helplessly. "What if I don't"

"If you don't apologize, I'll cancel the donation to the orphanage. And the card you use to pay for Margaret's medical expensesI'll stop that too."

"Think carefully about how long it'll take you to find a matching heart donor on your own. Hmm?"

Looking at Margaret growing weaker in the hospital bed, I finally gave in.

The next day at the charity gala, Adrian handed me a prepared apology statement.

Vanessa walked over and dug her nails deep into my arm when no one was looking.

Her smile remained perfect.

"Lydia, an apology should be sincere."

The next second, her high heel kicked into the back of my knee, and I collapsed to the floor in humiliation.

Like a puppet on strings, I recited the apology:

"Margaret struck first. I'm apologizing on her behalf to Vanessa and will compensate for medical expenses..."

Murmurs rose from the audience:

"That's what happens when you have no parents to raise you properlyhitting people at the drop of a hat. I don't know what Adrian sees in her."

"Like mother, like daughter. Even though she's not biological, her behavior is just as crude."

"I think Vanessa is much more elegant. Lydia's position might be changing hands soon."

...

Contemptuous gazes burned like hot coals.

Vanessa watched me with a victor's stance.

I struggled to stand. Still feverish, I swayed, and Adrian instinctively stepped forward.

"Are you feeling unwell? You look terrible."

I pushed his hand away. He cleared his throat. "Don't misunderstand. I just don't want you ruining this event."

Vanessa pretended to help me up but whispered in my ear:

"Take care of yourself, Lydia. But I just heard the donor suddenly changed their mind and won't give your precious Margaret a heart anymore. Looks like you'll have to wait another ten years."

"Oh waitwho knows if she'll even survive ten more years."

The woman's taunting expression filled my vision. I couldn't take it anymore and grabbed her by the throat.

"What gives you the right to joke about her life?"

The next second, Adrian shoved me away without holding back.

"Lydia, have you lost your mind?"

"I made you apologize so you'd learn your lesson, not so you could escalate and hurt her more!"

I fell hard down the steps, every bone in my body screaming in pain.

Vanessa's taunting smile didn't fade. Where Adrian couldn't see, she mocked me freely.

Just as I lunged at her again like a madwoman, shoving Adrian aside...

A call from the hospital interrupted me:

"Lydia, Margaret has suddenly... disappeared!"

My heart clenched painfully. I looked up and saw Vanessa's increasingly smug expression.

Under everyone's contemptuous stares, I stumbled toward her, eyes red.

"She's my only family. Don't you dare touch her!"

My voice trembled uncontrollably. My whole body was shaking.

People murmured around us. Adrian's face couldn't hide his embarrassment as he shoved me away hard.

"Lydia, will you stop!"

I crashed completely into the champagne tower. Countless glass shards pierced my skin.

Adrian instinctively stepped forward, but Vanessa got to me first.

"You really are clever, Lydiaseeing right away that I took that old woman. But guess what? How do you think I'll torture her?"

My heart raced frantically. Before I knew what I was doing, my hands were wrapped tightly around her throat.

"I won't let you hurt her!"

The next second, a massive force threw me aside, followed by a slap.

"Lydia, I've been more than fair to you. What has Vanessa ever done to you? Look at yourselfyou're acting like a shrew!"

In his eyes, I looked completely deranged and humiliating.

But all I could think about was Margaret's uncertain fate.

The next second, I grabbed a knife nearby and rushed at Vanessa.

"Adrian, help me!"

I didn't expect Adrian to step in front of her and take the knife in his back.

He turned around and furiously ordered the security guards:

"My wife has lost her mind. Make her bow and apologize one hundred times. Maybe that'll wake her up!"

They forced my head down again and again until my forehead was bloody and raw.

But when I lifted my head once, I saw Vanessa triumphantly waving her phone at me.

The orphanage where I'd grown up was engulfed in thick smoke, and I could hear Margaret's cries for help inside!

I completely panicked.

"Let me go! Adrian, please let me go!"

I struggled to break free, but Adrian held me down forcibly.

"You're not leaving until you've bowed a hundred times!"

I couldn't care about anything else. I kept bowing, blood blinding my eyes.

Hatred filled my gaze as I looked at each person there.

Adrian's eyes flashed with shock, and he instinctively reached for me.

But I shook him off violently and ran out of the gala without looking back.

The man's gaze followed me, his heart sinking inexplicably.

When I reached the orphanage, the fire had spread to the entire attic.

I rushed in frantically, fumbling to untie the ropes binding Margaret.

But she smiled at me weakly, then took her last breath.

I froze in place. In that moment, my heart died completely.

But the next secondbooman unexpected explosion hit, and my vision went black...

As the charity gala's donation representative, Adrian headed to the orphanage surrounded by reporters.

The moment he opened the car door, flames filled the sky, and he froze in place.