Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I received an anonymous package.

Inside was a used condom.

It was fresh, seemingly still carrying a trace of warmth.

The sender didn't leave a name.

There was only a card that read: 【Happy seventh anniversary, Mrs. Hayes.】

It was written in elegant handwriting.

Obviously, it came from a young woman.

Today was indeed the seventh anniversary of my marriage to my husband, Declan Hayes.

But I no longer cared who the sender was.

I put the condom back into the box and repackaged it.

Then, I shoved it under the bed in our master bedroom.

After that, I took a trip to the records department at the police station.

"Ms. Carter, are you sure you want to process the name change?"

The clerk looked at me with concern.

"Once you change your name, all your educational records, IDs, and passports will need to be reissued. The process is extremely tedious."

I looked calm and nodded slightly. "I am sure."

The clerk kept trying to persuade me.

"Changing a name as an adult is a lot of trouble. Besides, your original name, Madeline, sounds gentle and beautiful."

She sighed. "There's really no need for all this hassle. Why don't you think about it a bit more?"

"No need to think about it."

I picked up a pen and signed my name on the consent form.

My tone was peaceful. "Please help me process it."

"Alright, your new name is Aurora Blake, correct?"

"Correct."

Aurora Blake. Moving toward the dawn, seeking peace from afar.

This was the escape route I had planned for the rest of my life.

It was also my only hope to break free from the past.

I was going to completely leave this city that held fifteen years of love and hate.

I looked up and asked, "Excuse me, can I use my new ID document to change the name on my passport now?"

"Yes, you can."

The clerk handed me a slip.

"This is your name change receipt. Take this to the service window downstairs, and you can update your passport."

I finished the passport name change as quickly as possible.

Soon, I held a new passport with my new name printed on it.

As for my diplomas and old identity documents, I had no intention of changing them at all.

Anyway, in a week, I would take my brand new passport and travel to a foreign country.

My past life as "Madeline" would be sealed away.

I would never need to deal with it again.

Clutching my brand new passport, I walked out of the government hall.

Across the street stood the iconic skyscraper of Chicago.

On the giant outdoor display of the building, an exclusive interview with Declan Hayes was playing on a loop.

He was the CEO of the Crestview Group.

The host sharply caught his subconscious gesture of rubbing his finger.

She smiled and teased, "Mr. Hayes, I noticed you keep touching the ring on your hand."

"It looks like a simple silver band without any flashy jewels," she continued.

"Does this ring hold a special meaning for you?"

A gentle smile rippled in Declan's eyes.

He raised his hand to show the ring to the camera. "This is my wedding ring."

"That's really surprising!" the host exclaimed.

"Given your wealth and status, I thought your wedding ring would be a high-carat diamond. I didn't expect it to be such a plain silver ring."

Declan's eyes were soft, and his tone was full of cherishing.

"This wedding ring was made by my wife. She is a jewelry designer."

He smiled deeply. "She even engraved our initials on the inside of the band."

"Wow, there really are letters engraved inside! It says DH and…"

"MC," Declan said softly. "My wife's name is Madeline Carter."

"That is so enviable!"

The host sighed dreamily. "Your wife must have saved the galaxy in her past life to marry such a deeply devoted man."

Declan smiled faintly, his tone reverent and sincere.

"I should be the one who accumulated enough blessings in my past life to have the honor of marrying her."

The pedestrians who stopped to watch all let out sighs of envy.

My ears were filled with praises for their fairy-tale romance.

Only I, the person involved in this so-called romance, stood in the crowd.

I merely curled my lips into a bitter, mocking sneer.

Declan and I once had an unforgettable, bone-deep romance.

From our innocent school days to a grand wedding, we had walked hand in hand for fifteen years.

In the eyes of our teachers, family, and friends, we were a match made in heaven.

We were a couple who would love each other until death.

However, this beautiful illusion that others envied had completely shattered two months ago.

That day, I received some private photos sent by a strange woman.

The girl in the photos was only in her early twenties.

She was wearing a seductive nightgown paired with stockings.

From her neck down to her chest, she was covered in ambiguous purple and red marks.

Anyone with eyes could tell she had just experienced an intense, intimate session.

The girl playfully flashed a V-sign at the camera, looking extremely arrogant.

On her index finger, she wore an oversized men's silver ring.

The surface of the ring clearly bore a line of English letters: DH & MC.

Later, inside Declan's office, I saw the woman from the photos with my own eyes.

The girl's name was Brielle.

She had just graduated from college and was only twenty-one years old.

She was the new personal life assistant Declan had recently hired.

At that moment, my mind instantly went blank, plunging into a daze.

I wanted to rush into the office countless times to interrogate Declan.

Did the duties of a so-called life assistant include accompanying him in his private life?

But in the end, I suppressed all my impulses.

That photo full of intimate marks had already laid all the answers bare before my eyes.

There was no need to ask any more questions.

The surroundings were still filled with the gasps and envy of pedestrians.

I turned around in silence and walked straight to a custom jewelry processing shop down the street.

I slowly took off the wedding ring on my left ring finger.

It carried fifteen years of emotions.

The moment my fingertips touched it, a tearing pain pierced my chest.

"Ma'am, do you need custom jewelry or remodeling?" the jeweler asked.

"This ring. Melt it down for me."

"This ring has a custom engraving, which obviously holds special meaning."

The jeweler looked hesitant. "Are you absolutely sure you want to destroy it?"

"I'm sure. Please process it as soon as possible."

Half an hour later, I carried an exquisitely packaged jewelry gift box out of the store.

I calmly returned home.

It was past ten at night when Declan finally returned.

He dragged his exhausted body into the house, holding a blooming bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Maddy. The company has been so busy lately, I haven't had time to accompany you."

He smiled apologetically. "I bought your favorite baby's breath. Do you like it?"

The moment he leaned in close, I clearly smelled a strange women's perfume lingering on him.

Looking closely, there was a faint bite mark left on his throat.

On the collar of his shirt, a conspicuous smudge of lipstick was stamped.

It was blindingly red, impossible to hide.

A mocking sneer rose from the bottom of my heart.

He claimed to be busy with work, but he was actually lingering in Brielle's embrace.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked softly.

I turned slightly and gently pushed him away.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired."

"Then shall I carry you back to the bedroom to rest?"

Saying that, Declan bent down, intending to sweep me into his arms.

I raised my hand and pushed him away again, my tone distant.

"You've been running around all day too. Go wash up and rest first."

Declan subconsciously reached out to hold my hand.

Then he suddenly noticed something wrong and frowned. "Maddy, why aren't you wearing your wedding ring?"