Chapter 1: False Accusations.
Married To The CEO.
The weary face of Lilian was illuminated by the warm beams of sunlight. Opening her eyes, she was met with a profound sense of fatigue and exhaustion, leaving her feeling weak and drained. The intense rays of the sun caused her to hastily close her eyes once again.
With caution, she slowly reopened her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the brightness of her surroundings. Confusion filled her mind as she tried to comprehend where she was. As she sat up, she discovered the quilt covering her body, only to be startled by the realization that she was completely unclothed. Questions flooded her thoughts. What had transpired? How had she ended up in this unfamiliar place? When had she removed her dress?
A faint recollection emerged, hinting at Isabel assisting her into a room the previous night. However, beyond that fragment of memory, everything else remained elusive...
Then, it struck her with sudden clarity—a terrible realization. Someone had taken advantage of her. She had been violated. Trembling, she lifted the cover once more to inspect herself, seeking confirmation of the unthinkable act that had occurred.
The undeniable presence of a hickey, a blood stain, and the lingering pain of being torn served as painful confirmation that she had been violated. The weight of this realization bore heavily on Lilian, knowing that she was married and had no way to excuse or explain to Alex that her virginity had been taken by someone else.
Driven by a surge of emotions, she swiftly rose to her feet, snatched her dress from the floor, and hastily made her way towards the bathroom. Just as she closed the door behind her, Alex entered the room, accompanied by his mother and Isabel.
"Indeed, she has been violated. Take pictures of the bloodstained bedsheet and let's go," declared Kristy, Alex's mother.
"I now have every reason to divorce her and be with the love of my life," Alex proclaimed, pulling Isabel close to his fervent body and planting a passionate kiss on her lips.
"Calm down, my love. We will soon be married, and I will be completely yours. My sister has been pushed aside," Isabel gleefully responded.
Lilian couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her husband and sister had conspired against her? She waited until the sound of their footsteps had faded into the distance before emerging from the bathroom, hastily putting on her dress. She quickened her pace and walked away.
Scarcely had Lilian departed when Cooper entered the room. He surveyed the area but found no one present.
"Boss, the woman is gone. However, I have evidence that proves her innocence," Cooper reported, as he proceeded to capture photographs of the bloodstain on the bed.
Lilian had always been a resilient woman. She had entered into an arranged marriage with Alex.
They had only been married for a few months. Despite lacking love between them, they had agreed to cultivate their feelings before becoming intimate. Though she had not yet been intimate with him, it did not diminish her status as his wife. But she couldn't fathom that Isabel would plot against her in order to be with her own husband.
Lilian arrived home in a taxi and entered the house. As soon as she stepped into the living room, she was met with a fierce gaze. The intensity emanating from Alex's eyes had the potential to make someone stumble in their footsteps.
"Shameless whore! You dare to bring your wretched presence into this house," Kristy spewed venomously.
"You're married, yet you entertain thoughts of sleeping with someone else? Are you so cheap and promiscuous that you've lost all sense of your position and where to seek satisfaction?" Alex bellowed with anger.
Hypocrites, Lilian thought bitterly. He feigns outrage, yet he is well aware of everything that transpired. He was the one who handed her the drink that left her disoriented.
"This marriage is over. I can no longer pretend to overlook your actions or avert my gaze. You are an immoral woman!" Alex glared at her with disdain.
"What right do you have to hurl such vile words at me, when it was you who drugged me? What kind of man drugs his own wife to ensnare her? And don't think I'm oblivious to your affairs with my sister. You wanted a divorce, didn't you? You should have had the decency to say it instead of trying to fabricate a reason!" Lilian retorted, her voice seething with anger.
Alex found himself momentarily struck dumb. How had Lilian discovered his involvement with Isabel? Had they unwittingly left behind some incriminating evidence?
"How dare you hurl baseless accusations at my son? A despicable creature like you should hide your face in shame or, even better, vanish from this world by your own hand. Yet here you are, feigning righteousness after spending a night with your lover?!" Kristy launched a scathing attack.
"If you have any sense left, sign the divorce papers and leave. Otherwise, I will ensure that your life becomes an unbearable torment," Alex threatened, his voice dripping with animosity.
Before he could finish his menacing statement, Lilian had already walked past him, ascending the stairs. However, Kristy hastened after her, grabbing hold of her by the hair. Lilian winced as her mother-in-law forcibly dragged her around the room, inflicting pain upon her scalp. Kristy issued threats, asserting that her son wouldn't settle for someone else's leftovers.
Lilian's body throbbed with pain and exhaustion. As she was being dragged along, her strength waned until she could no longer continue. Time blurred as her vision grew hazy, eventually succumbing to darkness.
Three days later, Lilian regained consciousness, finding herself hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed. Weakness coursed through her entire being. She could vaguely recall the events leading up to her blackout, but the details of how she ended up in the hospital were a mystery.
Alone in the hospital room, Lilian couldn't help but reflect on the harshness of life, and tears welled up in her eyes. She had been forced into a marriage with someone she had no chemistry with, all because her stepmother insisted on her marrying into the Dominic family. Alex, the second master of the Dominic family, was to be her husband.
Despite the Dominic family's wealth and status as one of Stanton's four richest families, Alex wasn't the heir to the Dominic enterprise. Nevertheless, Lilian's stepmother made it a requirement for her to marry Alex.
Her stepmother's motive was to ensure that her own daughter, Isabel, would be the sole female member of the Simmons family, thereby increasing her chances of being chosen by the young master of the Dominic family.
Upon Alex's return from Switzerland, he arrived with a wife he had married. This unexpected development infuriated his parents, leading them to strip him of all his titles. Although he remained a member of the Dominic family, he was no longer eligible to inherit the family's fortune and responsibilities.
Lilian was unaware of the circumstances that led to her husband and Isabel becoming involved with each other. Lost in her own contemplations, she was interrupted by the entrance of a man...