Chapter 1
Today is Bertha's husband Derek's birthday - she has gone shopping and will organize a surprise party for him, in the hope, he will understand her sincere feelings.
When Bertha entered the living room, she saw no one. She went to the kitchen and asked a maid where her husband was. But, the maid just smirked at her.
Bertha was used to the times when she asked but no one answered. Because all of Tibble's family's maids don't care about her.
Bertha went to their bedroom. Nearing the door, she suddenly heard a vague sound coming from inside. She thought she heard wrong but no, the sound was quite clear.
Frowning, Bertha slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She was behind the door so she couldn't see if Derek was in there or not, but when she faced the bed, she froze on the spot.
Bertha didn't know if she was in reality or just dreaming, but she saw her husband in bed with another girl. They weren't wearing anything, what was covering their bodies was the blanket she used to cover. Her husband had an affair right in their bed, their bedroom.
Her chest was spinning, her breathing became heavy. Bertha didn't know how to react. Is this a joke? Even though Derek doesn't love her, he shouldn't treat her so badly. Her hands shook, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Hmm."
The girl's moaning voice pierced Bertha's heart like a sharp knife. She feels suffocated. She bit her lip and stiffened.
The woman in the room is Derek's ex-girlfriend - Laura, and the husband she loves with all her heart and soul.
Bertha let go of her hand holding the grocery bag. It fell to the floor, causing a loud noise that startled the two people on the bed.
"Bertha," Laura screamed in mock panic.
Derek turned his head, he frowned, looking coldly at Bertha. He pursed his thin lips and remained silent.
The scene before her eyes stunned Bertha. She caught them in the act, but Derek remained calm and nonchalant as if this was just a normal thing. What did he think of her? Why did he insult her so casually?
"You two... why are you two doing this right in our room?" Bertha stammered.
"Our room?" Derek sarcastically said. "This is my room. Whatever I want to do, that's my business." He got out of bed and got dressed. "If you have seen it, I have nothing more to say. This matter cannot be hidden forever."
Bertha stubbornly glared at him, refusing to admit she was a loser.
Derek clenched his fist. His deep dark eyes stared at her, trying to burn her if possible.
"Derek?" A gentle voice broke the deadlock between them.
Bertha looked towards Laura, who was walking towards Derek. "I know, it's not right for us to do this, but I really can't stop loving you."
Bertha's eyes darkened. She couldn't understand.
What is Laura thinking? Is she trying to play the victim to gain Derek's sympathy and take revenge on him? However, Laura is more cunning than Bertha thinks. She wants Derek so she can seize the Tibble family's wealth.
"Laura." Derek turned to look at Laura, his expression softening immediately. He stroked her hair and said, "Don't worry, we haven't done anything wrong."
Laura often visited Derek's mansion and was favored by Victoria.
Derek declared his feelings for Laura. But Bertha was his legal wife. The secret affair between Laura and Derek had been going on for almost a year without Bertha knowing.
Even the maids in Derek's mansion seemed to support their affair. From the beginning, they never liked Bertha. They were delighted to see their master with another woman warming his bed almost every night.
Derek and Laura had once been in love. But then they broke up. Derek had just agreed to marry Bertha—a woman believed to be an orphan.
A few months after Derek and Bertha got married, Laura broke up with her boyfriend and wanted to get back with her first love.
Although Laura had betrayed him before, Derek, still in love with her, fell into her arms in a moment of weakness.
Taking a deep breath, Bertha looked at Derek. "Let's get a divorce." She had had enough. It was time to let go of this disastrous marriage.
Derek was a bit shocked; he never thought she would ask for a divorce. He knew she loved him deeply.
Without waiting for Derek's response, Bertha walked out of the room.
Though in pain, she held her head high, her back straight, and walked away fearlessly. Returning to her room, she texted her friend—Windy—asking her to pick her up in a few minutes.
Bertha sat on the bed, packing her luggage. After three years of living with the Tibble family, she didn't have many belongings.
She dragged her suitcase out of the room. As she opened the door, Derek staggered in. Without looking at him, her cold expression brushed past him. She slowly walked down the stairs.
With no other choice, Bertha had to leave Derek's house, a place filled with painful memories. Everyone was indifferent—no one spoke or tried to stop her.
She sat on the bench in front of the gate, waiting for Windy to arrive.
Windy finally arrived. She got out of the car and saw Bertha's pale face, her worry deepening.
"Bertha, what happened?" Windy asked as she sat beside her friend. Seeing blood on Bertha's leg, Windy felt heartbroken, tears welling up in her eyes. "Where is Derek?"
Bertha wanted to speak, but she was too exhausted. Her eyes closed, and she passed out.
Windy quickly caught her, placing a hand on her forehead. She realized Bertha had a fever.
"Why didn't Derek take care of you when you're this sick?" Windy mumbled, but she had no time to confront him.
Windy helped Bertha into the back seat, placed her luggage in the trunk, and looked at the massive house, shaking her head in disappointment. Then, she got into the car, stepped on the gas, and drove straight to the hospital.